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When set medic Koa Sanders meets actor/stuntman Loren McCall, sparks fly. Loren himself just went flying—and got knocked out—in a dangerous collision stunt, setting off all Koa’s protective instincts. At the end of the day, when Loren suggests he wouldn’t mind having someone at home for post-head-injury monitoring, Koa tells himself it’s only to make sure the actor is okay. By the time he leaves the next morning, they’ve tested the question very thoroughly…and they want to see each other again.
Loren is already thinking about drawing the line under stunt work. When his agent sends word of a potentially career-changing audition, he decides this is the time to take the leap. He’s facing a huge loss in the coming months. Getting a big part will complicate matters in a big way. But Koa’s right there, telling Loren he’ll help.
Neither man was looking for a boyfriend; neither is willing to dismiss their instant connection. Loren isn’t used to needing help; Koa isn’t used to someone wanting it. And if they get through the year’s challenges together, their lives will change forever.
- 1 Read list
Publisher: JMS Books, LLC
Editors:
Genres:
Pairings: M-M
Heat Level: 3
Romantic Content: 4
Ending: Click here to reveal
Character Identities: Gay
Protagonist 1 Age: 36-45
Protagonist 2 Age: 36-45
Tropes: Big Character / Little Character, Famous / Not Famous, Hurt / Comfort
Word Count: 70,000
Setting: Los Angeles
Languages Available: English
When the first alarm went off, I was well into Loren’s fourth year in LA. I set the stack of paper aside and went to check on him. He was bitchy as hell about it. Once I finished running down my checklist, I apologized.
“Koa.”
The softness of my name in his mouth just about killed me. “Mmm?”
“Don’t apologize. I should apologize.”
“Hey, you warned me.”
He huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, but. I do honestly appreciate this.”
READ MORE“Let’s see what you say in two hours.” He turned over, burying his grinning face in his pillow. I managed not to pat his shoulder or anything else, managed not to wish I’d taken a good look at his back on set, almost managed not to wish I could stretch out beside him. Detoured to the bathroom to brush my teeth, then went back to the couch. Thought about what it takes to run away from what amounts to a prison, in the middle of nowhere, when you’re only sixteen, with no one to run to. ‘Tough’ was an inadequate word. I picked up the typescript again and kept reading.
After the second alarm I finally fell asleep for a while. I’d finished the book, which seemed to bring the story right up to the present day. Now I felt like I knew maybe too much about Loren, or maybe I just wanted him to know more about me. Which was why, after the third alarm, when he closed his eyes and mumbled “Don’t go,” I let myself stretch out beside him. He wriggled up against me, his back to my side, and made a pleased sound. Probably because it’d gotten a little chilly and I tend to run hot.
You would think being in bed with someone who flat-out fascinated me would’ve kept me awake. Since I’d been reading instead of sleeping, it didn’t, and I hadn’t set a new alarm. Loren showed no signs of a brain injury, there was no chance we’d oversleep, and I was comfortable.
Right up until I opened my eyes and realized I’d plastered myself to his back. One arm folded under my head, the other wrapped around him, and a serious case of morning wood. I made some kind of sound; couldn’t help a small, startled movement. Was he awake? Could I possibly get out of this without embarrassing both of us?
“No,” he said, reading my mind again. Or maybe he meant something else. He ran his hand down my arm, the one pinning him against me, and wrapped his fingers around my wrist. “You’re a cuddler.”
I cleared my throat. “Uh. Yeah. Sorry.” I could’ve pulled free, but I didn’t want to. And that grip on my wrist told me he didn’t want me to. “I read your whole book.”
“What’d you think? Too repetitive?”
“No.” That was all I could manage, because half of my brain wanted to burst into hysterical laughter and the other half wanted to pull him on top of me like a blanket, get my hands in his hair, and find out how his mouth tasted.
“If I get up to go pee, and come back to bed, will you still be in it?”
I swallowed, the urge to laugh completely gone. “Yes. I mean, if you want—"
“For fuck’s sake, Koa.”
Okay, the urge to laugh was back. He patted my wrist. I lifted my arm; he slid away, sat up, twisted around to look at me. “Never picked up a first responder before.”
Aaaand there I went, laughing. “You can put it in your book.”
“We’ll see.” He gave me this dubious expression, like there was a good chance this wouldn’t be worth writing about, except I could see two things in his eyes. First: he was about to laugh too. Second: he really, seriously wanted to kiss me.
COLLAPSEMaryann on Queeromance Ink wrote:This book is a love story between two men. One who has had an idyllic childhood in Hawaii with his loving family and one who has had it a lot tougher growing up . Neither man is in their twenties anymore and neither has been very lucky in love.
