Dreamboat

Bonita Gail aka Fiona Baxter

Book Cover

GENRE

ROMANCE

    Core Theme

    LOVE/JEALOUSY

    TIME PERIOD

    2000s,Contemporary

    COMPARABLE TITLES

    NICHOLAS SPARKS FILM ADAPTATIONS.

    CHARACTER LIST

    JUSTINE KENDALL (M/16-18)-- LEAD. SPUNKY, OUTGOING, STUNNING.
    • BRAD LAWRENCE (M/20-22) -- LEAD. FIRMLY CONVICTED, LOYAL, JEALOUS, STUBBORN.

    BEN MATTHEWS (M/20S) -- SUPPORTING. JUSTINE'S BOYFRIEND. HUNKY SUCCESSFUL, SOUGHT-AFTER.

    DEAN KENDALL (M/20S) -- SUPPORTING. JUSTINE'S BROTHER AND BRAD'S BEST FRIEND. DOWN-TO-EARTH, SENSIBLE.

    SHARON (F/20S) -- SUPPORTING. DEAN'S SIGNIFICANT OTHER. SHARP, DIRECT.

    CLAIRE (F/20S) -- SUPPORTING. BRAD'S QUASI-GIRLFRIEND. MEAN, JEALOUS, TOXIC.

    Logline

    Dreamboat is a young adult love story between Justine and her reluctant Dreamboat Brad , soon to be interrupted by an interested suitor Ben. There are plenty of hot scenes, heated moments and harsh words as Justine fights for love, if not her Dreamboat, then Ben, her big boy from the city.

    Target Audiences

    Age: 18-34,35-54,55+

    Target Gender: Universal,Female Leaning,Male Leaning

    Setting

    Bicheno (Bisheno) Tasmania Australia (Coastal)

    Based on a True Story

    No

    Publishing Details

    Status: Yes: with a Publisher

    Publisher: Sid Harta Publishing

    Year Published: 2011

    Starting Description

    Its Justine's 16th Birthday party at the town hall by the bay. Brad is congratulating himself and his buddy Dean on how the hall looks after all their handy work while waiting for the birthday girl to arrive, who's already somewhat late... Brad is in for the shock of his life when she does arrive.

    Ending Description

    Justine and Brad exchange marriage vows in an informal ceremony at Sleepy Bay (A gorgeous little nook on the Freycinet Peninsula on the East Coast of Tasmania on a lovely summers day surrounded by spectacular scenery and witnessed by their family and a couple of close friends.

    Group Specific

    Information not completed

    Hard Copy Available

    Yes

    ISBN

    Information not completed

    Mature Audience Themes

    Language/Profanity,Nudity

    Plot - Other Elements

    Coming of Age,Happy Ending,Twist

    Plot - Premise

    Other

    Main Character Details

    Name: Justine Kendall

    Age: 18

    Gender: Female

    Role: Protagonist

    Key Traits: Naive,Insecure,Engaging,Empathetic,Modest,Sexy,Blunt,Outspoken,Romantic,Seductive

    Additional Character Details

    Name: Brad Lawrence

    Age: 22

    Gender: Male

    Role: Antagonist

    Key Traits: Adventurous,Charming,Confident,Engaging,Heartthrob,Educated,Masculine,Modest,Sexy,Romantic,Seductive,Secretive,Strong Moral Code,Heroic,Complex

    Additional Character Details

    Name: Ben Matthews

    Age: 22

    Gender: Male

    Role: emotional

    Key Traits: Aspiring,Charming,Confident,Empathetic,Faithful,Heartthrob,Educated,Honorable,Masculine,Modest,Obedient,Sexy,Power Hungry,Outspoken,Funny,Visionary,Romantic,Sophisticated

    Additional Character Details

    Name: Dean Kendall

    Age: 22

    Gender: Male

    Role: sidekick

    Key Traits: Adventurous,Clumsy,Confident,Engaging,Outspoken,Funny

    Genre

    MATURE AUDIENCE, DRAMA, ROMANCE

    Brief

    In an Australian coastal town, Brad tries to stave off feelings for his best mate's younger sister Justine, but he becomes jealous and vindictive when she starts seeing another man. Eventually, Justine admits her feelings for Brad, and they finally come together and embrace each other as lovers.

    Overall Rating

    FAIR

    Point of View

    THIRD PERSON

    Narrative Elements

    Authors Writing Style: FAIR

    Characterization: FAIR

    Commerciality: GOOD

    Franchise Potential: FAIR

    Pace: FAIR

    Premise: FAIR

    Structure: FAIR

    Theme: FAIR

    Accuracy of Book Profile

    Yes, it seems like a perfectly accurate reflection of the book.

    Draw of Story

    What drew me into the story immediately was the severity of the feelings of the main characters in the opening pages. One really gets a sense of how overwhelmed Brad is by Justine's appearance, and you really get a sense of their shared passion when they kiss. Brad's jealousy not long after is just as tangible as his passion, and the conflicts it introduces are as enthralling and memorable as the romantic elements.

    Possible Drawbacks

    Yes, there were a few opportunities for improvement-- For one, the main characters in Brad and Justine do not feel as sympathetic as they could or should be. What dominates their personalities in the middle 400 pages of this work is their jealousy and borderline toxicity in their treatment of one another. Brad's jealousy of Ben and Justine is unbecoming, and his behavior evolves into arguably emotional abuse, not to mention him grabbing Justine and causing her to injure her ankle. It doesn't bode well for the audience rooting for him to be happy and achieving his goal in being with Justine. Moreover, Justine strikes as a bit vindictive and immature, too, often playing into Brad's jealousy. It's understandable, given their ages, but again, it seems to chip away at the audience's incentives to root for them. Additionally, this work seems to exist in the present to a fault. There is a sense that many of the scenes and interactions unfold in real time, and the result is that long stretches of text don't seem vital enough to the overall journey and final outcome to warrant inclusion. What would benefit this text would be a comprehensive combing through to cut, condense, and simplify. In essence, there is little to warrant the epic size of nearly 600 pages. 300 pages should be more than enough to iterate and track these characters and their turbulent relationship.

    Use of Special Effects

    THE STORY DOES NOT RELY ON SPECIAL EFFECTS

    Primary Hook of Story

    The hook is that this work has more than enough sexual intrigue, steamy scenes, and verbal spats to fill out a feature film run time. The author takes a Nicholas Sparks-esque story and takes it further-- The sheer amount of drama and sexual tension will be sure to entice an audience.

    Fanbase Potential

    This would not have a large fanbase, per se. It is certainly not a four-quadrant story. Nevertheless, this would would most definitely appeal to a female audience and would generate a similar response as the semi-regular romance novel adaptations that are a marketplace staple.

    Awards Potential

    No, this would not have awards potential. It doesn't seem to be operating on a particularly high level thematically speaking, and it seems much more geared toward melodrama and entertainment.

    Envisioned Budget

    LOW BUDGET

    Similar Films/TV Series

    NICHOLAS SPARKS FILM ADAPTATIONS.

    What’s New About the Story

    What is unique about this work is how charged it is sexually-speaking, despite having very little actual sex in it. It is remarkable that is plays as so steamy despite this fact. That said, what might benefit this work would be a combing through for familiar beats and scenes that can be evolved or subverted in some way. The ending feels a bit simple and familiar for this genre space, as does the break-up with Ben. More can be done to deviate key moments from what has come before and to lend nuance and complexity to the outcomes of the characters.

    Lead Characters

    Justine stands out for her youthful spunk-- She is not afraid to speak her mind, more often than not, and it gives way to some fiery drama in this text. Brad stands out for his flawed ethos-- He is remarkably jealous and often vindictive, coming across more like an antagonist despite apparent positioning and framing as a star-crossed protagonist.

    Uniqueness of Story

    This is not quite a rare gem as it does seem to play into genre archetypes and traditions on a few occasions. This work is also encumbered by the fact that its protagonists' negative qualities seem to just outweigh their virtues. The sheer amount of jealousy in this text reflects poorly on its players, and it chips away at audience incentive to invest in them and to root for them to be together. More can be done to earn sympathy and investment. More needs to be done if we are to substantially be happy for Justine and Brad coming together in the final few dozen pages of this text.

    Possible Formats

    Film: Studio, Indie, Streaming

    Analyst Recommendation

    WORK IN PROGRESS

    Justification

    This is a work in progress for two key reasons-- For one, more can be done to generate audience buy-in for the relationship of Brad and Justine. Right now, their mutual jealousy leads them to being occasionally toxic and mean to one another, and it doesn't bode well for the audience rooting for them as much as they could or should. Secondly, there is a sense that this work lives in the present to a fault and that there is much room to cut, condense, and simplify this text. In essence, there seems to be little reason for this work to be on the cusp of 600 pages. Much of the connective tissue between pivotal moments feels excessive and long-winded. Condensation would only yield a more palatable page count and more impact per page.

    Tips for Improvement

    The author would need to consider how to more deftly and effectively generate sympathy for its two leads. We need more reason to root for them and to like them. Secondly, more can be done to cut, condense, and simplify this work. It feels long-winded in its current form and a tighter, more efficient page count would only yield more impact per page.

    Brief

    Dreamboat is a young adult love story between Justine and her reluctant dreamboat Brad, soon to be interrupted by an interested suitor Ben. Heated conflicts and steamy embraces ensues as Justine fights for love, if not her dreamboat, then Ben, her big boy from the city.

    What We Liked

    What stood out about this work is how profoundly steamy it is. Despite not featuring much explicit sex, you really get a sense of the tension, which will be sure to keep audiences engaged and on the edge of their seat.
    What is also compelling about this work is the sheer amount of drama and conflict it contains. There are countless bouts and blow-ups between its star-crossed, jealous, and frustrated lovers. And in between said bouts, there is a sense of simmering tension and intrigue. This will be sure to titillate the audience to solid effect.

    Film: This would be a viable film adaptation in that it its concept has been proven time and time again in the marketplace. While not a four-quadrant story, this work will be sure to entice a loyal and enthusiastic audience for its countless dramatic impacts and its relentless sexual tension. There is more than enough excitement to sustain a feature length runtime, much less a commanding and memorable trailer.

    TV: This would make a solid adaptation for TV given its melodramatic qualities-- There is an abundance of sexual intrigue and tension as well as no shortage of verbal spats. Surely, there will be more than enough drama to sustain a season of TV. Supporting players like Dean and Sharon and even Claire present an opportunity, too-- They are interesting and complex enough to feature more significantly in a longer form format. The final catharses and payoffs in this work would serve the small screen well, too, to be sure.

    Key points:
    1. The rampant sexual tension.
    2. The escapist qualities of coastal Australia.
    3. The many verbal spats and conflicts.
    4. The nature of the forbidden, repressed love.
    5. The cathartic, impactful, and inevitable ending.

    Synopsis

    In a coastal town in Australia, the spunky JUSTINE "JUS" KENDALL celebrates her 16th birthday with her brother DEAN and his girlfriend SHARON, both 20s. Soon, Dean's long-time best friend BRAD LAWRENCE, 20, shows up, and he's stunned by Justine's maturity and good looks. She's had a crush on him for ages, and he kisses her passionately at her party. However, deterred by the fact that Jus is his best friend's sister, Brad ignores her despite his feelings for her, much to Justine's dismay. Two years pass, and Justine and Brad's feelings for each other fail to falter. Despite this, Justine starts seeing a hunky, town golden boy and architect BEN MATHEWS, 20s, drawing jealousy and ire from Brad. Brad starts seeing the mean-spirited CLAIRE, 20s, who vehemently dislikes Justine. Brad and Justine's relationship frays due to jealousy.

    Justine and Ben's relationship continues to develop, and constantly seeing Jus hanging on his arm drives Brad mad with envy. As a result, he spends much of his time complaining about Ben to Dean and Sharon, depicting him and accusing him of being solely focused on sex. Dean and especially Sharon get defensive of Justine and Ben, putting Brad in his place about being jealous and toxic. However, this does not stop Brad from making near constant comments to Justine, too. Justine lashes out, in return, including drunkenly cussing and raging at him on one occasion. Brad and Claire fizzle, as Brad is just not passionate about her or attracted to her mean-spirited personality. He increasingly fixates on Justine, and he even tries to get her to sleep with him despite her commitment to Ben. One night, Brad kisses her in public, much to Justine's chagrin. He even grabs her arm and causes her to twist her ankle.

    Soon, Ben invites Jus to move to the city with him, and he starts thinking about a proposal. However, Justine's heart just isn't in it, and she confesses that she does, in fact, love Brad. They part ways, and Ben is entirely gracious about the break-up. Justine heads to see Brad, and she confesses her feelings for him and tells him the news about Ben. Finally, the two come together, complete and uninhibited. They consummate the long-imminent relationship with great passion. It's Justine's first time having sex. Not long after, Brad proposes to her with his late mother's ring. Time passes, and the day of the wedding is upon them. Justine tells Brad that she is pregnant with his child.

    About The Author