Hello everyone!
When in doubt, always turn to an author you KNOW writes well.
I have a number of contemporary romance authors I turn to when I need something to pass the time with, or just a pick-me-up after having a bad day.
One of them is Keira Andrews.
I stumbled across her work completely at random, and I didn't even really start reading right away, but once I did, you can bet that I was hunting down any and all available books by this particular author.
I think I've reviewed a bunch of them here on the blog already.
In any event, she just published her newest romance, and wouldn't you know it but it coincided rather perfectly with me wrapping up Booktober and starting regular reviews again?
Grab your surfboards, everyone, because it's time for Flash Rip.
In Flash Rip, we're transported into the world of lifeguards in Australia, on one of the toughest beaches you can train at because the currents are ... well, deadly.
And I'm not talking about sexual ones at the moment.
No, this book goes into vivid detail about how to become a lifeguard and what that all entails, so we definitely see a lot of that type of work action from the group of people assembled to ensure the tourists and other visitors are safe.
This is also partly where the title of the book comes from, because a flash rip IS a dangerous current - and in this particular case it's both real in the sea and unseen between the two men who form the love story.
We have Cody, who's still fairly young, in his early twenties, whose family in Canada want him to go to university and make something of himself, but he's not exactly the studious type of guy and wants to become a lifeguard instead, his life-long dream. He's also out and proud and just enjoying life, and his family seems to be accepting of who he is, which is a bonus point for them.
Meanwhile, on the other end of the spectrum, we have Liam, an older lifeguard going towards forty who was supposed to be a football star and eventually legend, but unfortunately, ten years prior to the events of this book, his knee shattered on the field and his football dreams were left in the dust. He's since managed to get his knee back into shape enough that he can be one of the best lifeguards on the beach, but it still gives the occasional twinge.
Oh, and also, he's gay.
But not out.
See Liam comes from a very conservative family, his father being especially loud and proud about how he dislikes homosexual men, so Liam's been completely terrified of coming out, and is so deep in the closet I think he might have found Narnia in there along the way.
He has strict rules in place, including but not limited to never hooking up with someone in Australia because of the fact fans still recognize him, but that all goes out the window when Cody comes in.
After an encounter on the beach where Cody's ex stupidly pretends he's in trouble so he could be rescued (an act which, by the way, is NEVER okay and nobody should EVER do that - what if someone was ACTUALLY in danger and the lifeguard couldn't get to them because of this type of idiocy?), things begin to heat up because Liam is rip-shit pissed on Cody's behalf.
And also, Cody comes out to his co-workers.
Not that he was hiding it or anything, but he figured his sexuality was low on the totem pole of becoming a lifeguard, which proves correct because everyone's perfectly fine with it.
And Liam begins to wonder.
At which point the other lifeguard-in-training mentions to Cody how Liam looks at him, which gets CODY to think, because, hello, he's lusted after Liam from the moment he clapped eyes on him.
So some ingenuity and a not-so-subtle fall from the ladder later, and the two men crash together like two waves in the sea.
Cody figures out that Liam is so tightly-wound in his life that he craves release, but with someone he can trust completely and allow this someone complete control over himself; THAT serves for a few fun and steamy encounters, and the bond between the two men slowly deepens, despite Liam's perpetual fear of being discovered.
Cody doesn't quite get why he's so afraid, considering being gay isn't a crime anymore, but this does lead to the story of the time Liam trusted this one guy, in Paris, who ended up shaming him because, lo and behold, because Liam is a pretty big guy, he isn't supposed to want to bottom.
REALLY?
Like, for real people, that's the most insane thing I've ever heard in my entire life!
Anyway.
Things keep going as they always have, with an impromptu visit from Liam's dad that terrifies the man right down to his core, and which leads him into a fight with Cody that doesn't end well, both of them going separate ways.
Of course this is the point in the book where it's all starting to come to a head, and Cody participates in a rescue that sadly doesn't have a happy ending, which prompts him to go right over to Liam because he needs the man he's fallen in love with to just hold him close (which Liam does, natch).
Unfortunately Liam's best friend (coincidentally also the boss) walks in at that time and puts two and two together, backing up before anything could really be said, though Liam sort of loses it anyway and Cody hightails it out of there. Liam's carefully controlled world is crashing down around his head, and there isn't anything he can do about it.
Until, that is, Cody ends up in the hospital after a rescue, during the aftermath of which he blurts out about Liam to the other lifeguards while under the influence of drugs.
Not that THAT stops Liam from parking himself at the hospital and waiting for Cody to wake up, at which point it's revealed that Liam's best friend knew all along - or at least suspected. But considering that doesn't change his opinion of his mate, he didn't see it as any sort of problem whatsoever, the problem being solely in Liam's head.
I'll tell you right now, I cried my eyes out in those scenes, both the acceptance and love coming from Cody and Liam, and then of course how the other lifeguards responded (which is to say, Liam you dork, they really don't even care because they respect and love you!).
Cody and Liam decide it's time to take further steps in their relationship, including but not limited to the L word and moving in together, and then ...
... then Liam needs to go talk to his parents.
Which he does.
Tension has always been there in the family with Liam's brother resentful and angry because Liam had pulled away so much and was usually never around, but when Liam comes out, it's his brother who's the first to jump right to his defense, along with his wife, who gets a lot of pleasure from shrieking at the parents.
Naturally, it's the parents that are the problem, because they still worship the Liam that used to be, the star football kid, and not the man he's become over the years.
Also, they don't seem to accept that he's gay, so there's that.
But oh my word, the tears I shed when he went back out to the car to Cody, and his brother and sister-in-law ran out after him to hug and cry together. I'm tearing up typing this right now, thinking about it!
After that, it's time for Cody's recovery, the two of them finding a rhythm that works for them, and of course, more lifesaving on the beach.
Because, lo and behold, the currents wait for no man.
As a final note, I'd like to give a shout-out to a couple of guest stars that make an appearance in this story: Clay and Ethan from Honeymoon for One pop up, with Ethan needing saving on the beach, and they also show Liam that it IS perfectly possible to be out, enjoy life, and not worry about what others might think of you.
And in case you're still wondering whether or not to read Flash Rip, let me tell you, you'd miss out if you didn't; it's a heartwarming story of coming out, acceptance, and love in the most unlikely places, not to mention there's guys running around in tight lifeguard uniforms all day long. What's there NOT to love?
If you haven't yet, pick it up and enjoy the book. I promise you won't regret it.
xx
*image not mine
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