Rating: 4.5 🌈

I love Casey Cox so I picked up her new release immediately. Oceans that Swim is the first book in the Kings of Airlie trilogy, a sports romance series.

First off I had to go YouTube the sport of Kitesurfing. Didn’t have a clue what it was. For those of you like me, I put a link at the bottom of my review to a wonderful “King of Airlie “ run. Check it out. Pretty wild stuff.

Secondly, the author includes a warning at the beginning of the story. It states that the trilogy deals with issues of violence, murder, self-harm, physical and sexual abuse, most but not all of which happens off page.

I appreciate the author’s letting the reader be able to make an informed decision prior to starting the series by letting them know the trilogy deals with those elements.

Oceans that Swim ‘s character Ritchie has c-PTSD. It comes from the trauma from seeing his parents murder/suicide. I suspect this storyline will carry throughout the next books. It’s very much a murder mystery.

Terry, the youngest of the King brothers, is the other main character. He’s the upcoming latest sensation on the kitesurfing season and scoreboard. But his father, THE King of Airlie, is the one who’s abusive and cold, when not out in the public eye. Most the the abuse is past memories, but not all. And I except it to get worse in the next story.

Travis and Tory , the older brothers all play big parts here and we get to know them intimately.

This is one mess of a family.

Cox expertly weaves the current World Kitesurfing Championships and all that means to our main characters and family as well as builds a fascinating stage for a ongoing journey of three brothers and the men who love them.

I expect it’s going to be hugely tragic at some point. And explosive. It’s building that way.

On the romance level, the one between Terry and Ritchie was sweet, the right sort of hesitant given the amount of baggage each man is carrying, and drawn out slowly so it takes communication to get together finally.

The author says each novel is focused on an individual couple but as their lives and drama are so tangled together I can’t help but see this as a HFN , especially given that ending.

This is well done, the characters engaging and beautifully written. The multiple storylines definitely have me hooked. I can’t wait for the next one to be released.

I’m highly recommending Oceans that Swim (Kings of Airlie #1) by Casey Cox. And check out that link below if you want to see what kitesurfing is all about.

Casey Cox on Amazon

Kings of Airlie Trilogy:

✓ Oceans that Swim #1

◦ Mountains that Move #2 -May23, 2022

Synopsis:

This season, I’ve got a lot to prove…

Terry King may have been born into kitesurfing royalty, but he’s been overlooked and overshadowed his entire life. Unlike his fame-starved father, Trenton ‘King of the Air’ King, or his two attention-grabbing older brothers, Terry doesn’t compete for fame, money, or power. He’s got much more ambitious goals than that.

Terry has his sights set on reuniting his dysfunctional family and finally landing his forever crush: Richie Brown. A six-foot-four, anxiety-riddled, ginger teddy bear who writes heart-melting poetry. Also, the one and only person who’s ever truly seen Terry.

Richie grew up next door to the King brothers in the sleepy coastal town of Airlie Beach, Australia. His childhood was marred by a tragedy that continues to invade every corner of his life twenty years later. Richie gave up on love a long time ago…until something unexpected happened the night of Terry’s victory last season.

Richie knows better than anyone why Terry King is strictly off-limits. They grew up together. They’re practically family. Richie’s seven years older. Terry is his best mate’s younger brother… But then there’s the biggest reason of all. A closely guarded secret Richie’s never revealed to a single soul.

Terry is determined to defend his world title and turn his dreams into reality. But when life throws a spanner into his season, and with the King family remaining as stubbornly dysfunctional as ever––will Terry be able to get Richie to see him as more than just the kid he grew up with?

Kings of Airlie is an exhilarating, action-packed MM sports romance trilogy about love, brotherhood, and resilience––with a powerful message that dreams don’t die, they just sometimes change.

Each book in the series features a new couple and a happily ever after. With continuing family and competition plots, the books do need to be read in order.