Sex on the Beach

Tropical Trysts #2

by Delphine Dryden

Hawaiian Vacation To-Do
Bikini up! You're in Oahu, and it's time for fruit drinks with umbrellas in them!Being obsessively organized doesn't work during a Hawaiian vacation. Relax. Seriously.Scan the resort for hot dudes. Huh. That hot jogger who ran by looks a lot like your ex, Jeremy—only fitter, harder and sexier.Moonlit walks mean bumping into Hot Jogger Guy. Who is your ex.Don't panic. Instead, think with your libido! Also debate the merits of ex sex.Ignore the consequences. Go for it.Revel in the afterglow. Go for rounds two and three.Ooh, kayaking!Round four. Oops!Definitely do not think about why you broke up in the first place. Or that you're having wicked-hot nookie with the man you were here to forget…

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Novella, Contemporary Romance

87 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

I write contemporary and erotic romance, and sometimes steampunk romance! To contact me, go to my website or find me on social media.

Reviews

[Simply Love Book Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slick‘s review posted on Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews

3.5 STARS

Review copy provided for an honest review


I enjoy a good reunion story and Sex On The Beach was one sexy romp. This book takes place simultaneously with author Delphine Dryden’s Mai Tai for Two, so if you’ve read that one there are a few scenes you will recognize although from a different perspective. Amanda has accompanied her friend Julie and Julie’s “work husband,” Alan, on a Hawaiian vacation they both won at the company where they work. Amanda has great plans to seduce Alan over the four days and finally get over her ex-fiancé who left when he insisted on moving his fledgling business to Seattle. She gets the surprise of her life when Jeremy shows up as a grand gesture which not only infuriates her but confirms the fact she’s no more over him now that she was almost a year ago when they split up.
There’s no doubt these two still have chemistry and can burn up every surface they touch and that’s part of their problem. They can’t seem to ever get through a conversation without one of them touching the other and they wind up right back in a sexual haze. Once they do finally actually talk, they do make some progress but it isn’t easy. One thing that is clear, they love each other still and as they begin to examine when things went wrong they open up a little bit more and start to realize that they really need to communicate better.
This was a quick, sexy, and entertaining story perfect for poolside or beach reading. I would have appreciated an epilogue that encompassed both couples but overall an enjoyable story.

[JG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sex on the Beach was a fun and hot read about getting that second chance with the person who was truly The One. Amanda and Jeremy had everything going for them. Their individual careers and relationship was going smoothly and as planned until one clashes with the other and everything blew to pieces. Just like real life. A year after the demise of the perfect relationship, an all expense paid holiday to Oahu seems to be the catalyst to get out of the funk for Amanda. This time around she would definitely move on and forget Jeremy, that is until the hunk running on the beach turns out to be her perfect ex, who seems more physically perfect than before. Sex on the Beach is a parallel story to Mai Tai for Two which is part of Delphine Dryden's Tropical Tryst Series. Because of this there will be some comparison between the two couples and the ongoing time line. Where Mai Tai runs more along the romantic comedy theme, Sex on the Beach is all hot and sexy, working out the nitty gritty of what a long lasting relationship entails. Its a very steamy, character driven plot, very engaging and still very much entertaining.

*ARC provided by the publisher and NetGalley in return for an honest review*

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story wasn't as bad as the first novella in this duology. It still felt scattered, but was put together better. The story flowed well and the characters were interesting, but as is the case in some novellas, sometimes things tidy up too cleanly and perfectly for such a short amount of time.

[Jennifer Feltz Milkowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very fun second chance beach romance book. I enjoyed watching these two try to be 'friends' when that wasn't really what they wanted.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to come

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to pick up Sex on the Beach because I like the Red Hot Reads line and I like Dryden's novellas. I'm glad I went with my gut on this, because this one was another win for me in both categories.

As indicated in the book description, Sex on the Beach is a vacation story and a second chance romance. Jeremy and Amanda broke up ten months prior when he moved for his job and she refused to follow. Both have been moving forward with their lives, but miserable without the other. When Amanda heads to Hawaii with a couple of friends, Jeremy takes the opportunity to follow her and win her back.

