Drink the Wild Air

by Christopher Renna, Michael Casale (Narrator)

A contemporary coming-of-age story about the magic that can happen when two souls collide under the summer sun.

For years, the Weston family has spent their summers at their vacation home in Old Saybrook, Connecticut. It's a beloved tradition for seventeen-year-old Finley. He anticipates long, lazy days by the ocean, the same familiar faces, and the ever-present shadow of his Old Money family's expectations. But this year, Finley's plans are turned upside down when he meets Dawson, a brooding and confident young man who brings an air of mystery and the unexpected.

Dawson is everything Finley is not—bold, adventurous, and unapologetically himself. Drawn together by chance, Finley and Dawson embark on a journey of self-discovery and unexpected romance. As their bond deepens, Dawson encourages Finley to accept the realities of life. By the end of summer, Finley's perceptions about himself and his family will change, redefining his understanding about everything.

Genres: Young Adult, LGBT, Queer, Contemporary, High School, Coming Of Age, Romance

Audible Audio

Published July 15, 2025

About the author

Christopher Renna is an author. He's also a Developmental Editor with a focus on the work of young writers and indie authors. He lives in New York with his husband, two children, and their rescued dogs.

Reviews

[ivy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evokes the feeling that Salinger, Fitzgerald, and Wilde got together to write a book about modern young love during one short summer.

Super vivid coming of age novel/novella.
Little butterfly inducing conversations and moments.

“I closed my eyes and allowed the magic of the song to sweep me away. I wanted to breathe in the happiness and longing I felt during those first moments. For however long the song lasted, I wanted to memorize the way the wind whipped through our hair. The way the music transported us to somewhere other than I-95 with 1 million stars littering the sky.
Minutes later, when silence returned to the car, he said, ‘I know that was kind of random, but I was inspired.’”

Love a late night car ride with a new crush, with the windows down, and the music loud.
Nice job, Renna.

TW: talk of parent with the C word

[Carol (§CoverLoverGirl§) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 🌟🌟🌟🌟.💫- MM Holiday Romance

Seventeen year old Finley Weston and his next door neighbour Chord Conrad have been best friends since Grade School. Both of them are regarded as beautiful looking young men. They live in an Upper West Side brownstone in NYC. Both their families are very wealthy, Finley’s family are ‘Old Money’ his father is a Financier who takes care of all their family investments. Finley is expected to take over this role when he graduates from College in a few years time. Conrad’s family is ‘New Money’ , his father being a very famous actor, rumoured to be the next ‘James Bond’. After school each day Finley and Conrad walk home together and usually end up in Conrad’s room. Conrad likes to play around with Finley who has a huge crush on him, but while Conrad is always the initiator, he claims he is not gay.

As Summer vacation arrives Finley’s family head to their summer house ‘Old Saybrook’ in Connecticut, handed down to Finley’s mother by her wealthy parents. Chord is annoyed that Finley is leaving him but Finley feels that he needs to stop being Chord’s fanboy, and just enjoy this break without him. However Chord tells him to call him often and that he might even come visit

Finley and his family’s friends all spend a lot of time socialising between each others homes so there are lots of parties where he meets his old friends and sometimes new ones. On just such an occasion, Finley wanders away from the crowd and finds himself in the library. Thinking himself alone he is surprised to see another young man sitting reading. So Finley meets Dawson Lauder for the first time. Dawson, is staying alone at his family holiday home nearby they will arrive in a few weeks. Normally they live in the UK where Dawson attends the prestigious Cambridge University.

Finley and Dawson start spending a lot of time together and Finley is charmed by the free spirited Dawson and they are enjoying each others company a lot, soon they have moved up to more than just friends. Not everything is perfect however, Finley notices a kind of rift between his parents, plus his sister Alice and her boyfriend Tate seem to be a bit off together. His parents are putting more pressure on him to prepare to learn how to run the family’s financial investments.

When Chord doesn’t answer Finley’s calls, Finley call him and fills him in on events, including news of his new boyfriend Dawson. Next day Chord texts that he is on his way for a few days break at ‘Old Saybrook’. All does not go well with the visit, plus the news that his father shares with him has Finley falling apart, and Alice drops a bombshell of her own. Finley is so caught up in his families traumas that Dawson feels a bit left out.

For the first time Finley stays overnight with Dawson after crying and sharing the news about his family matters. When Dawson’s parents arrive earlier than expected the next morning from the UK and Finley overhears a conversation he can’t get out of the house quick enough. He refuses all Dawson’s calls and texts.

