Book & Author details:
The Day Of The Wave by Becky Wicks
Publication date: May 1st 2015
Genres: Adult, Romance
Genres: Adult, Romance
Synopsis:
Isla and Ben were just sixteen when the Boxing Day tsunami tore through their beach resort in Thailand. Just days after forming a life-changing bond, both were missing and presumed dead. Unbeknown to each other and haunted by one of the biggest natural disasters in world history, Isla and Ben are living very different lives, until over a decade later when a chance encounter throws them back together.
Based on real life events, The Day of the Wave is a story of healing, learning to let go, and figuring out when to hold on with everything you have left.
Based on real life events, The Day of the Wave is a story of healing, learning to let go, and figuring out when to hold on with everything you have left.
EXCERPT
The karaoke guy catches me on the way to the bar, and again on my way back with the fresh bucket. 'I've seen you two trying to keep it on the down-low,' he says, beaming. He's huge, hot and sweaty and sounds like he's from Essex. His beer belly is bloating out under the ubiquitous Chang T-shirt. He's boozed up outside and in. 'I'm putting you down for Endless Love - the Mariah Carey version, yeah?'
'Um, no,' I say. 'Don't do that, buddy.'
'Ah, come on, we need a duet!'
I tell him no again, go put the bucket back down on the table. Izzy's smiling lopsidedly. 'Is he going to make us sing?'
'I hope not!'
She's buzzed already, I can see it in her eyes. She's luminous in pinks and greens and sparkles from the lights and the glitter ball. Three girls are dancing, holding a bucket each, wearing nothing but bikinis and sarongs. I'm guessing they've been in here since the rain started, straight off the beach.
'You know,' Izzy says, contemplatively, watching them twirling each other round in an epileptic's nightmare, 'if you're in London while I'm there I'm going to take you to this deli near my office. They have the best hot cross buns, you need to try them.'
'Hot cross buns?' I say, drawn to her mouth again.
'Usually they're an Easter thing in Britain,' she says, 'but this place has them all the time, we go there most days. It's near Covent Garden. You'd love it. You'd love London. I can't believe you haven't been.'
She talks and I lose myself in her voice, the way I did when I first met her. I don't know what the hell hot cross buns are, but she makes them sound like something I could feast on and live inside and be happy with for the rest of my life. I can see her coming back more every day; the confident her, the vibrant her, the adventurous her. I imagine walking round London with her, holding her hand, riding one of those big red buses and taking photos of Big Ben. I'd be little Ben next to Big Ben; that's what she'd say. I smile. I've zoned out. Damn, this rum is strong.
We're halfway through the second bucket when our names are called - or rather, 'Girl in green dress, guy in green shirt! Get up here!' We look at each other, only just realizing our colors match.
'I can't sing,' Izzy says now. Her tongue is pink from the juice.
'Can't because you're full of rum?' I laugh.
'Can't because I really can't!'
She tries to cover her face and bury her head in her arms but everyone's cheering for us now, stomping on the floor, clapping their hands. The three girls are wolf-whistling and one of them has taken off her sarong so she's literally standing on the dance floor in her bikini, doing some kind of weird hippy welcome dance as she beckons us forwards with her hands.
'OK, OK, come on,' I say, holding my hand out to Izzy. She groans dramatically as she lets me pull her up but we're both grinning like drunken idiots three seconds later when we get to the mics. The music's already started. It's a slow one but it doesn't stop the buzz in the room.
My love, there's only you in my life. The only thing that's right.
My first love, you're every breath that I take, you're every step I make.
The rum's rolling round in my brain but I can see it's getting to Izzy, more than me. She can protest all she wants but she's animated now, like she hasn't had this much fun in forever. Maybe she hasn't. She reaches for my hand. I twirl her around obligingly, like we're doing a slow dance. She gets caught for a second in the mic wire and I help her untangle herself as she cracks up, still singing, while the room whistles and whoops and dances.
'Another drink?' a guy from the bar asks us. Obviously he thinks we're too sober.
I pause. 'I don't think so...'
'Yes please, we'll have one more,' Izzy cuts in. 'And maybe one more after that.'
'Are you trying to get me drunk now?' I say.
'It was your idea!' She sticks out her pink tongue, spins again next to me in a kaleidoscope of color and in my mind I'm pulling her in and kissing her sugary lips. In my mind I'm carrying her right out of this bar and right back to that bed.
Two hearts. Two hearts that beat as one. Our lives have just begun...
My love, my love, my love, my endless love.
No. What good would ever come from me starting something? Nothing good at all. But Izzy is another tsunami. She's sweeping me up, faster and faster now and I'm not entirely sure how long I can fight.
'Um, no,' I say. 'Don't do that, buddy.'
'Ah, come on, we need a duet!'
I tell him no again, go put the bucket back down on the table. Izzy's smiling lopsidedly. 'Is he going to make us sing?'
