The Dating Pool

On his first vacation in five years, Jim Nixon meets Liv Smith when they sit next to each other on the airplane to Hawaii. Before the flight is over, Jim and Liv know that they want to spend their vacations together. By the end of the two weeks, they knew that they wanted to be together a lot longer. What neither of them knows is that when they get back, Liv will start her new job as Jim’s boss – in a position that Jim himself wanted. Can Jim and Liv overcome the difficulties caused not only by normal man/woman conflict, but also by conflict in the workplace?

Life can be weird, you know? I enjoyed this funny and touching short story about coincidence and the effect it can have on one’s life. The story has a very simple plot that is narrated with smooth skill. It always pleases me when an author can make characters come alive without putting them in constant motion. In The Dating Pool there are actually only a few separate scenes, but the reader doesn’t notice that because her attention is taken by the relationships between the people. Jim and Liv are both very sympathetic characters and, luckily, the reader is not asked to choose between them. In fact, neither Jim nor Liv are “good” or “bad” – they are merely people like you and I who get into situations we didn’t expect. The erotic scenes are frank and explicit, but very loving. This is a very good short story in which you will identify with the characters and really enjoy.

Reviewed by: Jean