Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Between the Waves

Not yet published
Expected 28 Jan 26
Rate this book
What if surviving a devastating loss wasn’t enough, and the real courage was learning how to live again?Two years ago, Margo Collins lost everything in a single, sweeping moment when life as she knew it was ripped from her blood-stained hands. She has learned to survive, but not to live. When a reluctant weeklong bachelorette trip to Charleston throws her back into the world she has been avoiding, she meets Anderson Rhodes—a man she can’t outrun.

When Anderson Rhodes shows up, their connection is immediate, disarming and impossible to ignore. He makes her wonder if, maybe, she’s still capable of feeling something real again. But the past doesn’t loosen its grip easily. Every step forward forces Margo to confront the choice she has been to keep surviving in the shadow of the past, or to choose life fully, messily and bravely between the waves.

Between the Waves is a novel that blends the intimacy of romance with the introspective nuance of grief and identity. Margo’s journey is not defined by loss, but by what comes after. It highlights the quiet, messy reclamation of hope. It is a love story in every romantic, yes, but also a story of friendship, of reconciling past and present selves, and of daring to become the person we are brave enough to be.

For readers who loved The Last Letter , Every Summer After , and Love and Other Words , this emotionally rich debut invites you to fall not just for two people—but for a love story woven between friends, between past and present selves, and between who we once were and who we’re brave enough to become.

Will she stay trapped in the tide of grief, or risk everything to embrace the life waiting between the waves?

370 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication January 28, 2026

45 people want to read

About the author

Liv Arnett

1 book5 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
24 (92%)
4 stars
1 (3%)
3 stars
0 (0%)
2 stars
1 (3%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
Profile Image for Abigail Arnett.
19 reviews
December 17, 2025
“A life that moves with grief, but isn’t trapped by it. A space where grief still lives but doesn’t have to define me.”

What a beautiful exploration of life, loss and love.


Did I mention this is a series and my favorite character is getting her book next?! You don’t want to miss this!!
Profile Image for Carli.Reads.A.Latte.
131 reviews3 followers
November 10, 2025
This book hit me hard, and I mean that in the best way. It's not just a romance; it’s an intense, honest look at what happens when you’re utterly destroyed by loss and have to figure out how to be a person again.

​The Devastation and The Great Escape
​What I absolutely love about this book is how real the grief feels - it’s messy and totally unsanitized. Margo's life stopped the day her husband, Josh, was killed in a brutal car crash. The author writes Margo's inner guilt - her fear that wanting anything good (or anyone new) is a betrayal to Josh - so authentically.
​Then there's Anderson Rhodes. He’s dealing with the loss of his own dad, and he tries to handle it by becoming this ruthless control freak - all work, zero feelings. When Margo crashes into his world in Charleston, it's immediately disruptive. He's forced to realize that the structure he built for safety is actually just leaving him hollow.
​When Margo wakes up after their first night and the overwhelming guilt triggers a devastating panic attack tied to the trauma of the crash, she doesn't just retreat - she flees Anderson’s house without a word. You feel the devastation instantly because she wasn't running from him; she was running from the terrifying, beautiful realization that she’s still capable of love, and that scares her more than anything.

​The Pillars of Support: Rachel and Slone
​Margo and Anderson would totally fall apart without their siblings, who are honestly the best.
​Rachel is the best friend everyone needs. Her strength, holding Margo up even while she grieves her own brother, Josh, is unbelievable. She’s the one who delivers the hard truths but wraps them in unconditional love. She basically tells Margo that her fear isn't strength - it's just fear - and she does it because she loves her.
​Then there's Slone (Anderson's sister) and her hilarious take on life. She’s the perfect antidote to Anderson’s overthinking. Whether she’s playfully lamenting his childhood "essentials bag" or mocking his choice to date a "screensaver," Slone reminds us that laughter is absolutely essential, even when everything else is falling apart. I lived for her quick wit!

