Changing Tides offers a wonderfully immersive setting that draws you right into the heart of the story. The atmosphere felt like stepping into a cozy Hallmark movie—warm, emotional, and lighthearted all at once. I really enjoyed the overall vibe, but I found myself wishing for a bit more breathing room in the pacing. The relationship between Liam and Sophie had so much potential for a more satisfying slowburn, and it felt like their development was a little rushed. I also could’ve done without Liam’s point of view; his inner thoughts came off as scattered and occasionally cheesy, which took away from the story's charm for me.

A beautifully written story that tugs at the heart. Characters felt real, flawed, and relatable. I loved that the characters were older! Such an impressive debut novel!

Changing Tides is an amazing debut novel written by Linny Mack. It follows Sophie navigating a world post-divorce and Liam finding his way after getting custody of his niece.

What I liked:
This novel speaks to the heart and is cathardic in so many ways. This story really reiterates that if two people choose each other day in and out, that anyone can have a happy ending.

What I didn't like:
The ending while good, felt rushed. I don't want to ruin it by saying what it was, but it really came out of left field. It didn't deter how I felt about the book, because it was very well written and I couldn't put the book down, I devoured it in 6 hours, but the ending just doesn't sit quite right with me.

All in all, I absolutely loved it. I can't wait to buy a copy when it's released! Thanks Page & Vine for the arc copy!

Changing Tides is a debut romance novel by Linny Mack.
The story follows Sophie, who has been struggling with infertility, finds out that her husband of 11 years has cheated on her and got his mistress pregnant. After filing for divorce she decides to take a trip to Cape May; a place where she always felt at peace growing up.

Liam is a Cape May resident and happens to be Sophie’s next door neighbor at her rental unit. Liam has a traumatic past of his own and is guardian of his niece, Lucy. Neither Sophie or Liam are in the head space to be in a relationship right now but they can’t seem to stay away from one another.

I was engrossed in this book from the start. The slow burn romance has everything you want the angst is angst-ing, but it was also great to see both characters take care of their mental health and dealing with their past rather than just falling in love and conveniently forgetting their past traumas.
Highly recommend if you enjoy romances, beach settings, slow burn and emotional depth & healing in your novels. Liny Mack knocked her debut out of the park!

First off, thank you to NetGalley and Page & Vine for this advanced reader's copy. This book will be published on May 6, 2025.

4.5 stars, rounded up to 5.

Ummmm excuse me LINNY, what kind of secret sauce did you put into this book? I did not expect to fall so in love with the town of Cape May and these characters. The slow burn was **chef's kiss** and Liam was PERFECT to me. I'm going to need Miles story, like yesterday.

This story follows Sophie, a recently divorced (and cheated on) woman who heads back to her childhood summer town of Cape May to clear her head and figure out her life. Insert next door neighbor (with lots of past trauma), Liam, and niece Lucy (the cutest little girl without a mom :(), who immediately win over your heart and start to get into Sophie's as well. And let's not forget Ellie (the sweet lady Sophie rents from), because everyone needs a good momma bear in their life.

I was immediately hooked from the first chapter of this book. I was reading whenever I could to see what would happen next. I kept googling Cape May diamonds, the victorian homes in Cape May, and even teakwood! I may or may not have drop hinted to my husband that we need a mini vacation there too.

As I said above I am a SUCKER for a good slow burn and this book was just that. It made me feel all of the feels and want MORE! Also, the connection at the end (once you read the book, you'll understand, not a spoiler) was just soooooo wonderful!! How is this a debut novel?? Let's go ahead and drop it into all of the bookstores ASAP, ok people??

What a sweet, beautiful love story. Absolutely loved this and can't wait to see more from Linny Mack!

Changing Tides
By Linny Mack

Format: ebook ARC
Rating: 4

Debut author Linny Mack writes an emotional but sweet story of Sophie and Liam. The story is set in the beachside town of Cape May, a charming area perfect for the story.
Vibes are Virgin River meets Nicholas Sparks for a love story with all the feels.

Changing tides to be released May 6th, 2025.

Tropes:
- overcoming grief
- heartbreak and romance
- PTSD/anxiety rep
- Infertility rep

Thank you Page and Vine for the ARC!

There is literally no way this is a debut novel! It was written sooo well, and kept me turning page after peg! The story is emotional and raw. I was hooked very quickly and fell in love with these characters and the setting of Cape May. I’ve never been but it sure made me want to pack my bags and head that way. Highly recommend this novel if you love a good single dad and slow burn!

oh i was tied to this book from beginning to end. i also want to say can the people and place of Cape May please adopt me. or allow me to be enveloped by them all for holidays and such?what a wonderful and nostalgia fueling place.
this book is a snippet of two people lives at a time when trauma and hurt is on the menu. life isnt perfect. neither is it all darkness. but for some in moments of their life they face things youd never wish on anyone. but when you have people around you that hold you up and keep you floating there truly can be a path towards belonging. and a path towards a home for and in yourself.
Sophie our Fmc faced too much! my heart broke for her. and i felt extremely protective of her from the start. i was rooting for her to just run into the arms of some place good, some good people. and thankfully that she does. returning to a place she loved as a child is the perfect decision for her.
coming here she meet Liam. Oh Liam you lovely, gorgeous but hurting soul. he has his own painful past and future to navigate. one that is going to be hard to face alone. but thankfully hes not alone at all. and on meeting Sophie it sparks such hope and love in both of them that you immediately dont care for much else apart from them having a happy ending. it wont be easy. and there is so much to come. but you want to witness and cheer for both of them.
they are life changing for each other. and by the end i was all kind of stone in my throat choked up about it all.
this book is just divine. Linny handles some really tough and extreme circumstances. but she does it with tender love and care as if these people really were people she herself loved. she does it so well and covers mental health themes with such importance and gentle handling that it makes you feel safe in her hands when reading.
i loved this book. i cant give it more stars but i wish i could.

