This book is a delight, and I always look forward to every book that is released by Denise Hunter. Her stories are captivating, full of warmth and offer hope with a dash of humor. I highly recommend this book to any avid fan of inspirational fiction.

Summer by the Tides by Denise Hunter is a beautifully written novel. This novel is so much more than a fun beach read. It is a novel about pain and betrayal, grudges and family bonds that can’t be broken. It is a novel full of hope and second chances. I absolutely loved the author’s beautifully plotted novel and how it resonated on so many levels. I highly recommend it. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

I received an electronic ARC of this book from NetGalley

This author is very popular with our library readers. I would highly recommend this book,

This is a wonderful Christian romance that will satisfy any reader. Maddie loses her job and her boyfriend in one fell swoop when he turns the owner of the restaurant against her and gets her promotion. The same night she gets a phone call from her grandmother's neighbor saying she is missing. Maddie and her two sisters who are estranged all arrive in Sea Haven, North Carolina to begin searching. It seems Grandmother is at her high school reunion and has staged this to get the three sisters back together. A little predictable but still a good read. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A story about being reunited with family and overcoming things together.
I thought this book was pretty great, not my favorite book by Denise Hunter as I felt it a bit more dramatic than need be (which is unusual for Denise Hunters Books). But overall it was a great summer read and I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

Summer by the Tides is the latest from Denise Hunter. On the opening pages of this book, you will meet Maddie Monroe, as she is losing both her boyfriend and her job all in the same moment. On top of it all, Maddie learns from her grandmother’s neighbor, Conner Sullivan, that her grandmother is actually missing!

Maddy is soon heading for her grandmother’s hometown of Sea Haven, North Carolina. Maddy has so many fun memories of summers spent with her family in this town. The thought of her grandmother being missing leaves her not knowing which way to turn. When Connor informs Maddy that her sisters, Nora and Emma, will also be in town to help in the search, Maddy is concerned. Nora and Emma have been in a feud and have not spoken to each other in years!

This tale gets very interesting as you see these sisters deal with their past, as well as, all of the new changes that have come into their current lives. Denise Hunter will have you turning page after page to discover where the lives of these quarreling sisters land at the end of it all!

Thank you publishers and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.


This is an easy, breezy beach read. I found it easy to get through and the characters likeable. It has some cliche moments, but overall I really appreciated the faith aspect that was interwoven throughout the characters.

This story involves three sisters who have lost touch over the years. Not only will they hash out their issues, but a few family secrets get uncovered as well. A sweet book and sure to be a quick read.

"Thank God for fresh starts."

Maddy's life as she knows it is over. She's lost her job, her boyfriend, and now her grandmother is missing. What else could go wrong? When Maddy travels to her grandmother's beach house to find her, she runs headfirst into her stubborn sisters, Nora and Emma. The sisters have a lot of catching up to do and they all need to learn the power of forgiveness. Their family secrets have caused so much heartache, but God is always there to provide a fresh start.

This book started off really good, but seemed to go downhill a bit about midway through. It just didn't seem like the Denise Hunter books I have read in the past and almost seemed like it was written in a hurry. There was a bit too much drama for my taste. The situations were very soap opera-esque and just over the top. I also felt like the characters were not fully developed as their seemed to be conflicts with their stories. I also still had unanswered questions at the end of the book that I wanted to have the answer for. On a high note, I love the cover and I did find inspiration in the first half of the book. Thank you to the author and the publisher for the chance to read and review this book!

Lovely feel good summer read. What’s not to love sun sea and sadly ur reading about it instead of living it. Easy to read and flowed well. Perfect summer book

My thoughts:
Wow. I have read books by Denise Hunter before and knew I’d enjoy this one. Her books are captivating. I find myself drawn in without any will to extricate myself from her words on the page. But really, they’re more than just words. I am there. This world she creates has sucked me in and I cannot draw myself out.

I feel now that Maddy is my best friend and I can’t wait to hear her next story in her life. Of course, I know most authors won’t tell me more about their characters lives into infinity so I just have to come up with the perfect life that happens to her after the closing. I’m weird like that. Give me the full life story til death!

You can read the summary above to see a bit about what the book is about or the excerpt below for how the book starts. Both are excellent.

Now some takeaways that won’t ruin the book for you. Each of us lives two lives. One that we ourself can see and know because we’re living it. But then the other life is the one we project that others see. That life is the Pinterest perfect, Instagram photo worthy life that others think we’re living. Maybe the truth is really a mixture of the two that we can only see when we let people close enough to see the mess and the chaos with the perfect.

