Reviewed by Larissa
TITLE: Baxter’s Right-Hand Man
SERIES: The Baxter Chronicles, Book 2
AUTHOR: Lane Hayes
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 284 pages
RELEASE DATE: June 9, 2023
BLURB:
The movie star meets his match…
Pierce
Welcome to Hollywood, baby! Perhaps you’ve heard of me. I play Baxter, the adventure-seeking, crime-fighting hero, adored by fans around the world. Nice gig, right? My job has its perks for sure—private jets, a chauffeur, and the best tables at the fanciest restaurants in town. It’s nuts!
Downside—it’s hard to know who you can trust.
But I trust Lorenzo. He’s funny, sweet, and very real.
Look, I’m not in the market for anything serious. Between my greedy brother and the old man who claims we’re related, I’m a little wary, but I could use a friend.
And a sexy distraction.
Lorenzo
What is happening here? Major movie star, Pierce Allen wants me.
Me!
I don’t get it. I’m too fabulous and he’s too famous.
No, wait. He wants something from me, like my help and maybe my body. This should be a no-brainer. However, closing the last chapter on a long-term relationship has left me feeling a little fragile, and the last thing I need is to risk another broken heart.
But I’m too intrigued to walk away. I can play the part of Pierce’s “right-hand man” and keep things light and friendly. No problem.
I’m way too smart to fall for a movie star.
I hope.
Baxter’s Right-Hand Man is a MM, bisexual romance featuring a sexy, slightly egotistical movie star and the adorable diva who brings him back to reality.
REVIEW:
The Baxter Chronicles duology is Lane Hayes’ best work to date. The first book, The Real Baxter, is truly something special. The real deal. A keep-you-guessing, never-saw-it-coming, exceptional romance centered on Sebastian Rourke, the owner of the eponymous Baxter movie franchise. In Baxter’s Right-Hand Man, Hayes delivers another gem of a story, shifting focus from Seb, the real Real Baxter — the man the Baxter movie franchise is based on — to Pierce Allen, the movie star that plays Baxter, the James Bond-esque action hero — the man the Baxter movie franchise’s success is based on. Pierce is Baxter. He plays him with great skill and has skyrocketed the brand to stratospheric levels. Seb’s delighted. Pierce is grateful, but now he’s a bit tired of it all because he’s so very lonely. He’s sacrificed everything for the brand. Yes, he’s a superstar, but neither the public nor Seb let him forget it.
To understand Pierce, you need to understand Seb at least at a high level. For that reason, reading The Real Baxter before Baxter’s Right-Hand Man is extremely helpful, even though you could enjoy the latter without reading the former. Seb has always been single-mindedly focused on doing whatever it takes to sell his brand, including manipulating people for the good of the franchise. Seb’s now married to Trent, his down-to-earth, sweet-souled better half (read The Real Baxter for their fantastic love story), and it has mellowed Seb … somewhat. Seb is still a shark in a sharp business suit, but he’s all-in, loyal, and protective of those he loves – and Pierce is in that small inner circle.
Hayes gives us an unflinching view of Seb, and I really appreciated that she didn’t change his personality just because he’s all loved up now. He’s completely endearing as he is, and Hayes stays true to that here. She shows us growth — how Seb has changed — and that transformation is crucial to Pierce’s story. Seb now realizes that neither Baxter the franchise nor Baxter the character is as important as Pierce himself, the man who plays Baxter and has essentially become Baxter in real life. Baxter is not the be-all and end-all, and the people Seb loves deserve happiness, even if that impacts the “brand”.
Despite all of my talk here about Seb, he’s not the main character in Baxter’s Right-Hand Man. This is Pierce’s story, and Hayes makes him very relatable, his loneliness and isolation palpable. Then along comes spicy, saucy Lorenzo. He couldn’t be more different than Pierce, and much like Trent, he’s got a heart of gold. He brings out the best in Pierce and shows him a way out of the empty world he’s resigned himself to. Hayes creates a storyline that brings Pierce and Lo into the same orbit while introducing Mr. Gowan, a lovely new character that provides a vehicle for subtextual social commentary. It’s food for thought and reinforces Love is Love. Hayes couldn’t have picked a better month for this book to release. Baxter’s Right-Hand Man is a celebration of PRIDE.
What Hayes’ does best in The Baxter Chronicles duology is making us fall in love with inherently flawed men without airbrushing the flaws away. She then pairs them with funny, down-to-earth, big-hearted, genuine, and loyal partners who are their complete opposites in almost every way. Despite all the reasons why they shouldn’t work on paper, Hayes gloriously shows us why they are a perfect fit.
Baxter’s Right-Hand Man is a refreshingly different take on what could be a trite trope, and it’s chock full of vivid characters, lots of sweet, plenty of heat, and an overwhelmingly satisfying HEA. You need to read it. For real.
RATING: 
BUY LINK: