Rescuing the Writer

Forestville Silver Foxes #4.5

by Nora Phoenix

I’m a walking disaster, so I’m not surprised when my RV catches fire outside the cute town of Forestville.

What is surprising is the hot deputy sheriff who comes to my rescue…and invites me to stay with him.

Waylon is fifteen years my junior, but he’s disciplined, organized, and put together. Who knew competence could be so arousing?

But when I discover he’s a gay virgin, I may just be able to teach him a thing or two.

Rescuing the Writer is a standalone novella in the Forestville Silver Foxes series.

Genres: Romance, M M Romance, Audiobook, Contemporary, Novella, Queer, LGBT

90 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 1, 2024

About the author

Would you like the long or the short version of my bio?

The short? You got it.

I write steamy gay romance books and I love it. I also love reading books. Books are everything.

How was that?

A little more detail? Gotcha.

I started writing my first stories when I was a teen…on a freaking typewriter. I still have these, and they’re adorably romantic. And bad, haha. Fear of failing kept me from following my dream to become a romance author, so you can imagine how proud and ecstatic I am that I finally overcame my fears and self doubt and did it. I adore my genre because I love writing and reading about flawed, strong men who are just a tad broken..but find their happy ever after anyway.

My favorite books to read are pretty much all MM/gay romances as long as it has a happy end. Kink is a plus… Aside from that, I also read a lot of nonfiction and not just books on writing. Popular psychology is a favorite topic of mine and so are self help and sociology.

Hobbies? Ain’t nobody got time for that. Just kidding. I love traveling, spending time near the ocean, and hiking. But I love books more.

Come hang out with me in my Facebook Group Nora’s Nook where I share previews, sneak peeks, freebies, fun stuff, and much more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/noras...

Wanna get first dibs on freebies, updates, sales, and more? Sign up for my newsletter (no spamming your inbox full…promise!) here: http://www.noraphoenix.com/newsletter/

You can also stalk me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NoraFromBHR
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nora.phoenix/
On Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/nora-...

Reviews

[Drache.... (Angelika) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a review for the audiobook.

It's been a while since I listened to an audiobook, and I was happy to get this free audiobook via the author's newsletter and BookFunnel.

Sadly the weak writing combined with the poorly narration by Michael Dean was... not good. Especially the chapters from Melbourne's pov were bad.
The first chapters were already full of (bland) innuendos because of Melbourne's insta lust. I get this is a novella, but the way the connection between the MCs was shown didn't work for me, at all.
Melbourne's pov sounded sleazy and predatory most of the time, and sometimes even whiny. He was arrogant in his knowledge that Waylon wasn't as experienced at sex with a man as him, and I did not like him for feeling so superior.

Oh and thankfully stellar first sex obviously leads directly to deep trust and love, sigh...
I was (very) underwhelmed.

[Drusilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite nice. I've only read the first book in this series so far, I haven't had the urge to return to this place yet. But this little short story definitely whets my appetite again. I like this small-town flair, even if it's a little short on the few pages here.
Waylon and Melbourne have an interesting dynamic, I like them both a lot and I think they would have benefited from a longer story. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed reading this one.

I’d never felt this wanted, this desired, this craved. Warning bells went off in the back of my mind that I couldn’t attach meaning to this, that this was just sex, but I ignored them. Whatever Waylon was offering, I was taking. 🫠💞🫠

[Cat the bookworm (in a cottage induced book slump) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unusual couple dynamics, surprisingly well written for novella.

I’ve only read one book by this author, and it was a dnf. So imagine my surprise when I actually liked this one - even though it’s a novella from a series I haven’t read anything so far.

It’s the story of Melbourne, an author, whos RV beaks down in the middle of nowhere, and Waylon, the (much younger) sheriff who offers Mel a place to stay until his car is repaired. Mel is out and proud, Waylon only recently discovered he’s gay, and has no experience whatsoever.

What I was thankful for: there’s no flood of small town people or former couples, making it easy to focus on the budding relationship between Waylon and Mel. And it’s an interesting one, seeing as Waylon is 20 ish years younger, but still the one with the daddy vibes. It felt natural and inevitable, I really had fun listening to it (it’s one of Michael Dean’s good works).

