Tide Together

Paradise Bay #7

by Melanie Summers

What happens when a stressed-out bridesmaid and a laidback pilot are stranded alone together on a sun-kissed Caribbean island?

Paige Chadwick is having the worst day of her life. Her tyrant boss has made her three days late for her sister’s destination wedding trip, and now she’s stuck on the wrong Caribbean island with the wedding just hours away.

Enter Mac Gamble, a brooding yet irresistibly attractive pilot, who reluctantly agrees to get her to the church on time.

When a fast-moving storm leaves them stranded on a deserted island, they’re forced to rely on each other to survive. As they navigate their new surroundings, tempers flare and an undeniable attraction grows.

Amidst the stunning sunsets and white sand beaches, Paige starts to see that underneath Mac’s gruff exterior is a heart of gold.

Can these two opposites find a love as deep as the ocean, or will their differences stir up a hurricane of heartbreak?

Tide Together is a STAND-ALONE hilarious and heartwarming, banter-filled tale of two complete opposites stranded together in a tropical paradise.

WHAT TO
Opposites attract
Stranded together on a tropical island
Forced proximity/only one bed
Fish out of water
Deliciously witty banter
A whole lot of tension, plenty of steam, and a hint of spice

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Forced Proximity, Chick Lit, Contemporary Romance, Amazon

320 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 22, 2024

About the author

Melanie Summers is a multi-award-winning, Amazon best-selling author of romantic comedies and women’s fiction. She’s written over thirty books for people who have 'had it up to here' with the real world and need to laugh, feel good, and sigh happily. When she’s not writing or reading, she's usually out for a walk with her two adorable dogs, hanging out on the beach with her husband and their three teenagers, or curled up on the couch for family movie night. Melanie resides on Vancouver Island, Canada where her life goal is to become one of those fabulous people who take daily ice baths in the ocean. So far, she can get in up to her ankles, which is not awful, thank you very much.

Melanie Summers also writes under the name M.J. Summers

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though Melanie Summers is my favorite author, sadly, this was not her best work. She admitted to not having an idea for a new Paradise Bay book, even though she'd had a new book come out every summer for the last 7 years. Luckily, a reader suggested turning a previously written novella into a full novel, and bam - we got Tide Together. The beginning was great. The ending was great. The middle was meh, and also the longest part of the story. I'm no prude, but all the main two characters thought about was sex. When they weren't talking about it, they were thinking about it, or dreaming about it or trying to do it in their sleep. 🙄 It just got annoying. Yes, y'all are super attracted to each other, we get it! But what are you, teenagers?! Your hormones are controlling your every thought! Gah! I think maybe the book would've been better had there not been a cottage...Then it would've been kind of similar to the author's Crazy Royal Love Series, which was awesome! But ultimately I think this whole story was rushed in order to get it out before the end of summer, and not written with the same amount of love as all her other books. 

[Sara Abrams · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good beach read, but I would have enjoyed a bit more survival description.

[Ayekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Melanie does it again, taking us back to the Islands and I for one was so happy to visit with Paige and Mac. Whether or not you read the novella, this is absolutely a must read. I was totally into the time they spent stranded on that tiny island and how Mel developed both characters into how they may have originally appeared. Poor Paige, her far too rich and demanding family and a jackhat of a boss just added to the fun/not so fun of Paige's life. I loved Grandpa Jack. What a guy. And honestly, I think I was crushing on Mac just a wee bit when he let his grouchy self slide.
I could ramble on about this book for another 3 paragraphs but really want to say, read this one! You won't be sorry you did and it's always a good way to end summer with one last trip to Paradise!
Highly recommend.

[Natalie Intihar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tide Together was such a fun late-summer read with a hilarious plot and enjoyable characters. The chaos that brings Mac and Paige together is so true to the people that they are at the onset of this story. And their forced proximity afterwards is delightful from start to finish.

One of the things I really enjoyed about this plot was how in the middle of the chaos, we see Paige learn to recognize the value she has to offer and to stand up for that. Whether that’s about her family or her job or her relationships, it’s beautiful to see her learn her worth in a way she would never have imagined.

