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Cruising #2
Ashore
Cruising, Book #2
After being inseparable on their cruise, Andrew Wentz and Eric Schofield aren’t ready to be apart yet. At the very last minute, Andrew takes Eric up on the offer to spend another two weeks together, this time in Rome.
As soon as there’s no turning back, though, both men start having second thoughts. Are they moving too fast? Are they getting too attached? As they explore Italy, the connection between them grows, but those second thoughts aren’t going away either. Plus Eric feels guilty for asking Andrew to put his life on hold for two weeks, and Andrew wonders if he’ll regret delaying his job hunt.
But could it be worth it? Could two weeks be long enough for this thing to go from vacation fling to something that both men have been missing for way too long?
This transgender gay romance is 48,000 words.
After being inseparable on their cruise, Andrew Wentz and Eric Schofield aren’t ready to be apart yet. At the very last minute, Andrew takes Eric up on the offer to spend another two weeks together, this time in Rome.
As soon as there’s no turning back, though, both men start having second thoughts. Are they moving too fast? Are they getting too attached? As they explore Italy, the connection between them grows, but those second thoughts aren’t going away either. Plus Eric feels guilty for asking Andrew to put his life on hold for two weeks, and Andrew wonders if he’ll regret delaying his job hunt.
But could it be worth it? Could two weeks be long enough for this thing to go from vacation fling to something that both men have been missing for way too long?
This transgender gay romance is 48,000 words.
192 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 15, 2018
13 people are currently reading
117 people want to read
About the author
L.A. Witt
218 books2,724 followersL.A. Witt and her husband have been exiled from Spain and sent to live in Maine because rhymes are fun. She now divides her time between writing, assuring people she is aware that Maine is cold, wondering where to put her next tattoo, and trying to reason with a surly Maine coon. Rumor has it her arch nemesis, Lauren Gallagher, is also somewhere in the wilds of New England, which is why L.A. is also spending a portion of her time training a team of spec ops lobsters.
Authors Ann Gallagher and Lori A. Witt have been asked to assist in lobster training, but they "have books to write" and "need to focus on our careers" and "don't you think this rivalry has gotten a little out of hand?" They're probably just helping Lauren raise her army of squirrels trained to ride moose into battle.
Visit her website at http://www.gallagherwitt.com/.
Authors Ann Gallagher and Lori A. Witt have been asked to assist in lobster training, but they "have books to write" and "need to focus on our careers" and "don't you think this rivalry has gotten a little out of hand?" They're probably just helping Lauren raise her army of squirrels trained to ride moose into battle.
Visit her website at http://www.gallagherwitt.com/.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 5, 2018
4 Stars
Ashore is the second book in L.A. Witt’s Cruising trilogy and is a direct continuation of book one (Adrift). As such, I would not recommend this be read as a standalone.
The story dives in exactly where Adrift left off, with MCs Eric and Andrew making an impulsive decision to continue the holiday fling they began on their cruise, this time with the plans to spend two more blissful and exploratory weeks together in Rome.
This series continues to be a lovely, angst-lite read, following two guys who can’t help but fall in love even when the realities of their lives back home in the US weigh on their minds at every turn (i.e. jobs, distance, recent failed relationships, etc.).
In this sequel, Andrew and Eric get to know one another on a deeper emotional level. They also begin experimenting more in the bedroom now that they’ve truly established a solid friendship and a higher level of trust. It was all very tender and passionate, and once again, I really liked how the trans element was represented and explored here.
Eric and Andrew spend a lot of the story silently questioning their own feelings, focusing a lot on the short time span in which they’ve known one another and considering the realistic impact that could have on their chances of making it as a couple going forward. Their thoughts and worries were rehashed a lot, but it all seemed very realistic to me considering the situation they were in. Even after contemplating all the pros and cons of making what they have last beyond their holiday, I was so very glad to see they were both willing to take big risks and put their hearts on the line for what they shared and could share in the future.
One element of this story that I greatly enjoyed involved the in-depth descriptions given of all the extensive travel and sightseeing Eric and Andrew experienced while in Italy. The vivid detail of the places visited and the reactions felt by both characters was so bang on to the real thing. The places, the people, the food, and even the weather, was so richly depicted that readers (like me) who have been to Italy before will have their fondest memories revived, and those who haven’t been will surely be fascinated and enticed to go.
Eric and Andrew are undoubtedly super sweet and super sexy together which made for a nice breezy romantic read. Their connection is effortless and it’s not hard to imagine them turning what was initially a holiday fling into something worthwhile and lasting, despite the obstacles still faced.
Their story may have finished on another open-ended note, but it was a positive and hopeful note, and I’m definitely eager to see what comes next for these two lovely characters. I have no doubt that when all is said and done Eric and Andrew will get the happy ending they so deserve.
Ashore is the second book in L.A. Witt’s Cruising trilogy and is a direct continuation of book one (Adrift). As such, I would not recommend this be read as a standalone.
The story dives in exactly where Adrift left off, with MCs Eric and Andrew making an impulsive decision to continue the holiday fling they began on their cruise, this time with the plans to spend two more blissful and exploratory weeks together in Rome.
This series continues to be a lovely, angst-lite read, following two guys who can’t help but fall in love even when the realities of their lives back home in the US weigh on their minds at every turn (i.e. jobs, distance, recent failed relationships, etc.).
In this sequel, Andrew and Eric get to know one another on a deeper emotional level. They also begin experimenting more in the bedroom now that they’ve truly established a solid friendship and a higher level of trust. It was all very tender and passionate, and once again, I really liked how the trans element was represented and explored here.
Eric and Andrew spend a lot of the story silently questioning their own feelings, focusing a lot on the short time span in which they’ve known one another and considering the realistic impact that could have on their chances of making it as a couple going forward. Their thoughts and worries were rehashed a lot, but it all seemed very realistic to me considering the situation they were in. Even after contemplating all the pros and cons of making what they have last beyond their holiday, I was so very glad to see they were both willing to take big risks and put their hearts on the line for what they shared and could share in the future.
One element of this story that I greatly enjoyed involved the in-depth descriptions given of all the extensive travel and sightseeing Eric and Andrew experienced while in Italy. The vivid detail of the places visited and the reactions felt by both characters was so bang on to the real thing. The places, the people, the food, and even the weather, was so richly depicted that readers (like me) who have been to Italy before will have their fondest memories revived, and those who haven’t been will surely be fascinated and enticed to go.
Eric and Andrew are undoubtedly super sweet and super sexy together which made for a nice breezy romantic read. Their connection is effortless and it’s not hard to imagine them turning what was initially a holiday fling into something worthwhile and lasting, despite the obstacles still faced.
Their story may have finished on another open-ended note, but it was a positive and hopeful note, and I’m definitely eager to see what comes next for these two lovely characters. I have no doubt that when all is said and done Eric and Andrew will get the happy ending they so deserve.
July 21, 2024
This book takes up where Adrift, book #1, leaves off, so it is best to read that one before this one. Andrew and Eric are getting closer in their personal relationship and in just getting to know who they each are as an individual. They also begin experimenting more with what they each need from the other and are now established in a solid friendship that is headed for much more. I also really liked how the transgender element was presented and explored more in this story.
Eric and Andrew spend a lot of the story silently questioning their own feelings, focusing a lot on how short the time span has been that they’ve known one another and concerting the realistic impact it could have on their chances of making it work as a couple going forward. Their thoughts and worries were rehashed more than they needed to be, but it all seemed very realistic when you consider the situation they were in and that they live on opposite sides of the U.S. Even after presenting and questioning all the pros and cons of making what they have last beyond their holiday trip, it was good to see they were both willing to take that BIG risk and put their hearts on the line for what they shared and had the chance to continue to share in the future.
One thing that I also liked about this story was the descriptions given of all the sightseeing places that Eric and Andrew experienced while in Italy. Such vivid details of the places visited, and the reactions felt by each of them was beyond real. The places, the people, the food, and even the weather, was depicted so that readers who have never been to Italy before will be fascinated and enticed to perhaps visit.
The characters of Eric and Andrew were perfect for this sweet, romantic read. Their connection was absolutely effortless from the very first time they met so it’s not hard to imagine them turning what was initially just a holiday fling, into something beautiful, worthwhile and lasting...all these things despite the obstacles they still face. Their story finished rather "open-ended" but it was still on a positive and hopeful note. I sincerely hope that L.A. Witt will allow us to see what comes next for these two characters. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the happy ending they so richly deserve. Another great one, Ms. Witt
Eric and Andrew spend a lot of the story silently questioning their own feelings, focusing a lot on how short the time span has been that they’ve known one another and concerting the realistic impact it could have on their chances of making it work as a couple going forward. Their thoughts and worries were rehashed more than they needed to be, but it all seemed very realistic when you consider the situation they were in and that they live on opposite sides of the U.S. Even after presenting and questioning all the pros and cons of making what they have last beyond their holiday trip, it was good to see they were both willing to take that BIG risk and put their hearts on the line for what they shared and had the chance to continue to share in the future.
One thing that I also liked about this story was the descriptions given of all the sightseeing places that Eric and Andrew experienced while in Italy. Such vivid details of the places visited, and the reactions felt by each of them was beyond real. The places, the people, the food, and even the weather, was depicted so that readers who have never been to Italy before will be fascinated and enticed to perhaps visit.
The characters of Eric and Andrew were perfect for this sweet, romantic read. Their connection was absolutely effortless from the very first time they met so it’s not hard to imagine them turning what was initially just a holiday fling, into something beautiful, worthwhile and lasting...all these things despite the obstacles they still face. Their story finished rather "open-ended" but it was still on a positive and hopeful note. I sincerely hope that L.A. Witt will allow us to see what comes next for these two characters. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the happy ending they so richly deserve. Another great one, Ms. Witt
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August 16, 2018Available now.
July 25, 2021
I'm not sure this was even quite 3 stars for me because I found it quite boring and a lot of inner dialogue worrying by both main characters instead of them just freaking talking. Can't bring myself to give it less though since there was nothing I specific hated about it.
September 27, 2018
Picking up where Adrift (the first book in the series) left off, Andrew and Eric are now in Rome to spend the next two weeks seeing the sights and spending a bit more time together after the cruise. Andrew is still worrying about getting a job, but he tries his best to balance having fun with Eric and putting out resumes in hope of not wasting all his time. But as the two weeks wind down it is inevitable that both men increasingly wonder where this vacation fling will go. Will they continue on in a long-distance relationship? Will Andrew move to Seattle? Will they split and never see each other again? Neither of them knows…
Like Adrift, this book has a vacation-vibe to it. Eric and Andrew roam around Rome — and the surrounding areas — checking out the sights. There are the obvious ones, like the Colosseum, as well as smaller venues to visit. It is a very relaxed story, only really moved forward by the ticking clock of their departure. The tourist attractions are half of the pleasure of these two books. There is a definite sense of personal experience about these places, and the writing makes it easy to immerse yourself in them as well. Even if the reader has never stepped a foot in Italy.
The other half is clearly the relationship growing between Andrew and Eric. I have really enjoyed the sweetness of it, but also how it pulls off a sense of reality. Unlike some other romance stories that focus such a short timeframe from meet-cute to I-Love-Yous, Ashore lets the characters have realistic doubts about the stability of a long-term relationship based on such an out of the norm beginning. By the end of this book the characters have known each other for less than a month, and while love is clearly there, that does not mean that Eric and Andrew ignore the chances that a relationship outside the bounds of their vacation might have. Having them face up to those odds, risking heartbreak sooner or later, is what makes these two work so well for me.