​The Moment I Felt Attacked (and Why I Loved It)
​Speaking of essential truths, the book is spot-on with its cultural references. I felt personally attacked when the author nailed that specific type of emotional release:
​"The intro to that song starts. The one every girl with emotional baggage and a Spotify Premium account knows by heart. “Live your life with arms wide open…”"
​It proves how perfectly this author understands us!

​Why This Story Matters
​The core message - the slow-burn reunion in Atlanta - is so powerful. Margo finally chooses bravery, seeking Anderson out to lay out the full, traumatic story of Josh’s death and the car crash. This frees her, allowing Anderson to step up and prove his commitment isn't conditional. He’s so changed by Margo that he quits his senior partner finance job - the pinnacle of his controlled life - and chooses a messy life with her instead.

​This ending makes it so clear: you don't move on from loss; you learn to move on with it. The happiness Margo finds with Anderson is a new chapter earned through immense bravery - a life lived, as the title suggests, "between the waves" of enduring love and inevitable grief.

​If you need a story that validates the messiness of healing and gives you hope that a broken heart is still a working heart, seriously, add this to your list.
Profile Image for John Mattox, II.
4 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
December 30, 2025
Fair warning: You will love this book, but there will be times when you will set it aside, breathe deeply, and come back to it later.

Why will you love this book?

The plot is simple, yet powerful—a second chance love story. The FMC, Margo, is invited to a bachelorette party weekend in Charleston with her best friends. She wants to celebrate with them, but she is still grieving the tragic death of her husband. She knows she needs to go, and they know she needs it too. Reluctantly, painfully, selflessly, she goes.

She settles into the beach house, but there are times when she needs to step away. While getting coffee for the group at a local café, she meets Anderson. Despite an immediate attraction and nervous banter, she downplays the event and doesn’t get his number.

Then by chance later that day while sunning with her friends on the beach, she sees Anderson again. After much anguish and debate with herself and her friends, she finally introduces herself and they go for a walk. It is the beginning of the rest of the love story where they get to know each other cautiously but earnestly. Unfortunately, she hasn’t shared with him the one thing that has consumed her adult life. They part, returning to Atlanta, but do not connect—despite a few genuine efforts by Anderson.

During the rest of the story, the author shares details about Margo’s healing process and the support she receives from her friends and family. It is a beautiful and healthy example of long-term coping and closure. Unfortunately for the reader, this is when the author shares with perfect timing the tragic details of the crash that killed Margo’s husband two years earlier. This is one of those moments when you are likely to set the book aside, not because it is graphic, but because you will be so fully invested in Margo that you will feel her pain. This is not the only time you will need tissues.

Writing is supposed to do this. It should make a reader stop, to feel someone’s pain deeply, to view the world differently, to celebrate renewal. These are reasons enough to read this book.

Spoiler alert: Margo and Anderson reunite. It is awkward, but they move past it and restart their love story. Margo’s past haunts her. Anderson’s patience is unfathomable. Their friends and family are the right mix of chiding, plotting, and supportive—all the things needed to drive the story and bring these two together for good.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Thankfully, the author is writing a second book. More to come.
Profile Image for Kelsey.
69 reviews
November 21, 2025
I came across Between the Waves while scrolling on TikTok and was immediately drawn to the book aesthetic. I love a good contemporary romance and Between the Waves is that and so much more. I LOVED Anderson and Margo. There's a lot I want to say about them but I don't want to give away spoilers. I feel like this book is the perfect summer beach read. There are some serious topics mentioned in the book such as loss and grief, but there is also a story of healing and starting over again. I loved reading about Margo's friends, such as Rachel, and Anderson's sister, Slone. They definitely added humor and substance to the storyline.

Between the Waves is a 5/5 for me. It made me laugh, smile, and ugly cry all at various points throughout the book. I also felt connected to Margo when it came to losing someone they loved. While my loss may not have been the same, I do know what grief is like so when those moments are talked about in the book...it hit a bit harder than expected. I loved seeing how Margo became more open about her loss and how she opened up herself to a new beginning.

