This is a light, quick, wholesome romance for fans of second chances and forced proximity. I do love those two tropes but found this one a little hard to get into because there were parts that felt very repetitive. I like that Hope is a marine biologist who does shark research and the whole exes working together aspect. There's a lot of back and forth about whether or not to get back together so we don't see a lot of Hope and Adrian actually together as a couple but the dual POV gives us input to both their thoughts/fears/feelings which is nice. It's a good option if you like closed door romance, sharks, and second chances at love and are looking for an easy read.

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press & NetGalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. Review based on final copy. All opinions are my own.
Second Tide’s the Charm is the latest romance from Chandra Blumberg, and I’m glad that she’s continued her trend of building a romance around a fun, niche theme. And while I don’t know a ton about sharks or marine life, I love how Blumberg conveyed her passion for the topic through her characters, while also ensuring that those who didn’t know a ton wouldn’t be super lost.
Hope and Adrian are both fairly relatable. Both are shark experts and researchers, but I like that each takes it on from different angles, with Hope being a marine biologist and him being a photographer and a YouTuber using his channel to educate people about sharks. And their romance was also easy to root for. There’s a lot of tension and questions about if they can make it work this time around, but their issues feel realistic, and the reasons they broke up to begin with weren’t super dramatic and over-blown, even if the reunion is a little awkward at first. The book was spent addressing the issues they had and figuring out how they could move forward together in a healthy way.
The pacing is a bit of a negative, especially with some of the relationship development being some repetitive pining and questioning, but while it was a tad annoying, it more or less worked. I did feel like the short chapters were kind of a double-edged sword, however, as while there were parts of the book where it contributed to snappier pacing, other times, it fed into the repetitiveness, and that the story had progressed quite a lot, with still a lot to go.
But overall, I really enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to readers looking for a fun second chance romance with Black leads and cool marine biology theme.

This one ended up being a DNF for me at 60%. I enjoyed the premise of this book quite a lot and thought it was quite unique. The chemistry between the characters was definitely there and I loved their private interactions. I also loved the side characters and thought they brought a lot to the book. My favorite part about the book, though, was the sharks! Learning about this job and getting to see it in action was so interesting to me.

The reason I DNF'd this book, though, is that the author just kept putting the main character into every embarrassing situation possible. The second hand embarrassment I felt reading this book was just too much and I was having a hard time enjoying the other aspects of the book because of it. Additionally, the book felt quite repetitive at times and at 60% in it felt like we were still in the exact same place we were in at the beginning of the book. Plus, the miscommunication in this book was beyond unbelievable. I usually don't mind the miscommunication trope, but I cannot be convinced that two people who were dating for five years just stopped talking to each other. That simply doesn't make sense to me.

I usually love 2nd chance romances but this one didnt it. Two pretty annoying characters that didnt have that crazy of a reason to break up and it just didnt get better from there.

This is such a perfect summer book! Sharks! The ocean! Boats! I love the marine biologists who are studying sharks. It's always fun to read a book where the MCs do something that isn't common in books. And the second chance romance between Hope and Adrian was so well done. Such a fun book!

*3.5

I liked the two of them but the book was just kind of boring. I feel like I wanted something significant to happen and it didn't.

I received an arc through netgalley.

2.85🌟
I really wanted to love this one, but it just didn't do it for me. The premise of this book is very interesting and compounded with the super cute cover, I was immediately interested in getting the whole story.

In this book, we meet Hope and Adrian, who are marine biologists who dated for 5 years in college and later "broke up". This summer they have an opportunity to work together, doing what they love, and ultimately, rekindle the love they lost. Except, they never truly lost the love as they've both spent the past 3 years pinning away for each other.

I think my biggest issue is that I couldn't buy into their love. These two adult people separated because they were located in two different states, and one person was unable to make a decision about their future together. So they just stopped communicating and moved on with their individual lives without ever reaching out to (no calls, no emails, and one person stopped answering text messages), or having a conversation with each other.
I felt like we got told a lot about what they felt for each other, but I didn't feel like I got to actually feel and experience those things.

I think if you like the miscommunication trope or crave third act break-ups, then this is the book for you.

Thank you to Netgalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Canary press for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I’m not gonna hold you, I’m not a huge fan of science, BUT I read Hazelwood’s and Easton’s STEM novels and I LOVE Sharks, so I went ahead and gave it a shot. And let me just tell you, I would have been upset if I HADN’T read this.

This was one of the cutest books I’ve read in a long time. I LOVED Hope’s character! She did annoy me that she didn’t seem to have a real reason to break up with Adrian, but I did understand everything else she did. I also really loved the passion she had for her job and the animals. And I know this is weird because they’re sharks, but they were all so cute! (That pregnant one?!) This was a very cool book that I didn’t know I needed.

