"I know putting their all into each other and our family fulfills them, but I could never be content to subsist on love alone. Sooner or later, I'd have to compromise..." - Second Tide's the Charm

Usually second chance romances are my go-to read, but this book's cover and blurb were too interesting to pass up! As someone who grew up obsessed with shark and ocean documentaries, I found Hope's ambitions and interests to be very relatable. The fact that the author mentioned Dr. Eugenie Levy (as a librarian I am always recommending her biography as a STEM resource for girls!) just shows that she did her research and it made the scientist team of characters feel authentic. I appreciate when a contemporary romance book actually has authentic descriptions of the characters' jobs/interests.

Even though the novel's focus is on Hope and Adrian's relationship, the supporting characters are just as entertaining. Marissa in particular was a character who caught my attention. As an asexual woman myself, I appreciated that Marissa's disinterest in romantic relationships was respected by her friends in this book. And the fact that she still enjoyed matchmaking? That read as so believable to me. I love to hear about my friends' dating lives too, even though I personally have no interest in dating.

Overall this book not only had a well-developed, will-they-won't-they romantic storyline, but a found family vibe that felt safe and comforting. The plot is low stakes enough to be a comfort read, but the slow burn romance definitely isn't boring! The reader will come to admire Hope and Adrian as individuals, and root for them to find their way back to each other in the end.

So after seeing this cover and reading that there were sharks, I was totally sold on this book. Second chance romance is probably my least favorite trope, but I was willing to overlook that because again - SHARKS. There was a lot I loved about this book - it was clear that the author was well versed in the marine biology/shark research field and that was seamlessly woven into the book rather than feeling awkwardly shoved in. I appreciated the way the book lightly touched on the importance of representation in the field of shark science (I mean - women in STEM! crucial!), though I do wish it leaned a bit more into that because there was so much room for that conversation within the existing plot. It was still fabulous though. And I loved Marissa, Zuri, and Gabe as secondary characters - they really enhanced parts of the storyline.

One of the things I struggled with in the book was how dialogue heavy it was and how much miscommunication/pure lack of communication there was. There were parts where I was practically screaming at the book "just talk to each other already!!". Sometimes Adrian and Hope just got a little too stuck in their feels. Hence my 3.75 star rating (which for me is still high!).

This was still an absolutely fun read and filled my shark romance dreams. I would recommend for sure, especially if you like sharks, second chance romance, and fun conversations on science and influencer culture.

Thanks to NetGalley and Canary Street Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review

I received a copy of this for my honest review.

This is a story of second chances. Our FMC and MMc had been together 6 years, when her best friends husband died in a car crash. She gives up her boyfriend and career studying sharks to help her out - and their relationship instead of ending just ghosts. 3 years later she is ready to be back in her field of choice, but to do that she ends up on a summer job with her ex. The passion for sharks and each other is still there, but so is the hurt of not reaching out. Will they be able to work together, will they becomes friends or will the fire that never truly went out reignite?

A light, STEM romance about two marine biologists reconnecting after years apart. We follow Hope and Adrian and how they rediscover their love for each other whilst working together. Cute and easy to read, I recommend this if you like sharks and STEM romances with no spice as there was none in this novel.

I did find tit to be extremely dialogue heavy which bogged it down a wee bit and took me longer to read. 2.5 stars.

If you are a fan of second chance romance, this fits the bill. Hope and Adrian were together for almost 6 years when Hope went to help her friend Zuri after the tragic loss of her husband. They drifted apart and broke up. It wasn't a horrible breakup with lies and cheating, it was one with fear and lack of communication. They were both heartbroken. After 3 years, Hope needs to get her career back on track and reaches out to Adrian's cousin and ends up working with her and Adrian for the summer. Things are tense because he's different, but they're both still in love with each other. There's a lot of fighting their feelings and fear of the future here, but the HEA is achieved. There's also a lot of shark love here.
I received this ARC from Netgalley and this review is my own.

A second chance romance, but one where the couple didn’t have a horrible breakup. Yes, still heartbreaking, but it’s not like one person cheated or did something so horrible it would be hard to forgive them. This is the kind of second chance romance I love!

Really enjoyed all the nerdy shark facts since I’m quite nerdy myself. Hope and Adrian are super cute together and I loved the supportive secondary characters. Low spice for those who aren’t big on that!

Thanks to NetGalley and Canary Street Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Watch for Second Tides the Charm to come out August 6, 2024.

“Second Tide’s the Charm” is a second chances romance by Chandra Blumberg. What attracted me to this book, must admit, was that cover - adorable artwork that really tells what this book is about. I really liked that the characters in this book were more mature (though I think the original breakup really needed someone to act like the adult and talk about a lack of communication) but also willing to try, on the second go round, to work on things that didn’t work out the first time. I really liked the shark facts and research information. I actually would’ve preferred a bit more about the sharks, but this is a romance book not a non-fiction book. If you’d like a light romance with two characters rediscovering each other, this book may be one to check out. I rounded this book up to 4 stars, but for me it was probably a 3.5 - solidly written and cute.

this was such a cute and fun book! i loved that it was about two marine biologists; it made for a really unique story. if you like forced proximity and second chance romances - do yourself a favor and read this book.

thank you to netgalley and HTP for the arc!!