This was my first book by this author and it was wonderful! The character development was awesome and the writing battle held my interest!

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I truly enjoyed every single chapter of this book. It was such a comforting, emotional read. Changing Tides has that perfect small-town, coastal vibe I love, but what really pulled me in was Sophie’s story. She’s been through a lot—losing a pregnancy, going through a divorce—and yet, she slowly finds her way back to herself with the help of the people around her. It’s one of those stories that makes you believe in second chances, even when everything feels like it’s falling apart.

The setting felt so familiar and real to me—maybe because I’m from New Jersey and could totally picture that beach-town backdrop. There’s something really grounding about the way Linny Mack writes. It’s emotional but not overdone, hopeful without feeling forced. Just really honest and heartfelt.

If you’re into stories about healing, starting over, and finding love (and yourself) again, this one’s definitely worth a read. It stayed with me in a quiet, meaningful way.
4.5 Stars!

Hard to believe this is Linny Mack's debut novel. This story of survival and starting over was absolutely beautiful. I loved it from the first to the very last page. Sophie and Liam were perfect for each other and their emotional rollercoaster ride had me all in my feelings. I truly enjoyed this story.

This book is very predictable but very heart warming. It covers many real life issues such as divorce, infertility and loss but covers them in a realistic way. The characters are easy to relate to and easy to fall in love with. This is a fantastic debut novel and I think I have just found another author that I’ll be following.

Fantastic debut
Sooooooooo emotional. Like my heart was constantly being torn out before being mended.
Sophie and Liam were a great couple, and I loved seeing their story play out

A beautiful and promising debut novel.

This story follows Sophie and Liam..strangers to enemies to friends to lovers. Both are suffering their own trauma, but act like idiots as they try to figure themselves and their relationship put.

I loved the setting, the cast of characters and the premise. I was not the biggest fan of the constant back-and-forth between the MMC and FMC. I couldn't keep up with their issues and ended up not rooting for them.

The epilogue was slightly frustrating for me, as I found it rushed and wrapped too much up in a neat and not totally plausible bow .

Many thanks to Page &Vine and NetGalley for the ARC opportunity.

Oh my gosh! This was the cutest book ever! I loved Sophie and Liam. I loved that the characters were in their 30s. I could relate to Sophie. I loved the banter that they had and that through their friendship/relationship, they found a way to love again and heal each other. The epilogue was amazing! I laughed, I cried, and I adored this book! What a debut novel! I can't wait to read more from this author!

Thank you to Netgalley and Page & Vine for allowing me an ARC of this book!

From heartache/grief and loss to hope, healing, and love, you are taken through an emotional roller coaster that you don't want to get off of. Changing Tides is the perfect balance of all of these things and then some. It's a slow burn romance that will leave you on the edge of your seat, wondering what will come next with the character's Sophie and Liam. Will there be a happily ever after or will they have to go their own separate ways? There's only one way to find out!

This book was amazing. The slow burn was agonizingly good lol. The tension and the build up between Sophie and Liam was perfection. And the way Linny incorporated Lucy into the book really made the book special! I truly loved the way the whole book rounded out! I loved Ellie's character too! She was the perfect side character too! I hope someday she gets her own book, because she deserves her own happily ever after!

4.5 ⭐️.
A beautiful debut romance novel from Linny Mack, thank you to NetGally, the author and publishers for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A picturesque romance set in a homey beach town, following Liam and Sophie- the two main characters who have faced heartbreak and bring baggage to future relationships that I think any reader can relate to in one way or another. You find yourself falling in love with the characters, rooting for a happy ending and laughing at the banter.

I’m a strong believer everyone needs a neighborhood Grandma like Ellie in their lives.

Overall Mack’s debut novel leaves readers swooning over a love like Liam and Sophie’s. Changing tides is available to readers on May 6th 2025, and as a cherry on top, the sequel will also be available to readers in September 2025, I’ve already added it to my TBR.

I loved the concept & plot idea to this book. It’s always refreshing to have main characters that are not 18 and newly in love. As someone who grew up in eastern PA I loved the Cape May setting and the familiarity of the areas in the story, especially since I would also collect Cape May diamonds from Sunset Beach!

For a debut novel this was a good, sweet, summer read. While it did have some tougher themes I can’t say I felt overly emotional about them.

My main issue of this book was really just the pacing. The first half of the book was slower, I felt like a slow burn was maybe the goal for the main characters but once they started to like each other it felt more like a flip of the switch. The last few chapters were a rush of adding info and a happy ending that I wish were layered in a little more. The plot point of the photo of Sophie could have definitely been a really interesting addition not so far to the end.

All and all it was a decent read. I think this author has a lot of potential and I definitely would still read her next novel. I’m looking forward to seeing how her writing grows!