Starstruck

L.A. Witt

Hollywood is full of dirty secrets, but Carter refuses to be Levi’s.

Retired action star Levi Pritchard has made a quiet life for himself in the sleepy logging town of Bluewater Bay, Washington. But then Hollywood comes to film the wildly popular television series Wolf’s Landing, and Bluewater Bay isn’t so sleepy anymore. His retirement doesn’t stick, either, because he’s offered a part on the show—exactly the kind of complex role he’d always wanted, one that would prove him more than a glorified stuntman. The only catch? He has to stay in the closet—no matter how attractive he finds his co-star.

Carter Samuels is the critically-acclaimed male lead on Wolf’s Landing. And now, the man who inspired him to take up acting—and made him realize he’s gay—is joining the cast, and sparks fly between them instantly. But Carter is out and proud and determined to stay true to himself.

Remaining just friends is the only thing to do, as both the studio and Levi’s disapproving, dysfunctional family keep reminding them. Except their friendship deepens by the day, tempting them with what they can’t have but both desperately need.

Introducing Bluewater Bay

Welcome to Bluewater Bay! This quiet little logging town on Washington state’s Olympic Peninsula has been stagnating for decades, on the verge of ghost town status. Until a television crew moves in to film Wolf’s Landing, a soon-to-be cult hit based on the wildly successful shifter novels penned by local author Hunter Easton.

Wolf’s Landing’s success spawns everything from merchandise to movie talks, and Bluewater Bay explodes into a mecca for fans and tourists alike. The locals still aren’t quite sure what to make of all this—the town is rejuvenated, but at what cost? And the Hollywood-based production crew is out of their element in this small, mossy seaside locale. Needless to say, sparks fly.

This collaborative story world is brought to you by ten award-winning, best-selling LGBTQ romance authors: L.A. Witt, L.B. Gregg, Z.A. Maxfield, Aleksandr Voinov, Heidi Belleau, Rachel Haimowitz, Anne Tenino, Amy Lane, SE Jakes, and G.B. Gordon. Each contemporary novel stands alone, but all are built around the town and the people of Bluewater Bay and the Wolf’s Landing media empire. 

Join L.A. Witt and L.B. Gregg for the Welcome to Bluewater Bay Tour, and check out Starstruck and There’s Something About Ari to meet the cast, crew, and locals!

About L.A.

L.A. Witt is an author of gay erotic romances, and has been recently exiled from Okinawa, Japan, to Omaha, Nebraska. She resides there with her husband, a telekinetic goldfish, and two incredibly spoiled cats. It’s unclear if the exile was the result of the mostly classified “Aquarium Incident,” or if she’s actually being hidden, for her protection, from the Polynesian Mafia and her arch nemesis, erotic romance author Lauren Gallagher.

Should you encounter Lauren, don’t tell her L.A. is in Omaha. This bio will self-destruct in 17 seconds.

Giveaway!

Every comment on this blog tour enters you in a drawing for a choice of two eBooks off L.A. Witt’s backlist (excluding Starstruck) and a $10 Riptide Publishing store credit. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on November 9^th, and winners will be announced on November 10^th.  Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries.

Review

Title: Starstruck

Series: Bluewater Bay 01

Author: L.A. Witt

Genre: Contemporary Gay Romance

Length: Novel (275 pages)

ISBN: 978-1-62649-171-7

Publisher: Riptide Publishing (November 3^rd 2014)

Heat: Moderate

Heart: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts

Reviewer: Tams

Blurb: Hollywood is full of dirty secrets, but Carter refuses to be Levi’s.

Retired action star Levi Pritchard has made a quiet life for himself in the sleepy logging town of Bluewater Bay, Washington. But then Hollywood comes to film the wildly popular television series Wolf’s Landing, and Bluewater Bay isn’t so sleepy anymore. His retirement doesn’t stick, either, because he’s offered a part on the show—exactly the kind of complex role he’d always wanted, one that would prove him more than a glorified stuntman. The only catch? He has to stay in the closet—no matter how attractive he finds his co-star.

Carter Samuels is the critically-acclaimed male lead on Wolf’s Landing. And now, the man who inspired him to take up acting—and made him realize he’s gay—is joining the cast, and sparks fly between them instantly. But Carter is out and proud and determined to stay true to himself.

Remaining just friends is the only thing to do, as both the studio and Levi’s disapproving, dysfunctional family keep reminding them. Except their friendship deepens by the day, tempting them with what they can’t have but both desperately need.

Purchase Link: http://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/starstruck

Review: Levi Pritchard retired from the cynical world of acting and made a life for himself in the town of Bluewater Bay as a director for a small stage production company. When Hollywood comes calling, offering him the part of a lifetime with a leading role on the hit series, Wolf’s Landing, Levi cannot resist the need to step in front of the camera again. The only stipulation is that Levi has to be perceived by the public and paparazzi as straight.

Carter Samuels is the star of Wolf’s Landing, he is also openly gay. Carter fell in love with Levi the actor watching his movies, and it was his attraction to the man on screen that allowed Carter to admit he was gay. Now the object of his affection is about to walk onto the set of Landing, and Levi in real life is even more appealing than the one on the big screen.

Both men have lusted for each other from afar and now that they are face to face, the attraction is undeniable. Carter has been in a relationship where he had to hide who he was before though, as much as he wants Levi, he refuses to be anyone’s dirty little secret ever again. Levi has already lost love because he wouldn’t come out, his family is far from understanding and the studio has expressly stated he has to be perceived as a straight man. So the deck seems stacked against this would be couple from the start. Levi will have to do some deep soul searching and decide what is important to him. A family that won’t accept who he is, a career he already left once because of the stress and pressures, or the love of a man who could be worth risking it all for.

I really loved the way the two characters were written sort of in reverse. Levi is the older and more mature one, but he is so worried about what everyone else thinks that he doesn’t live his life for him. Carter is like a breath of fresh air. Out and proud and refuses to be held back because of his sexuality. They both struggle for different reasons, obviously, but it was interesting to watch those struggles play out. And the chemistry they shared was a thing of beauty. Levi described it best in the book through his thoughts, he wanted to kiss Carter while he made love to him, and he did mind you, but he would stop moving sometimes while kissing because the kisses just consumed him and he couldn’t form a coherent thought to continue moving his hips. It was kind of endearing and definitely sexy!

A great story about being true to yourself and being rewarded for living your life without boundaries. A must read for hopeless romantics!