Title: Waiting For a Star to Fall Down Under
Author: Logan Zachary
Length: 6,000 words
Publisher: MLR Press
Genre: m/m contemporary romance
Rating: D+
Blurb:
Patrick Lewis’ freedom starts when he arrives on Australia Day. His tour guide, Luke, looking like he’s stepped off the soccer field or Crocodile Dundee, will be traveling with him for two weeks. On the way to the hotel, Luke stops at a secluded beach to skinny dip. Applying sunscreen turns into hot sex on the beach. Patrick’s falling star’s wish starts to come true, he’s free to live his life and explore his sexuality, and Luke may just be the man to share his own wish with Patrick.
Review:
Patrick is thrilled when he finds that a much longed for trip to Australia is within his price range. He arrives at the airport to find his guide is Luke, a hunky Aussie male with a body to die for. A trip to the beach finds the pair frolicking naked in the surf and slathering sun tan lotion on each other.
I rather liked the beginning of this story which has the makings of a steamy piece of erotica. It’s a little porny with the set up of an American man arriving in Australia to find hunky man who within a short space of time has his clothes off whilst they hump on the beach. I didn’t mind that though because the descriptions of Luke’s body, cock and balls all fit with erotica and the general wide-eyed tone of Patrick as he frantically tries to conceal his body’s reactions to Luke made me smile and injected humour into the narrative. The sex is well written and hot.
If the story had left us at the beach, or even continued within the erotica genre, then I would have been happy to read this as two guys having fun and getting their rocks off. However, as the story continues it became clear that there was going to be a forced HEA. This came first in the total coincidence which takes away the problem of the physical distance between where the men live, something which made me roll my eyes. Then there’s a declaration of love when the men have known each other less than a day and know nothing about each other apart from that they both like to have sex in various locations. This ruined what had been a fun, enjoyable romp for me and I finished the story feeling annoyed.
In the end the story was a flop for me which is a shame when it began with such promise. However, if you are the sort of reader who doesn’t mind insta-love stories or deux ex machina endings then this may be one for you.
What a shame, I hate when that happens. Maybe I’ll just read the first part then
Yes, the scenes on the beach were really good!
Sometimes holiday trysts should remain as such, because you either end up with a rushed HEA, or some kind of weird coincidence comes up to allow them to be together which only makes you roll your eyes.
The time frame for the story is so short I would have been happy with a ‘see how it goes’ ending.