Changing Tides

By: Linny Mack

Narrated by: CJ Bloom, Tim Paige

An emotional neighbors-to-lovers romance about a woman determined to heal from heartbreak in Cape May, who kindles an unlikely attraction for her grumpy neighbor with his own tragic past.

“I think about how a person can be like a Cape May diamond. A dull piece of quartz but when the tide changes, as it always does, they can become shiny and new again.”

Sometimes the tide that sweeps you away can bring you home...

After thirteen years of marriage and seven years of infertility with her supposed soulmate, Sophie Bennett’s life is turned upside down. Not only does she discover her husband is having a sordid affair, on her birthday, but his mistress is also pregnant with his baby. Seeking solace, Sophie flees to Cape May, New Jersey, a quiet coastal town where she spent many summers as a child. There she encounters Liam Harper, a brooding carpenter who seems intent to keep everyone at a distance. Despite his best efforts, Sophie recognizes the vulnerability under his prickly exterior, sparking a curiosity about him that she can’t ignore.

Liam Harper is walking around with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Haunted by a tragedy from his past that changed him forever, Liam doesn’t believe he deserves love or happiness. After being unexpectedly awarded permanent custody of his one-year-old niece, Liam’s script flips yet again. He doesn’t know the first thing about parenthood, and his gruff exterior makes it hard for him to ask for help. When the beautiful and heartbroken Sophie becomes his new neighbor, Liam never expects her to be the one to chip away his defenses.

As the two navigate their attraction and work to heal old wounds, emotions run high. If they want to change the tides of their futures, they must decide whether love is worth the risk. Will they walk away forever, or will fate step in and see them through?

Sweet Summer Vibes

Sofie’s life falls apart on her birthday when she discovers her husband cheating—just as the other woman turns up pregnant. Heartbroken, she escapes to Cape May to heal.

Liam, a local woodworker raising his niece after tragedy, is also carrying emotional scars. When these two wounded souls become neighbors, their slow-burn friendship begins to blossom into something more.

This book has everything:
- Mature, relatable characters
- Emotional depth & healing
- Slow-burn, friends-to-lovers
- Coastal summer setting
- Excellent audio narration

Sweet, heartfelt, and full of hope. I adored Sofie and Liam’s journey and can’t wait for book 2!

Solid

Changing Tides is a sort of nontraditional second chance. Sophie walked in on her husband having sex with his TA. Despite that, she was going to try and work on their marriage until she found out that the TA was pregnant. Sophie has been dealing with infertility for 7 years, so that was unforgivable to her. She moved to Cape May, New Jersey to figure out the rest of her life. Cape May was a place she loved as a child, and so it felt like coming home again. Liam is a single father to his niece, Lucy. Liam is broken because his high school girlfriend died when a drunk driver hit their car when he was 18, and he never forgave himself. Sophie and Liam were able to heal each other through learning to communicate with each other (at times were slightly frustrating) and an attraction that was there from the very beginning. Sophie and Liam were each other's second chance after heartbreak (there is another part but it's a spoiler 🤐). I really like the emotional and character development! The romance is beautifully paced. The secondary characters also felt real and were well written. I believe this was her first novel, and it was good.

Loved this book!!!

It hits you right in the heart! The way the book ties itself to the ocean and distant memories is so beautiful. The ending is epic! I’d you want to cry, giggle, and laugh - this is your book!

Summer fun

This book hit all the boxes for fun summer vibes. Exactly what I was looking for. Gotta love a love story.

A tender and emotional story!

Sophie Bennett has an unexpected second chance after her marriage falls apart when she finds her husband in bed with his TA on her birthday. And then then the TA turns up pregnant. When she thinks about resetting her life, she thinks about her childhood happy memories in Cape May, New Jersey. So she retreats to the coastal small town. While there, she encounters her new neighbor Liam Harper, a closed off carpenter who has been thrust into parenthood when his sister dies and he takes responsibility for her daughter. Both Sophie and Liam have a lot of trauma and baggage that makes them feel like they may not be worthy of love, but they end up slowly and cautiously discovering love, friendship, joy, and self-worth.

This is not a rom-com - it’s a deeply emotional, beautifully written story about second chances, healing from trauma, and learning that you are worthy of love. Linny Mack’s writing is compassionate and layered, and I loved the slow-burn bond that formed between Sophie and Liam. Their growth felt real. The found family vibes in Cape May are warm and life-affirming, and the theme of rediscovering joy hit me right in the heart. I’m definitely in for book two when it arrives in September!

🎧 Audiobook Notes 🎧 Narrated by the phenomenal CJ Bloom and Tim Paige, this dual narration added so much emotional depth. They captured the grief, hope, and slow-blooming romance perfectly. I listened straight through in one sitting. (9h)