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Seal Cove #2
Night Tide
Tides change, but some feelings can’t be washed away.
Lillian Lee doesn’t believe in love at first sight. Hate is a different story—and one she is intimately familiar with. Luckily, she hasn’t seen her arch-nemesis, Ivy Holden, since graduating from veterinary school five years ago. Since then, while her life isn’t going exactly according to plan, she’s happy. She has great friends, a job she loves, and the best pets in the world. Most importantly, her life is stable.
Seal Cove, Maine, is the last place Ivy Holden anticipated ending up. But when an unexpected medical condition forces her to relocate to be closer to family, she can’t turn down the opportunity. Her new job at Seal Cove Veterinary Clinic has everything she needs: flexibility, proximity to her family’s summer home, and the chance to do the work she loves. Unfortunately, it also has Lillian Lee.
Thrown back into each other’s orbits, Lillian and Ivy must find a way to work together, despite the treacherous emotions threatening to drown them both.
Lillian Lee doesn’t believe in love at first sight. Hate is a different story—and one she is intimately familiar with. Luckily, she hasn’t seen her arch-nemesis, Ivy Holden, since graduating from veterinary school five years ago. Since then, while her life isn’t going exactly according to plan, she’s happy. She has great friends, a job she loves, and the best pets in the world. Most importantly, her life is stable.
Seal Cove, Maine, is the last place Ivy Holden anticipated ending up. But when an unexpected medical condition forces her to relocate to be closer to family, she can’t turn down the opportunity. Her new job at Seal Cove Veterinary Clinic has everything she needs: flexibility, proximity to her family’s summer home, and the chance to do the work she loves. Unfortunately, it also has Lillian Lee.
Thrown back into each other’s orbits, Lillian and Ivy must find a way to work together, despite the treacherous emotions threatening to drown them both.
Audible Audio
First published January 26, 2021
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About the author
Anna Burke
8 books1,061 followersAnna Burke enjoys all things nautical and generally prefers animals to people. When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found walking in the woods with her dogs or drinking too much tea, which she prefers hot and strong—just like her protagonists.
She lives in Massachusetts with her wife, dogs, and too many houseplants. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College, where she now teaches in their Popular Fiction MFA program. She is also the Director of Education for the Golden Crown Literary Society.
You can follow her on Twitter @annaburkeauthor.
She lives in Massachusetts with her wife, dogs, and too many houseplants. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College, where she now teaches in their Popular Fiction MFA program. She is also the Director of Education for the Golden Crown Literary Society.
You can follow her on Twitter @annaburkeauthor.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 186 reviews
January 14, 2024
**'To be a skillful and crafty writer, sometimes try letting your ideas become illusory expressions in your storytelling..'
3.5stars!
A much much better book #2 of the 'Seal Cove' series. Even though there were minor bumps the storytelling was still enjoyable at times.
3.5stars!
A much much better book #2 of the 'Seal Cove' series. Even though there were minor bumps the storytelling was still enjoyable at times.
January 1, 2021
You know how girls are told that if a boy pulls their hair, it’s because he likes them? It’s terrible parenting but that’s what I was reminded of when reading about Lillian and Ivy. They also remind me of the tantrums kids throw when there’s too much happening and they can’t contain all the excitement. Ivy and Lillian together are their very own brand of sensory overload. As overwhelming as it sounds, it’s actually beautiful and powerful. Spindrift, the first Seal Cove Romance, was one of my favourite 2020 books, I’m already convinced Night Tide will be on my 2021 list.
Ivy Holden is the new vet at the Seal Cove Veterinary Clinic, where Lillian Lee works. Ivy was Lillian’s nemesis in veterinary school, hatred pulsing between them at first sight. Seal Cove is Lillian’s safe place and Ivy’s presence disrupts the life she’s carefully constructed, a life already upset by a recent breakup. Even though Ivy seems to have somewhat mellowed in the six years since graduation, Lillian can’t bring herself to trust her. They also apparently can’t stop hurting each other any more than they can stop wanting each other, and they keep letting the pressure out in all the wrong ways.
There are so many layers to this story. On the surface is the mutual hatred. Lillian hates Ivy because she’s rich and privileged and arrogant but she also hates that she forces her to reflect on her own privileges. Lillian grew up with two mothers, one of whom isn’t white, and while she’s witnessed racism against her non-biological mother, she’s never been a direct victim herself. Nothing, however, has ever come easily to her, except for her moms’ love and support. Ivy, on the other hand, loves her privileges but won’t be reduced to them. She’s a lot more complex and interesting than the mean girl persona she tried to convince Lillian of.
Ivy’s seemingly effortless life comes with a certain amount of pressure to be perfect and what she feels is conditional love from her parents, which makes explaining why she left Colorado for Maine all the more difficult. Ivy lives with chronic pain but as terrified as she is of her feelings for Lillian, she’s even more terrified of the pity disclosing her condition would entail.
There’s so much more to Night Tide than hatred and privilege and irresistible lust and passion so strong you don’t know what to do with it but I won’t delve further into the depths of this book and its characters. You don’t want my take, you want the real thing, and to read this book as soon as it’s available to you. It’s raw and rough and pretty much perfect.
On a side note, keep your eyes peeled for a mention of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a Captain Marvel t-shirt and an ice cream parlor, then a witch, wasps and the East Australian Current. Don’t let these combos distract you from the story but let’s admire the way Anna Burke inserted them into her writing.
I’m sure Night Tide could be read as a standalone but why would you want to do that when Spindrift was one of the best books of 2020? Lillian and Ivy don’t exist in a vacuum, there’s a whole network of friends and coworkers Anna Burke introduced in Spindrift, which you’ll enjoy even more in Night Tide if you’re already familiar with them. Also, I didn’t mention the animals but of course there are animals.
There’s probably a lot more of Lillian and Ivy in me than I thought because damn, I love how much Anna Burke’s books hurt. It takes a very talented writer to get away with such an unhealthy relationship and make the reader nevertheless root for the characters to make it work somehow, to get out of the spiral of hell and find their way to happiness.
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Ivy Holden is the new vet at the Seal Cove Veterinary Clinic, where Lillian Lee works. Ivy was Lillian’s nemesis in veterinary school, hatred pulsing between them at first sight. Seal Cove is Lillian’s safe place and Ivy’s presence disrupts the life she’s carefully constructed, a life already upset by a recent breakup. Even though Ivy seems to have somewhat mellowed in the six years since graduation, Lillian can’t bring herself to trust her. They also apparently can’t stop hurting each other any more than they can stop wanting each other, and they keep letting the pressure out in all the wrong ways.
There are so many layers to this story. On the surface is the mutual hatred. Lillian hates Ivy because she’s rich and privileged and arrogant but she also hates that she forces her to reflect on her own privileges. Lillian grew up with two mothers, one of whom isn’t white, and while she’s witnessed racism against her non-biological mother, she’s never been a direct victim herself. Nothing, however, has ever come easily to her, except for her moms’ love and support. Ivy, on the other hand, loves her privileges but won’t be reduced to them. She’s a lot more complex and interesting than the mean girl persona she tried to convince Lillian of.
Ivy’s seemingly effortless life comes with a certain amount of pressure to be perfect and what she feels is conditional love from her parents, which makes explaining why she left Colorado for Maine all the more difficult. Ivy lives with chronic pain but as terrified as she is of her feelings for Lillian, she’s even more terrified of the pity disclosing her condition would entail.
There’s so much more to Night Tide than hatred and privilege and irresistible lust and passion so strong you don’t know what to do with it but I won’t delve further into the depths of this book and its characters. You don’t want my take, you want the real thing, and to read this book as soon as it’s available to you. It’s raw and rough and pretty much perfect.
On a side note, keep your eyes peeled for a mention of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a Captain Marvel t-shirt and an ice cream parlor, then a witch, wasps and the East Australian Current. Don’t let these combos distract you from the story but let’s admire the way Anna Burke inserted them into her writing.
I’m sure Night Tide could be read as a standalone but why would you want to do that when Spindrift was one of the best books of 2020? Lillian and Ivy don’t exist in a vacuum, there’s a whole network of friends and coworkers Anna Burke introduced in Spindrift, which you’ll enjoy even more in Night Tide if you’re already familiar with them. Also, I didn’t mention the animals but of course there are animals.
