Customer Reviews

Tides Of Passion (Zebra Historical Romance)

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Tides of Passion is a true romance. I rarely like the hero and the heroine as much as I liked Zach and Savannah. Loved them!!! They don't just fall in love - they battle and argue and flirt - with such witty dialogue and sizzling tension. I just couldn't put this book down. What I mean by real romance is the flirtation. It's there page after page, from the first chapter of the book. And when Zach and Savannah finally have sex, you're SO ready for these characters to be together. I actually think they were perfect for each other.

It was a terrific read. The setting was unusual, too! I'm getting kind-of sick of London. I've traveled to the Outer Banks area, and I can see it being very romantic.

I've also rarely read a romance where the characters talk to each other in such a natural way. I finished the book in one night. I can't wait for the release of Noah's story, Tides of Love! Another Garrett brother finds love.

I loved this book. I'll admit it, I'm a sucker for romances and this one was a really good one - I read it in one weekend because I couldn't put it down. Tides of Passion was engaging, full of sexy sparks, and Savannah and Zach have great chemistry! It's hot. I'm excited to read more books in this series. I love finding great new romance writers to read!

This is a great romance novel. It satisfies all areas of a great book: comedy, suspense, and the romance... whew! The best I have read in a long time. The relationships that build throughout the book were well defined and makes you wonder what will happen next. I couldn't put the book down and read it in one day. Can't wait to read the other book Tides of Love.

I read about this book by chance on a romance review blog. And I checked out the Amazon reviews for when it was printed before. All 5 Stars, so I thought I would try it. And I'm so glad I did! I'm a big fan of lush romances like Anne Mallory and Maya Banks, and this is lush, too.

It's beautifully written. Very sexy but with lots of humor and unique characters. The characters were awesome. Savannah, a social reformer, and Zach, an arrogant town constable, were against each other from the start. It could be the same old arrangement of them being against each other - but they were friends who decided to have a passionate arrangement. That's what made it different.

And suddenly, they're falling in love. Zach was so closed off, but for truly believable reasons, and I wasn't sure until the end if they were going to make it work. I just loved this book.

Noah's story is next. I will definitely put it on my to-read list!

I am embarrassed to admit that I didn't initially realize that this was a Historical Romance. The cover screamed contemporary to me and although the book summary mentioned that the heroine, Savannah, was a reformer, that didn't strike me as impossible for a modern woman. Added, to that, the writing and dialogue seemed modern. I somehow completely missed the date on the first page--I must be blind!--and found myself more and more perplexed by the attitudes expressed toward Savannah's determination to get better wages and working conditions for the women of Pilot Isle. Well, suffice to say I had to backtrack on my Kindle and look for a date. How embarrassing to miss that this was set in 1898! Anyway, enough focus on my lack of observation. On to the book!

I was immediately charmed by the setup between Savannah and Zach. We first meet them as Zach is busting up a protest Savannah started outside the oyster factory. He's the constable and currently considers Savannah his cross to bear. The woman--or rabble-rouser, as he thinks of her--is constantly stirring up trouble. She has been arrested thirteen times to date, so you can imagine that she isn't afraid to stir the pot. I found it amusing that Zach and his brother, Caleb, argued about who would have what duty in breaking up the protest: breaking up the crowd or dealing with Savannah. Zach lost and got stuck with her. LOL!

I liked that Zach wasn't written as too modern. He had a healthy respect for women, but he also had a milder version of the common attitude of men in that day. He felt honest sympathy for her struggle, but he also had to fight her every step of the way because of pressure from the townspeople. They argued left and right, and most people were convinced that they couldn't stand each other, but that spark of attraction made it more like foreplay to them, especially when they decided to see where their attraction would take them. Zach's portrayal made his eventual love of Savannah and his tolerance (and help) toward her need to fight for her causes all the sweeter. He was already used to female reformers after spending time with his brother's wife, Elle, so he had a leg up on the other men, but I'm ignoring that and remaining impressed. ;)

I found it interesting that Zach and Savannah were interested in a relationship (of sorts) with each other, but that both refused to marry. I was impressed that their reasons for refusal felt so authentic, but I would have liked Savannah's reason, and her past in general, to have been fleshed out a little more. Zach's reasons were quite compelling and I really felt for him. His yearning and fear were very well written.