There is no saying which way things will fall by the end of this three-story arc — the yet to be published final book will no doubt eventually answer that question — but like the previous book, readers are left with enough of a resolution to tide them over. Nothing is certain except their feelings for each other, but at this point in their story I am quite content with that.
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
Like Adrift, this book has a vacation-vibe to it. Eric and Andrew roam around Rome — and the surrounding areas — checking out the sights. There are the obvious ones, like the Colosseum, as well as smaller venues to visit. It is a very relaxed story, only really moved forward by the ticking clock of their departure. The tourist attractions are half of the pleasure of these two books. There is a definite sense of personal experience about these places, and the writing makes it easy to immerse yourself in them as well. Even if the reader has never stepped a foot in Italy.
The other half is clearly the relationship growing between Andrew and Eric. I have really enjoyed the sweetness of it, but also how it pulls off a sense of reality. Unlike some other romance stories that focus such a short timeframe from meet-cute to I-Love-Yous, Ashore lets the characters have realistic doubts about the stability of a long-term relationship based on such an out of the norm beginning. By the end of this book the characters have known each other for less than a month, and while love is clearly there, that does not mean that Eric and Andrew ignore the chances that a relationship outside the bounds of their vacation might have. Having them face up to those odds, risking heartbreak sooner or later, is what makes these two work so well for me.
There is no saying which way things will fall by the end of this three-story arc — the yet to be published final book will no doubt eventually answer that question — but like the previous book, readers are left with enough of a resolution to tide them over. Nothing is certain except their feelings for each other, but at this point in their story I am quite content with that.
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
September 29, 2018
Which way is the right way?
Standing on terra firms solidifies some emotions but there is fear in speaking up too soon. The ending is a reflection of second chances many of us are given...the fork in the road is literally just that!
Standing on terra firms solidifies some emotions but there is fear in speaking up too soon. The ending is a reflection of second chances many of us are given...the fork in the road is literally just that!
August 29, 2018
Not much happened in this book, and I honestly found myself bored and wanting to skim ahead.
What was good about this book is that 1) it nudges the couple towards a HEA from a HFN (but we're not there yet, ergo book #3); 2) there's a lot of great description of Rome from a tourist's POV, so if you like travelogue fiction, you're in luck; 3) they explore new territory in the bedroom.
Otherwise, you have two nice, sensible guys who find each other, are insecure about whether they are moving too fast, and angst about holding hands in public in a foreign country. No major conflict, therefore not much of a romance novel.
What was good about this book is that 1) it nudges the couple towards a HEA from a HFN (but we're not there yet, ergo book #3); 2) there's a lot of great description of Rome from a tourist's POV, so if you like travelogue fiction, you're in luck; 3) they explore new territory in the bedroom.
Otherwise, you have two nice, sensible guys who find each other, are insecure about whether they are moving too fast, and angst about holding hands in public in a foreign country. No major conflict, therefore not much of a romance novel.
December 9, 2018
What a boring read!! I found myself wandering off and skimming a lot.
But.... if you're looking for a tourist guide to Rome, pick up this book. In fact book 1 was also a bit of a travel guide. It looks like the author made a the trip herself and felt like she should write a travel journal.
In between all the travel reporting there is some to read about Andrew and Eric and there budding feelings toward each other.
The story ends with a HFN with a tentative HEA in their future.
Part of a 3-book series that has to be read in order:
The Cruising Trilogy
June 2, 2021
This was underwhelming which is absolutely tragic since I loved the first one so much. This book essentially picks up immediately where the first one stopped and just dragged on and on. It's only 150 pages but took be ages to read it felt like. It covers the span of their vacation and was just the same thing over and over and both of them knowing individually that they had lots of feelings for the other but neither of them admitting those to the other until the very last pages of the book. I was just bored.