From the beginning of this book to the end, I was invested in Paige and Mac and their wild adventure. There wasn’t a single dull moment and I am so ready for more of Melanie Summers and the spin-off about Paige’s best friend Vivian- My Big Fat Beach Wedding!

I received a free advance copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun book! Getting stranded on a deserted Island never sounded like so much fun. Paige and Mac couldn’t be more opposite and watching them both evolve and grow over the course of their adventure was enlightening for both of them as well as enjoyable for the reader. Melanie Summers knows how to make you laugh out loud, feel for her characters, and always leaves you with a smile on your face!

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this cute, heartwarming, and funny romance. I needed something light and fun, and this did the trick. It has one of the best messages for life and love: find someone who will love you and accept you for who you are. I also thought the character development was great. I appreciated that it didn't have the typical  'misunderstanding break up' that most romances have, so this was like a breath of fresh air. I agree with other reviews in that I would have liked to see more survival aspects, but I would definitely recommend this if you're looking for a feel-good romance. 


Thank you to NetGalley and Getz Corp for this eARC.

[Chelsea Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun and cute read! This is the fourth book I’ve read by Melanie and I just keep loving them more and more! This book is a total opposites attract romance where you have Mac, who is very laid back and doesn’t want a relationship, and then you have Paige, who has her 5 year plan and wants marriage and kids and the whole nine yards. The banter between these two was hilarious 😂 her books always crack me up! I loved seeing their relationship grow and seeing Mac take care of her. He really makes her reevaluate her life and her choices and what she really wants out of life. She does the same for him too though and they really grew as characters. I LOVED the ending of this, and the after of them being stranded. This was just such a fun time and the perfect summer read! Highly recommend checking this one out, or any of Melanie’s books for that matter!

[Pieter deWaart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love is in the air

Literally! Such a cute story about how life puts some hurdles in your way but there is always a way! I loved Mac & Paige, they are great characters. I would love a sequel!!!

[Lindsay Weber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was adorable and hilarious. Loved it from start to finish!

Thank you to Gretz Corp & Netgalley for the chance to rate and review this novel!

[Michelle Strommen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! It was funny and silly and such a great escape. I love this series!

[Sommer Alpiger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute and light. Perfect for when you just want to escape for a bit.

[Brice Pinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these silly rom-coms 🥰

[Carol Sandford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet

Loved this little story set in paradise. Oh to be stranded in a perfect little island with a hunk. Yeah, me too 😘

[Jess Book Shelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it! Funny, uplifting, light hearted read 📚

[Vicky Coughlan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very moorish read. The usual tropes of grump to grump slowly turning into something more. Some (one) big disaster in between. All finally pointing to a HEA …. Ahhhh big sigh of contentment.

[Floraljoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great fun:
This was such a fun and sweet book! I really enjoyed how the story flowed, with the mixed points of view and copies of texts/emails too. Whilst part of a series, it can totally be enjoyed as a standalone.
I loved Paige and Mac so much. They were both quirky, yet delightful and caring too. I appreciated that the characters had enough depth to feel authentic and relatable.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sheri P · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightful read! Paige and Mac are opposites in so many ways. Paige is “corporate-life” busy, Mac is “island-life” laid back. When these two end up stranded together they must rely on each other, and they learn a lot about each other and themselves along the way.
Highly recommend this heartfelt romance.

[Claretabooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Qué ilusión volver a Paradise Bay con esta nueva novela. Estas romcoms me encantan porque son ligeritas de leer, entretenidas, divertidas y no requieren gran esfuerzo mental. Para mí son ideales para leer entre sagas o para finalizar el año, como en esta ocasión.
La verdad es que Paige y Mac son de lo más divertidos. He amado ver como él es una green flag con patas y como le devuelve a ella la confianza. Aunque ha habido partes donde he sufrido al verlos atrapados en esa isla desierta y he compartido su ansiedad, la verdad es que han sabido trabajar muy bien en equipo para hacerse ver y ayudar en su rescate, aunque Mac haya tenido que hacer gran parte del trabajo. En realidad he empatizado bastante con ella porque si yo me llegara a estrellar en una isla desierta, sería igual de inútil que Paige en cuanto a supervivencia me refiero, es decir que la palmaría en dos días fijo, pero menos mal que Mac tiene conocimientos del terreno y sabe lo que se hace. Ahora solo me queda una pregunta: ¿Dónde encuentro un Mac para mí?

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was cute, and a bit funny, and a nice light read.

[Susan Finlayson · Rating 5 out of 5]

sweet 💕

Loved the story line. Who doesn’t love the Caribbean 🏝️☀️
Made me laugh and I truly didn’t want the story to end.

[Bharath · Rating 3 out of 5]

A feel-good romance. Fairly typical storyline.

Paige Chadwick is from a family of achievers. Her dad launched and is the CEO of Chadwick Mutual Funds, her mother a model turned fashion Mogul. Paige feels she is the misfit of the 3 children, the others being brother Philip and younger sister Tiffany, who are very like their parents. Their motto – don’t be a loser, don’t be fat, don’t be late. Tiffany to set to marry the heir to the Tyson Oil fortune. Paige is delayed in leaving New York due to work. She has a very demanding boss Guy who makes it clear that she is on “Guy time”. Paige is his EA but has a lot more responsibility than a usual EA. She has been slogging it out since 6 years but believes it will be worth it in the long run. She finally does take off for the Caribbean where her sister is having a destination wedding. They hopes to make it just in time.

Mac Gamble, has a one-bedroom shack on the beach in one of the Caribbean islands. He has a small plane and leads a happy life. His granddad Jack lives in a facility for old people nearby. Mac is just about able to make ends meet though, especially since an increase in fee has been announced at his granddad’s place. After Paige lands at the airport, she finds that with a storm approaching in a few hours and a football match in progress, there are limited options for her to make it to her sister’s wedding. Mac reluctantly agrees to fly her. The plane crashes on an island short of their final destination due to bad weather.

The story is nice, and this is a good relaxing read. I liked both Mac & Paige’s characters though at times their behaviours come across as pretentious. The story is very typical though, and I would have liked to see some novelty that I can remember it by. There are some good messages on living life happily but I would have liked it to be more subtle and nuanced.

Recommended as a light read which you can run through quickly and relax with.

Thanks to Netgalley, Gretz Corp and the author for a free electronic review copy.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What happens when a stressed-out bridesmaid and a laidback pilot are stranded alone together on a sun-kissed Caribbean island?

Paige Chadwick is having the worst day of her life. Her tyrant boss has made her three days late for her sister’s destination wedding trip, and now she’s stuck on the wrong Caribbean island with the wedding just hours away.

Enter Mac Gamble, a ruggedly handsome yet infuriatingly grumpy pilot who agrees to get her to the church on time.

This contemporary Paradise Bay comedy romance is page-turning with exceptional world-building in this laugh out loud comedy that will have readers rolling in laughter, and characters that are humorous, alpha, irritating, bossy, captivating, and realistic. Their journey is enthralling with being tide together with forced proximity from a fast moving storm that leave Paige and Mac stranded on a deserted island leaving them relying on each other for survival in this romantic comedy in the Caribbean Paradise Bay during a tropical vacation wedding where she is the bridesmaid in this opposites attract only one bed, humorous story that has heartfelt emotions, action, adventure, an abundance of humor that will leave tears streaming down readers' cheeks, and more. I recommend reading this book by an extraordinary author who knows how to captivate her readers' hearts and attention with being tide together and a romantic comedy that is sure to transport readers into a humorous paradise where tranquility and serenity are supposed to be, not forced proximity and needing to rely on each other to survive. Read to see if there is a happily ever after!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ginny Muse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and fun romcom.

I actually read this several years ago as a novella, but Melanie Summers fleshed it out into a full length novel by filling in the gaps and giving more details.

—
Here was my review of the novella which was called Crazy in Paradise:

This is short and sweet. It’s a fun novella about Paige, who has many issues, the most pressing of which is that she has to get to her sister’s wedding immediately but missed her flight and needs a lift; and Mac, the helicopter pilot who decides to try to get her there. But there’s a terrible storm and they have a crash landing on a deserted island. These polar opposites are attracted to each other. She’s a high maintenance New Yorker, and he’s a go with the flow Caribbean pilot who avoids high maintenance. It could never work, right? How long can they hold off on the inevitable?

