Riptide

Salem Crossing #1

by Antonia Church

Nevada Noble has left behind a boring boyfriend and a suffocating family in the midwest to start a new life in Florida. Trading snow boots for sunglasses and socks for flip-flops, Neve instantly falls in love with the surf and the sand.

Her promise to stay faithful to only her love affair with the beach is soon in jeopardy as the prodigal son of the seaside town returns. He’s sexy, smart, and single—with a hint of mystery surrounding his sudden return.

Neve realizes the vow of chastity she made along the shores isn’t strong enough to withstand the tidal pull of attraction. Her heart gets caught in a riptide.

278 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 11, 2023

Reviews

[Beyond the Pages with Eva K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick Summary: A Falcon Crest meets Dynasty production

My Review: Riptide by Antonia Church is book one in the Salem Crossing series.

About the Book: Nevada (Neve) Noble came to Salem Crossing to start a new life. She has a new job, a new outlook, and a lot of new relationships. As she settles in and makes her own unique footprint in the sand, she begins to understand that secrets prevail in this mixed community. Gains and losses come on every front. After a few vague warnings and outright "performances," Neve knows what needs to happen next. She goes along with the plan, but for how long?

My Final Say: Book one in this series makes a rather spectacular start by introducing the main players in SX. Never ending drama, secrets upon secrets, hidden agendas, disturbing actions, and faux niceties are wrapped up in this adult fiction novel. The Caesars are in control. What becomes most evident as the story continues is that there is more to this place than can be seen. The people are extra on top of extra.

Other: Because of the nature of the content and the colorful escapades presented in this novel, I can almost guarantee that this book may not appeal to everyone. It is incredibly racy and crosses a few lines. It's the type of book that you just can't look away from, even as it seems you should. With that said, I must admit that the cliffhanger was done well enough that it all but insures that some reader interest will certainly follow.

Rating: 3.5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Series: Yes
Status/Level: M
Special Note: PolyA relations, infidelity, Hatfield-McCoy action, mature themes, MW/WW, profanity

Appreciation is extended to Antionia Church, to Satin Romance, and to NetGalley. Thank you for providing access to a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. The words I have shared are my own and have been voluntarily submitted.

[Sylvia Barker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great summer beach read for a little escapism. Found the characters believable but really, I came for the setting, which did not disappoint

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Samantha Kirkpatrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

"welcome to SX"

Synopsis: small Town run by distinct families with tons of secrets and drama.

If you're looking for a fun Beach read series, this is the book for you. We mostly follow Neve as she comes to a new town for work and uncovers multiple secrets while also keeping secrets of her own. I love the way the multiple POVs are. We have the MFC-Neve but then every other chapter or so we get to follow along with another one of the side characters. This first book of the series is a good start and builds up to the rest of the series. The epilogue ends on the perfect cliff hanger for the next book. I feel like this is a mix of heart of Dixie and highschool musical (without the music). Unfortunately this book also had a chunk of errors but nothing you can't look past.

🌶️🌶️🌶️

Troupes: small Town, multiple POV

[Cyrene Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book would rival any soap opera or reality housewives show. Nevada moves from boring Iowa to a rich seaside town in Florida. This town has a few core families that are always at each other’s throats, but they also have a lot of secrets. Think of the old show Dynasty meets Knot’s Landing meets The Young and the Restless. And if a family member is shamed, they are sent to live in Old Mat, the slum side of town.

A lot of secrets are revealed, but a lot of new questions leave the reader at the end. This is a good summer romance read, with all the twists and turns this town and its people take, it will keep you guessing where everything is going. Neve seems to be in a bit of a pickle at the end of this, and does leave on a bit of a cliffhanger.

[Marie Bourgery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neve was a little too confident about her abilities as a newly college graduated social worker in a new town. She learns quickly about about all the feuding families and secrets of the small Florida costal town. There was a lot of swearing, sleeping around, and scheming. This book read like a soap opera with an open ending, which is not the type of romance I typically read and I’m not sure if I want to read the next book.

[Allison Comis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was good. It was tough to get into at first. I had to stop and start a few times. It was a good love story once I got through the book. There were twists and turns in here that I didn’t expect. There was a lot of details that I felt could have been left out but overall it was a good book.

[Marion Marchetto · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this one earlier in the year and to be quite honest, I can't even remember it. Thus, it was not memorable for me. Perhaps you'll have better luck.