Piñatas and Paintbrushes

Hearts of Snow Lake, Book 3

By: Ashton Cade

Narrated by: Cam Walker

Sebastian:

He’s a shining star, I’m a black hole. Complete opposites. And just like our astronomic counterparts, there’s no way Marty’s light is ever going to brighten me. Black holes don’t let any light escape. They devour it all. And that’s what will happen to Marty if he doesn’t keep his distance from me. I want to warn him, but there’s a selfish part of me that can’t do it. Like a moth, I’m drawn to Marty’s light. I know I should stay away — for his sake more than mine — but I can’t.

A better man would do the hard thing and stay away. Not me. The fact that this time the easy way lines up with my self-centered desire to spend more time with him, is only a bonus. He doesn’t know that I’ve already declared this over in my head. Part of me is determined to give this a real go and not lose my chance with him because if I back out now and regret it later, it could be too late.

Which is worse? Missing my chance, or opening myself up to the agony I already know so intimately?

Marty:

Me: I know what I’m doing, and I know Sam’s not after anything serious. It’s fine. I can handle it.

Narrator: He could not handle it.

Some folks say I live in a dreamworld. It's partly true; I run a party planning business in the idyllic town of Snow Lake and I love every minute of it. But when I watch my friends partner up and look so happy, I hide my sadness. Nobody needs to know how deep that particular pit goes.

When Sebastian arrives in Snow Lake, I bring him a welcome basket, like I do for everyone. But when I actually take in that muscular frame and artist's mystique, I practically want to organize a parade complete with marching band and an interpretive dance about how much he turns me on. So what if he says he only wants a casual thing? A hookup is better than not getting my hands on that body. And besides, how can he not fall in love with me? I'm charming. I deserve love. Right? Right?

©2019 Ashton Cade (P)2020 Ashton Cade

Marty and Sebastian

Beautifully written and narrated. Sebastian is on a break and trying to paint and his depression sends them to dark places, Marty is a party planner and he gets Sebastian to help for a Festival and flirt, but Sebastian doesn't believe he deserves to be happy after losing his fiance in a freak accident, but it takes awhile and a HEA is achieved

Amazing listen!

This is another amazing addition to this series. I love Marty and Sebastian! This is such a beautiful story. Ashton Cade really pulls me right into this story and I absolutely love Cam Walker brings this story to life. I love listening to this story and Cam really made me love this story even more.

Theme song: You light up my life

Plot: A very sunshine/grump trope; the past visits and won’t go away
Feels: Marty is so endearing you truly root for him, while you want to shake Sebastian sometimes. Sebastian's story was heart-breaking.
Drama: I am so not a fan of MM stories with bitchy villainesses that create drama to move the plot along and Ugh you get two in this
Heat: 1/5
Characters: Holy moly one nasty old biddy (doesn’t deserve to be called a ‘lady’) and the evil twin sister of Sebastian’s lost fiance
Pacing: Good flow
Length: Not too long
Ending: HEA
Performance: Good narration - one comment I have is that you can hear the inhalation at every pause.

Sweet love story

The third book in a great series! So glad to get Marty’s story. Aston Cade doesn’t disappoint! Doesn’t miss Sebastian and Marty’s story!

Really enjoyed it

I read the series when it was first published and love all the books. When I got the opportunity to get this audiobook I didn't hesitate. The audiobook is as enjoyable as the printed book is. I hadn't heard of the narrator Cam Walker before and felt he did a wonderful job. I didn't remember so much of the dialogue being internal. Maybe reading it, I just didn't think about it. But Cam Walker did a great job conveying the internal thoughts of the MCs. His tone seemed right. This audiobook is definitely going on my repeat listen list.

Light and dark.

Returning to Snow Lake is beginning to feel a lot like coming home…
This book is about Marty, the resident party planner and ray of sunshine, and Sebastian, the latest temporarily resident artist.
Sebastian lost his fiancé in a car accident he still blames himself for and he feels like a black hole that can suck out the light of Marty’s bright star. What starts as a no strings attached arrangement soon becomes more for both men, but external influences and Sebastian’s unresolved grief stand in the way…
The book is sweet and charming at points, but quite emotional and somber when Sebastian deals with his own emotions. He really is the ultimate artist, ruled and consumed by his feelings.
I loved Cam Walker’s performance, he really did great with this book!

Good story

Good addition to the series. I was looking forward to Marty’s story and wasn’t disappointed. I knew the sister was going to be a problem lol.

Great Story & Narration🎧 Enthralling & Heartfelt!

This audiobook is awesome! It is my first book written by Ashton Cade and my first narrated by Cam Wade it will definitely not be my last. I enjoyed Ashton Cade’s writing style and the characters and storylines she created, the story grabbed my attention right from the start and captivated it the entire book. The characters are realistic, easy to relate to and connect with. I adored both lead characters, Marty and Sebastian, Marty is a business owner and resident of Snow Lake, he is friendly and has a bubbly personality. Sebastian is an artist who needed a change and came to Snow Lake to get away, he carries the weight of the world on his shoulders and battles his own inner demons which is reflected in his art. Marty on behalf of the town visits him with a gift basket of goodies. As much as he does not want to be Sebastian is drawn to Marty, Marty is intrigued by Sebastian and wants to get to know more about him but Sebastian warns him that he has nothing to give. I loved how everything played out in this book, the story is beautifully plotted with drama, angst, heartfelt and emotional moments and a wonderful romance. It was great to see Sebastian’s transformation, I thought Marty was perfect for him and that they were great together. Ashton Cade thank you for this wonderful story and emotional rollercoaster ride. I am looking forward to visiting Snow Lake again soon.

🎧📚🎧 And for the fabulous narration, Cam Walker is a talented narrator and versatile voice artist. He brings these these characters to life, gives each their own unique voice making it easy to follow along and tell who is who. He does an awesome job portraying each character, grasps their persona and plays the role in a believable and natural way sounding just as I picture them to sound. He sets the perfect tone for the story, captures all the characters emotions and projects them into his performance. He is an entertaining storyteller and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for the awesome listen🎧

Heart-wrenching...

...story about loss, confusion and some dark emotions, but also about friendship, love and beautiful hope. Where a faith of one person can help and change, even save the life of another 🥰