Reviewed by Vicki
TITLE: Selfie
SERIES: Bluewater Bay #13
AUTHOR: Amy Lane
PUBLISHER: Riptide Publishing
LENGTH: 400 pages
RELEASE DATE: April 18th, 2016
BLURB:
One year ago, actor Connor Montgomery lost the love of his life to a drunk driver. But what’s worse for Connor is what he still has: a lifetime of secrets born of hiding his relationship from the glare of Hollywood. Unable to let go of the world he and Vinnie shared, Connor films a drunken YouTube confession on the anniversary of Vinnie’s death.
Thankfully, the video was silent—a familiar state for Connor—so his secret is still safe. He needs a fresh start, and a new role on the hit TV show Wolf’s Landing might be just that.
The move to Bluewater Bay may also mean a second chance in the form of his studio-assigned assistant. Noah Dakers sees through Connor’s facades more quickly than Connor could imagine. Noah’s quiet strength and sarcastic companionship offers Connor a chance at love that Hollywood’s closet has never allowed. But to accept it, Connor must let Vinnie go and learn to live again.
REVIEW:
Wow. I love the diversity of the books in this series! All of the books are set at least partially in Bluewater Bay Washington, and somewhat involve a fictional television show called Wolf’s Landing. Some of the books are directly involving the show, featuring actors, writers, producers and such, and some feature townsfolk that cater to the new famous residents. Some have been light and fluffy, some dark and dramatic (cough*Amy Lane*cough). Some have had gay men, lesbian women, and one had a transgender character. I’ve loved some, liked some, and kinda liked others. I live in Washington, not too far from the area that the fictional town is set in, and some have had details I’ve…. uh…. ignored shall we say. Some have been spot on. Some in between! This one had a couple of issues I tried so hard to ignore, not very successfully! I know, it’s a fictional town, let it go!
Selfie is a fabulous addition to the series. There is a lot going on, and it’s a nice long book. Both characters are involved in the show, Connor has been hired on as a new actor, possibly a recurring role. Noah is a driver for the production crew, assigned to Connor as more of an assistant as well as a driver. So I liked that we get back to the heart of the series, the tv show. Oh how I wish Wolf’s Landing was actually a tv show! I’d totally watch it!
On a personal level Connor has some serious issues. He has lost his lover of ten years in a car accident a year ago, and has had an epic meltdown on the anniversary of Vinnie’s death, which ends up on YouTube. Luckily with no sound, but it wasn’t pretty. Connor and Vinnie were not out, and had been hiding their relationship for ten years. Connor was not able to grieve in public, nor was he able to get the family support he so needed. His own family tossed him out years before, and Vinnie’s family, who knew him only as Vinnie’s best friend, thought he was morning as nothing more than a friend. He wasn’t able to recover his personal things from Vinnie’s home, and is mourning that as well. After his meltdown, his agent finally figures out what is happening and gets involved, finding him a way out of his funk by getting him the job on Wolf’s Landing. Jilly (the agent) takes him shopping, to a hair salon, and sticks his ass on a plane, flying them both to the great northwest. Where they are picked up at the airport by Noah.
Connor is able to turn on his “actor” self, and perform as needed, he’s able to fake it very well. But as Noah and Connor build a relationship, professional at first, friends eventually, Noah is able to see through his bullshit quite easily. He picks up on the truth between Connor and Vinnie pretty quickly, and tries to give Connor a safe place to talk about Vinnie. All while attempting to not be jealous of Connor’s dead lover. Connor breaks down repeatedly, then begins to heal, things go well, badly, and everything in between. Noah is a strong dude, for such a youngling, and really knows how to handle the troubled actor. What he also discovers is Connor does very well with a firm hand. In bed and out! And Amy Lane gets her kink on…..
Amy knows how to write some good shit. Great characters, drama, angst, and sex. But with this one we get something new. Some dominance and submission. Not hardcore by any means, but more than I remember reading in her other books. There has been some butt slapping now and then, maybe a little bossing around, but Selfie has some pretty good naughty bits! Some handcuffs, a flogger, a paddle, some ass play, and it is exactly what Connor needs. He was the one keeping things together for he and Vinnie, when he wasn’t really the right personality to be the leader. Noah is totally a leader. Not just physically stronger than Connor, but he’s just a strong man. Raised by the strong father and a strong grandmother. He needs someone to care for, and Connor soooo needs that care. Connor needs to be a follower, needs someone to tell him what do to. Noah does that, and does it well.
There are good things that happen and bad. I laughed at Connor’s antics, but I also cried for his pain. This is exactly what Amy does so well. She gets us to giggle while we are crying.
I can’t come up with anything new to say about Amy and her writing. I’ve read everything she has published, and loved probably 98% of it. I’ve reviewed a bunch of her books for Love Bytes and I don’t know what to add. She is my goddess and I love everything she does. I loved this book, I loved the characters, the drama, the happiness, the kinky sex, the side characters, the story, the hope and the healing.
I’d say this book could be read as a standalone, there are characters mentioned in this one that are in the other books as main characters, but I don’t think not knowing who they are would be a problem with this story. However, if you haven’t read the other books in the Bluewater Bay series you really should! There is a very wide range of books, you don’t have to read them in order, I’d suggest you go check them out!
Loved it, loved the series and I hope Riptide keeps giving us more of these books!
RATING: 
BUY LINKS:
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