Reviewed by Taylin

TITLE: Earthquake Ethan

SERIES: Forces of Nature #3

AUTHOR: RL Merrill

PUBLISHER: Celie Bay Publications

LENGTH: 322 Pages

RELEASE DATE: March 13, 2024

BLURB:

The Earth shook the morning actor Ethan Bradley arrived in Los Angeles looking for a second chance. He hoped his former producers Reese Matheson and Toby Griffiths meant it when they said to look them up if he were ever in LA because he had no other options. The pictures the paparazzi took at the wrap party for their London show made sure of that. What he wasn’t counting on was the reception he got from their manager, Arthur Frye. He was absolutely the kind of together guy Ethan wished would notice him, and for more than his pretty face and talent. Too bad Arthur only sees Ethan as a complication.

Arthur Frye has his hands full with his best clients—and best friends. The last thing he needs is another diva to care for, especially one who has a reputation for causing trouble. He has a strict rule against getting involved with the talent, no matter how pretty they are. Only Ethan Bradley shines for real, and when Arthur realizes his nice-guy innocence is genuine, he’s ready to do anything to help Ethan get his career back on track and get him out of LA. He’s too much of a temptation, and Arthur can’t afford to lose focus…not even for a chance at happiness for himself. Especially not when his star clients are about to risk their professional and personal happiness with their newest creation; a musical about two boys falling in love in the 1960s featuring music written by Reese’s grandfather, whose health is in decline.

Ethan Bradley shakes things up wherever he goes, and Arthur Frye is afraid he’ll be left in the wreckage if he gets too close. Can these two opposites find love on solid ground?

REVIEW:

Ethan is a talented actor who is down on luck due to misinterpreted pictures in the British Press. With little choice, he scrapes together the money needed to head to LA for last-chance salvation. Initially, Arthur (rep to the stars) sees Ethan as a tainted celebrity, wants little to do with him, and ignores the inner pull towards the man. At his friend’s insistence, Arthur gives in. He soon discovers that Ethan isn’t the type of man he expected and is tempted to break his non-fraternization rules.

Earthquake Ethan is the third book in the Forces of Life Trilogy. RL Merrill is a superb writer, and I wasn’t disappointed in this latest novel. Also, it is possible to read Earthquake Ethan on its own merit. You get a tale with some Hollywood glitz, a ton of hard work, and men who have cast off their bad-boy pasts in favor of wholesome futures. Life – especially that of an actor, can be as up and down as a ship at sea in a storm. And much like a cruise, there are glamorous times, fun times, easy days, and turbulent days.

The story is told in the third person from the viewpoints of Arthur and Ethan. Worldbuilding revolves around the theatre, what it takes to reinvent an actor, and the emotional rollercoaster of negotiating a relationship where heart and head are at war. Oh – and there’s the detail of being in an earthquake zone.

Arthur has famous parents and has grown up among the stars. With friends in all aspects of the industry, Arthur knows his way around and chooses the path of representation over being an actor. He’s a man who can ‘do it’ and does it very well. He also has a series of personal laws that he lives by, one of which is that he is never to date the talent.

Ethan hails from a farming background, but his talent and an attentive mother put him on the fast track to stardom. Then disaster struck on more than one front, causing a crater-sized dent in Ethan’s confidence. Unable to return home, he is at the mercy of Arthur and his friends. Ethan is a lovely soul who needs rebuilding and to be surrounded by good people.

From shaky beginnings, it was lovely to see Arthur and Ethan working towards trust and love and building a supportive way of life that was right for them both. They navigated meetings, earthquakes, an 80’s wardrobe, auditions, cranky directors, illness, and a show that must go on. It was also lovely to read a story where not everyone in Hollywood was a shark in disguise.

I must give a shout-out here to Elvis, the cat who deserved his own star on the Walk of Fame ROOOWWWWLLLL.

Anyhoo.

Part way through, I had an inkling of what was on the horizon. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the entertaining journey to its conclusion. The reason behind the play and grandad particularly moved me.

I read the first book in the series and the third. With hindsight, I believe that I’d have gotten more out of Earthquake Ethan had I read the second book. I would have been more familiar with the extended cast, the intimate details that caused Ethan’s troubles, and, by extension, had more of a connection to the other characters.

Also, this story had an important message about food insecurity worth taking away with you.

RATING:

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon