Washed Up Former Child Star Ryan Lee – Lisa Henry & J.A. Rock

Ryan Lee is a hot mess.

In another lifetime, Ryan had it all. He was a child star in one of the biggest sitcoms on the planet. Now he’s an adult, unemployed, and a poster child for bad decisions. Okay, so he hasn’t robbed a convenience store yet, but only because he’s always either too high or too hungover. When the opportunity to film a reunion show comes up, Ryan jumps at the chance. He needs the money, but more than that, it might be what he needs to drag his career—and himself—out of the gutter.

Except seeing his former onscreen family again means seeing Chase Ellis–the guy who destroyed Ryan’s career by leaving the show, and the first boy Ryan ever kissed. Back when Ryan believed in fairytales, he thought he was in love with Chase, and the reunion brings all those old feelings racing back. But it drags up old secrets too. Ryan’s about to learn that, when it comes to Hollywood, the only happy endings are the ones that take place on screen.

Then again, maybe it isn’t a happy ending Ryan needs. Maybe it’s a new beginning.

Washed Up Former Child Star Ryan Lee is a standalone contemporary m/m second chance romance.

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If anyone deserves a happy ending, it’s Washed-Up Former Child Star Ryan Lee. Lisa Henry and J.A. Rock’s contemporary romance is a raw, difficult read, confronting addiction, abusive relationships, and sexual assault. Yet it’s also a compelling story of second chances and recovery.

Ryan Lee, once the star of a hit family sitcom, fell spectacularly from grace. In and out of rehab, he spiraled into rock bottom, relying on his drug-dealing pimp of a boyfriend and trading sex for a fix.

A decade later, Ryan still clings to the hope of a comeback when he’s invited to his former co-star Marissa’s wedding and a reunion show. Bracing himself to face his old sitcom family, he’s blindsided by the reappearance of Chase Ellis, his first love and the man who ruined his life when Chase abruptly left the show. Cue the ugly cry.

This is best consumed in audiobook form. It’s narrated by Gary Furlong who captures Ryan’s despair, biting humor, and spunk with perfect balance. Told in Ryan’s first-person POV, the narrative is laced with his imagined ticker-tape headlines on moments of his life: “WASHED-UP FORMER CHILD STAR RYAN LEE SEEN ENTERING TREATMENT FACILITY.”

The book might be triggering for some. It doesn’t shy away from the bleakness of addiction. A huge chunk covers Ryan’s s depressing situation as an addict, along with his best friend, roommate, and fellow addict, Kristen. Those parts were tough to go through; the desperation and the hopelessness were gut-wrenching.

Ryan’s self-awareness and sardonic humor keep the story from being completely grim. He’s a self-confessed asshole, but he slowly won me over. What I admire most is his refusal to surrender. There’s always fight in him, no matter how low he sinks. And he may have hit rock bottom, but he’s no pushover, he’ll punch someone in the groin if they try to break him.

That miniscule bud of hope blooms when Ryan reunites with Chase. Their romance, though secondary, is tender, wholesome, and full of laughter. Ryan’s lightness when he’s with Chase is palpable, he likes himself best in Chase’s presence, and that joy is contagious. It’s a pure balm to the soul!

Equally poignant is Ryan’s relationship with his estranged agent, Derek. More father than his own parents ever were, Derek distanced himself to avoid enabling Ryan’s addiction. Their reconciliation delivers the most heartwarming headline of all: “WASHED-UP FORMER CHILD STAR RYAN LEE IS HOME.”

Overall, Washed Up Former Child Star Ryan Lee will put you through the wringer, but it is ultimately rewarding. It ends not with a fairy-tale resolution, but with a happy-for-now, hearts full of resilience, hope and joy.

Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step away

Soundtrack: Everyone Blooms
Artist: The Front Bottoms
Album: In Sickness & In Flames

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