Somehow this story of such a young love story crept into my heart like no other and I just gave Finley and Dawson a corner there. I loved Dawson’s character, his free spirit and how he looked after Finley and took care of his feelings. Such a loving, kind person and I liked his relationship with his Artist mentor, Norah.

Given that Dawson is 22 years old and Finley will soon to be only 18, I was dubious as to the longevity of this holiday ‘romance’, plus the distance between NYC and Cambridge, UK, when the holiday was over, my fingers and toes were painfully crossed for them. There is an Epilogue at the end which I thought was a bit too brief and abrupt.

Nevertheless, I just loved ‘Drink The Wild Air’ by Christopher Renna, a new author to me, who I will happily look forward to reading more from him in the future.

I received a free ARC copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Murphy Davison · Rating 2 out of 5]

Enjoyed the first half… but second half was kind of boring. Characters were kind of boring and pretentious and had a lack of real problems so they had to invent their own, particularly the main character. Just seemed to go no where in the second half by skimming any details so it felt like it was rushing but somehow also dragged.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly well written with beautiful imagery and in depth character development.

There are so many things in this for the common person to feel irked by in terms of all the characters being rich and privileged. They speak a whole other language. The author manages to show that and still make me care about them and their problems though.

I loved the way the words of wisdom match the natural progression of Finley’s life. The book lacks a big conflict like the standard misconception break up and reconnection but the overall realness of this one made it worthwhile.

[Kaleigh]

Picked up this ARC (c/o BookSirens) because I’ll devour anything with even faint notes of the GBOAT (Call Me By Your Name). I mean, a brooding 17-year-old at his parents’ summer home about to enter a great gay romance? Dreamy sigh. Although it ended up being nothing like CMBYN. But what it is is such a fantasy. It’s such a fantasy. Instalove where everyone is rich and beautiful and talks like they’re in Jane Austen cosplay (even though it’s set in the present). Overall an easy-breezy no-stress read.

Read if you like: Red, White and Royal Blue ✨ Cape Cod ✨ instalove ✨ manic pixie dream boys ✨ Kill Your Darlings (2013) ✨ coming out stories ✨ comfort reads ✨ Felix Catton ✨ escapism ✨ Aristotle & Dante ✨ old money ✨ happily ever after ✨ indie authors

Don’t read if you dislike: unrealistic dialogue ✨ sex scenes ✨ YA ✨ minimal plot ✨ illness of parent

[Drakoulis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lyrical and sweet, Drink the Wild Air is an easy to read coming-of-age novel about self-discovery, love and life.

It's is my 2nd book of Christopher Renna after Endless Sky and once again he succeed to make the reader smile while turning the pages with the cute relationship!

Thank you BookSirens for the ARC!

[Mello · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.2 ⭐

**I received an advance review copy for free, and I'm leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you, BookSirens and the author, for the opportunity.

What to expect:
📍Coming of age
📍Summer romance
📍Vegetarian MC
📍Artist ML
📍Coming out
📍Family relationships
📍Rich MCs
📍Versatile couple
📍Toxic friendship
📍Insta-love

This story promised to be about a teenage boy whose life changed during summer and made him grow up. And technically that's what happened in the book, although I was not expecting how things developed and felt the result didn't match up with the idea behind it. I have so much to complain about that I don't even know where to start 😃.

First of all, if you had a whole summer to let your character experiment with things and grow, why did everything happen in the first two weeks? Life can change in a moment, but that's not what happened here: it was just a flash romance of two days, a quick breakup, and then reconciliation a week later, and we're here for the long ride meeting the family and making plans for the future. I get this is a novella and it's supposed to be short, however, balancing the pace of the book and letting things advance at a more natural speed won't interfere with the length. Besides, there were pages full of the same inner monologue about MC wanting to be a man and what maturity would mean for him, letting the more important plot moments be rushed because of it.

If I'm being honest, I could forgive those details to some extent in other books and this is not the worst one I've read, far from it. The main problem for me was the messages behind every dialogue and MCs reflexive thoughts. I don't share the author's idea about adulthood and maturity. What the book portrays as a mature behavior I still find it quite childish and sometimes illogical. I don't get MCs fixation on growing up, nor his 'mature' decisions at the end, or the way he envisioned ML as the way a man should be...

