Tattered Tides by Sarah A. Bailey

A slow burn romance that handles the hard stuff with care.

Tattered Tides is an emotional slow-burn romance that pulled me in from the start. The author handles some very heavy topics here, and I really appreciated how clear the content warnings were going in—it made it much easier to trust the story and settle into it.

This leans a little more new adult because of Weston and Willow’s ages, but both characters have been through so much that their emotional journeys feel especially layered. Weston is trying to rebuild his life after everything fell apart, while Willow is still working through a much more recent trauma. I really loved how carefully they handled each other. Their connection builds slowly, and I was fully invested in them finding their way together.

The surfing element added so much to the story, especially in how it connected to Weston’s healing and sense of purpose. It gave the romance and his personal growth extra depth, which made the story feel even stronger.

This is part of a next generation series featuring the kids from couples in the author’s earlier books, so there were quite a few side characters and connections I didn’t fully know, which made it a little harder to keep everyone straight at times. Even so, it absolutely made me want to go back and read the earlier books—and I have a feeling they’ll make this world feel even more complete.

If this sounds like your kind of read, you can pre-order a copy HERE or request it from your local library.