Author: Liberty Lace
Publisher: Wilde City Press
Pages/Word Count: 85 Pages
At a Glance: If I were to recommend a book to those thinking about getting their feet wet with father/son love, I would definitely choose this one.
Reviewed By: Lynn
Blurb: At only twenty-one years of age, Daniel Hastings is a young man headed for the top of his game. As Assistant Chief Acquisitions Assessor for a major property development firm, it’s Daniel’s job to assess the viability and investment potential of land opportunities, usually bringing in millions of dollars in profits for his firm. The key to his career is to convince the previous owners of the land to part with their precious properties, and Daniel has found that everything is for sale… at the right price.
That is until he arrives on Saint Etienne, a tiny Caribbean island that a major resort chain intends to develop into a billionaire’s playground. It’s up to Daniel to assess the situation and convince the villagers to sign over their island home… and if they refuse, Daniel and his colleague are under strict instructions to find any legal loophole they can to snatch the untouched piece of paradise out from under its owners.
But there’s one inhabitant on this island Daniel wasn’t expecting to find—his estranged father, Nick… a man who walked out of his son’s life just when the two of them where beginning to understand one another.
Will Daniel give his father a second chance? Will he discover there’s more to life than profits and acquisitions? Or will his career take priority over the life Daniel was destined to live?
Review: Okay, we all know by now I like reading out of the norm stories. Those “taboo” reads where brothers fall in love, uncles/nephews, what have you, I’ll eat them up. This is my first father/son-to-lovers story, and I have to admit I wasn’t too sure. I worried it might take me out of my comfort zone—like, all the way out. But I’ve read this author before and love their writing style. I figured if I’m venturing into unknown territory, I had better stick with an author I’m familiar with. I think I made the right decision.
First off let me say, I loved the storyline. Daniel, a young professional, secures land titles for companies looking to build resorts on exotic beaches. I found it very interesting to read because it’s a subject I don’t know too much about, so there’s that. I also loved the people of this little island. They are colorful, eclectic and fun. The author really makes you feel like you’re right there with them, with detailed description of the beaches, homes, bugs and yes, even the humidity in the air. Really felt as though I was there.
So we have Daniel on this island, trying to make a deal and make his employers happy. The last person he ever expected to see was his estranged father, Nick, a father who left him and his mother five years prior and never came back. With all the anger Daniel had pent up inside, it’s no wonder their first meeting wasn’t a good one.
Being that it’s a short story, the author doesn’t go into minute details, but we get enough backstory to know what happened, why Nick left and how Daniel dealt with it all. To me, a story like this needs to have the believable factor. If you’re going to write in this sub-genre, I feel you have to state your case and make it stick. If not, I fear the story will come across as creepy and tasteless instead of creative. I feel this author nailed it.
As incest is the ultimate taboo in romance, the relationship needed to be handed well, and it definitely was. The mutual attraction between father and son was thought out very carefully by the author. The coupling was presented in such way that when all was said and done, we just have two men finding each other again, falling in love, and wanting to be together. The ick factor I worried about in the beginning never came, so kudos to the author for that. I don’t know if there are plans to revisit these characters because the story ended as a HEA, but I for one would love to see how they’re doing on their island of love.
I know this isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but if I were to recommend a book to those thinking about getting their feet wet with father/son love, I would definitely choose this one to start with.
You can buy Islands in the Stream here:
