Member Reviews

Summer By The Tides is another home run for Denise Hunter. The story about three sisters, Maddy, Emma, and Nora, conflicted by a family split 20 years before.

The sisters are each summoned to their grandmothers beach cottage by the neighbor, Connor, when he discovers their grandmother appears to be missing. The story line is one of resentment, wrong first impressions, secrets, forgiveness, and restoration. Plus a most intriguing development of romance.

Denise Hunter is a master writer. Writing well rounded sound characters, she is able to covey her characters deep feelings and emotions. Great dialog and very engaging reading. I've read many of her other novels and she never disappoints. I would give this book a 5+ rating.

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

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A perfect beach read for women of faith (or growing faith). Maddy Monroe’s life falls apart the day before her grandma’s neighbor calls to tell Maddy that Grandma’s gone missing. With no job and no boyfriend (she’d lost both at once the night before), Maddy hops in her car and drives to Seahaven to file a missing person’s report.

Conner Sullivan, the neighbor, turns out to be too good looking, and Maddy instantly wonders if he had anything to do with her grandma’s disappearance. Suspicious by nature, Maddy can’t seem to muster up a positive attitude where Conner is concerned. She feels a little better when she discovers he’s called Emma, too. Her older sister will surely help unravel the mystery. But when she finds out Conner has called Nora as well, she starts to wonder if something fishy is going on. Everyone knows Emma and Nora hate each other.

As the summer unfolds, Maddy discovers more family secrets. Secrets that have remained hidden too long and have shaped the way she views love and relationships.

Denise Hunter takes readers on a beautiful journey towards forgiving, letting go, and trusting again.

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Summer by the Tides by Denise Hunter

This newest work by Denise Hunter pulled me into the story at once and became a quick read for me, because I didn’t want to stop reading. This author’s novels are on my TBR pile and I’m never disappointed. While reading this book I wondered how the author always produces relevant and fresh stories that inspire and encourage me. This book tackled some difficult subjects and hidden secrets in a family of three sisters. The author did a wonderful job developing the story and her characters, and revealing these secrets and some nuggets of truth throughout the book.
Some of my favorite quotes were:
“…granting forgiveness doesn’t mean granting trust. One is given and the other is earned.”
“Then what you need is faith, dear. Faith in God, that He’ll get you through no matter what happens. Trust the Lord with your future, honey. He won’t let you down.”
“But I’m learning that once secrets are exposed…they lose their power.”
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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A very romantic read, with the characters going from enemies, or disliking one another, to lovers, a trope I adore and which is very well done in “Summer by the Tides”. The animosity between Maddy and Connor (stronger from Maddy) was so palpable in the beginning and the heroine’s wariness so ingrained and instantaneous that I was absolutely enraptured by the story.
I loved how sweet the slow-building romance is, the sensitivity about the characters distrust and fears of a romantic relationship and the way they both overcome their own misgivings with some mishaps along the way.
I loved Connor, a fabulous Beta hero, beautifully characterized inside and out: calm, steady, sweet, private, with a world of grief behind those “enigmatic gray eyes”, a good listener. It was great to have his point of view. But our wounded hero is not perfect, and he seemed a bit preachy sometimes.
I also liked that the main characters talk, there are no stupid complications or misunderstandings, and I found Maddy’s certainty about her former boyfriend refreshing.
A beautiful setting and the subjects of forgiveness, trust and betrayal in a complex context of family secrets, unresolved feelings and childhood perceptions, a subtle humor delivering, for example, Maddy’s first impressions about Connor as a beach bum, made for a very enjoyable reading.

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This book confronts abysmal loss and betrayal and its inevitable fallout head-on throughout its pages. Maddy's boyfriend betrays and rejects her with a one-two punch that deprives her of love and a career at the same time. Connor's wife commits the ultimate betrayal as she dies unexpectedly leaving him bereaved and feeling guilty he did not make the most of their time together. Nora and Emily, Maddy's sisters, have their own episode of betrayal and loss which continues to estrange and hurt them a decade later. And then there are the secrets of Gram, who yearns for the best for all her granddaughters, but isn't sure how to knit the family back together. All of this is set against the background of the sea, with its ebb and flow, danger and beauty, both supporting and taking life. And at the bedrock of it all, is a Creator who loves us and can mitigate evil in our lives. The book takes its time in slowly unraveling the threads of all the problems which are choking Maddy's family. Recovery and learning to trust again are also themes throughout the book. Hunter also places faith as essential to all recovery and growth, and does it in an unobtrusive, organic, and genuine way. Five solid stars from me!

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I loved Summer By The Tides, It is a clean sweet romance. The characters are well thought out, the story is nicely written. I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the gift of the ebook arc of this story. The opinion is my own.

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My first book by Denise Hunter and I really loved it.

Great small town location and good strong characters. All about family and secrets, new and old, that affect all relationships.

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I received an ARC copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. This book was just okay for me. It was a typical romance book with some drama and a happily ever after.

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This book tells the tale of a woman named Maddy whose life has been turned upside down. She just lost her boyfriend and her job, when suddenly her grandmother is missing. She heads to the beach house where her grandmother lives. To make matters worse, Maddy meets up with her two sisters who have not talked to one another for the good part of twenty years. The three ladies must weed through their past, the resentments that are holding them back, and their own secrets that each of them are harboring.

The author also introduces us to Connor. He is Mandy’s grandmother’s next door neighbor, who contacted each of the sisters when he discovered their grandmother was missing. He is dealing with some trials of his own. He keeps crossing paths with Maddy, and she suspects he might not be an innocent bystander in her grandmother’s disappearance.

I enjoy books that have an interesting plot, provide an escape from daily life, yet also teach me something along the way. And this book had all of that and more. I found myself thinking about how we allow events of our lives to separate us from our loved ones, and ultimately alter our paths and perspectives.

This book was a joy to read. The author pulled me into the story from the first page. Each character has experienced tragedy and tough times. But the question remains, will they find healing?

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

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Summer by the Tides is an enjoyable and quick read by Denise Hunter. Maddy Monroe life has just fallen apart when she is called by stranger Connor Murphy. He informs her that Maddy's grandmother (and his neighbor) has disappeared.

Maddy makes the trip out to Sea Haven to begin the search for her grandmother. Unbeknownst to her, her two sisters have also made the trek. Due to past lies, the sisters have a strained past, and it quickly becomes apparant that all is still not as it seems with the sisters, their grandparents, or their parents.

Maddy and Connor strike an unlikely friendship, but they both have issues to overcome if their friendship is going to progress further.

I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to friends. It was a great read. If you have enjoyed Denise Hunter's other books, you will enjoy this one too!

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Perfect for a summer beach read! Three sisters, two of which are estranged, are called to their grandmother's beach house by a neighbor who finds the grandmother missing. Each sister has a need for healing. Lots of hard feelings, history and broken relationships make this a very real story. My favorite characters were Connor and his overprotective sisters. This romantic beach story will never hard to put down. Highly recommended!

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Summer by the Tides was hard to put down! It's just a lovely read and will be perfect for the beach come Summer. Denise Hunter is an author I will seek out now having read quite a few of her novels, and each one I read keeps me coming back for more.

The story revolves around three sisters who descend upon their Grandmothers house in Seahaven, because of a summons that their Gram is missing. Their meeting is filled with angst because of a longstanding feud between two of the sisters, and Maddie, one of the two central characters is the go-between. Each of them is dealing with their broken hearts and secrets which they choose not to share. Brokenness has followed each of the girls due to their parents failed marriage, perceived parental abandonment, and other shattered relationships.

Connor, their Grandmothers handsome neighbor, is the one who let the sisters know about their Grams supposed disappearance. Although he and Maddy have a rocky start, they also find themselves drawn to one another. Connor is an example to Maddie in many ways including sharing with her that despite his own life hurts, and he has learned to place his trust in God. Bit by bit their relationship begins to grow.

While the girls wait for news about Gram, they decide to take on the challenge of fixing, updating and cleaning out the seaside cottage as they know that their Grandmother has long wanted them to do so. Eventually, a severe Summer storm threatens the destruction of their Grams home and more but is the means of bringing restoration and healing to each of the sisters' brokenness and their relationships with each other.

I am grateful for an ARC from NetGalley for which I am posting this, my honest review.

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I enjoyed Summer by the Tides. I give it a well deserved five plus stars. I highly recommend it . Readers will love it.

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Maddy thrived at her workplace until she faced betrayal. Getting a call from her grandma’s neighbor Connor has her heading to Seahaven, along with her sisters, Nora and Emma. Much needs to be overcome, and many storms both personal and natural make up the bulk of the story while the girls fix up and clean up their grandma’s house. Forgiveness, guilt, distrust, fear are all dealt with is the wonderful story that pulls you in quickly.

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What a wonderful book this was! One of those that you are sad that it is over. You want more of Maddy and Conner. The storyline is great and about forgiveness, families mending broken relationships and Maddy learning to love and trust again.

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I love Denise Hunter so I was elated when I was given the opportunity to review this book.

"The Truth Will Set You Free..."

Once upon a time twenty years ago, Maddy and her family were happy. That is, before they were all ripped apart. Maddy craves for her and her sister's to reunite but it's unlikely that it will ever happen. Loyalties have been shattered and betrayal has fueled the anger on both sides of the family.

That is, until their grandmother goes missing, forcing all the siblings under one roof. Old secrets come to light and relationships that seem broken forever might not be doomed after all.

I recommend this book of you enjoy touching romance stories with a powerful message.

This book is appropriate for ages 16+ for adult themes.

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I enjoy reading Denise Hunter books--they have well-thought--out plots, characters, and settings. Summer by the Tides is no different.

It's a little lighter than what I've been reading, but there are depths to be plumbed throughout the book. I absolutely loved it.

Maddy has been ignoring phone calls on her cell phone for a few days. She thought she was in her prime spot for her career to take off. Until she is betrayed by the man she thought was her boyfriend. He threw her under the bus in order to take the promotion she thought was hers.

The calls she was avoiding were from her grandmother's next door neighbor to tell her that Gram was missing and he didn't know what to do. He also called her sisters, who came in to sort through Gram's house and find clues to Gram's whereabouts.

The sisters have history together, as all sisters do, but their particular history doesn't include happy memories. Gram has planned this out so that the sisters will get together and work out their differences.

In this book, the reader will experience disappointments, hurricanes, and just a little bit of love.

This is a five star book, with two thumbs up, and reconciliation between sisters.

My thanks to Thomas Nelson Publishing for allowing me to read and review this book.

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This is the first novel that I have read by author, Denise Hunter and I absolutely loved it! It is so refreshing to read a clean romance story about real people. Hunter's style of mixing in faith, romance and family was wonderful. I can highly recommend this book! I look forward to reading more of Hunter's novels.

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Denise has a wonderful way describing things that caught and kept my attention thru the book. It entrigued me to see how the various characters developed and worked together showing God's love to each other.
Inspired book that I enjoyed reading.

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Reminiscent of Robyn Carr or Susan Mallery, this novel was an enjoyable tale set in an oceanside town where sisters spent memorable moments as a family in their childhoods. Rife with heartache, betrayal, love, and mistrust, our heroine and hero find true love and broken family ties are mended by the final chapter. With spunky supporting characters (I loved the grandmother) and likeable, well-rounded leads, this was a clean and enjoyable novel of second chances, hope, and healing in a contemporary, charming setting.

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

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