Since this is a novella it moves too quickly and leaves out a lot. But it’s fun to read. I don’t care if it’s unrealistic and cheesy. That’s part of the charm. I enjoyed reading it and give it 4⭐️ as far as romcom novellas go.
—

I had said the novella leaves too much out, but the novel maybe added too much. Fleshing out some details was good, but overall it stretched out a story that didn’t need all of the details. Especially so much focus on the physical attraction and desire for physical intimacy without any depth.

It’s a fun story. I think I preferred the novella. But I like novellas. Some people prefer to have all of the details. I’m sure many fans of Paradise Bay will love to get a more complete picture of how the story of Paige and Mac played out.

*Very thankful to receive this audiobook from the author with a code to audiobook.com!
I was excited to hear it on audio as I also read it on KU. Not my favorite narrators, but fun to listen to.

[M Soh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Gretz Corporation for providing this book, with my honest review below.

Tide Together reminded me why I love Melanie Summers and her paradise bay series. Between her lovely characters with great chemistry and her ability to take me to gorgeous beaches I can’t get enough. While Tide Together wasn’t directly related to her series characters or plot lines (that I could recall), she utilized the paradise bay setting to set up my favorite romance premise - stranded on an island.

Paige and Mac can’t catch a break in their lives and it gets worse when they end up in the middle of a storm, crash landing on an island. While these two are polar opposites (think overly driven to the point of allowing herself to be manipulated into being a doormat versus so chill and disconnected from people his best friend is a gecko), together they manage to balance out once they get over their initial friction. As a result this becomes a heartwarming romance with plenty of action and tension to keep the plot moving. While I felt the couple got off easy in their stranded on an island adventure, their banter and slow revelations of what they wanted out of life added plenty of things to work through (if not finding potable water sources).

If you’re not a fan of Melanie Summers books then surely you’ve read the wrong ones, she’s amazing and her books are guaranteed to elicit a laugh and a dreamy sigh. I’m thankful I had my reminder of that with Tide Together and look forward to any other novels she may have coming!

[Raelene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over the years I’ve found myself really enjoying & seeking out more books that involve the rather specific book trope of characters falling in love after getting stranded on an island together due to a plane crash. There are surprisingly more books like that than you’d imagine, but as someone who has tried to read them all, naturally I compare them. And this one was a pleasant surprise!

There were some things I didn’t really care for, however I really just loved the romance and honestly, that’s the priority. Do I wish the survival aspect was more prominent? Of course. They had it pretty easy on the island. But I loved the way they connected as they learned more about each other, and while it definitely was shown on page how much of a physical connection there was, I appreciated that an emotional connection was shown too.

I absolutely loved the way this ended. Like it honestly may be my favourite last chapter and epilogue I’ve ever read. It was perfect, no notes. I swooned, I laughed out loud, and I loved how genuinely realistic it seemed as well.

This is the second book I’ve read by Melanie Summers, although I DNF’ed the first one pretty quickly because I didn’t think her writing style was for me. Now I’m thinking that I may need to pick it up again and maybe i just wanted in the mood for it at the time (the curse of being a mood reader) because this book had made me intrigued to check out more of her books.

[Florida Girl Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tide Together is a laugh out loud story of total opposites learning to work together to survive after a crash landing on a uninhabited island in the Caribbean. It is the newest book in Melanie Summers Paradise Bay Series but it is not necessary to read the others to enjoy reading this title!
Mac, the pilot and Paige, his passenger are stranded with only a few supplies and their wits. Mac lives on another island running a very small charter sea plane business and Paige lives in New York, at an Ad Agency that totally consumes her life. Being thrown together will change both their lives in an enlightening way.
This was a engaging and charming story with banter, deep conversations and self-discoveries. They fight their mutual attraction despite the strong chemistry sizzling between them. Is the connection between them enough to lead to a happy ending?
Melanie Summers used a dual POV that gives us a real look at Mac and Paige personal insecurities. Her characters always hit the heart and authentic in their thoughts and actions.
I will always choose to read a book by Melanie Summers and I recommend this book especially if you enjoy reading a book with engaging characters, a fun plotline that takes place in a gorgeous setting!
I received an advance readers copy and am leaving my voluntary review based solely on my personal reading experience.

