Reviewed by Louisa
TITLE: The Shore Thing
AUTHOR: A.R. Barley
SERRIES: States of Love
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 104 Pages
RELEASE DATE: 23rd August 2017
BLURB:
Sunburned Delaware native Dale Seward spends his summers wrangling lifeguards and cracking crabs. His winters are a whole lot colder.
Nico Travelli’s never even seen the ocean, but when his family’s plans for him get derailed, he realizes his future in their upscale Italian restaurants might be over, and it’s time for something new. He’s hypnotized by his first look at the Atlantic—until a wave takes him out. Luckily, Dale’s there to pull him to safety.
Dale knows better than to fall for a summer person, but that doesn’t mean he can’t show Nico a good time. Between the ice cream cones and the put-put golf, these two lonely hearts soon find themselves in over their heads.
But when Nico is tempted by a second chance at the life he always thought he wanted, will he be brave enough to give it up for the possibility of true love with Dale? And what does the sexy lifeguard do during the winter? In a state as small as Delaware, secrets are bound to come out.
REVIEW:
When Nico first sees the ocean he is mesmerised and before he realises it, he needs to be rescued. Lucky for him Dale is there to pull him out, get him checked out medically and then take him home. Dale doesn’t want to fall for someone who will leave and Nico is only just admitting to himself that he is gay. But both men need a friend and more.
The nice thing about A.R. Barley’s novella is that the characters grow. Even within the 100 or so pages, they become stronger together. We learn about Dale’s past and his bright pink house and Nico’s family and why he left Chicago to see the ocean. The secondary characters were good fun too. Everyone knows Dale, he is a local, and they all interact with him in different ways. His Aunt Sherly is probably my favourite. She is a really interesting woman and I love the way she effects the story.
The most interesting thing for me is that The Shore Thing is an age gap story. But I don’t remember ever finding out what that age gap really is. Dale sees himself as older, especially when compared to the other lifeguards that he manages, and Nico is in his early 20’s. Without the actual age of Dale, I felt like I got to understand how the two men interact together without the numbers getting in the way.
I really enjoyed The Shore Thing, it is a low stress, easy read, full of good feelings and beautiful scenery. If you are looking for a good read that will leaving you smiling at the end, this is a good book for you!
RATING: 
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