SUMMER BY THE TIDES, the newest offering by one of my
favorite authors, Denise Hunter, is a charmer! When we meet
Maddy Monroe, she has had a very bad day! She caught Nick,
her boyfriend of six months, kissing Evangeline, owner of
the posh restaurant Maddy works as Assistant Manager. Her
life is Pirouette, and she has been expecting the promotion
to the manager when she overhears Nick telling Evangeline
Maddy is not the right manager for Pirouette, he is.
Evangeline gives him the job, and Maddy leaves with a broken
heart. At home, she unplugs her phone, climbs into bed, and
eats a package of Oreo cookies. When she looks at her phone,
she sees five missed messages from her grandmother's
neighbor, Connor Sullivan. He tells Maddy that her gram is
missing; he is concerned and needs her help. Maddy
immediately drives to Sea Haven, the beachside home of her
mid-eighties grandmother. Her meeting with Connor Sullivan
is unpleasant. Convinced he is a beach bum and a ladies man,
she is cold and sarcastic to him. They work together with
the police to try and find gram. When both of her estranged
sisters, Nora and Emma arrive, things get out of hand. Gram
calls in a few days from Boise where she is attending her
65th high school reunion. Did she plan this to get the three
sisters together? She is funny. She is shrewd, and she is a
matchmaker!
Denise Hunter is no stranger to me, and I love the way she
tells a story. Always unforgettable characters, a quiet
spiritual message interwoven into the theme, set in a
romantic locale. I never fail to "fall" for the hero and
Connor Sullivan is no exception. Is it his silver-blue eyes,
the cleft in his chin, the scruffy look, or is it the quiet
way he listens? Or is it all of the above? As they get to
know each other, they begin to tell each other their secrets
and hurts and something warm and wonderful begins to
blossom. Can Maddy trust this swoon-worthy man? He is a hard
worker owning the marina and The Landings, the local "in"
spot for eating great food. He has helped her gram on
repairs on her house, and they are devoted. He even gets
along with both of her sisters and "Pippy" their sweet,
furry ball of devotion. Sisterhood is a big part of this
story. A betrayal by Nora to her sister, Emma, has never
been forgotten or forgiven. As a huge hurricane comes
ashore, everyone is gathered close together, and secrets are
shared. I was swept away by the inspirational messages that
brought forgiveness and fresh starts. It was the granting
and then accepting the forgiveness that brought about the
long-overdue love of Nora and Emma and what a sweet surprise
ending. I loved SUMMER BY THE TIDES and you will too. thank
you for another winner, Denise Hunter.
A Summer of Low Tides Could Expose Years of Family
Secrets
When her grandmother goes missing from the family beach
house, Maddy and her estranged sisters converge in Sea
Haven, North Carolina. Being with uptight Nora and
free-spirited Emma in the home where their family broke
apart is a struggle Maddy is not in the mood to face,
especially since she’s recovering from her ex-boyfriend’s
betrayal.
As the sisters wait for word of their grandmother, they
begin to pack up the family belongings—and unpack memories
of the idyllic summers of their childhood. But with those
memories come long-buried secrets, and Maddy discovers that
all was not as it appeared that last summer in Sea Haven.
Meanwhile, Gram’s neighbor, Connor Sullivan, seems overly
interested in Gram’s whereabouts. Maddy is drawn in by his
quick smile and steady gaze in spite of herself.
Undercurrents of jealousy and resentment threaten to pull
the family under again, maybe for good this time. As
tensions rise, the sisters must find a way to accept each
other for the women they’ve become—and Maddy must decide if
falling in love again is worth the potential heartbreak.
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