There’s probably a lot more of Lillian and Ivy in me than I thought because damn, I love how much Anna Burke’s books hurt. It takes a very talented writer to get away with such an unhealthy relationship and make the reader nevertheless root for the characters to make it work somehow, to get out of the spiral of hell and find their way to happiness.
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 10, 2021
#2 in the Seal Cove series. You don't have to, but I recommend reading the series in order.
Literally an enemies-to-lovers story. From day one in vet school, Lilian and Ivy are enemies. And they keep up the enmity throughout their training and even through the years to come. This hatred has shaped both of their lives. Fate and a cruel goddess have created a situation neither of them wanted. They must work together in the veterinarian's office in Seal Cove. Neither of them was prepared to circle back in the same orbit.
I love enemies-to-lovers stories, and Anna Burke has created a perfect one of those. In the beginning, I thought Ivy and Lilian would never find each other. But the author wove in little hints that let us know there was more to them than superficial hatred, and soon I was rooting for these two. I wanted them to do the near-impossible and follow their hearts and find each other.
The attraction between them was palpable and every time I thought they were now opening up to each other, one or the other torpedoed the rapprochement again and we were back to square one. I absolutely loved the scenes on Rabbit Island. Without giving anything away, it was one of the most emotional and important scenes in the book. The author has a wonderful gift for bringing disappointment, pain, attraction, longing for love, and all the emotions in between, realistically and honestly between the covers of a book. A roller coaster ride of emotions for days. The chemistry between these two was top notch from the start. The sex is hot, but the intimacy is what really got to me.
What I also liked very much was the depth of the story, it's about more than just a few hostilities at practice. Serious issues like illness, pride, race, or the privileged life of a rich family versus one in poverty where every morsel had to be fought for the family. A very intense story about family, friends, destiny, and that love is worth fighting for.
This book is more than just a romance, it gives us topics we maybe should think about too. Highly recommended. And I can’t wait to read book #3 in this series.
My rating 5 stars
Literally an enemies-to-lovers story. From day one in vet school, Lilian and Ivy are enemies. And they keep up the enmity throughout their training and even through the years to come. This hatred has shaped both of their lives. Fate and a cruel goddess have created a situation neither of them wanted. They must work together in the veterinarian's office in Seal Cove. Neither of them was prepared to circle back in the same orbit.
I love enemies-to-lovers stories, and Anna Burke has created a perfect one of those. In the beginning, I thought Ivy and Lilian would never find each other. But the author wove in little hints that let us know there was more to them than superficial hatred, and soon I was rooting for these two. I wanted them to do the near-impossible and follow their hearts and find each other.
The attraction between them was palpable and every time I thought they were now opening up to each other, one or the other torpedoed the rapprochement again and we were back to square one. I absolutely loved the scenes on Rabbit Island. Without giving anything away, it was one of the most emotional and important scenes in the book. The author has a wonderful gift for bringing disappointment, pain, attraction, longing for love, and all the emotions in between, realistically and honestly between the covers of a book. A roller coaster ride of emotions for days. The chemistry between these two was top notch from the start. The sex is hot, but the intimacy is what really got to me.
What I also liked very much was the depth of the story, it's about more than just a few hostilities at practice. Serious issues like illness, pride, race, or the privileged life of a rich family versus one in poverty where every morsel had to be fought for the family. A very intense story about family, friends, destiny, and that love is worth fighting for.
This book is more than just a romance, it gives us topics we maybe should think about too. Highly recommended. And I can’t wait to read book #3 in this series.
My rating 5 stars
February 25, 2022
In this follow up novel to Spindrift, Lillian’s sedate life turns upside down by the clinic’s hiring of her veterinarian school nemesis, Ivy Holden. They hated each other at first sight having a no holds barred competition about everything during college. Why Ivy would choose to work at the same veterinarian clinic as Lillian is a mystery.
Ivy is running away. She left her long term relationship, her equine veterinarian job she loved and all her friends to work closer to her family. However, if she wanted to be closer to her family why did she not take a job in Boston where her sister lives but where she knew Lillian worked.
Burke hits all the right notes in this enemies to lovers romance. The bitterness Lillian feels towards Ivy drips off the page. The emotional scars she knowingly gave Lillian are deeply rooted yet rise quickly to the surface on each interaction initiating intense and insightful conversations and actions. Burke deftly handles the edge between love and hate with both sides lightly bleeding into the other to create the realism and high emotions throughout the story.
Night Tide is a beautiful story composed of the raw emotions of rejection, self worth and love. Romance at its most fervent.
I received an advance review copy from Bywater Books and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Ivy is running away. She left her long term relationship, her equine veterinarian job she loved and all her friends to work closer to her family. However, if she wanted to be closer to her family why did she not take a job in Boston where her sister lives but where she knew Lillian worked.
Burke hits all the right notes in this enemies to lovers romance. The bitterness Lillian feels towards Ivy drips off the page. The emotional scars she knowingly gave Lillian are deeply rooted yet rise quickly to the surface on each interaction initiating intense and insightful conversations and actions. Burke deftly handles the edge between love and hate with both sides lightly bleeding into the other to create the realism and high emotions throughout the story.
Night Tide is a beautiful story composed of the raw emotions of rejection, self worth and love. Romance at its most fervent.
I received an advance review copy from Bywater Books and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 14, 2022
Archenemies.
This is the second book of the Seal Cove Romance series and I thought it was better than the first. The new vet who was hired by the clinic to ease the workload of the current vets, turned out to be Lilian's arch nemesis in college, Ivy. Ivy and Lilian didn't get along then and their relationship doesn't improve as adults. They hate each other with such passion but what's fascinating is that underneath all the vitriol is intense sexual tension that is so good. And above that, I also like that they understand each other so well.
This one was also an emotional rollercoaster ride for me because while the first book talked about mental health, this one dealt with physical illness, which is a topic that isn't any less lighter.
I'm pretty certain there will be more books to come. I'm really curious about the supporting characters, Stevie and Angie, in particular, and would like to know if Stevie would eventually make a move.
This is the second book of the Seal Cove Romance series and I thought it was better than the first. The new vet who was hired by the clinic to ease the workload of the current vets, turned out to be Lilian's arch nemesis in college, Ivy. Ivy and Lilian didn't get along then and their relationship doesn't improve as adults. They hate each other with such passion but what's fascinating is that underneath all the vitriol is intense sexual tension that is so good. And above that, I also like that they understand each other so well.
This one was also an emotional rollercoaster ride for me because while the first book talked about mental health, this one dealt with physical illness, which is a topic that isn't any less lighter.
I'm pretty certain there will be more books to come. I'm really curious about the supporting characters, Stevie and Angie, in particular, and would like to know if Stevie would eventually make a move.
January 15, 2021
I am so glad I had the chance to read Night Tide by Anna Burke. This is the second novel in the “A Seal Cove Romance” series. I loved the first book, but I think this one is even better.
This is the story of Lillian Lee and Ivy Holden. Lillian is a veterinarian at the Seal Cove Vet Clinic. Her life is not bad even though her long distance boyfriend just broke up with her…that is until she finds out fellow veterinarian Ivy Holden has been hired to fill a vacancy at the clinic. Lillian has hated Ivy with a passion since the moment they met in college, and Ivy has always felt the same. Ivy says she has come back to Maine to be close to her family, but is that the only reason? Now the two must work together and try to avoid killing each other.
It has been said that love and hate are the two most powerful emotions humans can have. There is also a very thin line between these two passions. That is the basis for an enemies-to-lovers tale, and this book is a classic example of this. The sparks between these two main characters are instant and intense, and only grow as they interact in the story, but are those sparks caused by hatred or some other equally strong emotion? Ms. Burke did a fabulous job with these characters. I was hooked by their story from the first page. The setting is stunning and only adds to the beauty of the story.
This is an emotional tale that will grab your heartstrings and tug at them all the way through the book. This novel took me on a wave filled emotional ride that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Night Tide is the second novel in the “A Seal Cove Romance” series. Honestly, you could read this book as a standalone, but I think you would be missing out if you did since Spindrift, the first book in the series, is also a wonderful read. I urge you to get both books and read them in order. Then we can all wait impatiently for the next book in the series.
I received an ARC from Bywater Books for an honest review.
Rainbow Reflections: http://rainbowreflections.home.blog/
This is the story of Lillian Lee and Ivy Holden. Lillian is a veterinarian at the Seal Cove Vet Clinic. Her life is not bad even though her long distance boyfriend just broke up with her…that is until she finds out fellow veterinarian Ivy Holden has been hired to fill a vacancy at the clinic. Lillian has hated Ivy with a passion since the moment they met in college, and Ivy has always felt the same. Ivy says she has come back to Maine to be close to her family, but is that the only reason? Now the two must work together and try to avoid killing each other.
It has been said that love and hate are the two most powerful emotions humans can have. There is also a very thin line between these two passions. That is the basis for an enemies-to-lovers tale, and this book is a classic example of this. The sparks between these two main characters are instant and intense, and only grow as they interact in the story, but are those sparks caused by hatred or some other equally strong emotion? Ms. Burke did a fabulous job with these characters. I was hooked by their story from the first page. The setting is stunning and only adds to the beauty of the story.
This is an emotional tale that will grab your heartstrings and tug at them all the way through the book. This novel took me on a wave filled emotional ride that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Night Tide is the second novel in the “A Seal Cove Romance” series. Honestly, you could read this book as a standalone, but I think you would be missing out if you did since Spindrift, the first book in the series, is also a wonderful read. I urge you to get both books and read them in order. Then we can all wait impatiently for the next book in the series.
I received an ARC from Bywater Books for an honest review.
Rainbow Reflections: http://rainbowreflections.home.blog/
January 30, 2021
Anna Burke’s books make me uncomfortable. Whether it is one of her morally grey characters, an f/f romance in the Middle Ages, or, like in ‘Night Tide’, a deep hostility between the main couple, Burke’s novels aren’t fluffy reads. But I love every single one of them because this discomfort makes me think and feel, like very few authors in lesfic do.
This is book two of the Seal Cove Romance series and if you haven’t read book one ‘Spindrift’, I suggest that you drop everything and get it as it’s one of the best lesfic books of 2020. However, ‘Night Tide’ could be read as a standalone too.
Lillian Lee lives in Seal Cove and works in a veterinary practice. Even though she’s had a recent relationship breakup, she’s happily surrounded by her family, friends, pets and colleagues. That is, until her college arch nemesis Ivy Holden reappears in her life by accepting a job in Lillian’s veterinary clinic. Time hasn’t healed the wounds or lessened the hate between them…
“Lillian Lee didn’t believe in love at first sight, but she did believe in the inevitability of hate.”
This is one of the best first sentences I’ve read in lesfic and sets the tone for the rest of the book. The enemies to lovers trope is very popular but hard to do convincingly. If the conflict is weak, it’s less believable and if it escalates too much, it’s hard to diffuse. In ‘Night Tide’ Ms. Burke plays with fire by escalating the hate between the leads, so much so, that at a point I thought she wouldn’t be able to pull the romance off.
I shouldn’t have worried though. Love and hate relationships are complex and intense. It’s not a simple “I hate your guts” feeling, there is a conflicted history between them summarised by the author as “part jealousy, part resentment, and part desire”. Ms. Burke captures their emotional ambivalence perfectly and uses the tension as a buildup for the benefit of the romance.
The beauty of this book is that Ms. Burke adds more layers to this complexity through matters of race, class and privilege that gives us food for thought. Is privilege something to be enjoyed without guilt? How relative is privilege in its varied facets of gender, class, race, sexuality? Who is in a moral position to judge others? There are no simple answers to these questions.
But this is mainly a romance and the author manages to create moments of vulnerability for the main characters to share along with intense chemistry and fantastic intimate scenes that make their relationship believable and realistic. As expected, there are moments of redemption too. It’s really worth it. I can’t wait to read book three and final installment in this series or anything else that Ms. Burke writes, for that matter.
If you like your romances intense and with food for thought, then this is highly recommended. 5 stars.
This is book two of the Seal Cove Romance series and if you haven’t read book one ‘Spindrift’, I suggest that you drop everything and get it as it’s one of the best lesfic books of 2020. However, ‘Night Tide’ could be read as a standalone too.
Lillian Lee lives in Seal Cove and works in a veterinary practice. Even though she’s had a recent relationship breakup, she’s happily surrounded by her family, friends, pets and colleagues. That is, until her college arch nemesis Ivy Holden reappears in her life by accepting a job in Lillian’s veterinary clinic. Time hasn’t healed the wounds or lessened the hate between them…
“Lillian Lee didn’t believe in love at first sight, but she did believe in the inevitability of hate.”
This is one of the best first sentences I’ve read in lesfic and sets the tone for the rest of the book. The enemies to lovers trope is very popular but hard to do convincingly. If the conflict is weak, it’s less believable and if it escalates too much, it’s hard to diffuse. In ‘Night Tide’ Ms. Burke plays with fire by escalating the hate between the leads, so much so, that at a point I thought she wouldn’t be able to pull the romance off.
I shouldn’t have worried though. Love and hate relationships are complex and intense. It’s not a simple “I hate your guts” feeling, there is a conflicted history between them summarised by the author as “part jealousy, part resentment, and part desire”. Ms. Burke captures their emotional ambivalence perfectly and uses the tension as a buildup for the benefit of the romance.
The beauty of this book is that Ms. Burke adds more layers to this complexity through matters of race, class and privilege that gives us food for thought. Is privilege something to be enjoyed without guilt? How relative is privilege in its varied facets of gender, class, race, sexuality? Who is in a moral position to judge others? There are no simple answers to these questions.
But this is mainly a romance and the author manages to create moments of vulnerability for the main characters to share along with intense chemistry and fantastic intimate scenes that make their relationship believable and realistic. As expected, there are moments of redemption too. It’s really worth it. I can’t wait to read book three and final installment in this series or anything else that Ms. Burke writes, for that matter.
If you like your romances intense and with food for thought, then this is highly recommended. 5 stars.
February 8, 2021
Enemies to lovers is a favourite trope of mine. Too often the women involved get off on the wrong foot with their first encounter. They are enemies, yes, but it’s not long before they resolve their differences and the romancing begins. Lillian and Ivy have a past filled with shameless taunts,bitter regrets and moments of pure hatred. When Ivy accepts a job at Lillian’s Seal Cove Veterinary Clinic, the pair pick up where they left off during their college years. The one thing about all this fire is the heat it generates. The reader can feel it simmering under the surface as Ivy and Lillian trade insults.
I liked the first book in this series,Spindrift, but I loved Night Tide. Burke does a masterful job of bringing Lillian and Ivy to life. I loved her focus on the reasons behind some of the bitterness felt by Lillian, the privilege versus poverty debate and the way people hide in their preconceptions of one another. I was impressed with how Ivy’s medical condition humbles her while her pride keeps her from letting anyone close. I loved the dance scene at the club in Portland (thanks Stormy) but the pivotal, no turning back scene for me was the day trip to Rabbit Island.
Rabbit Island was like an oasis where Ivy and Lillian could just be themselves, forgetting their anger-filled past and not worrying about the future. A chance to be together, to fulfill their long held desires, a moment in time which changes everything. The world they return to hasn't changed but they have.
Absolute highlight of an excellent novel.
I liked the first book in this series,Spindrift, but I loved Night Tide. Burke does a masterful job of bringing Lillian and Ivy to life. I loved her focus on the reasons behind some of the bitterness felt by Lillian, the privilege versus poverty debate and the way people hide in their preconceptions of one another. I was impressed with how Ivy’s medical condition humbles her while her pride keeps her from letting anyone close. I loved the dance scene at the club in Portland (thanks Stormy) but the pivotal, no turning back scene for me was the day trip to Rabbit Island.
Rabbit Island was like an oasis where Ivy and Lillian could just be themselves, forgetting their anger-filled past and not worrying about the future. A chance to be together, to fulfill their long held desires, a moment in time which changes everything. The world they return to hasn't changed but they have.
Absolute highlight of an excellent novel.
March 8, 2022
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW UPDATE:
So I listened to the Audiobook for Night Tide, as I absolutely loved the book when I first read it last year, so when I saw it had an audiobook I jumped at it. I often do this for books I love when I see they have audiobooks- I like to enjoy it in different formats but I don't often update my goodreads reviews.
