I really loved this book and wanted to upsticks and move to Oceana. I really loved both MC and identified a lot with Mikayla in many ways. I loved the addition of the seahorses- it added a cool and interesting aspect to the story and I found myself wanting to know more!
Overall I just loved the development of the live story- who doesn’t love that moment when you realise you have fallen deep for someone!
A great read

This was requested when I first found out about NetGalley and I had requested so many ARCs that I could not get to all of them before they were archived. I really wanted to get to this one, as it seemed interesting. If I can find this somewhere for a reasonable price, I will try to get it! I am giving this book three stars, as I don't want to give it a good or bad rating, since I did not get to it.

Cute romance about finding yourself after a break up and being happy on your own. Also about family. I loved the parts with Gem and her father and Mikayla and Gem's father.

The park seemed so ideal I wanted to pack my bags and go live there for a couple of months. The found family sounded lovely even for an introvert like myself.

If you are in the mood for a feel good slow burn, this is the book for you.

An ARC was provided to me via Netgalley in return of an honest review.

i really enjoyed this book! it was a very slow burn but not too slow that it became boring or hard to finish. I loved the sprinkles of sea life involved in the storyline. such a sweet little sapphic romance novel!!!

[3.75 stars]

If you’re looking for a nice, hopeful, and comforting romantic book you’ve find the right one! Tides of Love is a sapphic love story about finding your true self and learning that it’s never too late for love.

The story is mostly set in Oceana, a mobile home park right next to the ocean and owned by Gem’s family. Enter Mikayla, a newly divorced woman who agrees to swap homes for a few months with one of her sister’s friends. Coincidentally, this friends lives in Oceana, which is were both women meet each other. They gradually become friends with neither of them making the first move to become something more than that, both having doubts about themselves and assuming the other party would never be interested in more. In the end they end up finding a missing piece of themselves that fit together (it wouldn’t be a romance novel if there weren’t any ups and downs to get to this point, so enjoy the ride!).

It's a bit slow to medium paced with a focus on the women’s thoughts and doubts, but it makes it feel more realistic in my opinion. Most romance novels have a timeline of like 2 weeks where they force the characters to be madly in love at first sight. This book was a breath of fresh air on that part! Even with Gem being immediately attracted to Mikayla, it was still done really well.

I absolutely loved the descriptions of every place they went to as it painted a really clear picture for the reader imagine. I also really liked the social work aspect of this book as I’m currently studying to become a social worker. I’m not sure if this was intentional by the other or not, but she actually explained a pretty common phenomenon that can happen when you work in health care (even though in this book it happened in Gem’s personal life). She indirectly showed us what can happen if you get stuck in your confirmation bias (the tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one's existing beliefs or theories) and tunnel vision (the tendency to focus exclusively on a single or limited objective or view). In Gem’s case this happens with her father and his health issues, but it also happens when thinking about her working future. She got so stuck in her vision that she felt hopeless that anything would ever change. It was a nice touch!

I also really loved how the author talked about Mikayla’s bisexuality and how she discovered this about herself. It was done in a nice, gentle, and thoughtful way, highlighting that this is not something that happens out of the blue.

Let’s talk about the seahorses now. I LOVED the seahorses. It was such an interesting, but fun part of the book that it made me smile whenever they came up. I’ve learned so many cool facts now and feel like I have some new cool things to share with my babysit kids now!

Thank you NetGalley, Bold Strokes Books, and the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Following Mikayla’s divorce she needs changes. She’s been left off financially fine thanks to her ex-husband of 12 years, but the idea of staying in one of the homes he left her filled with memories of them doesn’t feel right. Thankfully Mikayla’s sister Ashe has a friend Brandi who needs a home in London for 6 months. So Mikayla swaps her London home for Brandi’s home in a mobile home community at Oceana where Mikayla meets the lovely Gem who stirs up things for Mikayla that she never expected before.

A gentle sapphic love story for two women in their 30s exploring second chances in life with careers, families and choices. Overall a perfectly lovely story, but one that didn’t enthral me like I hoped it was. I found myself ready for the end a bit before it ended with a fast paced ending with lots of dramatics. Although I’m certain this would be a story many would enjoy, it didn’t quite hit all the marks I was hoping for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Stroke Books Inc for this ARC.

2 and a half stars

I absolutely adored this book. I will be recommending it to all of my friends! I think the pub date of Feb 14 was perfect for the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed Tides of Love as one of the first novels I read of the year. I devoured it in two days. I really enjoyed the authors writing style and how the novel moved along at a quick pace. It kept me entertained. I appreciated that the author addressed dementia as well as expectations of self and what we think others expect out of us. Sounds like a great place/community to live!

It nice romantic story about finding yourself, it shows that it's never too late to give up on love and learn new things about yourself. It's a romantic story, full of vibrant characters. And You can almost see where the book is set in the description throughout the book, which is always nice when the book is based near or around the ocean.
The book isn't original but it's always nice to read about hope and love.

