Tide Together
Author: Melanie Summers
Series: Paradise Bay, #7
Publication date: August 22nd 2024
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
What happens when a stressed-out bridesmaid and a laidback pilot are stranded alone together on a sun-kissed Caribbean island?
Paige Chadwick is having the worst day of her life. Her tyrant boss has made her three days late for her sister’s destination wedding trip, and now she’s stuck on the wrong Caribbean island with the wedding just hours away.
Enter Mac Gamble, a brooding yet irresistibly attractive pilot, who reluctantly agrees to get her to the church on time.
When a fast-moving storm leaves them stranded on a deserted island, they’re forced to rely on each other to survive. As they navigate their new surroundings, tempers flare and an undeniable attraction grows.
Amidst the stunning sunsets and white sand beaches, Paige starts to see that underneath Mac’s gruff exterior is a heart of gold.
Can these two opposites find a love as deep as the ocean, or will their differences stir up a hurricane of heartbreak?
Tide Together is a STAND-ALONE hilarious and heartwarming, banter-filled tale of two complete opposites stranded together in a tropical paradise.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
Opposites attract
Stranded together on a tropical island
Forced proximity/only one bed
Fish out of water
Deliciously witty banter
A whole lot of tension, plenty of steam, and a hint of spice
an excerpt
Mac unties my shoelaces and gently removes my runner. “I don’t have ice or a compression wrap, but I can use what we’ve got to wrap it.”
“You don’t have to fuss. I’m sure I’ll be able to walk on it in a few minutes.”
He raises one eyebrow at me. “Now’s not the time to be low-maintenance. We need to get you healed up as fast as possible for both of our sakes.”
We stare at each other for a second longer than would be considered polite, then I clear my throat and glance down, remembering how much I can’t stand this man. “Okay, yeah. That makes sense.”
I watch him while he removes my sock, my cheeks going hot at the thought that my foot might not exactly be spring daisy-fresh at the moment. He works quickly, wrapping the sock around my ankle, then, much to my surprise (and delight of my dormant lady bits), he places both hands on the hem of his t-shirt and pulls it over his head, leaving his upper body in plain view of my very greedy eyes.
Oh my! Oh my, oh my. That is one manly set of arms leading to one muscular … everything. The sight of that is almost enough to erase how rude he is, as pathetic as that sounds. I gaze shamelessly while he quickly folds the shirt lengthwise, then carefully wraps it around my ankle. “Sorry about the sweat,” he mutters.
“Oh no, that’s fine,” I answer with a ridiculously breathy voice I don’t recognize. “We have to make do with what we’ve got, right?”
Am I touching my collar bone with my fingertips? Come on, New York, get it together. Oh my God, now he’s got me calling myself New York. I seriously must have heatstroke. Only it’s not from the sun. It’s from the heat coming off this man.
He glances up at me. “How does that feel?”
“Great. I mean, good, yeah. It … should do the trick.”
He lets out the tiniest smirk, then says, “It should feel fairly snug without it causing you to lose the circulation in your toes.”
I give my toes a little wiggle, glad I went for that pedicure before the trip. “I can definitely feel them.”
“Good. Let me know if that changes and I’ll rewrap it.” He stands up and puts the backpack on again, which on any other man would look ridiculous—a backpack with no shirt. But on him, wow, yum. He holds out one hand and pulls me up to my feet, then says, “All right. Let’s go.”
Let’s go? There’s no way I can walk on this thing. I’m just about to tell him as much when he reaches behind me and lifts me into the air so he’s carrying me bridegroom-over-the-threshold-style, and starts down the path.
My entire body flames with lust and embarrassment and I let out a little “Ooh!” followed by, “Well, then … okay.”
Not knowing what to do with my hands, I fold them neatly on my lap. “No, wait. Listen, I can’t let you carry me all this way.”
“Sure you can.”
“Nope, I can’t. I’m an adult human. We’re not light. Well, some women are, I suppose. You know, those tiny waif women, like Lisa Loeb. I met her once. Very nice. She’s so little I wanted to pick her up and put her in my pocket. If you were stranded with Lisa Loeb, I’d say no problem to the carrying thing. But I’m not Lisa Loeb. I’m much sturdier. And taller, for that matter.”
He narrows his eyes a little and shakes his head. “I think you’re grossly overestimating how big you are.”
“I know exactly how big I am,” I answer, feeling somewhat indignant even though it’s possible he’s trying to compliment me. “I know the measurements of every part of my body. Well, the ones you need to order clothes online, anyway. And I’m not small. At some stores, I’m not even medium. I’m large.”
“Well, those stores are stupid,” he says, shifting me a little in his arms.
Okay, so he really might be trying to compliment me. That felt nice, actually. “They are stupid. I only shop at them when things are heavily discounted.”
“That’ll show ‘em.”
Melanie Summers also writes steamy romance as MJ Summers.
Melanie made a name for herself with her debut novel, Break in Two, a contemporary romance that cracked the Top 10 Paid on Amazon in both the UK and Canada, and the top 50 Paid in the USA. Her highly acclaimed Full Hearts Series was picked up by both Piatkus Entice (a division of Hachette UK) and HarperCollins Canada. Her first three books have been translated into Czech and Slovak by EuroMedia. Since 2013, she has written and published three novellas, and eight novels (of which seven have been published). She has sold over a quarter of a million books around the globe.
In her previous life (i.e. before having children), Melanie got her Bachelor of Science from the University of Alberta, then went on to work in the soul-sucking customer service industry for a large cellular network provider that shall remain nameless (unless you write her personally – then she’ll dish). On her days off, she took courses and studied to become a Chartered Mediator. That designation landed her a job at the R.C.M.P. as the Alternative Dispute Resolution Coordinator for ‘K’ Division. Having had enough of mediating arguments between gun-toting police officers, she decided it was much safer to have children so she could continue her study of conflict in a weapon-free environment (and one which doesn’t require makeup and/or nylons).
Melanie resides in Edmonton with her husband, three young children, and their adorable but neurotic one-eyed dog. When she’s not writing novels, Melanie loves reading (obviously), snuggling up on the couch with her family for movie night (which would not be complete without lots of popcorn and milkshakes), and long walks in the woods near her house. She also spends a lot more time thinking about doing yoga than actually doing yoga, which is why most of her photos are taken ‘from above’. She also loves shutting down restaurants with her girlfriends. Well, not literally shutting them down, like calling the health inspector or something–more like just staying until they turn the lights off.
She is represented by Suzanne Brandreth of The Cooke Agency International.
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