My TBR List Review ~ April #2 ~ Changing Tides ~ Sarah Darlington

My To-Be Read List is a meme hosted by Michelle @Because Reading. 

As y'all know, I had a tie in the vote for My TBR in April so I read them both. Here's my second review...sorry it's late! ;)

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Changing Tides by Sarah Darlington
Kill Devil Hills #2
Release Date: March 16, 2015
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Source: Purchased on Kindle
Rating: 3.5 Bookworms
Challenges: #ShelfLove, #TravelingtotheTerminus
Goodreads

Synopsis
ELLIE
For years Ellie Turner's had a crush on the ruggedly handsome, beast of a man, television actor, Nate West. This isn't your average 'fan-girl crush' either, it's borderline obsessive, and totally inconvenient since, other that this one exception, Ellie's always been strictly into girls. But it doesn't matter...because Nate doesn't exist in real life. In real life Ellie has her own issues to worry about, including the death of her brother, the recent suicide attempt of her sister, and then there's always her annoying roommate Rhett to contend with.

NATE
Nate West isn't looking to start a new relationship. He's still heartbroken over the last girl who ripped out his insides, still learning how to manage his new-found fame, and, frankly, not even sure what time-zone he's in. His life is so full of stress, the last thing he wants is more of it.

So when Nate and Ellie meet on an airplane, nothing life changing should have come from it. But "sometimes in life--very rarely, I might add--you meet someone and you know instantly they're going to mean something special to you."

I really liked Kill Devil Hills so I'm not sure why I waited so long to jump back into this series. While Changing Tides didn't pack the emotional punch of Kill Devil Hills nor did I find it quite as compelling, I did enjoy Ellie and Nate's story as well as the continuing story of the Turner family.

Ellie Turner was a character I immediately liked when I met her in Kill Devil Hills. She's kind, loyal, brash, and funny...and very sure of her sexuality. In fact, she seemed rather certain of a lot about her life, which I admired, and it's also why she was completely thrown for a loop when she found herself attracted to a man. Not just any man, mind you. It just so happened that one Nate West was on her flight from North Carolina to California. The Nate West who happens to star in one of Ellie's favorite t.v. programs. 

Nate is immediately drawn to Ellie and he's shocked because that's a rarity for him. He's coming off a bad breakup though so he questions whether Ellie is just a challenge or more?

The way the relationship between Ellie and Nate was allowed to grow seemed very genuine. I liked Ellie's quote:

"sometimes in life--very rarely, I might add--you meet someone and you know instantly they're going to mean something special to you."

and it was very applicable to her situation with Nate. I don't know though. There was just something that kept this story from being quite as complex. Maybe it's because the focus wasn't entirely on Ellie and Nate? There was another focus in this story and I have to admit to being very intrigued and very eager to have all my questions answered where this other plot line is concerned. I *do* know it had nothing to do with Ellie falling for a guy. I mean, we can't help who we fall in love with. The heart wants what it wants...and all those other cliches. I liked how Darlington dealt with Ellie processing the fact that although she was attracted to women, she also had some serious chemistry and a connection to Nate. I also enjoyed watching Nate realize what he'd had in his previous relationship wasn't at all what he'd thought it was. And witnessing him woo Ellie was fun too! On top of that, it was a pleasure spending time with Georgie and Noah, Rhett, and other characters I met in the first installment.

So while I can't put my finger on precisely what caused my connection with Ellie and Nate to be somewhat weak, their story was a good one. And I'm anxious to continue this series.