Audiobook review: Sun of a Beach by Mia Sosa
Naomi and Donavan both work for the same mens’ magazine and rarely see eye-to-eye. When their boss sends them on a tropical photo shoot, the pair must work together to avert catastrophe.
Sun of a Beach is a cute, quick, beach-worthy tale. Because she was hurt by a coworker at a previous job, Naomi closes herself from Donavan. But when forced to work with him, she realizes he’s not a horrible guy. I enjoy seeing them open up and let the other in. Each is a passionate person, and together, the pair is combustable. Because the novella is shared from the POV of both characters, the storytelling is emotionally balanced, and gives listeners a better understanding of the dynamics.
Narration: The story is shared via the alternating first person POVs of Naomi and Donavan. Both give a solid performance; however, I found I enjoyed Ms. Ortiz a bit more than Mr. Crisden. Ortiz infuses her performance with perfect pauses and plenty of emotion. Her dialogue voices aren’t overly different but the performance makes it evident different people are talking. Her males are slightly deeper. Crisden seems to have a slight, unidentifiable accent, and production-wise, his work seems softer than Ortiz. Similarly to Ortiz, he does a good job with emotion and expression. He adjusts dialogue slightly but appropriately.
In the end, I enjoyed my quick trip to the beach and seeing Naomi and Donovan fall in love.
My Ratings
Story: B
Narration: B
Jen
About the Book:
No-nonsense executive Naomi Reyes can’t believe she let her boss manipulate her into babysitting Donovan Taylor, the most insufferable creative director of all time. Worse, she’ll be trapped on a private island with him, while a bevy of gorgeous models vie for a coveted chance to grace the cover of M-Class magazine’s inaugural swimsuit edition—and, if the office rumors are true, an equally coveted place in Donovan’s bed. Still, if she survives the trip with no major mishaps, she’ll earn a shot at landing a dream job as an M-Class writer. Easy peasy, right?
Wrong.
Donovan Taylor detests people who try to undermine his artistic control, and his boss’s latest machinations send Donovan to a very devious place. Sure, Ms. Reyes will get her precious photo shoot, but it won’t be what she expects. Bonus? Ruffling the feathers of the humorless exec who’s never liked Donovan will be satisfying, too—assuming she doesn’t drown him in the ocean first.
Let the beach games begin . . .
Author: Mia Sosa
Narrators: Valentina Ortiz, Sean Crisden
Series: Standalone
Genre: Contemporary Romance, novella
Audiobook Release Date: April 8, 2021
Publisher: Audible
Length: 2 hrs and 14 mins
Source: Audible Membership
Audio Speed: 1.2x