“Kissing you feels like a free fall, touching you makes me ache, and being inside you is so damn addicting.”
Kate Stewart's books are my favorite. I honestly can't get enough. Every time I read her words, I'm pulled in and shaken up. She has such a way of grabbing you by the heart, of devastating you with her unforgettable characters. Her writing is rich and pure, layered and beautiful, and there’s a tangible realness to her stories I can’t even fully describe. This author digs deep and it shows in her well thought and detailed chapters that force you to live the heart wrenching moments in full clarity. Someone Else's Ocean is another angst-filled ride that completely consumed me. It's not Drive angst (super brutal), but it is an angst that stings and bruises, the kind where thick tension, heart stopping push and pulls, and turbulent ups and downs kill you one potent word at a time. It wrecks you, but it also makes you swoon and fall in love, and I just absolutely adored it. Without a doubt another Kate Stewart fave to add to the bookshelf.
Ian Kemp is a 38 year old divorcee. He’s spent years chained to his ex-wife for the sake of his daughter. Fresh off that breakup, he learns a devastating truth which sends him into a downward spiral. Koti Vaughn's been living on Saint John for a year now. After a devastating blow in New York, she needed a fresh start and is just getting herself together. But when Ian—a childhood friend—shows up on the Island, a hurricane out of control, Koti is more than a little concerned. The man she once thought of as friend is a mess, a catastrophic disaster that threatens to ruin the calm she’s so meticulously worked to find. Koti’s intuition tells her she should probably stay away, but when she looks into Ian’s eyes she sees herself a year before and can't help but want to be his safe spot.
Koti and Ian are broken people who find solace and respite in each other. It's breathtaking, unbelievably sexy, downright unforgettable. Every moment these two have together is taut with chemistry, hot with the burn of attraction. It had me on edge, stuck to my Kindle, desperate for more. I read this in a day. Found myself wanting and hurting and longing for these characters. Someone Else’s Ocean is a story I related to. The hero is South African (like me) and God, did I absolutely love that. I loved the way he talked, his quirks and mannerisms. It gave me a little glimpse of home. On top of that, Ian is a big, broody, cocky, arrogant alpha who is so damn filthy in the bedroom. He had my pulse thrashing. Add in Koti who deals with some heavy issues, things I most definitely feel smothered by on the daily, and I just got this story. I understood this couple. I FELT it all.
Overall, what more can I say?! This was incredible. It’s a love story that makes you hurt but also swoon and smile. It’s a story about love and heartbreak, about second chances, about putting yourself first, about understanding personal limitations, about being kind and compassionate, about living free and happy. I absolutely adored it, devoured and obsessed over it, and just couldn't get over the slow-burn, friends to lovers romance that unfurled. I honestly can’t wait for you to read this. It's so so so sooooo good. And once again, I think Kate Stewart nailed it. Another epic read.
“You grew up beautiful, Koti Vaughn.”
Our eyes met before I gave him a lopsided grin.
“And you grew up so handsome, Ian Kemp.”
His smile was a sledgehammer to my chest.
Thank you to Wordsmith PR for the ARC I received in exchange for an honest review!