Riptide was sad and sweet and beautiful. This story pulled at my heartstrings and then some. Absolutely loved this book.

You can never go wrong with a rock romance by Michelle Mankin and Riptide gave me everything I’ve come to expect from her and more. What do you do when there is a girl you really like and would like to see where it goes but before you can act on it your best friend and bandmate tells you he wants her? That is the story of Ramon, Dominic and Karen. They were kids from Ocean Beach, California who loved to surf and the group of guys was on the cusp of making it big as a rock band. Even though Ramon stepped aside for his friend he never got over his feelings for Karen. Karen was sure that the sparks that she felt with Ramon were something they could act on but Ramon pulled back on anything other than friendship so then Karen then fell for Dominic. He was the more stable and sensible of the two. All the sex and drugs that came along with a rock band had now landed on the Dirt Dogs doorstep and Ramon along with the rest of the guys in the band took full advantage of it; that is everyone but Dominic. He stayed true to Karen while Ramon wasn’t afraid of hiding his sexual adventures with all the women in front of Karen. What comes from 15 years of a love triangle when friendships are involved and life happens? Dominic ends up taking a different path than the rock life with the Dirt Dogs and he has Karen along for the ride…it was just a ride that she did not sign up for. Dominic does ask Ramon to look after Karen when he leaves but Dominic had no idea the extent Ramon would go to keep his watchful eye on Karen. Will that strong chemistry between Ramon and Karen prove to be too much for either of them to deny?

This was a great rock romance that showed you the seedier side of a rock band and all the pitfalls that come with it. It also gave you one hell of a romance that made your heart break at times and wasn’t afraid to throw surprises at you once you think you had it all figured out. It also taught you how not to let words go unsaid…love is worth the risk.

This book was provided as an ARC from NetGalley for a freely given and honest review.

Riptide by Michelle Mankin (ROCK STAR SURF AND SECOND CHANCES)

Easily a five star plus read!!!

First I'll start with the fact that prior to reading this book I purchased OUTSIDE book 1 in the series. While not necessary to read to understand Riptide it definitely had me already invested in the characters. Michelle Mankin does an amazing job when developing each person and their story weather telling the past or present tense.

This book starts where book 1 end in OB back to where it all began fifteen years earlier.

Ramon a Rock Star has just ended a 15 year tour. Completely done touring and trying to put all their lives back together he and his retired band move back home.
Rock star Ramon Martinez can have any woman he wants, and he frequently does because he can’t have her.

Karen Grayson my Surfer girl. My band mate and best friends wife.
The one woman who could have my heart though I can never let her know. I've watched her fall apart year after year as her husband who joined the Marines without talking to her about it keeps being deployed. He doesn't see her. She cries for him and he continued to leave her for over a decade. I've pushed her away. I've broken my own heart but deep down I know I could make her happy.

Ramon Martinez,Romeo Completely forbidden. I married his best friend.
I wanted him back at the beginning, but he didn’t want me. Or that's what I believed.
So I made the safe choice. My husband decided to join the marines I wasn't given a choice he was just gone. I tried to be what I thought he wanted but it was never enough. He re upped for more than a decade never talking with me or considered my feelings. I was missing him and he kept going.

After tragedy strikes, will Roman and Karen get a second chance?

This book has so many intense, tear inducing moments. It's easy to go along for the journey to a HEA.

Karen is starting her life over, after the worst possible ending to her marriage and being away from her hometown for too long, she is back and rebuilding her life how she wants it.

Ramon is home after his successful band has disbanded, where he finally runs into the one who got away, the one he could never have.

Karen and Ramon have a history. Their story spans 15 years of unrequited feelings and immovable obstacles.

'Denying what we share is like trying to escape a riptide by swimming straight to the shore. You only end up getting tired and swept further away from what you most desire'

I loved this book. The writing was fantastic, the characters deep and believable, and the story was realistic, sweet and heart wrenching at the same time. A truly beautiful story, while not the least bit sappy or overdone. I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest and unbiased review.

This claimed to be a stand alone book but it felt like you needed to know a lot of backstory from previous books in the series. I did enjoy the setting, and surfing topic.