10. Between Two Mountains

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A novel in twelve chapters.

Summer 2020, and the inhabitants of the Italian mountain town of Ravello are making up for lost time after three months stuck at home. Families are celebrating being reunited at last, and the appetite for romance has never been higher.

However, two teenage boys are navigating this unusual summer alone. Cosmo, a lost soul, and Marco, a recently found soul, find their lives entwined by the fact that everybody seems to have a boyfriend except them. Both of them have experienced pain and neglect in the past; but can they both overcome it to find fulfilment in the present?

As always, this story contains SPOILERS for earlier titles in the Ravello series.

Content warning:
If this story has a message, it’s that not everybody can be happy in paradise. Cosmo is a troubled character, and his half of this story contains darker material than I usually choose to write. As the story goes on, expect strong language, casual drug abuse, uncomfortable scenes of a would-be sexual nature and active consideration of suicide.

Appreciation

Excerpts from the reviews the story has received at GayAuthors:

“Outstanding in its depth… a compelling and extremely well written story unto itself, but a superb addition to the series.” *****

“A wonderful tale by a brilliant author which deserves all the compliments showered upon it… James Carnarvon never leaves the reader unsatisfied, nor without hope. I, like many other readers, hope he returns to Ravello to take us on another journey together.” *****

“The tenth story in a series of growing up in Ravello, and is perhaps the best of all of them. Nothing is easy as it seems for our young protagonists as they chart their way in the confusing world of growing up and the many faceted challenges they face together, and alone.” *****

“A return trip to Ravello is a welcome delight at any time of the year, but for this reader at least a return trip in the height of summer is when Ravello presents its most glorious self. From the avenue of oleanders to the scraping of my beloved cicadas, the lemons, the olives and the grape vines, the sparkling water off the Amalfi coast and the scorching midday sun, sheer perfection, and James Carnarvon describes all with such reverence I can visualise myself there, enjoying these Ravelloesque delights.” *****