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Tidal Wave

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After the sudden death of her adoptive mother, twenty-one-year-old Whitney Dansley moves her teenage siblings to their mother's hometown, Rifton, Oregon. Strange things start to happen when Whitney, Rayn, and Dmitri get to Rifton and they realize they aren't the only witches in the Dark Star Forest. Tucked away in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest, Whitney discovers she has been searching for the very thing her mother ran away from. After a lifetime of thinking they were alone in the world, Whitney and Rayn meet three other girls with secret elemental powers and mysterious jewelry that match the ones the sisters have been hiding for years. In the sibling's search to uncover the truth behind their powers and their past, they reveal more than they bargained for including the darkness their mother ran from that still lurks in the forest.
As if things weren't complicated enough, Whitney meets Bryan McClintock. Handsome and clever, Bryan makes Whitney question if she can have love while living a double life. As she escapes further into Bryan, longing for a sense of normalcy, Whitney realizes he may have more ties to this hidden magical world than she anticipated. With her heart pulled in two different directions, Whitney has to decide how badly she wants to uncover the truth and if she's willing to sacrifice her own happiness to do it.

284 pages, Paperback

Published March 8, 2023

22 people are currently reading
148 people want to read

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Meg Lynn

5 books10 followers

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5 stars
11 (39%)
4 stars
9 (32%)
3 stars
6 (21%)
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0 (0%)
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2 (7%)
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
Profile Image for Kristen Gamez.
175 reviews
February 24, 2023
I received an ARC for my review. Keep in mind this is my opinion of what I just read and mine only.

Tidal Wave is a book about coming of age witches. Whitney, her sister Rayn, and brother Dmitri move across country after their mother past away. They have always had powers growing up and didn’t understand why until the move to a small town where their mother grew up. Whitney whom is 21 now has to take on the responsibility of being a mother figure to her siblings. She and her siblings are trying to figure out why they have certain powers and what it all means.
They stumble across witches who are like them and find out they are part of a bigger picture called generations, five different elemental girls. These are the good witches. The Renati find out that they are practicing and are not happy about it as there has always been a rivalry between them and vow to take them out.
This book seemed a little wishy washy at times. They would all make promises or say something to each other but then go back on their words. I enjoyed the relationship between Whitney and Bryan, but couldn’t stand the nickname Byn. That’s just my issue though. The book ends on a semi cliffhanger, making me believe this will be a series. This book was great if you are new to fantasy as it is very easy to follow along and you don’t feel lost.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for siana.reads.
46 reviews3 followers
March 1, 2023
I was given an ARC to provide a review.

This book was a little confusing to read at times but overall it was a good concept. The jumping threw me off just a bit, trying to figure out what was happening as you follow Whitney and her sister, Rayn as they attempt to uncover secrets of their lives. The relationship between Whitney and Bryan was really cute, though. I don't want to go into too much detail because I don't like spoilers, but overall glad I got the chance to read it.
32 reviews
November 8, 2023
It was pretty good

I really liked the plot. The pacing felt off and the dialogue between characters was clunky sometimes. There were a few times things were over explained instead of letting the reader put the pieces together themselves. I enjoyed the book overall though and will be picking up the next one.
Profile Image for Stormy Belle.
Author 9 books15 followers
March 12, 2023
I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review

I really loved Whitney and Rayn! This book does not have the spice level I usually read however, I enjoyed it immensely. It was definitely a breath of fresh air from my norm.

This author does a fantastic job pulling you in to her magical world ! If you like fantasy with a YA feel definitely give this book a shot
40 reviews
February 23, 2023
Five stars for this new author and her vision. I love supporting new authors and I believe the courage it takes to share your work and vision with the rest of the world is absolutely monumental!

I was sent this book as part of the pre-release I suppose - I’m really glad I found the tiktok and had an opportunity to read it.
I will preface this review/comment with the fact that this is just my opinion and no one else’s, irrespective of what anyone might read in my review, supporting authors is important and I encourage anyone and everyone to read this book and make their own opinions. I tagged the review with spoilers because I’m pretty sure I’ll give something I shouldn’t away so readers of reviews be warned.

Now into it:
This story follows Whitney, Rayn and Dimitri and later on the Rose, Brooke and Lauren as they come into their power and become true elementals part of a generation, fighting against the ‘bad witches’ faction the Renati who are trying to resurrect a great evil, which has destroyed entire generations of ‘generations’. The story is told from Whitney’s perspective, the eldest sister of the 3 siblings (Ryan and Dimitri).

My thoughts:

I was confused for the first half of the book. Some chapters are extremely fast paced but others feel like filler chapters. I’m not sure when the story progressed, it didn’t feel linear and time skipping made it harder to follow.

I loved Whitney’s love interest. Nerdy Bryan and his books and writings and totally simping over her - I hate his name is Bryan. Not anyone’s fault here it just made me think of family guy Bryan and somehow that ruined the image of it. He’s sunshine with a tortured soul and I’m sure there’s more to him than the story let on in this first book but he’s my favourite character so far.

