Reviewed by Jess

TITLE: Barbies and Beaches

SERIES: 2018 DSP Advent Calendar

AUTHOR: Asta Idonea

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH: 21 pages

RELEASE DATE:  December 1, 2018

BLURB:

For the first time ever, Shane is not looking forward to the annual Boxing Day barbecue at Matty’s house. He recently divorced, none of his friends know what to say to him now, and Shane is tired of the pity and awkwardness. Things take a turn, however, when he meets Matty’s English cousin. Neil is struggling with the Australian heat, having left the UK after a bad breakup. When Shane suggests the two of them head to a secluded beach to cool off, the growing intimacy between them might make both reassess their current situation.

REVIEW:

I’m a girl who is used to a cold winter climate, so I was excited to read a holiday-themed story with an exact opposite setting. It’s a challenge for me to see “holiday” without thinking of “snow,” but the brief, sweaty romance between Shane and Neil has that hopeful holiday feel.

The one thing that took me out of this story was the epilogue. A 21-page short story does not need an epilogue, sweet as it might be. It just makes the story seem more like an outline than a whole piece of writing. It assumes we’ve become more attached to the characters than we have. Shane and Neil have chemistry, but we’re just not invested enough to be interested in their epilogue.

I do like the generally optimistic feeling of the story. I didn’t mind Neil’s spontaneity when it came to staying in Australia to possibly make a new relationship work. It’s a long shot in real life, but for a holiday story, it leaves us on a note of hope and freshness. He’s ready for a change, and he took the plunge!

I don’t think this is a particularly memorable short story, but it is a fresh take on an unconventional holiday setting. This is your pick if you need a holiday read without the snow and cold.

RATING: 

BUY LINKS: 

Dreamspinner Press

Amazon