Review - Tripwrecked by A. Poland

Aiden feels trapped in a life that doesn't belong to him. He hates his job, and nothing he does makes his mother happy, yet she expects him to be at her beck and call. When Aiden walks in on his long-term boyfriend in bed with someone else, he decides to take a break from it all. The small seaside town on Australia's Sunshine Coast is about as far away from Dublin as Aiden could get. What he doesn't expect is to meet a lanky motorcycle-riding handyman who looks rough on the outside but proves to be a real softie.

“Tripwrecked” is another entry in the holiday romance genre. Like all books on this theme, you can be pretty sure where things will end up. The fun is seeing how they get there. This story offers up some great dramatic turns, making you wonder at times whether or not there will be a happily ever after ending.

We get the whole story from Aiden's point of view. It takes a while to get the full story of Aiden's breakup with his boyfriend, as well as his strained relationship with his family. He comes across as a very nice young man, if perhaps a little too eager to please everyone at the expense of his own well-being. Aiden is ultimately a very sympathetic character, even if we don't always understand his resistance to change.

In some ways, Finn is a lot like Aiden. He also feels the weight of responsibility to his friends and family. The difference is, Finn's “found family” appreciates him and would do anything for him in return. The idea of a chosen family is one of the main themes of this story. Finn is surrounded by a an extended “family” of people that may not be related to him by blood, but truly care about him.

“Tripwrecked” is available from Amazon (commissionable link).