Summer by the Tides by Denise Hunter is part family drama and part sweet romance.

Conner, the next door neighbor, calls all three sisters when their Grandmother is gone for several days. He is not aware that they are estranged. However it is unusual that each of the sisters doesn’t seem to mind staying to go through the house once they realize what has happened to the grandmother. Their reasons are revealed as the story progresses.

I loved how Maddy got the wrong impression of Connor from the start. That was a fun part of the story when she realizes how wrong she has been and apologizes.

The grandmother takes a secondary role but she is entertaining and you will like her. Connor and his family dynamics were also a great addition to the story.

Denise elicits all kinds of emotions from readers as the history of the sisters and their family is revealed. In addition, the women have to deal with their current issues. Denise packed this story full of drama and emotions.

I received this book from Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review.
You can see my full review at More Than a Review dot com where I rate the level of sex, violence, language and drug/alcohol use in books.

A new Denise Hunter is always a treat and Summer by the Tides doesn’t disappoint! Our leading lady, Maddy, begins the book distraught about a break up with her boyfriend and her week gets worse when her dear grandmother goes missing! Compassionate and emotional, Maddy is easy to empathize with and connect to.

Her two sisters join Maddy at her grandmother’s home at the sea and the family tension crackles as they attempt to overcome past betrayals and grief. Family is never simple and it’s intricacies are elegantly handled in this novel. There is no black and white merely perspective and Maddy can see all the different viewpoints so she gets stuck mediating! The reader uncovers the history of the family as it becomes relevant to the modern day story. Blame, guilt and forgiveness are complex topics to be tackled by Christianity but Denise conveys the principles beautifully.

There’s romance in the air but as the back cover gives nothing away neither will I! It is a delight though, full of humour and vulnerability. Each character brought into the story is fleshed out and interesting. At the end, I was sad it isn’t the beginning of a series (as far as I know…)!

From the start, this is a wonderful escape into a seascape full of family drama and love! I thoroughly enjoyed it, it’s five out of five on the en-JOY-ment and I highly recommend it!

'She'd left God in the dust quite some time ago.'

Maddy is left reeling from an especially vicious betrayal, both professional and emotional when she is called back to her grandmother's house in Sea Haven, NC. It seems her grandmother is missing and no one has any clue as to where she is. Her grandmother's neighbor, Connor Sullivan, has called Maddy and her two sisters, Emma and Nora and when they converge on the old house, emotions run rampant between Emma and Nora from old hurts and betrayals.

The sisters get busy packing up family belongings in their grandmother's home, and recall the good times they had their each summer as children. But there are many secrets in this family, secrets and betrayals that threaten their hearts. Tensions are high as jealousy, resentment and pain come against this family. Will they ever be able to put aside the past and be close again? Or will they just give in to defeat and go their separate ways?

Meanwhile, Connor Sullivan is beginning to have feelings for Maddy as she is for him. But Maddy is bound and determined never to love again after her most recent break up. After all, if you hide your heart, it can't get hurt. Right? Maybe not.

Denise Hunter has long been a favorite of mine and I never fail to enjoy her books. She knows how to dig right into the reader's heart and pull them into the story completely. Even her secondary characters are meaningful and good to know. She weaves the spiritual theme throughout this story, while capturing the complete emotional make up of her characters. This one moved me deeply and I found myself crying several times. Well done! I highly recommend Summer By The Tides.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers through Net Galley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Just as Maddy Monroe's life is falling apart, her grandmother's neighbor calls to let her know that she is missing. Maddy takes off from Charlotte, North Carolina to travel to the North Carolina coast and the town of Sea Haven. Connor Sullivan couldn't reach Maddy right away so he also contacted her sisters, Nora and Emma. Things are very tense at the house on the beach, not just because Gram is missing but because Nora and Emma have been estranged for twenty years, since Nora stole Emma's fiance. Thankfully, Gram called after a few days to let everyone know that she is okay. Apparently, she set everyone up to get them all together for some healing time. Like that was going to happen!
Maddy doesn't have a job or boyfriend to go back to since he took her promotion she is in line for at the upscale restaurant and cheated with their boss to get it. But her sisters have lives back home. Why are they staying? Gram has been wanting them to get her house in order to sell so they decided to work on her house until she returns and as long as it takes.
Life is full of surprises and this is certainly the case as all of the sisters are keeping their secrets from each other. Maddy makes a new friend with Connor as she helps him out at his marina restaurant.
This is a deeply layered and touching story of healing, faith, forgiveness, new beginnings and romance. Throw in a hurricane to add some excitement.
I received a complimentary ARC from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine only.

