Thursday, April 4, 2019

Random Review: Copper Creek by Cate Ashwood #Review #Giveaway



Title: Copper Creek
Series: A Sawyer;s Ferry Novel
Author: Cate Ashwood
Self Published
Publication Date: March 25, 2019
Length: 213 pages 

Reviewed by Sammy

Synopsis

Frankie:
My life sucks.
After spending a year jobless and on the edge of becoming homeless, I’d officially reached a level of desperation that, even if I wasn’t completely broke, retail therapy couldn’t fix.
While Sawyer’s Ferry, Alaska, is the last place on earth I’d ever want to visit, when my best friend, Holden, begs me to fly out and plan his wedding, I can’t say no. What I didn’t expect was to stumble into the administrative chaos at Copper Creek Brewing—or its too-hot-to-be-legal owner.
Clearly the man needs my help, and I’m willing to go above and beyond.
Way beyond.

Barrett:
I am screwed.
Six months after my assistant up and quit, I’m not any closer to finding a replacement, and things at the brewery are starting to fall apart.
And then in walks Frankie. He’s not the typical guy you’d find in these parts, and he brings with him a world of confusion. Because as much as I need his help, I can’t seem to keep my eyes—or hands—off him.
He’s supposed to be getting my life in order, but instead there’s a chance he could turn everything upside down.





Review

After losing his job and watching every potential reference source go to prison for fraud, Frankie spent lots of time searching for work—even temp jobs. Being tied to a corporate scandal means Frankie is employment poison. Nearly a year has passed and he’s living with his cousin Gia and no job is in sight so when his friend, Holden, asks him to come to Sawyer’s Ferry and coordinate his wedding, Frankie is just desperate enough to go. While there he takes on a temp job sorting out the administrative mess at Copper Creek Brewing company after meeting the owner, Barrett,  at the local watering hole. Frankie wasn’t looking to even hook up while visiting Holden but Barrett is just so delicious and, unfortunately, deep in the denial closet he’d been living in all his life.

Barrett didn’t know quite what to make of the flamboyant, dazzling man who had pushed his way into the job of sorting out the mess Barrett had since his last administrative assistant quit. All he knew was that he wasn’t gay…or bisexual…he couldn’t be. But that face…those lips…that smile. Why did Frankie smell so good? Look so nice? Seem so...sexy? Barrett was smitten and he wasn’t sure he cared. He had two months to get it all out of his system and then he could return to his lonely, quiet and definitely straight life and Frankie would go back to New York City. Two months—surely no one fell in love in such a short time—particularly someone who refused to acknowledge they weren’t as heterosexual as they fooled themselves into thinking they were.

Cate Ashwood has released the third installment in her Sawyer’s Ferry series entitled, Copper Creek. Fans of the series will recognize the sassy, irreverent Frankie from the first book, Alaska.  He was the administrative secretary to Holden’s dad—the one that was defrauding the company and ended up in prison. I happen to adore sarcastic, bitchy characters, especially when they actually have a heart of gold hidden beneath all that sass and Frankie fits that bill, in spades. This author had me hooked by the third page of this story when Frankie described his cousin Gia’s kids as “tiny little shit machines who needed constant attention.” I laughed so hard I dropped my kindle. Frankie was hilarious and sexy and the perfect foil to Barrett, whose fearful and serious nature made Frankie all the more determined to hammer down the closet door Barrett was trapped behind.

Poor Barrett—not only did he have to contend with Frankie’s ‘in your face’ attitude but he also had to expend such energy trying to convince himself he wasn’t attracted to men—especially out and proud ones like Frankie. But he was—oh he was and a good portion of this novel spent its time exploring the turmoil that fact gave Barrett. It was courage that Frankie really ended up gifting to Barrett—the courage to be himself and trust that despite the fact many might not want to associate with him if he came out as bisexual, he would be happier and more content with himself. Watching these two dance around each other and then finally give in only to be torn apart again was both lovely and sad. I was rooting for these two guys and begging Barrett to get his head out of his proverbial ass and give a relationship with Frankie a chance. They were so happy together—for a while. But then the cold hard reality of hiding in plain sight would descend on Barrett and make him stumble right back into his closet.

With humor, compassion and a little bit of unadulterated lust, Cate Ashwood weaves a beautiful coming out story that will satisfy the romantic in all of us. I think Copper Creek is by far the best yet in this series and can’t wait to see who this author will focus on next.






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