Reviewed by Dan
TITLE: Lost & Found
SERIES: Surf Bay #1
AUTHOR: Ashley John
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 229 Pages
BLURB:
From the moment Charlie moved to Surf Bay, Oliver knew he wanted him, but there was just one problem. Charlie is straight. Oliver embarks on a mission to make Charlie his, but along the way he finds something else. Love. Charlie tries to fight off the unwanted advances, but as he juggles his turbulent family life with his sexuality, how long does he have the strength to fight Oliver off?
REVIEW:
I really enjoyed the premise and plot of this story. Charlie and his mother and sister are always on the run to somewhere new, where his mother is finally going to find “the” job, and where they will be able to settle down long term.
When they arrive in Surf Bay, California, from their last location in Alaska, Charlie is mourning the loss of his girlfriend in Alaska. He doesn’t know it yet, but she is done, having no interest in a long term relationship.
The first day at his Great Aunt Evelyn’s house in Surf Bay, Charlie sees a muscular young man, about his own age, working without his shirt in Aunt Evelyn’s back garden. Charlie notices the guy’s abs, and the guy, Oliver, notices Charlie noticing his abs.
Thus begins Oliver’s conquest of Charlie. The only problem, while Oliver doesn’t mind what gender he sleeps with, Charlie professes to be straight. Things proceed very quickly, in what doesn’t appear to be a great deal of time. I was left feeling that maybe things moved a little fast. Some things also didn’t have enough detail. I, for one, would have really like details of Oliver and Finley’s hook-up. I think the author missed an opportunity there to incorporate some rough sex with a big, bad, bald, tattooed guy. Those details would have really driven home what a sacrifice Oliver was willing to take.
The characters, including supporting characters were well written and believable in this book. I was easily able to develop a picture in my head of each of them. Unfortunately the same wasn’t always true on technical aspects, where the book could have been much better. Having previously lived in the UK for 3 years, it was very apparent to me where Mr. John was from. The book was written with several British English terms that don’t transfer well to American English. A little more research into distances in the United States would also have helped. There were some jarring errors in scale, like the half day’s drive from Colorado to the California coast. Also the characters kept mentioning trains. Unlike the UK, sadly in the US train travel is virtually non-existent outside of major metropolitan areas.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, and liked Mr. John’s writing style. I was able to look past the issues mentioned in the previous paragraph because I was familiar with the terms, so it made it easier for me personally to read. I look forward to reading the sequel, because I really grew to like the characters and hope they return, at least as supporting cast in the new book. I would have rated the book higher except for the language issues and technical aspects.
RATING: 
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