I asked to read and review this book through Netgalley.com and Thomas Nelson publishing. I liked the book and give it 4 out of 5 stars.

I give it 4 and not 5 stars because the storyline is not very different and that the characters were fairly well developed but not great. The characters were believable though, which helped. The editing was pretty good but it's hard to tell with an advanced reader copy how it will end up.

I have not read books by Denise Hunter before but I will probably read more. The storyline was a typical boy-next-door romance and that part was pretty average. The family dynamics was a bit unique and kept my interest. This is a Christian book and you could see the faith of the main character, Maddy, growing throughout the story. The story was not a heavy read and I read the book in a fairly short amount of time. It would be a good book for a vacation or a day at the beach or such.

Denise Hunter is one of my go-to favorites! Her books transport you to another place. Usually somewhere on the east coast :) which always makes me feel at home. I grew up in the southeast.

Summer by the Tides was such a great story of forgiveness and redemption of lost relationships. The characters are, as always, well developed. The thing about Denise Hunter books is that every one has a totally swoon-worthy kiss scene that does not disappoint. I highly recommend this book for your summer pool-side read!

I enjoyed part of this story because of the relationship between the sisters. maddy monroe was a good heroine with a secret in her past that involved her family which I thought was uncovered in a satisfactory way. The pacing of present and flashback was done well. However, There was nothing interesting about the hero, Connor. He doesnt stand out as a character, just had some unfortunate grief in the past and that’s it. There was no arc to his backstory. I wish there was growth and he was more compelling or Relatable. I also wish the end wasnt predictable or sappy with him going out into the storm for a dog.

Thanks to the publisher, Thomas Nelson, and the author Denise Hunter for the early copy of this read.

While this was the first book by Denise Hunter I've ever read, I did thoroughly enjoyed the story line and how quickly I was able to get into the story and enjoy how the author incorporated me, as a reader, into the story and be able to step right into that summer atmosphere.

It's a great story of secrets and family drama and the author really excels at writing about these issues.

4/5 stars

When you just find out the man you are dating has taken a job you wanted and cheated what else can happen. You get a call from you grandmothers neighbor saying she is missing. When you arrive you meet the neighbor to find out he also called your sisters. Your sisters have not spoken in years. This book goes through each of the characters hurts, trust issues and pain. This family has hurt that is out for everyone to see and some hurt hidden. Everyone has to work through all of these and get back to living.

Summer By The Tides is a delightful, easy to read, easy to enjoy romance. There have been many Christian contemporary titles published recently that feature broken sisterly relationships and the slow mending of these bonds, but Summer By The Tides is by far my favourite. Touching on some tough and thoughtful tones, it remains a lighthearted, sunshine filled and feel good story of love, family and fresh starts.

The day Maddy Monroe discovers her boyfriend is a lying cheater and that she has lost the promotion at work, she gets a phone call saying her grandmother has gone missing. It’s easy to jump in the car and return to her childhood summer house on the beach, harder to face her two sisters and the memories of what tore her family apart all those years ago. With the help of her grandmother’s neighbour, Connor, Maddy and her sisters search for their missing grandmother and get the house in order, sifting through memories and facing the secrets of the past.

While the synopsis for Summer By The Tides focuses on Maddy’s relationships with her sisters, the story is actually centred around the blooming romance between Maddy and Connor and Maddy’s own experiences with and beliefs about love. I really enjoyed the sweet romance that Connor and Maddy share. They certainly don’t start out as a perfect couple. Maddy is quick to judge Connor and it’s hard for Connor to see past Maddy’s harsh and judgmental facade. As they start to work together, though, they both have to re-evaluate their initial impressions and they find they actually make a pretty great couple. Both have their reasons for shying away from a relationship, Connor lost his young wife and Maddy has plenty of reason to be distrustful of men. They have their bumps and ups and downs, but their connection is hard to ignore. I loved the little moments they shared over food (Maddy’s world) or sailing (Connor’s domain). Very sweet.

Maddy’s sisters and the family as a whole have experienced some tough relationship breakdowns. Maddy ends up playing referee a lot of the time and carries her own guilt from what transpired all those summers ago. The chance to live together, work together gives the sisters the time to work through some of that painful history, current hardships and the guilt and anger that has kept them captive. Yet, Summer By The Tides retains a lighthearted and warm story, making it the perfect summer (or anytime) beach (or anywhere) read.

