Since I kicked off 2020 with Anna Burke’s Nottingham, it seemed only right to continue my new tradition with Night Tide. And what a book to start the new year with! This is the second installment of the Seal Cove Romance series. We return to all the characters from Spindrift, only this time it’s Lillian’s turn to fall in love.
Here’s a quick summary—
Lillian Lee’s world is set on fire when her arch nemesis is hired at the Seal Cover Veterinarian Clinic . After being diagnosed with a serious medical condition, Ivy Holden decided to move closer to her family, and the opening at the clinic where Lillian is employed was just too hard to resist. Lillian hated Ivy in veterinarian school, after all, who wouldn’t resent the wealthy blonde while pinching every penny to make ends meet. However, poverty isn’t a virtue and hate can often lay very close to love.
There’s obviously a huge theme of classism here. Ivy doesn’t hide her privilege nor does she hate the life it’s provided for her. She is also realistic regarding how her family’s money has been acquired and the wrongs they committed in obtaining wealth. I liked how the narrative didn’t force us to sympathize with her via overwhelming guilt, but instead we get to an understanding through Lillian’s own self-reflection. I thought this was all really well done.
I didn’t know I liked enemies to lovers enough to keep reading past my bedtime, or maybe it was the way Burke expanded on all that tension that kept me reading far into the night. Even though I related to Lillian so much, I also really liked Ivy. Like, a lot. I loved the way these two picked at each other and taunted. The chemistry was practically dripping off the page. And then the actual acts of intimacy…There’s something unique about the sex in Night Tide. Not only do our ladies get more than one O per session, but I felt like the sex actually reflected the plot in a way. How they hated each other and then eased into companionship. I’m not giving explicit details away, but I’d be willing to do quite the analysis on some of these passages.
I’ve read everything by Burke so far because I love her writing. Setting, imagery, detail, character—she knows how to build a captivating story (that’ll keep you up all night). It’s even more impressive seeing an already talented writer improve in their craft. Night Tide is a skillfully crafted book, and though romance isn’t my favorite genre, I think this may be Burke’s best book yet (though my favorite is still Compass Rose). I’m beyond excited to see what will come next.
In short—if “enemies to lovers” is your trope, if you like your books to give pause for reflection, or if you’re just in need of some literary warmth this winter, then Night Tide could be for you!