Romance
A tropical island, a resort photographer, and the hot Australian firefighter from a one-night stand four months earlier. It’s very much doing what it says on the tin.
That setup is a bit shameless, but I mean that almost affectionately. Kennedy and Luke have enough spark to keep it moving, which matters in a novella where there isn’t much room for faffing about. The beach romance framing is doing a lot of work here, though.
I keep wondering if the length felt right for the emotional payoff. Sometimes a novella is exactly enough. Sometimes it just leaves you wanting one more scene and a slightly less tidy ending.
That setup is a bit shameless, but I mean that almost affectionately. Kennedy and Luke have enough spark to keep it moving, which matters in a novella where there isn’t much room for faffing about. The beach romance framing is doing a lot of work here, though.
I keep wondering if the length felt right for the emotional payoff. Sometimes a novella is exactly enough. Sometimes it just leaves you wanting one more scene and a slightly less tidy ending.
Novellas like this live or die on voice for me. If the chemistry is flat, the whole thing collapses pretty fast. The setup is very efficient, which is either the point or the warning sign, depending on how much patience you have for beachy shorthand and instant tension. I’m usually forgiving of a tidy ending in this length, but only if it earns the speed.