Tidal by Emily Snow

by - Friday, December 21, 2012

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Now that Willow Avery is out of rehab, she's got one chance left to prove herself before she’s officially on every producer’s shit list. At least, that's what her parents and agent are claiming. She doesn't really give a damn if she never makes another movie or not—she just wants to get on with her life, get back to her friends, and find her next escape. But Willow is broke. And whether she likes it or not, acting is the only job she knows how to do.

When she accepts the lead in a beach drama, Willow finds herself in Hawaii. And in Hawaii, she finds Cooper, the gorgeous surfer hired to train her for her new role. With the bluest eyes she’s ever seen and the sexiest Australian accent she’s ever heard, Cooper’s different from the men she’s used to. He doesn’t want to use her. And he refuses to let her fail. But when an old friend re-enters Willow’s life—a friend whose toxicity she’s been drawn to time and time before and whose presence brings about the painful memories she's tried so hard to suppress—Willow will have to choose between the girl she was and the person she’s becoming. The lifestyle that helps her forget the pain and the guy she’s falling hard for.

Kim's Rating:
5 out of 5 Stars

Kim's Review:
Willow is a mess. Used up by Hollywood, fresh out of rehab, her career on it's last legs. She is a girl with little hope for her future. After getting out of rehab she is shipped off to Hawaii for a remake of a surfing movie and thus enters Cooper...her sexy new surf coach. 

Yes, that Willow Avery--that actress. The one that went off the deep end three years ago. The one whose face is plastered all over the tabloids this morning. They don't give a shit if there's more to me than meets the eye, and there's so much more to my fall from grace, even if nobody--other than my parents and agent--knows what that it.


He has his own issues with his past and a distaste for the movie business, and initially takes it out on Willow. It is not love at first sight. But he cannot stop his growing attraction to Willow. 

They fight it. They surrender. They fight. They both have secrets. They both have demons to face. 

"Nothing. Dammit, everything. I needed to get it out there, Wills--how I'm feeling about you. Yeah, I'm your coach, but I'm also a guy and you're digging your way under my skin."

"You beautiful girl, fuck with my head like no other".

"I don't like being attracted to to you. And if you think I'm getting under your skin, just imagine what you're doing to me. I haven't...I've not been in a relationship in a long time, Cooper. But here you are and you scare the shit out of me."

But he is the only person in her life that truly supports her and wants her to be healthy and happy. 

"I love you, Willow, but I can live without you. I just refuse to."

"Don't ever doubt me again, Willow. The whole time you've been here I've told you two things until I was blue in the face--that I'll look after you and that I'm not wishy-washy. If you've got to go fix yourself, nothing I feel for you changes, I won't stop loving you."

I loved seeing Willow change and adored Cooper. They were funny, had good chemistry, and deep feelings. Her bodyguard Miller was a sweet father figure. His friends Paige and Eric were hilarious.

Eric: "Cooper's bedroom is upstairs, second door on the right. I'll totally give you guys all the condoms I've got if you take your verbal hate fuck up there..."

I was happy to see an epilogue 2 years in the future to see how they ended up. This was a really good NA novel with dealing with deep issues and redemption.
Tammy's Rating:
5 out of 5 Stars

Tammy's Review:
"I'm Cooper Taylor. I'm a Scorpio. I enjoy women, long walks on the beach, and my roommate says I use girly shampoo. Oh, and I generally hate anyone in the film industry because they're total assholes. Guess you could say I'm you Pai Mei."

"Willow Avery. Actress, Cancer, and according to my team, on my last leg before porn."
 

I totally and utterly adored Tidal and the characters within. They were damaged; they were charming, witty, and utterly lost as they navigated the unknown of life surrounding them. Each character in this story had a purpose and that purpose affected the outcome of our MC's. Eric, Paige, and Miller were just as important to me as Willow and Cooper. They helped build the story and sustain it. I was invested and I finished in one sitting because I needed to get to the end to find out if Willow's heartbreak and mine also would be fixed.

Willow was a damaged heroine. At 19, she had been used and abused, along with using and abusing. She was washed up and had endured all the entertainment world had to offer her. Tragedy and scandal caused Willow's initial reason to check out after that any time she couldn't deal she automatically turned to drinking and drugs. Her choice of coping. Spiraling out of control Willow was offered her last chance, her one and only saving grace. A movie deal and one hot surfer coach. Who knew the boy that smelled like coconut shampoo would be the one to save her.

"He was wrong. I wasn't beautiful. I was damaged."
"I'm fucked up Cooper."
"We'll fix you."

Cooper was not your typical surfer dude. He was just as damaged as Willow, but in a completely different way. The movie industry held no interest for him; in fact, he had an intense dislike for it. His coping mechanism was the water. He didn't do clients, well until her that is. There was no love at first sight in this story, but instant lust and attraction came in bucket loads. Coop made no secret of the fact that he wanted Willow in bed and soon. She, however, fought him each step of the way. Our hero showed us a soft side to him that held patience and understanding. When it came to Willow, Coop was protective over her and he refused to let her fail. Rough around the edges when it came to relationships I found that Coop made a perfect hero. My heart melted as he pulled Willow through her tough moments.

"I'm falling in love with you, Wills. You drive me crazy. I mean, it started out as this need to get you out of my head, but the longer I'm with you-" 

"You take the nightmares away, I wanted to tell him because I don't fucking know you, but when I'm with you, I want to feel again. I don't need pills or noise or distraction." 

As I mentioned earlier there was loads of instant lust and attraction. The push and pull drove me a bit insane. One minute they were all over each other, in the next instance one of them would be pushing the other away. You definitely felt the connection and intense character chemistry. I literally sighed out loud when Cooper finally made the move they we had all been waiting for. His rule of not dating and having sex with clients be damned. They were electric together, but it wasn't without issues as Willow would not allow him to see her completely naked in the daylight. This is where I feel completely in love with Cooper. He took it all in stride and showed Willow that he respected her and wanted her for her. No matter the work he had to put into them.

"Jesus, Wills, we've been undoing each other for days. The last place we're going to tear each other apart is right here, in the sand. Guess you can say I'm greedy because I want to be the only one who hears you come."

I loved the character development, the relationships that grew out of tragedies, mistakes and a life destroyed by entertainment and partying. Good friends were made, secrets revealed, love grew and blossomed, and the chance for inner peace was found. Emily gave us a love story filled with twists, secrets, and turns. My heart ached and broke on many occasions. That was until the end when Emily wrote one of the best epilogues that I have read in a very long time. I originally was going to rate this a 4 and her ending cinched that 5 star spot. Perfection Emily, thank you for such a beautiful story.

"We love you, Willow. Me and Eric and the boy with the coconut shampoo."

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1 comments

  1. Aman, they don't focus much at all on the surfing to be honest with you. She has a few lessons but they maybe take up 10 minutes of the book. Most of it is about her and Coop..:)

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