It’s another of the currently free audiobooks on BookFunnel, so go grab it you still can 🙂

[Cadiva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute novella which is set adjacent to the main series and brings in a few more of the town's characters.

Here it's Deputy Sheriff Waylon and a man he rescues when his RV breaks down outside town.

[Moraa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good set up and great payoff! I DNF’d my only other Nora Phoenix read (The Prince and the Player) but she redeemed herself with this.

The MCs had great chemistry, especially Melbourne with his seductive purring and dirty talk — are you sure you only write thrillers, sir?😂 And it was incredibly adorable how much Waylon wanted to take care of him despite only just having met him.

Audiobook review: 5 stars
Damn Michael Dean and his sexy af voice😭🥵🥵

Expect
- Age gap
- First time
- Virgin MC
- Competency kink
- Forced proximity
- Size difference
- Small town

Audiobook freebie: 6.12.24

Other reviews
Wooing the Librarian

[Love Is All Around · Rating 4 out of 5]

Voto: 3.5
RECENSIONE A CURA DI LADY MARMELADE
Eccoci ritornati a Forestville!
A questo giro ci imbattiamo in uno scrittore un po’ tra le nuvole, Melbourne, al momento abbandonato dal suo fidato camper che ha deciso di prendere fuoco, che piange per la morte improvvisa dei suo personaggi, perché anche se li ha creati lui, decido poi loro che strada prendere!
Ma come fanno, direste voi?!
Beh per esperienza personale nel corso degli anni ho frequentato molti scrittori e la cosa che tutti hanno in comune è proprio quella che i personaggi, anche se da loro creati, fanno un po’ quello che vogliono!
Come dite? No, non sono matti: sono semplicemente scrittori, ovvero persone che hanno nella testa altre persone che gli dicono cosa stanno per fare!
Continua sul nostro blog!

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 5 stars

[Vfields Don't touch my happy! · Rating 3 out of 5]

And this is why I get annoyed and avoid the .5 installments in book series overall. This was the most interesting coupling of all the books I’ve read so far in this series and this one was just plain short. What made it so interesting? Well the dynamics of these two characters was completely unexpected. To be able to watch it develop over a regular amount of time would’ve been beyond captivating. It’s just one giant missed opportunity for me.

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

4☆

ᔑᑭᏆᑕᗴ: 🔥🔥🔥
しᗩᑌᏀᕼᔑ: 🤣
Ꭲᗴᗩᖇᔑ:😭
ᗰᑕᔑ: Waylon, Melbourne
ᑭᝪᐯ: 1st dual
Ꭲᖇᝪᑭᗴᔑ: Bi-awakening, Found Family, Hurt Confort


Aunque es una novela corta no hay nada más bello que regresar a donde se es feliz y esta serie es como mi lugar más feliz. Sus personajes son tan hermosos y todo acá es tan sano y hermoso que mo quieres salir de sus páginas y quieres estar con todo el grupo de amigos.

[Book Binge: Reviews by Melissa DaSilva · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute, short story! I’ve read two other books in this series that I enjoyed and it was neat to be back in the town. If you’ve enjoyed others in this series then I recommend checking it out. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was good. It was quite short so felt a little rushed but still a great, easy read.

[Axalia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Waylon (28) et Melbourne (43) avec un Culomètre à 🍑

- Chérif adjoint et auteur à succès : une bonne petite nouvelle signée Nora Phœnix !
- On a un Waylon nouvellement out et sans expérience, expérience que Melbourne prendra plaisir à lui donner.
- Rapide, sexy, mignon, sans prise de tête, ça fait du bien par où ça passe. !

[Molly]

This was fine, I wasn't a huge fan of the narration though. It was a cute story though! I got this audiobook for free on a special deal day so I haven't read the others in the series but it seems like a cute small town setting.

