This review can be found at The Armchair Reader.The duo writing under the pseudonym Ari McKay are quickly turning into authors I’m starting to love. I look forward to each story I read by them and have enjoyed every one of them so far.
This one was no different. Jon gets dumped right before a romantic vacation to the Bahamas. To prove he’s not stuck in a rut and as boring as everyone claims him to be, he throws all caution to the wind and embraces his freedom by himself. In doing so, he gets to accomplish one of his lifelong dreams – swimming with dolphins. He meets Derrick Mason, the dolphin trainer at the resort, who’s love of dolphins rivals Jon’s. An instant attraction consumes them both and before long, they’re full-fledged into a vacation fling. Unfortunately, their feelings are running deeper than a passing attraction and it’s up to Jon to decide if he should stay his boring self and return home or embrace his new self-confidence and the love that gave him it.
One of the things I adored about this story is how much Jon grew as a character in such a short read. He starts out very self-conscious and self-deprecating but with Derrick’s tender care, he blossoms and develops that confidence he desperately needed to feel good and happy. I loved Derrick because of that and although we don’t know much about him beyond surface details, I enjoyed the way he was portrayed. Another thing I loved were the dolphins. I smiled whenever they were in the scene and how easily Jon bonded with one of the surliest and grumpiest dolphins at the resort – Scrooge. I just loved how much Jon and Derrick connected over them and especially the fact the story held that connection.
The book mostly consists of the beginning of Jon’s vacation and the end of it when he goes home. We don’t get much details in between but I strangely didn’t mind that because of how they interacted in the beginning. I will say the story was too short because I really would have enjoyed more details about them, especially in the end to see how they live their lives from then on. That was my main problem, I suppose. Although, I should warn readers that the ending gets a bit too sweet and it is insta-love but I enjoyed it nevertheless.
Overall, a good story with likable characters and sweet dolphins. A bit more development and details would have been ideal but it’s well-written and doesn’t feel rushed. It has sweet moments, playful moments and a tad bit of heartbreak. I definitely recommend it for those looking for a quick, easy read.