I didn’t like any of the main characters, and I think it’s probably because this is the first book of what I asume many that will follow their story; but I couldn’t really identify with any of them or understand them. There was teenage angst, too much teenage angst, and I think I expected them to have their ‘shit together’ more than they do. A lot more. All of the main characters behave like spoiled selfish children, announcing and professing their selfless love and responsibilities to one another and doing the exact opposite. Given the background the book introduces, I expected more.
No badass heroines, no growth or sense of responsibly or selfishness either, all I could think reading was they’re flaky, all of them. Just pick a side and stick to it, I can get on board with that. Selfless or selfish, just pick one and go with it, I have nearly screamed on occasion: I want to love you, why won’t you let me love you…

I felt the book had a lot to say and didn’t quite manage to focus. Too much to say too little space. If I may, as the reader, i would prefer if a book could pick a couple of tropes and stick to those, with smaller ones maybe less developed. The characters felt underdeveloped and i didn’t get a sense of the world or the magic or the mystery in any of it. It felt like just a bunch of ditsy relatively entitled bratty girls, trying their hand at magic and stepping over eachother.
I want to make allowances, they’ve been through a lot, they’re young, they’re scared and they have a lot of power, but some of the decisions and dialogue of the characters just has me wondering if people really behave like that. They said they were scared, it didn’t feel like it. They said they were brave, but it didn’t feel like it. I wanted to slap each of them in turn and even when they did get their mother figure into the picture(mind you this was quite late in the book) it still didn’t alleviate any of it.
None of the characters seem to know what they’re doing or why their doing it. There’s no strong motivation coming across. They want to learn about who they are and where their powers come from but this need doesn’t come across from the characters behaviour or interactions, it’s just stated that that’s their goal and the reader just needs to accept it. Everything else they do seems to be in direct opposition to what they so loudly announce they stand for and on occasion, on a number of times, they just forget about eachother.
Whitney forgets about her baby brother who she so loudly announces she needs to protect for extended periods of time, ignores him and then complains about him behaving like a child when all he’s trying to do is help them.

I’m ranting, it’s unfair, they’re young and going through a lot of stuff, but I couldn’t quite get the feeling of why that’s important, how it has affected and shaped them as human beings we’re supposed to support and root for.
The only one I’m rooting for is Bryan(in spite of his name); he’s the only one that made sense to me. Everyone else is just slappable and I just want to send them to their rooms because they’re behaving terribly.

This is just me not being able to connect with any of the characters on a deeper level, yet. Their behaviour and dialogue feels choppy, unrealistic and sometimes just plain annoying. The girl Rayn drove me nuts with her entitled attitude and just overall stupid decisions and her older sister is worse for being in denial about how much of a child she is.
And absolutely she is and shouldn’t be blamed for that, but I had hoped throughout the book they’d snap out of it and become these heroins that just get their shit straight.

I had hoped the tropes in this book, especially around chosen family and unshakable sisterhood would develop more but they didn’t yet. The characters just whined about how terrible life is, woe is me, why is everything out to get us, but didn’t do anything about it. The heroines sat on information they needed and could’ve changed their lives for ages before painfully slowly someone thought to say : hey we have all this info, how about we read it…

It sounds negative, it’s not meant to be, it was just frustrating to read and I know the author will surprise me with the next books to develop these whiny little girls into strong witches that kick ass and so I will read the next books, I want to. I’m invested. I need them to grow, take a hard look at themselves and figure their shit out and I have every belief they will. But it needs to happen quickly because I want to love these girls and root for them but after this first book, I really can’t.
I’m rooting for Bryan, he deserves better, I hope he gets a better version of Whitney because when she says she doesn’t deserve him, right now it’s true. Hope she grows out of it. Hope all of them do and stop being so annoying.

I loved the plot line, it didn’t develop as much and there’s loads of gaps in information but I feel like it has a lot of potential. I want to read more and find out, so I absolutely will get the next books hoping there’s more information about the magic system, explanations as to why are the Elementals (these girls) so powerful and the other witches aren’t, but I still don’t know what kind of powers these ‘lesser’ witches have so I can’t gage the level of danger they’re in, but hoping for the next book.

I’ll stop my rant, it feels too negative, it’s hard sometimes to focus on the positive when little details don’t quite fall into place, but I’m hoping the author can forgive the rant and take the positives - the plot is good, it has the potential to be great and develop into a world anyone can immerse themselves in, just needs more detail, more connections to be formed. The characters don’t shine, but I have faith they will eventually, and the reader will forgive their fails soon. And if there’s any chance we can rename Bryan that would be amazing. He sounds like a Morpheus maybe a Magnus I hope he’s revealed as a powerful kick ass wizard who knew it all and kept them safe… Magnus (Bryan) feels like that guy who just has it all under control. Maybe Magnus( yes Bryan but I already renamed him) is the antithesis to the great evil that’s out to get them. Maybe he is actually the great evil and somehow Whitney through her amazing powers and kind heart (whenever she figures that one out) will change him and make him good. Maybe he’s the kid of this great evil and wants to help them defeat his father/mother - no preference there-I don’t know, but in hoping. I’m rooting for you Magnus (yes Bryan!!) !!

