Ms Bozza has the gift of weaving the beauty of nature and Earth knowledge together with an intense love affair to create an exquisite and very touching romance story. Her characters are flawed by past experiences but they shine with life and almost jump of the page to have a cup of tea with you. Taken alone, the story of the butterflies would have been interesting as would have been the romance between David and Nicholas but when intertwined in the Australian Outback they became magical. The Apothecary's Garden is still my favorite but this wonderful story of love and nature deserves reading also. You wont be disappointed. ( )

What a gorgeous book! It is one of those that I am heartbroken when it's finished. Please! Please tell me there is more to come!

Oh so highly recommended! ( )

This was a really sweet romance, with just that touch of kinky to make it sexy: Nicholas Goring, the butterfly hunter earling, may have, most of the time, his head on a cloud, but when he manage to tack down Dave, then he becomes like a little tiger, tenacious and hungry, overwhelming Dave with his desire.

There was an hint of bittersweet in the story, something related to Nicholas's "condition", the son of an earl, when his family butler agrees with Dave the contract terms, he also asks him to take care of Nicholas, like he is a precious thing. And indeed he is, Nicholas, precious, and fragile, but as I said, he unveals hidden strengths, that maybe aren't useful in real life, but that make him intriguing, also to the eyes of otherwise straight Dave.

Truth be told, I don't believe Dave is straight; he fell in love with Denise when he was 5 years old, and just by chance, Denise is a strong woman, way stronger than Dave. I have the feeling that, if Dave was approached by a boy and not a girl, he would have fell in love with the boy too. Dave needs a leading hand, not in real life, but for his emotional path: what a strange combination, a guide who needs to be driven.

Julie Bozza puts together an unlikely pair, but right for that, it was endearing to read how they fell in love, and the ending was almost fairy tale.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1908312963/?tag=elimyrevandra-20

Butterfly Hunter by Julie Bozza is emotionally restrained but beautiful in its exotic setting and unusual quest. It features two complex, secretive men who interact well as friends. Nicholas is kind and charismatic and Dave is a decent everyman whom I liked immensely in his role as a quietly competent Aussie guide. My one problem with the book centers on not understanding Dave’s motives for holding Nicholas at a distance for so long.

Dave is obviously gay. He notices Nicholas’s pretty mouth early on and often. Nobody cares if Dave is gay beyond some mild teasing. Not the mates, the blokes, or Dave’s female best friend from whom he has just become amicably divorced. Dave himself doesn’t seem to analyze his reluctance to accept Nicholas’s hopeful but good-natured come-ons. So Dave sometimes didn’t come alive for me on-page, and his situation seemed manufactured to offset the lack of conflict in the book.

However, this novel is still a good read with its hints of physical danger and Dreamtime mysticism. The breathtaking Australian setting feels real. The book’s tone is muted but adventurous as the story unfolds in two alternating third-person viewpoints in 57,000 words.

The story opens when Dave meets Nicholas, the new client whom he must guide into the Australian outback. They begin their search for an undocumented and gorgeous species of butterfly. Nicholas seems to be the proverbial eccentric British academic. He’s so enthusiastic about his butterfly quest that he barely listens when Dave tries to impress upon him the real dangers of wandering the outback as an inexperienced foreigner.

In case of emergency, Nicholas must stand ready to do exactly what Dave says. Meanwhile, Dave struggles against his attraction to Nicholas, and his curiosity about Nicholas’s secrets. As their quest progresses, they seem doomed to failure unless they can take a more intuitive Dreamtime approach to finding their quarry.

Val for AReCafe ( )

3.5 stars. I must be jaded.

What seemed so full of promise in the opening pages eventuated as a little lack-luster for me. It was around the 60% mark that I felt a real connection between/for the characters. Once at that point, the MCs are sweet as pie and are portrayed in such a lovely light (with some gorgeous quirks that warmed my heart).

What was most outstanding for me though was the beautiful respect the author showed for Australia's traditional land owners and the Dreamtime mythology. That felt really magical to me. ( )