Milo by Lily Morton

Narrated by Joel Leslie

Milo is the second book in Lily Morton’s Finding Home series, and in it, listeners return to the gorgeous Cornwall setting of Chi an Mor, the country estate belonging to Silas, Earl of Ashworth. We met Milo Ramsey and Niall Fawcett first of all in the previous book, Oz, when Niall interviewed Oz Gallagher for the job of Collections Manager at the house, where Milo has worked as an art conservator for the past few years. He’s a decade or so younger than Niall, but the pair have known each other for most of their lives; Milo’s older brother Gideon is Niall’s best friend (they were at school together) and they’ve also been occasional fuck-buddies for years – a discovery that left a smitten, seventeen-year-old Milo heartbroken after he found them in bed together.

The novel opens with a prologue set five years before the story proper, with Milo in the kitchen of the flat he shares with his boyfriend Thomas. Milo has just dropped a bottle of wine and is terrified of Thomas’ reaction; with good reason it turns out, as the other man wastes no time in getting nasty, telling Milo how useless he is, criticising his appearance and making fun of the stammer he’s struggled with since childhood and which tends to worsen when he’s upset or nervous. In the midst of Thomas’ cruel tirade, another voice bursts in and furiously demands to know “What the fuck is going on in here?” It’s Niall – who immediately tells Milo to pack up his stuff and then whisks him away to Cornwall and Chi an Mor, where Milo gradually starts to recover, returning to physical health and gradually making new friendships and becoming comfortable in his new surroundings. Mentally, however, his ex really did a number on him; his self-confidence, which was never strong owing to his stammer, is still seriously dented.

Niall has always had a soft spot for Milo, and was kind and patient with him when the latter was a gangly kid struggling to get his words out. He was truly saddened to see how beaten down Milo had been – and horrified and guilty that he hadn’t realised what was going on – but has been pleased to watch Milo gradually growing back into himself, into the clever, charming, funny man he was always meant to be – a man who has no idea of his own attractiveness or how strong he really is.

When Oz’s mother has a fall and Oz and Silas have to go to London for a few days, Milo and Niall are left – literally – holding the baby; Oz and Silas’ seven-month old daughter, Cora, whom they agree to look after until her parents come home. A plumbing emergency sees Milo and Cora moving from the main house to Niall’s home on the estate, and their enforced proximity engenders a new closeness between them. It’s very clear to the listener that Niall has started to see Milo as something other than his best friend’s little brother, but Milo, who was constantly told by Thomas that he was unattractive and terrible in bed, can’t see why anyone would be want him, and has no idea.

*sigh*

Milo and Niall are very different but they’re adorable together. Niall is a self-confessed manwhore; he’s outgoing and confident and can be somewhat overbearing, which is something that gives Milo pause. He knows Niall isn’t at all like Thomas, yet can’t help seeing some similarities which make him worry about being attracted to controlling men. And while it’s true that perhaps Niall does try to take over in some situations, mostly, he encourages and coaxes and reminds Milo of what he’s capable of doing and supports him in doing it. Still, he does have to learn to let Milo fight his own battles, just as Milo has to realise that he has the confidence and strength of character to stand on his own two feet and fight them.

I loved almost everything about this book. The chemistry between Milo and Niall is terrific and I adored the way we’re shown Niall coming to the realisation that he’s been waiting for Milo all along and that his feelings for him are like nothing he’s ever felt for anyone else. He recognises he’s in love long before Milo does, but he knows he needs to give Milo the space to realise the truth of his own feelings – which leads to some tricky moments given that Milo is well aware of Niall’s sexual history and expects to end up as just another notch on his bedpost.

I know that some found the fact that Niall has been Gideon’s FWB for years, and has, when the story proper opens, slept with him fairly recently (a month or so before?) distasteful at best and a deal-breaker at worst. I wasn’t too bothered by it; for me the important thing is the emotional connection, and while Niall and Gideon are best friends, they were never in love – plus Niall is clearly head-over-heels for Milo and there’s no going back from it. Gideon is unhappy about Niall’s relationship with Milo and makes snide comments about it, even goading Milo about Niall’s prowess as a lover – WTF? Comparing notes with a sibling about someone you’ve both slept with? Ew. I’m guessing this was done partly to set up Gideon as a selfish git in need of redemption (his book is the next in the series). And I had to wonder about the author’s decision to have Milo and Niall go on holiday with Gideon, his not-really-girlfriend Jacinta (who frequently made a third in Niall and Gideon’s bed), her sister and another couple. That whole section seemed… well, largely irrelevant apart from one thing, which could probably have been accomplished without Milo and Niall having to waste their together-time with such an unpleasant group of people.

That was the only false note struck in the story which I otherwise loved. Milo is a complete and utter sweetheart, but Niall, protective, snarky and tender Niall, is every bit as swoonworthy and loveable. The slow-burn romance is beautifully done, and though the conflict is fairly minimal, it’s perfectly in character for Milo, who has a hard time believing that anyone – especially a man like Niall – could find him attractive, and is trying desperately to protect himself from the heartbreak he believes is on the cards.

Joel Leslie has so thoroughly demonstrated his affinity for Lily Morton’s writing, characterisation and sense of humour that I can’t imagine anyone else narrating her books. He thoroughly captures the essence of Milo’s personality; his sweetness, his sharp wit and his unassuming nature – and handles his occasional stammer in a manner that feels natural (I have a child who stammers) and is never overdone. Niall’s voice is pitched lower and has a resonance to it that works to depict him as a confident, sometimes imposing man, and Mr. Leslie does a great job of conveying his growing feelings for Milo and the strength of the emotional connection between them. Oz and Silas from the previous book appear as secondary characters in this one and are portrayed consistently, Oz’s irrepressibility and distinct Irish accent, and Silas’ deeper, more measured tones (which bear the occasional hint of a Cornish burr) making them both easily distinguishable from Milo and Niall and also from Gideon when he appears. (His voice is pitched in the same register as Silas’ but it has a gruffer, rougher edge and his accent is less polished.) Mr. Leslie’s comic timing and deadpan delivery are spot on, and he has the versatility to be able to depict a large-ish secondary cast and differentiate effectively between them, from the nasal warble of the disapproving old bat at the county fair to the disdainful tones of the shitty ex-boyfriend.

Poignant, tender, funny and sexy, Milo is a lovely friends-to-lovers romance about two people realising they’re finally ready to find a home in each other. Add in Joel Leslie’s captivating performance and you’ve got a winning combination.

Note: This book opens with a scene of domestic abuse (not graphic) and the subject is mentioned occasionally throughout.

Caz

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