As offseason begins on the Outer Banks, a storm makes landfall, and three unlikely strangers are drawn together…

The Wishing Tide by Barbara Davis

About this book: Five years ago, Lane Kramer moved to Starry Point, North Carolina, certain the quaint island village was the place to start anew. Now the owner of a charming seaside inn, she’s set aside her dreams of being a novelist and of finding love again.

When English professor Michael Forrester appears on Lane’s doorstep in the middle of a storm, he claims he’s only seeking a quiet place to write his book. Yet he seems eerily familiar with the island, leaving Lane wondering if he is quite what he appears. Meanwhile, Mary Quinn has become a common sight, appearing each morning on the dunes behind the inn, to stare wistfully out to sea. Lane is surprised to find a friendship developing with the older woman, who possesses a unique brand of wisdom, despite her tenuous grip on reality.

As Lane slowly unravels Mary’s story and a fragile relationship between Lane and Michael blooms, Lane realizes the three share a common bond. But when a decades-old secret suddenly casts its shadow over them, Lane must choose between protecting her heart and fighting for the life—and the love—she wants.

About the author: Barbara Davis is a former jeweler turned novelist and The Wishing Tide is her second novel. Barbara currently lives in North Carolina with her husband. For more information about Barbara and her work, visit her website, or connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

Genre: Fiction/Contemporary/Women’s Fiction

If this book were a movie, I would rate it: PG for mild language

Reminds me of… Karen White, Lisa Wingate

Would I read another by this author? Yep. Her debut, The Secrets She Carried, is on my wish list.

Why this story matters: Because it speaks to the power of forgiveness, and of finding hope for the future by making peace with the past.

My take: I love this kind of novel, the kind set in a lovely location, featuring a bit of mystery, a lot of romance, and all twined together with beautiful prose. 

I also like discovering appealing female leads, and this was one of the most winsome I’ve seen in recent novels. In Lane Kramer, the author has walked the fine line between giving her main character enough problems to lend a growth edge, while also imbuing her with enough goodness to make her extremely likable. I think it’s the combination of her vulnerability and kindness that makes her so winning.

Less appealing to me was the character of Lane’s mother. Intentionally so, as you will find when you read The Wishing Tide, but as I lived alongside this rather narrow-minded and overbearing woman, I felt I’d seen her before. She didn’t possess the freshness of character that Lane (or Michael or Mary) did.

But that wasn’t enough to detract from my enjoyment of this story–especially as I reached its sweetly satisfying conclusion.

Thanks to New American Library/Penguin for providing me a free copy to review. All opinions are mine.

After words: Bonus! Barbara Davis’s publicist has generously offered a copy of The Wishing Tide to one of you. Just leave a comment to be entered in a drawing to win. Good luck!