Nicely done coming out story. I’ve been avoiding coming out stories because there’s so much more than that available now, but the reviews were good & this one really worked.
Because of the age gap & differing backgrounds, Liam & Cory have very different internalized views on what being gay in public can be. Because they’re compatible (and hot, fit lifeguards) it’s also a sexy little fantasy. Bridging the gap between them and exploring their needs makes it interesting.
There’s a good deal of humor. “I’ll make my famous cereal”. There are even some slightly off attempts at humor at work and they’re handled deftly. It’s clear who is and isn’t going to be a jerk and most people decide not to be jerks. But not all, which is why there are real stakes that we care about, mostly for Liam.
As other reviewers pointed out, the pacing of the book it excellent. The background, beach living and lifeguarding jobs, feel real, even if they rescue more people than I’d have expected. It’s not low angst exactly but it doesn’t dwell in angst. It comes in and out in waves. Flash Rip a good fit it you want something mostly fluffy & sexy with some minor kink.
Steam: Med hot. The guys explore some D/s in the boudoir. M/M details are on page throughout. To be honest, I wouldn’t mind a sexy second epilogue to see what they’re up to since we mostly just see them starting out.
Narration: I can only speak to the Canadian accent being mostly good enough. The Aussie accent seemed fine to my MN/canadian tuned ears. It was a fun listen.