Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Up North
SERIES: Compass Stars
AUTHOR: Allison Temple
NARRATOR: Toby James
PUBLISHER: Allison Temple Books
LENGTH: 8 hours and 28 minutes
RELEASE DATE: January 3, 2022
BLURB:
The last thing Jack Spencer wants to be is a fishing guide for rich tourists. But with a sister in need of help and nothing but a rusty fishing boat to his name, he takes a job at the Wild Eagle Lodge, Alaska’s newest luxury resort.
When a scandal rocks his career, movie star Damian Marshall feels like the whole world is watching his every move. That is, until he meets a gruff fishing guide who doesn’t seem to know who he is. Desperate for escape, Damian grabs at the chance for anonymity with both hands.
Away from the pressure of studios and the media, Damian and Jack grow closer. But as sparks fly and scandal follows Damian north, Jack will need to decide if he can love a man he hardly knows, or if this brush with fame is too hot to handle.
Up North is a 77k contemporary MM romance novel. It features a movie star on the run, a fishing guide who has never been anywhere, and bears of all sorts. Happily ever after guaranteed.
REVIEW:
Damian Marshall (born David Morgan) is the most popular action star in the world. After a public fight with the director of the movie franchise he is synonymous with he’s been instructed to lay low. The director has the media in his hand and he’s spitefully using it to get back at David after their fling ended on the last movie set. Damian/David’s agent and BFF are trying to calm the storm, but to no avail. So he’s sent off to a floating hotel in Alaska to stay out of the spotlight.
While there David meets Jack, the fishing guide at the hotel. He is intrigued. When it’s clear Jack has no idea who he is and in fact things that David’s BFF, the flamboyant Vin, is the VIP, well he’s thrilled. He can have a genuine conversation and relationship with somebody without wondering if it’s because he’s a movie star.
They are quickly enamored of each other but David is still cautious. Could this be an act? Is he trying to entrap him to prove that he’s gay – something he’s never done. His family raised him to thing his was aberrant. He’s never publicly commented on his sexuality – hence the “misunderstanding” about the fight with the director. But he does really like Jack 🙂 They move forward clandestinely with their relationship, but then someone catches them in a compromising position – and it has ramifications for both that are kind of earth-shaking. And there’s no putting that genie back in the bottle. So what are they going to do? Jack’s life is now public fodder – nothing he signed up for. Damian’s been outed. Everything is a mess. Hopefully there is a solution that can salvage both their private lives and maybe their relationship.
This book is the first in a new series. I have enjoyed this author’s work in the past, so I decided I’d try this new one. I really liked both MCs. They come from totally different worlds and their connection is only possible because Jack really has no idea who David really is to the world at large. He’s such a nice guy. His love for his family and his willingness to set aside his own desires is admirable. Damian is afraid to risk everything he’s worked for He’s got what appears to be some internalized homophobia due to the way he was treated growing up. This has resulted in no relationship with his family. They are happy in their little bubble of the secluded hotel with no other guest and a staff sworn to secrecy. Jack hasn’t done much to put himself out there – either with coworkers at his current job or in his past. He’s kind of been adrift since he gave up school to return to help his sister and nephew. I was surprised by how much restraint Jack showed after how his life imploded. At some point I was disappointed in David/Damian that he didn’t let Jack in on the secret. When it was obvious the rest of the staff was unaware that Jack had no idea who he was, I just knew things were going to go south.
One of the other issues that is covered extensively in this book is celebrity culture. The complete invasion of privacy and the assumption that celebrities but virtue of their jobs owe everything in their lives to the “fans” is a dark part of society and social media. The author conveyed quite well what a toll this takes on the celebrity and their lives – including their mental health and their personal relationships. I personally am not a fan of the encroachment of social media and celebrity culture into so much of our lives and I try to limit my exposure because I don’t think it’s particularly healthy for the “fans” either as evidenced by their treatment of David/Damian and of Jack after things became public after an incredible breach of privacy.
I’ve never listened to a Toby James narration before. I enjoyed this narration although I would have liked a little more voice variety. David/Damian and Jack were distinctive and so was Vin, but a lot of the other voices kind of seemed to run together a bit for me. I definitely found the characterizations of David/Damian and Jack to be believable and also on point during the highs and lows of their interactions during the course of the story. They definitely experienced some unexpected extremes 😉 I LOVED David/Damian’s BFF Vin – both as himself and the “Mr. Morgan” character. He was a hoot and I sure hope he is going to get his own story in this series because I’m sure it will quite drama worthy 😀
RATING: 
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