Reviewed by Lesley
TITLE: Tides of the Heart
SERIES: The Pacific Edge Series Book 1
AUTHOR: Dave Henderson
PUBLISHER: LRS Publishing
LENGTH: 354 pages
RELEASE DATE: October 1, 2024
BLURB:
I’ve been a lot of things in my life—a friend, a soldier, a survivor, a man haunted by shadows. But, I never expected to be in a small coastal town. I was trying to piece together the fragments of a life shattered by war. Brookings, Oregon, was supposed to be a quiet place to hide away, but instead, it became the stage for a story I never saw coming.
It all started with a wounded German Shepherd—Shadow. He barged into my life, all paws and pain, just when I thought I had nothing left to give. And then there was Jordan, the town’s kind-hearted veterinarian with a secret of his own. He’s got this smile that could light up the darkest night, but he’s been living in silence, literally. A hearing disorder kept him isolated, just as my PTSD kept me locked in my own head.
We were two broken men, hiding from the world until Shadow brought us together. I never imagined a dog could mend two broken souls. But there we were, caring for this brave creature and finding solace in each other. Jordan, with his gentle hands and empathetic eyes, slowly became my anchor. And somehow, through runs on the beach and quiet moments, we started to heal—not just Shadow, but ourselves.
Before I knew it, this town, this life, became something worth fighting for. Jordan showed me that even in the darkest times, there’s a way out, a way to live and love again. But let’s not get too sappy—because this journey wasn’t all smooth sailing. We faced our demons, both from the past and the ones we created in our heads. Yet, standing by each other’s side, we found strength in vulnerability and love in the least expected places.
So here’s the thing: Brookings gave me more than a fresh start. It gave me Jordan, Shadow, and a family I never thought I’d have. And in the end, it turns out that maybe, just maybe, we saved each other
REVIEW:
A brilliant debut romance novel by Dave Henderson.
I am always a bit cautious when I read a debut novel, will the prose be too flowery, will it be disjointed, will it have a satisfying ending? I can honestly say this story really worked for me.
This is the story of Alex, an army veteran who has come to Brookings to start a new life and to try a new therapist for his PTSD. When Shadow, a stray service dog, comes crashing through his bedroom window getting injured in the process he needs an emergency veterinarian to come and help him. Fortunately, his Aunt Lynn knows just the man, her vet Jordan.
Jordan wasn’t born deaf but gradually lost his hearing as a child. He has a hate, hate relationship with his hearing aids. He hates that he needs them, and he hates how they hurt his ears and how they make him different. When he gets an emergency call out to an injured German Shepherd there is no way he can say no. What he doesn’t expect is the Adonis that greats him. A man like that is never going to be interested in a deaf guy like him, a guy who is unlovable is he?
Not only did I enjoy the story, but I also enjoyed Dave’s writing style. The main characters felt so real to me. I fell in love with Alex, Jordan and Shadow. My heart broke for Alex. I can only imagine the horror of surviving an ambush that killed your friends. The what ifs, the sights that cannot be unseen (yes, I am talking about him as if he is a real person) and I knew when he realised why Shadow got injured it would break him a little more.
It was so nice to see not just Alex getting emotionally stronger but also Jordan coming to terms with his deafness, his worth and realising how strong he is, both physically and mentally.
Aunt Lynn was probably the least realistic character, but she reminded me of a fairy godmother character from animated movies and let’s face it every book needs a modern, lesbian fairy godmother in it.
I really can not wait for the next book in this series. Go and give this author a chance.
RATING: 
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