IN STRANGE WOODS BY CLAIRE CRAY : BOOK REVIEW

In Strange Woods by Claire Cray 

BLURB

In the stormy coastal woods of the Pacific Northwest, roots run deep and passions run wild.

Reeling with grief and hounded by the press after the mysterious massacre of his wealthy family, moody New York photographer James Worthington Crane decides to take his downward spiral somewhere far away: to the rural Oregon Coast, where he’s just inherited a random piece of property hidden somewhere in the woods upriver.

But when James pulls into the decaying seaside town of Brooks, everyone thinks he’s someone else—an elusive local rebel named Beau. Now James must fight through his own grief to unravel a tangled web of family secrets, mysterious doppelgängers, and forgotten history...with help from a soft-spoken local hunk named Hunter Quaid.

Hunter’s been on his own since he left his fundamentalist family at the age of fifteen. It’s taken years of hard work and healing to build the steady, stable life he has now, fixing up seaside houses while living alone in a trailer by the river. Then James blows in like a winter storm, disturbing the peace and stirring up a hunger like nothing he's ever felt.

As Hunter helps James search for the truth, their lives intertwine in unexpected ways—and they begin to discover what it means to find out where you really belong.

From the author of Merrick and Hidden Talents comes a sensual and emotional story inspired by the rugged beauty and offbeat history of Pacific Northwest timber country. In Strange Woods moves through ancient old-growth forests, abandoned logging roads, ramshackle seaside towns, decaying homesteads, coastal highways, and the stories hidden in the trees.

 

REVIEW 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

James Worthington Crane is trying to escape his past. He wants to put behind him the brutal murder of his family and avoid the watchful eye of the press.

And that is how he finds himself in a cozy little town of Brooks, in Oregon.

But when people in the town start mistaking him for someone named Beau Woodstock, he can't help but delve into finding out more about this mysterious stranger.

Hunter Quaid mostly keeps to himself. He earns his living by renovating houses and lately, his business seemed to be flourishing.

When James blows like a whirlwind in Hunter's peaceful life, he is inexplicably drawn to the gorgeous man who resembles a dark fallen angel.

When Hunter and James team up to find the truth, secrets are uncovered

and they also happen to find something unexpected along the way.

This was such an engrossing and compelling novel. I loved the setting of the story, which was based in a small quaint town surrounded by wild forests. The mystery surrounding Beau kept me captivated and I was absolutely intrigued. 

If you're in a mood for a good mystery blended with a sweet romance and a gripping plot, I absolutely recommend this!

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