Drifting Sands

3.25 Hearts for books 1 & 2 as a whole

Readers should be forewarned that the first two books in this series have to be read/reviewed together if you're hoping for any kind resolution to the “mystery” or semblance of a satisfying romance. I use the word mystery only in the loosest of terms.

When I spotted these up for review my heart did a little pitter patter. Romance & mystery are my jam, my cup of tea, and my catnip. This was none of those.

The Warfield Hotel is one of those idyllic southern hotels in Beaufort, S.C. and you may be getting ready to book a room but refrain from the impulse. Not because dead bodies are showing up on the beach but because there's more campy drama in and around this town than in whole seasons of many daytime or nighttime soaps, no mystery, and if you stop at the first book, an unsatisfying romance.

Justin Warfield is still gorgeous at 40 and counting the days until he can be free from the unhappy marriage that was foisted on him. He knew he was gay but bended to his father's will and got married however this didn't prevent him from having a couple of affairs or even belonging to one of those fabled sex clubs that exist in every other romance book. Things happen. In spite of the ongoing infidelities, which I'm not really bothered about, Justin is a good, honorable and stand up guy but I'd also say dim. He's a good brother, friend, and employer. He's getting ready to celebrate his brother Peter's 25th birthday which also brings Peter into his inheritance of half of the hotel easing Justin's divorce from his wife Caroline. Peter brings along his friend Marcus who's had the hots for Justin since he first started visiting The Warfield with Peter during school breaks. Now at 26 he's hoping that Justin will see him as a man and that something can develop between them. What ensues is craziness.

I don't know how much is too much to give away for those who may love this kind of drama so I'll be as oblique as possible. The bodies of men who have a connection to Justin start appearing near the hotel. Someone is either trying to frame Justin or kill him. Marcus is a budding P.I. but he does very little investigating and as far as the reader is concerned none is needed. We know who the villain is and frankly it's shocking that Justin, Peter, and Marcus don't. There are a couple of secret babies, affairs, some recent and some from the past, crazy soon to be exes, a couple of close calls for Justin, extreme homophobia from one character, and more. So much more. All of this just in the first book! If you have a high tolerance for faux drama you'll be happy until the last two chapters kick you in the ovaries because though the reader knows what's happened the MCs don't and like salt on a wound they're not together when the book ends. Weirdly that's the only thing that makes sense. By the end Justin is not emotionally stable enough to embark on a relationship. A note of honesty.