••••

When Melbourne's RV catches fire, he finds himself sharing the home of one of the town's deputies. Waylon has recently come out in his small town and with the hot older writer now taking up space in his home, he's more tempted than ever to explore his sexuality. Melbourne is more than willing to help Waylon, and they fall into a quick and easy romance. This was a cute story, I liked the premise and the characters were endearing. But the narration was really not great. Thankfully it was a quick listen. I thought the setting was cute and I'd be interested in checking out more of those series!

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun quick read that satisfied my need for some Forestville characters in a bite sized package. Deputy Warren comes to the rescue of one frazzled writer when his world turns a bit sideways. He valiantly offers up his spare room when Melbourne needs a place to stay.

I loved that even though the story is short, it felt well rounded. I absolutely adored Warren and Melbourne together, and I think you will too.

If you like caretaker virgins and unique authors, then you should read Warren and Melbourne’s story.

[Daniela Tirrito · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5/4*

https://www.letturesalepepe.com/recen...

[Yuli Atta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a surprise! I didn't know it even existed! I loved it so much!

[Marika Schiavone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Melbourne è un autore di romanzi di successo che ha appena avuto un problema di avaria al suo camper, o come lo definisce lui, la sua casa, a pochi passi da Forestville. A giungere in suo soccorso e a scampare la tragedia vi è il Vice Sceriffo, Waylon, un giovane di ventotto anni determinato e ligio alle regole. Non trovando alcuna soluzione immediata per salvare il mezzo di Mel, senza esitare, Waylon gli propone di rimanere a casa sua per tutto il tempo necessario a riparare il veicolo. Tra i due uomini nasce subito un'amicizia sincera e la chimica che si percepisce è decisamente palpabile. Sarà prudente per Waylon lasciarsi andare, per una volta, seguendo l'istinto e farsi guidare da Melbourne? Cosa accadrà quando quest'ultimo riprenderà la strada? Siete pronti a farvi travolgere dalla tenera e spicy storia di Mel e Waylon? Non vi resta che fiondarvi subito ad acquistare la vostra copia e conoscere questi due bellissimi uomini.
Tornare a Forestville per me è sempre un vero e proprio piacere, così come lasciarmi cullare dolcemente dalla narrazione di Nora Phoenix. Il suo stile e la sua penna sono resi benissimo dalla traduzione in italiano di Mary Vitrano. Come la precedente di cui vi ho parlato, anche in questo caso non serve aver prima letto gli altri volumi della serie, trattandosi di una novella autoconclusiva ambientata nella cittadina di Forestville, appunto. I protagonisti di questo dolce racconto sono Waylon, il vice sceriffo, e Melbourne, un uomo più maturo che lavora come scrittore. Il loro incontro è puramente causale, eppure, nonostante gli eventi si svolgono in giorni abbastanza ravvicinati, il lettore riesce comunque a entrare in sintonia con i due uomini e con le loro vite. Giunta alla fine, infatti, avrei voluto leggere nuovi momenti e scene fra loro. Si tratta di una storia d'amore insta-love, avendo poche pagine, ma che personalmente mi ha pienamente soddisfatta. Le scene spicy sono veramente ben fatte e coinvolgenti, così come l'intreccio narrativo nella sua interezza. Mi sono emozionata e sciolta nel leggere la romantica storia di Waylon e Melbourne. Essi si completano alla perfezione, tanto calmo e razionale è il primo, quanto il secondo è caotico e dalla mente acuta. Anche se viene menzionato e affrontato in modo delicato, è presente anche l'ADHD di Melbourne, della quale mi sarebbe piaciuto leggere un po' di più e approfondire. Magari in una nuova storia? Chi lo sa... Anche Uno scrittore da salvare è una vera e propria coccola per l'anima. Un romanzo breve e piacevole, che avvolge il lettore con la sua tenerezza, per farci vivere momenti di pace e serenità. Se siete alla ricerca di un Gay Romance non eccessivamente lungo, con protagonisti con age gap, tanta tenerezza e zero angst, che vi faccia emozionare, non potete perdervi Uno scrittore da salvare. Consigliato anche a chi vuole approcciarsi per la prima volta al Romance M/M. In attesa di scoprire la terza novella in arrivo e la mia opinione, correte a recuperare la precedente dal titolo Una guida da sposare per proseguire con Uno scrittore da salvare.
Per me sono 5 stelle!