I highly recommend Between the Waves to those who are contemporary romance readers and like reading about sisterhood and healing. Anderson is the type of guy I dream about meeting, so for those who like books who like reading about kind-hearted men who just want the best for the people in their life, this is the book for you.

Thank you, Liv, sending me an early copy of the book. I can't wait for the physical copy to be in my hands in January and I can't wait to read about Rachel and Rhett's story in the next book.
Profile Image for Tristan Rhea.
9 reviews
November 18, 2025
Wow. Just wow.

First: Some books say they have banter, but this book HAS BANTER. Like, actual back and forth witty conversations that read like real life. It's a prime example of how life and love are built around the little moments with others and the silly conversations and inside jokes that cement connections. I also LOVE the way Liv brings those conversations back around later on (definitely shed a tear over it ngl).

Second: This book is beautifully written with characters that think, act, and feel like real people. The struggles are heart-wrenching, and the big voice cuts right to the core.

Third: The bedroom scene is *chef's kiss.* I am a big believer in the idea that those scenes need to be doing something for the plot or character arcs to be necessary, and this one not only plays a key role in both of those things, but it also is done so perfectly. It's not about the action itself but the emotional connection being tightened through it. I loved the lack of specific descriptions and the focus on the romantic intimacy of the moment rather than the physical. If I had to describe the "spice," I would say it's like a bedroom scene montage in a movie where you know what's happening without seeing anything R rated while a soft ballad plays in the background.

Fourth: I NEED Rachel's story ASAP. Will be waiting anxiously to purchase the sequel!!!

Content Ratings:
Language: PG
Substances: PG
Romance: PG13
Violence: PG13

Overall: PG13
1 review
December 1, 2025
I laughed, I cried, I snickered and I blushed. This book has captured all the feels and emotions I didn't know I needed.

Going through infertility and reading this book has made me realize how my own grief has so many similarities. Even though I don't not have the same grief as Margo and Anderson, I was able to relate to what they were going through throughout the book.

The writing makes me feel like I'm actually there. I love the back and forth perspectives of Margo and Anderson. But the banter back and forth between the two was chefs kiss. 

My favorite quote from the book: "For the first time in my life, I finally understand why people give up control, and ruin their lives chasing the high." 

“Where do you picture yourself in five years?” The shift is instant. She crosses her legs. Uncrosses them. Her fingers grip the glass tight, knuckles whitening as she edits herself right in front of me.
...
“I’ve learned that no matter how I picture the next five years, I have no real control over what it looks like.” Her voice stays steady, but there’s something buried in it. “So, I don’t really plan like that anymore.”
Going through infertility I felt this one deep. The uncomfortableness she finds herself in when asked those kind of questions. Ive been there and have felt that. When you have no control over a situation you do not know what you're future looks like and that's scary.
Profile Image for Wendy Collins.
80 reviews
January 2, 2026
“I haven’t let myself feel anything in a long time. And now I feel like a floodgate opened. I didn’t give it permission.”
“Maybe it just needed a crack.”

“I feel like I’ve been underwater. And the other night, with you, it was the first time in so long I could breathe.”
“Then stay above the surface with me.”

“I’m not asking you to move on Margo. I’m asking if you’ll let me stand beside what’s left. If there’s room for both of us.”

The grief in this book consumes Margo. And Anderson even still dealing with his own grief, softens that grief for her. He is sweet, kind, patient, but her grief makes her panic and believe that she is too broken for him. She gets through it with help from her best friend and her therapist and hopes she’s not too late to have Anderson be part of her life.

I loved the relationships in this book. Anderson and his sister, Slone, had a great relationship. And their banter I love. And Rachel not only was Margo‘s best friend, but she was also the sister of Margo‘s deceased husband. You don’t see a lot of Rachel’s grief, but you know it’s there. But she never ever stopped trying to help Margo.