And that's where Sex on the Beach gets fun. We have this couple who are most definitely still in love, but have issues to work through if they can make another go of it. I like that Dryden doesn't smooth the issues over with sex, but makes it a real part of the discussion and gives it a realistic "non-resolved" resolution. I had to giggle over Amanda and Jeremy's inability to shut down the attraction between them, and that neither deny it. This leaves us with a story that had the deep discussions interspersed with clothes-ripping passion. My favorite kind!

I can't give any real detractions to Sex on the Beach, except possibly feeling a little lost in the beginning. That's my fault though, since I didn't pick up Mai Tai For Two (about Amanda's vacation mates) first.

Sex on the Beach was a fast and sexy little read that left me satisfied and smiling. Perfect if you're looking for a quick and dirty, yet sweet beach romance.



Favorite Quotes


"I didn't tell you I was coming because I knew you wouldn't agree to it. I've spent the last year accomplishing even more than I thought I could, but it's all kind of meaningless because all I do is think about how I want to share it with you. I still love you, I still want to be with you. We are both really smart, and I know we can figure this out if we try. Please just give me these few days to try. And that is what I came here to say."

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

These were two novellas as part of the Cosmo Red Hot Reads series that told the stories of two couples on the same Hawaiian vacation - the timelines of the stories ran parallel with each focusing on a different couple's perspective of the same trip. Julie and her "work husband" Alan have both won all-expenses paid trips to Hawaii - Julie chooses to bring along her best friend Amanda, who is still getting over a rough breakup when her ex-fiance, Jeremy, decided to relocate his company to a different state without discussing it with her. So, guess who shows up in Hawaii after getting tipped off by Amanda's mother? It was a unique take on a novel series, and I loved the location, but at times book two felt redundant when I knew what was going to happen since I had already read about it in the previous book.

Mai Tai for Two showcases Julie and Alan - two close work friends who haven't been able to admit to themselves or each other that they've been in love for 3 years. I loved the banter and ease with which they got along. Clearly the chemistry has been there and although some communication would have been nice, it was still fun watching them finally get on the same page.

Sex on the Beach was a bit less fun and more hot, but the aforementioned story redundancy coupled with glaring relationship problems and the fact that Ms. Dryden seemed to paint her hero (and her plot) into a corner that went unresolved made me wonder what the point of this book was.

Mai Tai for Two: 3.5/5 stars
Sex on the Beach: 2.5/5 stars.

Note: Copies of both these books were provider in exchange of an honest review.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

See more of my reviews on my blog Thoughts At One In The Morning.

My Thoughts:

The first two Cosmo Red-Hot Reads that I picked up last year were only okay for me. The two I've read this year, this one included, were so much more. I kinda sorta debated on picking them out on NetGalley, but I'm totally glad that I did because I got to read two great stories.

Jeremy and Amanda were engaged a year ago and, due to some issues with choices made, broke up and went their separate ways. They meet up again in Hawaii for this story and pretty soon they can't help themselves. Not that it doesn't come with obstacles, primarily because of the reasons why they broke up to begin with. But they still have these great moments--like this one:


"If you want I can fly."

"Don't. No Princess Bride quotes, please." She was a sucker for that, and he was not above exploiting her weaknesses for his own gain.

"As you wi--"

"Knock it off! I mean it!"


Because. *swoons* Seriously.

Sex on the Beach was a cute little romp. The story came together in the end nicely for Amanda and Jeremy. It has piqued my curiosity for the first book in the Tropical Trysts series, Mai Tai For Two. If I can swoon over this couple, I'm definitely looking forward to the parallel story of Julie and Alan!

My Rating: Very Good

[Mayra Statham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great summer read. I really enjoyed Jeremy and Amanda's story.
I thought that it was utterly romantic that after a year Jeremy was done waiting on his booty to do something, realizing how he felt about Amanda and decided to crash Amanda's Hawaiian vacation.

