Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE: Moored Heart

AUTHOR: I.M. Flippy

SERIES: Catalina Dreams #1

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 185 pages

RELEASE DATE: July 17, 2020

BLURB:

When retired homicide detective Jason Winters moves to Catalina Island fresh off a divorce, he’s ready to start a new life. Jason’s plan is simple: hang out on his small yacht, work on his book, and get his dick wet once in a while. There are plenty of hot women on the beach to choose from.

There are also a lot of men throwing him winks and calling him “daddy.”

Jason can’t deny he’s thought about men, but that attraction is something he’s never had to confront before… until he meets Charlie. Charlie is gorgeous and more than that, he makes Jason laugh. He’s also smart and genuinely kind. Jason feels a zing around him he hasn’t felt in years.

Zing…

Charlie Benton likes his life. Sure, he works in a tourist trap shop, lives with his mom, and rarely bothers to leave tiny Catalina Island. But he’s got friends, he loves his town, and hot guys come in on boats all the time. Tourists always want to bang a cute townie. But Charlie wants more. Charlie wants the great gay romance. Charlie did not expect true love to come in the form of Jason Winters.

Jason’s an injured, divorced cop from L.A. He’s got history and baggage. Even worse, he’s probably straight. So much for the great gay romance. The last thing Charlie needs in his life is to get his heart broken by a straight guy.

Too bad love never listens to reason… especially on Catalina Island.

REVIEW:

I.M. Flippy, a new-to-me author, won me over with Moored Heart. I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet book with its appealing array of characters and the lovely blossoming relationship between Jason and Charlie. This book feels fresh and lively and stands out among many other recent books. Set on California’s Catalina Island, it’s the perfect summer beach read. 

The men meet at a coffee kiosk in the tiny tourist town of Avalon. Jason is a forty-two-year-old, newly divorced, former Los Angeles police detective who was forced to retire after being shot by a serial killer. He needs to shake up his life and is now living on a small, aged yacht moored off the coastal town. Charlie is ten years his junior and works in his mother’s tourist trap shop selling seashell knickknacks and the like, and leading bike tours around the island. He loves his life but wants a long-term relationship. That’s difficult on a small island where he already knows everyone, and the many tourists only want a one-and-done. Part of the appeal of Jason is that he’s a “new” local who’s staying put. But Jason identifies as straight, at least until he meets Charlie and finds himself fantasizing about Charlie’s ass and the rest of his physique. Charlie, likewise, is doing just as much admiring of body parts. 

Flippy has developed solid characters in Charlie’s best friend, Andy, and his mother, Sandra. I liked both immediately. Charlie and Sandra have a strong, healthy relationship, and despite living and working with each other, Charlie maintains his independence while still welcoming her support.  Well, not always: Charlie is resigned to and frustrated by being attracted to a straight guy. Sandra, however, has no qualms about pushing Charlie in Jason’s direction. “You can turn him,” she exclaims. She just wants the storybook ending for her son. On Jason’s side, his ex-wife and now friend, Alyssa, and best friend, Cal, are loving and supportive and want what’s best for Jason. But do they know best? 

Flippy utilizes engrossing world-building to convey Catalina’s beautiful island setting, with its quaint shops and eateries built into the hillside, pedicabs with eager tourists on day visits intermingled with colorful locals zipping around on their golf carts. Her imagery also brings to life Jason’s yacht. 

Since this is book one in the Catalina Dreams series, I suspect we’re going to see Andy featured as a main character in the future. First up, though, two gents named Todd and Eric star in book two, The Honeymoon Gambit. But for now, enjoy Moored Heart, an easy breezy tale that I highly recommend. Now I want to spend some lazy days on a boat reading to my heart’s content. 

RATING: 

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon