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The Challenge #1
Castaways
Olivia Bailey is up for The Challenge. Why the heck wouldn’t she be? With mariner qualifications piled high, engineering experience to rival someone twice her age, she’s ready to take on the mighty Pacific Ocean and win.
But what about her fellow crew? Five guys, four nationalities. A billionaire’s heir who likes to take charge in every aspect of life, an outback expert with a heart-stopping smile, a Spanish chef with mouthwatering moves and sexy twins who reveal themselves slowly, until it matters, then they act fast.
An adventure was what Olivia wanted, it’s certainly what she gets. Because things at sea happen in a heartbeat, friendships grow, tempers heat and desire flares. But what about when it all upends? When the unexpected happens? Will they pull together, or will fear drag the crew of Temptress apart?
But what about her fellow crew? Five guys, four nationalities. A billionaire’s heir who likes to take charge in every aspect of life, an outback expert with a heart-stopping smile, a Spanish chef with mouthwatering moves and sexy twins who reveal themselves slowly, until it matters, then they act fast.
An adventure was what Olivia wanted, it’s certainly what she gets. Because things at sea happen in a heartbeat, friendships grow, tempers heat and desire flares. But what about when it all upends? When the unexpected happens? Will they pull together, or will fear drag the crew of Temptress apart?
234 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 15, 2017
350 people are currently reading
686 people want to read
About the author
Lily Harlem
248 books686 followersMeet your next sexy as f*ck book boyfriend!
You'll love my Alpha male heroes and the women who (try to) tame them, so dive into my vast selection of steamy romances and be prepared to stay up late into the night being seduced by kinky dukes, hot hockey players, masterful Vikings and badass bikers. (To name a few!)
And to get you started, and my way of saying 'welcome to my world', grab a FREE ebook of your choice from my website www.lilyharlem.com
You'll love my Alpha male heroes and the women who (try to) tame them, so dive into my vast selection of steamy romances and be prepared to stay up late into the night being seduced by kinky dukes, hot hockey players, masterful Vikings and badass bikers. (To name a few!)
And to get you started, and my way of saying 'welcome to my world', grab a FREE ebook of your choice from my website www.lilyharlem.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
September 18, 2019
Olivia wanted an adventure, take on the Pacific Ocean as part of a sailing crew. As the lone female on a six member crew, she got a little more than she bargained, but she wasn’t complaining.
Lily Harlem’s CASTAWAYS starts out pretty good, and of course, we know where this is going, but she does NOT dump a puppy pile in our faces just yet. I like that aspect, let it build throughout the series and that twist at sea? Nice touch.
I think I wasn’t thrilled with the males all having a boys’ club meeting, deciding to share Olivia’s “favors.” No harm, no foul? Olivia is a hard-headed, strong woman, I liked her. I even liked the international boys’ club.
I just thought this was too predictable, nice, but not great. This IS a quick read that may be a good introduction to RH reads for many people. For me, it just needed a little more plot or something.
I received a complimentary copy from Lily Harlem. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Series: The Challenge - Book 1
Publisher: Lily Harlem (October 15, 2017)
Publication Date: October 15, 2017
Genre: Reverse Harem
Print Length: 202 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Lily Harlem’s CASTAWAYS starts out pretty good, and of course, we know where this is going, but she does NOT dump a puppy pile in our faces just yet. I like that aspect, let it build throughout the series and that twist at sea? Nice touch.
I think I wasn’t thrilled with the males all having a boys’ club meeting, deciding to share Olivia’s “favors.” No harm, no foul? Olivia is a hard-headed, strong woman, I liked her. I even liked the international boys’ club.
I just thought this was too predictable, nice, but not great. This IS a quick read that may be a good introduction to RH reads for many people. For me, it just needed a little more plot or something.
I received a complimentary copy from Lily Harlem. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Series: The Challenge - Book 1
Publisher: Lily Harlem (October 15, 2017)
Publication Date: October 15, 2017
Genre: Reverse Harem
Print Length: 202 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Want to read
February 13, 2018💝 FREE on Amazon today (2/13/2018)! 💝
Blurb:
Olivia Bailey is up for The Challenge. Why the heck wouldn’t she be? With mariner qualifications piled high, engineering experience to rival someone twice her age, she’s ready to take on the mighty Pacific Ocean and win.
But what about her fellow crew? Five guys, four nationalities. A billionaire’s heir who likes to take charge in every aspect of life, an outback expert with a heart-stopping smile, a Spanish chef with mouthwatering moves and sexy twins who reveal themselves slowly, until it matters, then they act fast.
An adventure was what Olivia wanted, it’s certainly what she gets. Because things at sea happen in a heartbeat, friendships grow, tempers heat and desire flares. But what about when it all upends? When the unexpected happens? Will they pull together, or will fear drag the crew of Temptress apart?
Blurb:
Olivia Bailey is up for The Challenge. Why the heck wouldn’t she be? With mariner qualifications piled high, engineering experience to rival someone twice her age, she’s ready to take on the mighty Pacific Ocean and win.
But what about her fellow crew? Five guys, four nationalities. A billionaire’s heir who likes to take charge in every aspect of life, an outback expert with a heart-stopping smile, a Spanish chef with mouthwatering moves and sexy twins who reveal themselves slowly, until it matters, then they act fast.
An adventure was what Olivia wanted, it’s certainly what she gets. Because things at sea happen in a heartbeat, friendships grow, tempers heat and desire flares. But what about when it all upends? When the unexpected happens? Will they pull together, or will fear drag the crew of Temptress apart?
January 28, 2022
I gave it four stars because there's a chance that I'm jaded because of my last series that I read but so far this book is being written in the third party so that's kind of annoying. It's being narrated instead of being point of view. I prefer point of view. The book was somewhat lagging and repetitive but I'm giving it another chance and I'm going to read the next book in the series. And if you guys know me well enough by now, you know if I invest the time into reading the next book that I'm probably going to finish the series.
July 25, 2018
2.75 Stars
MINOR SPOILERS THROUGHOUT:
I liked this book. There were a few plot twists that I did not see coming and there were certain aspects of it that I really enjoyed. I wish I would have liked it more though. There were times when I was bored and I wanted to put the book down which is one of the main reasons it didn't get a higher rating from me.
When I read RH, I tend to drift toward the contemporary section. I do this because, in RHs with paranormal/supernatural elements, something happens that makes the male characters magically not jealous of each other. I find this unrealistic and extremely annoying. With the contemporary RH section, an author can't magically get rid of the jealousy which is why I tend to look for RHs in that section.
Unfortunately with this book, Lily Harlem did the contemporary equivalent of that. She wrote the book in a way that made the male characters come to an agreement (without Olivia being present) to share her. Somehow this makes them not jealous of each other in any way and they are all suddenly willing to share a woman (that they met less than a week ago) with other men (that they also met less than a week ago). That is so unrealistic and I HATE when an author decides to include it in a contemporary RH. This is the main reason that my rating it so low.
On the positive side, I liked all of the male characters. They were each different in their own ways and each of them came off very unique to me. A negative with contemporary RH is that the male characters' personalities tend to blend together. That was definitely not a problem in this book and I feel like if Lily Harlem hadn't added the coming to an agreement trope, I would have continued the series. Unfortunately, she did use that trope and I will not be continuing.
MINOR SPOILERS THROUGHOUT:
I liked this book. There were a few plot twists that I did not see coming and there were certain aspects of it that I really enjoyed. I wish I would have liked it more though. There were times when I was bored and I wanted to put the book down which is one of the main reasons it didn't get a higher rating from me.
When I read RH, I tend to drift toward the contemporary section. I do this because, in RHs with paranormal/supernatural elements, something happens that makes the male characters magically not jealous of each other. I find this unrealistic and extremely annoying. With the contemporary RH section, an author can't magically get rid of the jealousy which is why I tend to look for RHs in that section.
Unfortunately with this book, Lily Harlem did the contemporary equivalent of that. She wrote the book in a way that made the male characters come to an agreement (without Olivia being present) to share her. Somehow this makes them not jealous of each other in any way and they are all suddenly willing to share a woman (that they met less than a week ago) with other men (that they also met less than a week ago). That is so unrealistic and I HATE when an author decides to include it in a contemporary RH. This is the main reason that my rating it so low.
On the positive side, I liked all of the male characters. They were each different in their own ways and each of them came off very unique to me. A negative with contemporary RH is that the male characters' personalities tend to blend together. That was definitely not a problem in this book and I feel like if Lily Harlem hadn't added the coming to an agreement trope, I would have continued the series. Unfortunately, she did use that trope and I will not be continuing.
October 27, 2017
I enjoyed this one, it has potential and i will read the next one
January 23, 2018
RH is a newer genre that I have been getting into.. and there have only been a few that really catch my attention.. This one wasn't terrible but it also wasn't great.
October 17, 2017
This was a unique and page-turning read. The plot of the book is strong, but it also lends perfectly to setting up the reverse harem element. Olivia is a strong, smart woman who knows what she wants, and it's intriguing to discover how things progress. Each of the guys are sexy, and have their own charms, but I suspect every reader will have their favourite/s - I certainly did. The bonus being - you don't have to root for anyone, because this is reverse harem - she gets with them all!
Overall, this is a book I'd definitely recommend for fans of reverse harem (or those open to trying something different within erotic romance) - I'm looking forward to checking out the next book in the series.
Overall, this is a book I'd definitely recommend for fans of reverse harem (or those open to trying something different within erotic romance) - I'm looking forward to checking out the next book in the series.
July 12, 2018
Rating: 3/5
Heat Rating: 3.5/5
Narrator Performance: 5/5
I found the story enjoyable but not too special. There were some parts of the plot that felt a bit incomplete to me. Plus it was quite predictable in my opinion.
This is considered a Reverse Harem book but the sex scenes are one on one with only two of the five guys. I'm sure that will change in future instalments though. Unfortunately the aforementioned scenes didn't feel too erotic to me.
The narrator was amazing. I really enjoyed hearing the different accents of the characters. I'm definitely eager to listen to more of her performances.
Heat Rating: 3.5/5
Narrator Performance: 5/5
I found the story enjoyable but not too special. There were some parts of the plot that felt a bit incomplete to me. Plus it was quite predictable in my opinion.
This is considered a Reverse Harem book but the sex scenes are one on one with only two of the five guys. I'm sure that will change in future instalments though. Unfortunately the aforementioned scenes didn't feel too erotic to me.
The narrator was amazing. I really enjoyed hearing the different accents of the characters. I'm definitely eager to listen to more of her performances.
December 29, 2018
Perhaps I am biased as a sailor, but this was pretty disappointing from that perspective. Also, this is the first in a series, and while there is a partial HFN, the story arc likely stretches across the rest of the series. There is a hidden bad guy out there somewhere.
The writing was solid, and the romantic aspects were "nice". It all could have been better.
I'll pass on the rest of the series, unless someone tells me that these improve quickly.
The writing was solid, and the romantic aspects were "nice". It all could have been better.
I'll pass on the rest of the series, unless someone tells me that these improve quickly.
February 17, 2022
It’s not that it was BAD. But it wasn’t GOOD either.
Like. The FMc is “beautiful. Sexy. Amazing. Smart”
But she’s not described and she does legit ONE THING that was “smart” and never anything “sexy” and it was All from her POV so it wasn’t very in depth with the men.
She has sex with three of five but the ONLY one I felt a connection with she wasn’t ever with.
It’s a FIVE PART series and I’ll not be moving on.
I can’t seem to find the will.
Much like this book skips anything meaningful or fun- I’ll skip the series.
Like. The FMc is “beautiful. Sexy. Amazing. Smart”
But she’s not described and she does legit ONE THING that was “smart” and never anything “sexy” and it was All from her POV so it wasn’t very in depth with the men.
She has sex with three of five but the ONLY one I felt a connection with she wasn’t ever with.
It’s a FIVE PART series and I’ll not be moving on.
I can’t seem to find the will.
Much like this book skips anything meaningful or fun- I’ll skip the series.
July 14, 2021
Okay. Nope.
Billionaires from LA do not use the word "reckon" in every other sentence.
People do not fall in love in three days time after not having any conversation about anything real.
I'm tapping out 157 pages in. I wanted to read this series after meeting Lucas, who is the only introverted, genuinely romantic character with depth. I can't though.
If you're into writing international characters, do not use Brit slang for all of them, that's fucking terrible and unrealistic. Do some research, because this was genuinely awful.
Billionaires from LA do not use the word "reckon" in every other sentence.
People do not fall in love in three days time after not having any conversation about anything real.
I'm tapping out 157 pages in. I wanted to read this series after meeting Lucas, who is the only introverted, genuinely romantic character with depth. I can't though.
If you're into writing international characters, do not use Brit slang for all of them, that's fucking terrible and unrealistic. Do some research, because this was genuinely awful.
February 26, 2018
The start of a new series from Lily and I cannot wait to read the others.
Olivia is a woman who knows her mind. She is picked to take part in 'The Challenge' by a billionaire. Sail across the Pacific Ocean from LA to Sydney, with an international crew of handsome men - why not? What can possibly go wrong.
Olivia is a woman who knows her mind. She is picked to take part in 'The Challenge' by a billionaire. Sail across the Pacific Ocean from LA to Sydney, with an international crew of handsome men - why not? What can possibly go wrong.
October 16, 2017
*fan girl screaming*
I was worried that due to the theme of the novel and my limited (aka nil) knowledge of sailing and being out at sea that I wouldn't be able to keep up - this was not the case at all. I really, really enjoyed this read and am super excited to see what is coming up next!
I was worried that due to the theme of the novel and my limited (aka nil) knowledge of sailing and being out at sea that I wouldn't be able to keep up - this was not the case at all. I really, really enjoyed this read and am super excited to see what is coming up next!
October 17, 2017
So fun!
Didn’t put it down from start to finish! Loved every part, and so glad we didn’t see any sharks for Raul’s sake and mine! *shivers* can’t wait to read the next one!
Didn’t put it down from start to finish! Loved every part, and so glad we didn’t see any sharks for Raul’s sake and mine! *shivers* can’t wait to read the next one!
March 28, 2021
I loved every word of it!
Five guys, one gal marooned on a deserted island. They have to pull together if they're to survive. Olivia finds herself falling for five very different, very sexy, kind hearted men who've all fallen for her in return and there's no way she can choose between them. Castaways book one in the Challenge series by Lily Harlem is a reverse harem novel that is exciting and tastefully written, together with great characters, it's an absolute must read. I loved every word of it and can't wait to read Tearaways the next book in the series.
Five guys, one gal marooned on a deserted island. They have to pull together if they're to survive. Olivia finds herself falling for five very different, very sexy, kind hearted men who've all fallen for her in return and there's no way she can choose between them. Castaways book one in the Challenge series by Lily Harlem is a reverse harem novel that is exciting and tastefully written, together with great characters, it's an absolute must read. I loved every word of it and can't wait to read Tearaways the next book in the series.
October 29, 2017
his is the first book I have read by Harlem, but as soon as I finished it I went to check our her backlist. I really like Olivia and her attitude, she is a strong heroine. Her guys, especially Lucas, as hot, and I likes how each other the guys brought something unique to the group. I can't wait for book 2 next week.
July 26, 2019
Definitely an entertaining read
Castaways was an entertaining introduction to this series. I definitely liked the characters and the plot. The latter did not really blow my mind so far, but I'm curious and want to continue to find out if we get that certain spark I'm missing plotwise.
Castaways was an entertaining introduction to this series. I definitely liked the characters and the plot. The latter did not really blow my mind so far, but I'm curious and want to continue to find out if we get that certain spark I'm missing plotwise.
June 7, 2018
Totally unexpected. This was such a good book. I could not judge where it was going to go and I totally enjoyed it. Definitely reading the next one.
March 10, 2019
very fun :)
August 18, 2025
When Olivia Bailey is selected for a world-crossing sailing challenge, she didn’t expect to be stranded on a deserted island with five extremely hot men. Castaways (The Challenge, Book 1) by Lily Harlem is as steamy as it is dramatic.
Castaways kicks off The Challenge series, followed by Tearaways, Runaways, Stowaways, Breakaways, and The Boys. This is a reverse-harem romance, so we have one FMC and five MMCs.
Castaway starts on a luxury yacht in a sailing competition, but after only a few nights at sea, there is a fire on the ship, and they have to evacuate to the life raft. They are then able to paddle to what appears to be a deserted tropical island, where they must survive with few supplies until they get rescued. There isn’t much tension or drama in this first book; it’s a nice, fluffy, low-drama read.
Our FMC is named Olivia. She is an engineer specializing in boat engines. We have our five MMCs: Harry (the billionaire’s son), Evan (Mr. Survivalist), Raul (the Spaniard), and the twins Mason and Lucas (the virgin?). I’m going to be honest, the author didn’t do a great job giving the MMs distinctive voices. It wasn’t until towards the end of the book that I had a clear idea of who was who. Evan and Harry have Alphahole tendencies and sometimes but heads, which requires Olivia to do the “Guys don’t fight over me” thing two or three times in the first book. The twins are pretty quiet and I suspect we get to know them better in later books. Raul was a bit of a racially ambiguous caricature (suave, “nut brown” skin, heavy accent, doesn’t understand English idioms).
I liked how all of the men are very respectful of consent but still play with power dynamics (at least in Harry’s case). I don’t usually like contemporary RH because it’s so hard to suspend belief that no one has a problem with Olivia having a harem of five men. Still, the deserted island helped sell the fantasy.
The deserted island created the perfect backdrop of intimacy, isolation, and intensity. The pacing of this novel was not for me; however, it was very insta-love with the main characters, and they got rescued way too fast for my liking. I prefer my RH series to have one book for getting to know each of the MMCs.
I was overwhelmed by the amount of description in this book. Especially in the first chapter, it seemed like every sentence had three adjectives. I felt like the book was pretty fun and light-hearted—no major drama or dust-ups. The only dark aspect of this book is a few paragraphs in the middle where we learn that Harry’s childhood best friend died of cancer recently, and he’s been struggling to cope. The spice is spicy. I’d give it 3/5 chill peppers. There is, however, no swords crossing, which was a bit of a letdown.
As far as this book’s strengths go, it has a pretty much instantly engaging premise and a lightning-quick pace. I read the whole book in a day. The ending of the book leaves me tempted to continue the series even though this wasn’t quite my taste. The hinting that Lucas might be a virgin has me considering reading more because I love me a virgin MMC.
Where this book could have done better is having a little more yearning and less insta love with all five men. It could have been instant love with one of them, but all five were too much. I feel like we weren’t getting to know these guys at all, and there was no dialogue or internal monologue, even of Olivia needing to wrap her head around the RH thing, the guys just lightly imply that they agreed to share, and that’s that. Another weakness is how easy they had it on the island and how quickly they were discovered.
I give Castaways 3.5/5 stars overall and 3/5 chili peppers for the spice. This book is perfect for someone who wants something light and fast-paced and enjoys contemporary romance. If you’re in the mood for insta-love, tender moments, and sandy beaches, Castaways is your next guilty pleasure.
Castaways kicks off The Challenge series, followed by Tearaways, Runaways, Stowaways, Breakaways, and The Boys. This is a reverse-harem romance, so we have one FMC and five MMCs.
Castaway starts on a luxury yacht in a sailing competition, but after only a few nights at sea, there is a fire on the ship, and they have to evacuate to the life raft. They are then able to paddle to what appears to be a deserted tropical island, where they must survive with few supplies until they get rescued. There isn’t much tension or drama in this first book; it’s a nice, fluffy, low-drama read.
Our FMC is named Olivia. She is an engineer specializing in boat engines. We have our five MMCs: Harry (the billionaire’s son), Evan (Mr. Survivalist), Raul (the Spaniard), and the twins Mason and Lucas (the virgin?). I’m going to be honest, the author didn’t do a great job giving the MMs distinctive voices. It wasn’t until towards the end of the book that I had a clear idea of who was who. Evan and Harry have Alphahole tendencies and sometimes but heads, which requires Olivia to do the “Guys don’t fight over me” thing two or three times in the first book. The twins are pretty quiet and I suspect we get to know them better in later books. Raul was a bit of a racially ambiguous caricature (suave, “nut brown” skin, heavy accent, doesn’t understand English idioms).
I liked how all of the men are very respectful of consent but still play with power dynamics (at least in Harry’s case). I don’t usually like contemporary RH because it’s so hard to suspend belief that no one has a problem with Olivia having a harem of five men. Still, the deserted island helped sell the fantasy.
The deserted island created the perfect backdrop of intimacy, isolation, and intensity. The pacing of this novel was not for me; however, it was very insta-love with the main characters, and they got rescued way too fast for my liking. I prefer my RH series to have one book for getting to know each of the MMCs.
I was overwhelmed by the amount of description in this book. Especially in the first chapter, it seemed like every sentence had three adjectives. I felt like the book was pretty fun and light-hearted—no major drama or dust-ups. The only dark aspect of this book is a few paragraphs in the middle where we learn that Harry’s childhood best friend died of cancer recently, and he’s been struggling to cope. The spice is spicy. I’d give it 3/5 chill peppers. There is, however, no swords crossing, which was a bit of a letdown.
As far as this book’s strengths go, it has a pretty much instantly engaging premise and a lightning-quick pace. I read the whole book in a day. The ending of the book leaves me tempted to continue the series even though this wasn’t quite my taste. The hinting that Lucas might be a virgin has me considering reading more because I love me a virgin MMC.
Where this book could have done better is having a little more yearning and less insta love with all five men. It could have been instant love with one of them, but all five were too much. I feel like we weren’t getting to know these guys at all, and there was no dialogue or internal monologue, even of Olivia needing to wrap her head around the RH thing, the guys just lightly imply that they agreed to share, and that’s that. Another weakness is how easy they had it on the island and how quickly they were discovered.
I give Castaways 3.5/5 stars overall and 3/5 chili peppers for the spice. This book is perfect for someone who wants something light and fast-paced and enjoys contemporary romance. If you’re in the mood for insta-love, tender moments, and sandy beaches, Castaways is your next guilty pleasure.
October 17, 2017
The Challenge is a cross-Pacific sailing adventure hosted by Vidal Industry. If a 5 man, 1 woman crew can successfully sail from California to Australia under Captain Harrison Vidal, his father will donate $5million to the charity of his choice. This once in a lifetime opportunity is the dream of Olivia Bailey. She finds well deserved success when she is chosen for the sail. She joins 5 guys from 4 nations; Evan Tate from Australia, Raul Santiago from Spain, the twins Mason and Lucas McCadam from Scotland, and Harrison Vidal from America. Each bring something special to the mission, each is heart-stoppingly gorgeous, and each is attracted to their female passenger. Let the Challenge begin!
This first book in a new reverse harem series is great fun! It's sexy, full of action, good conversations, romance, and danger. It's well-written and nicely paced. It has humor and a light-hearted appeal that I loved. The story line was thought out and the characters were nicely developed. The tensions, between the men's egos and between Olivia and the men were believable. The attractions were hot!
Olivia is a great female lead. Strong, smart, kind, beautiful; she's unconsciously competent. She's an equal to the men. Harrison is a man that expects to be obeyed, but he has more depth than a rich playboy. I want to explore his to-do list more! Raul is a sexy Spanish chef. His English vocabulary mistakes, his love of his knives, and his fear of sharks are hysterical. Evan is an outdoor god; fun-loving, and knowledgeable. His health and love of the earth is sexy. Mason is talkative and sweet and his twin Lucas is quiet and romantic. They are almost two parts of the same soul; I find this intriguing for later play. Each crew member is an accomplished sailor so the yacht, Temptress is in good hands. However, prepared and aware the crew is, fate steps in and the ship is in peril. The dream becomes a nightmare in minutes and their lives are on the line. However, this team is strong and they pull together.
Relationships move fast, but considering the circumstances this seems natural. The connections seem real and differ between Olivia and each of the men. They are all pretty great. Harrison and his kink, Raul and his romance, Evan and his sexiness, Mason and his concern, and Lucas...Lucas is everything I could ever want. He doesn't spare words, but the ones he uses are perfection. Incredibly romantic and sweet. I love this guy!
The action lasted until the very end and with the ending came a new unknown challenge. I can't wait!
This first book in a new reverse harem series is great fun! It's sexy, full of action, good conversations, romance, and danger. It's well-written and nicely paced. It has humor and a light-hearted appeal that I loved. The story line was thought out and the characters were nicely developed. The tensions, between the men's egos and between Olivia and the men were believable. The attractions were hot!
Olivia is a great female lead. Strong, smart, kind, beautiful; she's unconsciously competent. She's an equal to the men. Harrison is a man that expects to be obeyed, but he has more depth than a rich playboy. I want to explore his to-do list more! Raul is a sexy Spanish chef. His English vocabulary mistakes, his love of his knives, and his fear of sharks are hysterical. Evan is an outdoor god; fun-loving, and knowledgeable. His health and love of the earth is sexy. Mason is talkative and sweet and his twin Lucas is quiet and romantic. They are almost two parts of the same soul; I find this intriguing for later play. Each crew member is an accomplished sailor so the yacht, Temptress is in good hands. However, prepared and aware the crew is, fate steps in and the ship is in peril. The dream becomes a nightmare in minutes and their lives are on the line. However, this team is strong and they pull together.
Relationships move fast, but considering the circumstances this seems natural. The connections seem real and differ between Olivia and each of the men. They are all pretty great. Harrison and his kink, Raul and his romance, Evan and his sexiness, Mason and his concern, and Lucas...Lucas is everything I could ever want. He doesn't spare words, but the ones he uses are perfection. Incredibly romantic and sweet. I love this guy!
The action lasted until the very end and with the ending came a new unknown challenge. I can't wait!
October 20, 2017
“The wind would be their fuel. They’d eat when they were hungry, sleep when tired, and who knew what adventures they’d have along the way.”
Ever since Olivia heard about the Challenge, she wanted to be a part of it. And finally she was chosen to be one of the crew - a single girl among five men. The task was to sail from Los Angles to Sydney and if the Challenge was successful then five million pounds would be donated to charity.
Olivia wanted an adventure. Well, she sure got one.
After reading the synopsis I expected a story to take one specific route, but then it took a sudden turn and headed in a completely different direction and I liked that. I liked that the story surprised me and did it so unexpectedly.
I definitely liked the characters and that all of them were diverse. I sure as hell wouldn't mind getting to know all of them better in the next book.
I really appreciated how easy the relationship were. There were no arguments or jealousy or anything of the sort. It did seem kind of too easy sometimes, plus I would have liked to hear this "talk" between the guys, when they decided they all wanted Olivia, but oh well. You can't have everything.
Overall, I liked everything about the book. The writing was really smooth and the story easy to read. Can't wait for the next book and see what happens there.
September 12, 2018
This was one of the top results as a reverse harem romance, but I guess it's a slow, but sort of fast burn. It's almost instalove with Olivia and the rest of her shipmates before they get shipwrecked, but the erotic scenes were only with her with one man and only 2 of the characters. There was another scene with another character, but they don't actually have sex.
The book is almost too easy. There is very little drama aside from the ship wreck. They land on a paradise island with almost no threats and plenty of food and are shortly rescued and brought back home. The ending is almost wrapped up too quickly to make room for the sequel. The guys don't fight over her at all. These are total strangers that are thrown together on a ship and they all seem to come to this arrangement that everyone is free to have sex with Olivia and they just don't care about it.
I guess it might have created more tension and made the book a little more suspenseful if they were stranded on the island and didn't find things like water and food so easily. Or if the men actually fought over her. It's weird to have 5 men with one woman and no one of them gets jealous. I was also expecting a scene where they finally all get together at the end, but that never happened. They are rescued and I guess that's being saved for later books
The book is almost too easy. There is very little drama aside from the ship wreck. They land on a paradise island with almost no threats and plenty of food and are shortly rescued and brought back home. The ending is almost wrapped up too quickly to make room for the sequel. The guys don't fight over her at all. These are total strangers that are thrown together on a ship and they all seem to come to this arrangement that everyone is free to have sex with Olivia and they just don't care about it.
