Changing Tides

5+++ Gooey and warm inside stars!
Oh lord, where to begin??? I loved Ellie’s character in Kill Devil Hills but I did not expect how much I would adore her in her own story.

Ellie’s a tattooed, tell it like it is, happy with life, lesbian…until television star Nathaniel West enters her life and knocks her for a loop, changing everything she thought about herself.

I imagine there will be some that might take exception to or question this story line, but I freaking LOVED this book, love, love, loved it! I think Sarah Darlington did an incredible job with how she portrayed Ellie and how she had Ellie deal with the questioning of her sexuality. This book has everything I could want- a fun and feisty heroine, a swoon-worthy hero, an awesome cast of side characters, an interesting story line…add in a little drama and throw in a twist for good measure and perfection, thy name is Changing Tides.

“Sometimes in life- very rarely, I might add- you meet someone and you know instantly they’re going to mean something to you.” Ellie and Nathaniel quickly become that someone for each other. The chemistry, the attraction, the romance…it was there from the first meeting. Right when Nathaniel first sets eyes on Ellie he is intrigued and wants to get to know her. Even after finding out she’s a lesbian, he’s willing to let her “experiment” with him, because “Lesbian or not, I suddenly had a serious hard-on for her as well.”
For Ellie, the attraction she felt for Nathaniel was sudden and confusing. “What in the name of the Holy Ghost was that? Sparks? Electricity? Magic? The pot of gold at the end of a rainbow?” She doesn’t know what to think and we got to watch as she navigated her feelings for him, questioning everything she thought about who and what she was. “But what if I liked both boxes?”

I was so giddy reading this book, I don’t think the smile left my face the entire time. Ellie and Nathaniel were so much fun to read about, seeing their relationship change and grow, swooning over Nathaniel right along with Ellie, “Never in my life had I felt so alive, so exhilarated, so gooey and warm inside, and so helpless to another person’s touch.” laughing at her snarky comebacks, “So you’re offering yourself up like a freaking Christmas roast?” watching him fall hard for her, “Ellie made me feel again. She gave me hope where it had previously been lost.” I don’t think there’s a single thing I would have changed. And the title couldn’t be more perfect- keeping the feel of Kill Devil Hills, while incorporating everything Ellie goes through in the book, well done Sarah!

Getting to see Noah and Georgina again made me so happy- I love the way Noah cares so much for Georgie. “She was my everything. And in the months since we’d started dating she’d quickly become my reason for living.” I hope we get more of them!

I’m so excited for Pulled Under, seeing what’s in store next for this group that I have come to love.

I received this book from the writer in exchange for a honest review.

First I want to say that you don’t really have to read the first book in this series to read this book but you will understand more of the background story if you do.

So, after reading ‘Kill Devil Hills’ the first book of this series, I couldn’t wait to read Ellie’s story and I enjoyed it.

Ellie Turner is the oldest of four children. The last nine months haven’t been easy for Ellie and her family. She lost her only brother nine months ago and on the day of his funeral her sister Georgina tried to take her own life (but luckily Ellie’s best friend Noah found her on time and saved her life). And just when things are finally settling down (with Georgina being happy with Noah) Ellie does a big discovery about herself that will rock her world and made her question everything!

Ellie knows from an early age that she’s attracted to women. Her family and friends have accepted that and that have never been a problem or a question.

But today something big and strange has happened! Ellie is attracted to a man and not any man but Nate West, an alpha man under the alpha men and he’s a famous television star!! Nate West plays a big role in one of Ellie’s favorites TV series. They meet each other on a plane and from the first moment there’s a big attraction between Nate (or Nathanial like his friends and family calls him) and Ellie. But because of circumstances, they don’t get the chance to explore their attraction there and then. After the plan lands Ellie and Nathanial lose sight of each other and both think that that’s the end of this strange meeting and that they will never see each other again.

But through a family situation Nathanial and Ellie meet again and this time they have the chance to spend more time together and they discover that the attraction they’re feeling is very powerful. Ellie is very confused about it. Because how can she be attracted to Nathanial when she’s a lesbian? But at the end, Ellie decides to explore this feeling with Nathanial on a psychical level. What follows is a night like she never thought possible with someone and especially with a man! But circumstances make Ellie’s trip to LA end before they have a chance to talk about it.

Back home, Ellie is more confused than ever. But one thing is for sure, she can’t forgot Nathanial nor the night they spend together. Luckily for Ellie, Nathanial feels the same way and he has a plan. Hopefully Ellie will like what he has planned and will she decide that an alpha man is just what she needs in her future.

I must confess that I was really curious about this book. Especially after knowing that Ellie was a lesbian and that she would fall for a man, I really wanted to read this book.
And the writer wrote a wonderful story about Ellie and her conflicted feelings about the fact that she suddenly was attracted to a man and not a woman. I loved Ellie and Nathanial together. It was also lovely to see Ellie’s friends and family again.

I’m looking forward to the next story in this series.