Beyond the Tides

GIVEAWAY

JOHNSON, LIZ

BEYOND THE TIDES

When Meg Witaker'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 an 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 of 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 decided who gets it. Along the way, they discover that their stories are more similar than they thoughts...and their dreams aren't what they expected.

My Review:

Eeeeepppp!!!! This is me fangirling over another chance to armchair travel to Prince Edward Island with Liz Johnson! I swear I could smell the salty brine in the air and hear the gulls swooping and the water lapping along the shore. Nearly as good as an actual real live visit -- maybe even better since I didn't have to gag over the fishy smells. Which is kinda funny, since my imagination seems to conjure up all the nice scents while conveniently leaving out the foul ones. :-)

And I love, love, love the Canadian setting and the way the author brings this charming part of my country to vibrant life. Even using notable landmarks to share inspirational insights like this one:

"This bridge must have taken thousands of people to build it. But if God gave some guy an idea for how to span thirteen kilometres of open water, then I figure he can probably show me a way through whatever I'm facing. The bridge reminds me that even if I don't have a plan, God can figure it out." (p 94)

Honestly, I got a kinda Anne Shirley / Gilbert Blythe vibe from Meg and Oliver which still has me giddy. I'm not sure if that was in the author's mind as she wrote or if my childhood L. M. Montgomery bingeing has forever clouded my mind for any other notion of island romance. :-) 

But they have that same enemies to more thing going on after a falling out in high school has left them at odds ever since -- which is saying something since they live in the same small town. Well, Meg went away to university, but since she's been back they've managed to avoid speaking to each other. And, like Anne, Meg knows how to hold a grudge and work it into a knot of fury and resentment. Unlike Gilbert though, Oliver did do something pretty rotten when they were in their teens. But, hello, ten years have past, it's time to let go of past hurts and move into the happily-ever-after future that just might be theirs if only....

Sigh. The 'if only' part is pure magic. This is a love story about overcoming hardships and heartache and learning to work side by side in order to create something lasting and meaningful. You can learn a lot about someone during long days of lobster fishing. 

I feel a little windburned now that the season is over and story has come to an end. Blissfully satisfied too. And -- hooray! -- Beyond the Tides is the first book in Liz Johnson's Prince Edward Island Shores series and Oliver has brothers whose stories need telling. I cannot wait!

Book provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications Inc.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback copy

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Beyond the Tides, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT AND DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday October 23 2021. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!