But the audiobook for Night Tide was really disappointing to me. And it has to do with how the story was told. I don't mean the voice actress because I thought she was fine. But I noticed this right away and it literally never got better. I'm sure everyone that reads regularly knows that there are often scene breaks inside of chapters. A chapter is a gap in reading but a chapter consists of several scenes of similar theme. In the audiobook of Night Tide, the scene breaks are just read over like they are just another sentence. And to me- this is really jarring and made the book hard to follow. I'd say nearly impossible to follow if I hadn't read the physical book already.
These scene breaks often shift the character the 3rd person narrator is following or there are gaps of time between them- so we as the readers need to understand that. But for the book to read it straight through as if there is no gap makes for a difficult reading experience.
I'm pretty sure this is mostly a production issue. I haven't produced an audiobook before but I have recorded music and know how the technology works, and I don't know why they couldn't add like two seconds of time to que the reader into different scenes. It's already an 11 hour audiobook, it's not like it will be significantly longer.
The story of the book is still fantastic. I still love the characters, and I love the feelings this book gave me. But I would 100% recommend sticking with the physical book for Night Tide. I'm not going to update my overall rating because the story of Night Tide still deserves five stars. But the audiobook is more of a 2.5/5
ORIGINAL BOOK REVIEW
This book was fantastic. I'm admittedly a sucker for the enemies to lovers trope and read everything I could can get my hands on. So when I read this blurb I knew I needed to get my hands on this book so much I read the previous book in the series Spindrift, which, in turn, I fell in love with. And the follow up here doesn't disappoint at all.
I loved the chemistry between the two main characters. You could really feel and understand their animosity towards each other while at the same time you could feel their yearning for each other, and that's the dynamic that makes enemies to lovers so powerful for me.
This is an emotional book and deals with some serious topics such as systematic privilege and disabilities and it doesn't really pull it's punches there.
Ivy's entire characterization with that dynamic of recognizing her privilege but admitting to herself she enjoys some of the luxuries it brings especially after her diagnosis was honestly very relatable for me. I'm a transwoman, and it's inarguable to how that affects my life and a lot of the social dynamics that surround me, but at the same time grew up in an educated, WASPy, upper middle class household that honestly opened a lot of doors for me later in life. So I really felt that conflict Ivy was dealing with throughout a lot of this book and that made it even more powerful when you could see Lillian's righteous and valid resentment of those privilege. It was challenging for me and made me think- which is what the best books do, even in romance novels.
I loved this novel, I loved the Characters both main and side. I really hope Burke continues this series as I'd really love to see the stories of Angie and Stormy told. This was wonderful,. It felt real. Instantly making it into my favorites. 5/5
So I listened to the Audiobook for Night Tide, as I absolutely loved the book when I first read it last year, so when I saw it had an audiobook I jumped at it. I often do this for books I love when I see they have audiobooks- I like to enjoy it in different formats but I don't often update my goodreads reviews.
But the audiobook for Night Tide was really disappointing to me. And it has to do with how the story was told. I don't mean the voice actress because I thought she was fine. But I noticed this right away and it literally never got better. I'm sure everyone that reads regularly knows that there are often scene breaks inside of chapters. A chapter is a gap in reading but a chapter consists of several scenes of similar theme. In the audiobook of Night Tide, the scene breaks are just read over like they are just another sentence. And to me- this is really jarring and made the book hard to follow. I'd say nearly impossible to follow if I hadn't read the physical book already.
These scene breaks often shift the character the 3rd person narrator is following or there are gaps of time between them- so we as the readers need to understand that. But for the book to read it straight through as if there is no gap makes for a difficult reading experience.
I'm pretty sure this is mostly a production issue. I haven't produced an audiobook before but I have recorded music and know how the technology works, and I don't know why they couldn't add like two seconds of time to que the reader into different scenes. It's already an 11 hour audiobook, it's not like it will be significantly longer.
The story of the book is still fantastic. I still love the characters, and I love the feelings this book gave me. But I would 100% recommend sticking with the physical book for Night Tide. I'm not going to update my overall rating because the story of Night Tide still deserves five stars. But the audiobook is more of a 2.5/5
ORIGINAL BOOK REVIEW
This book was fantastic. I'm admittedly a sucker for the enemies to lovers trope and read everything I could can get my hands on. So when I read this blurb I knew I needed to get my hands on this book so much I read the previous book in the series Spindrift, which, in turn, I fell in love with. And the follow up here doesn't disappoint at all.
I loved the chemistry between the two main characters. You could really feel and understand their animosity towards each other while at the same time you could feel their yearning for each other, and that's the dynamic that makes enemies to lovers so powerful for me.
This is an emotional book and deals with some serious topics such as systematic privilege and disabilities and it doesn't really pull it's punches there.
Ivy's entire characterization with that dynamic of recognizing her privilege but admitting to herself she enjoys some of the luxuries it brings especially after her diagnosis was honestly very relatable for me. I'm a transwoman, and it's inarguable to how that affects my life and a lot of the social dynamics that surround me, but at the same time grew up in an educated, WASPy, upper middle class household that honestly opened a lot of doors for me later in life. So I really felt that conflict Ivy was dealing with throughout a lot of this book and that made it even more powerful when you could see Lillian's righteous and valid resentment of those privilege. It was challenging for me and made me think- which is what the best books do, even in romance novels.
I loved this novel, I loved the Characters both main and side. I really hope Burke continues this series as I'd really love to see the stories of Angie and Stormy told. This was wonderful,. It felt real. Instantly making it into my favorites. 5/5
June 18, 2025
Loved this story and the two main characters were excellent (though I longed for Jae’s input on the medical issues - see Just Physical.) At times it was uncomfortable but that was part of the appeal. Recommended. Loved it second time round - looking forward to part 3!
September 30, 2022
I think I loved this one even more than the first in this little universe! Lillian and Ivy were equally frustrating and lovable, and their rivals to lovers dynamic was so much fun. Def rec this one highly.
April 6, 2021
You know when you hate someone so much you ended up knowing every tiny thing about them? Well, I don’t, but Lillian and Ivy do.
Dr. Lillian Lee (31) and Dr. Ivy Holden have been archenemies throughout vet school, so when Ivy relocates to Seal Cove where Lillian is working, the latter is not pleased. To Lillian, Ivy is a spoiled rich kid who made her life hell. But what if she isn’t horrible anymore now?
I love books with wonderful imageries and great thematic choices. In Spindrift (my review here), I adored the opening and ending scenes of the dock, from boat to land, and here in Night Tide, the freedom on an isolated island with crashing waves, persistent and ever-growing vines of ivy, the somberness of Edgar Allen Poe references, etc. are as beautifully interwoven as I could have wished for.
The intense lust and hate were so well-balanced I couldn’t decide if Lillian and Ivy making out is a good idea or not. Even so, I rooted for them both to be together so hard, seeing the pain and insecurities and overwhelming feelings they have for each other, and yet I also know that there is a lot of their history that we don’t see, the hurt caused by each other back in vet school. There are a few flashbacks throughout the story, and we are gradually let in on parts of their past, scenes that surfaced because of certain events in the present. Yes, they were horrible to each other, and yes, it is easy to fall back to old patterns with people one has known for years, but I understand their choices both back then and now. Burke wrote everything in such a heartfelt and candid way that it is impossible not to love both Lillian and Ivy and see their growth and attempt at being better human beings.
“White guilt” is called out in the text, and a lot of the passing thoughts of both Lillian and Ivy serve as social commentaries, on privilege, capitalism, racism, etc. These narratives worked well for me but it might not be for everyone. Yet the fact that we get to see them in the characters thoughts, somehow makes them more relatable not just for the acknowledgment—which is better than nothing but not as good as actually doing something—but that these are topics that crosses our minds, too, things we talk about and experience in life. As an Asian person who grew up in Asia, I couldn’t say much about this, so take my thoughts as a grain of salt.
