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This book was sent to Traveling With T in exchange for a fair review.

It Comes In Waves

For Claire “Pepper” Patton, life has changed drastically since she was in her 20’s. When she was in her 20’s- she was in love with Foster, a fantastic surfer and thought life could get no better than living on Folly Beach- surfing as much as she could, drinking and loving with Foster, and hanging out with Jill and Shep. One night, though, changes everything- and Claire finds out that the happy life she envisioned would not be her and Foster- it would be Foster and Jill. Heartbroken and questioning everything- Claire leaves Folly Beach and tries to make sense of life- of what her next step is to be. When Claire finds herself moving to Colorado (far away from where could surf) she feels a new Claire happening- one that is meant to be a grown-up, to be married and raise a family.

At 42, though, Claire is unsure who she is supposed to be- she’s a teacher, she’s divorced and she has a 15 year old daughter- who she is struggling to have a relationship with. When ESPN calls her one day and asks her to come back to Folly Beach, back to where she was the hottest surfer- at first, Claire balks. Her life is so different now. But, then she decides to accept- it could be a bonding trip for Claire and Lizzie. The only problem is that after the betrayal she suffered at Folly Beach, she didn’t think would ever return.

When Claire returns to Folly Beach- she finds that most things are the same- and begins to feel at home. Seeing Jill again, though, brings back memories- and feelings of pain and resentment. Can Claire and Jill move beyond the betrayal of that summer?

After meeting a sexy surf shop owner who is trying to convince Claire to get back on the board, she begins to wonder about how and why she gave up surfing so easily- and what that says about her life and relationships.

Told in current time and flashbacks- IT COMES IN WAVES is sure to delight.

Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

I adore Erika Marks. Simple ADORE. From the first book she wrote (LITTLE GALE GUMBO) she had a fan in me. So, it was no surprise that I would enjoy IT COMES IN WAVES.

I felt Claire’s pain- her pain at losing her love, losing what made her “her” and then figuring out life- only to have that not work out. I felt the pain she was feeling with the relationship she was having her with her daughter- how she had longed for a different type of relationship than she had with her mother.

Erika takes a story of heartbreak, of being brave enough to walk away from parent’s dreams and search for her own and creates a story that is readable and relatable- one that should be in your “To Be Read” pile.

This, on the surface, can be taken as a light read; but with themes of mother/daughter relationships, family drama, and learning to let go- it can be a heavier read. Perfect for book clubs that want something easy to read, but with substance to discuss!

*This book was sent to Traveling With T by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.

Happy Reading and Bookishly Yours,

T @ Traveling With T