I think Denise did a great job bringing that out perfectly in her book Summer by the Tides and I know I enjoyed being along for the ride. Maddy is a perfectly loveable character that you want to hug and throttle at the same time. Meeting Connor was so fun. And then there are the sisters and I’m so glad they came into play.

Losing her job because she fell for an evil man who seduced her boss and her while stealing her promotion? That’s quite the first chapter right there. Makes you know the book is going to be an excellent one! Grab yourself a copy and dive in. If you like real life romance with a tiny bit of mystery thrown in this is the book for you!

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.

Best-selling author Denise Hunter presents contemporary fiction with a twist – a beach read that despite its setting, is more than just a beach read, combining the elements of family drama with romance and second chances.
In Summer by The Tides, Maddy and her estranged sisters arrive at their grandmother’s North Carolina cottage, but their grandmother isn’t there. Emma, Nora, and Maddy haven’t seen each other for twenty years. Being together in Gram’s summer cottage and trying to sort out memories from the past, secrets that drove them apart, while waiting for news about their grandmother’s disappearance stresses their already-strained relationships. Why is the neighbor Conner Sullivan so interested in Gram’s whereabouts? Can they move past their hurts to accept one another as adults and rebuild a relationship with each other?

Denise Hunter is known for her contemporary romance novels, with flawed characters her readers come to care about. Her storylines are complex and her character development is excellent. By the end of her novel, one feels as if a relationship has been built with the characters. Summer by The Tides is no exception. The faith element is light, and the relationship drama is well-written and realistic. The novel’s overall themes are betrayal, fractured family and romantic relationships permeate the story.

Summer by the Tides is the must read book of the summer! I have always been a fan of Denise Hunter's ability to draw you in to the lives of her compelling characters and this novel was no exception. Three sisters return to Sea Haven, North Carolina when a neighbor of their grandmothers reaches out to them because their grandmother is missing. Putting their own turbulent lives on hold, the sisters come together for the first time in a long time because of past hurts and broken relationships. Readers get a front row seat to past and present family secrets being revealed, reconciliation, forgiveness, dealing with heartbreak, and the prospect of bright futures for these sisters. Oh and in true Denise Hunter fashion, readers will enjoy just the right amount of romance.

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

This was a great, light read. The characters were interesting and it was a wonderful story. Anyone who is a fan of Denise Hunter or Christian Fiction will enjoy this book.

A cute, sweet story! A lovely book for a summer afternoon! The story evolves around three estranged sisters that come together to search for their missing grandmother from their family beach house in Sea Haven, North Carolina. I would classify it as a mixture of beach romance and Christian fiction. I loved the setting, the character development, the blossoming romance between Maddy and Connor, the family secrets that are revealed without too much drama. But, most of all, I loved the concept of new beginnings and how satisfying it is when things fall into place.

The story was written as a third person omniscient descriptive where characters are described indirectly. The conflict is a mixture as characters battle themselves, others and elements of nature. The popular themes shown throughout are love, death, family, growing up, self-preservation, will to survive and betrayal.

Maddy Monroe is a restaurant assistant manager and youngest of three girls. She has recently discovered that she has been played by her boyfriend and manager, and then discovers that her grandmother has disappeared. Emma is the eldest of the sisters and works as baker, has pet dog named Pippy, stills feels betrayed by her family and is currently separated from her husband. Nora is the middle sister and a bookworm by nature who is married and has one college age daughter who has left the nest. Louise is the girls’ grandmother who has taken off without letting anyone know and likes to meddle in her granddaughters lives. Connor Sullivan is Louise’s neighbor who owns a restaurant and marina in the coastal town and contacts the girls when he realizes that Louise is missing. Maddy life is thrown one curve ball after another. First finding out her boyfriend with her boss and that is followed by voicemails that her grandmother is missing; things don’t get better after that. Things get worse when she arrives in Sea Haven to discover sexy Connor Sullivan has thrown another curveball by bringing in her two sisters. They haven’t all been together since the summer their father died. Maddy prefers to avoid conflict but now has no choice as Emma and Nora have all decided that they are going to help in finding their grandmother but also help in packing up her house..

The ideas are interesting and relatable; the flow is logical and organized. The voice is individualized and fits the story as the sentence structure and word choice help to enhance the overall story. Yes, I would recommend this story. It would be good for those who enjoy family being reunited, believing in love, and second chances. Not for those who dislike family secrets, family betrayal or family meddling.

