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Stray Awakening: A First-Time Gay Small Town MM Romance (Rainbow Rescue Cat Café Book 1) Kindle Edition

4.4 out of 5 stars 235 ratings

I fled my hometown seven years ago. I never planned to come back. I never planned to give up my city life for a small town. And I definitely never planned to fall for another man.

Henry

Tripp Lake, the place I love the most. Working at a cat café on Main Street gives me a chance to get some deserving cats their forever homes.

But when a blast from the past walks into my café, I’m not sure what to feel. Alex was always hot and popular in high school – and straight.

So it’s a shock when he keeps accepting my invitations to hang out. I don’t think I’m imagining the spark between us, but is Alex actually interested in me, or am I letting this straight boy break my heart?

Alex

Tripp Lake, the place I hate the most. I’m only here because of my father’s heart attack. But the second I return home, I remember all the reasons I ran away.

My parents are overbearing. This town is small and boring. And I want nothing more than to flee back to my new life in San Francisco - a life that doesn't come packed with any surprising new feelings about a guy I went to high school with.

Henry is a ray of sunshine amid this bleak journey home. But I've never been interested in a guy before. When a relaxing hike results in my first timid kiss with another man, I start questioning a lot more than just my decision to leave Tripp Lake. Is Henry worth staying in this crappy town for?

Stray Awakening is a small-town MM romance with first-time gay experiences, a sweet ray of sunshine winning over a jaded grumpy, spicy open-door scenes, and, of course, lots of cats. Go to linktr.ee/faraywrites for CWs.

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There are 4 books in this series.

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From the Publisher

small town mm romance first-time gay grumpy sunshine
small town mm romance first-time gay grumpy sunshine
small town mm romance first-time gay grumpy sunshine
small town mm romance first-time gay grumpy sunshine

I kissed a straight guy knowing full well that he’s straight.

What in the world was I thinking?

We finally break, both flushed and panting. I cling to my damp towel while Alex clings to me.

“Yeah?” he says.

“Yeah,” I agree. “Yeah.”

I drop the towel and grasp the front of his shirt, tugging him to the couch only a couple steps away. I’m too scared to attempt the longer hike to the bedroom. What if the frenzy fades? What if the distance sobers him up, makes him change his mind? I don’t know what’s happening, but I definitely don’t want it to stop.

YOU'LL LOVE STRAY AWAKENING IF YOU LIKE...

  • gay awakenings
  • first times
  • grumpy/sunshine
  • small towns
  • plenty of spice
  • adorable cat cafés
  • a big city lawyer falling for a small town boy

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0D99ZWS77
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 16, 2024
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.6 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 323 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 1 of 4 ‏ : ‎ Rainbow Rescue Cat Café
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 235 ratings

About the author

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F.A. Ray
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F.A. Ray writes contemporary queer romance fiction. They especially enjoy grumpy/sunshine pairings, enemies who become lovers and long lost childhood friends.

You can find them on BlueSky, TikTok and Facebook.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
235 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    A love that will last a lifetime. Thank you, Henry, for your courage and Alex for finally being selfish for the both of you. A lovely read.
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    This was a very sweet romance, Henry and Alex were so good for each other and the cats are so cute.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    The premise of a novel often sells it to me, and the cat cafe seemed to be unique enough, especially to an old cat lover, to push the purchase. Henry was already one of my favorite people when Alex entered the cat cafe. Alex surprised me, as did Henry. Happy surprises… Alex returned home to help his father recover from a heart attack, but the parents’ personalities and interaction with Alex revealed a very dysfunctional family. The relationship between Henry and Alex progressed slowly, but it warmed my heart as it grew. Of course, the cats were also stars to me. Near the end of the novel, it appeared the end of their relationship was inevitable, with some of the saddest moments… Keep reading… Very Good Read!!
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Great beginning to another series. Terrific love and romance story with unsympathetic parents which Im sure many of us can identify with. Lots of twists and turns as true love develops between Henry and Alex. Alex’s mother is a real ‘piece of work’. It was so nice to see him eventually take charge of his own life and his relationship with his parents. Lots of steaming spice but the ending in that regard was somewhat disappointing with the use of ‘precautions’ which I found uneeded in this day and age of prep medications and the fact that this was a fictional novel. That part of it could have been eliminated hence my minus one star. Another book I finished just before reading this one ended the same way and was equally disappointing for me. Otherwise a great read and I look forward to reading this whole series.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2024
    Format: Kindle
    This is the start of a new series set in Tripp Lake, a small town in the Cascade Range northeast of Seattle. It features Henry, a former one of the guys from the Boyfriend Cafe series, now graduated from college and returned to his small home town where he works at a cat cafe as a barista, “tour guide” and cat caretaker. He loves his job and the cats, is friendly and outgoing, and is happy with his life. He is surprised to see a former high school acquaintance visit the cafe and reaches out to catch up.

