Short Story Review: Testing the Waters
Good Evening Book Lovers!
This week has kind of been a struggle for me blog-wise, but I’m happy to share a short story review for a tale I finished on my lunch break today.
This time around it’s Testing the Waters by Tammie Painter.
This is one of the short stories I downloaded for free when Tammie had a promotion going a while back. The other was Space Walk, so it’s only natural that I gave this one a go after how much I loved the other one.
Blurb
You can get away with many things in Port Athens. Breaking contracts is not one of them.
The founders of the prosperous fishing village of Port Athens have each agreed to give up certain luxuries and a great deal of power to settle into a new life.
So when one of the founders, Eli P. Marin, returns from the city with a suspicious purchase, the rumor mill churns into action. Is he only showing off? Is it even real? Most importantly, will Eli break their contract and reclaim his former influence despite knowing how harsh the punishment might be?
Find out today as you wander the quaint streets and meet the mysterious founders of Port Athens in Testing the Waters.
If you’ve ever wondered how the Greek gods would behave in the modern world and what tricks they might get up to, you’ll love this quirky tale of temptation, rules, and rivalry.
GoodReads
The Review
I gave this short story four fascinating stars!
This is my second read of this author’s work, and I’m still really impressed by how well-executed and enjoyable her writing is.
The blurb pretty much explains it, but this story is about a group of individuals living in this small fishing town. One of the citizens, Eli, found something at a ‘yard sale’ and plans on showing the others in the tight-knit group, but emotions run high as they debate on his actions and what he plans to do.
This was very intriguing I have to say.
The characters were all very unique with their own personalities and quirks, and it showed in just a short time.
I enjoyed the setting. The small-town vibe really worked for me, and it makes sense that the rumor mill is on full blast the second people start talking about Eli. I mean, what else do you do in a small town?
There was a prominent mystery element the whole time that propelled me forward. We get little inklings here and there, and I had to know exactly what was going on.
If I had to pick at anything, I would say that there are a bunch of characters for a short story, but it wasn’t really all that confusing because each character was well-defined in the writing.
All in all, this is another great story by Tammie Painter, filled with mystery and excitement.
Can’t wait to read more!
That’s A Wrap!
Well that’s it for this short story review. I hope you enjoyed it!
Have you read this story? Are there other short stories you’ve read that you simply have to gush about? Feel free to leave a comment. I’d love to start a conversation!
Have a great day!
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Glad you enjoyed the story. I like the way Poseidon is half-way on the cover.
Yeah, it was kind of a palette cleanse after Hunger Games.
Mythical light and plenty of fun. 🙂
Thanks for the review! I will admit, it was a challenge to wrangle all those characters into a quick read. Glad you liked it :))
Of course! I think you handled it expertly. Cant wait to read more from you!