Rising Tides

Rising Tides is the second book in the trilogy of the Quinn brothers. This second book of the trilogy was my favorite so far! I haven't read the third one yet but I will. This book was very simple with a few twists and turns. I would highly reccomend this novel! Ethan is the eldest brother and a fisherman, still living in the Maryland shore town where he was raised by Ray and Stella Quinn. He is a quiet, seemingly content man but you later learn that he has kept his emotions and such to himself for many years. Ethan shared Ray's loves of the sea, boating, and fishing. Ethan seems satisfied with his life until he comes to face his past demons when youngest brother, Seth joins the family and with a similar past. Ethan is drawn to Seth having realized they both experienced horrific abuse at the hands of their natural parents during their early childhood. Because of this common thread, the story of their relationship is quite an emotional read. Ethan establishes a strong paternal relationship with his youngest brother and together, they are both able to put their past to rest. During the course of this book, Ethan realizes he is worthy of a loving relationship with Grace Monroe and her daughter Aubrey whom you will meet in Rising Tides and fall in love with. Ethan is the strongest of the Quinn brothers and through his love for his family and his job, he is able to give each of this brothers the emotional grounding they need to get through their family tragedy and learn to enjoy their lives once more. I love Nora Roberts books! I like it when she writes something more than a romance or mystery. The real life topic in this book is child abuse and the devastating, life long effect it can have on families and people. Nora manages to get across this very disturbing subject and still write an enjoyable book with a wonderful romance!

"Rising Tides" is the second book about the three Quinn brothers. This story revolves around Ethan and his relationship with Grace Monroe. Ethan has had perhaps the most disturbing past of the three boys adopted by Ray and Stella Quinn, but he has managed to become a wonderful, caring man and successful fisherman. Ethan and Grace have been friends for years. Grace cleans houses (including the Quinn's) and waitresses in order to support herself and her two year old daughter, Aubrey. Grace works incredibly hard and is a wonderful, complex character. Grace has been in love with Ethan for years and vice versa, although neither of them has acted upon it. This story is full of love and sadness, romance and fulfillment, as Grace and Ethan finally come together. It is a truly touching and lovely story, and is probably my favorite of the three.Seth's story is also continued in this installment, as his mother begins to pose more of a threat to him. The interaction between Seth and his brothers makes this more than just a simple romance. NR does a fabulous job of dealing with difficult emotions and complex relationships. She really makes the reader care about these characters and what happens to them.I highly recommend this book. It is full of all the aspects of life, and mixes moving and poignant scenes with humorous and amusing ones that will make you laugh. This is an excellent read and you do not want to miss it!

Ethan is a believable character in this book. The pain he suffers from past abuse is very real and life like. The way in which he can help Seth turns this book into more than a romance. Grace is a wonderful woman who does everything she can to fight for the love she deserves with the man she wants. I always appreciate Nora Roberts books. I like it when she writes something more than a romance or mystery. The real life topic in this book is child abuse and the devastating, life long effect it can have on families and people. Nora manages to tackle this very hard subject and still write an enjoyable book with a wonderful romance. Although each book can stand alone, it is much nicer I find, to read the trilogies together in order. The characters grow and the plot builds until you reach a very satisfying ending.

Rising Tides is the story of the eldest Quinn brother, Ethan. Ethan is a fisherman, still living in the Maryland shore town where his was raised by Ray and Stella Quinn. He is a quiet, seemingly content man but you later learn that he has kept his emotions and such to himself for many years. Ethan shared Ray's loves of the sea, boating, and fishing. On the whole, Ethan seems satisfied with his life until he comes to face his past demons when youngest brother, Seth joins the family. Ethan is drawn to Seth having realized they both experienced horrific abuse at the hands of their natural parents during their early childhood. Because of this common thread, the story of their relationship is quite an emotional read. Ethan establishes a strong paternal relationship with his youngest brother and together, they are both able to put their past to rest. During the course of this novel, Ethan realizes his dream to be a shipbuilder and also along the way realizes that he is worthy of a loving relationship with Grace and her daughter Aubrey whom you will meet in Rising Tides and fall in love with. I believe Ethan is the strongest of the Quinn brothers and through his love for his family and his job, he is able to give each of this brothers the emotional grounding they need to get through their family tragedy and learn to enjoy their lives once more.

I've bought the whole trilogy and somehow I thought that this one is the best from all three. I loved Ethan's character from the first time (Sea Swept, I mean). He was the calmest of all Quinns and it was wonderful to read his story with Grace. Not too much "explosion" between them like Cam & Anna or Phillip & Sybill. But that's the way I liked it. Ordinary, simple, but engaging till the very end.