    Alex left Tripp Lake as soon as he could after graduation and is only back in his hometown for a week to help his parents after a health scare. His life revolves around his position in a law firm in San Francisco, one which he hates but it is what it is. Relations with his parents are strained, so meeting up with Henry offers a brief escape. He is surprised by how much his tension lessens just being around Henry, and he rediscovers the love he had for the outdoors and the environment around his home town. Henry makes him think about his life, and Alex is drawn to him in ways he doesn’t understand, finding a peacefulness and calm around Henry that he craves. Could he have something more with this amazing man and recapture the dreams of his youth, or is this just a moment in time, a pause before the return to his real world? Only time may tell.

    I really liked these characters, especially Henry and his outlook on life and his care for the cats. Being a cat person, his character spoke to me. I sympathized and empathized with Alex and his feelings about the life he leads versus being able to figure out what he really wants and to be able to pursue it. The physical attraction between the two escalates the situation, but the sense of peace and rightness makes it much harder to ignore the draw between them. But work calls, family tensions escalate, and Alex plans to do the sensible thing. But can an unexpected event change his course?

    I was engaged and entertained by this book, and look forward to Sebastian’s book next. This author is one I really enjoy, one whose books I watch for and choose to read. Setting his cat cafe in an area in my backyard just adds to the appeal. A fun read, one I would recommend if you liked the Boyfriend Cafe series, especially.

    I received a copy of this book and this is my voluntary review.
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2024
    Format: Kindle
    This was… okay. It could have been a lot better if someone had pushed on some questions about the characters. Why was Henry such a pushover (his housemate moves out with zero notice, and he doesn’t even raise a fuss about it?), and why wasn’t part of the story him growing into himself? What made Alex’s family so awful, and how is it that his sister managed to avoid it (and Alex himself turned out a decent person, eventually)? And there really wasn’t much tension, since it was obvious from page one that Alex needed to quit his big-firm job and start doing something he didn’t hate.

    I also STRONGLY side-eyed “warpath,” which appeared TWICE, only one of which even made sense, and which should have been ditched long ago.

    My thanks to Gay Romance Reviews for an advance copy of this book.
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Henry and Alex had a spark from the moment they ran into each other again. It was wonderful to watch Alex discover who he is and what makes him happy without someone supportive. Henry has the sweetest heart. You can see it in his actions at the cafe and how he treats Alex. Alex's parents are disgusting, in my opinion. How they treat him is awful, and I understand why he hates it there. Ellie was a sweetheart to encourage Henry to tell Alex how he felt. Eagerly awaiting more in this series.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Maureen Crothall
    5.0 out of 5 stars Sweet Story.
    Reviewed in Canada on August 12, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I have to admit that I do have some favorite tropes within mm romance so it was no surprise that I did an internal squeal when I come across this 'gay for you' story, just love that!
    This tale was enhanced for me with the inclusion of cats and kittens, so gorgeous. The down side was the utterly horrible, controlling parents, but that gave us some angst and, admit it, we love some angst! This was an absolutely wonderful tale.
  • Lindy Bateman
    4.0 out of 5 stars 4.5 stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 29, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, but I really enjoyed it, I didn't want to put it down. I've not read anything from this author before but I will be looking out for more titles now.

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