Reviewed by True

TITLE: Starboard

SERIES: Voyagers #2

AUTHOR: Ava Olsen

PUBLISHER: Self-Published

LENGTH: 262 pages

RELEASE DATE: March 21, 2023

BLURB:

Dylan: I’ve lived my adult life under the Hollywood spotlight, but no one really sees who I am. I’ve gone down the dark path of drinking my anxiety away, along with my career, but now I’m searching for the light again. My struggle to stay sober has me releasing long held secrets.

A contract to publish my autobiography means laying everything in the open. When I meet Max, my ghostwriter, I’m not sure how our collaboration is going to work. He’s a university professor from New York with more degrees than I can count and I’m a guy from West Texas that barely finished college. And he may be my ghostwriter, but Max is anything but invisible.

Intimate confessions lead to heightened emotions and an unexpected love that fills up all my empty places. I don’t know what the future holds, but I want Max to be a part of it.

I’m done hiding in plain sight. It’s time for this star to finally shine.

Max: I’m an established university professor and a celebrity ghostwriter. Why ghostwriting? Because it pays. And I need the money. My ex-husband likes to threaten me with legal battles over custody of our daughter and while he has family reserves, I don’t.

So I take a summer ghostwriting contract, a celebrity tell-all. I expect to meet another self-absorbed actor, but Dylan Aylmer doesn’t fit any pre-conceived mold. His eyes are so haunted that I can’t look away and now I’m curious to unlock all his secrets.

What I find is not only a man trying to mend his broken soul but a beautiful person that is so much more than outward appearances. I swore I’d never be vulnerable to heartache again, but Dylan has me breaking all my steadfast rules.

Am I chasing a shooting star, soon to be gone, or is our love the kind that shines forever?

Starboard is an opposites attract, collaborators to lovers, MM romance filled with heartfelt confessions, outdoor shower shenanigans and plenty of swoon. This is Book Two of the Voyagers’ series: one superyacht, four love stories that span the globe.

REVIEW:

Dylan Aylmer is a Hollywood actor who struggles hard to keep his head above the surface.
He’s a recovering alcoholic, he wants to reveal his story in an autobiography.

Maxwell Lowell, is an educated English professor, Ph.D, a fiction author, and a ghostwriter. First of all, he is a dad to a thirteen-year-old daughter. He’ll write Dylan’s autobiography. He needs the money to hold his ex-husband at bay, who constantly threatens to take their daughter and full custody.

There’s a deadline in sight so there’s time pressure. Max and Dylan will seclude themselves on board Rowan’s yacht (read Rowan’s fabulous story Oh, Buoy) so they can focus on Dylan’s book.

On board, away from prying eyes and paparazzi, Dylan finally relaxed.
Dylan has secrets, one of them is he’s bi, and nobody knows, he wants to reveal this in his book.
Dylan is nervous, he has to face the music, open up and tell.

Max isn’t the stiff professor Dylan thought he was, and Dylan isn’t the self-absorbed, superficial actor Max expected he was. Very carefully they began to talk. There’s a pool of hurt and all palpable.

The way both men opened up to each other was so precious, it did funny things to my heart.
They made themselves vulnerable and spook honestly about their feelings.

The attraction is undeniable, a sweet romance is blooming.

Besides the seriousness, there’s also fun, Rowan and Andrew, are also staying on board. More secondary characters from the first book are present in this story.
The author did a great job with Dylan’s addiction, it got the right attention and was well-developed.
The romance was sweet, sexy, and honest. The family moments were wonderful.
Overall a solidly written, warm, low angst, satisfying story, I enjoyed very much.

One last thing, I’m sooo looking forward to Rafe’s story.

RATING:

BUY LINK:

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