For me ML was a very flat character, his actions and words didn't look like a mature person in my eyes, on the contrary. There was a scene that left me speechless 🤣: ML convinced MC to run naked down a very public street at night and they almost get seen by a passing car, and then had a smutty moment in MLs yard. Apparently, that's what freedom and being a man confident of his body and actions mean 😶. This was the third time they met. The previous ones were just mere minutes at a party exchanging names and saying hi when passing in a restaurant. That's not a very safe behavior or something a steady and mature person would do, right? I didn't think so, and that's probably an unpopular opinion because I've seen reviews talking about how good they thought the book was.

There are still things to say, such as how frightened I was with MCs best friend. His behavior was crossing the limit with gaslighting and it was downplayed as a friendship gone wrong as it normally happens in life while growing up. I'll leave it here because it's obvious this book was not for me. I didn't enjoy the read as much as I would have liked with that premise that sounded very interesting.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

THAT WAS SO GOOD. They were so cute. Why is this book not more popular?

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a nice book, Christopher. Dawson and Finley live on the same street in their summer community. They find each other interesting, and, well, they understand they're in love. Perfection!

[SebFox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wild air that was a little too tame for me

For me this book felt like it was a book of two halves. The first part of the book was really well written. It had snappy dialogue. The scene setting was picturesque and the mood it captured was so sublime. The characters felt very believable and the prose felt considered without being pretentious. But then it all seemed to shift and never really recovered.

I’ve spent a while since finishing the book, trying to work out why I didn’t like the second half of the book as much as the first half. But it’s hard to place it on any one thing. You see things didn’t change all at once, but it was more that subtle changes started to build up over the course of the second half of the book, making me like it less and less.

One of the things I noticed was some of the messages the author was trying to put across began to feel a little preachy and forced. You could tell the author had things to say and his “sage words of wisdom” would start to materialise in the mouths of whichever character just so happen to be in the scene with Finley. Everyone seemed to have a secret to life they wanted to impart on him, so much so I kept waiting for his 10 year old brother to share his life changing advice. The first time you hear some of these nuggets you think, “wow that was interesting I’ve never looked at life that way”. Then after awhile you start to pre-empt them and find yourself saying “oh no here we go again what’s he gonna say this time?”

I also felt like the plot lost its way. There was never any real emotional threat to the main characters relationships. So the scenes following Finley’s eavesdropping on Dawson’s conversation with his mom felt contrived and used to draw out the “angst” that really didn’t pose any threat.

Then sadly the schmaltz become a little overbearing. The author could have saved us all that sugar overload by simply saying, “and they all lived happily ever after”. But he put us through the motions before having a big group hug with everyone towards the end of the book. Had there been sufficient drama leading up to this then I would have felt this type of catharsis necessary. But not so much here.

I think maybe Finley was too perfect to be the right protagonist to carry this book. He became a little boring after a while. In fact, if I’m honest, I wanted to read more about Chord. Wow… he was a character that fascinated me. Whatever was going on with him was something I wish the author had explored. Somehow I kept wishing he and Finley would end up together. If only to give us more time to explore his character. But Chord wasn’t the only one who didn’t get enough on page time. I wanted to hear more about Finley’s younger brother, Jonas. He really intrigued me, much more than Finley did. I kept wishing the author would follow him on one of his bike rides around the town.

Now maybe I’m being a little too critical. And maybe that’s because I loved the first half of the book so much that I’d assumed the author could maintain all of that promise. Or maybe it’s because I assumed this book was going to have more of a dramatic plot, with much more emotional drama to draw me in, but maybe it was never intended to be like that. As a coming of age book set by the sea, I felt something like Robby Weber’s “If you change your mind” was a much more engaging book. Something that perfectly captured the summer where everything changes.

2.5 Stars

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

For years, the Weston family has spent their summers at their vacation home in Old Saybrook, Connecticut. It's a beloved tradition for seventeen-year-old Finley. He anticipates long, lazy days by the ocean, the same familiar faces, and the ever-present shadow of his Old Money family's expectations. But this year, Finley's plans are turned upside down when he meets Dawson, a brooding and confident young man who brings an air of mystery and the unexpected.
Dawson is everything Finley is not—bold, adventurous, and unapologetically himself. Drawn together by chance, Finley and Dawson embark on a journey of self-discovery and unexpected romance. As their bond deepens, Dawson encourages Finley to accept the realities of life. By the end of summer, Finley's perceptions about himself and his family will change, redefining his understanding about everything.