Adrian I wasn’t such a fan of. He was very passionate about his work too, but he seemed to only be passionate about it. If you know what I mean. Like he said that he was hurt that she left and he seemed mad about it, but it wasn’t shown. I guess it was just him being hurt. But it took out some of the romance I think.

I also loved the STEM aspect to it. Again, I’m not a huge fan of the romance, but this was so cute. I loved to see the little shark facts. And let me tell you, EVERY BLACK SCIENTIST THAT DOES A STORYTIME AT THEIR LOCAL LIBRARY, I’M HERE FOR IT! (Looking at you Vincent! lol) That scene alone was enough for me. Seeing them realize that they should remember the kiddos to get more to go to those fields make me love them so much more!

Idk what this trend of STEM romances is all about, but I’m here for them all! A complete 180 degrees from my original thought of not liking science lol This is definitely a book I will be telling more and more people to read. It was a fun romance with light spice! I had such a fun time reading it. I hope y’all pick this up and read it too!

love a second chance romance DOWN, and i will always root for black love y'all -- two of the things that made me request this book, btw. and i'm SO glad i did -- i had so much fun! and i also love picking up books that include subjects i have no clue about, i always feel like i learn something lol
i also just always appreciate when the conflict and resolution to romances are believable/a little realistic -- while i know fiction is fiction, there's something about a believable ending that makes the "happily-ever-after" feel so much better and so much more worth celebrating.

This was a cute, funny low spice romance that I thoroughly enjoyed reading.
This book follows hope and Adrian who met in college due to their shared love of shark research. They fell in love and had a five year relationship which ended suddenly when hope moves back to her hometown and decides to delete all of her social media. After living there for 3 years she decides to get back into the shark world and messages a friend who is also in the field (Adrian’s cousin) and accidentally ends up taking a summer job working with the man himself.
This book is a whole lot of push and pull between the main characters and a lot of romantic tension. I liked the banter and the characters a lot. I wish there was more about their romance after they end up together rather than semi ending right after. I liked the side characters a lot as well. I did find myself irritated with both of the main characters quite a lot (which isn’t a bad thing because it kept me hooked)

Hope Evans, marine biologist had had a difficult 3 years. She's lost the love of her life and can't get over him, her career trying to avoid the same field of work that Adrian's in. Now she's lost her job at the Surf to Shore as a paddle board instructor. Time to think about her next career move.

Adrian Hollis-Parker, marine biologist has become a prominent face among shark experts after being video assisting a shark that's beach and having it posted on Social Media.
He's happy with the work he does tagging and researching sharks while being filmed for his YouTube channel. But, Hope is never far from his mind, the women he lost his heart to. Adrian knows he has to accept that Hope isn't coming back.

Adrian and Hope get a second chance at love when Adrian's cousin offers Hope a summer job as an assistant Marine Biologist to Adrian for 3 months. Hope accepts the job knowing she needs to get back into the field of shark research, find closure with Adrian, and make peace with the past. But Adrian has other plans. Working so close to Hope, he realises he needs her in his life.

Adrian and Hope are a realistic young couple in love. But having a long distant relationship took it's toll along with miscommunication and the lack of flexibility on both of their parts. They're a great couple that like, love and lust after each other. I look forward to reading the next book by this author.







https://www.goodreads.com/review/edit/199454284

4.5 ⭐️

Characters 8/10
Atmosphere 8/10
Writing 9/10
Plot 8/10
Intrigue 9/10
Logic 7/10
Enjoyment 8/10

Second Tide's the Charm follows Hope and Adrian, exes who find themselves working together after three years apart. How, you might ask? Thanks to Adrian's meddling cousin, who plays matchmaker by getting them involved in a summer project with Adrian, a shark-obsessed professor. The couple drifted apart due to poor communication, but their love for each other never truly faded. Now, spending an entire summer on a boat together, they must navigate both their lingering feelings and the challenges of working in close quarters.

This romance was absolutely charming. I couldn’t put it down. The characters were easy to care about, and the pacing kept the story engaging. Although it slowed a bit towards the end, it had a strong start that hooked me right away. I saw a lot of myself in Adrian, as someone who loves a plan and is intimidated by spontaneity, which made the romance feel authentic. Their struggles felt relatable, and it made rooting for them feel all the more rewarding.

This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2024! I love Black romance and I am definitely a science girl, so I was so excited to read a Black, STEM-centered romance! However, this book fell flat for me. I stopped reading at 59% in.

I did enjoy all the talk about marine biology. I liked all the shark facts sprinkled throughout the story. And I loved seeing positive blerd (Black nerd) representation! I also enjoyed the characters separately as people and the little sweet things that they’d do that showed that they still cared for each other.

