Beach Thing- a Black Diamond Romance by DL White
A Review By: SY
Two worlds collide on Black Diamond Bay, when hip hop mogul Wade Marshall meets spirited island resident Ameenah Porter.
Wade flees the hustle of Brooklyn for the beach, seeking refuge to reignite his creative fire. Ameenah opens Tikis & Cream, her smoothie oasis and island dream. Their mutual longing ignites a sizzling romance neither bargained for.
What starts as a summer fling soon threatens to consume them--Wade is returning to the city. Ameenah belongs to the island. Yet... every kiss pushes them to dare for more, to abandon plans, follow hearts, and seize what soon may vanish with the season.
Immerse yourself in the emerald waters and sugar white sands of Black Diamond, where beach romances blossom, and summer love knows no end. What happens on Black Diamond doesn't have to stay there.
Review Notes:
Audio Book Publication Year: 2022
An installment in a Series? Yes
Narrator (s): Sharell Palmer
Two worlds collide on Black Diamond Bay, when hip hop mogul Wade Marshall meets spirited island resident Ameenah Porter.
DL White is a contemporary romance and women’s fiction author who doesn’t get the shine that her writing deserves. In a perfect world, White’s rom-com stories would be optioned for television or movies. Simply put, she’s just a good storyteller. “Beach Thing” is exactly what the title implies - a fun, flirty listen that turns up the heat for summer.
White’s novels tend to reflect the lives of women and men who lean toward the latter of the 30-somethings spectrum - if not fully seated into their 40s - which is a refreshing change of pace for a genre that is dominated by the musings of main characters in their 20s. DL’s style is a great balance of scene setting, dialogue, and narrative and they complement each other in a way that keeps the story moving and the listener engaged.
Beach Thing is no exception - Wade and Ameenah don’t experience major drama or an unnecessary second-act breakup. They are flawed characters but communicate their intentions with each other, and their romantic relationship develops in a way that doesn’t make the listener want to throw their phones in frustration.
Sharell Palmer narrates the entirety of the title, doing a solid job of reflecting the first person narratives for the main male and female characters. Ms. Palmer’s voice has a smoky, mature quality that makes her a right fit for both Ameenah and Wade, and her instincts with inflection and cadence are strong. There were times that it was challenging to distinguish between the voices in a conversation, but it didn’t take away from the funny banter and enjoyment of the story.
Definitely recommend checking out this author and title.
Reading Recommendation? Yes!
Rating: 4 (It’s lit!)
Content Warnings? None
