Desire and the Deep Blue Sea
Author: Olivia Dade
Reviewer: Jen
Rating: B
What I’m Talking About:
Callie and her boyfriend broke up just week before they are supposed to be contestants on a reality TV show that would take her to three island resorts. Desperate for a much needed vacation, Callie enlists the help of her coworker, Thomas, to be her pretend boyfriend. The problem: Thomas drives Callie crazy at work and this vacation is supposed to take her away from him. Meanwhile, Thomas has had a thing for Callie since she started working at the library, so when she asks for his help being her pretend boyfriend, he can’t wait to pack his bags.
Desire and the Deep Blue Sea is a cute, fake relationship novella. Callie has anxiety disorder – she’s constantly worrying, doesn’t like to speak up, and avoids confrontation. Thomas compounds the issues with his work habits, yet once the pair is together on the trip, Thomas is everything Callie needs. He doesn’t mock her or belittle her fears. He is kind and considerate, giving Callie second thoughts about her relationship with Thomas. The author provides great insight into what it’s like for people with anxiety disorder and demonstrates all the best ways to work with someone who does have anxiety. The romance works well in the short space because there is a foundation of attraction before the story begins. The pair get caught up in the moment, but also realize there is more between them than physical attraction.
Overall, Desire and the Deep Blue Sea is an enjoyable, HFN, sweet romance. I love how both Thomas and Callie do the right thing by the other, and both become better people for and because of the other.
My Rating: B, Liked It
Jen
About the Book:
Thomas McKinney has never wanted a woman the way he wants Callie Adesso. Since she started working alongside him at the Colonial Marysburg Research Library, he’s spent his desk shifts fumbling pencils, tripping over his own feet, and struggling to remember both the Dewey Decimal System and the existence of her inconvenient boyfriend. Now, however, Callie is suddenly single–and in need of a last-minute faux-boyfriend for an episode of HATV’s Island Match. Thomas is more than happy to play the part…and in the process, convince Callie that a week together isn’t nearly long enough.
Callie has never found a man as irritating as she finds Thomas. He may be brilliant, kind, and frustratingly handsome, but the absent-minded librarian also makes every workday an anxiety-inducing exercise in stress. Even seven days in paradise by his side won’t change her opinion of him. Really. No matter how attentive he is. And gentle. And sexy.
One plane ride later, the two of them are spending long, hot days under the sun and on display, pretending to be in love for a television show. This may be a vacation, but it’s also an act–as well as Thomas’s last chance to persuade the woman of his dreams to include him in hers. And soon, the island heat isn’t the only thing steaming up HATV’s cameras…
Release Date: July 18, 2019
Publisher: Hussies & Harpies Press
Series: Love Unscripted #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance, novella
Format(s): paperback (140 pages), e-book
Book Source: Author
Purchase Info:
Amazon