Cutback

by Sam Kelly

Cade Bernhardt has spent every Christmas since he was born in his grandparents’ coastal California beach town. Christmas didn’t smell like pine needles and hot chocolate; it smelled like saltwater and sunscreen, driftwood fires and seashells straight from the ocean.

Christmas was the time when everyone was together. Every year was the same—the same traditions, the same beach days, the same family dinners. Cade thought this year would be no different; however, he was quickly proven wrong when he found himself in love for the first time, caught between the golden surfer boy and a familiar yet dangerous option.

But this Christmas, one fantastic and terrible Christmas, the more everything changes, the more Cade realizes that fairytale endings are hard to find. For Cade, love is pain, and he is drowning in it, all while navigating rising family tensions, secrets, and the threat of his family finding out his own destructive secret.

244 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 25, 2026

About the author

Sam Kelly is a current high school student in New York who published his debut novel, Cutback, at 16 years old. Outside of writing, Sam loves theatre, traveling, and the outdoors. He has an avid love for creativity, and is demonstrated through his writing of his novel and poems as well as acting. His experiences having a home/family in California have inspired and influenced parts of his new novel, which he is thrilled to share with everyone.

He is looking forward to writing more stories and seeing how this new chapter of his life plays out. To stay updated, enjoy sneak peaks, BTS, and more, follow @cutbackthenovel on both Instagram and TikTok.

Reviews

[Logan Moore]

I really loved Cutback! The story was so good and kept me interested the whole time. The suspense made me want to keep reading because I always wanted to know what was going to happen next. Every time I thought I could put it down, I found myself wanting to go back for more.

I got really invested in the characters and the story, and I honestly didn’t want it to end. This was definitely a 5-star read for me, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves suspense and a good story!