I guess it might have created more tension and made the book a little more suspenseful if they were stranded on the island and didn't find things like water and food so easily. Or if the men actually fought over her. It's weird to have 5 men with one woman and no one of them gets jealous. I was also expecting a scene where they finally all get together at the end, but that never happened. They are rescued and I guess that's being saved for later books
January 6, 2018
I'm new to the Reverse Harem genre but after reading the first book in this series I am hooked! Let's just say, I'm SO glad there's another instalment.
Olivia is part of a crew aboard a sailboat from the US to Australia, she is the only woman and the other members are all hunky men ready to do anything for each other (especially her). I was genuinely taken by surprise at one of the plot twists and loved the evolving relationships between the Challenge crew. I don't want to give the story away but the sailing details are brilliant, I felt like the author must know a lot. I felt safe in her hands.
Fantastic start to a series and I've already finished the next book, Tearaways.
Olivia is part of a crew aboard a sailboat from the US to Australia, she is the only woman and the other members are all hunky men ready to do anything for each other (especially her). I was genuinely taken by surprise at one of the plot twists and loved the evolving relationships between the Challenge crew. I don't want to give the story away but the sailing details are brilliant, I felt like the author must know a lot. I felt safe in her hands.
Fantastic start to a series and I've already finished the next book, Tearaways.
June 8, 2019
I was so excited to read this book since I was dying to read a good lost on an island book with some hot men but this book didn’t 100% do it for me ... I liked the idea this girl who was all I am not here for the men and I’m independent and can do anything they can do really started to depend on them within what like 4 days .... I don’t know it felt rushed I liked the characters or I would of if I got to know them more not just her bing like I like them all I want them all hope there no jealousy .... wanted more substance... but maybe it would gotten better in the series but I just not 100% into reading anymore of them right now ....
October 16, 2017
This has to be one of the best books I have read this year. With a fantastically well written and different storyline it got my blood pumping from the get go
Olivia has been sailing all her life and there is nothing she loves more. Chosen to take part in the challenge with Spanish Raul, Aussie Evan, Scottish twins
Lucas and Mason and American Harry, this is an adventure of a lifetime
With excitement, danger, romance and steam, I found this to be a superb read and I need to read book two asap, I very highly recommend this book
Olivia has been sailing all her life and there is nothing she loves more. Chosen to take part in the challenge with Spanish Raul, Aussie Evan, Scottish twins
Lucas and Mason and American Harry, this is an adventure of a lifetime
With excitement, danger, romance and steam, I found this to be a superb read and I need to read book two asap, I very highly recommend this book
October 27, 2017
I absolutely loved this book. The story was unique and different, not some overplayed "same old, same old" plot. The characters had depth and chemistry; there were descriptions without becoming boring, slowly working in everything you need to know. And the dialogue was smooth, not awkward or choppy.
And of course, there were a few steamy scenes that leave you wanting more (in a good way)! They were sexy and hot! They did not come off at all skeevy. Of course, it's reverse harem, so each guy has his own style.
I can't wait to start the next book!
And of course, there were a few steamy scenes that leave you wanting more (in a good way)! They were sexy and hot! They did not come off at all skeevy. Of course, it's reverse harem, so each guy has his own style.
I can't wait to start the next book!
January 6, 2018
Great read!!!
Castaways was a great read!! There was both good character development along with a few steamy scenes. You knew something bad was going to happen but the way that it was handled was great. The characters back stories were mentioned but you just got a taste that left you wanting more. I found myself surprised when I reached the end of the book, I hadn't realized how fast I had read it. I love it and feel lucky I can move on to the next book to see what is goi g to happen next.
Castaways was a great read!! There was both good character development along with a few steamy scenes. You knew something bad was going to happen but the way that it was handled was great. The characters back stories were mentioned but you just got a taste that left you wanting more. I found myself surprised when I reached the end of the book, I hadn't realized how fast I had read it. I love it and feel lucky I can move on to the next book to see what is goi g to happen next.
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