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Sea Change

by Chris Quinton (Goodreads Author)

4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 · rating details · 38 ratings · 18 reviews

Injured on duty and no longer fit for active service, soon-to-be-ex-Coast Guard Bran Kaulana is drifting, filling his days helping out at the Wai Ola Rescue Center, one of Honolulu's wildlife charities. He's working with the new veterinary, Steve, a man drawn to O'ahu by his fascination with dolphins. As their friendship slowly deepens into love, the two men are caught up...more

ebook, 432 pages

Published May 1st 2010 by Manifold Press

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Sep 09, 2010 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Lisa by: http://michelenjeff-reviews.blogspot.com/

Shelves: contemporary-romance, m-m-romance

This book is absolutely a recommended read for those who enjoy a nice slow build up in a romance between two wonderfully drawn characters. Bran and Steve were absolutely the best thing about Sea Change, and I found myself wanting the book to go on for a hundred or so more pages on top of the already 400+ that Chris Quinton had written. There is a sub-plot that works to varying degrees, but it's the exposition into the characters and the creation of a relationship that begins with friendship and...more

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Jul 30, 2010 Jenre rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, m-m, suspense, romance

Those of you who have just looked at the number of pages in this book and been put off by the length, may I urge you reconsider. Despite its length the pages turned quickly in this Hawaiian set romance, so much so that even I was surprised at how quickly I got to the last page.

The story involves British vet, Steve, who has found a home amongst the people of Hawaii. He works for a prestigious veterinary practice, but in his spare time volunteers at a rescue centre tending to injured dolphins and...more Those of you who have just looked at the number of pages in this book and been put off by the length, may I urge you reconsider. Despite its length the pages turned quickly in this Hawaiian set romance, so much so that even I was surprised at how quickly I got to the last page.

The story involves British vet, Steve, who has found a home amongst the people of Hawaii. He works for a prestigious veterinary practice, but in his spare time volunteers at a rescue centre tending to injured dolphins and seals. It’s here that Steve has got to know Bran, and the two men have become fast friends. Bran has recently recovered from a injury sustained whilst on duty as a coastguard. He’s no longer fit for active duty now, and doesn’t want a desk job. Instead Bran is drifting a little, conscious that he needs to find a new job and get some focus in his life, but also content to help out at the shelter. Bran is gay and Steve is semi-straight – seeing the sexual relationships he had with men as perhaps a phase he was going through at college. Their friends can all but see the sexual sparks that fly when the two are together – no matter how much the two men are denying it.

The beauty of this book is in the characterisation. Not just the heroes, but everyone else in their circle of friends. No matter how small the secondary character, the reader is given enough in terms of personality and background to make them real. The heroes themselves are a delight. Interestingly, both men are strong Alpha types and I liked how this was addressed during the book. I also liked that the cultural differences between Britain and the US were also given some page space. Steve is your typical British guy, a bit emotionally distant with a wicked sarcastic tongue, but also a good all round guy. Bran is suffering more from losing a job he loves and standing on the cusp of a new life, but he too has a strong moral streak and a willingness to go that extra mile for his friends. It’s hard not to like such characters and as a result, I found myself drawn into their life and absorbed in the events of the book.

When I get the time, I really enjoy reading a long book, one which you can get your teeth into. The length of this book meant that there is space and time to explore a number of themes in detail. Therefore the book was able to cover the suspense plot, the romance plot and have room for an overview of life in Hawaii, and of ecological conservation in general. There’s also space for extended character definition, such as Bran’s troubled family background and a sub-plot involving his brother; or for us to get a feel for the day to day running of a shelter, including the importance of publicity and fund-raising. Hawaii itself is given plenty of page space too. From descriptions of the lush setting, to to wildlife, to the attitude of its people, this book was a love story to Hawaii just as much as a love story between two men. Another positive is that the length of book allowed the relationship between the heroes to develop slowly, as they move from being friends to falling in love. Those of you looking for sex, sex, sex are going to be a little disappointed as the pacing and story keeps the heroes apart for quite some time. Instead we get a delightful build up of sexual tension so that when the sex does happen it’s meaningful and explosive.

So after a big thumbs up for the languorous plotting, the attention to detail and the yummy romance, the suspense plot was rather disappointing. Not drastically so, but just enough that it took the shine off what is a great book. Some of my disappointment stemmed from a personal bug-bear – that of the hero/es who take matters into their own hands and don’t report crimes to the police. The suspense plot surrounds a number of injured animals brought to the rescue centre. It seems like these animals were deliberately harmed by illegal divers to drive them away from a local conservation area. After digging further into this both Steve and Bran are threatened and attacked by what looks like local gangsters. At this point a sensible person would involve the police, but no, not these alpha guys who have a plan to take on the bad guys themselves. I personally found this really irritating, as it does every time a character thinks that he can do better than the trained professional. Even once the police were involved, Bran seemed to be the one in control, which again brought a false note to what had been a very realistic book. Fortunately, the suspense plot is pretty low-key for most of the book, except for the action packed tense conclusion, so I was able to ignore my frustrations with it for most of the book.

Despite my problems with the suspense plot, I really enjoyed this book. The writing was just stellar, with a great mix of drama, romance and bright flashes of humour; The characters believable and incredibly fleshed out. I loved the setting, the community of people, the relationships between the two heroes and with their friends. If you have some time to devote to a really good meaty book, one that will drag you in and not let go until you finish the last page, then you can’t go wrong with Sea Change.

This review also appears at Three Dollar Bill Reviews (less)

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Jul 08, 2010 Top 2 Bottom Reviews Interviews and More added it

Chris Quinton has conceived and skillfully composed a beautiful story set against the idyllic backdrop of the island of Oahu. The plot of Sea Change encompasses several storylines: The day to day operation of the Wai Ola Rescue Center, the mysterious appearance of injured dolphins and seals at the sight of a shipwreck near the vent of an underwater volcano, and a romance that overshadows everything else. Each storyline does succeed to varying degrees, but as a whole, it’s Bran and Steve who made...more Chris Quinton has conceived and skillfully composed a beautiful story set against the idyllic backdrop of the island of Oahu. The plot of Sea Change encompasses several storylines: The day to day operation of the Wai Ola Rescue Center, the mysterious appearance of injured dolphins and seals at the sight of a shipwreck near the vent of an underwater volcano, and a romance that overshadows everything else. Each storyline does succeed to varying degrees, but as a whole, it’s Bran and Steve who made this book simply wonderful for me, and that’s where I’ll focus the review.

Brandon Kaulana is a Coast Guard hero who was injured in the line of duty during an encounter with Somali Pirates in the Gulf. Left with the lingering effects of his injury and the recent loss of his lover in a car crash, Bran finds himself adrift and in the limbo of an uncertain future. Volunteering at the Center, Bran’s friends are also his family, having been shunned by his own after coming out to his father years before. Bran’s “family” consists mostly of well intentioned but meddlesome “sisters” intent on finding him a new love, and the affection and friendship the team feels for one another is entirely genuine. There is early interaction between Brandon and his half brother, Lee, but otherwise Bran’s biological family remains in the periphery.

Steve Lucas is a newcomer to the island. Steve is adrift in his own way, ever seeking but never finding that certain woman who’ll make him want to establish roots in any one place. Steve realized early on that he is bisexual, but had since settled on the idea that happiness for him would be found in a traditional relationship. Steve is a veterinarian whose fascination with dolphin behavior has led him to Oahu, where his skill as a vet and immense compassion for all manner of land and sea creatures also has him lending his expertise to the Wai Ola group’s efforts. Bran and Steve’s friendship is sealed after the discovery, rescue, rehabilitation, and release of a group of mysteriously injured sea creatures in an area that is legally off limits to human traffic.

This is where Sea Change absolutely excelled for me. From the moment Bran and Steve began to interact, I was entirely invested in, not only their budding friendship, but the slow and patient way in which Chris Quinton teases the reader with all the obvious ways these two men belong together.

For those who love a deeply explored illustration of characters and the many levels in which a relationship builds, Sea Change is a feast. Bran and Steve’s romance is not a 12 foot crest off the North Shore, rather it’s the gentle ebb and flow of the tide in a quiet cove, where the lapping of the waves are an invitation to relax and enjoy the sensation. I found myself thinking, as the tension slowly built, “This suspense is terrible. I hope it will last”. - Oscar Wilde. I wanted Bran and Steve to explode with passion, yet I knew logically that to do so would be inauthentic to both the story and the characters. The closeted Steve needed time to explore who he truly was and what his feelings for Bran, an openly gay man, were evolving into. Bran needed time to heal from the loss of his lover and establish that he truly was ready to move forward, never believing that doing so with Steve was conceivable. Each man does attempt to connect with others, but they do so with little success.

I suppose it can be said that “love is blinding”, as it can leave the two people involved in a state of disorientation until the blinders are removed which, in Steve’s case, happens when he’s overcome by a wave of jealousy that nearly overwhelms him and exposes the depth of his feelings for Bran. Theirs was a relationship that felt genuinely earned and based on a solid and authentic foundation. The message in their story is clearly that home isn’t merely the place where you store your furniture and clothes, rather it’s the place where the scent of your lover’s cologne lingers, it’s the sensation of waking up to the feeling of a warm presence next to you in bed, and regardless of where you are and how content you are at the moment, home is always the place you’ll prefer to be when you know someone you love will be there waiting for you. It’s not the structure itself, but it’s the feelings that inspire the need to be grounded and to feel your life intertwined with another that makes a home.

As I’d said at the outset, there is more to Sea Change than the relationship between Bran and Steve. The rescue and release efforts on the part of the Wai Ola Center awakened my love and fascination with dolphins and the truths and myths surrounding their intelligence. The mystery involving the mercenaries and the looting of a shipwreck in US waters lent suspense to the story, but in the end, it was the romance that elevated this book to a thoroughly absorbing read for me.

Review by Lisa
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Dec 27, 2010 Elisa Ramblings added it

The first book I read by this author was a paranormal fantasy about some mythological scottish creature. Even if I was surprise by the quality of the book in comparison to the publisher (now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that publisher is not good, I’m saying that usually they point to a more fast-written/fast-read target), I was not so surprise by the detailed setting and characterization, after all the author was English, and so, in a way, she had maybe a vantage point in accessing such...more The first book I read by this author was a paranormal fantasy about some mythological scottish creature. Even if I was surprise by the quality of the book in comparison to the publisher (now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that publisher is not good, I’m saying that usually they point to a more fast-written/fast-read target), I was not so surprise by the detailed setting and characterization, after all the author was English, and so, in a way, she had maybe a vantage point in accessing such knowledge to make the story believable, even if it was a paranormal setting.

This time, even if this is a contemporary novel, I’m surprised the author managed the same achievement with a totally stranger setting; the Hawaiian culture is pretty popular, for different reason, to the US author, but I think it had to be difficult for a stranger to reach such detailed background. True, one of the main character is British, but all the quite rich cast is plain American. Plus, due to the length of the novel, more of 400 pages, there was plenty of chances to be caught in mistake, and for as much I can, that didn’t happened.

I also liked the many parallelism the author did with the title of the book: Sea Change of course refers to one of the main character of the novel, the Sea indead, which bind together Bran, a former US Coast Guard, and Steve, a British vet with a specialization in sea animals. The I think the “sea change” refers also to the tides and to the changes happening with them: Bran has always thought his life was to be a Coast Guard, but now, due to a work related accident, he is no more fit to the role; he has to rethink his life, and he is not sure of where this change will lead him. While Bran is unsure of his career future, I didn’t detect any uncertainty on his sexual awareness, Bran is gay and he has no intention to go back in the closet, not even for a man he could arrive to love. On the other hand, while Steve has his future career planned ahead of him, he has not the same clear path on an emotional level: he professes to be straight, and in search of the right woman, but he had at least a long-term relationship (6 months at 20 years old is long-term) with a college roommate, and so, he is not total against the idea of having a relationship with Bran, only that he is not exactly ready to be open with that. I don’t know but maybe since Bran has issues with a lot of his life aspect but apparently not with his sexuality, maybe he cannot accept to barter also on that, and so for him it’s all or nothing.

Now in any “ordinary” length novel, the gay for you sub-plot would have been the easy card to play, and as often happen, the sudden turn from straight to gay of one of the character would have been not so much supported by his emotional development. In Sea Change instead the author has plenty of time, and story, to make it believable, and so when Steve arrives to the conclusion that he is in love with Bran, it’s not sudden, but a well ripe, and well thought, decision.

As usual I concentrated on the romance plot, but this is not “only” a romance novel, it’s something more: there is the setting, that can tags this novel as multicultural, the adventure and even the quest of a man who is searching for his future. But well, from my perspective, the romance is very important, and even if here it arrives a bit late (more or less ¾ of the book), be patient, and I will assure you, it will be worth the wait.

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Nov 21, 2012 M rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: queer-sorting-hat, mmilitary, gay-travelogue, confectionary-mm, dirty-healthcare

This book started out at a very gentle pace; a little gfy, a little bit friends-to-lovers. Most of it details how two men come to terms with their attraction for one another, one who's back-and-forthing with his sexuality and the other struggling with bereavement. It was all very drawn out, but I enjoyed the slow build. I also really loved the Hawaiian setting, which was wonderfully used, as well the backdrop of an animal rescue organization. And Harvey the three-legged dog. These thing I liked,...more

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Jun 03, 2010 Elizabeth H. rated it 3 of 5 stars

I wanted to enjoy this book more than I did. I really like long, plot-filled romances: my favorite m/m romance type has parallel action and romance plots that enrich each other and often reflect each other thematically. I am not crazy about multiple sex scenes that don't move the plot forward. So it would seem that Sea Change (plot heavy with minimal sex) would be right up my alley. But I was disappointed in this book overall.

I never connected with either Bram or Steve, though goodness knows I...more I wanted to enjoy this book more than I did. I really like long, plot-filled romances: my favorite m/m romance type has parallel action and romance plots that enrich each other and often reflect each other thematically. I am not crazy about multiple sex scenes that don't move the plot forward. So it would seem that Sea Change (plot heavy with minimal sex) would be right up my alley. But I was disappointed in this book overall.

I never connected with either Bram or Steve, though goodness knows I wanted to. The point of the book, it seems to me, is that the ultimate relationship is based on a long friendship that simply kept growing into a sexual relationship. There were several times that this was mentioned by one of the main characters, but I never saw it. The intimacy of their friendship alone never seemed intense on an emotional level to me; overall, that's one of the problems with the book, that there wasn't much emotional intensity here at all. What was there...was *told* and not *shown.* I never experienced it along with the characters the way one does in the best of books.

I was bothered quite a bit by the role of the women in the book on two levels. First, they were exclusively observers/reactors/weak. And second, they attempted to put the two men together and were vocal in their rejoicing when they finally did. Especially the second struck me as not only annoying in the extreme but also highly unrealistic. What two men would tolerate such interference in their lives?

I do think the author has loads of talent, but she picked a plot that grew unwieldy, I think. She never succeeded in making it crystal clear and *vibrant* for me. I think it should have been considerably streamlined. (For instance, how many times does Bran think he needs to contact the police department? That kind of repetition could have been cut with no loss.) And her cast of characters was too large. Most of them were simply names for me without substance and no real role to play. So much as I like long books, I do think at least one-quarter of this book should have been edited down. Overall, I do think it would have benefited from a really good, involved editor who not only waded in and found the strands that needed to be pared, but also encouraged the author to inject some life into the proceedings. What was there seemed forced to me, not welling up from the inner core of either Bram or Steve. I needed a lot more genuine emotion than I got.

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Nov 02, 2012 Gail rated it 4 of 5 stars

The main problem I had with this story is that the main characters have a fairly large circle of friends, and most of them were interchangeable to me. I never had a good handle on who was who, or which people were at which veterinary location (the veterinarian works at one clinic and volunteers at another) just kind of buzzed by right over my head, and for the most part it didn't matter. Most of them were never particularly individual or important. It was also awkward occasionally when the story...more

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May 28, 2010 Ingrid rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m

Everyone that knows me for a bit, knows that I love long books and this book was long, certainly for m/m standards. It has 432 pages in pdf.
Absolutely wonderful!
The story is about a vet Steve and a soon-to-be former coast guard Bran on Hawaii. In their spare time they work at sea life rescue centre. Next to the long detailed story about how the couple comes together it tells about an increase in hurt dolphins and seals and how they discover an illegal wreck diving organisation with nasty conseq...more

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Jul 01, 2010 Nichem rated it 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars. Really enjoyed this book. Great protags, nice build-up of romance from friends to lovers, interesting mystery plot. A few niggles such as too many secondary characters which was a bit confusing kept it from being a 5 star read, but otherwise highly recommended.

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Jun 16, 2010 A.J. Llewellyn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-own-a-copy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 06, 2010 R.J. rated it 5 of 5 stars

I think I fell in love with Steve, then Bran, then Steve, then Bran again. I loved this story, the setting, the mystery and loving. Really clever to use the backdrop of the vets and the rescue centre for the tale of intrigue. I adored that Steve was in denial, I loved when he stopped to think, beautiful stark images of what he had maybe missed out on. Brilliant.

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Sep 03, 2011 Kristy Maitz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 5-star-books

Good book. Chris Quinton really did work hard on that book. I recommend book to those who don't have problem with slow coming together. Both main characters are very interesting and for my part I really did enjoy that book very much.

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May 19, 2010 Juniper rated it 4 of 5 stars

"Damn it, Steve, do you know how irritating you can be?"
"Yup, honed by years of practice on top of natural talent. Go ahead."

Loved Aloes & so had looked forward to starting this one. It didn't disappoint - very enjoyable. Slow build up of the romance & not one if you're looking for multi-sex scenes, but a good character-driven read.

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Sep 04, 2011 Meggie rated it 4 of 5 stars

This story was like an old ripe wine or like slow, deep burn! Really well developed plot with interesting characters and warm enjoyable feelings. Highly recommended story!!

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Nov 26, 2011 Antonella rated it 3 of 5 stars

See review by Elizabeth H. It sums up nicely all my reserves about the book. Still, a decent read...

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Feb 03, 2012 Feliz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: action-adventure, contemporary, m-m, soldiers

4.5 rounded up to 5

a beautiful friends-to-lovers story, set in the exotic environment of Hawai'i, with witty banter all around, a vast cast of likeable characters (human and otherwise) and just the right amount of Disney-esque considerate animals to appeal to my little inner stargazer...what's not to like? My only niggle was that the narrative voice repetitively told me about the main characters' state of mind and feelings for each other instead of just letting them show me how they felt.

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Jun 16, 2013 Shannon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: challenge-finished

I'm going to admit to finally just skim reading this one. I'll give it 3 stars because the writing was good but there were so many people that it took away from the main MCs a bit. A little too slow moving for my tastes.

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Mar 05, 2013 Drakoniss rated it 5 of 5 stars

Great new author... I am currently on the mission to read all of her books.

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Jun 12, 2013 Mercedes marked it as to-read

Jun 09, 2013 Mammarella marked it as maybe

Shelves: mm, mm-contemporary

May 31, 2013 Breann marked it as to-read

Shelves: in-my-possession-to-read, on-calibre, gang-bang-pick-here

May 27, 2013 Bill rated it 4 of 5 stars

May 24, 2013 Jane Wheeler marked it as to-read

May 11, 2013 Amanda marked it as to-read

May 07, 2013 Ashlee added it

Apr 13, 2013 Baba ♥♥♥ Marcus, Tyler, Tate, Dan, Ty, & Hunter marked it as to-read

Shelves: m-m

Apr 12, 2013 Linda marked it as to-read

Mar 29, 2013 sk B marked it as to-read

Mar 26, 2013 Foolish marked it as to-read

Shelves: m-m, dtr

Mar 26, 2013 Elizabetta marked it as to-read

Shelves: grat-h, suspence

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About Chris Quinton

Chris started creating stories not long after she mastered joined-up writing, somewhat to the bemusement of her parents and her English teachers. But she received plenty of encouragement. Her dad gave her an already old Everest typewriter when she was about ten, and it was probably the best gift she'd ever received – until the inventions of the home-computer and the worldwide web.

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