Above Water: A One Night Stand Surf Romance

by Elena Locatelli

Alejandra López Romero has spent her entire life mastering the ocean. Olympic gold medalist. World-class surfer. Fearless, disciplined, unstoppable.

Until the day the sea nearly takes everything.

Callum Evans lives on the opposite side of risk. A brilliant financial investigator with a wrecked knee and a carefully controlled life, he doesn’t chase waves or tempt fate. He follows rules. He survives.

They were never supposed to be more than one reckless night at a destination wedding in Spain. One night of heat, honesty, and chemistry that burned too bright to last.

But when Alejandra’s career—and identity—are shattered by a near-fatal accident, the one man she swore she wouldn’t need is the one who sees her most clearly. And when Callum realizes that walking away was the biggest mistake of his life, he has to decide whether love is worth diving back into—no matter the risk.

Above Water is a steamy, emotional, slow-burn romance about ambition, fear, healing, and choosing love when everything you thought defined you is stripped away.

Sometimes surviving isn’t enough.
Sometimes you have to learn how to breathe again.

410 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication July 14, 2026

About the author

I’m Elena, a blend of Cancer sensitivity, Virgo precision, and Aries fire.

My stories, infused with my love for the ocean, travel adventures, and anime, target readers craving excitement and intrigue.

My mission is to write adult fantasy romance with strong women and healthy relationships in vibrant, diverse worlds, making every reader feel seen and valued.

Books have always been my sanctuary, with Sarah J. Maas's "A Court of Thorns and Roses" reigniting my passion for reading and inspiring me to create my magical worlds.

Now based in Seville, Spain, I share my space with my two dogs, Eva and Nimbus, as I dive into self-publishing.

With a degree in Foreign Languages and five years as a yoga teacher, I've also launched The Bookish Studio, a creative agency for indie authors.

Reviews

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary:
Alexandra’s best friend, Sofia, is getting married to Ilias, and Alexandra is the maid of honor. An Olympic gold medalist and two-time USL surfing champion, she is determined to add even more titles to her name. Callum is attending the wedding while taking a much-needed break from his work as a financial advisor, hoping to avoid sinking deeper into burnout. He has harbored a crush on Alexandra ever since he began following her surfing career. They were only supposed to share one unforgettable night at the wedding in Spain—and nothing more. But when Alexandra suffers a near-fatal surfing accident, Callum becomes the only person who truly sees her and understands what she is going through. Forced to confront the memory of the choice they made to walk away from each other that night in Spain, both must decide whether they are finally ready to take a chance on love.

Thoughts:
● All of the different locations in this book are truly something else! The way Elena writes about them is so descriptive that I felt like I was right there. My travel bucket list has grown even more since finishing Above Water and The Salacia Project!
● The nerd trio! I loved them when we were first introduced to them in The Salacia Project, and now that one member of the group gets their own story, I LOVE IT.
● The tension leading up to the one-night stand… holy smokes 🔥🔥
● Callum—oh, how I love a British MMC. Even better, he fuels Alejandra’s love of books.
● The part about airport arrivals and departures really resonated with me. Both of my parents were in the military, and I felt this deeply as a child through all of the deployments.
● This is a beautiful story about strength, resilience, and determination as both MCs overcome hardships in their careers and family lives.
● I’m hoping we get more of Leif and Asma’s story someday, but I’m excited for anything Elena writes!!

Thank you Elena so much for an arc copy of Above Water. I LOVED Callum and Alejandra’s story and how they grow from their one night stand individually and together.

[Wendy Oak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Antes de nada, gracias de nuevo a Elena por enviarme un ARC de Above Water y por la oportunidad que me ha dado de leer el libro antes de su fecha de salida <3

Si ya disfruté Salacia Project muchísimo, este libro lo he disfrutado el doble. Alejandra y Callum me han parecido unos personajes muy realistas, y sus interacciones ME HAN TENIDO CHILLANDO desde el principio. Me ha gustado mucho lo humanos que son, cada uno con sus problemas que intentan superar, y gracias a estar juntos y al apoyo mutuo, lo consiguen. He sufrido con ambos también, sobre todo con Alejandra y su accidente!!! Me imaginaba lo que le estaba pasando en todo momento y dios, qué dolor! También me ha gustado que se haya incluido crítica política al libro y que se hablen de temas importantes de la actualidad (Ale, pienso igual que tú!!)

Y de nuevo, Elena lo ha BORDADO con la ambientación de la novela. Como en Salacia Project, los personajes van viajando a distintos lugares del mundo, y el trabajazo que hay detrás (documentación, saber describir...) me parece fantástico. Cuando leí la primera novela y fui viendo cómo la autora escribía esta y decía que habría representación andaluza, chillé mucho. Y LO BIEN DESCRITO QUE ESTÁ TODO. Creo que una de mis partes favoritas del libro es en la que van a la Feria de Abril de Sevilla, es que es PERFECTO!!!!!! Bueno, y las escenas en Conil... Gracias por representar Andalucía tan bien, Elena. Y como en la primera novela, en esta también hay una canción por capítulo, cosa que adoro muchísimo.

En este libro, el surf sigue siendo el deporte protagonista, y me gusta mucho porque es un deporte distinto y poco visto en libros (lo dije en la reseña de SP y lo digo aquí, necesitamos más surferos y surferas!!!!). Las escenas de Ale surfeando son 😙🤌

Y para terminar, tengo que decir que las escenas hot son buenísimas, me encanta la narración y la forma de la autora de escribirlas y es que PFFFFFF CALLUM te necesito. Bueno, y a Alejandra, necesito a los dos... En fin, la siguiente historia tiene una pinta increíble visto lo que se ha visto de la protagonista, y AAAAAAAAA necesito seguir leyendo esta serie!!!! Esta historia ha sido una de mis favoritas de lo que va de año, y ha reforzado mi pensamiento de que haber descubierto la pluma de Elena (y haberla conocido) ha sido una de las mejores cosas que me ha pasado este año. Ah, y he amado las apariciones de Sofía e Ilias 🥺. Todas a leer la serie Blue Mind!!

[Cozy Sabie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"How could she say that her greatest love - the ocean - had almost killed her and that she didn't know if she could ever trust it again?"

GENRE: Romance
RATING: 4.75/5
FORMAT: eBook ARC
Tropes: Olympic surfer FMC x Accountant MMC, Burnout, Spanish x Welsh, Cinnamon Roll MMC, Found Family, Life Altering Injury

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Review:
After reading and loving Salacia Project, I was so excited to read Above Water and dive into Alejandra's story and what a journey it was🥹

Both books are perfect to read for summer, with the setting and the vibes! Above Water is different than Salacia Project though, in that it tackles other themes and the dynamic between Alejandra and Callum was different than Sofia & Ilias (which definitely makes sense given how different Sofia and Alejandra are)

Above Water takes us on a journey of what it means to lose the thing you centre your identity around and how you learn to love yourself again after the loss. It's a different kind of grief, one that is about finding who you are and understanding that you are you, no matter what you do or where you live. This is mainly through Alejandra's POV but we get it with Callum too.

At the same time, it takes us on a journey to see how important our family are to us and what it means to have people surrounding you that love you unconditionally. I feel like both Callum and Alejandra's chapter dive into these themes and give us insight into how things change. We also get to focus on burn out and feeling like the thing you enjoyed doing as work no longer fits you through Callum's POV.

And their dynamic is SO cute and wholesome. Callum shows Alejandra that she can be loved just the way she is and Alejandra fully accepts Callum for who he is without wanting to change him. They both help each other mend old wounds and build a new life

I can't wait to read more in this universe and find out more about the other characters👀 I was provided a free advance reader copy and I’m sharing my honest thoughts.

[Emilie · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 𝒐𝒇 𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒓𝒄 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑨𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓.

Above Water - Elena Locatelli 🌊🏄‍♀️

❤️/5

First of all, I would like to thank the author for sending me an advance copy 🫶

Not long ago, I read Salacia Project, which introduced me to the author’s writing style as well as her universe, and I had already really enjoyed what I had read!! But with Above Water, I truly loved it, and the characters’ psychology was so well written too!!

Alejandra is a bit like all of us… After injuring her arm during a surfing competition, her dream is shattered. She then wonders who she really is without surfing. She faces intrusive thoughts and anxiety that prevent her from living life the way she wants ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

Callum also has his own struggles, but what stood out to me the most is how much of a green flag he is. He always respected Alejandra’s decisions, helping her recover after her convalescence, even while dealing with his own problems!!

If you are looking for a lighthearted summer romance but with psychologically complex characters, then this novel, as well as Salacia Project, is perfect for you!!
And as a bonus, you are shining a spotlight on an incredible indie author 🫶

I really loved the ending, and one passage in particular truly touched me ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

I really can’t wait to read the other books from the Blue Mind Series 🩵

[aims :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐️
Before diving into this review, I just want to preface that I was very fortunate to receive this book as I am a member of Elena’s content team.

I knew before going into this book that I was going to have an amazing time, because the snippets of Alejandra from Salacia Project already had me in love with her. Watching her journey and development throughout this book was so beautiful, and her connection with Callum was so pure and incredible. The men in this series so far are honestly raising the standards even higher, which I didn’t know was even possible, but they are the greenest of flags. The similarities in the experiences of Callum and Ale really helped their connection feel more authentic, and their relationship grew into such a beautiful, and amazing thing. Although I am definitely more attached to Sofia and Ilias, as they are what introduced me to Elena’s work, I still am in love with Ale and Callum.

I feel so grateful to have been able to receive this ARC and want to thank Elena for allowing me to be a part of her content team. The writing is so gripping and the characters are relatable and authentic. I cannot wait for this series to continue!

[Letizia Firmani · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t believe I’m lucky enough to read Elena’s work before everyone else. If you loved Salacia Project and found yourself wanting more from a certain side character, this is absolutely the book for you.

Don’t expect Alejandra’s journey to be easy, Elena never hands her characters anything without a fight, and honestly, I’m so glad she doesn’t. What I love most about Elena Locatelli’s storytelling is how effortlessly she handles heavy, emotional topics without ever losing the heart of the story.

This book will make you scream, laugh, swoon, and at some points, genuinely cry. And Callum? Damn. You’ll absolutely drool over him.

And he’ll call you a good girl for it, too.

A thousand stars.

[Emmy P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beta read of book two was 😭😭😭 so good! CALLUM, hearts in my eyes. Our babes were strong, and thoughtful, and every bit the hot sauce we know and love.

What an easy read for a summer season. I cannot wait for what is in store next. Thank you Elena for having me along for this journey. Above Water will look so good in print.