3.5 out of 5 stars
Ebook. 1st Edition. 43 pages. Published December 1st 2018 by Dreamspinner Press
Blurb:
No
peacocks were harmed in the making of this story.
Rafa’s nautical skills are less than stellar. He’d rather be a full-time
artist, but he has a duty to the family business and a fear of standing up to
his father and brother.
Carpenter Lucas is determined to rebuild his business after a lover’s betrayal
nearly destroyed it. But he runs into a snag when he misses the last boat to
the job site.
Rafa offers to take him, but Rafa isn’t much of a sailor.
When they end up on the wrong island, fears for survival gradually give way to
an appreciation of the beauty around them—and each other. Rafa insists a
holiday miracle will save them, and he teases Lucas for being a Scrooge.
In the end, Rafa’s miracle might come from the last place he expects: inside
himself.
A Story from the Warmest Wishes: Dreamspinner Press 2018 Advent Calendar
Likes:
- Interesting characters.
- Great scenery.
- Surprising amount of character growth.
- Just a hint of smut.
Dislikes:
- Not very memorable.
- Insta-romance.
- Rafa came across as a real idiot in the beginning.
The idea of being stranded on a deserted island has become so cliché in today’s world that I was surprised to see it in a story. There was some suspension of disbelief needed, both with how perfect the island was and how dumb Rafa seemed at the beginning. Luckily, Rafa’s character improved, as did Lucas’s grumpiness.
The island was beautiful and a great place to be stranded. I actually got jealous of Rafa and Lucas’s impromptu island vacation. They have everything they need – except lube – but that doesn’t stop them from getting passionate.
I really liked how each man comes to the island with a problem and basically has it solved by the time they leave. It allowed for both backstory and character growth. An impressive feat given the story’s short length.
Is the romance fast and a little clichéd? Yes, but that’s typical for stories this short. It did feel a little more prominent with this story though, maybe because the men themselves talked about how they don’t usually get attached so quickly.
My one big complaint is that the story, while a fun, cute read, isn’t too memorable. Neither man really stands out. They’re character types I’ve seen a million times, with problems I’ve seen a million times. In this case, I wish there had been an epilogue of sorts, showing the couple a year later. I was expecting one given the way the story went.
Find the Warmest Wishes anthology review here and the full list of stories here.
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