Single Sundays: Sexcation by Heidi McLaughlin

Single Sundays: While this blog may be focused on reviewing book series as a whole, we can’t forget about the good ole’ standalone novel! On Sundays, I will review a novel that is considered to be a standalone novel. Here is this week’s offering:

Synopsis for Sexcation (from Goodreads):
He’s British.
She’s American.

They meet on vacation.
And agree to fake name each other.

One is lying about everything.
The other is telling the truth.

They’re about to embark on a sexcation.
But what happens when it’s over?

Author: Heidi McLaughlin
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Heat Rating: Hot
Point of View: First Person, Alternating
Publication Date: August 24, 2017
Source & Format: Kindle–eBook

Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:

I picked this one up as a freebie, I think maybe it was a monthly romance email subscription? But I picked it up after DNFing a particularly dry book and found myself in a bit of a reading slump. So I wanted a standalone novel to get me in the groove of things again. And this sounded perfect: I liked the idea that there as a bit of mysterious and suspense with the “lying about my true identity” premise.

The Plot:

This starts off hot and steamy but tappers off in the latter half of the novel as these two try to navigate the true realities.

I liked the vacation element of the book; it was exciting as I tried to figure out if I could solve their secret identities or see if there was a connection to the real world. I certainly didn’t have it right – I don’t think any reader will see that connection coming because there really aren’t any clues to give it away.

But then I appreciated how reality comes in and these two have to decide what they really want in life and how to let go of the past. It did take some of the “fun” momentum out of the story though and made the book a little drier at the end.

The Characters:

I liked that these two were layered characters. They have pasts that shape their presents and it was interesting trying to see them overcome those to find their future. There is more to their story than just passionate sex in an exotic locale and I appreciated that.

The Romance:

I liked the chemistry between these two right from the start. They have this initial attraction but as they spend more time together, they have this innate bond that draws them together. I think though it’s a little too “love at first at sight” for my personal tastes but I understand how these two would work because their characters are so developed.