[Melanie Marnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am very happy that Melanie Summers has taken us back once again to Paradise Bay.
This delightful rom-com will make you smile, have you laughing out loud and transport you to the Caribbean island full of blue skies, azur seas, white sand beaches and lush tropical scenery. Take one New Yorker so focused on climbing the corporate ladder that she has no life outside of work, one laid back charter seaplane owner who lives a simple life free of entanglements (think love and/or relationships,) a destination wedding, an eighty something rascally grandfather and two people being shipwrecked (plane crashed) on deserted island. Does it get any better? With Tide Together we get a bit of Survivor, some Cast Away and just a tinge of Gilligan's Island. Mac and Paige couldn't be more opposite but their forced proximity works its magic. His contant assurance that she's beautiful as she is and doesn't need to live up to anyone else's expectations but her own finally click. Her intelligence, strength and wit have him rethinking his "one and done" relationship philosophy. Being rescued shatters their romantic bubble. Now it's up to them the paths their lives take from there. Don't worry, there's definitely an HEA! Tide Together is delightful cover to cover.

[K.J. Sweeney · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some books that I know are going to be just what I need before I even pick them up. Books that are going to lift my spirit, make me laugh and make me feel good. Anything by Melanie Summers certainly fits into that category. The only downside to Tide Together is that I should probably have not read it so fast (I only started it last night). I don't care though, a greedy read just hits the spot sometimes and this one certainly did.
Set on a beautiful tropical island, overworked Paige and chilled-out Mac find themselves stranded after Mac's plane crashes. I enjoyed being along for the ride on this one. They may have been stranded out there, but it certainly doesn't sound like it was a hardship.
Mac and Paige make a fantastic couple. I loved the way they figured things out about themselves as they spent time together and that they became more by being together.
As with all of Malanie's books like this, I found myself grinning and even laughing at points. This was a fun and enjoyable read. I'm only sad that it's all over now. Maybe I need a break on a beautiful island in the Caribbean? I can always dream!
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

[Kaitlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one of the ones that definitely sounds better as a description than what actually happens in the book. *Potential spoiler incoming* I thought they would actually be stranded on an island having to survive but like, it just turned into a vacation because they found a house that had food and power and it just didn't feel like there were any stakes which was really disappointing. The characters weren't written differently enough to know who was who by the way they spoke and I'm so sorry but the over use of the phrase "on account of" from both characters was getting on my last nerve. I understand that it was a normal phrase in the 50's and is normal for certain regions and dialects (trust me, I had to look it up to see if I was just being hypercritical) but to have both of the characters say it and they weren't from the same place really just got under my skin for some reason. The dialogue was very cringey and it felt like two teenagers falling in love for the first time instead of grown adults. It wasn't horrible for someone who is really just looking for a feel good love story but I really just expected more than what I got.

Thank you to Netgalley and Gretz Corp for this eARC.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paige Chadwick is working for the Gordon Ramsey of marketing and, as such, she is dreadfully late for her sister's wedding week. When she finally gets to Santa Valentina for the final leg of the journey, there is only one pilot available to take her, Mac Gamble. Mac lives up to his name and takes the risk of flying Paige to Azure Island and en route they run into adverse weather which means they ultimately must survive while trying to get rescued.

This is essentially a grumpy/sunshine romance and really quite charming. Paige is the driven workaholic who is trying to make more time for family, while Mac is the confirmed bachelor loner who thinks he doesn't need or want romantic companionship in his life.

Will Paige and Mac learn to work together well enough to get off the island? Will they find in each other what they've always been searching for? And what's going on with Violet and Grandpa Jack? Why won't she accept his invitation for a dinner date?

I always enjoy going back to visit my friends in the Caribbean and this time is no exception and was a wonderful way to spend a few summer days.