The most dangerous current is between them.
Training to be a lifeguard at an Australian beach is tough work, but Cody Grant loves a challenge. He spends long days in the sun and surf rescuing swimmers from treacherous rip currents while trying not to lust after senior lifeguard Liam Fox—who is deeply, painfully closeted.
Liam was supposed to be a football legend. Now in his mid-thirties, it’s been over a decade since his dream shattered along with his knee. Fans still recognize him regularly, and he’s terrified his sexuality will be discovered and his conservative parents will reject him. He has strict rules to protect his secret and keeps everyone at arm’s length. Liam never acts on his need to surrender after being shamed for it years ago by the first and only man he trusted.
Out and proud Cody fascinates Liam—and tempts him to break all the rules.
Cody is practically half Liam’s size and age, but has the confidence and compassion to take charge and give Liam the release, affection, and acceptance he desperately craves. But how long can a secret affair satisfy their hearts? As if saving lives isn’t hard enough, Cody faces his greatest challenge yet convincing Liam to trust him and find the courage to live out loud.
Flash Rip is an M/M gay romance from Keira Andrews featuring a slow burn, an age gap, scorching first times, and of course a happy ending.
Length: 290 pages
Cover Design: Wicked Smart Design
Amazon – Kindle Unlimited
I love books that are set in a country other than my own (the US) and they don’t Americanize the language at all. I love reading books with native slang, etc. And this had plenty! What’s better is that one of the MCs is from Canada originally, and while he uses a lot of the slang, some of it still makes him chuckle- or cringe. Like nicknames.
Cody is a lifeguard trainee at a very popular beach in Australia. With their busy season 9 months of the year, but the other three still attracting hardcore surfers to the water, it can be a year round career.
Liam HAD a career, as a player for the AFL. Until a nasty knee injury ended it far, far too soon. Now his career is on the sand, but his personal life is firmly in the closet.
I usually get mad at characters who are adamantly in the closet. ESPECIALLY if it is because of bigoted family. But for some reason, Liam really tugged at my heart strings. The poor guy was so afraid of being outed, that he wouldn’t even hook up with anyone in his own country. He would literally vacation alone in a different country and hook up with strangers who he was pretty sure wouldn’t recognize him from his time in the AFL. It was bordering on a phobia he was so afraid of being found out.
And it wasn’t just his bigoted family- it was the fact that he was famous, in a very masculine sport, that had no out players. So he would be the first. And he would definitely be front page news.
Cody has wanted to be a lifeguard on the beaches of Australia almost since he moved there with his family as a kid. In fact, when his family moved back to Canada, he stayed. His family of academics don’t understand why he wants to be a lifeguard, and he is sick of trying to explain. The fact that veteran lifeguard Liam is gorgeous is just a perk. A big perk.
There’s quite a bit of not even really flirting by either guy. Liam is so tightly in the closet that Cody doesn’t even think he is gay. But they definitely start to become friendly with each other. When Cody does finally make a move, poor Liam is just terrified. Ugh, it broke my heart.
So much internalized homophobia on Liam’s part. Not only hiding it, but the memory of his father making a horribly homophobic remark is burned into his brain. The poor guy doesn’t even know any gay people.
Cody slowly draws him out of his shell, but only in private. And while Cody swears he will never out him, never force him out, he is getting frustrated. Mostly about how Liam thinks he “should” be.
I won’t spoil anything, but the big conflict was definitely not what I was expecting. I love when a book goes off formula a bit. It was a nice change of pace.
So, I’ll say that I loved the Aussie slang, didn’t love how much of it was explained (because I feel a lot was pretty self explanatory within context) and Liam and Cody in bed together was really hot. Hello take charge Cody! And there was story in there. What they actually did as lifeguards, how they reacted, saved people, kept a watch and even helped locate missing kids. It was obvious the author spent some time at the beach.
Definitely give this one a read. You won’t be disappointed.
4 Pieces of Eye Candy
After writing for years yet never really finding the right inspiration, Keira discovered her voice in gay romance, which has become a passion. She writes contemporary, historical, fantasy, and paranormal fiction and — although she loves delicious angst along the way — Keira firmly believes in happy endings. For as Oscar Wilde once said:
“The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what fiction means.”
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