[SophiaH · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK, so I liked the characters, I am so happy for Waylon, I enjoy the stories about the men in this town overall, I like low angst reads in general with little drama between the MCs.

That being said nothing really happens here. Practically the entirety of the novella is their meet-cute and snippeds of them eating things. We didn't really get to see them falling in love, only falling in lust. Then we time jump to when everything was said and done. Very sad.
So much missed opportunity and plot:
Why was Melbourne even in the area?
Doesn't he have anyone he knows he could have bunked with within a certain radius?
Where did he come from?
Where did Melbourne plan to go?
Who IS he? We only know of his ADHD, that he isn't sporty and older than Waylon and a writer, did I miss anything else?
And, who is Waylon in greater detail? We learn that he is neat, that he served, that his mother died, that he likes cooking and being fit and taking care of people.

I've read very short novellas before that left me with a more in depth view of who people, specifically the MCs were.

So yeah, I liked Waylon and Melbourne, I liked them together, but I question if my liking of the novella might be due to my favorable feelings towards previous reads of this universe.

[Sandy Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review is from the audio.

Deputy sheriff Waylon (gay virgin MC) rescues his favorite bestselling thriller author Melbourne—not sure on spelling, I was listening, not reading—(older, ~15 year gap MC) from a breakdown on the side of the road and takes him home...

I enjoyed this story, but, I didn't gel with the narrator (Michael Dean) which took away from my enjoyment. His inflections sounded smarmy, sleazy, cheesy....it got weird and kinda predatory when it should have been intimate and heated. I don't know, he just wasn't the right the one for my ears for this particular book.

The story features a sweet romance with a lot of steamy first times and strangers to lovers. Nora does intimacy in a lovely way, though as noted, the narration just wasn't working for me. Mel did seem a little predatory/slimy, but I think if I was reading it I'd have felt otherwise. Maybe.

No angst, just a writer stranded in a small town and the deputy sheriff who gives him a temporary home, and the slow slide into love. Charming little tale.

HEA, small-town deputy, famous author, stranded on the road, strangers to lovers, first times, virgin MC. No others in any way shape or form. Totally safe for me! Recommended, though, maybe read it? Unless you're a fan of the narrator, then you'll likely enjoy it a lot.

[Cristina Fly Mosca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amanti dei libri 📚
Un incontro inaspettato diventa l’occasione per il vice sceriffo di Forestville di lasciarsi andare e scoprire, per la prima volta, la propria sessualità. Ma a essere travolto sarà anche uno scrittore che ormai si è rassegnato a una vita solitaria, fatta di incontri fugaci e di nulla più.
Cosa c’è di più spettacolare se non farsi sconvolgere da un amore per cui non si è preparati? Da qualcosa che non avevi nemmeno preso in considerazione, ma che ti viene offerto con sincerità e profondità?
Nora Phoenix ci riporta a Forestville, tra i suoi amatissimi silver fox, con la novella “Uno scrittore da salvare”.
Melbourne Ardiff ha quarantatré anni, è tremendamente affascinante… e un po’ perso, diciamolo. Quando si ritrova costretto a fermarsi a Forestville, la sua unica vera fortuna è incrociare il cammino del vice sceriffo Waylon Rozzell: ventotto anni, sicuro di sé nel lavoro, ma profondamente insicuro nella vita privata.
Vi assicuro che, in poche pagine, Nora riesce a farci entrare nell’animo di entrambi. Ci fa apprezzare la dolcezza, il prendersi cura dell’altro, e ci fa capire subito perché tra loro non può esserci altro che amore.
Ma il punto cruciale è… lo capiranno anche loro?
A voi scoprirlo. Fate buon viaggio ❤️
La vostra Fly

[Mandy (MP Book Reviews) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Melbourne is a walking disaster, so he's not surprised when his RV catches fire outside the cute town of Forestville. What is surprising is the hot deputy sheriff who comes to his rescue and invites him to stay with him. Waylon is fifteen years Melbourne's junior, but he’s disciplined, organized, and put together. Who knew competence could be so arousing? But when he discover Waylon is a gay virgin, he may just be able to teach him a thing or two.

