27 March 2015

Lights, Camera, Cupid (Bluewater Bay #6) Anthology

Cupid is visiting Bluewater Bay, and he’s leaving chaos in his wake.

Nothing’s been the same in this sleepy little logging town since Hollywood came to shoot the hit TV show Wolf’s Landing—especially Valentine’s Day.

In L.A. Witt’s Just Another Day, beloved actors Levi Pritchard and Carter Samuels have an announcement for their fans, while in Z.A. Maxfield’s I’ll Be There, actor Spencer Kepler and his boyfriend Nash Holly brave a blizzard and a fan convention to spend their first February the 14th together.

Of course, it’s not just TV stars celebrating the day. In Anne Tenino’s Helping Hand, an aspiring artist eager to escape Bluewater Bay decides he just might have a reason to stay: lust-inspiring logger Gabriel Savage. In S.E. Jakes’s No Easy Way, a local teacher reconnects with an old lover working security on the film set. And in Amy Lane’s Nascha, a Bluewater Bay elder recalls how his own unconventional family used to celebrate the holiday.

Real life may be nothing like TV, but when Cupid comes to town, there’s plenty of romance and drama to go around.
Just Another Day by L.A. Witt
LOVED IT!!! It may be because they were the first couple featured in the Bluewater Bay series, but Levi and Carter hold a special place in my heart, so I was really excited to get another glimpse into their life together. Despite his failure to explain to Carter why he detests Valentine’s Day, Levi and Carter know one another well enough that Levi knows better to follow Carter when he storms off after their fight about the holiday. After Levi comes clean about why he hates the holiday, he and Carter proceed to show us the best part of fighting with your partner… Makeup Sex! But it isn’t the seriously hot makeup sex that makes the story, it’s how Levi goes about making sure that Valentine’s Day will always be their day. #BestBoyfriendEver

Nascha by Amy Lane
Well that made me cry. A LOT! Nascha is an old man living in Bluewater Bay with his grandnephews. While he suffers from Alzheimer’s and is lucid less and less often, in this story he purposefully takes a trip down memory lane, recalling the family he had and lost. There are some really hot ménage scenes between Nascha and the couple he was in love with – i.e., the family he made. I’m not sure what was more heartbreaking for me – when Kitten and Rawlins moved to Bluewater Bay, Kitten's funeral, or realizing the plan that Nascha set into action while he was lucid. Regardless, this was a touching short story that was well worth the tears.

No Easy Way by S.E. Jakes
Dylan is back in town and Cary doesn't know whether to be happy, sad, or angry. Six years without a word, after Dylan left him without a warning or a goodbye, yet Cary still loves him. This is an intense story because there are a lot of secrets that had to be revealed so that Cary could move past the feelings of being deserted. The sex was HOT. I would have loved a scene with Cary reading to Dylan to see how that heated up their bedroom activities.

Helping Hand by Anne Tenino
I really hope that this was an introduction to characters who will get their own book later in the series. As much as felt for Lucas and the situation he found himself in, I think that he misjudged Gabe and his intentions and that made me sad for both Lucas and Gabe. The story itself was a good coming of age tale as Lucas has to face his family – especially his father – and tell them about the educational opportunity he has. I was shocked by all that came out during that conversation and was both proud of and scared for Lucas. I loved the resolution that Ms. Tenino wrote for Lucas and his parents. I just wish there had been more to the Gabe angle and it’s why I hope that their story will be fleshed out more at a later date.

I’ll Be There by Z.A. Maxfield
This story made me so very happy because I got to catch up with Nash and Spencer, and Nash’s brother Healey. If you’re hoping to peek in on some more sexy fun times between Nash and Spencer, it ain’t happening. But you won’t be disappointed for long because Nash proves just how well he knows Spencer and just how far he’s willing to go for the man he loves. The help he receives from his brother and Healey’s merry band of geeks add some comic relief to a stressful situation. This is a completely romantic short story and gave me a huge case of the warm fuzzies.

I loved this collection of Valentine’s Day themed stories and I am so glad that the anthology’s editors opted to begin and end it with stories about characters we’ve already met in the series. 

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