'I hope not!'
She's buzzed already, I can see it in her eyes. She's luminous in pinks and greens and sparkles from the lights and the glitter ball. Three girls are dancing, holding a bucket each, wearing nothing but bikinis and sarongs. I'm guessing they've been in here since the rain started, straight off the beach.
'You know,' Izzy says, contemplatively, watching them twirling each other round in an epileptic's nightmare, 'if you're in London while I'm there I'm going to take you to this deli near my office. They have the best hot cross buns, you need to try them.'
'Hot cross buns?' I say, drawn to her mouth again.
'Usually they're an Easter thing in Britain,' she says, 'but this place has them all the time, we go there most days. It's near Covent Garden. You'd love it. You'd love London. I can't believe you haven't been.'
She talks and I lose myself in her voice, the way I did when I first met her. I don't know what the hell hot cross buns are, but she makes them sound like something I could feast on and live inside and be happy with for the rest of my life. I can see her coming back more every day; the confident her, the vibrant her, the adventurous her. I imagine walking round London with her, holding her hand, riding one of those big red buses and taking photos of Big Ben. I'd be little Ben next to Big Ben; that's what she'd say. I smile. I've zoned out. Damn, this rum is strong.
We're halfway through the second bucket when our names are called - or rather, 'Girl in green dress, guy in green shirt! Get up here!' We look at each other, only just realizing our colors match.
'I can't sing,' Izzy says now. Her tongue is pink from the juice.
'Can't because you're full of rum?' I laugh.
'Can't because I really can't!'
She tries to cover her face and bury her head in her arms but everyone's cheering for us now, stomping on the floor, clapping their hands. The three girls are wolf-whistling and one of them has taken off her sarong so she's literally standing on the dance floor in her bikini, doing some kind of weird hippy welcome dance as she beckons us forwards with her hands.
'OK, OK, come on,' I say, holding my hand out to Izzy. She groans dramatically as she lets me pull her up but we're both grinning like drunken idiots three seconds later when we get to the mics. The music's already started. It's a slow one but it doesn't stop the buzz in the room.
My love, there's only you in my life. The only thing that's right.
My first love, you're every breath that I take, you're every step I make.
The rum's rolling round in my brain but I can see it's getting to Izzy, more than me. She can protest all she wants but she's animated now, like she hasn't had this much fun in forever. Maybe she hasn't. She reaches for my hand. I twirl her around obligingly, like we're doing a slow dance. She gets caught for a second in the mic wire and I help her untangle herself as she cracks up, still singing, while the room whistles and whoops and dances.
'Another drink?' a guy from the bar asks us. Obviously he thinks we're too sober.
I pause. 'I don't think so...'
'Yes please, we'll have one more,' Izzy cuts in. 'And maybe one more after that.'
'Are you trying to get me drunk now?' I say.
'It was your idea!' She sticks out her pink tongue, spins again next to me in a kaleidoscope of color and in my mind I'm pulling her in and kissing her sugary lips. In my mind I'm carrying her right out of this bar and right back to that bed.
Two hearts. Two hearts that beat as one. Our lives have just begun...
My love, my love, my love, my endless love.
No. What good would ever come from me starting something? Nothing good at all. But Izzy is another tsunami. She's sweeping me up, faster and faster now and I'm not entirely sure how long I can fight.
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AUTHOR BIO:
Becky Wicks lives in Bali and scribbles books, and she’s mostly powered by coffee. Her first book in the Starstruck Series, Before He Was Famous recently reached #1 in Amazon’s Coming of Age and New Adult & College categories, and her three travel books, published by HarperCollins are online to make feet nice and itchy. Mostly though, she loves to write love stories. She blogs most days at beckywicks.com and always welcomes distractions on Twitter @bex_wicks. Especially if you have photos of cats.
Author links:
REVIEW
4 stars
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Isla met Ben when on vacation with her parents in Thailand. Both sixteen years old and enjoying the flirting that went on between them. Just a few days later the tsunami hit and both their lives were changed forever. It has been over a decade since Isla has lost her parents and the boy she was starting to have feelings for. She is still afraid of the ocean and has never been back to Thailand. Until know when she has to go for work. Ben lost his little brother and uncle in the tsunami, along with the girl he had just met. He hasn't been the same since. Seeing a familiar looking women on the street he doesn't think it is possible that she is Isla. He has to know and calls out her name.
I fell in love with the characters in this book. The pain and heartache they went through. The strength it took to rebuild their lives and move on. This was so much more then a romance. The two main characters Ben and Isla were both broken people after that day. The need each other to help them heal. Some emotional pain just takes longer then others. The secondary characters play an important part of the book. Their friends, locals show how amazing people are when they pull together and overcome a tragedy.
Thanks for hosting today, Lynn!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Lynn, so glad you liked the book!
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