Oftentimes, romance is tender and loving and sweet, but in Night Tide, there is tension and passion and fierceness as lust overrides animosity. Most of the scenes involving Lillian and Ivy were either sex or sexually charged, and I don’t think I’ve ever felt the warmth in my stomach stretch throughout an entire book. Everything was deliciously dangerous. There is a lot of biting and physical pain regarding the intimate scenes, which is very on-brand for them. And despite the hate, how quickly they were to throw each other under the bus, Lillian and Ivy are incredibly cute together, allowing vulnerability and redemption and something more.
The writing and descriptions are truly awesome: details of the surroundings and Ivy’s chronic pain. As a non-disabled person, I don’t know much about the spoonie rep, but even though Ivy struggles to accept it as part of her life, I think it being recently diagnosed, makes a lot of sense. And like in Spindrift, the side characters are all wonderful. I love Lillian’s moms June and Daiyu, both of whom are precious and adorable. There is the constant cast of friends, including Morgan and Emilia, whose romance is featured in Spindrift, Angie, Stevie, Stormy, etc. We also get more scenes with Lillian’s dogs and are introduced to Ivy’s Jack Russell Terrier Darwin and 15-year-old dressage horse Freddie.
I admit I didn’t like the conflict—who likes conflicts when you can have perfect love—but the inevitability made it ever more believable for them to stay together in the long run. And oh how I couldn’t wait for them to get the happy ending they deserve! Also, there were a few odd sentences and statements which may or may not be an ARC issue that confused me, such as I couldn’t understand how they knew that a random bartender is “a cute transman” or why Daiyu would make Mid-Autumn Festival “moon cakes for the Lunar New Year,” but overall those parts didn’t affect the story.
Night Tide is a hate-to-love romance with a mix of pain and sadness and humor. Every scene is intense and charged and very Lillian and Ivy, making the romance all-consuming and worth savoring.
I received a digital review copy from Bywater Books via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Dr. Lillian Lee (31) and Dr. Ivy Holden have been archenemies throughout vet school, so when Ivy relocates to Seal Cove where Lillian is working, the latter is not pleased. To Lillian, Ivy is a spoiled rich kid who made her life hell. But what if she isn’t horrible anymore now?
I love books with wonderful imageries and great thematic choices. In Spindrift (my review here), I adored the opening and ending scenes of the dock, from boat to land, and here in Night Tide, the freedom on an isolated island with crashing waves, persistent and ever-growing vines of ivy, the somberness of Edgar Allen Poe references, etc. are as beautifully interwoven as I could have wished for.
The intense lust and hate were so well-balanced I couldn’t decide if Lillian and Ivy making out is a good idea or not. Even so, I rooted for them both to be together so hard, seeing the pain and insecurities and overwhelming feelings they have for each other, and yet I also know that there is a lot of their history that we don’t see, the hurt caused by each other back in vet school. There are a few flashbacks throughout the story, and we are gradually let in on parts of their past, scenes that surfaced because of certain events in the present. Yes, they were horrible to each other, and yes, it is easy to fall back to old patterns with people one has known for years, but I understand their choices both back then and now. Burke wrote everything in such a heartfelt and candid way that it is impossible not to love both Lillian and Ivy and see their growth and attempt at being better human beings.
“White guilt” is called out in the text, and a lot of the passing thoughts of both Lillian and Ivy serve as social commentaries, on privilege, capitalism, racism, etc. These narratives worked well for me but it might not be for everyone. Yet the fact that we get to see them in the characters thoughts, somehow makes them more relatable not just for the acknowledgment—which is better than nothing but not as good as actually doing something—but that these are topics that crosses our minds, too, things we talk about and experience in life. As an Asian person who grew up in Asia, I couldn’t say much about this, so take my thoughts as a grain of salt.
Oftentimes, romance is tender and loving and sweet, but in Night Tide, there is tension and passion and fierceness as lust overrides animosity. Most of the scenes involving Lillian and Ivy were either sex or sexually charged, and I don’t think I’ve ever felt the warmth in my stomach stretch throughout an entire book. Everything was deliciously dangerous. There is a lot of biting and physical pain regarding the intimate scenes, which is very on-brand for them. And despite the hate, how quickly they were to throw each other under the bus, Lillian and Ivy are incredibly cute together, allowing vulnerability and redemption and something more.
The writing and descriptions are truly awesome: details of the surroundings and Ivy’s chronic pain. As a non-disabled person, I don’t know much about the spoonie rep, but even though Ivy struggles to accept it as part of her life, I think it being recently diagnosed, makes a lot of sense. And like in Spindrift, the side characters are all wonderful. I love Lillian’s moms June and Daiyu, both of whom are precious and adorable. There is the constant cast of friends, including Morgan and Emilia, whose romance is featured in Spindrift, Angie, Stevie, Stormy, etc. We also get more scenes with Lillian’s dogs and are introduced to Ivy’s Jack Russell Terrier Darwin and 15-year-old dressage horse Freddie.
I admit I didn’t like the conflict—who likes conflicts when you can have perfect love—but the inevitability made it ever more believable for them to stay together in the long run. And oh how I couldn’t wait for them to get the happy ending they deserve! Also, there were a few odd sentences and statements which may or may not be an ARC issue that confused me, such as I couldn’t understand how they knew that a random bartender is “a cute transman” or why Daiyu would make Mid-Autumn Festival “moon cakes for the Lunar New Year,” but overall those parts didn’t affect the story.
Night Tide is a hate-to-love romance with a mix of pain and sadness and humor. Every scene is intense and charged and very Lillian and Ivy, making the romance all-consuming and worth savoring.
I received a digital review copy from Bywater Books via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
January 30, 2021
3.5 stars. I loved the first one in this series and was very much looking forward to this one. However, I did not enjoy it as much as I was hoping. The enemies to lovers trope was a bit much for me. And yes, I’m in the minority here, but the hatred was too much for me to overcome. Thought it was just not a healthy relationship. This was well written though and no doubt I will be reading the next one.
July 1, 2022
Oh, Anna Burke. Please, never stop writing.
July 12, 2025
3.5
Anna Burke is a seriously talented writer, and the prose here is just as strong as you'd expect. The story does a solid job with the enemies-to-lovers trope. If you enjoyed Tryst Six Venom, I think this will be up your alley. It plays with similar themes (rich girl/poor girl dynamics, simmering tension), but with a softer, much less volatile tone overall.
Where it lost me was with one of the main characters, Lillian. She’s got a huge chip on her shoulder about Ivy’s wealth—which, fair enough to a point—but it ends up overshadowing her emotional growth. There’s a particular scene (I’ll keep it spoiler-light) where Ivy, in the middle of an argument, opens up about a serious health issue. And Lillian’s response is essentially, "Well, it's not a big deal, at least you can afford private healthcare." And that's where she lost me as a likable character.
I get that class resentment is a real thing and worth exploring, but dismissing someone’s genuine chronic pain because of their privilege? That didn’t sit right with me. Ivy deserved more compassion, and frankly, better treatment from someone who's meant to be her person.
So while the writing was excellent and I enjoyed most of the supporting characters, the central romance didn’t fully land for me. Great execution on a well-loved trope, but the emotional payoff just didn’t hit as hard as it could have had Lillian been a better partner to Ivy.
Anna Burke is a seriously talented writer, and the prose here is just as strong as you'd expect. The story does a solid job with the enemies-to-lovers trope. If you enjoyed Tryst Six Venom, I think this will be up your alley. It plays with similar themes (rich girl/poor girl dynamics, simmering tension), but with a softer, much less volatile tone overall.
Where it lost me was with one of the main characters, Lillian. She’s got a huge chip on her shoulder about Ivy’s wealth—which, fair enough to a point—but it ends up overshadowing her emotional growth. There’s a particular scene (I’ll keep it spoiler-light) where Ivy, in the middle of an argument, opens up about a serious health issue. And Lillian’s response is essentially, "Well, it's not a big deal, at least you can afford private healthcare." And that's where she lost me as a likable character.
I get that class resentment is a real thing and worth exploring, but dismissing someone’s genuine chronic pain because of their privilege? That didn’t sit right with me. Ivy deserved more compassion, and frankly, better treatment from someone who's meant to be her person.
So while the writing was excellent and I enjoyed most of the supporting characters, the central romance didn’t fully land for me. Great execution on a well-loved trope, but the emotional payoff just didn’t hit as hard as it could have had Lillian been a better partner to Ivy.
