Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE: Hot as Heller

SERIES: Aster Valley #3

AUTHOR: Lucy Lennox

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 266 Pages

RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2021

BLURB:

The man asked me to valet his damn car.

Look, I left LA for a reason. I’ve had my fill of big Hollywood stars and their even bigger egos. I want something genuine. Something real. And it doesn’t get any realer than being the new sheriff of Aster Valley, Colorado.

That is, until entitled Finn Heller appears on the scene, handing me the keys to his convertible like I’m his personal servant.

The former child star and wannabe action hero is the hottest thing I’ve ever seen. He’s also a snarky party animal with legions of adoring fans and attitude for days.

Or so I thought.

The longer the film crew stays in town, the more I begin to wonder if Finn is hiding his true self, one that’s as beautiful inside as out. He’s a star alright, but the kind that shines bright enough to light up the night sky… the kind I want to make a wish on.

A wish Finn will find a way to make things work with me, even if it means his next role is my very own leading man.

REVIEW:

I’ve never had this feeling like… like I needed another person so desperately for no apparent reason. Like if I didn’t find a way to… to be with you, to touch you, to find out more about you, I might just lose the fucking plot.

An old lady shoplifting doggie toys, a bear trapper named Charlene Candycorn, and a leading man nicknamed Sheriff Happycock: all par for the course in a Lucy Lennox novel.  Hot as Heller, the third installment in the Aster Valley series, is another wonderfully entertaining book by the gifted storyteller. This time around, a burnt-out actor who no longer wants the spotlight is facing hard decisions about the direction of his life. A complication comes in the form of big, burly, Sheriff Sexypants who needs to balance his instinct to protect the vulnerable actor with allowing the man to fight his own battles.

Finn Heller is not your typical multi-million-dollar movie star. He’s a lonely introvert, a bit insecure and vulnerable. He was a sitcom star as a child and now at twenty-four, he’s working on reinventing himself as a serious adult actor. But that entails parts of the job Finn doesn’t find comfortable – the Hollywood merry-go-round of socializing with bigger named stars, being seen and photographed with the “right” people, and having publicists milk every drop from a juicy, often fabricated or exaggerated story. He’s exhausted by everyone exploiting and wanting a piece of him: directors, fans, supposed friends, agents, even his own mother – a typical “stage mom” – all hoping to sponge up some fame and fortune for themselves. He’s currently in Aster Valley, Colorado, filming an action movie in which he has the lead role, so once again he has to shutter his true self and present a false front.

Aster Valley’s newest lawman, Declan Stone – aka Sheriff McLying Liarpants, according to Finn – develops an unfortunate first impression of Finn as a spoiled, entitled actor. To him, Finn represents everything Declan hates about Hollywood and happily left behind when he recently relocated from Los Angeles. The normally agreeable sheriff is irascible and rude toward Finn, but also attracted to him. Finn is portraying a police officer in the movie, so when his agent pulls some strings and arranges for him to shadow Declan to impress the movie’s director, Declan is nearly apoplectic. Drooling over the actor is inappropriate, he tells himself. But when Finn’s life is imperiled twice, Declan is suddenly overcome with emotion, which felt too premature for the stage of their relationship

I enjoyed the detailed rock climbing scenes and I’m impressed by Ms. Lennox’s knowledge of the subject. I always appreciate an author’s dedication to accuracy and thorough research. There’s lots of fun police action: stolen cars, shoplifting, and a hostage situation. All in a day’s work for a small-town sheriff. Wait, what? And Finn makes Shakespeare relatable with modern day analogies. There are a few truly shameful characters in Finn’s orbit, but they are offset by the joy brought to the story by Declan’s dear friend Tessa who’s visiting from L.A., and her new beau in town. They are a delightful couple.

One of the best features of Ms. Lennox’s novels is the strong family and friendship ties. Her Made Marian and Forever Wilde series are built upon large families, those recurring characters, and their relationships with the current story’s MCs. In the Aster Valley series, chosen family – one of my favorite tropes – is a strong theme, or it was in the previous books. When Mikey and Tiller relocated to Aster Valley in Right as Raine, they began to form their own family from among the warm, welcoming locals, many of whom identify as LGBTQ+. In Sweet as Honey, Sam and Truman were drawn into the delightful family and it was an important part of the book. So, it was disappointing that very little time was devoted to the chosen family in this book. I missed seeing more of Mikey and Tiller, Sam and Truman, Gentry and Winter, and other “family” members. The dynamic among these men who would do anything for their brothers and who openly show their love for each other is a special, heartwarming aspect of the series that I sorely missed.

Finn and Declan succumbed to miscommunication problems that took away from my enjoyment, also. At one point, after a wonderful night together, Declan leaves before Finn is awake and doesn’t contact him for days. Finn, who struggles with insecurity, is devastated and, understandably, feels like Declan is one more person using him – this time for sex. This drama felt manufactured and was frustrating because Declan’s inexcusable behavior toward a man he clearly cared about seemed out of character.

There’s so much right with Hot as Heller that it mostly overshadows the little niggles. I enjoyed this book a great deal. I adore these leading men, and Finn’s growth arc is gratifying. I only hope the next time we visit Aster Valley the chosen family theme is more present. Ms. Lennox has created fantastic characters…I want to see more of them!

Highly recommended.

RATING: 

BUY LINK:

Amazon