My deepest and sincerest congratulations to the author. You have managed to bring a new world to life and I appreciate your skill and talent. I have high hopes this will develop into a story ark to be binged and I’m looking forward to your next works, please keep going you have 5 stars from me and don’t let my rant discourage you in any way. I am one of many of your future readers and I will come back to support you!! Good luck and keep them coming, I’ll be reading!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Ansley.
22 reviews2 followers
February 26, 2023
This book follows Whitney as she navigates taking custody of her brother and sister and looking into the origin of her elemental powers. Whitney meets several witches with other elemental powers and they work together to figure out more about their powers. I love the dynamic between the characters in this book. The fact that the five witches don’t get along adds a whole new level to the book.
The romance in the book was an automatic romance, which always takes my rating down a bit as one who loves complicated romance. We do find complication later in the story, and the characters themselves add their own level of complication.
I found that I never fully understood Whitney’s motivation behind her aggressive hunt for information on her powers. The book overall has major Jennifer Armentrout vibes. It has the same great storyline with immature main characters.
Overall I enjoyed the magic system and the lore, the dynamic relationships between all of the characters, and the twists and turns. I absolutely plan on reading the next book. The book ends with two unresolved storylines that I care enough about to read some more.

I received an ARC and was asked for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
69 reviews3 followers
July 13, 2024
Reasons why I bought this book:
1. FMC name is Whitney and my name is Whitney
2. PNW setting
3. Pretty cover

I came across @meglynnwrites on Threads and immediately purchased the paperbacks for book 1 & 2. She’s currently working on book 3! Meg is super sweet and tolerated my rants, rambles, and theories from start to finish.

If you love a family drama with reluctant alliances, magic, spells, mystery, and slowwwww burn romance this is your book! It ends a little bit unresolved so you’re going to want to make sure book 2 Wild Fire is in your possession asap after finishing Tidal Wave!

Favorite Characters: Brooke and Ashley

Favorite Quotes:
“You doubt yourself, Whitney. You will never unlock your full potential if you continue to drown in such doubts.”

“You’re the sun, Whitney, and I’m some rock floating through space with no choice but to be pulled into your orbit.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
89 reviews1 follower
February 25, 2023
I luckily got this as an ARC reader and I plan on ordering a physical copy which says a lot for me . Now let me preface this with the fact that I don’t like writing reviews with spoilers so I won’t reveal too much. This is a coming of age story with a witchy twist. It is definitely YA material with its ups and downs but I think that’s at the heart of the appeal. There are 2 sisters(Whitney and Rayn) who never truly know their origin and they are set on the path to find it. As a result of their journey they find other young witches who try and help them find the truth of the small town they have moved to.
Profile Image for Cocoas.Bookshelf.
19 reviews1 follower
March 21, 2023
I received an ARC for an honest review. I am rating this 4 stars. I really enjoyed the overall plot of the book and the characters were easy to love. The slow burn romance between Whitney and Bryan was very sweet. I liked that there was fantasy, romance and mystery throughout the book. There were some slow parts to it, I did not like the nickname Byn and the ending really did not sit well with me. But overall I thought it was a really cute story and I look forward to book 2 being released.
Profile Image for Megan Wolters.
Author 7 books81 followers
July 3, 2023
Elemental magic, romance, and friendship/family! I started this book a while back, but when I returned to it, I read it fast. This is a first book for the author and does have a cliffhanger enticing enough to wish to continue. There is a large cast of lovable characters and sweet romance. Check out this indie author! She has more to come!
Profile Image for Amanda.
1 review
January 20, 2024
Wonderfully written with an engaging story! I love the way she leaves you wanting more at the end of every chapter. I can't wait to read book two!
Profile Image for Erin Sullivan.
1 review1 follower
January 28, 2024
This was such a fun read. I loved getting to know all the characters, and the author painted the scenes with her words beautifully. Can’t wait to read the rest of the series!
Profile Image for Nicole Wood.
2 reviews
February 6, 2025
I loved this book!!! It kept my interest the entire time. I can’t wait to read the next books!!!
Profile Image for KayCee K.
381 reviews108 followers
January 20, 2025
One-of-a-kind magical world full of family drama, uncovering the truth, and romance.

This is a new to me author and it was fun. I thought the world felt different, the relationship between Whitney and Rayn was well done. The story starts with Whitney moving her teenage siblings, Rayn, and Dmitri, to their mother's hometown and strange things start to happen. They meet three other girls who have secret elemental powers. Secrets, a hidden magical world, and a dash of romance are all waved throughout the story.

I enjoyed the mystery part of the darkness their mother ran from and how it unfolded. I felt the plot was well done but a lot is going on. So if you are a reader who doesn't like busy or over-packed books then you may not like this one. But if you like stories filled with action, magic, drama, and twists; then you could enjoy this one.

A story of family, elemental powers, and mystery that unfolds and makes you want to pick up the next one.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews

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