Title: Second Tide's the Charm
Author: Chandra Blumberg
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5

Love puts you in uncharted waters.

At first glance, Hope Evans just landed the perfect job: spending the summer on a shark research boat. Except as every marine biologist knows, it’s what’s going on beneath the surface that counts, and Hope’s new position comes with a big catch—the boat belongs to her ex-boyfriend, Adrian Hollis-Parker. For three years Hope’s been treading water, staying away from anything that reminds her of their past. It’s time to dive back into a job that could springboard her career—and maybe offer much-needed closure.

Since their split, Adrian has risen to internet fame as a shark expert with the launch of his YouTube channel to dispel myths and educate viewers about sharks. But success rings hollow without Hope. Embracing this new career trajectory was a risk, but working in cramped quarters with the woman he never stopped loving? That has the potential to backfire in heartbreaking ways.

Side by side, weathering storms of every kind, they’ll have to navigate the murky waters of past hurts…and hope it’s not too late to chart a new course…

This was a cute read! I enjoyed the scientific setting—and the ocean views—and found the shark details fascinating. I loved both Hope and Adrian, and the author did a great job showing their struggles, both alone and together. It was fun to watch them work things out, and I liked their chemistry.

Chandra Blumberg lives in Chicago. Second Tide’s the Charm is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/Canary Street Press in exchange for an honest review.)

A second chance romance with shark week vibes, this STEM rom-com from Blumberg fits late summer perfectly. Hope is a marine biologist who has been working in her Michigan hometown after a career setback, but she is ready to jump back in to her true passion of shark research. When she gets a summer job doing just that, it sounds perfect, except the part where it means working with her ex-boyfriend Adrian. Hope has spent the last three years steering clear of him and anything that reminds her of him. Still, this is an opportunity she can’t pass up. There is a little more than just research going on though. There is conservation awareness too! Adrian found internet fame after a video of him saving a shark on the beach went viral. He seized the opportunity and started a YouTube channel to educate internet users about sharks. Hope and Adrian test the waters of their working relationship, but is there more lingering just below the surface?

With tidbits of marine biology and plenty of humor sprinkled throughout, this forced proximity and closed-door romance is a fun read that will appeal to a variety of readers. The added layer of navigating social media for personal and professional use makes this even more relevant and timely.

Second Tide’s the Charm is an utterly perfect second chance romance between two marine biologists who are scared of the future, and the unknowns. I utterly love Hope, I’m pretty sure she’ll stay a favorite of mine for a long time, she is so relatable, smart, and just charming. Her POV was hands down my favorite, she is afraid of making mistakes, but when she’s hurt or on a roll, the consequences are forgotten. Her love for the sharks was so cute, and makes her so human, but also you can see why she loves them, and how it makes her who she is in so many ways. Her love taught her to go for what she wants, to make mistakes but that it’s okay, and to continue to try to keep the things she loves in her life.

Hope and Adrian are the ones who got away, the one they’d question their entire life if they made the right decision walking away, and it’s so clear how much they love each other every time they interact. Their love for each other runs deep, but so do their fears, and figuring it out if it’s worth it, is the basis for this story. Marissa, Gabe, and Zuri are amazing side characters who give out the best advice, and where the best lines come from!

This book might have been a relationship between Adrian and Hope, but it was both a second chance for Hope’s love for him and for the sharks. If you can’t tell how much I love this book (and Hope), I’ll say it a million times, but definitely go check out this book!

Cute and on the Clean side of the Second chance romances. This was a cute story and I appreciate the marine biology science added in being a science nerd. This story holds its own with the closed door romance and in the end was worth the read. Thanks to the author, NetGalley and the publisher for the book.

Second Tide’s the Charm was a delightful romantic comedy with a STEM twist. Hope and Adrian had previously dated for five years before splitting due to career and personal reasons. They’re reunited when Hope takes the opportunity to work with a YouTube channel that gives education about sharks, a channel that happens to be run by her ex, Adrian.