Amanda is sweet and ready to move on. It's been a year since her fiancée walked away from her, without trying to work out their issues, and had decided that her Hawaiian vacation was the time for her to find someone to help her with her dryspell from sex. She is completely thrown off by the fact that Jeremy shows up out of no where.

It was sweet story. I liked that Jeremy wasn't some pushy broody alpha, in this story he felt real. He was a little nerdy, but something about being with Amanda and having been away from her for a year, brings out primal instincts. I have to say that was hot to read.

I liked a part of the book where Amanda is talking to her girlfriend and is telling her that they were so good together that when they had a problem, they didn't know how to handle it.

Thankfully Jeremy's plan of a grand gesture semi-worked out. There are some moments were I laughed out loud, some moments I teared up. I seriously enjoyed this book.

[Jeananna w/The Book Reading Gals · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book takes place at the same time as Delphine Dryden’s Mai Tai for Two, so it was different and cool to see the overlap in scenes and see things from different perspectives. I enjoyed this story a little more than the first and the only thing I can attribute that to is the acknowledged chemistry between Amanda and Jeremy... it was almost like Julie and Alan (from Mai Tai) had spent so many yrs denying the attraction I almost didn't see it either (in book 1)...

The humor that DD has in her books was present in this one as well, ' "He told you about his experience with venereal disease, so you slept with him? Seems logical." In bizzaro land. Where she was evidently vacationing.'

I was a little surprised that we didn't get a total wrap up for the whole Washington vs. California debate but I can see the HEA for the trees on this one! I agree with another review on GR that I would loved to have seen an epilogue at this end of this one with combined conclusions for both couples. Maybe that's something that Ms. Dryden can offer her loyal fans as a freebie on her website... hint hint...

[Paris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave this book a 3 star rating because it was a quick and easy read that for the most part kept me engaged. I didn’t really connect with any of the characters or the storyline, but because it was so short, I didn’t really have to in order to finish the book. I did not realize that there was another book that went along with this one until after I read it. I don’t think I’ll read it though because this one wasn’t really that engaging and I didn’t really like for Alan and Julie all that much. They seemed really boring.

Now Amanda and Jeremy at least had some chemistry and I did think they made for some very steamy scenes. I didn’t really understand why the broke up though. I mean I know why, but Amanda seemed a bit hypocritical in her reason for breaking up with Jeremy. She wants communication, but wasn’t giving it in return. I hate situations like that.

Overall, it was a decent read and I’ve read other things by Delphine Dryden before. These Cosmo Red-Hot Reads are a little hit and miss for me, so I don’t know how many more I’ll end up reading once I finish my lot of review books.

Arc provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

2 stars for Amanda and I just don't like her, even after her emotional reveal to Jeremy.

4.5 stars for Jeremy and this book would be a solid 2 star book for me, despite how much I like Jeremy, if it weren't for his speech in the last chapter. He was so sweet, honest, and cute that I increased the rating to 3 stars.

The first, and companion, novella in this series was much better than this one because at least Julie wasn't self-absorbed. Yes, Amanda had real concerns about their relationship being like a power struggle and a series of concessions, but that doesn't make her any more likable as an MC. Yeah, I just totally don't like her and it made the enjoyment of this book pretty much nonexistent. And even the sex scenes were only good if told from Jeremy's point of view. Like most of the book, only actually reading his part and the conversations where Julie or Alan were involved. I skimmed most of this book, and even with playing with my three year old and getting ready for the day, I finished this book in under an hour.

[Elisabeth Lane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sex on the Beach, the new book by one of my favorite romance writers, Delphine Dryden, runs in parallel to Mai Tai for Two, which I readback in May. To start with, I thought that was a pretty interesting story device. I'm not usually one for vanilla contemporaries with a low dosage of angst, but I found this book just as charming as its predecessor. Amanda and Jeremy are navigating family and careers and basic differences about how to solve problems when both people are used to making decisions on their own. It's messy, it's real and, oh, because it's Dryden, it's also hot. Like Mai Tai for Two, this book is subtly brilliant in that the only thing it's about is a relationship between two people: a real relationship that seems to have hit a bump on the road to marriage. The cheerful Hawaiian setting, the newly-hot hero and the lack of a tidy, perfect ending just hit all the right notes for me. Pick it up as next weekend's quick summer poolside read.