April 16, 2021
ivy substituting poe's annabel lee for lillian lee that's so gay
five reasons to read this book
Rep: bi mc, lesbian mc with MS, lesbian & bi side characters
CWs: internalised ableism
five reasons to read this book
Rep: bi mc, lesbian mc with MS, lesbian & bi side characters
CWs: internalised ableism
February 8, 2023
While I loved the first book in this series, Spindrift, Night Tide took it to the next level. This might be one of the best enemies to lovers romances I've ever read.
After being diagnosed with a medical condition, Ivy Holden moves to Maine to take a job at Seal Cove Veterinary Clinic to be closer to her family. Problem is, this is the same facility where Lillian Lee - her arch nemesis from veterinary school - works. Lillian is established and happy there, having developed close friendships with her colleagues. Ivy hasn't disclosed her medical condition to anyone - including her family - and Lillian can't for the life of her understand why Ivy had to take a job at her clinic, of all places. She grudgingly accepts the clinic is short staffed, though, and really needs another good doctor to help carry the load.
Ivy has always been able to push all of Lillian's buttons and apparently still can. Lillian, still recovering from a years-long distance relationship breakup, decides she will do everything possible to remain professional with the woman, but is very unhappy that Ivy has disrupted her life like this. It would certainly make it easier to deal with if the stunning Ivy with the incredible green eyes didn't stir things in her - and vice versa.
Burke writes this adversarial relationship so beautifully. Ivy hurt Lillian deeply in the past and a big part of Lillian wants to hurt her back just as much. Yet she feels so infuriatingly conflicted! The tension between them is palpable. At the same time, I also grew to care about Ivy and found her struggle to come to terms with how to deal with her health issues very moving.
I have to say - the hate sex is ridiculously hot in this book. Scorching. And resolution isn't easy. Both characters have to work for this one. I was so engrossed I read it all in one day. Terrific.
The secondary characters in this book are so strong. Morgan and Emilia had their story told in book one and I'm hopeful that Stevie and Angie will be getting theirs next. When it comes to this series, I'm all in and anxious for more!
After being diagnosed with a medical condition, Ivy Holden moves to Maine to take a job at Seal Cove Veterinary Clinic to be closer to her family. Problem is, this is the same facility where Lillian Lee - her arch nemesis from veterinary school - works. Lillian is established and happy there, having developed close friendships with her colleagues. Ivy hasn't disclosed her medical condition to anyone - including her family - and Lillian can't for the life of her understand why Ivy had to take a job at her clinic, of all places. She grudgingly accepts the clinic is short staffed, though, and really needs another good doctor to help carry the load.
Ivy has always been able to push all of Lillian's buttons and apparently still can. Lillian, still recovering from a years-long distance relationship breakup, decides she will do everything possible to remain professional with the woman, but is very unhappy that Ivy has disrupted her life like this. It would certainly make it easier to deal with if the stunning Ivy with the incredible green eyes didn't stir things in her - and vice versa.
Burke writes this adversarial relationship so beautifully. Ivy hurt Lillian deeply in the past and a big part of Lillian wants to hurt her back just as much. Yet she feels so infuriatingly conflicted! The tension between them is palpable. At the same time, I also grew to care about Ivy and found her struggle to come to terms with how to deal with her health issues very moving.
I have to say - the hate sex is ridiculously hot in this book. Scorching. And resolution isn't easy. Both characters have to work for this one. I was so engrossed I read it all in one day. Terrific.
The secondary characters in this book are so strong. Morgan and Emilia had their story told in book one and I'm hopeful that Stevie and Angie will be getting theirs next. When it comes to this series, I'm all in and anxious for more!
February 8, 2021
Just my second 5 star of 2021 baby! God I loved this book, it's been awhile since I've actively had a hard time putting down a book to do things like oh, I don't know, sleep, go to the bathroom, go to work, feed myself....
I truly, truly liked the undercurrents of tension in this book, both angst and sexual, and thought the author dealt with the "enemies to lovers" plot line in a unique way. Privilege and poverty play a big role in this book but without being super overt..... It's not "in your face" so to speak. I also give a huge high five to Ms. Burke for adding complicated layers that a disability can render a person. The physical and emotional pain and uncertainty and anger....very well done.
I haven't enjoyed a back and forth main couple this much in a long time, and didn't want this book to end. The sex! The sex was amazing! 5/5 on the chili pepper scale, it was smokin' hot.
There definitely has to be a book 3, because Angie and Stevie, we're waiting for you....
I truly, truly liked the undercurrents of tension in this book, both angst and sexual, and thought the author dealt with the "enemies to lovers" plot line in a unique way. Privilege and poverty play a big role in this book but without being super overt..... It's not "in your face" so to speak. I also give a huge high five to Ms. Burke for adding complicated layers that a disability can render a person. The physical and emotional pain and uncertainty and anger....very well done.
I haven't enjoyed a back and forth main couple this much in a long time, and didn't want this book to end. The sex! The sex was amazing! 5/5 on the chili pepper scale, it was smokin' hot.
There definitely has to be a book 3, because Angie and Stevie, we're waiting for you....
October 2, 2023
Great sequel to book one. 4.5
I like that the series follows different characters so you can see all the people you've grown to love find happiness. It was a good read about the personal struggle with unseen illnesses, the mental and physical toll it takes on the body that others wouldn't know if you hide it well.
I confess to liking book one slightly better but for those of you that enjoy good, hot, intimacy, Night Tide has it in spades. The characters are just as funny, emotional, and real as book 1. You won't be disappointed. I will reiterate that I don't care for contemporary romance, but I'll follow this series as long as Anna is writing the books. Thanks for another good read.
I like that the series follows different characters so you can see all the people you've grown to love find happiness. It was a good read about the personal struggle with unseen illnesses, the mental and physical toll it takes on the body that others wouldn't know if you hide it well.
I confess to liking book one slightly better but for those of you that enjoy good, hot, intimacy, Night Tide has it in spades. The characters are just as funny, emotional, and real as book 1. You won't be disappointed. I will reiterate that I don't care for contemporary romance, but I'll follow this series as long as Anna is writing the books. Thanks for another good read.
February 15, 2021
I dig it. *nods*
(It's after 4am. I might edit and add more to this at a more decent hour)
(It's after 4am. I might edit and add more to this at a more decent hour)
June 19, 2025
In the roughly two years since that fateful August afternoon when a little-free-library encounter with Alexandria Bellefleur’s
The Fiancée Farce
brought a whole new genre of contemporary queer literature into my life, I’ve shelved 38 Romance novels as read. Compared to some of you, a drop in the bucket. Still. Of those 38 romances (how representative or unrepresentative I don’t know), Night Tide has the hottest sex. To be clear, this is very much romance, not erotica. But God Damn. Obviously a matter of taste, but still.
I see now that all the enemies-to-lovers romances I’ve read—whatever slice of the 38 that is—have been, ultimately, cowardly and defensive, afraid to let the word “enemies” mean what it means. These women are enemies. And when they turn into lovers—I say again, God Damn.
This is an intensely beautiful and somewhat cruel novel. It deals with pretty heavy issues—chronic illness, class privilege and wealth inequality, and, not unrelated, crippling insecurity and the casual cruelty it so often nourishes. It knows that life and love are fundamentally without reason and without justice, but also that that reality cannot be wielded as an excuse if what we’re after is happily ever after—which, as all honest romance authors have to know, has very little to do with happiness. Means something like living fully, loving deeply, growing together, being present for the entire range of emotions that give life meaning.
I see now that all the enemies-to-lovers romances I’ve read—whatever slice of the 38 that is—have been, ultimately, cowardly and defensive, afraid to let the word “enemies” mean what it means. These women are enemies. And when they turn into lovers—I say again, God Damn.
This is an intensely beautiful and somewhat cruel novel. It deals with pretty heavy issues—chronic illness, class privilege and wealth inequality, and, not unrelated, crippling insecurity and the casual cruelty it so often nourishes. It knows that life and love are fundamentally without reason and without justice, but also that that reality cannot be wielded as an excuse if what we’re after is happily ever after—which, as all honest romance authors have to know, has very little to do with happiness. Means something like living fully, loving deeply, growing together, being present for the entire range of emotions that give life meaning.
