A couple of months ago, I ended doing a joint reading of Seven Summer Nights with my Twitter friend Vicky because the book was on both of our TBR lists.

Rufus was once a promising archaeologist, but he has returned to England in relative disgrace, and is obligated to take a commission examining a church in Droyton Parva, a small village in Sussex.

Archie is the local vicar, and he’s surprised to see such a prominent archaeologist assigned to his little project, but he’s even more surprised by Rufus.

If this book was merely a story of two men finding happiness together, it would have been enough, but that element of the plot is only the tip of the iceberg. I don’t want to give too much away, but needless to say, there is a lot going on in Droyton Parva, some of which definitely falls into the paranormal category. There are ancient secrets and hints of magic, but these secrets bleed into the present day, where crucial information can change everything. As I made my way through this book, I never knew what was going to happen next.  

Rufus and Archie’s romance develops slowly; there’s a ton of hesitancy and repressed feelings that the two men need to overcome; neither of them has had a very easy life, and seeing them find happiness together—as chaos swirls around then—was quite fulfilling.

Rufus and Archie are joined by a strong cast of secondary characters; most of them played supportive roles, but even the adversarial characters enhanced the narrative. I especially enjoyed Archie’s friend Alice, and of course, Pippin the dog stole the show at every possible opportunity.

I would absolutely recommend Seven Summer Nights. This book has a bananas plot and a sweet and tender romance. What more could anyone need? This is my first Harper Fox book, but it certainly won’t be my last.