[Tania Godwin-evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had just finished a mystery thriller that was fairly heavy and wanted a light read. This did just the job. Written to a tried and tested formula but instead of traditional scenario this has a different twist to it; a second chance romance if you will.

This is the second part of a series and features one of two couples in this book. This reader did not read that first book and it did not affect their enjoyment of this book. So each book is stand alone.

The couple about whom this book is written still love each other although they are ex’s. In this wonderful setting, they eventually work through the problems that caused them to be ex’s and established a game plan for the future and thereby rekindled their love.

A short, sweet, and steamy; read in one sitting book. This book is ideal for the beach where you want a light story to while away the day.

Full Disclosure: I received a free copy from Netgalley for an honest review.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I still love you, I still want to be with you. We are both really smart, and I know we can figure this out if we try. Please just give me these few days to try.”

Sex on the Beach was an emotionally charged second chance romance novella that takes place in beautiful Hawaii.

This is the second short story in Delphine Dryden’s Tropical Trysts series written for Cosmo Red Hot Reads from Harlequin. This time we get Amanda and Jeremy’s POV, instead of Julie and Alan’s from book one, Mai Tai for Two. I thought it was interesting how this was written. It follows the same timeline as before but gives the details of what transpired between Jeremy and Amanda. I liked having that balance of knowing how everything fit together in the four days these two couples were on the island together.

Read More

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was thrilled to receive an arc copy from the Net Galley and the Publisher of "Sex On The Beach", a Cosmo Red Hot Reads, by Delphine Dryden. I thoroughly enjoyed her novel "The Theory Of Attraction".
Amanda and Jeremy were engaged to be married and broke up a year ago when he walked away without trying to resolve their issues. Amanda decides to accompany her friends Julie and Alan on a 4 day vacation in Hawaii hoping to meet a sexy stranger to help her finally get over Jeremy. However, Jeremy finds out about the mini-vacation and takes the opportunity to fly to Hawaii to try to win her back.
A quick read filled with affection, romance and sizzling passion.

[Christa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an enjoyable contemporary romance about Jeremy and Amanda, who broke up a year ago when he left while they were having some problems. Amanda goes with friends on a beach vacation where she hopes to meet a new man. Instead, she finds Jeremy there. He has realized what he let go, and is ready to try to win Amanda back.

Sex on the Beach had good characters, an interesting story, and lots of steam between Jeremy and Amanda. I look forward to more by the author. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in return for an honest review.

[Darci Goodman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review pertains to Sex on the Beach, by Delphine Dryden, part of the Cosmo Red Hot Reads. I was hoping for this story when we met Amanda and Jeremy in an earlier book, and their story did not disappoint. it was a fun hot read about getting a second chance in a relationship and I just really loved it. Fun, Sexy and quick read, perfect for pool or beachside, this is a book you won't be disappointed in! Highly recommended!

[Nakeesha]

This was a problem solving story. It took place nearly a year after a couple broke up and focused on the two lovers figuring out how to make it work after their career advanced induced breakup. These after 'the after' are my favorite type of stories. I DNF'd this one because there were no stakes and so it couldn't hold my attention.

ARC provided by Netgalley

[Nichole ~Bookaholic~]

I really wanted to like this one....but so far this author has been hit or miss with me.....and this one was a miss...,big time as in did not finish as I did not connect with the characters and did not finish as I did not care about the outcome. No rating because DNF

Book provided by author/publisher via NetGalley for an honest review

[Shannon]

I wanted to love this book, I really did, but I seem to be very hit or miss with Ms Dryden's books. I just didn't connect with the characters and therefore didn't care about their issues and outcome.

*DNF so no rating

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars