The Deep of the Sound by Amy Lane

The Deep of the Sound by Amy Lane

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Getting this out of the way because it niggled at the back of my mind until I figured it out, we first met Cal’s great-uncle Nascha in the Bluewater Bay Valentine’s anthology, Lights, Camera, Cupid. Once I placed where I remembered him from, it made it much easier to understand why the Native American elder was so accepting of his nephew’s homosexuality. It also guaranteed that I shed a few tears again as I watched Nascha deal with the debilitating effects of Alzheimer’s disease. And while it was good to catch up with Nascha and see how his part of the story played out, his nephew Cal is the focus of The Deep of the Sound and I have found yet another Bluewater Bay resident to love.

As the sole provider for his uncle and brother, Cal works hard to keep a roof over their head, food on the table, and a caregiver who can sit with Nascha and Keir while he’s at work. Between Nascha’s Alzheimer’s and Keir’s Asperger’s Syndrome (and other conditions), Cal is working himself to the bone and barely hanging on – the precariousness of their situation becoming painfully clear when he suffers an injury that puts him out of work for nearly a month. The only light in his life comes in the form of Avery. The “Rescue Puppy” who he and Keir find stranded on the side of the road after Avery’s car breaks down on his way to Bluewater Bay. Avery is Murphy’s Law in the flesh – if it can go wrong, it will and it will do so spectacularly. Yet despite all that befalls Avery when he decides to make his trip to Bluewater Bay a permanent move, he remains upbeat and thankful for what he does in life, including his knight in shining armor. As much as he enjoys spending time with and getting to know Avery, Cal can’t help but worry whether or not he’s good enough for Avery, capable of balancing a relationship with his family obligations, or if he’ll just end up dragging Avery down with him if he fails.

I loved this book. There hasn’t been a Bluewater Bay novel I haven’t enjoyed, but I was so enthralled with Cal and Avery’s stories and how their lives began to intertwine that I couldn’t put it down – I actually didn’t because I fell asleep reading it. How Avery managed to stay as positive as he did simply amazed me. The way his parents and boyfriend treated him in the beginning, belittling him and treating him as though he wasn’t capable of taking care of himself frustrated the mess out of me as he was the one supporting said boyfriend. What happened to him later in the novel with his parents and his ex, had me wanting to crawl inside the novel and kick some butt. Yet Avery soldiers on, not allowing the incident to ruin his plans – Avery is great at regrouping and moving forward. As for Cal, what he endures in his family life was utterly heartbreaking even as it warmed my heart to see his family step in and take care of him. I cried for Cal, Nascha and Kier even as I saw how the changes would be better for them all in the long run. While The Deep of the Sound is a complete story, it is one that I would really love to see the author write a sequel to because this group of Bluewater Bay residents hold a very special place in my heart and I’m not ready to let them go yet.

I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

Check out The Deep of the Sound (Bluewater Bay #8) by Amy Lane blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.


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