Blue Crush By: Erin McCarthy Series: Florida Doctors Book Number: 1 Star Rating: Sensuality Rating:

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Synopsis

Dr. Sara Davis wants to prove that she's not always Serious Sara, the glasses-wearing pediatrician. In an effort to show that she can also be Sexy Sara, she goes to the beach, hoping to end her sexual drought by finding a hot surfer who's willing to give her a night of great sex. What she gets instead is a tropical storm and powerful waves that sweep off her bikini top. Too shy and modest to get out of the water topless, she finds herself stranded in the ocean until a scrumptious lifeguard comes to her rescue.

Kyle Vanderhoff is just closing up the beach on his final day as a lifeguard when he spots a blonde head bobbing in the water. Thinking the woman is drowning he swims out, relieved to find that she's still alive and conscious, but he's taken aback when he realizes she's topless. After getting her back to the shore and into the lifeguard hut, he finds himself extremely attracted to her and wants to fulfill her fantasy, but the gentleman in him also wants to do the right thing and ask her out on a date first. With the storm raging around them and the street blocked by a fallen tree, neither of them is going anywhere for a while, so maybe a little sexy fun time is exactly what the doctor ordered.

Review

Blue Crush is a super-steamy little novelette that is the first story in Erin McCarthy's Florida Doctors series. In all honesty, it's pretty much one long extended love scene that takes place over one day's time. There are no unrealistic declarations of love, and the ending while happy, is more of an HFN than an HEA. Normally, these things would be a downside for me, but somehow the story and characters really clicked for me, making it a fun, enjoyable read.

Sara is a busy pediatrician who's been caught up in work for far too long and feels like she's forgotten how to be woman. In an effort to make herself feel desirable, she goes to the beach, hoping to get a hot, studly surfer to take notice of her and give her a quick hook-up. Usually a heroine who is looking for sex only would be a turn-off for me, but in this case, Sara showed just the right amount of sweetness and vulnerability to make me really like her. She's self-conscious about her body, feeling that her legs are too long and lanky and her breasts are too small. She's also rather shy and modest, almost preferring to stay in the ocean during a tropical storm, when Kyle comes to rescue her, than getting out of the water topless. She's a little clumsy and awkward, and she worries that when Kyle finds out she's a doctor he'll be intimidated. Yet, at the same time, she has enough confidence to proposition Kyle and ask for what she wants. Sara was a nice mix of shy and sweet with just enough self-assurance to put herself out there and fulfill her purpose in coming to the beach.

Kyle was a sweetheart too. He's finishing up his last day as a lifeguard before going back to school to become an EMT. He swims out to save the blonde woman who he thinks is drowning, only to discover she's lost her bikini top instead. Of course, he's instantly aroused, but I liked that he was trying his best to be nonchalant about it. What I really loved about him is that he's not a one-night stand kind of guy and he genuinely wants to do the right thing. He's very attracted to Sara and wants to ask her out on a real date and get to know her first before making love to her. With Sara being so seductive and them being stuck in the lifeguard hut for a while during the storm, it doesn't really work out that way, but for me, it was the thought that counted. He also made her promise that if he had sex with her, she would give him her phone number and wouldn't just run off afterwards. I also liked that Kyle is a tender lover who's very focused on Sara's pleasure. He also shows some vulnerability in that when she finally tells him her profession, he's a little taken aback, wondering what a smart girl like her would want with a guy like him, but he doesn't allow it to intimidate him to the point that he doesn't still pursue her. I really liked Kyle and thought he was a great match for Sara.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Blue Crush. Even with the HFN ending, I felt like there was enough of a connection to make me believe these two had a great chance at a long-term committed relationship. I hope to see more of Kyle and Sara in the next book of the series, Houston, We Have a Problem, which features Sara's friend, Josie, as the heroine. Blue Crush was so short, there weren't really any secondary characters to speak of, so Josie only warranted a mention in this story, but I look forward to learning more about her. Blue Crush can be found in the anthology, Perfect for the Beach.

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Erin McCarthy

Themes

Doctors, Nurses, & Medical Professionals
Physically Ordinary Heroines