Book Review: The Deep of the Sound by Amy Lane

Title: The Deep of the Sound
Series: Bluewater Bay, Book 8
Author: Amy Lane
Genre: Contemporary Romance, M/M Romance
Sensuality Rating: Erotic
Source: review copy provided by publisher
Published: June 15, 2015 by Riptide Publishing

Cal McCorkle has lived in Bluewater Bay his whole life. He works two jobs to support a brother with a laundry list of psychiatric diagnoses and a great uncle with Alzheimer’s, and his personal life amounts to impersonal hookups with his boss. He’s got no time, no ambition, and no hope. All he has is family, and they’re killing him one responsibility at a time.

Avery Kennedy left Los Angeles, his family, and his sleazy boyfriend to attend a Wolf’s Landing convention, and he has no plans to return. But when he finds himself broke and car-less in Bluewater Bay, he’s worried he’ll have to slink home with his tail between his legs. Then Cal McCorkle rides to his rescue, and his urge to run away dies a quick death.

Avery may seem helpless at first, but he can charm Cal’s fractious brother, so Cal can pretty much forgive him anything. Even being adorkable. And giving him hope. But Cal can only promise Avery “until we can’t”—and the cost of changing that to “until forever” might be too high, however much they both want it.

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Reviewed by: Crissy

Why I Read This Book: Besides the fact that I read Amy Lane like I drink water, I have been dying for this story since her Nascha short in the Lights, Camera, Cupid! Valentine anthology (which is actually Cal’s great uncle’s story).

In A Nutshell: Buy this book. Cal and Avery’s story is all kinds of awesome and more than I ever anticipated for them and for Nascha and Keir.

The Setup: Calladh McCorkin is the caretaker of his severely autistic brother and his great uncle who suffers from Alzheimer’s. Avery Kennedy is still trying to find his way in life and breaking up with his boyfriend and leaving is closed-minded parents behind seems to be the way to have a new beginning. Plus his upcoming trip to Bluewater Bay gives him the opportunity. A string of bad luck on Avery’s side brings him, turns into Cal’s good luck—if only for a moment.

What I Liked: Everything. I loved absolutely everything about this book. The characters are so round and beautiful. Cal, with his outer assholishness to the world and the guarded vulnerability he shows Avery, is an amazingly beautiful character. I love his growth—a growth not even he believes himself capable of. Then Avery with his wide-eyed naivety. He’s basically alone in the world—even with a family and ex-boyfriend at his back. I love the way he actually grows up and finds himself and Cal in this story.

What I Also Liked: Nascha held my heart from his first appearance in the anthology, so to see him in this book all of those feelings came rushing back. When he’s lucid, he’s crafty and wise. Forever the head of the family. And then Keir—he’s both precious and heartbreaking. There are things about him that are so scary and in the same breath he’s a little boy in need of coddling. I love the vastness of characterization in both of these characters and the way they relate to and interact with Cal and, to a lesser extent, Avery.

This book is whole—that’s the only word I can think of for it. It’s full circle from two lost boys who find their way together, who learn to seek out help with each other when they never would have done so otherwise, but who also find unexpected love and acceptance in the end. I love the hope this story gives with a heavy dose of angst and tears. It’s a perfect rainbow of emotion with an ending that had me sighing.

In My Opinion: Lane made a winner with this one. I am so in love with these guys that I want to see their next step in life, to see where they go from here. Lucky for all of you, this book is a standalone. So if you’ve not read the series—which is fabulous, by the way—you can start with The Deep of the Sound (then work your way back to all of the rest). But I definitely recommend you read this one. Like now.

Memorable Moments:

“If I wasn’t gay and you weren’t married, I would so have your babies,” he said baldly.

“People don’t understand that sometimes our fantasy lives are what gets us through our real lives.”

“It’s like you are the sunshine I always needed in my life but never knew.”

Crissy’s Rating:

Reviews for other books in this series:
Hell on Wheels, Book 3
The Burnt Toast B&B, Book 5