However, the story felt incredibly repetitive to me. I felt like we were going around in circles with constant miscommunication from the characters. All the miscommunication made the characters feel very juvenile. Literally every problem in this novel could’ve been avoided if they’d just been honest with each other, from the initial breakup to the awkward workplace interactions. But, these grown adults were incapable of having a conversation. The scenes were too long and repetitive. I feel like the same things kept happening over and over again. And so many scenes was unnecessarily long, like chaptersss long. That just made the book start to drag for me, so I won’t be continuing the story.

But, if you’re someone who enjoys more slow burn romances and isn’t bothered by the constant miscommunication trope, you may enjoy this one! It had a really sweet vibe, it just wasn’t for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Canary Street Press for this arc. All opinions are my own.

I really like a second chance romance trope. I love to see characters reconnecting and rediscovering their love for each other. I was expecting that, but the story focused more on their past. It was hard to get into the book of that’s

from the moment I saw this cover, I knew I was going to love this book. And the inside DELIVERED. I love a good second-chance romance and this one hit the spot. It was cozy and I absolutely loved the shark researcher side to it.

i have been searching for a book where one of the main characters is a marine biologist for what seems like forever now so i was SO excited to finally find this one. i loved that the author actually showed so much of the job and so many fun facts about the shark. made me so happy and kept me so entertained! i also loved how mature the main characters were especially when it came to their relationship and getting back together. it felt very real and i enjoyed that so much.

sadly due to the social media aspect/trope of this book it made it so hard to want to keep reading, i read to escape social media and be off my phone so i really don’t want to read about it in the place i go to escape it. if it wouldn’t have been for that aspect i would have rated it higher. still a fun, easy read! thank you for the ARC ❣️

A really cute, slow-burn, closed door romance! As a neuroscience girlie, I loved the biology aspect of this story too! Such a fun thing to throw in.

The chemistry between the two main characters was sweet. I’ve apparently been on a second-chance romance kick even though I swear I don’t believe in second chances romance?? For some reason, I wasn’t really rooting for these to get back together despite loving them both as individuals. Their first breakup was confusing and childish, and if that were my friend I would not advise them to get back together!

There wasn’t a ton of conflict in this story, so I really felt like I was just along for the ride. That can be so nice for a beach read! So low anxiety. The conflict that did arise was really well placed!

Dual pov, so we get the FMC and MMC thoughts on their relationship as we follow along the book.

A really good three star read! If the summary appeals to you, I would absolutely recommend picking it up. So cute, but didn’t stand out to me too much just because I didn’t really think they deserved a second chance.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC in return for an honest review!

3.5⭐️ Second chance romance AND it has to do with sharks?! Sign me up!! This book was just what I needed to fulfill both my love of second chance and my love of sharks. It felt like I was back watching Shark Week again <3

Hope is a character who is trying to figure out her next move after dealing with her true passion on pause and still not fully being over her relationship with her real true love that ended three years ago. Adrian, on the other hand, has become kind of internet famous and has a little crew where he films videos to educate others on sharks, while also still doing the research he loves, but longs for Hope and the relationship they had. They become faced with each other as Hope begins to work for Adrian.

The longing in this book was sooooo good. Each chapter the characters gush so much about one another and you can tell they never lost their spark. I kept cheering them on waiting for them to get back together but it honestly felt so natural and real, rather than rushed and ingenuine. They got to know the real present versions of each other and realized they had changed, but also in many ways stayed the same.

Adrian was soooo down bad. He completely had the ‘he fell first’ AND ‘he’ll never get over her’ trope down. The boat name?! That was too precious.

I loved seeing Hope conquer her fears over social media and having anxiety about being filmed. They were both so mature and great at being there for one another, really figuring out and discussing their issues and moving forward together. It was cute and fun and nerdy. I loved the diversity as well. I recommend for all the second chance lovers!

What a fun read this turned out to be!

•Second Chance Romance
•Fun Group of Characters
•Shark Research

I really enjoyed reading about Hope and Adrian in this second chance romance. It was so easy to root for them to work things out from the start.

A couple things that I’ve come to love about Chandra’s books are the fun plots and relatable characters.

It was such a perfect summer read and I look forward to the next!

Hope Evans is excited to get back into marine biology and has landed the perfect summer job on a shark research boat, except there is one caveat - the boat belongs to her ex. It's been 3 years and Hope is still trying to get over Adrian Hollis-Parker, but she decides to go ahead with the job, because it could help get her career back off the ground.

In the past 3 years, Adrian has become internet famous as a shark expert on YouTube, but despite how successful he's become it means nothing without Hope by his side. Now he's faced with the question of whether or not he can work in a small space with a the women he has never gotten over.

One of the things I love most about Second Tide's the Charm is that it doesn't take the whole book for Hope and Adrian to start addressing things between them. There is so much history there and you can that they still love each other and are meant to be. However, there is a lot of healing that needs to be done and the journey they take is truly wonderful.

I loved all of the characters in this book and found the story to be super endearing. If you are looking for a fun and sweet romance, this book is definitely for you. I can't wait to read more by Blumberg!