Beyond the Tides

Starred review from June 7, 2021
Johnson (A Sparkle of Silver) kicks off her Prince Edward Island Shores series with this heartwarming romance centered on a schoolteacher’s efforts to keep her father’s lobster business afloat. Meg Whitaker’s father, Walt, decides he needs to sell the family business in order to have the time and resources to properly care for his dying wife, who is suffering from a mysterious illness. Meg is horrified when Walt decides to sell to her arch-nemesis, Oliver Ross, who ruined her science fair project in high school and destroyed her hopes of getting into an Ivy League college. Even though Meg never had an interest in lobster fishing, she proposes Walt sell it to her instead. But Walt requires Meg and Oliver to work together for the summer and, at season’s end, he’ll determine who will get the company. Over the ensuing months, Meg and Oliver develop an unlikely friendship as they learn more about each other, find forgiveness, and fall in love. While faith themes are subtle, Meg and Oliver’s attraction rings true, and the ending is especially clever. Johnson’s fans will eagerly anticipate the next installment of this promising series.