SINK OR SWIM
Series: Beach Kingdom #3
Author: Tessa Bailey
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: August 20th, 2019
Andrew Prince wakes up before everyone else. He schedules the bar shifts, demands perfection from Long Beach’s lifeguards—most of all himself—and makes sure the family debts are paid. His unfaltering worth ethic might leave him exhausted, but it comes with one advantage. It distracts him from the love he’s been harboring since childhood for the girl next door—who he cannot have.
Jiya Dalal has dreams. To fly a plane, see the world below…and prove irresistible to her best friend, Andrew. But she needs to be a good daughter first, which is becoming an increasingly difficult task, since her parents expect a good marriage and the man she loves with all her heart refuses to pursue the blistering connection between them. Just when she’s beginning to believe Andrew truly doesn’t want her, a moonlight tryst on the beach exposes his true feelings. But an echo from the past kept them apart before…and it’s only growing louder with every stolen kiss…
4 ‘ Ask Me The Question’ Stars
Gahhh, the angst… The believed to be unrequited love… The inner battle between full on ALPHA and the tortured self deprecating male… And most of all the omnipresent, full body and mind scorching, SEXUAL TENSION!!! Sink or Swim is without a doubt an emotional and sexiness overload!!!
This book was one of my most anticipated this year, as Beach Kingdom is without a doubt one of my all time fav series. And these two sure put me through the ringer! The angst and sexual pull between Andrew and Jiya about killed me.
“You’re worth it, Andrew.”
And in that moment, Andrew Prince knew he’d love Jiya Dalal for the rest of his life.He would only ever be with Jiya, the object of his admiration, affection and lust, within the walls of his own brain.
Andrew and Jiya are indeed the personification of best friends to lovers trope, with how much they adored each other and their growing love ever since they were little kids. Believing to be suffering from unrequited love none of them took a step in that direction, first by pure fear, reservation and then, after a terror happens, in Andrew’s eyes, it was too late, because he would never pull his most precious person, his forever love, to the dark hole he was living. No, not leaving, surviving… And the only thing truly tethering him to the ground was her. Jyia.
I hurt so much for Andrew, being in his mind we could FEEL the helplessness, the desperation, craving and LOVE, so much love and devotion he had for Jiya since their childhood. Something akin of worship, it’s a better description. And for that, his sexual past made no sense for me, and it’s the very reason for which I couldn’t give the full five stars even though I loved this couple. Even if for a short duration and shallow, and even taking into account what led to it, Andrew’s deep seated love and obsession for Jiya would never even consider that – I was kind of blind sided on it, tbh, because it is not something I’m used to from my beloved Tessa Bailey’s heroes once they ‘focus’ on his one – so I felt it completely out of character, even with his ‘explanation’ and the very long devotion after. Specially considering he was the one that NEVER tried taking a step in the direction of more, when he had many years before the event that changed everything along with the chance to ever being with ‘his girl’ in his mind. After that I can understand his fear and helplessness devastation, but he had almost two decades before it to man up, damn it. LOL. So this bit of the past revelation was an character inconsistency to me, because this man was WELL of swoon worthy silent declarations!
The girl was every man’s dream come true. She had been his since moving to Long Beach from India when she was nine, trading the western state of Gujarat for their busy beach town.
Nonetheless, minus that mistep, Andrew character was so rich and emotional it’s impossible not to feel for him. And Jiya… How that girl put us in her corner! So strong but yet unsure, such dreamer, but yet so family devoted, she was a dichotomy between family ‘duty’ and personal dreams, and when she decided enough, I cheered for her!
I would have loved a bit more true couple time after the push and pull came to fruition, but yeah, am a self assumed greedy reader. But worry not because even within the emotional angst and battle, there are plenty of naughty and ‘off the charts’ HOT moments with a lot of dirty talk going on, it is a Tessa Bailey’s after all! 😉
The girl that held his pulpy, bloody heart in her hands.
He needed this girl in the most basic, vital, urgent way.
I can’t believe my beloved Beach Kingdom is coming to an end *sniff*, and wish there was many more characters so we could get even more glimpses of this gang in the future. Ms. Bailey wrapped up this emotional, heart touching and panty melting story love story with a beautiful Epilogue that no doubt satisfies us HEA lovers, but I still wanted more and more of these guys – like I said, greedy reader here – and every so much interaction with Rory and Olive, Jamie and Marcus in this book, and they are indeed very present here, I’m beyond sad to say goodbye to them all, truly bittersweet even with this amazing closure. Can’t wait to see what romantic deliciousness Tessa Bailey will give us next! <3 <3 <3 <3
She wanted more. She wanted what he’d threatened. His soul. After all, he already had hers.
“I love you more than life. I don’t remember a second that wasn’t filled with love and more love and need for you.”
ARC kindly provided by the author for an honest review
Jiya looked up and found Andrew watching her intently. “What is this, Andrew?”
“We’re dancing,” he rasped, his gaze slightly unfocused.
“You’ve never danced with me like this before.”
His gaze strayed to her lips, before he resolutely dragged them away. “Do you want to stop?”
“No and that’s the problem.” Come on, Mrs. I Don’t Play Games Anymore, bring up the elephant in the room. It’s not going away. “You’ve been different with me lately. Is it…” She took two bracing breaths. “Is it because I’m dating?”
He started to deny it, then changed his mind. “Might be. Yeah. I know that’s fucked up,” he said. “You’ve always been min—my best friend. We won’t have this if you start dating someone seriously. If you…”
“Get married?”
His complexion turned gray. “Mmm.”
Cement caked her insides, but she was used to it by now. She’d loved Andrew since she was a child. She’d waited patiently for him to love her back—as more than a friend—and he hadn’t. He’d done nothing about it. So while she yearned to dissect his every word and rejoice in them, ached for what he was feeling, she couldn’t do it anymore without being a fool. “Ask me the question, Andrew. The one you ask me every night.”
A line formed between his brows. “Can I do anything for you, Jiya?”
“Yes.” She took his face in her hands. “You can stay my friend. No matter what happens. Fine, things are changing in my life. But I couldn’t bear it if I ever lost what we have. Just stay my friend. Promise me.”
His jaw bunched. “You know I’d cut my heart out before saying no to you, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then you have your answer.” He wet his lips. “But we’re finishing the dance.”
MOUTH TO MOUTH ( Beach Kingdom #1)
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU
HEAT STROKE ( Beach Kingdom #2)
Tessa Bailey is originally from Carlsbad, California. The day after high school graduation, she packed her yearbook, ripped jeans and laptop, driving cross-country to New York City in under four days.
Her most valuable life experiences were learned thereafter while waitressing at K-Dees, a Manhattan pub owned by her uncle. Inside those four walls, she met her husband, best friend and discovered the magic of classic rock, managing to put herself through Kingsborough Community College and the English program at Pace University at the same time. Several stunted attempts to enter the work force as a journalist followed, but romance writing continued to demand her attention.
She now lives in Long Island, New York with her husband of ten years and six-year-old daughter. Although she is severely sleep-deprived, she is incredibly happy to be living her dream of writing about people falling in love.
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