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Break the Surface: A Small Town Hurt/Comfort MM Romance
He came to the coast to disappear. The local rescue captain has other plans.Elliot Voss used to play in front of thousands. Now, a career-ending knee injury has left the former professional soccer player with a permanent limp and a life completely off course. Retreating to the sleepy coastal town of Saltwind Bay, Elliot plans to spend his days avoiding people, ignoring his physical therapy, and figuring out how to exist when his body has betrayed him.
Then he meets Kai Nakamura.
Kai is the head of the local volunteer coastline rescue team. He’s hyper-competent, impossibly observant, and carries the weight of the entire town on his shoulders. He also has a habit of quietly taking care of strays—and he’s decided to leave the door open for Elliot.
Despite Elliot's best efforts to remain miserable, Kai pulls him into the orbit of the town without ever pushing his boundaries. Between early morning coffee runs, woodworking lessons, and the quiet chaos of the rescue headquarters, Elliot's carefully constructed walls begin to crack. But Kai is hiding his own exhaustion behind a mask of endless capability, terrified of what might happen if he ever stops moving and asks for help.
As the Oregon coast storm season rolls in, both men will have to learn that the bravest thing you can do isn't surviving alone. It's letting someone else hold the line.
Break the Surface is a slow-burn, hurt/comfort MM romance featuring an injured athlete, a hyper-competent rescue captain, a three-legged golden retriever, and a small town that feels like a warm hug. It is Book 1 in the Coastline Rescue series (and the wider Saltwind Bay Universe) but can be read as a complete standalone.
Content This book contains steamy, open-door romance and is intended for mature readers. It also features themes of a career-ending sports injury and a brief water rescue scene. Consistent with the Saltwind Bay Universe rules, this story contains zero homophobia, no cheating, no third-act breakup, and a guaranteed Happily Ever After.
Then he meets Kai Nakamura.
Kai is the head of the local volunteer coastline rescue team. He’s hyper-competent, impossibly observant, and carries the weight of the entire town on his shoulders. He also has a habit of quietly taking care of strays—and he’s decided to leave the door open for Elliot.
Despite Elliot's best efforts to remain miserable, Kai pulls him into the orbit of the town without ever pushing his boundaries. Between early morning coffee runs, woodworking lessons, and the quiet chaos of the rescue headquarters, Elliot's carefully constructed walls begin to crack. But Kai is hiding his own exhaustion behind a mask of endless capability, terrified of what might happen if he ever stops moving and asks for help.
As the Oregon coast storm season rolls in, both men will have to learn that the bravest thing you can do isn't surviving alone. It's letting someone else hold the line.
Break the Surface is a slow-burn, hurt/comfort MM romance featuring an injured athlete, a hyper-competent rescue captain, a three-legged golden retriever, and a small town that feels like a warm hug. It is Book 1 in the Coastline Rescue series (and the wider Saltwind Bay Universe) but can be read as a complete standalone.
Content This book contains steamy, open-door romance and is intended for mature readers. It also features themes of a career-ending sports injury and a brief water rescue scene. Consistent with the Saltwind Bay Universe rules, this story contains zero homophobia, no cheating, no third-act breakup, and a guaranteed Happily Ever After.
278 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 11, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
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April 21, 2026This was a quiet, introspective romance, driven more by description than dialogue. I quite liked the immersive atmosphere and the setting, as well as the characters. It also hit particularly hard with its grounding in the body not through desire but through ability, and as someone going through a renegotiation of that I really found it moving.
March 19, 2026
This is Book 1 of the Coastline Rescue series. And a wonderful start it is! Look forward to more from this world.
'Break the Surface is a slow-burn, hurt/comfort MM romance featuring an injured athlete, a hyper-competent rescue captain, a three-legged golden retriever, and a small town that feels like a warm hug.'
The characters drove the storyline and they were so very appealing and likeable and complicated and perfectly steamy together. Plot was intriguing and intense and well paced. World building was solidly drawn and impressive. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.
Grab a copy, kick back and enjoy!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
'Break the Surface is a slow-burn, hurt/comfort MM romance featuring an injured athlete, a hyper-competent rescue captain, a three-legged golden retriever, and a small town that feels like a warm hug.'
The characters drove the storyline and they were so very appealing and likeable and complicated and perfectly steamy together. Plot was intriguing and intense and well paced. World building was solidly drawn and impressive. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.
Grab a copy, kick back and enjoy!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 18, 2026
Kai takes care of everything and everyone, petrified that he will be left alone. Elliot is struggling after a career ending injury, which still causes too much pain and has left him unable to move forward. I particularly appreciated how both MCs were so observant of everything around them and how they could see patterns and systems in people and the sea. There were a lot of beautifully quiet moments and unspoken yet clearly deep feelings.
Thanks for the advance copy via Booksprout, I am happy to leave a voluntary review.
Thanks for the advance copy via Booksprout, I am happy to leave a voluntary review.
April 1, 2026
This is about a broken man who has given up and the man who won't let him. I really enjoyed this book.
October 10, 2026
An achingly slow burn of a book — and a romance — but well worth it. Hayes really seems to understand surfing, and the water, too.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews