About the Book ~
When Meg Whitaker's father decides to sell the family's lobster fishing business to her high school nemesis, she sets out to prove she should take it over instead. Though she's never had any interest in running the small fleet--or even getting on a boat due to her persistent seasickness--she can't stand to see Oliver Ross in charge. Not when he ruined her dreams for a science scholarship and an Ivy League education ten years ago.
Oliver isn't proud of what he did back then. Angry and broken by his father walking out on his family, he lashed out at Meg--an innocent bystander. But owning a respected fishing fleet on Prince Edward Island is the opportunity of a lifetime, as well as a way to provide for his mother, and he's not about to walk away just because Meg wants him to.
Meg's father has the perfect solution: Oliver and Meg will work the business together, and at the end of the season, he'll decide who gets it. Along the way, they may discover that their stories are more similar than they thought . . . and their dreams aren't what they expected.
For more information about Liz Johnson and her books, check out her website here!
My Thoughts ~
Beyond the Tides by Liz Johnson is a sweet romance set on the gentle shores of Prince Edward Island!
The setting of Beyond the Tides was quite fun! It was enjoyable to be swept onto a lobster boat for a season; it was made even better by not having to experience the constant seasickness, the fishy smells, and the stinging pinch of the lobsters for myself, making it another win for living vicariously through fiction! Additionally, the culture and unwritten rules surrounding lobster fishing in a small town was thoroughly charming and tinged with mystery and sabotage at times. The relationship dynamics -- from romantic to family to friends -- were sweet, raw, and tugged on the heart. There was some focus on losing a parent, but it didn't make the story unbearably heavy. Instead, the focus was shifted to making memories with those people instead of hiding from the grief, which still has me teary-eyed.
Oliver and Meg's romance started off with a bit of Pride and Prejudice disdain to boot! Always great fun in my book! While the spiritual themes were gentler, struggles with forgiveness, pride, and identity added some rocky waves to the couple's relationship. Ultimately, their journey led them to the conclusion that love didn't always look like moonlight dances, a box of chocolates, and a dozen roses, and that love also includes caring, shared grief, and sacrifice. And it made an already sweet story even sweeter!
Four Stars ~ Beyond the Tides by Liz Johnson is romantic and sweet! Beyond the Tides is the first book in the author's Prince Edward Island Shores Series, and it seems to set up the next book in the series. I'm looking forward to reading that next seaside story!