I've given Tides of love a 3.5 out of 5

Tides of Love
Kimberly Cooper Griffin
2023
249 pages
Overall Rating: 4/5
FF Contemporary Romance

Plot: Newly divorced Mikayla Pierce finds herself adrift in her own life. It’s only after her husband left her that she realized how everything seemed to revolve around him, and she’s not sure what to do with the gaping hole that remains after his absence. After a little moping, she realizes that this is actually an opportunity to live the life she always wanted… as soon as she figures out what that looks like. In the meantime, she decides to do something completely crazy. A reset. A do-over. She swaps homes with an artist friend of her sister, so Mikayla will now be a proud resident of Oceana Mobile Home Park for the next few months. She’s never lived in a trailer park before, and its close proximity to the beaches of San Diego has her feeling pretty excited. Even more so when she meets the Oceana property manager, Gem Halstead.

Gem Halstead wouldn’t say she’s living her dream life either. When her father starts showing signs of dementia, it’s up to Gem to keep the family business running smoothly. Unfortunately, that means giving up her very satisfying job as a social worker. But she finds a friend and kindred spirit in Mikayla, and the two hit it off immediately, and suddenly, life doesn’t seem to look so bleak for either of them.

First Take: This book is a breath of fresh air, honestly, and a pleasant beach vacation from reality. Turns out it is possible to have a romance without endless angst that still manages to possess enough tension to carry the novel forward. Now, was this the kind of novel I couldn’t put down? Well, no. But it made me really happy and smiley and always put me in a good mood every time I picked it up.

Characters: Mikayla Pierce has always felt immense pressure to be the perfect daughter and sister. Groomed to be a Stepford wife since she was a little girl, it made sense to marry the investment banker, give up her job, throw the best dinner parties, and adopt a closet full of neutral pantsuits. Until it wasn’t. Now Mikayla has the opportunity to live her life on her own terms, and she’s decided it needs a lot more color. Gem Halstead cares about people. She has an uncanny ability to read people and understand them. She just knows, instinctively, who is a good fit for residence at the mobile home park, who will get along, and who speaks to her soul. She desperately wants to help her dad and make him proud, but it hurts to have to give up her dreams to do so. Honorable mention goes to the seahorses, my second favorite love story in this book.

Praises: This book is just so adorable. Gem and Mikayla are complex, down-to-earth characters with real dreams and problems, but they are super nice about it. It is heartwarming and optimistic and relatable. Our two heroines are mature and willing to communicate, and honestly, theirs feels like a great example of what a friendship should be.

Critiques: My only critique is that this book didn’t keep me up all night burning with anticipation, but I don’t think it’s meant to. It’s not an adventurous car chase or a high-stakes mystery. Instead, it’s a slow coming together of two people who are missing something and find it in each other. And that’s pretty great all on its own.

Nice little story with a fantastic setting. Perfect lazy Sunday kind of read.

Will definitely check out this author again.

Thank you Netgalley and Bold Stroke Books for providing an eARC for a honest review.

Its a first reading a book by Kimberly Cooper Griffin, and Tides of Love certainly didn't disappoint me.

Mikayla the perfect wife or so she though is coming out a a divorce when she needs time out, she meets Gem the woman who has given up her career to look after her dad and his dream.

I loved the way both women equally get attracted to each other and is was lovely to see their attraction grow.

A great read and a lovely story

Would I recommend: Yes if you're looking for that sweet romance

Mikayla recently out of a 12 year marriage moves to Oceana mobile home park where she meets Gem (who i find quite quirky) who runs it for her elderly father.
Mikayla is trying to find out who she is rather than who she was. She falls in love with Gem who has also sacrificed so much for the love of her dad and the business and the people of their community.
Some bits of this story had me laughing out loud. However there is a more serious side to it to.
I really enjoyed this book and have already and will read more by this author. Thankyou for advanced copy.

A quick and easy read that also managed to learn me some cool stuff about sea horses as we follow a recently divorced woman and the manager at a mobile park home working the changes in their lifes. It was a simple, straightforward romance with interesting side characters that's perfect for a lazy day. Not overly memorable longterm, but it does the job of taking your mind of other stuff for a while.

***Thank you Netgalley and Bold Stroke Books for giving me the chance to read and review this book***

I enjoyed this book very much. It was a quick and easy read. I loved how the author made sure to portray mobile home parks in such a positive light. They do tend to get a bad rep. I also loved learning about sea horses. The descriptions in the book had me checking out library books about them. The other topic of caring for aging parents also rang true. It can be difficult for folks who have not had that experience to understand the stress involved. I thought the author did an excellent job on all three of those topics. A for the story, I very much enjoyed it. The characters were likable and found myself finishing the book much more quicker than most. I'll certainly keep an eye out for more books by her since I enjoyed her writing style. Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to read this title!

I was able to get a copy thanks to Netgalley and the publisher!!

This is the first book that I have read by Kimberly Cooper Griffin and I am officially a fan of her. This book is very well written and the MCs are very easy to like. Tides of Love is the first book in the Oceana series which is the Mobile Park estate that Gem (MC) is the facility manager of. Her family also owns the property. Mikayla (MC) is a recently divorced women who sublets a home in Oceana, who is kinda lost in life and is discovering who she is outside of her marriage and ex husband.
This book was very cute and there was a bit of a misunderstanding between the two. I definitely recommend this book and it’s very enjoyable to read.

Picking up the pieces of your life and finding a place to belong with the people you care about. This toaster oven is about two women at a crossroads in their life, one is recently divorced and the other is taking care of the family business and her father who deals with memory loss.
This was a nice read, but I also had some issues. I realize I might be a bit of an outlier here. I can see people liking this book better than me, as it’s nicely written, but I couldn’t connect to either of the two MCs, so the story fell flat for me.

I’ll try to explain why I couldn’t connect to the MCs. When you meet Mikayla she’s recently divorced and she has one goal in life; being a good wife. She’s devastated by her divorce, not because she still loves her ex-husband, but because she misses being a wife. Unfortunately, I can’t relate to such a life goal at all. And while it’s about her journey to self-discovery, I had trouble getting past this point (and she did as well). I liked Gem better, but her character is described as having a special gift, a sixth sense, and I don’t mind about that, but it was used so repetitive that is started annoying me after a while.

I did like the mobile home park, it felt like a place that is loved and where some interesting people live (I already foresee at least one new romance). I believe there will be more books in this series and the park seems like an excellent home base for this. I also enjoyed the big tank of seahorses in Mikayla’s new home. I even learned a thing or two about seahorses.

The romance follows a pretty standard romance formula. They are sweet together, but I was a bit surprised by the sudden flip from Mikayla from straight to bi, which turned out was no surprise to Mikayla as all of the sudden there was a convenient backstory. There is also a dark moment which felt a bit forced, but luckily that didn’t last very long.

All in all, this book will not stay with me for long. I had some issues which mainly depend on taste and I think others might enjoy it better so I recommend to read other reviews as well.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

An enjoyable romance novel. I liked the conversations between the main characters, they were meaningful and the struggles they encountered were actually solved rather than brushed away and topped up with too much angst.
This was my first book by this author and I would gladly read more of her work.

Tides of Love by Kimberly Cooper Griffin is a “comfort read”, the kind of book I reach for when I’m having a bad day and want to read something satisfying and soothing. It’s a gentle romance with amiable characters and a stunning setting.

This book tells the love story of Mikayla Pierce and Gem Helmstaad. Mikayla is newly divorced from her husband of twelve years, and is wondering what to do with her life as a single woman. She sublets a mobile home in beautiful Oceana Mobile Home Park right on the ocean. She also agrees to take care of the owner’s seahorse tank which turns out to be quite enjoyable. Then she meets Gem, who is working as the property manager of the park to help her father who is the owner. Gem had to leave her calling as a social worker after her father was injured and is now working a job she really doesn’t want to help her father. The two women become friends and gradually more, but outside forces and secrets will tear them apart if they aren’t determined and dedicated to each other.

The idea of having the beach right outside my door has always been a dream of mine even as a small child, so the setting of this story attracted me from the beginning. It is well-described and reminded me of my youthful desires. The characters were vivid personalities, and I could easily see the attraction between the two. I was pleased to see the author handled Mikayla’s discovering her bisexuality gently and thoughtfully. I also enjoyed learning about how to take care of the seahorses in the story, something I did not expect to learn from a novel! Animals of any kind always add to the plot of any tale. Even seahorses.

I truly enjoyed this tender and loving novel. I recommend it to everyone who loves their romances near the ocean.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

For Gem Helmstaad working with her father as a property manager wasn’t something she envisioned herself doing. But when her father’s health takes a turn and makes it impossible for him to carry on alone.Gem was the only one able to help their father, she was single and she could take a leave from her career, working as a social worker. Four years have passed and Gem is still doing the same thing, managing ‘Oceana’.
Mikayla Pierce is going through a divorce from her husband, seeing as he’s moved on with his life it was now Mikayla’s turn. But what she wanted most was to have some time to heal. The divorce wasn’t something she wanted but she didn’t want to stay in the same area she now lived in. No, she wanted a few months to just breathe.
Oceana was where Mikayla found a place to live when one of the residents wanted to trade houses. For Gem it meant having someone different to talk with.
Ms Griffin has done a good job bringing these two women together, even though they at first glance don’t seem to have that much in common. A very nice read. Good characters along with a storyline that I found very enjoyable.
ARC via NetGalley/ Bold Stroke Books