The Refuge Bid by Jude Tresswell

Laora took a chance on The Refuge Bid by Jude Tresswell and says "This read was different to what I mostly read, but it was refreshing to do so."

From the blurb:

The Refuge Bid is a gay mystery and relationships tale set in fictional Tunhead, northeast England. Is there a link between a woman who has been missing for ten years and the people bidding to buy and redevelop Tunhead’s decommissioned church and graveyard? Can the County Durham Quad and their special friend, Nick, find out and stop the sale—one grave is special—and can they raise the cash to counter the bids with an offer of their own? Success involves drawing on Tunhead’s quarrying industry past and on employing their very different skills but, also, they must acknowledge what it is that they really want from their unusual liaison. (Involves asexual/ sexual relationships and contains references to a teenager’s suicide and conversion therapy.) 

Laora's Review:

The Refuge Bid is book 8 of the County Durham series, each book has its own standalone crime/ mystery.

To me this was mainly a mystery book with a whodunnit ploy and can we get that bad guy.

The romance story is interwoven throughout and is low on heat, but high on care, cuddle and respect.  There is an established polyamorous group The Quadof for men Raith, Ross, Phil and Mike in which Ross and Mike are registered partners and Phil and Raith are married. Next to these men there is a newer relationship between Mike and Nick. 

I really enjoyed that all the characters seem to be very diverse in who they are on the neurodiversity spectrum and personality wise, basically how their brain clicks and how the others accommodated that. As well how they all had different needs relationship wise from being ace/ asexual to needing more partners. The story to me about the relationships felt as a warm blanket, cozy and co gorable, but sometimes when you turn you get a cold draft and adjust accordingly, sometimes it takes a bit of wiggling and at other times it just needs an easy tug to work again.

This read was different to what I mostly read, but it was refreshing to do so.

For me two of the sweetest moments were Raith noticing the sweet, comforting moment between Phil and Mike and Nick rescuing the chart Raith created and amending the chart about the Quad and how Nick could fit.

Rating: 4 Stars

The Refuge Bid is available in paperback and e-book and can be read as part of your Kindle Unlimited subscription.