It looks like this was supposed to be a trilogy but I don't think the last book is gonna be published. The update was in 2018 and nothing has happened since and this author publishes multiple books a year. I'm sad their won't be a conclusion but also not overly worked up about it.
rep: transgender man MC, gay MC
It looks like this was supposed to be a trilogy but I don't think the last book is gonna be published. The update was in 2018 and nothing has happened since and this author publishes multiple books a year. I'm sad their won't be a conclusion but also not overly worked up about it.
rep: transgender man MC, gay MC
March 7, 2022
This is book 2 of the Cruising series. It is the continuation of Adrift (book 1). Following Andrew and Eric in Rome.
While I found this a bit boring and a few parts repetitive (tourist gelato). It wasn’t bad overall. I did skim a lot because I was tired of the in depth descriptions of locations and inner dialogue. I even skimmed some of the intimate scenes because it was same same same. Yes, I get they are compatible in bed and like each other physically. More dialogue please.
That being said I want to know when Afloat (book 3 and conclusion) is going to be out?! I need closure.
While I found this a bit boring and a few parts repetitive (tourist gelato). It wasn’t bad overall. I did skim a lot because I was tired of the in depth descriptions of locations and inner dialogue. I even skimmed some of the intimate scenes because it was same same same. Yes, I get they are compatible in bed and like each other physically. More dialogue please.
That being said I want to know when Afloat (book 3 and conclusion) is going to be out?! I need closure.
January 9, 2020
Beautiful.
Having met on a two week cruise, Eric and Andrew didn't want to let go just yet, so Andrew took a leap and accompanied Eric to Rome for two weeks more. Their time in Rome was idyllic and they became even closer. But all too soon, that magical vacation came to an end. They parted at the airport with sweet promises. I'm looking forward to the conclusion in book 3. L A Witt has written a compelling series and with sensitivity in creating Eric, a trans man.
Having met on a two week cruise, Eric and Andrew didn't want to let go just yet, so Andrew took a leap and accompanied Eric to Rome for two weeks more. Their time in Rome was idyllic and they became even closer. But all too soon, that magical vacation came to an end. They parted at the airport with sweet promises. I'm looking forward to the conclusion in book 3. L A Witt has written a compelling series and with sensitivity in creating Eric, a trans man.
July 6, 2020
Here Andrew & Eric are travelling in Rome together for two weeks, after meeting & having fun together on a cruise (in book 1).
I like their story. In both the first & second book, there’s some talk about Andrew’s future job search (esp. in the second book), but I would have liked them to also talk about Eric’s journey as a trans man. It is a nice story, though.
I like their story. In both the first & second book, there’s some talk about Andrew’s future job search (esp. in the second book), but I would have liked them to also talk about Eric’s journey as a trans man. It is a nice story, though.
January 2, 2019
Starts up right where Adrift leaves off. As Eric and Andrew wander around Rome and other southern areas of Italy they realize just how perfect they are together. Will they tell each other what they are thinking and how they feel....
October 26, 2020
As someone who's found a new long-term boyfriend while on holiday not once but twice, I can relate to this story so much. The characters question their choices and what will happen when they have to separate after their vacation.
The descriptions of Rome are beautiful and the author did a good job painting a vivid picture of Italy. The second half of the book was definitely stronger than the somewhat uninteresting beginning. Overall it's a good sequel, just a tad weaker than ADRIFT. A third and final book is planned.
The descriptions of Rome are beautiful and the author did a good job painting a vivid picture of Italy. The second half of the book was definitely stronger than the somewhat uninteresting beginning. Overall it's a good sequel, just a tad weaker than ADRIFT. A third and final book is planned.
February 19, 2020
loved this story and couple so much!
November 4, 2023
I LOVE THEM IM SO SAD THIS SERIES ISNT COMPLETE YET I NEED THE NEXT BOOK
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews