Out on the Sound

The Adventures of Decky and Charlie #1

by R.E. Bradshaw

Second edition of R.E. Bradshaw's first novel, Out on the Sound. Decky and Charlie begin their adventures together in this story of new love. Two-thirty somethings find each other through fate, and fight to hang on as their romance takes them on a roller coaster of emotions. Mostly filled with hilarious interactions with friends and family, it is through a tragic event that Decky and Charlie find out just how far they would go for each other. Set on the North Carolina coast, the beautiful scenery serves as a background to Decky and Charlie's adventures during the first four whirlwind weeks of their relationship.

Genres: Romance, Lesbian, Lesbian Fiction, LGBT, Lesbian Romance, Contemporary

Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2010

About the author

How did a girl from the Outer Banks of North Carolina end up writing contemporary women's fiction in Oklahoma? Well, there has to be a woman involved. Bradshaw began her writing career in 2010, after leaving Theatre and teaching. Since then, her novels ranging from the popular romance, Waking Up Gray, to the Lambda Literary Award Finalists, thriller Rainey Nights and mystery Molly: House on Fire, have remained among Amazon’s bestsellers in lesbian fiction. All of Bradshaw’s books, thus far, are set in her beloved home state of North Carolina. She was transplanted from the coast to the Heartland by the love of her life, an Oklahoma girl, with whom she celebrate twenty-five years in June 2013. They have a son, Jon, and share their home with two dogs and two cats.

Reviews

[Arn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 starts, I enjoyed it a lot even though it's too soapy for my taste. Fortunately there wasn't too much over the top drama, it was toned down enough for me to stomach.

What's interesting about this one is that they get together really fast and the following events depict the aftermath of their unplanned relationship. Crazy mothers, shady exes and criminals, not to mention coming out at 37 in a small community. It's a pretty wild mix but it worked out well in the end.

Both characters are fit, hot and successful at 37 and 38 respectively which is the basis for the instant attraction. Their relationship felt a bit flat at first but as their emotional struggles are revealed they gained enough depth. And all secondary characters were great and developed in my opinion. Brenda is awesome.

There's also a lot of good humor. Many good laughs were had. I also enjoyed how central their pet animals were to the plot.

Overall it was an interesting read about two women falling in love at first sight and how they develop their fledgling relationship despite massive obstacles on multiple fronts. Gonna grab the sequel too.

[R.E. Bradshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is my favorite, because it was my first, but I really do think this book has some funny scenes and heart thumping drama to boot. It is a book about lesbians coming together late in life, but it is so much more. Charlie and Decky deal with the highs of a new love affair and the lows of what happens to them after Decky's mother finds out. Lizzie, the mom, is a source of many laughs and quite a few gasps of disbelief. I just read it again. I laughed and cried. I am proud of this book.
R.E. Bradshaw

[Dide · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny, overly dramatic and I found the two main protagonists mannerism with one another really immature for their age. And might I add unrealistic as well because a mother who shoots because one is displeased by her daughter certainly needs clinical checkup. The major part of this book was really not captivating however when it got towards the ending I really liked the turned out drama.

[Sunny · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really happy to see that this author now has an editor and has re-released some of her early books. The book was MUCH easier to read without all the typos and extra commas. I really liked the first half of the book, but then it sort of went off track for me. The characters became too over-the-top which made the whole story less believable to me. Although, I would love to see Decky's house!

[Rakhya]

DNF at chapter three.

My copy exhibits punctuation and grammar errors, which should have been spotted and fixed during proofreading and editing.
The story was funny enough to keep me going despite all that, at least for a while. I can see why other readers seem to have enjoyed it so much.
The protagonists fell in insta-lust, with predictable results, and I saw nothing wrong with that.
The story had barely taken off; surely the author had something more in store for us?
Unfortunately though, the self-acknowledged lust turned into insta-love the morning after, and that's when I knew I could no longer continue.

[CK529 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was frustrated for much of the first half of the book as it seemed every time there was a moment where the two main characters could really share something or get to know each other, instead, they laughed and fell in bed. I didn't buy it. But, i generally liked the structure of the story so i stayed with it. It did get more interesting in the second half. This book really focuses on homophobia in a community.

[marion]

Outstandingly.

I cannot believe that. I am just leaving a review. I have re. read this book so often I am nearly word perfect. I have read it so many times because it is full of emotion.love laughter sadness. The characters are amazing.Do not miss this book it will enrich your life.I have read the follow up that to is amazing.I would give this author a hundred stars of I could what a story teller.Highly Recommend.

[Reina Rosado · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enchanting and beautiful read!

This is one of those book that are meant to be reread many times! Those characters are so wonderful crafted and the story so compelling!! This is one of my favorite to go books on a rainy day!

[Lisa Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it!

Love the characters and their interactions! Love the humor, it made me laugh out loud! Keep the great books coming! I look forward to seeing them!

[bookster · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

At thirty-seven, Decky Bradshaw has had a pretty tranquil life. Decky has a job doing what she loves, which has paid so well that she is living more than comfortably, and she's in great health. All of this changes with a single touch on the softball field, from Charlie Warren, the new math teacher in town. Decky would have never thought that her someone special would end up being a woman. From their first meeting the two become inseparable and Decky soon finds out how mean a small town can be and exactly how bipolar her mother, Lizzie, is.

Out on the Sound was originally published in 2010, without the use of a professional editor. This was the author's first novel. After receiving feedback from her readers, she decided to re-release this book with the use of an editor. The author made a "conscious effort" not to change the books. Out on the Sound is a fast-paced romance but it isn't hard to get caught up in the story and believe that these two ladies have fallen hard for one another. This story truly portrays what it is like to live in a small town and deal with the reaction of the people there to something they consider out of the norm. Out on the Sound is an easy and very enjoyable read that will leave you wondering what else does Bradshaw have out there for the reader to discover.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decky, successful author meets Charlie at a soft ball game. Charlie has just moved to the area to teach mathematics at the local university.

Decky has never been in love with woman before and Charlie has just left a 10 year lesbian relationship. Are either of them ready to commit to a relationship ?

Will they survive the stress of Charlie’s ex lover and Decky’s mum ?

This first published book from Rebecca Bradshaw already shows her mastery of characterisation and
setting. What starts off as a straight forward romance turns into a much darker thriller showing the author’s ability to create suspense and anguish.

A little rough and stilted in places but still well worth a read and a great introduction to Bradshaw's writing.

[Darlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cover of the book drew me in. Water, the beach. That would have done it alone, but having read Waking Gray, R.E. Bradshaw is a new favorite author. So I had to see. Murder and mayhem, family, and love found unexpectantly, bigotry and court trials makes this a non-stop read. I can hardly wait to read others by/with Decky.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Refreshingly different in tone and storytelling. Yeah, it requires suspension of some reality, but don't most books? Loved it.
----
Upon revisiting, I'm dropping a star, and really think it's probably more 3.5. There's a very solid basis there, but also some really cringe worthy reading. Still cute though. Also, very PG13.

[JoAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great read of a thirty something woman who finds herself in a dilemma about her heart. It comes as quite a surprise and it is a story of how she deals with her heart and her feelings! Great read!

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was laugh out loud fun and filled with romance and suspense. You couldn't help liking every character in this book.