A Second Harvest is a quiet but emotional contemporary romance set in rural Pennsylvania. I decided to read it for August’s TBR Challenge prompt – “Everyday Heroes” – because I think there’s something heroic about a person making a conscious decision to divert from the path they’ve walked their entire life and walk a different one in the hope of finding true happiness.

A widower of forty-one, David Fisher lost his wife a couple of years earlier and has lived alone on the family farm in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, since his two children went off to college. He was brought up in the Mennonite faith and has striven to adhere to its tenets and to be a dutiful son, husband and father; he’s spent his whole life being and doing what those around him have expected him to be and do. But he’s dreadfully lonely and of late, he’s admitted to himself that he’s not really living; life is joyless and dull, and he feels like he’s just going through the motions waiting for the end. His kids and other members of the community keep dropping hints (more than hints) that he should remarry, and one particular lady has set her cap at him – but David isn’t interested.

Thirty-year-old graphic designer Christie Landon lives in Manhattan where he works hard and plays hard, hitting the clubs every weekend with his bestie, Kyle. Lately, though, he’s started to feel a bit disillusioned with it all; the clubbers seem to be getting younger and the scene is so shallow. It’s not just his social life that is flagging, however; his job has become stale and uninspiring, and he knows he’s not working up to his usual standard – he needs an infusion of fresh inspiration, although where he might find that is anyone’s guess. On this particular night, he and Kyle return to the apartment they share and continue to party – but then Kyle takes some pills and almost dies. Fortunately he makes it, but the incident is a real wake-up call for both of them that just reinforces the nebulous feelings Christie had been having about the need to make some changes.

A few months earlier, Christie had inherited a house from his aunt, and he decides to take a six month sabbatical from Manhattan and go to Lancaster County to look over all her stuff and get the place ready to sell. While he hadn’t been able to get away from the country fast enough when he was younger, he has fond memories of visiting his aunt when he was a boy – and he’s ready for a break from city life.

When David notices that someone has moved into the old Landon property bordering his land, he puts off going over to say hello. He’s only seen the guy who’s living there from a distance, but he’s young, blond and very “city looking”, which makes David uneasy. But he can’t put it off indefinitely, and eventually makes his way over, finding his new neighbour in the back yard attempting to burn leaves. He – Christie – is fashionably dressed and very good-looking, but doesn’t seem to be at all judgemental or stuck-up, which is something of a relief, and they soon fall to chatting about the house and about the land. Their conversation is light-hearted and easy – but although Christie is nothing but friendly, there’s something about him that makes David uncomfortable.

Christie is smitten from pretty much the moment he sees David, attracted by his gentle good nature and shyness as well as his rugged good looks, but he knows David is probably too clueless – and too straight – to get it… which is probably a good thing. The move to Lancaster County has certainly been good for Christie’s work – he feels re-energised and fully engaged – and he discovers a new side to his creativity when he discovers his aunt’s well-thumbed collection of cookery magazines. The recipes he tries turn out really well – but as he’s about to tuck in to his meal, he realises it’s a shame not to have someone to share it with, and before he can think too much about it, he packs up half of the food, and walks the quarter mile to the Fisher farm.

Over the following weeks and months, David and Christie become good friends, sharing meals, conversation and quiet moments, Christie starts helping out on the farm occasionally – flinging around bales of hay is cheaper than going to the gym – and David slowly begins to come out of his shell, telling Christie about his desire to travel and to be something more than life has so far allowed him to be. He doesn’t cotton on to the fact that Christie is gay – or, at least, he doesn’t let himself acknowledge it – until halfway through the book, when his children visit for Thanksgiving and his son, who is training to be a minister, very nastily points it out.

Eli Easton has done a superb job of creating two engaging, sympathetic characters who, even though they come from very different backgrounds and have very different life experiences, are nonetheless perfect for each other. The relationship development is excellent, with the initial friendship between the two men infused with affection, humour and an undercurrent of sexual tension and attraction. It’s a lovely slow burn filled with longing and tenderness, but David and Christie’s path to an HEA isn’t going to be an easy one. For David to live authentically is going to mean turning his back on everything and everyone he’s ever known – and here is my one real issue with the story. He’s just getting to grips with his sexuality and starting to think about how he’s going to move forward (the scene near the end where he finally lets out all his frustrations is visceral) when something awful happens (no spoilers) – and suddenly we’re a year in the future and David and Christie are happily living together in Manhattan. It’s a lovely HEA, but I’d have liked there to have been more exploration of David and Christie overcoming obstacles and building a new life together. As it stands, it feels a bit too neatly wrapped up.

The background information given about the Mennonite community in the area is enough to explain the sect’s teachings without it being overkill, but if you dislike reading stories where religion of any sort plays a part (and in which there’s blatant homophobia) this might not be a book for you.

The book is well-written, the characters are likeable and endearing, and the romance is tender, sensual and superbly realised. I loved Christie’s energy and his desire to do nice things for David just to show that he cares and that David is important to him (seriously, Christie cooking meals typical of the countries David has longed to visit and never been able to is one of the most touching, romantic things ever), and I appreciated that David has never been unaware of his sexual orientation – he may not have ever explored his true desire, but he’s always known he’s gay, so this is not so much a sexual awakening story as it is one of self-acceptance and daring to hope.

A Second Harvest is a lovely story about finding yourself, finding your person, and fighting for what you want even when it seems the world is against you. I very much enjoyed it, despite my issues with the rushed ending, and it earns a strong recommendation.