When they meet on the set of a movie that Loren is a stunt man in and Koa is on the on-set medic they immediately have chemistry that cannot be ignored . Koa cannot refuse to help Loren when he is injured following a stunt that goes a little wrong. But one night wasn’t going to be enough for either of them
Do I recommend this book? Definitely yes. It should probably come with some trigger warnings though as it has a main character who was abused by his step father & who was forced into conversion therapy .
The trigger warnings make the book sounds really sad and whilst there are definitely sad bits in the story the overall feeling of the book is one of love and found family . It’s a happy book that will leave you feeling warm inside.
It took me a couple of chapters to get with the time frames in the headers of some of the chapters , but I quickly got into the flow by chapter 5.
The main characters Loren, Koa & Annie really grabbed me. I found myself invested enough in the ups & downs within the story to want to find out what happened at each point before putting the book down . The book despite it’s name is not full of big dramatic events – just a few . There is also the long running elements of Annie’s illness and the revealing of Loren’s history with his mother.
This book does have a few steamy scenes ( not loads ) but it is so much more than just sex. There is real character development and a real story to it, but with enough sex scenes that is what you love in your M/M books you will be happy.
Four stars.
Koa Sanders is thirty-six, and is working his way up through the medical field: EMT, Paramedic, Physicians Assistant, and now getting experience as a set work medic. His first time on set, he’s ready to watch a car crash scene at a farmers market that’s filled with booths of all sorts. There are dozen’s of extras and two stunt people. Koa is on alert, and when one of the stunt people doesn’t get up, he gets concerned. Even though their vitals are good, he’s worried about a possible head injury. When the director calls for a second shoot, Koa objects, but is overruled – the show must go on.
Loren McCall is forty. He started in movies at the age of eighteen, a long time dream of his. He’s not a major film star, but he’s played all sorts of bit parts, in film and TV. He’s currently writing his memoirs, and works nights as a word processor for a law firm to help make ends meet. One thing Loren was taught – and believes – is to always have a job.
After the second shoot, a long conversation, and with Loren being a little wobbly, Koa wants him to go to the ER to be examined. Loren has his reasons for not going, but makes an offer to Koa to come home to look after him instead. Concerned about Loren possibly having a concussion, Koa can’t refuse. He does his job as a medic, and checks on Loren throughout the night.
As Koa and Loren become fast friends, Koa learns so much about Loren, and gets to read a draft of Loren’s memoirs. Loren grew up in a loving home, until his father, a state trooper, was killed in an accident. When his mother remarried, Loren’s life took a turn for the worse. His step-father and step-brother were abusive, and his biological brother Rob became their ally. Loren had no other choice but to run away.
There was only one person he could depend on, a state trooper and friend of his late father. From there Loren never looked back. He lived with two loving women: Annie Chesnutt, a lawyer, and Gwen McCall; bookstore owner. He did everything he could to help these two wonderful, tough ladies and loved every minute of it. He couldn’t have been happier in his new life, and they encouraged him to live his dream.
While Gwen has passed on, Annie and Loren are still very much in each others lives. Annie is not well, and both she and Loren have accepted that her time is running short.
When Koa meets Annie, things begin to change. Good things happen for Loren, including getting a staring role in a movie – a gay romance. His life becomes hectic, but Koa plans to be there for both Loren and Annie. Her condition is deteriorating, and a near tragedy with Koa makes Loren re-evaluate his life again.
Caluen has penned a wonderful – and at times heartbreaking – story about the life of Loren McCall. With all he’s lost, he’s still found those who were willing to help him, no matter what, and he’s grown to be a better man. And Koa Sanders is just adorable – laid back, calm, and has a special understanding of Loren, even when things are difficult.
The story deals with family dynamics – a family that became dysfunctional and abusive, versus one that was built on a foundation of love. It’s also about the difficult decision to reconnect with your biological family.
Koa he has a loving family in Hawaii, and has a great relationship with his sister Lani. Even though his family have hopes for his return, they they accept whatever decision he makes.
I loved the author’s depiction of Hollywood, filmmaking and actors – how they don’t always make it to the top, and how long it takes for some to get there.
I highly recommend Drama Queen, the second story I have read by Alexandra Caluen. This one really impressed me – it has all the feels and emotions to bring joy and a tear to your eye. Well worth the read!
DRAMA QUEEN is a stand-alone novel set in a contemporary story universe with character links to M/M novel GIVING IT UP and M/M novella MY HOLIDAY STAR.
