Saturday, October 14, 2017

Get a Grip by L.A. Witt


If a tree falls in Bluewater Bay... could it be fate?

A year after his divorce, Shane Andrews isn’t interested in dating — not that he has time, between three kids and a demanding job as a grip. When a windstorm knocks a tree onto one of the Wolf’s Landing soundstages, Shane’s there to help with the mess... and so is firefighter Aaron Tucker.

A former smoke jumper, Aaron’s an adrenaline junkie and way too restless and reckless to be relationship material. As far as he’s concerned, monogamy is for penguins, and he’d rather be alone than tied down. Signing up to be a stepparent? No, thank you.

But after a scorching-hot night together, they’re hooked. Aaron is a taste of the excitement Shane’s been lacking, and Shane’s pushing buttons Aaron didn’t know he had. The more they’re together, the less Aaron craves wild nights with other men... but the more Shane wants to play the field like he never got to in his twenties.

This could be the love neither man knew he needed, but only if Shane gets his feet back on the ground before Aaron walks away.

The Bluewater Bay stories can be enjoyed in any order — jump in wherever you'd like!

Add to Goodreads –


Book 19
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Riptide Publishing



Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader☆☆☆
M/M Romance

This is a sweet story where Shane is trying to figure out how to juggle being at work and co-parenting his three kids with his ex-husband, Leo. When a bad storm hits the town where Shane lives and works, he has no choice but to head towards the destruction to try and save the equipment.

Aaron is a firefighter who loves his job, but it's a poor substitute to what he used to do – smoke jumper. Despite being unable to jump any more, he still loves saving people and being a firefighter. He isn't into family time and doesn't do long term relationships, but he's willing to take the hot guy to bed who he met at the job.

Aaron and Shane have a somewhat youthful relationship. Shane is secretive with his kids and Aaron isn't sure this is a relationship he wants. Leo is Shane's ex-husband and truly wants Shane to find someone to love. It's a good story where family comes together to support each other and new relationships take off, but overall, it lacked chemistry and an organic development of the relationship.

Despite it being a sweet story where there is a happy ending, I thought that there needed to be more "grownup" dialogue between the two main characters – it just had young adult feeling to it.


Erica☆☆☆
3.5 stars

Get a Grip is the 19th installment in the Bluewater Bay series. The series features standalone titles by various authors, which can be read out of order or as a standalone with little to no confusion. The town setting and the production of Wolf's Landing are the connecting factors in the series.

I'm a sucker for second-chance romance, especially dealing with divorce or widowed characters. I enjoy the more mature approach to relationships and romance, expecting an emotionally mature character. Toss in kids, some pets, and a firefighter and I'm sold on the story. (I was a volunteer in a department for fifteen years, so I'm always drawn to stories featuring that aspect of my former life.)

In his mid-thirties, Shane is a divorced (two times) father of three, and he's a bisexual man ready to get back into the dating scene now that his kids are getting older. Aaron's a volunteer firefighter in his mid-forties, but he owns a garage. Mother nature intervenes, drawing the two men together.

Get a Grip was sweet and fluffy, an easy read that was a great escape. So why not give out 4 or 5 stars?

With this being a second-chance (or more) romance, involving a man in his mid-30s and one in his mid-40s, with three children involved, I expected more maturity from life experience. Their interactions, actions and reactions, and speech patterns, were suited more for late teenagers or young men in their early twenties.

My tastes run more toward building tension, making the characters work for the climax, but they are instantly infatuated with one another, giving into lust quickly after meeting. While Witt delivers the steam, to me, it just felt like it was 'the end' before it began, leaving little room for character development.

The epilogue comes out of nowhere and feels slightly rushed, but it left me with a sense of the warm and fuzzies.

I'm a fan of the series, and look forward to more. However, it's hit or miss with me when it comes to L.A. Witt. I either gush fangirl praise or find the book middle of the road. That doesn't mean it wasn't worthy as a novel, or that I didn't enjoy it, just that it didn't resonate with me, not leaving a lasting impression.


Sarah☆☆☆
3.5 stars

Firefighter Aaron and Wolf’s Landing grip Shane meet when a storm causes damage to Shane’s set. The attraction is immediate but life gets in the way of a relationship between these two.

I’m slightly conflicted about this one. I like that it is a story about grownups with complicated lives. These guys both have demanding jobs and their schedules don’t always coordinate. Shane has kids and ex-partners. As a reader of a similar age, this is a refreshingly realistic story.

However, I tend to read romance as an escape from the adult responsibilities in my own life. Arranging dates around ex-husbands and babysitters isn’t terribly sexy. Kids and work commitments preventing sex? Also not sexy – and far too realistic. I’m also guessing that anyone who has ever been a single parent will cringe with sympathy at Shane’s attempts at online dating.

For older guys with life experience, these two are both still pretty terrible at relationships. Their communication skills are pretty awful and they are both far too old for the ‘no commitment’ nonsense.

This isn’t one of my favourite LA Witt books. It was a sweet story and a quick read but I felt it lacked chemistry, passion, and romantic tension.


Veronica☆☆☆☆
First off, I loved this book. I found it seriously hot. The chemistry between Aaron and Shane is off the charts. In preparing to write the review I was trying to think of why I clicked with this story. It is well written but isn't a new story to me. Two guys who want a no-strings attached affair that end up wanting more. Plenty of stories out there along similar lines.

Then I realised Shane was the reason I was so sucked into this book. Shane becomes a parent young and is now a single dad to three kids who are starting to grow up. Twice divorced, he is now wanting to go out and have the kind of fun he missed out on when he was young. That I can relate to. As a parent whose child is soon to hit adulthood, I understood Shane and had a ball living vicariously through him. There was plenty to like around Aaron too. He is a volunteer fireman and an animal lover and I adored the way he treated and interacted with his fur babies.

Get a Grip is another great Bluewater Bay novel.



L.A. Witt is an abnormal M/M romance writer who has finally been released from the purgatorial corn maze of Omaha, Nebraska, and now spends her time on the southwestern coast of Spain. In between wondering how she didn't lose her mind in Omaha, she explores the country with her husband, several clairvoyant hamsters, and an ever-growing herd of rabid plot bunnies. She also has substantially more time on her hands these days, as she has recruited a small army of mercenaries to search South America for her nemesis, romance author Lauren Gallagher, but don't tell Lauren. And definitely don't tell Lori A. Witt or Ann Gallagher. Neither of those twits can keep their mouths shut...

Connect with L.A.

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Blog  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads


http://www.riptidepublishing.com


Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Get a Grip (Bluewater Bay #19) by L.A. Witt to read and review.

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