Title: Beyond the Sea

Genre: Contemporary

Author: Keira Andrews

Publisher: Self-published

Publication date: March 15, 2016

Word count: 85,000

 

 

Blurb:

Two straight guys. One desert island.

Even if it means quitting their boy band mid-tour, Troy Tanner isn’t going to watch his little brother snort his future away after addiction destroyed their father. On a private jet taking him home from Australia, he and pilot Brian Sinclair soar above the vast South Pacific. Brian lost his passion for flying—and joy in life—after a traumatic crash, but now he and Troy must fight to survive when a cyclone strikes without warning.

Marooned a thousand miles from civilization, the turquoise water and white sand beach look like paradise. But although they can fish and make fire, the smallest infection or bacteria could be deadly. When the days turn into weeks with no sign of rescue, Troy and Brian grow closer, and friendship deepens into desire.

As they learn sexuality is about more than straight or gay and discover their true selves, the world they’ve built together is thrown into chaos. If Troy and Brian make it off the island, can their love endure?

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My Review:

*A COPY OF THIS BOOK WAS PROVIDED BY THE AUTHOR IN RETURN OF AN HONEST REVIEW*

I can’t write this review and not mention the controversy around it. I have to say that there’s been so much drama on all sides that I don’t even know if it’s still about this book/the trope it features or about something else all together. I try to keep mostly out of it because I feel like there are people who are better at expressing themselves.
Yes it is marketed as GFY. But it’s not written as one.
This book is actually a great example of how to write a story about two “straight” characters who realize that they’re not as straight as they thought they were and then come to the conclusion that they must be bi.

He didn’t care if it was crossing some line that made him gay, because what did it matter? He was clearly bi, at least.

“I don’t know how to feel. Am I gay? I guess I’m bi, right? I’m clearly something.Bi makes sense. It isn’t bad-I just never thought of myself that way.”

There’s not much more I can say about the plot than what is already in the blurb. Troy and Brian get stranded on a lonely island and have to work together in order to survive.

One thing I really liked was the authentic reaction on being stranded in the middle of nowhere. Alone. With no one who knows where you are or even an idea where they could be because they had to take a different route when the storm hit. They could be anywhere and the coastguard have absolutely no idea where to look.

The authentic portrayal of well.. basically everything in this situation really stood out to me. Brian is the one who, because of his training, keeps a clear head whereas Troy is a bit lost at first. But they work together and have a routine going really fast.

Ms. Andrews absolutely did her research and because of that everything came to life on page. The struggles of having almost no medication or how to get enough food and water, things Troy and Brian have to face and things we don’t really think about were realistically portrayed here.

I loved how both characters went from strangers, to friends and then slowly to lovers. It wasn’t rushed and felt so right. It was one of my favourite things in this book. Those moments both of them shared that brought them closer together.. *sigh* So beautifully written.

Beyond the Sea is a story about two guys who’ve never been attracted to other guys before. They identify as straight before getting to know each other. But then realise that they’re actually bi. There’s no “turning” the other one gay. It’s two people being stuck together, being dependant on the other so they survive on the island they’re stranded on. They build a friendship and slowly fall in love.

“Gay, straight, bi, pan. There are all these categories, and it doesn’t really matter, does it?”

This is a story about friendship and trusting someone and above all a story about self-realisation. This book was fantastic and I can absolutely recommend it!
Loved this one from first page to the last. And I can’t wait for the next book by this author.

Thanks Keira Andrews for another fantastic read and also thanks for the song that is stuck in my head! 😉

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About Keira Andrews:
After writing for years yet never really finding the right inspiration, Keira discovered her voice in gay romance, which has become a passion. She writes contemporary, historical, paranormal, and fantasy fiction, and—although she loves delicious angst along the way—Keira firmly believes in happy endings. For as Oscar Wilde once said, “The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what fiction means.”

Website: http://www.keiraandrews.com
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Amazon Author Page: http://author.to/KeiraAndrews

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Review Self Published Beyond the Sea Keira Andrews LGBT