From the synopsis I thought I would love this book. I’m also making a point of reading more m|m stories written by male authors. A coming of age summer romance sounded perfect.
Unfortunately, I had to force myself to finish this story.
I gave it 3 stars because the plot and the storyline were very well done. The teen boy on the cusp of having to decide what path to take after high school. A summer fling with a fun, mysterious older guy that turns into romance and finally love. A son having to deal with secrets and unspoken problems in his own family, on top of having to come out to them. The mystery, the intrigue, the romance. The story was very well plotted and thought out.
My problem was, I didn’t care about a single character in this book. The two I’m giving a pass to is the younger brother Jonas who spent his summer hanging out his friends and playing video games. Completely appropriate for a kid his age. And Nora Sullivan. For the small time the older woman was in the story she was a gas. Other than them, I didn’t find I cared about any of the other characters. I found Finley self-absorbed, not in a charming way. He was just boring to me. Dawson tried to be mysterious but he reminded me too much of Steff McKee from Pretty in Pink. If Steff McKee was gay. The older sister was boring, I despised Chord Conrad, and the parents were emotionally absent. By the time the reasons for the family’s dysfunction were revealed, it was too late in the book for me to care. The only moment where I felt Finley was going to have an actual moment of self-actualization was brushed over and swept away. Even the ending of the story left me with the knowledge that they were following a script.
I’m feel bad that I couldn’t like this more. Everything about this book excited me to read it, until I did. Like I said, the idea and the storyline were great. Fresh, exciting, interesting. It was just the characters that weren’t.
I received an advanced copy of this book for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Glenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book masterfully delves into a young adult's profound journey of self-discovery, the transformative power of a summer away from the urban hustle, and the unwavering support of an understanding family. Christopher Renna, with his adept skills as a developmental editor, offers readers a clear, mostly trope-free narrative that weaves together themes of coming out, authentic relationships, familial challenges with a new baby on the way, and a mother confronting a harrowing diagnosis.

The title, inspired by a Ralph Waldo Emerson poem, beckons readers to venture beyond their comfort zones. Renna intricately crafts a summer tale set in an 'old money' coastal haven, featuring a pending wedding, the birth of a baby, and a young man, Finley Weston, who bravely announces his sexuality and finds acceptance from his family.

Faced with the pressures of his final year in high school and familial expectations to join the family legacy, Finley eagerly anticipates a summer escape from New York City. His troubled friendship reveals deeper truths, leading him to discover a kindred spirit in Dawson Lawson, a fellow summer resident with a bold, adventurous past. Dawson’s genuine desire for a meaningful relationship with Finley allows for a slow, authentic connection to flourish.

Dawson’s past, marred by fleeting romances, is brought to light by his mother when she learns of his relationship with Finley. Despite this, Dawson’s commitment to Finley remains steadfast, creating a poignant dynamic as both young men navigate their pasts and their futures together. An underwater photograph, transformed into art by Dawson, symbolizes his deep appreciation and commitment to Finley.

Narrated primarily from Finley's perspective, Renna's storytelling offers rich introspection and vivid character interactions. The carefully described intimate moments enhance the narrative without feeling gratuitous. The setting serves as a crucial backdrop, grounding the love story in a believable and enchanting locale.

This novel is a compelling, emotional, and efficient narrative that captivates without unnecessary embellishments. Renna’s storytelling prowess shines through, delivering a resonant tale of love, growth, and acceptance.

[Traci S · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderful read. I loved the wistful summertime vibe as Finley and his family head to their old money summer residence in Old Saybrook. You can feel the tension in the family who feel very isolated despite spending the summer together. Finley is an excellent character to follow and I thought the author really captured this particular in between time of life. Finley has one foot still in childhood and one in adulthood. The teenager in him still can’t resist poking at his parents soft spots. But, Finley is also considering the kind of person he wants to be and what he wants his future to look like. Dawson is also spending the summer at his family house in Old Saybrook, he’s a bit older and Finley is really drawn to his confidence. Dawson, a student at Cambridge, has the purpose and direction that Finley is seeking for himself. They are kindred spirits and I loved how comfortable Finley seems when with Dawson, as it’s not his natural state. I really enjoyed this, it was lovely seeing Finley’s infatuation with Dawson grow and solidify into some deep and lasting.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

[Kevin MacMillan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A charming coming-of-age story centered on summer vacation that captures that specific, heavy feeling of being seventeen and standing on the edge of your future, the rush of first love, and the difficulty of navigating a toxic friendship. It avoids the fluff of a typical summer "beach read," opting instead for a story about self-discovery and the friction that happens when you finally start to question the "Old Money" expectations you were raised with.

