Rain Shadow, by L.A. Witt
Series: Bluewater Bay (Stand-Alone)
Publisher: Riptide Publishing (October 19, 2015)
Page Count: 230 pages
Genre: Gay (M/M) Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5
Buy Links: Riptide’s Website
* I received an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review. *
Jeremy Rose came to Bluewater Bay to work as Anna Maxwell’s bodyguard, not to escape his increasingly bitter relationship with his estranged kids. He just wants to focus on his job and be alone for a while. He’s done with love, especially now that three years after his long overdue divorce, he’s got a front-row seat to the rapid deterioration between Anna and her girlfriend. Cynical doesn’t even begin to describe him.
Then Anna and Leigh’s attempts to reconcile put him in the crosshairs of marriage counselor Scott Fletcher. Scott’s exactly what Jeremy needs right now: gorgeous, hot, horny, single, and 100% uninterested in a relationship. The problem is, too much no-strings-attached sex — and too much time in each other’s company — inevitably builds emotional connection.
Except Jeremy refuses to seek counseling for his broken family, and Scott refuses to get seriously involved with men who work dangerous jobs. They both need to realize they can only hide for so long from the pain they came here to escape. They must face their pasts before they lose their shot at a happy future.
With the “Bluewater Bay” universe, I never know what I’m getting in advance. Every author has a completely different point of view, and sometimes I just click with characters better in one book than in another. But Rain Shadow is definitely one of the more enjoyable books in the series! Jeremy is a really interesting character, and his point of view is incredibly well written… especially since it’s a first person POV, which has a lot of potential to isolate the reader from the plot.
Of course, this is L.A. Witt, who consistently puts out top-notch romances, so I shouldn’t be surprised!
My favorite part of this novel was how real Jeremy feels. He’s complex, he’s flawed, and he’s 100% human. I love characters that you can relate to as a reader. How many people have rough relations with their families, or past relationships gone sour? Jeremy is tough, good at his job, but also fragile and scrabbling to keep hold of his crumbling relationship with his kids, who live in L.A.
Once I was sure the call had disconnected, I let fly a string of profanity. I didn’t know which was worse– accepting that Haley wouldn’t be coming this summer or facing them in Vegas in a few weeks.
What the hell happened to us? (ePub pg. 97)
I did struggle with Scott’s character at times, though. He was very interesting, but some of his actions and decisions seemed to come a bit out of nowhere. I understand that this is because we didn’t get his train of thought, so to Jeremy they seemed to come out of nowhere as well. But it just made it harder to relate to him.
The relationship though! AHHH I LOVED IT! Two men who insist that it’s only sex. Really. Just sex. Nothing more. Maybe friendship. But mostly sex. And some emotions. But they’re not dating! Really!
Alarm jolted through me. Was I getting too close to him? Needing him in ways I had no business—
Of course not. I was getting more than just sex, but that didn’t mean it was love or anything like that. I’d been starved of human affection for too fucking long, and Scott gave it. He gave it in spades. (ePub pg. 71)
Watching these two ridiculous men fall in love with each other, without actually realizing it, was an absolute delight! Scott the relationship counselor should have known better, and Jeremy is King of Denial. Witt writes the relationship progressing really organically, and with some very steamy bedroom scenes.
The background relationship with Anna and Leigh was also excellent to read… and can I take a moment to share how excited I am about Anna’s story coming in December! Stuck Landing sounds like it’s going to be AMAZING! (Link to Pre-Order)
A really great read, and another excellent book in the “Bluewater Bay” universe!
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Stuck Landing, by Lauren Gallagher
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