Coasting

We meet Cal as he’s on a spontaneous road trip without a destination in mind, following the break-up with his boyfriend of five years. He finds himself in Florida, and flipping a coin at the urge of his mom, as to where to head next. Alas, he lands in Mississippi… and follows the butterflies in his stomach and a “feeling” that something is going to go really right. While in a coastal town in Mississippi, he runs into Billy and is mesmerized. From there, the two are inseparable and in love.

Overall, this was a decent quick read – especially for this series, I love the different locations, but it had a few road bumps for me. First, he keeps having these “feelings” of things about to go right – I don’t know, it felt unnecessary and not real – having it a few times. I mean once, I get – but when it happens a few times, it reads like a ploy to fit the plot together. Second, the characters just weren’t that developed. They were fine, kind, nice, etc. – but they don’t really have any depth or back-story. I mean Cal just broke up with someone after five years and he didn’t really care… or it was underplayed throughout. And finally, holy insta EVERYTHING batman. They meet and instantly have a connection… then they are instantly in love… and then they both have big life changes instantly. In other words, things were just boom – together!

I did enjoy the book – I liked the family dynamics for Cal and there were moments between the characters that I ahhhed over, but it just felt as though this one needed a bit more time to develop. This is a good read for anyone who likes ocean-settings and insta-love.

Review Copy of Coasting provided by Dreamspinner Press for an honest review. Reviewed by Mel at Alpha Book Club.

*Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by Dreamspinner Press for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.*

Yvonne Trent's Coasting is a novella in the Dreamspinner Press' States of Love series. Philadelphia teacher Cal has decided to travel once school lets out for the year. While on the phone with his mom, he lets a coin flip determine the direction he's going to drive and ends up in a small, tourist town in Mississippi. He likes the look of town but because it's tourist season, he's unable to get a room, so after a dinner and some exploring, he plans to leave town. All of that changes when he bumps into Billy, who offers to let him stay in a spare room and give him a tour of the town. The men enjoy their time together and it doesn't take long for them to start wanting more. Both Cal and Billy were likable characters. They loved their families, had great friends, loved their jobs and were ready to have a partner for their future. It was nice to read a story of two men meeting, dating and falling in love.

Novellas are hard but I think the author did a great job with this story. I liked that she just allowed this to be a sweet, instalove story with no drama or angst to the mix. This story was focused on two men getting to know each other, spending time together and deciding how to have a future together. It was a whirlwind love story, all squeezed into 112 pages! Though I've never had an interest in going to Mississippi, the author did a great job describing the town and making it sound like a great place to vacation and explore. This is one of my favorite things about the States of Love stories, it allows you to see the beauty of areas you may not be familiar with.

Rating: 4 stars

Reviewed by Morningstar for Diverse Reader

Another sweet read for the States of Love stories!



One of my favorite parts of these stories is visiting places that I’ve never been or revisiting places I have through someone else’s eyes. This one was no different. The descriptions of the beach and the small town was fantastic and beautiful. Is it a novella so like any of them I wish for a more in depth story although nothing significant is technically missing.



Billy and Cal had some chemistry, but the story was low on heat and mostly fade to black. Their connection was easy to see with a warm base of friendship and love. It was a quick, easy read that had you falling in love as they did and hoping they’d find their HEA.