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.
Full disclosure, I did not read book 1. And while you definitely don’t need to, you know I’m gonna!
Baxter is a character, much like James Bond. But American. So that’s kind of fun. It sounds like that is all Pierce is really known for, but that’s ok.
Lorenzo is a manager at a boutique furniture and accessory store. That leads he and Pierce to meet when Lorenzo (Lo moving forward) makes a regular delivery to one of his favorite customers, an older fabulously gay gentleman named Mr Gowan who may or may not be related to Pierce.
The meeting was orchestrated to clean up Pierce’s image in the press. With a fake girlfriend on his arm, but a cater waiter in his bed, the studio isn’t pleased. Although I kind of love that it isn’t that he is bi. It’s that they want to promote the fake girlfriend as an actress as well.
And it’s Mr. Gowan that makes this story unique to me. Pierce is a bit desperate to find a relation that isn’t his father or brother, but he will never admit it. And Lo is fiercely protective of Mr. Gowan as a long time client who doesn’t have a ton of time left.
Pierce absolutely started off pretty despicable. Kind of the way you usually read about movie stars being. All about him on the outside, who cares what anyone thinks. I slowly warmed up to him through the book as his feelings for Lo blossom and more of the truth about how he is related to Mr. Gowan come to light.
Lo is likable from the start. Still sort of recovering from a big break up two years ago, he has a job he loves and great friends. And he does treasure his time with Mr. Gowan. Who, while amazing, doesn’t share a lot of his life stories until it is almost too late.
I also really loved how the setting of LA really framed the story. So often it’s celebrities in big glass beach houses or they are on set or off in another country filming. But Mr. Gowan’s house, Lo’s store, etc, really show something that we don’t always see. The regular guy does ok for himself. He isn’t living in some studio apartment with no air conditioning while working 17 jobs. He really doesn’t want to be an actor or work in the film business. And he is just fine working for someone, not necessarily being the boss and owner.
I really did enjoy this story that made me laugh and cry. It wasn’t the same old scene.
And I really REALLY want Mr. Gowan’s story. When he was Jasper in the 60’s. The little bit we got was fascinating to me.
4.5 pieces of eye candy