SECOND TIDE'S THE CHARM

After five years together and three apart, two marine biologists are unexpectedly reunited by work in South Carolina.

It’s been three years since Hope Evans’ and Adrian Hollis-Parker’s long-distance—yet all-encompassing—relationship fizzled out when Hope decided she needed more time before moving in together. She’s spent that time helping a recently widowed friend with her children and her new recreation business on Lake Michigan, while Adrian accidentally went viral helping a beached shark. He’s parlayed the attention into a thriving social media presence and YouTube channel that’s enabled him to further his research and build the life he thought he always wanted. Shark research—and their feelings for one another—are the most important things to both of them. With encouragement and concern from Zuri, Hope’s friend in Michigan; Adrian’s cousin Marissa; and Gabe, Adrian’s cameraman, Hope and Adrian work through their feelings for one another as they conduct shark research and outreach over the course of the summer. The story is told in alternating points of view, and Hope and Adrian are each consumed by missing the other, wanting to do their best work, and concern about getting their hearts broken again. The emotions that arise when they’re near each other is described in great detail. People looking for a few pages to read before falling asleep every night will appreciate the cyclic nature of the couple’s thoughts.

A slow-moving story in which people trying to do their best find their happy ending.