JL Merrow’s Fool Me Twice (book two of the Glastonbury Tales) is an enjoyable second-chance romance set in and around (you guessed it!) Glastonbury in Somerset which, despite its famous music festival is, for most of the year, a fairly sleepy, small town that is steeped in history and is known in some circles as the spiritual centre of England. The previous book in the series (Face Blind) made use of the town’s reputation for myths and legends by introducing a small supernatural element to the story, but Fool Me Twice is more of a straighforward contemporary romance with plenty of local colour. Although it’s a sequel to Face Blind, it’s not necessary to read that first as there’s no overlap in the storylines.

Six years earlier, Si Greczik (‘Scratch’ to his friends) moved to London to work as a brickie for the small construction company owned by his best friend Adam’s (Face Blind) dad. Si, who, at the time, wasn’t completely sure of his sexuality but thought he might like guys, asks Adam to take him to a gay nightclub, which is where Si meets funny, flirty, gorgeous Zig, who promptly throws Si’s worries about not feeling sexual attraction to anyone out the window. Zig fires up his libido like nobody’s business, and more to the point Si likes Zig, likes his confidence, his sense of humour and his laid-back attitude. They arrange to meet again the following week and then start seeing each other regularly and things are great – until a few months later everything falls apart. A series of break-ins on the building site lead Adam to become suspicious of Zig and his friends, and when Zig doesn’t deny any involvement and instead just shrugs off the thefts as being victimless crimes (Adam’s dad can claim on his insurance, can’t he?), Si is devastated. Heartbroken, he decides to go home to Glastonbury.

So when Zig appears on his doorstep one night completely out of the blue, Si is blindsided. But he can’t forget how much he’d lo- liked Zig and isn’t about to leave someone standing out in the freezing cold. He invites Zig in, no questions asked (although he can’t help wanting to ask some), and offers to make him something to eat. Zig seems to be as chipper as he always was, and Si does his best to tell himself that the appreciative looks coming his way don’t mean anything. That’s all in the past. But there’s something a bit… brittle behind the devil-may-care attitude; Zig must have come to Glastonbury for a reason, and hopefully, he’ll tell Si what it is when he’s ready. In the meantime, he needs a place to stay while he sorts himself out, and Si has never been the type to ignore someone in need of help.

Zig left London in a hurry when he learned his dad – recently released from a stretch at His Majesty’s pleasure – was trying to find him, no doubt wanting to pull Zig back into the life of crime he’s worked hard to leave behind. Trying to think of somewhere his dad won’t think to look for him, Zig hits on the idea of going to Glastonbury to find Si, who he’s always thought of as being the one genuinely good man he knows. It’s a crazy idea – Si has probably moved on and is unlikely to be pleased to see him – but Zig is desperate and has nowhere else to go.

Si offers to let Zig stay for as long as he needs to, which is exactly what Zig had hoped for, but he’s determined not to leech off Si forever and sets about finding himself a job. Over the coming weeks of quiet nights in, shared meals, watching Doctor Who marathons and just talking about everything and nothing (Zig adores Si’s geeky side), a sense of closeness and belonging develops that has both of them longing for more than friendship.

Needless to say, Adam, who saw how devastated Si was when he walked away from Zig, isn’t pleased at his return and tries to warn Si off – but Si is adamant that Zig has changed and makes it clear that Adam can think what he wants, but Si isn’t going to change his mind.

While Si might have been a bit naïve when he and Zig first met, the intervening years have seen him grow into himself – physically and mentally – and while he’s a total sweetheart who sees the best in people, he’s no pushover. And where Zig was all flirty quips and flashy confidence, he’s changed, too, forced to face some unpleasant truths about his dad and himself that have made him determined to stay out of trouble and out of his dad’s way. Zig knows how much he hurt Si all those years ago, and kind of admires him for walking away when he did, but he’s wary of telling Si the truth, not because he doesn’t trust him, but because he’s such a good bloke that Zig doesn’t want to drag him into the mess that is Zig’s life. The rekindling romance between the pair is sweet and hesitant, neither man daring to believe that they can really have a second chance with each other. Si might believe Zig when he says he’s changed, but he’s not about to put his heart out there again only for it to be stomped on, and even though Zig is more sure than ever that he wants to be with Si, he doesn’t want to push too hard for fear of rejection. The drama towards the end isn’t unexpected, but it’s not drawn out and it’s great to see Zig’s new friends stepping up and his heartbreaing reaction to that; he’s never been loved or valued for himself, so he’s never expected to have people around him willing to stand up for him and help him.

The story is told in dual PoV, and there are some well-placed flashbacks near the beginning that flesh out Si and Zig’s backstory. The small cast of secondary characters is well-drawn, and the town itself almost feels like one of them as Zig finds himself enchanted by this quaint place full of myths and superstition, his growing connection to the people and places illustrating just how lonely his life has been up to now.

J.L. Merrow is one of those authors I keep meaning to read more often. Her writing always feels so comforting and homey – the expressions, idioms and rhythms of speech are so familiar and natural that her characters feel like people I’d happily chat with down the pub. Fool Me Twice is a quick but satisfying read featuring likeable leads, a wonderfully well-realised setting and a charming second-chance romance. Recommended.