Review ~ Rising Tides by Nora Roberts

TITLE: Rising Tides
AUTHOR: Nora Roberts
COPYRIGHT: 1998
TYPE: Romance
PAGES; 330
SERIES: Yep Book 2 in a 4 book series
1. Sea Swept
2. Rising Tides

REASON FOR READING: I enjoyed book 1 and really liked Ethan’s character so I had to read what happened to him.

Summary : {From Goodreads}
Set on the windswept shores of the Chesapeake Bay, Nora Roberts's Rising Tides, the second book in the Quinn Brothers trilogy, continues the story of the lives and loves of adopted brothers Ethan, Cameron, and Philip Quinn. Eager to honor their father's dying wish that their other brother, Seth, be cared for, the three settle into life with a 10-year-old. Of all the brothers, it is Ethan who finds himself drawn to the young boy, because both suffered horrific abuse before being adopted by the Quinns. Time hasn't extinguished Ethan's pain, only buried it deep within his heart, a fact that may keep him from the only woman he has ever loved

THOUGHTS/OPINION:
Ethan’s story is the one that I wanted to read the whole time I was reading Cam’s story. I really enjoyed how serious he was, how calm, and that he took his time before making a decision he appeared to be the kind of man you could like and respect. I also found that I was really interested in Grace’s story during book 1. She appeared to be the kind of woman I could be friends with and I just wanted to see her get a HEA. The book takes off a few months after the last one. Cam and Anna are married and on a honeymoon in Rome. Leaving Seth with Ethan which was good b/c Seth’s past was a WHOLE hell of a lot like Ethan’s the only difference was how far the abuse went. God what Ethan had to go through was horrible and I found myself crying with Grace while he told her. The shame and guilt he felt and the fact he believed he was tainted about broke my heart.
As far as Grace is concerned she is doing everything she can just to survive. She has a daughter with no father. Her own father cut her out of his life (but that was a mutual thing) she is working 2 jobs and trying to give her little girl the best life she can. She was exactly what Ethan needed.

Things I enjoyed:
-I really enjoyed that Ethan helped Seth come to terms with his shame and helped him to realize that he was still an okay kid even after what had happened to him. I really feel that Ethan is the reason that Seth started to connect with the family.
-I enjoyed Grace. Yes at times she was beyond stubborn but she figured out early in life you can’t count on anyone to take care of you but yourself and by God did she ever.
-Watching these two dance back and forth fighting their feelings, mis-reading each other and not talking would usually be a turn off for me. But in this case I really enjoyed it.

Things I didn’t care for:
-I didn’t care for the almost rape scene that happened at the bar and how Ethan reacted to. I thought it was a little out of character for him and didn’t do anything for the plot other than help Grace realize that maybe it is okay to ask for help.

Are you keeping it or passing it on? Passing on it. It was a cute book but not a re-read for me.

SCORE: 7 out of 10

Anything Else: You really need to read book one in order to fully appreciate the situation with Seth and the brothers.