"Beyond the Tides" by Liz Johnson

Beyond the Tides (Aug. 3, 2021) by Liz Johnson.*

The family’s lobster fishing business is going to be sold, but it isn’t a given that it will go to Walt and Sandra’s only child, Megan (Meg) Whitaker. It could easily go to Oliver Ross, who’s worked for Walt for years and has been a model employee, working to help provide for his mother after his own father walked out on the family 10 years earlier. Meg can’t stomach the fishing boat (she gets seasick) and has zero interest in owning and operating the one-boat fleet (called Just a Pinch or, usually, the Pinch), but she is loathe to let Oliver obtain it. She holds a long-held grudge against Oliver, because when he ruined her science project in high school 10 years prior, he obliterated her dreams of a science scholarship and an Ivy League education. Now, suddenly, they are forced to work together for the season. Oliver doesn’t want to walk away from this job he excels at and has passion for, and Meg quit her teaching job, so lobster fishing will be her sole income for now. Walt will decide who will take over the business at the end of the season. As it wears on, Meg will discover that Oliver isn’t the monster she perceives him as. But she’ll also learn her mother’s devastating diagnosis, and it’s her mom’s health decline that has prompted her dad to step away from the business. Dreams are wonderful things to have, but that doesn’t mean that dreams can’t change.

            “Beyond the Tides” is an inspirational fiction, contemporary romance novel that hits multiple positive notes for me. It is a tale with characters that you want to root for, but sometimes also want to roll your eyes at (like when Meg makes assumptions and spazzes out on Oliver), and appreciate all the same for their individual strengths and flaws. For example, while Meg is a grudge-holder and lets that fuel her mistrust, Johnson also crafted her to be exceedingly intelligent (she double-majored in physics and mechanical engineering). This first in the Prince Edward Island Shores series is charming and heartwarming, but also contains situations that are emotionally dramatic and tough. (Currently, there is no cure for progressive supranuclear palsy.) Faith is subtle, but themes of growth toward forgiveness are more obvious. Overall, it’s a tender story. However, light doesn’t exist without darkness, and this tale shows readers that through its enriching prose.

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”