Book: On Dry Land by J.J. Mulder
Reviewed by Maggie Hayes
Rating: 4.5/5
On Dry Land by J.J. Mulder
⭐⭐⭐⭐½ (4.5/5)
I am always a sucker for J.J. Mulder's way of telling quiet but powerful love stories, and Dryden and Spencer's slow-blooming romance is no exception.
I've wanted to know more about Dryden since his introduction in Finest Kind of Fate. It's easy to dismiss him as cold and unfeeling, but that's only surface-level. Underneath is a man who was scarred by his failed marriage to one of the worst kinds of people: the kind who makes you question your ability to read people, damaging your trust in yourself and others. Dryden, my friend, I've been there and done that. SCREW THOSE GUYS.
Behind his learned closed-offness is someone who is incredibly kind, willing to give a homeless stranger a safe place to stay. What I love most about Dryden is that love doesn't instantly change him, because that would feel inauthentic. Instead, he begins the slow journey toward feeling deserving of Spencer and believing that he will stay.
It's impossible not to love Spencer and feel for him. He is so grateful for everything that comes his way, no matter how small. His traumatic past and current circumstances—homeless and walking for weeks at a time to find a new place to stay—would have completely broken most people, yet he handles them with grace and appreciation. That's not to say he is naive or blind to how challenging his lifestyle is, but rather that he doesn't let it destroy him. My heart broke over how unsafe he felt. The world can be especially unkind to the unhoused, as we unfortunately see. I wanted to bring him into my home, stuff him full of food, and give him a bedroom with a heavy-duty lock.
The romance between Dryden and Spencer takes time, and it needs to. They both have to learn to trust each other before they can truly find comfort in each other. Watching Spencer slowly feel safe with Dryden while Dryden learns to believe that Spencer genuinely wants him—and isn't going to disappear—makes their quiet romance incredibly rewarding.
They also have an interesting sexual dynamic, one I've never read before. That's one of the things I love about Mulder's books: I am constantly being introduced to new romantic and sexual orientations, and I feel like they are always treated with respect.
This is the third book in the Siren's Point series, and while it can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading the series in order for maximum fulfillment.
Thank you to the author for providing an ARC.