The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

This novel had a bit of a bumpy start. I just couldn't connect with the heroine, Maddy. The opening scenes were difficult to follow, packed with cliches, and read like a giant info dump. I felt the characters lacked the usual depth I've come to expect from a Denise Hunter novel. However, I'm so glad I didn't give up because the story got very interesting once Maddy and Connor got over their initial dislike for each other and the romance sparked. Lots of sexual tension, intriguing backstory and a deeper inspirational message that Christian fiction readers will appreciate. The secondary characters were great and I enjoyed the description of the beach, as well.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary ARC. All opinions stated here are my own.

This is my first Denise Hunter book and it won’t be my last. She has such a way with characters and storyline.
A perfect beach read !

Summer by the Tides is a beautiful story of love, hope, and forgiveness. A visit to Sea Haven, North Carolina made me feel like I was on vacation. The memories embedded in Gram's cottage, from family summers of the past, creates tension between the sisters. The kind of tension that made me keep turning the pages. While Maddy tries to figure out her life, Gram's handsome neighbor, Connor, reaches out to the family. The story of three sisters is intriguing. This is a perfect summer read. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Whew! This story begins smack dab in action and emotion. As with every story I've ever read by Denise Hunter, I was enthralled from the word go! The characters are believable and I connected with ease. I love the family dynamics, the beach scene, and the touching romance. You really can't go wrong with a Hunter book. She's a wonderful storyteller who creates fictional characters that end up feeling like old friends.

#SummerByTheTides #NetGalley

Summer By the Tides was a quick read for me. Maddy is upset by the uneipected, losing her job and her grandma gone missing. Her two sisters and their estranged relationship, are sometimes hard to deal with. Maddy has no idea that her family has so many secrets.Toss in the handsome man next door and there is a storm brewing.

What can I say but, another winner!
Denise Hunter is a master at crafting heartwarming romance with a great message and this book is no different!
Great for a day or two at the beach, or if you can't get to the beach this is a perfect"summer read" that can transport you there without having to travel!
I loved how this book wove a story about reconciliation and having the courage to love.
Absolutely recommended!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Publisher through Netgalley. My opinion is my own.

Summer by the Tides is an easy comfortable read. Three sisters, estranged, converge on their grandmother's beach cottage aster a concerned neighbor discovers she is missing. All three sisters have secrets, which are gradually revealed. Even the grandmother, who pops up, has a few secrets to share. It's a great beach read about warm characters who realize they all need each other.

Summer by the Tides is one of my new favorite Denise Hunter novels. A perfect blend of family, faith, and romance, it was everything I hope for when picking up one of Hunter’s books.

Maddy loses her job and her boyfriend all at the same time so there is nothing holding her back from going to look in on her grandmother when she gets a call from her concerned neighbor. The concerned neighbor also called Maddy’s two estranged sisters, Nora and Emma. Nora and Emma had a falling out twenty years prior and are both still holding grudges. It makes things really uncomfortable when they all show up at their grandmother’s and then decide to stay there to help fix the place up. All the characters were pretty likable, though sometimes frustrating. The secrets that are discovered during their stay were not anything surprising – except there was an extra twist on one that I wasn’t expecting.

I really liked the concerned neighbor, Connor. He was such a sweet and stand-up guy. I loved his relationship with his sisters. I really shipped his growing relationship with Maddy, too. He was exactly the kind of guy that Maddy needed and he was extremely patient with her skittishness. Things did get just a little too cheesy at times when it came to the romance, but I’ll take sappy over graphic any day.

Overall, I really enjoyed Summer by the Tides. It was a cute, quick read that I flew right through. I liked the message of faith and trusting in God and felt it was incorporated really well into the characters’ lives and didn’t come off as preachy. I liked seeing Maddy and her sisters work through their issues and discover family secrets. I liked that reconciliation was shown as a process and small steps and not just a magical fix where everything is all of a sudden fine. I definitely recommend this one to Denise Hunter fans.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 4 Stars

Ms. Hunter has done it once again! Another wonderful read that needs to be on your tbr list this summer. Full review coming soon

Summer by the Tides is another great Christian Fiction read by award winning Denise Hunter.
Maddie Monroe was up for a promotion at the restaurant she loves until the day she hears her boyfriend and her boss talking about him getting the promotion and she witnesses them kissing. Maddie is so hurt that when she receives a call from Connor Sullivan, her grandmother's neighbor, informing, her that her grandmother is missing, she leaves her job and boyfriend behind to go to her family's beach house in Seahaven. Maddie's estranged sisters receive the same phone call and they all come together for a very stressful reunion full of secrets, painful betrayal, romance and healing, I thank NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for allowing me to read and review this book, expressing my own opinions.