Fiction Friday – Exploring Prince Edward Island in Beyond the Tides by Liz Johnson

It’s interesting how we yearn for things and experiences that are unobtainable. International border closures in recent years made arm chair traveling via reading fiction books a wonderful and affordable alternative. Who can resist delightful escapes to distant lands and far away places?

Prince Edward Island in Canada has been on my travel wish list since I was a young girl. I remember discovering my mother’s hardback copies of the Anne of Green Gable series, and dreaming about seeing and experiencing the gorgeous scenery in the books. Today I’m sharing with you my book recommendation for Beyond the Tides, the first book in Liz Johnson’s Prince Edward Island Shores series.

Last year in a StoryChats @ Inspy Romance podcast/YouTube episode interview with Liz Johnson (Episode 33), Liz shared how this series has connections to her delightful The Red Door Inn book and Prince Edward Island Dreams series.

Book Description:

When Meg Whitaker’s father decides to sell the family’s lobster-fishing business to her high school nemesis, she sets out to prove she should inherit it instead. Though she’s never had any interest in running the small fleet–or even getting on a boat due to her persistent seasickness–she can’t stand to see Oliver Ross take over. Not when he ruined her dreams for a science scholarship and an Ivy League education ten years ago.

Oliver isn’t proud of what he did back then. Angry and broken by his father walking out on his family, he lashed out at Meg–an innocent bystander. But owning a respected fishing fleet on Prince Edward Island is the opportunity of a lifetime, and he’s not about to walk away just because Meg wants him to.

Meg’s father has the perfect solution: Oliver and Meg must work the business together, and at the end of the season, he’ll decide who gets it. Along the way, they may discover that their stories are more similar than they thought . . . and their dreams aren’t what they expected.

Bestselling author Liz Johnson invites you back to Prince Edward Island for a brand-new series about family, forgiveness, and the kind of love that heals all wounds.

Narelle’s Thoughts:

There’s lots to love in Beyond the Tides, the first book in Liz Johnson’s Prince Edward Island Shores series. The historic seaport setting of Victoria on Prince Edward Island in Canada is quaint and pretty. I loved reading the Anne of Green Gables series when I was younger, and I’m drawn to stories that share the Prince Edward Island setting. I also enjoyed learning more about the everyday workings of a family owned lobster fishing fleet business. We meet a cast of interesting characters who live in the small and tight knit seaside community.

At times I found Meg’s stubbornness a little frustrating, especially her grudge against Oliver from a decade ago when they were at high school. That said, I know in real life that many people are like Meg and struggle to forgive and let go of long held grudges. Oliver was patient with Meg, and prepared to apologise, take responsibility, and right the wrongs from the past. The importance of forgiveness was a strong spiritual theme in the story.

The ‘I hate you’ romance trope often isn’t my favourite trope, but I did empathise with Meg and her concerns for her mother’s health. I understood why Oliver was keen to buy the family business from Meg’s father. I recommend Beyond the Tides to contemporary romance readers who like the enemies-to-more romance trope with childhood friends reuniting in a small town seaside setting.

I received an advanced reader copy from the publisher. Many thanks to Revell and NetGalley.

Learn more about Liz Johnson and her books at her website.

Read at preview of Beyond the Tides at Amazon here.

The Last Way Home (Prince Edward Island Shores Book #2) released on August 2, 2022.

Have you read Beyond the Tides? Have you visited, or want to visit, Prince Edward Island in Canada? I’d love to hear your thoughts.