The characters felt fairly flat, which made it hard to get fully invested in the stakes of the "old money" drama. Since the MC is the sole narrator, the entire story relies on his perspective; unfortunately, that perspective felt a bit repetitive at times. The toxic friendship provided some much-needed conflict, but I wish the resolution had more "punch."

The audio was a bit of a mixed bag as well; while the voice fit the age of the characters, the single-tone narration by Michael Casale felt a little melodramatic at times, which added to the repetitive feel of the MC’s perspective.

Overall, it’s a quick read, and if you're looking for something to pass the time, it definitely fits that vibe.

[DJ McCready · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found it difficult to put this book down. I have read books about New York City old money going to summer homes and I have seen for myself some of those summer homes. Finley is a seventeen year old, middle child who celebrates his 18th birthday at their summer home but on the day the family arrives, they attend a social event and Finley encounters Dawson, a University students at Cambridge in the UK who takes an interest in Finley.

The book has some angst and medical problems arise but those are not the real focus.

The really intriguing part of this book is the ruminations within Finley as to what it means to experience adulthood and the author has captured that well for Finley. I know I did not experience the same ruminations but socially the late teens are a time of growth and development.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

3 stars

This is a first love, summer romance that has seventeen-year-old Finley falling in love for the first time. His family lives in NYC with their old money and they spend the summers in Connecticut and, as the book opens, it is just about time to go to the summer home. Finley feels like he knows everyone near their summer home, but Dawson is a new face that Finley wants to get to know more.

The book is told through Finley’s point of view, as he first navigates his friendship (that sometimes has benefits) with his best friend, and then the new feelings he has for Dawson. It had the premise of what could have been a cute summer coming-of-age story, but there was too much melodrama for my tastes.

Read review in its entirety here.

[Christopher Renna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't rate books I've written, but I will share insights from a review.

"Renna’s skillful weaving of moments of introspection with the heady rush of love creates a narrative that resonates with authenticity and will captivate readers with its raw emotion."

Full Review:
https://readersfavorite.com/book-revi...

[William Leet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well done!

Finley got me on the first page. It got even better when he connected with the edgy Dawson. There's a little of the fairy tale in their story and a lack, or avoidance of conflict, but where such absence would usually stretch my patience, Renna kept me turning pages right up to the end.

[Luke Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many levels of emotional growth.

The characters (all but one) were captivating, and I couldn’t put this book down. The only reason I did not give this book five stars was that I felt that the lives of the “Old Money” families were overly glorified and that smacked of overt classism. I was otherwise swept into the story in ways that unexpectedly moved me. Read this book.

[Peter Cloutier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this!

This was a wonderful coming-of-age story. Well-written, with authentic young male dialogue.

I can tell how much I enjoy a book by how fast I go through it. I sped through this, and there wasn’t anything I didn’t like about it.

I’m anxious to follow this author.

Great job!

[Saskia Veldhuis · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Charming short coming of age/first love story. The language and feelings both felt like they fit the age and social status of Finley. The happenings in his family made it harder for him at times, but their complete acceptance of him and Dawson was very refreshing.

[David B · Rating 5 out of 5]

superbly written

So very real, and a place and people I grew up with. Old Saybrook lives on in my memories. Characters who seem like they could step out of the pages and quickly become old friends.

[Brian]

"Some friendships naturally come to an end, and that's okay. It doesn't diminish the value of your friendship or the experiences you shared together. Be grateful. True friendships can withstand the test of time. But some friendships only survive for the amount of time they were meant to."

[Ken Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Really a five, but I'm not keen on teenage angst, and Renna's novel has that MC's voice as the sole narrator. Maturing from teenager to young adult over a summer, integrating family drama, and finding a relationship are all dynamics thoughtfully and well handled.

[Todd Alan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bored Now

Lost interest in the characters and hearing about the challenges of growing with the burden of "old money" and the struggles of coming out as vegetarian.

[Raine Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn’t stop drinking the wild air!

I loved this book from start to finish! It’s a true, authentic love story and the writing style of Renna is exquisite!

[Paul Detchon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tone-deaf, elitist and worst of all boring.

[Bill Carrier · Rating 2 out of 5]

Barely readable

If this book had a point or purpose I fail to see it. Waste of time for both author and reader.

[Jimbo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of an almost 18 year old growing up and finding love. Understanding that life isn't always easy. Choices need to be made and love us always important.

[Tyler · Rating 2 out of 5]

Starts strong, finishes weak

The book begins with skillful, complex character development and a subtle increase in tension. Unfortunately, that all disappears in the last half, which ends like a dull Christmas newsletter of summaries of events that the author apparently didn't have the time or energy to develop.