Squire Archie's Rectory Christmas

This is the overstuffed, wonderfully warm-hearted coda to Fox's [b:Seven Summer Nights 33116450 Seven Summer Nights Harper Fox https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1479938519l/33116450.SY75.jpg 53781146] that I never realized I was missing. Retired (not quite “defrocked”) vicar Archie Thorne is anxiously awaiting the return of his lover, Rufus Denby, from his latest archeological expedition just a few days before Christmas. In a little over 100 pages, Archie and Rufus' reunion is enlivened by an exorcism, a conniving movie star, an unusual artifact, a busload of orphans and the looming threat of discovery, which is still a dangerous prospect in post WWII England. It's a good thing that Fox includes a list of the dramatis personae in the beginning, because other than Rufus and Archie, I confess I had forgotten a lot of the details about the secondary characters, but she gives each of them their moment to shine and in some cases redeem themselves for wrongs they committed in Nights. The book is full of love, forgiveness, faith and humor (including a reveal that reaches Monty Python levels of zaniness). Archie and Rufus are still trying to figure out exactly how their relationship is going to work, but they never doubt that it is a forever one. Despite the danger the couple face, the strength of their bond proves to be strong enough to keep them safe, although a bittersweet postscript written by a secondary character in 2020 reminds us that we are in danger of returning to the time when a true love like theirs was a crime. It's a sobering close to a lovely story. Many thanks to Harper Fox for giving her readers this holiday gift.