I enjoyed how these characters had common interests and passions, while also pursuing them in different ways. Hope is more comfortable with uncertainty while Adrian is not. And for the longest time, Hope prioritizes her career over romantic love, but Adrian starts to change her perspective on this.

I found the book very character focused, so it was a good thing that I found the characters relatable and wanted to root for them. The plot and the pacing however was a little more meandering especially towards the end. I found that the characters’ development helps balance that aspect out in terms of my enjoyment, though. Overall I like how this book added some much needed diversity to the emerging trend of “STEMinist” romance novels.

An entertaining and funny second chance rom-com featuring a STEM heroine and the fascinating world of marine biology.
Well plotted, entertaining. I rooted for the characters and had fun.
Recommended,
Many thanks to Canary Street Press for this digital copy, all opinions are mine

Tropes: Second Chance Romance, Workplace Romance, Black Love, Forced Proximity, Closed Door Romance, STEM Romance, Cinnamon Roll Hero, Slow Burn

Adrian & Hope are given a second chance at romance. Two marine biologists with a little complicated past are thrown together to work on shark study broadcast for social media. To Hope, her dreams for her career are coming true spending her summer on a boat researching sharks... but that boat is owned by her ex boyfriend. For three years, Hope has been avoiding any and everything that reminds her of their past. But once she steps foot on the boat she's forced to relive those memories and moments right with the person she once shared them with all the while she may get the closure she needs.
Mr. Boat owner seems to be flourishing in his career since he launched his YouTube channel so this is Hope's chance to take a leap in her career. Hope goes from her temporary job to working with her ex researching sharks instead of taunting little kids about sharks being in the water.

This author can do no wrong. And she’s a Chicago based author? Yes please. While second chance romances aren’t my fave trope , the author did a fantastic job with this book. Plus the cover? Is so pretty. We love celebrating black stories and black authors, so three cheers for this romance book. I can’t wait to see more from
This author

"Love is simple. Relationships aren't."

Y'alllll I loved this book SO SO SO DAMN MUCH! It was so romantic, made me literally laugh out loud many times (one of my updates was "romcoms are so back baby!), and had me swooning left and right.

Also: shark researchers. This really was the nerdy contemporary romance of my dreams.

Hope and Adrian had parted ways three years ago. There wasn't really an end so much as there was a slow but sure dissolution. The lack of closure has bothered both of them, with an abundance of hurt feelings between them. When Hope gets fired from her "its temporary" (three years ago) job, she ends back working with Adrian bringing shark education to the masses via his very popular YouTube channel. Along the way they realise their feelings for one another are very real and very present.

Watching their love story unfold was an utter delight. The writing is beautiful. The characters are grown ass adults who talk about their shit, own up to their mistakes and misunderstandings, and support each other endlessly. I loved the little ways Adrian showed he cared (e.g by not having Hope report to him). I loved watching them titrate together as they went in and out of orbiting each other. I loved how they shared what they were feeling even, especially, when it felt scary AF.

I love that their happy ending didn't require a compromise of either of their hope and dreams OR of them being physically together. More happy long-distance rep please and thank you!!!!

I also loved the side characters who were fully fleshed out (though I wanted a bit more from Zuri) and integral to the story. I hope we get follow-up stories for Zuri and Marissa (her and Gabe perhaps? Am I reading into things too much?). I loved being in this world and hope I get to go back.

Thank you to HTP and Netgalley for an ARC of this book. All thoughts are my own.

A cute story of second chances. Hope and Adrian’s relationship sort of drifted apart without any real closure and after 3 years of no contact they finally come face to face when Adrian’s cousin hires Hope as an assistant on Adrian’s Shark Research boat.

What I liked about this story besides the FMC and MMC being POC but they were super smart. Both well versed and skilled in Marine Biology and STEM research was a breath of fresh air.

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder and this book represents that phrase well because Hope never got over Adrian and over the last 3 years Adrian was still holding out hope for another chance to see Hope again.

Just like any couple of the cusp of reconciliation and reconnecting their journey was not without some challenges and hard decisions to make but when life gives you an opportunity for a do over you owe it to yourself to take a chance and enjoy the journey.

As soon as I heard about this book, I knew I had to read it. Sharks, second chance romance, stuck on a boat together for months? Umm yes! I had a feeling this was going to be a unique read.

I found this book to be a lot of fun. I liked all the marine biology stuff and thought it was very interesting. I think the author did a good job of including important information without it feeling info-dumpy.

I though the romance was done well. The pacing was just right and I never felt that they fell in love too quickly. I found their banter to be fun and the chemistry was definitely there! I also liked that the characters had a shared passion for marine life. It was believable that they would bond over that. There isn't much steam here but man is there a lot of tension! This one is definitely for the slow burn lovers!

A great summer read filled with sharks, second chance romance, forced proximity and black love. 100% would recommend!

This is the first time I've read a STEM romance book, I can see myself reading more. It's also the first book I've read by Chandra Blumberg. It was really good. It was romantic and sweet. The ending was really good. It was better than I thought it would be. I'm grateful that netgalley and the publishers let me read this in exchange for an honest review.

So funny, quirky, and steamy!!!

Love me a woman in stem romance. She is so bad ass and her passion for her career (even though she hit rock bottom after heartbreak) is so inspiring. Then we mix that with two exes that are clearly not over each other, can only bicker to communicate, all while being forced to work together. Well it is romance genius. I read this at the beach and the writing is so perfect.

A second chance romance with sharks! Hope and Adrian had a relationship until they didn't and now Hope is doing research on his research boat. It's a slow burn one, with surprisingly few sparks for this trope. That said, I enjoyed reading a romance where both characters are scientists and, well, the sharks. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Good summer read.

♡𝐞𝐀𝐫𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰♡
4 🌟
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𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 :
•second chance romance
•sharks 🦈 &| science
•forced proximity
•black love
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Now, this is what I want to see when it comes to black romance with a second chance trope. I get tired of seeing the second chance romance where someone steps outside the relationship, blah, blah, blah, that gets extremely OLD! Second Tide's the Charm is a hilarious, cute second chance romance that involves sharks 🦈 . Highly recommend if you want a cozy romance read.

𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 Aug.6

Thank you, Netgalley, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the eBook for my honest review.

Science nerds, ocean settings, second chance romance. I loved the premise but the execution was not there for me. Unfortunately, the formatting errors and lack of editing for the ARC I received didn't help but I found the writing stilted and just not a very interesting plotline. It felt repetitive and lacking in dramatic tension. Maybe this would have been a better fit as YA novel but it just felt like alternating long-winded inner monologues of two emotionally immature people with a beautiful backdrop and setting. I really wanted to and tried to like this but it did not hold my interest. Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for this ARC.

Book Review
Second Tides the Charm by Chandra Blumberg

Tropes
Second chance romance
Forced proximity
Sharks and boats
Personal growth journey
Third act break up

FMC-Marine biologist
MMC-influencer and dr

Thoughts
✅Light easy reading but characters lacked depth- not always required in a romance but I found it difficult to become invested in the MCs
✅Slow burn- sexual tension was lacking, and while Closed door romance is fine, I didnt feel the spark between these MCs

Overall
An ok read

Thanks to @netgalley and @htp for my digital ARC in return for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own.

This is the epitome of a second chance romance. The longing! The denial of feelings! The mutual pining! Ugh, so good. The spice is all closed door, but the chemistry is undeniable. A quick, fun read.

I can't wait to share this book with friends as an avid shark lover. This book was so fun, and a sweet second chance romance for Adrian and Hope. I really enjoyed their story, and all the fun shark facts I learned!

I really enjoyed this second-chance STEM romance! I loved Hope and Adrian's passion for their field and for making it more accessible. I also found it really easy to buy into their second chance since their reason for breaking up in the first place seemed a little flimsy. I'd absolutely read more from Blumberg!