If you enjoy light, fast-paced romances filled with travel vibes, age gap relationships, and plenty of humor, The Cuckoo’s Call might just fit the bill. For me, however, this book didn’t quite work, and I ended up DNF’ing it right after finishing Part One.
The Cuckoo's Call by Lily Morton Genres: Contemporary, MM Romance
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Can a summer romance last forever?
Wren Roberts thought he’d found his fairy tale when he met Mateo Rossi on holiday in Majorca. The wealthy and successful older man swept him off his feet, and before he knew it, he’d thrown caution to the wind and was living in Mateo’s waterside apartment in Venice. It’s a far cry from his harsh upbringing and crummy flat in London.
But as the summer turns to autumn, cracks begin to show. Mateo’s family aren’t welcoming, and there doesn’t seem to be a place for Wren in Mateo’s world. He could have coped with all of that, but Mateo himself seems like a different person away from the sunshine island.
Should Wren have been more cautious in riding off into the sunset when he wasn’t sure what lay over the horizon?
From bestselling author Lily Morton comes a romance about two men who find that sometimes happily ever after doesn’t end there.
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This is my second book by Lily Morton, and while I know she’s a beloved author with a loyal fan base, her writing style doesn’t quite click with me.
The story opens with a prologue featuring 22-year-old Wren—perfectly illustrated by the cover art—stranded at an airport in heavy fog. He’s just left a goodbye note for 40-year-old Mateo, hinting that their romance has ended. After that, Part One begins, and we’re taken back to the very start of their relationship.
From the blurb, we already know Wren and Mateo met during a dreamy holiday in Mallorca, which later led Wren to move into Mateo’s Venice apartment. But the prologue tells us exactly how it ends. So, as much as I enjoy a good slow burn, reading the entire “how they met” section knowing the outcome made it hard for me to stay invested.
In this first part, Wren heads to Mallorca for a vacation with his wealthy ex-best friend, who promptly abandons him for a snobbish new boyfriend, Josh. Mateo first notices Wren after overhearing him deliver a sharp, brilliant comeback to Josh in the hotel lobby. From there, the two spend a week together, bonding, growing closer, and eventually becoming intimate before Wren has to return to London.
Part Two picks up when Mateo invites Wren to Venice, but I didn’t get that far.
Why did I DNF? Mostly because everything felt too exaggerated for my taste. The age gap, the lifestyle differences, the whirlwind intimacy—it was all “too much” and too quick, built on very thin premises. I struggled to buy into their chemistry as friends, let alone as lovers.
Wren’s constant jokes and frequent commentary about money became repetitive for me. Some scenes were also implausible to the point of distraction. For example, a five-star hotel seating guests near a kitchen door that slams into their table, while serving inedibly salty food just because they don’t “look rich”? Or a local café where the waiter casually tells them he’s hungover from a night of sex, admits the food is terrible, and says he’ll just grab pastries from the bakery next door? Both felt unrealistic, and there were more moments like this.
It’s a shame because I dislike abandoning books, but this one wasn’t for me. Still, if you enjoy a light, humorous romance with travel settings, quick connections, and a breezy plot, you might have a better time with it.
Final Rating: DNF!
Have you read The Cuckoo’s Call? Did the humor and travel romance work for you, or did you find it too much? Share your thoughts in the comments!
About Lily Morton
Lily is a bestselling gay romance author.
She lives in sunny England with her husband and two children, all of whom claim that they haven’t had a proper conversation with her since she got her Kindle.
She has spent her life with her head full of daydreams, and decided one day to just sit down and start writing about them. In the process she discovered that she actually loved writing because how else would she get to spend her time with hot and funny men?
Her latest release is Pretty Mess – a contemporary romance about an escort who falls for his first client.