"Maybe he should have explained to Savannah this morning that he agonized because he knew what it was like for God to place another's life in your hands. Marriage was a life-long, fundamental commitment. A vow that brought misery and bliss, belonging and loneliness, freedom and imprisonment. So many wonderful things, so many frightening ones."

I felt that their easy disregard of public opinion and the consequences was a little out of place for people who lived in that time period, but I just shrugged and decided to go with it. I also found the language and writing style a little too modern (for the most part), but this time period is not a strong point for me, so it's very possible that I could be wrong about that. It was just a feeling I had.

I really liked that the relationship was never rushed. This book spanned a nice length of time and it was very easy to believe their slow softening toward each other. I liked that so much time was spent on them simply enjoying each other's company before sex was brought into it. Their friendship made it easier for me to set aside any niggles I had about their disregard toward the mores of the time. I had the impression from the book summary that this book might revolve around a specific reform, but it didn't. The romance stayed the focus of the book and that their respective jobs were just a footnote in the overall story. I didn't feel a lot of intensity to the relationship, although I still enjoyed it, but I think that had a lot to do with the overall slow tone of the book. I enjoy long, leisurely romances, but at times this one got a little too slow.

I really liked how the author slowly revealed the protagonists to be more than what the world saw them to be. Zach was regarded as a saint and had a hard time living up to his image. Savannah was thought to be so independent and set against men that little things, like common courtesies, weren't given to her because they assumed she wouldn't want them. They both took the time to look deeper and saw a more complex person inside. Their care for each other made it easier for them to reveal their true selves to the world. I always enjoy romances where the hero and heroine enrich each other's lives like that.

Although I had a few issues with this book I still enjoyed it a lot. I was honestly impressed by how leisurely the romance felt. The author skipped over time when warranted but always made sure to slow down and focus in on the important details. Plus, the epilogue was too cute for words. ;)

Favorite Quote:

"The frantic nature of their joining melted her stiff posture and her cocksure bearing, rolling through her in a languid, glorious wave of sensation and recognition. It was a peculiar time to realize that she had built her sense of self around an erroneous ideal.
She was no different than other women."

*Review originally posted on Fiction Vixen*

Perfectly written and it sucked me in and I could not stop till I finished every line of it.

The dialogues are out of this world!

Must have!

Tides of Passion is a very entertaining historical romance to read. There were quite a few times where I laughed aloud while reading at Savannah and Zach, the main characters in the book. Their romance is electrifying, and there are no dull moments while reading this book. The author, Tracy Sumner, does a wonderful job in bringing both the characters and the times alive. I often felt as I was actually within the book itself in the action while reading it, because the descriptions and dialogue were so vivid and realistic. This is a thoroughly enjoyable read. I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for my review.

I actually read this book because of another reviewer. The romance between Conner and Kate was so intense and made you want to keep reading to see what would happen next. It's perfect to read with a cup of hot chocolate, wrapped in a blanket, and by a fire! You can't go wrong with this book!

Tides of Passion was a great read! Tracy Sumner really developed the characters well. I really enjoyed the heat between Kate and Conner. I liked the fact that there was a lot of flirting, some arguing. It made it seem more realistic to me. It was easy to read and imagine everything that was happening. I loved how the whole story flowed together so well. Highly recommend this book!

The lead characters in this book are people that you want to spend time with. They are fun and funny and likable. The chemistry is amazing and this book is a must read for anyone who wants a romance novel that is well written, sexy and that has characters that you can relate to. Recommended.