For James Campbell, winning the 1976 International Surf Competition is the ticket to his future. It’s his chance to finally reclaim his life, move on from the war, and make a living doing the only thing that keeps him from walking away from it all.But his best laid plans are upended completely when two-time Billabong Pipeline Masters Champion Danny Moore steps up next to James on the starting … starting line. Danny is a young, mysterious, unbeatable big wave surfer. He’s man that nobody on the surf circuit can stop whispering about.
For the first time since being shipped back home from Vietnam, James is captivated. That first fleeting moment turns the tide for both men, setting them on a path that crosses oceans and defies all odds.
This epically romantic m/m historical romance is a slow burn that is full of drama, thrilling surfing, deep emotional connections between the characters, and guarantees the reader a hugely satisfying Happily Ever After!
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Jimmy is a returned Vietnam vet who hides both the scars of his injury and the darkness in his head that sometimes makes him stand at the edge of the sea and think about just paddling out. At his lowest moment back on American soil, a stranger came by and said “Hey, you surf?” and became his best friend. Surfing is the thing that gives him space to let go, to live, to feel sunlight and salt and water, to feel real. Doing it together with Rob is what keeps Jimmy breathing.
He knows he has a crush on his wonderful best friend, except being gay is something he can barely think about let alone say. Plus Rob has the loveliest girlfriend ever, a woman Jimmy adores as much as he can any woman. They keep him from being completely alone, and yet the ache of holding back, not touching, not speaking, almost drowns him. Then one day at a competition, he sees a strange man on the pier, and their eyes meet. Nothing will be the same again.
Danny’s a champion surfer, brilliant, analytical, a man who can analyze a wave, a person, or a broken toaster and tell you all about it, and be right, over and over. He’s also known to be gay, admired and shunned in equal measure by his fellow surfers. They’d tell you about his arrogance, the mirror shades he wears, the way he doesn’t socialize, and how you better not bend over in front of him. Behind the shades, Danny is a boy thrown out at fifteen for being gay, and the life he’s battled to achieve is brilliant, and empty.
This book is slow, lyrical, intense – the story of two men finding their way forward at a time when being gay was finally legal, but still deeply stigmatized. Jimmy barely has words for who he is or what he feels, let alone the courage to move forward openly. Danny has a lot of losses and hurts to make him cautious. Both men love surfing, and in that common passion they can find a meeting place that isn’t risky. But Danny’s a decade younger and at the top of a career, Jimmy’s just getting into the big competitions; Danny lives in Hawaii, Jimmy lives and works in LA. And admitting he’s gay might cost Jimmy his friendship with Rob and Lori- the only people who care about him.
There are a hundred things that have to happen for these men to be together, and past and present aren’t going to make it easy.
I really got caught up in this story. There is a fair bit of surfing, but it was well done for a non-surfer like me, clear, engaging and exciting. I really felt for both of these men, and the difficulties and doubts they had. Their slow, slow coming together was believable. The writing style felt a bit drawn out and overwrought toward the end, but not enough to spoil my pleasure in the story. There are some good secondary characters too, and emotional back-stories. If you enjoy emotional stories set in that era, with a sports theme, this is a very good one.
This story starts out tragic but turns out so beautiful in the end. No matter your walk of life there are aspects to the characters that anyone can relate to and how well this book is written it makes you truly feel their emotions. C.L.Beaumont is a captivating writer and I really hope she is working on more novels!
I love this book! After I have finnish it I was still thinking about it. Because of it I started to research the Billabong Pipe competition.
I have read it 3 times and I think in time I will read it again, and again. ..
I loved Danny and James, they are great people because I do not see them as fictional character!
Great read. The two protagonists surf into a relationship set in the mid 70’s, making them about this reader’s age. Beautiful descriptions of surfing, Oahu’s North Shore. Lots of internal dialog that never felt unnecessary. Decent amount of heat, albeit well into the story. Frequently had me grinning and chuckling, with happy wet eyes often. My best read in some time.
uninterestng and action in book disconnected
I’m actually reading this for the second time consecutively. I love the characters, the writing is lovely. A few typos, but it’s easy to become emotionally invested in the characters. Loved it!