The only little thing I wish was that it had more in the epilogue. But it was a great book.
38 reviews
November 26, 2025
I absolutely loved this book. The way Margo and Anderson were written felt so beautiful, raw, and painfully real. Both of them are carrying their own heavy grief, yet they fit together in a way that neither of them expected.

Having lost loved ones throughout my life- I felt that Margo’s POV was real. When you’re trying to just exist even when you don’t really want to because you don’t understand the WHY of you still being here when the person you love most no longer is.

You go through so many emotions as a reader because if you’ve ever lost someone or love someone who has- you know that grief isn’t One Size Fits All. Grief comes in waves and sometimes those waves really almost drown you. Anderson and Margo become the air that helps the other not just breathe again, but WANT to breathe.

Anderson shows you that it’s possible to have more than one great love in a lifetime, and that opening your heart again doesn’t erase the love that came before. He is just perfectly made for Margo.

This is a story about friendship, love, loss, and the long, painful, hopeful journey of healing after losing not only someone you love, but pieces of yourself along the way.


This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Taylor Kuehl.
1 review
November 26, 2025
"Letting go doesn't mean forgetting him. It just means I'm finally giving both of is a chance to rest."

THIS BOOK!! Holy smokes. I finished this book more than a week ago and really wanted to sit on my reaction and feelings, and I have yet to stop thinking about it. As someone who has a true love for romance novels I picked this up thinking it was going to read like any other run of the mill romance novel and boy was I wrong. This book, while a fantastic romance, was so much more. It was raw, it was vulnerable, and it was emotional.

I am lucky enough to have never felt the level of grief that is portrayed in this book, and yet Liv Arnett wrote so eloquently and passionately that I felt as though I could really put myself into the shoes of Margo and think, "how would I react?" or "how would this make me feel?".

I found myself rooting for fictional characters that did not feel fictional, and I am DYING for both a Rachel AND a Slone book.....you can guarantee that I will preorder any book that comes from this series. 5 stars for Liv and 5 stars for Margo and Anderson.
Profile Image for Aliyah rose.
1 review
December 29, 2025
If you’re looking for a romance that feels real, heartfelt, and completely immersive, Between the Waves is a must read. Anderson and Margo’s story isn’t your typical love story it’s messy, emotional, and incredibly human. Margo’s journey through grief after losing her husband is written so authentically, and her struggle to open her heart again is both heartbreaking and relatable. Anderson is patient, kind, and the kind of character you can’t help but root for. I also loved Rachel, Margo’s friend and Josh’s sister whose support and loyalty shine throughout the story. She’s such a grounding presence, and I’m so excited for her love story next!

This book will pull at your heartstrings, make you smile, and leave you thinking about the characters long after the last page. Even if you don’t normally read romance, you’ll fall in love with this story!
Profile Image for Lauren Cisco.
1 review
November 25, 2025
I just finished this book, and I LOVED it. This author brings such a holistic perspective to Margo's experience. The writing was raw, real, and beautiful. I could visualize every scene like it were a movie. It’s emotional, passionate, and heartfelt without ever feeling overdone. There are moments that will stay with you long after you finish, and the way the author explores love, loss, and the fragility of life is unforgettable. If you’re looking for a book that will make you feel everything—this is it. Highly recommend!
Profile Image for Hayley Jones.
28 reviews1 follower
January 8, 2026
This book broke my heart in the best way possible. Tears of joy were shed. Tears of heartbreak were shed. Liv created such a beautiful love story between Margo & Anderson. And their banter? Completely spot on. Anderson wins the award for best book boyfriend out there. This book reminded me so much of Abby Jimenez’s writing style and how she includes the most emotional and gut wrenching topics within her love stories. I found this book mindlessly scrolling TikTok and was immediately drawn in and I am so thankful for having the chance to read this book early!
Profile Image for Karson A.
6 reviews
December 4, 2025
WOW! WOW! WOW!
I had the amazing opportunity to read this book as an arc reader and wow. I enjoyed it so much!
This author was able to capture raw, real true emotions! This book is about love after loss and wow. Did I cry absolutely! I also laughed and giggled! I highly suggest this book, Love after loss is possible and this book captures every moment in between. It is everything. Anderson and Margo live rent free in my head! 5 ⭐️'s ten out of ten would recommend!!
1 review
Review of advance copy received from Author
January 4, 2026
So, so good!! I felt all the emotions - the good, the bad, the ugly. And in the end, I was so happy to see Margo come out on top. You could feel her pain every step of the way, and her joy too! I loved how it changed POV from Anderson to Margo because I loved getting his side of the story too. You can't help but root for these 2 throughout all the ups and downs.

