Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Sun Sea & TV
AUTHOR: Alyssa Rabil
PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing
LENGTH: 148 Pages
RELEASE DATE: July 13, 2021
BLURB:
A Sun, Sea and… Story
Red sky in morning, sailors take warning.
Taylor is an actor on a show called According to Us and Everett is one of his co-stars. They are best friends until one day, after filming a kiss on set, their relationship changes into something unexpected. Fans of the show have wanted their characters to be together for years. Only after the kiss is cut from the show does that relationship seem like a possibility.
Unfortunately, Taylor is engaged and after he develops feelings for Everett, he must make a choice. His fiancée, or his best friend.
Everett has loved Taylor for years. Their kiss is something he will cherish forever. But is it the only moment they’ll have together?
After someone finds out about their feelings for each other, Taylor and Everett take to the sea for an adventure. They must learn to navigate the waters of their new lives and survive a potentially deadly storm before finding true happiness.
REVIEW:
Actors find themselves in scenes that give them cause to rethink. Taylor has such an episode. Then, in the middle of a sea storm, Taylor recalls events between himself, Everett, and the woman he was supposed to be engaged to while also wondering if he’s going to live or die.
The story is written in the third person from the viewpoints of Taylor and Everett. Most novels follow the pattern, start – middle – big finish. This goes middle – start – big end. The tale is dialogue-heavy, concentrating on what’s happening with some scenic ambiance. It is also heavily sexually orientated.
The world of acting and entertainment networks is a cutthroat one, which comes through, loud and clear with frightening efficiency. There’s the glitz of the screen and the sometimes-underhanded dealings behind, and the main protagonists are duly manipulated. Taylor and Everett are likable characters. Although Taylor’s morals are slightly looser than Everett’s, and there’s plenty of “I want you”, “we shouldn’t be doing this, but…” etc. And for much of the time, temptation and jealousy override moral conduct.
Many plot arcs were expected, which didn’t stop them from being entertaining. Nevertheless, it felt like a lifetime of decisions was squeezed into too short a space in some places, with just a few linking words. The story is fast-moving and packed with ups and downs, which I have no doubt some readers will adore and give it a five-star rating. But at times it felt over-engineered, I guess, just like a sitcom. Hurtful things are said in the heat of the moment, and there’s unrequited love and manipulative directors. It’s all in there.
Sun, Sea & TV is a story that I’m glad I read. I enjoyed it and gave it a better-than-average mark. But it’s a version of a tale I’ve heard before that, for me, moved a little too fast. Some readers will be ecstatic with the bang, bang, bang style, but I would like to read an extended version that wasn’t so instant. Maybe it’s my age, and I’m slowing down, but…each to their own taste.
RATING: 
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