Good summer read. It made me long for the beach and the feel of sand between my toes.
Three sisters, Maddy, Emma and Nora used to spend their growing up years all summer at the beach in their grandma's house along with their parents. Until that fateful summer when Maddy was twelve. Heart wrenching secrets were found out that ripped the family apart. The sisters' relationships with one another, as well as with their mother, were never the same. Twenty years have passed, and each of the girls' received phone calls from Conner, their grandma's neighbor who kept an eye on her. She seemed to have disappeared without anyone knowing where she is.
All three sisters arrived at their grandma's house to try to find her. The tension is thick between Nora and Emma, and Maddy is tired of being in the middle of their twenty year long conflict.
Grandma had been praying for many years for reconciliation between the girls, and asking them to come to her beach house to go through things for her. The home had became too much for her to take care of. Too bad it took a crisis to get them all there. Once all girls were there, grandma called to tell them she was away for a reunion and didn't know when she'd be returning. Could Grandma have purposely worried the three sisters in an attempt to bring them all together? Yes, that did sound like something she would do!
Each sister thinks the other two have their lives all together. What a surprise to all three to learn that none of them do, and they all have secrets that they were too ashamed to share. The girls have harbored unforgiveness towards their mother, and kept her at arms length since that fateful summer twenty years ago, only to learn things were not at all as they believed.
Cons: Now, for the disappointing part of the story. I have always been a big fan of Denise Hunter. I thoroughly enjoy Christian fiction with a little romance. At the top of my list of why I enjoy this type of reading is that while very engaging, they are clean. Well....this one was going great until Gram was talking about Conner being a good kisser (Maddy was becoming involved with Conner). Gram said, "a man who is a good kisser is also good in the sack!' WHAT?!!! This is wrong on so many different levels. It is crass, for one. Also, for an elderly, professing Christian woman to speak like this is distasteful and no class whatsoever. The elderly are expected to be wiser than to speak like this, and to her granddaughters to top it off. It was just appalling. I would have given this book five stars if not for this one line. I do hope this will not become a trend for this author, for if so, I will discontinue reading her books. Sad.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book makes for a fabulous summery beach read! I loved Hunter’s writing style and found that the writing and plot flowed very nicely, allowing me to read it quickly. I loved the character and relationship development in the story too. It had a sweet romance but also focused largely on family and the relationships between Maddy and her sisters. I enjoyed that aspect of the story. Overall, I really enjoyed this read and look forward to more books from this author.

Maddy Monroe has both a professional and personal tragedy wrapped all in one and when her grandmother is discovered missing, this is the perfect escape from life, so she heads to small town South Carolina to find her grandmother and push a reset button. Maddy's sisters Emma and Nora have had a battle for years about a betrayal from the past and all three sisters are called to find grandma and maybe also to confront the past and to hopefully heal.

I love the dynamics of sisters who have had drama returning to a place of comfort and confronting it, it is a story that I will always love reading. There is something special about sisters where we are required to be friends because we are family, but we probably hurt them the quickest and the easiest.

The other thing that I loved about the book was that the author revealed the reason for the sister feud early in the book. I don't love it when a reader is kept out of the dark and the characters know more than the reader. Denise Hunter flashes back and the reader knows the basics early on into the book and then the details are revealed over time, the way this storyline was done was just on point.

As a warning, Denise Hunter is a Christian fiction author and this one felt a little more infused with a message than other books have. I wasn't offended by it, but I like to advise others in case that isn't something you like to read.

A sweet romance from Denise Hunter, what a surprise--NOT! I've read all of Hunter's books and have yet to be disappointed. Summer by the Tides was a fun, beach-friendly read and I'm grateful for the opportunity to review it!

Two things I love about Hunter's books are a) character development and b) setting. I love it when books have the ability to transport me to a new place. This one just made me want to curl up in a hammock somewhere with a view of the Marina. The big takeaway in this novel, however, was the family of characters that took center stage in this story.

Maddy and Connor's romance was one of the sweetest I've read in a long time. I loved the dialogue between them and the way their relationship developed felt truly genuine. I especially enjoyed their dialogue! But Summer by the Tides was so much more than the romance, as it incorporated a redemption storyline between three sisters, two of which carried years of heartache, betrayal, guilt, and resentment.

Naturally, there was a HEA ending, but it didn't come easily for any of them--something I appreciate in the romances I read, as it's more true-to-life.

Ready for the next Hunter book!!!

I received a copy of this book through #netgalley for review purposes. This book was almost a departure from Hunter's previous inspirational romantic fiction. I would say that there is not quite as much of a spiritual element, but I still enjoyed it. This would definitely be a great beach read and probably would be classified more as chick lit. The characters were strong. What I appreciated was the fact that even though each one had gone through challenging circumstances, they were finding ways to get healthy again and to move on. They were not stuck in the past. And that is definitely inspiring. #summerbythetides