Highly recommend! Excellent job, Liv!
Profile Image for Roxanne Swenhaugen.
13 reviews1 follower
November 24, 2025
If you are in the mood for an emotional romance, this is the book. Although I’m not privy to THIS kind of grief, I can imagine that it is portrayed perfectly.

Margo is the kind of complex female character we need, and Anderson is top book boyfriend material. I am already anxiously awaiting book two!
Profile Image for Kenz.
66 reviews1 follower
December 7, 2025
Wow this book is a tear jerker. I love books that can pull emotions out of me and this one definitely did it. I loved Margo’s journey through her grief and learning how to coexist with the joy that she’s able to experience. Anderson is the definition of golden retriever boyfriend in the BEST way possible. I cannot wait to physically have this book on my romance shelves. 5/5 from me!!
1 review
Review of advance copy received from Author
December 27, 2025
I was lucky enough to be one of the ARC readers that Liv trusted with her book and I’m so glad she did! Margo and Anderson’s story was so beautifully written and I love how the book explored themes of love after loss, female friendship, and realizing you don’t have to be whole to deserve love. Anderson is the ultimate yearning Mmc. He is down BAD for Margo and I couldn’t get enough!
1 review
Review of advance copy received from Author
January 6, 2026
Absolutely love reading this book. It is real and raw; you can feel the emotions through the page and truly imagine what the characters are going through. It is a book that sparks hope and creates curiosity about the possibilities in life. The character development has me constantly wanting more, and I can't wait to dive into more depth on each character in the next books.
Profile Image for Mackenzi Meyer.
1 review1 follower
November 15, 2025
The author did a phenomenal job of capturing love, loss, and healing all in one story. I was able to connect to this storyline in a different way and Liv put my thoughts on paper several times in a way I’ve never been able to fully communicate them. I can’t wait to read the next one!
Profile Image for Stephanie Justus.
12 reviews
November 15, 2025
ARC REVIEW: um.....WOW, WOW, WOW! This book was amazing on so many levels. It was real and raw and so emotional. Such a heavy topic but done so beautifully! If you want a truly amazing, heartfelt story that will leave you in pieces and then put them back together this is the book for you!!!
1 review
November 18, 2025
Liv! I am so impressed! I could not keep stop reading. Typically romance isn’t not my preferred genre but this had me coming back for more. Ready for my physical copy and for the rest of the series!!
Profile Image for Anna Lynn.
22 reviews
November 24, 2025
The message, the characters, the story, all of it, wowza. Grief is expressed in a way that’s validating for anyone who has experienced loss in a traumatic way. I can’t believe this is a debut novel 😭 I can’t wait for the next book in the series
1 review
December 9, 2025
Loved this book ! I found myself not wanting to put it down but also not wanting to finish it because I didn’t want this love story to end .
The author made this story of loss and finding love again and allowing herself to love again so relatable that it made you think what would I do in that position ?
The fact that she hit all those emotions and still told a beautiful story .
Can’t wait to read more from this author !


Profile Image for aves ౨ৎ.
48 reviews26 followers
December 6, 2025
this one just fell flat for me! the writing and the depiction of grief was beautiful, i just couldn’t get past how quick it felt, which made it feel unrealistic to me!
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.