January 11, 2024
If I had to describe what that book made me feel in one word it would be hard. All I can say is it was intense.
Intensity in the vitriol and hate between Lillian and Ivy, intensity in their sexual relationship , intensity in the emotion some scenes brought me. The first sex scenes were feral with a lot of dominance powerplay making them really hot.
I think it’s the first book I read, where both MC are the least perfect : they are both very mean to each other, extremely judgemental, say awful to each other at some point in their relationship, whether in the past or the present. Their relationship is a mix of contradictory feelings, that is toeing the line between toxicity and pushing each other out of their limits. It was complicated and messy as hell, I was as lost as the character felt.. Two chapters from the end, I was still wondering if they could be good to each other in the long run. That’s why it felt real and was so interesting.Ivy's character has been recently diagnosed MS I am not able to judge if the representation was accurate but I found the state of doubt and fear she is in was so well written ; she even made me cry. It definitely brought a lot of depth to this book.
The whole gang of friends is back (even more?) meddling, and brought the perfect dose of levity.
With characters that can be infuriating, hard to love sometimes, scenes that can be as passionate as moving, Burke managed to make me love Ivy and Lillian as a couple and root for their story. The writing is smart, I mean there’s even poetry in their names ! I loved this book.
Intensity in the vitriol and hate between Lillian and Ivy, intensity in their sexual relationship , intensity in the emotion some scenes brought me. The first sex scenes were feral with a lot of dominance powerplay making them really hot.
I think it’s the first book I read, where both MC are the least perfect : they are both very mean to each other, extremely judgemental, say awful to each other at some point in their relationship, whether in the past or the present. Their relationship is a mix of contradictory feelings, that is toeing the line between toxicity and pushing each other out of their limits. It was complicated and messy as hell, I was as lost as the character felt.. Two chapters from the end, I was still wondering if they could be good to each other in the long run. That’s why it felt real and was so interesting.Ivy's character has been recently diagnosed MS I am not able to judge if the representation was accurate but I found the state of doubt and fear she is in was so well written ; she even made me cry. It definitely brought a lot of depth to this book.
The whole gang of friends is back (even more?) meddling, and brought the perfect dose of levity.
With characters that can be infuriating, hard to love sometimes, scenes that can be as passionate as moving, Burke managed to make me love Ivy and Lillian as a couple and root for their story. The writing is smart, I mean there’s even poetry in their names ! I loved this book.
November 10, 2025
"How can I want sweetness and destruction from the same person? She wanted to break Ivy down into atoms and ether, and she wanted to feel the wholeness of her in her arms."
Well FUCK! This book broke me.
And I mean I had to take several days to ruminate and recuperate from finishing this book, as well as had to go through and re-read several parts, so I could maybe just maybe feel the same intensity of emotions I felt the first time reading it through.
I already knew that Anna Burke was a good author based on Spindrift (her first novel in this series.) But this took it to a whole new level.
I think what I loved the most about these characters is how real and RAW they felt. Lillian and Ivy are both so deeply flawed and sometimes incredibly unlikable, but the way that Burkes weaves in their inner struggles, insecurities, and family background allows the reader to see such whole characters with heart and strength and weaknesses and it was just ahhhhhhh so good!!
"It's so different in the summer,' Ivy said "Now, it looks angry"
The ocean roared in reply as snow fell on the waves.
It looks like us"
I think it can be incredibly difficult to set up a well-written enemies-to-lovers in a contemporary setting, but because Burke takes the time to build such deep-rooted layers of obsession, resentment, and desire within their shared history it creates a really believable and gripping story. Burke doesn't just write, she creates vivid imagery of pain, heartbreak, shame, and longing through discussions of class, race, and privilege that doesn't just integrate with the characters on the page but speaks directly to readers.
Burke sets up a really interesting and electric dynamic between Ivy and Lillian. Where we have two characters who are deeply ashamed about their attraction to one another because they realize that their love for one another makes them have to face the hard truths and flaws within themselves. It's like a case of "Oh, I hate you and I love you because you challenge me to be better and you make me realize I have flaws, insecurities, and privileges that I don't want to deal with it." And that's so fucking compelling, because as much as they infuriate each other, they make each other feel whole.
"Ivy would never be safe. Ivy would always push her. That is what life did, and with Ivy she felt alive."
Ivy and Lillian are forced to confront themselves when it comes to each other and to grow from their fears and mistakes and it adds such an exquisite tension as they both unravel each other's walls.
Ivy's story of dealing with chronic illnesses and watching how it has affected her worth and Lillian's story of growing up in poverty while balancing privilege, hurt in the best way and I did really enjoy watching them unravel only to build each other up.
This didn't feel like a love story it felt like something deeper, because it dealt so closely with all the other emotions that one can feel when we love. Anger, resentment, challenge, need, uncertainty, unworthiness, and sometimes a deep-rooted burning inside like a flame.
"Ivy had rooted within her like her namesake. She felt the green, pulsing strength of those roots around her heart and the tendrils that burrowed through her bloodstream with each breath. She couldn't uproot her without internal damage. Moreover, she didn't want to. Ivy's brightness might cut, but it also deeply illuminated. The world without her ebbed and flowed in muted grays."
Song: 🎶 Do I ever cross your mind by sombr 🎶
I couldn't recommend this more!
5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Well FUCK! This book broke me.
And I mean I had to take several days to ruminate and recuperate from finishing this book, as well as had to go through and re-read several parts, so I could maybe just maybe feel the same intensity of emotions I felt the first time reading it through.
I already knew that Anna Burke was a good author based on Spindrift (her first novel in this series.) But this took it to a whole new level.
I think what I loved the most about these characters is how real and RAW they felt. Lillian and Ivy are both so deeply flawed and sometimes incredibly unlikable, but the way that Burkes weaves in their inner struggles, insecurities, and family background allows the reader to see such whole characters with heart and strength and weaknesses and it was just ahhhhhhh so good!!
"It's so different in the summer,' Ivy said "Now, it looks angry"
The ocean roared in reply as snow fell on the waves.
It looks like us"
I think it can be incredibly difficult to set up a well-written enemies-to-lovers in a contemporary setting, but because Burke takes the time to build such deep-rooted layers of obsession, resentment, and desire within their shared history it creates a really believable and gripping story. Burke doesn't just write, she creates vivid imagery of pain, heartbreak, shame, and longing through discussions of class, race, and privilege that doesn't just integrate with the characters on the page but speaks directly to readers.
Burke sets up a really interesting and electric dynamic between Ivy and Lillian. Where we have two characters who are deeply ashamed about their attraction to one another because they realize that their love for one another makes them have to face the hard truths and flaws within themselves. It's like a case of "Oh, I hate you and I love you because you challenge me to be better and you make me realize I have flaws, insecurities, and privileges that I don't want to deal with it." And that's so fucking compelling, because as much as they infuriate each other, they make each other feel whole.
"Ivy would never be safe. Ivy would always push her. That is what life did, and with Ivy she felt alive."
Ivy and Lillian are forced to confront themselves when it comes to each other and to grow from their fears and mistakes and it adds such an exquisite tension as they both unravel each other's walls.
Ivy's story of dealing with chronic illnesses and watching how it has affected her worth and Lillian's story of growing up in poverty while balancing privilege, hurt in the best way and I did really enjoy watching them unravel only to build each other up.
This didn't feel like a love story it felt like something deeper, because it dealt so closely with all the other emotions that one can feel when we love. Anger, resentment, challenge, need, uncertainty, unworthiness, and sometimes a deep-rooted burning inside like a flame.
"Ivy had rooted within her like her namesake. She felt the green, pulsing strength of those roots around her heart and the tendrils that burrowed through her bloodstream with each breath. She couldn't uproot her without internal damage. Moreover, she didn't want to. Ivy's brightness might cut, but it also deeply illuminated. The world without her ebbed and flowed in muted grays."
Song: 🎶 Do I ever cross your mind by sombr 🎶
I couldn't recommend this more!
5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
February 1, 2021
Wow. I haven't read a book that I enjoyed this much for a long time. I read it in 1 sitting, and I am still digesting to be honest.
While I enjoyed the first book of this series, this was on another level for me. Anna Burke is so good at bringing humanity and.... Difficult?, I don't know if difficult is the right word. How about, truely realistic and what you can expect from life, issues brought to the surface, and beautifully dealt with.
