Completely Swept Away by this Realistic and Hard-Won Romance

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Source: Gift from Author

TYPE OF NOVEL: Modern-Adaptation of Pride and Prejudice

THE PREMISE: Even with their own personal baggage and terrible first impressions, falling in love comes easy for real estate mogul Will Darcy and ecohydrologist Elizabeth Bennet. But what happens when their insecurities and past traumas creep into their idyllic relationship and horrendous mistakes are made? Can their love survive the treacherous seas it faces?

WHAT I LOVED:

• Will and Elizabeth: I always love and adore Cat Andrews’s reiteration of these characters. She portrays them with such a sense of authenticity, and she isn’t afraid to show their baggage and flaws. I love seeing their imperfections, their past issues, and their hang-ups. These are characters that feel deeply real, and I love witnessing their journeys as individuals and as a couple. I appreciate how well-defined and fleshed out Will and Elizabeth are in this tale. A lot of their current feelings are impacted by their past relationships and experiences.

• A Gorgeous Setting: Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, the coastal town of Falmouth – once again Cat Andrews chooses a setting that is brimming with charm, picturesque sunsets, interesting landmarks, and natural beauty. I’ve visited this area as a child, but now I’m so eager to return because I want to see and experience all the beauty of this area for myself! I always appreciate how Cat Andrews highlights the setting and scenery in her stories. It is so much more than just a pretty backdrop.

• Authentic Relationship Hurdles: Is love enough? What happens when someone makes a huge mistake? How can you trust someone again after they already hurt you once before? These are the real and difficult obstacles these characters face. I greatly admire and appreciate how Ms. Andrews features these realistic challenges in relationships. I love witnessing how her characters communicate about their issues, learn to grow from their mistakes, and find inner peace and healing. I especially loved how in this story a character seeks therapy to work through their deep-rooted issues, and how the wonderful benefits of seeking help to deal with emotional and/or mental hurdles are featured in this tale.

• Relationship Themes: To piggy-back on the point made above, I enjoyed that beyond the importance of love, respect, honesty that this story dealt with forgiveness, earning back broken trust, and letting go of control. These relationship themes are real ones people face everyday – whether it be in someone they are dating/married to, a friendship, or even parent or sibling relationship. Cat Andrews’s portrayals of how these characters felt and processed their emotions in these circumstances was just incredibly intuitive, moving, and genuine. She writes with such empathy and understanding.

• Healing: A few secondary storylines in this tale illustrate a character overcoming the pain of abuse or trauma. Whether it is verbal and emotional abuse, or a horrifying incident that occurs at a party. To see characters live through these experiences is heartbreaking and hard. But their journeys towards healing and wholeness are incredibly moving to witness. There were so many steps they took in this journey – with changes made in their lifestyles, with opening up to others in their lives, and with confronting the people who hurt them – their resilience and strength were so inspiring.

WHAT I WASN’T TOO FOND OF:

• Not. One. Singe. Thing.

NOTE: This story contains uses of profanity and several romantic interludes and intimate scenes. Recommended for Mature Audiences.

WARNING: There is a secondary storyline that deals with non-consent and assault.

CONCLUSION:

Dance the Tide is a wonderfully authentic tale about wading through the challenging and treacherous waters of life. A beautiful Pride and Prejudice homage that doesn’t focus primarily on mistaken pride or overcoming prejudices, but instead brings about a splendidly rewarding tale of healing, deep love, forgiveness, and emotional well-being. I highly recommend

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