TIDAL by Emily Snow {Review}

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Publication Date: December 14th 2012

Publisher: Touchstone/Simon & Schuster

Pages: 312

Format: Paperback

Source: Provided by publisher for review

Now that Willow Avery is out of rehab, she's got one chance left to prove herself before she’s officially on every producer’s shit list. At least, that's what her parents and agent are claiming. She doesn't really give a damn if she never makes another movie or not—she just wants to get on with her life, get back to her friends, and find her next escape. But Willow is broke. And whether she likes it or not, acting is the only job she knows how to do. When she accepts the lead in a beach drama, Willow finds herself in Hawaii. And in Hawaii, she finds Cooper, the gorgeous surfer hired to train her for her new role. With the bluest eyes she’s ever seen and the sexiest Australian accent she’s ever heard, Cooper’s different from the men she’s used to. He doesn’t want to use her. And he refuses to let her fail. But when an old friend re-enters Willow’s life—a friend whose toxicity she’s been drawn to time and time before and whose presence brings about the painful memories she's tried so hard to suppress—Willow will have to choose between the girl she was and the person she’s becoming. The lifestyle that helps her forget the pain and the guy she’s falling hard for. *New Adult Romance*

My Take:

Easily one of the best books I have ever read, Tidal is about one girl's search to find out who she is, what she wants out of life and overcoming addiction. About finding love and moving on from past mistakes.

After reading a few of my friends' reviews for this book, I was beyond excited to be offered the chance to review it. I had no idea gong into this that I would fall so hard for this story. It was beautiful, Emotional and absolutely breathtaking. As an actress from a young age, Willow has never lived a normal life. As you read about her past experiences with drugs and alcohol and toxic friends it's easy to see how she got caught up so easily. Coming off her latest stint in rehab she is thrust into a staring role in a new movie being filmed in Hawaii where she must learn to surf. It wasn't hard to get behind this character and root for her success not only in life but in finding out what drives her to do the things she does. She's hiding a tragic secret that has plagued her for years and as the issue was revealed little by little you begin to understand why she feels the need to numb herself with drugs. 

A broken, damaged girl who feels unloved and unworthy, Willow was a flawed character and I loved every broken piece of her. She's not only dealing with her parents being almost cold and detached from her she has had terrible luck with men throughout her young dating life. Throw in one painful experience that still haunts her and I was hooked waiting to find out what happened. As she learns to surf with her sexy Australian trainer named Cooper, she starts to fall hard for him. I was very happy with this couple for so many reasons. Not only was Cooper good for her, but he didn't care about her past and the mistakes she has made. With her being constantly judged by the public it was nice to see her have someone in her corner to make her feel better about herself. She was still human and struggled with her addiction to pills which got worse when her once best friend Jessica tempts her by bringing a bag to her house. Her relationship with Cooper becomes an anchor for her sanity as she faces down everything when it finally catches up to her.

Speaking of Cooper, this was probably the best fictional male character EVER. I know I say that a lot but he was AMAZING! He was patient, understanding and wonderful. He showed Willow  how to let go of everything and enjoy life. He showed her that love is more than words and watching him slowly chip away at her defenses made me believe in the power of love. Cooper has his own tragic set of circumstances that when found out endear him to your heart so solidly that it cannot be moved. There is a surprising plot twist involving him that left me speechless when it came out. He has a connection to the movie Willow is starring in that sheds light on his past as well. He was a perfect match for her because he understood first hand exactly what she was going through and could help her handle everything. Besides the fact that he was sexy as hell he also protected Willow and made sure she knew her worth. The relationship between Cooper and Willow felt honest and real and every important moment between them was well timed out, never feeling rushed.

Along the way Willow makes some new friends in her bodyguard and Cooper's friends. She learns the meaning of true friendship and they help her when she needs people to lean on. Paige was probably the best supporting character you could possibly find. Being the girlfriend of Cooper's best friend Eric, it was inevitable that Willow and her became close. Spending so much time over at Cooper's they developed a bond that Willow isn't used to sharing with another girl. Up until this point in her life she has had vapid, self absorbed girls in her life that never cared about her well being. Paige was a really cool chick. Her love of surfing and DGAF attitude made her stand out to me and I enjoyed watching her with Willow. Paige brought light hearted laughter back into Willow's life as well as Eric, Paige's boyfriend. He had some classic lines that deserved to be highlighted. 

The main focus on the story was all about Willow and her healing from her pain but the secondary story was dealing with the issue that sent her into a tailspin in the first place. Her major secret that not even the press had found out about. This was completely unexpected and threw me for a loop when everything was hashed out. I figured early on that one thing had happened only to find out I was completely wrong. It wasn't so much what came out but the way it comes to light was shocking. Someone Willow believed she could trust betrays that trust and throws everything she tried to keep private into the spotlight for the vultures of Hollywood to pick apart. The main reason I loved her was seeing her finally realize she wasn't OK and take the necessary steps to fix herself. The way the story wrapped was probably the best ending to a book I have read yet and I have read some epic endings. The part that Cooper plays in bringing the story to a close will squeeze the breath from your lungs and make you cry. It takes a lot to move me to tears but this book brought out so much emotion in me that wasn't expected I had no choice but to bawl my eyes out. Happy tears are the best kind of emotion I believe.

This book was a major surprise to me and I am so extremely happy that I got the chance to read and review it. The characters were well fleshed out and endearing. The overall story was deep and thoughtful. The love story was beautiful and the message behind was powerful. We all have demons to overcome and having a healthy support system is vital to the success you aim to achieve. But the most important message is that Love, while hard to find and hold onto, will always triumph over the darkness. I highly recommend this book with a roll of Charmin's finest and someone to hold you when done. Another absolute brilliant winner from Emily Snow!

Quotes:

"I'm Cooper's roommate." he said. There was a humorous gleam in his brown eyes when he added. "I used to jack off to your music videos." Page 55

"I don't like being attracted to you. And if you think I'm getting under your skin, just imagine what you're doing to me. I haven't...I've not been in a real relationship in a long time, Cooper. But here you are and you scare the shit out of me." Page 111

"I'm not going to push you to talk, Wills. I'm not going to push you to do anything. But at the risk of sounding like a total pussy, I'll listen to whatever comes out of your mouth." Page 171

About The Author:

Emily Snow is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the DEVOURED series (October 2012, January 2013) and TIDAL (December 2012). She loves books, sexy bad boys, and really loud rock music, so naturally, she writes stories about all three. Visit her blog at http://emilysnowbooks.blogspot.com for news, teasers, and contests.

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