Another enjoyable book from my favorite author ( )

La vida de los pequeños Cameron, Ethan y Phillip parecía abocada al desastre. Aunque no se conocían entre sí, los tres compartían un pasado de abusos y dificultades que dejaron atrás cuando fueron adoptados por Raymond Quinn. Ahora han crecido y juntos conforman una sólida familia que se desmorona el día en que reciben la noticia de que su padre ha sufrido un terrible accidente. Reunidos en torno a su lecho de muerte los tres le hacen una última promesa al hombre al que deben todo: cuidar de Seth, el niño que estaba a punto de adoptar...

Ethan Quinn es un marinero tranquilo y reservado. Bajo su serena apariencia late un corazón profundo y bravío como el mar al que adora y respeta. Desde la muerte de su padre cuida de su hermanastro y divide su tiempo entre la pesca y el astillero que ha montado junto con sus hermanos. De ellos tres, él es quien se siente más cercano a Seth, pues ambos sufrieron una infancia tormentosa. El tiempo no ha logrado borrar su dolor, pero ahora un muchacho depende de él y sus sentimientos por Grace, la mujer de la que siempre ha estado enamorado pero a la que nunca se ha atrevido a conquistar, parecen más intensos que nunca. Tal vez sea el momento de cambiar el rumbo de su vida y aceptar no solo por lo que ya es, sino por lo que puede llegar a ser. ( )

Nora Roberts is an author I like but her books can tend to be pretty cookie cutter and similar. For me her books are the best when they are part of a series and have an interesting set of characters. This series is one of my favorites that she wrote because the story is engaging and the characters are intriguing. ( )

I read this in German. The translator wasn't careful enough in handling specifically American meanings. If a British book talks of Nightjars, Ziegenmelker is the right translation. American nightjars are related, but not the same species, and should be translated Nachtschwalben. There were other similar mistakes. ( )

"Rising Tides" is Ethan Quinn's story and the strongest in the Chesapeake Bay series. I have to say though that the whole thing with Seth's biological mother has gotten beyond stupid at this point. There's a lot of things going on that I wonder why the police haven't become involved. We still have the magical realism elements popping up in this book that don't really work with everything else going on. Cameron is now married in this one and he and Anna are only in the last half of the book. Phillip barely feels real in this one and even when he is the subject of his own book still feels fake to me.

Ethan Quinn is quiet and loyal. He loves being on the water and now is turning his hand at helping his brothers with their hand made boating business. That said, this book is pretty hard to read since it deals with child rape. Though Phillip and Cameron's childhood stories are tough to read about, Ethan's definitely affected me. Ethan feels as if what happened to him as a child now makes him unclean and unworthy of love as an adult. When childhood friend Grace Monroe finally makes her feelings for Ethan known, they stumble along to something, though Ethan is reluctant to have things become permanent.

I did like Ethan for most of this book, and then I didn't at times. His talking down to Grace after she is almost assaulted was definitely one of those times. I really got tired of the men in this series and how they supposedly talked to women they cared about. At least he apologized though so that was something. Ethan is probably the brother that gets Seth the most so it was great to see the scenes involving them together. And Ethan telling Seth about his past has Seth opening up even more about things.

Grace was great and I felt for her. A young woman who had dreams of dancing that were taken away by her parents, she married a man she didn't really love who left her when she was about to give birth. She is now raising her 18 month old daughter on her own while working several jobs. I hated how Ethan and even other people acted like Grace was acting too prideful when her father treated her like dirt because she was pregnant before marrying, and is now divorced.

The writing was strong in this one, though the flow was off here and there. I think there were too many things going on with Seth's mother, the insurance company still, rumors about Ray Quinn, etc. When the book just focused on Ethan and Grace and their budding romance it really works.

The ending did make me laugh and sigh at times though. Ethan finally gets told about himself and it finally starts to sink in that what was done to him as a child doesn't have to shape the rest of his life. ( )