I was sucked in by the story of Ivy and Lillian. It's an an enemies to lovers story I suppose, but it does not lack the depth and exploration of the root issues that I am used to seeing. And it does not shy away from more challenging topics.
Both women had unlikeable moments for sure, but I understood the motives behind their actions, without a shadow of a doubt.
I was rooting for both of them, and it was a bumpy but earnest ride, to go through the emotional termiol with them.
(Also, it's incredibly hot).
I am really impressed, and this is going on my re read list.
While I enjoyed the first book of this series, this was on another level for me. Anna Burke is so good at bringing humanity and.... Difficult?, I don't know if difficult is the right word. How about, truely realistic and what you can expect from life, issues brought to the surface, and beautifully dealt with.
I was sucked in by the story of Ivy and Lillian. It's an an enemies to lovers story I suppose, but it does not lack the depth and exploration of the root issues that I am used to seeing. And it does not shy away from more challenging topics.
Both women had unlikeable moments for sure, but I understood the motives behind their actions, without a shadow of a doubt.
I was rooting for both of them, and it was a bumpy but earnest ride, to go through the emotional termiol with them.
(Also, it's incredibly hot).
I am really impressed, and this is going on my re read list.
December 23, 2023
【4.25 Stars】
This is the second book I have read by Anna Burke. I was excited to read this because it picks up right where Spindrift left off. It can be a stand-alone, but I do not recommend it. It focuses on a completely separate couple, but there are enough references to the previous book that I feel would be confusing.
I am in love with books that depict a true enemies to lovers relationship that is palpable. Burke delivers this beautifully. Lillian’s and Ivy’s hate is clear and believable. The scenes were steamy and I enjoyed the tension afterwards due to the initial love/hate relationship.
I do think because of my bias towards E2L, I prefer this book over the first one! A great second book in the series. Can be read as a stone-alone imo. I recommend it to anyone who likes E2L books.
➢Happy reading!
This is the second book I have read by Anna Burke. I was excited to read this because it picks up right where Spindrift left off. It can be a stand-alone, but I do not recommend it. It focuses on a completely separate couple, but there are enough references to the previous book that I feel would be confusing.
I am in love with books that depict a true enemies to lovers relationship that is palpable. Burke delivers this beautifully. Lillian’s and Ivy’s hate is clear and believable. The scenes were steamy and I enjoyed the tension afterwards due to the initial love/hate relationship.
I do think because of my bias towards E2L, I prefer this book over the first one! A great second book in the series. Can be read as a stone-alone imo. I recommend it to anyone who likes E2L books.
➢Happy reading!
October 8, 2021
3 stars
Hmm. What to say...
Like in the previous book on this series, the MCs' main adversary were their own selves and to be honest I wasn't impressed with those. Ivy was snobbish as hell and masked her fear with vitriol and Lillian had a chip in her shoulder the size of Germany and was extremely inflexible as far as her world-view went. I feel obliged to point out I liked Ivy a bit better but wasn't really impressed anyways.
But it was still a really decent romance despite that. The story flew and the author managed to make the romance of those two seem organic, which is no small feat. But still, not one of my favourites.
Hmm. What to say...
Like in the previous book on this series, the MCs' main adversary were their own selves and to be honest I wasn't impressed with those. Ivy was snobbish as hell and masked her fear with vitriol and Lillian had a chip in her shoulder the size of Germany and was extremely inflexible as far as her world-view went. I feel obliged to point out I liked Ivy a bit better but wasn't really impressed anyways.
But it was still a really decent romance despite that. The story flew and the author managed to make the romance of those two seem organic, which is no small feat. But still, not one of my favourites.
January 23, 2021
"Night Tide" is the sequel to "Spindrift" and is set in the same town, Seal Cove. In this novel, we ride along as Lillian Lee must deal with her arch-nemesis Ivy Holden.
The reader is wrapped in both history and current-day hatred, bitchiness and bad feelings that run deep between the two women. It's a powerful story accented with moments of friendship, need, and of course, animals. In fact, the animals in this novel are just as much characters as the humans who care for them.
We are compelled to keep reading, unable to set the book down, as Lillian and Ivy find a way to work at the same vet clinic, share the same pool of friends and frequent the same places in the small town. There is misunderstanding, fear, hatred, privilege and financial handicap. But there is also love, loyalty, lust, and did I mention dogs? "Night Tide" is just as gripping as "Spindrift" was, but in my humble opinion, this is the better of the two. In part, I think, because the angst here cut so close. Maybe I just bonded better with these characters, but whatever the difference, I enjoyed this one even more. And that's saying a lot!
The reader is wrapped in both history and current-day hatred, bitchiness and bad feelings that run deep between the two women. It's a powerful story accented with moments of friendship, need, and of course, animals. In fact, the animals in this novel are just as much characters as the humans who care for them.
We are compelled to keep reading, unable to set the book down, as Lillian and Ivy find a way to work at the same vet clinic, share the same pool of friends and frequent the same places in the small town. There is misunderstanding, fear, hatred, privilege and financial handicap. But there is also love, loyalty, lust, and did I mention dogs? "Night Tide" is just as gripping as "Spindrift" was, but in my humble opinion, this is the better of the two. In part, I think, because the angst here cut so close. Maybe I just bonded better with these characters, but whatever the difference, I enjoyed this one even more. And that's saying a lot!
June 9, 2023
God, 5 stars isn’t enough for this book!! It’s quite possibly the hottest thing I have EVER read! 😵😍 And there are cute animals too!!!
June 21, 2023
this was so lovely 🥺🥺🥺🥺 I feel like every time I've picked up a romance recently I've run into some kind of major issue: the writing is Not For Me, or the romance is poorly paced, or I don't even buy the romance to begin with. Night Tide, though, was an absolute breath of fresh air. It checked off all my boxes. First of all, the ANGST. All my favourite romances are angsty, so when I call a romance angsty it is a compliment of the highest order lol. I loved Lillian and Ivy's relationship so much. They have a lot of history--they knew each other in vet school and did not get along during that time, to say the least (yes, the characters are vets!! yes, this is a hate-to-love romance!!)--and seeing them come together after years apart was so, so good. Every time they meet, it's like there are these two layers of their dynamic that are operating at the same time: the old dynamic they used to have, and the new dynamic they are slowly forging now. It makes for such a compelling romance, one that really foregrounds growth and honesty and openness. There's also something so moving about seeing animosity give way to something tender, to the kind of trust that leaves room for vulnerability.
Altogether, everything about this novel just clicked for me. Night Tide really is an absolute gem of a book and definitely a new favourite--I can't recommend it highly enough if you're a romance reader.
Thanks so much to Bywater Books for sending me a review copy of this in exchange for an honest review!
Altogether, everything about this novel just clicked for me. Night Tide really is an absolute gem of a book and definitely a new favourite--I can't recommend it highly enough if you're a romance reader.
Thanks so much to Bywater Books for sending me a review copy of this in exchange for an honest review!
October 20, 2022
Continuation of the Seal Cove hot mess vets.
I loved that this was a slowed-down enemies-to-lovers. Despite the characters having a firm dislike for most of the book it was easy to see their attraction and the deeper feelings brewing underneath. There was quite a bit of "frenemy" flirting which made the experience unique from other enemies-to-lovers storylines.
The only thing that I wished I could have seen more of was Morgan, Emelia, and Stevie from the first book. There were a lot of Angie and Stormy moments but I wished the other three characters' cameos were balanced a little better. This book has certainly sealed my need to have Stormy as a main character in the future. She was a great addition to the book and if she does not find love I will riot.
I loved that this was a slowed-down enemies-to-lovers. Despite the characters having a firm dislike for most of the book it was easy to see their attraction and the deeper feelings brewing underneath. There was quite a bit of "frenemy" flirting which made the experience unique from other enemies-to-lovers storylines.
The only thing that I wished I could have seen more of was Morgan, Emelia, and Stevie from the first book. There were a lot of Angie and Stormy moments but I wished the other three characters' cameos were balanced a little better. This book has certainly sealed my need to have Stormy as a main character in the future. She was a great addition to the book and if she does not find love I will riot.
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