This was a sweet short story of how opposites attract when a man with ADHD is perfect for someone who is very tidy and organised. The introduction to sex was a bit clunky and not as sensitive as it could have been. Easy to read and understand. This was an MM story with mature content.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute! I'm so happy for Waylon, but I kind of wish this was more of a full-length thing? The whole thing seemed rushed to me and the timeline seemed a bit fast as well. If Nora spread this out over maybe a year, that might've been better. And Waylon could have had an opportunity to ask his friends in town to help him through his conflicting feelings. The MCs went from "this is just sex" to "feelings" in one chapter. For the length it is, there's still some substance to the plot here, I just wanted a bit more for Waylon.

[Isel4books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wowwww, Waylon è strepitoso, Melbourne tutto da coccolare e la loro storia è semplicemente deliziosa.
Uno scrittore e un vicesceriffo, due personalità opposte eppure così perfette da incastrarsi come pezzi di un puzzle.
La vita molte volte è davvero bizzarra, basta un niente e tutto ciò che sapevi di essere, di volere, si capovolge e ciò che era un mero desiderio diventa la più bella delle realtà.
Ancora una volta la Phoenix, per me, ha fatto centro e i protagonisti di Uno scrittore da salvare sono entrati a far parte della mia collezione dei preferiti.
A presto ❤️

[Joe VanDerBos · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the rest of the series, but the attraction was just too unbelievable to me. The hot deputy is willing to settle down with a middle aged writer? Even if he reads the books, there wasn't enough of a reason given for the attraction. Does anyone in MM romance ever screw around a lot and have fun before finding their lifelong love? Dude, you're a virgin, I think, stacked 20-something in a uniform. You could have anything u want. I can suspend a lot of disbelief, but not this one. A rare miss by the author, but it was a novella., so maybe that's the reason?

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

With Waylon always hanging out in the background of the first few books, it was nice to see him get his HEA. Even though this was short, sometimes all you need is short and sweet to put a smile on your face!!!

Now, moving on to Comforting the Grump...

[Sjoukje · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very sweet and cute novella. Too short for my liking as is with all of Nora’s short stories but definitely a great read. I loved how they took care of each other in different ways. I didn’t really understand why Waylon was a gay virgin at his age but it worked out for the story. And Mel was very relatable.
Would definitely recommend

[Barb ~rede-2-read~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and sweet with an engaging older MC whose RV breaks down. Turns out he's an author.

This one features the deputy who appeared in the previous story (sorry, forgot his name ATM) and I listened to this as an audiobook.

I've enjoyed all the stories in the series so far. I would have loved more here but what we got was, as Goldilocks says, "Just right."

[Kunni Biener · Rating 1 out of 5]

ick. Lousy plot, I felt like I was reading a tacking hetero romance, except that both characters were male. Poorly written and badly edited. Can you really use the word precise three times in one short paragraph. I would delete this from my bookfunnel library but I want to remember the author's name so I never waste time again

[Laurie Kleveland · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 The audiobok was great, and the chracters were really cute! I just didn't love it... It felt rushed and I couldn't really feel the emotions I usually do with how it was written. It was very literary at times and I felt like it tried a little too hard when more energy could have been spent on the characters or the emotion.
The story was sweet though, jsut possibly not for me!

[Bexbookrex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Match made in heaven

Rescuing the Writer by Nora Phoenix is a great little novella continuing to bring more Silver Foxes to Forestville. Deputy Waylon gets his HEA in this one! He rescues one of his favorite authors, Melbourne, and invites him to stay with him while his RV is being fixed.
Romance - ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Steam - 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Humor - 🤣🤣
Angst - 😭
Writing - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heartwarming novella of unexpected small town, age gap (be still my heart) love. Stranded by his trailer burning down a young cop offers Melbourne help. This is sweet and sexy, two gorgeous men, both gay but one inexperienced, let the fun begin.