Wonderful fun with lots of laughs

There's so much to love about this story. This is a big brother's little sister / best friend romance that had just the right amount of angst- meaning not much. I mean, there was always this underlying feeling that the big brother would be upset about the romance but unlike some other books I read, it wasn't always hitting us over the head. Part of that was that the supporting cast was just so fun!

Hugh had always been Lila's brother's best friend and as such, had always taken care of her. But he can't seem to control himself now that she's grown up and perfect for him. I absolutely loved how competent, smart and sweet Lila was- the total package. And I could say the same for Hugh- the author introduced him as a player but his character development and the sweetness of his character just leapt off the page.

The romance was steamy fun, the ribbing from supporting characters made me laugh out loud and the setting was well described and beautiful, making me wish I could visit! A great start to the series!

I also listened to the audiobook and having Connor Crais and Mackenzie Cartwright narrate only elevated this wonderfully emotional story. They were cast perfectly and as expected, did an amazing job. Great way to live through this book!

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Okkkk

Brothers best friend is a trope I usually duck and dodge, but in small town romance, it’s often unavoidable. Travis, and brothers like him are kind of the reason why. I felt like he was over the top, and not in a good way.
Hugh was the star of this one for me, although Lila was also incredibly sweet. He just clicked more with me.
I loved LP’s Honey Mountain series, at least the ones I read, but this one was just a little flatter for me. Some of the dialogue could have really been stripped and I doubt I would have missed it.

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Sucker for a small town romance

loved the characters, the narrators did them justice !! Small town romance, friends with benefits, childhood friends, best friends sister !! love all the tropes

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Beautiful story

This was my first book by the author even if I had her on my tbr for a few years, but after seeing so many of my friends raving about her stories, I knew I had to read it myself. And what better way to start then with a new series and the first book.

Brother’s best friend, sweet friendship and the importance of accepting each other as they come, unrelated to their toxic families and hard past, this romance was a great example why I still read them. I’m not a big fan of small town usually but this one really made me rethink my preferences especially since the narrators have done an amazing job in bringing up to life Lila and Hugh.

There’s chemistry, slow burn scenes with lots of pent up emotions and some real heartbreaking topics but their actions and live speak louder and clear of where they want to go from now on and who they are.

Emotional and beautiful small town romance that many readers will enjoy. And trust me, the audiobook will just make you swoon over them.

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Small Town Romance Charm

“Into the Tide" by Laura Pavlov, the first installment of the Cottonwood Cove Series, combines "brother's best friend" and virgin heroine tropes, with impeccable narration delivering an enjoyable listening experience.

After finishing college, Lila returns home for the summer to help take care of her father and to hopefully check some things off her summer bucket list! Overall I enjoyed Lila as our FMC, and I appreciated most when she stood up for herself and what she wanted, particularly to her brother, who was way too much in her business.

However, for me personally the extreme misogyny exhibited by Lila’s brother (and casual misogyny often shown by her friends and the love interest), as well as there being wayyyy too much focus on Lila wanting to lose her virginity to the point where it was often bordering on ick factor, just took me too far out of the story. While this may not be an issue for some, for me it was just too much.

But I can absolutely see how this light hearted low angst story would be enjoyable for many readers!

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1 person found this helpful

Hugh and Lila!

Into the Tide by Laura Pavlov was a wonderful story of a brothers best friend forbidden love. I completely adored how Laura put this together without making everything so overly possessive from one side or the other.

Lila and Hugh were fantastic, wholesome, family bonded characters that you would expect from Laura with even more love to share.

I was lucky enough to listen to the audio version of the book - Mackenzie Cartwright and Connor Crais are usually one of my favorite narrating duos, this time they hit it out of the park. Mackenzie as Lila, younger, fresh faced determined woman was just the perfect seasoning this story needed.
Connor for sure gave us that heartwarming, protector and sometimes gumpy Hugh. He was perfect as always.

I loved this book so much and cant wait to see what Laura has for us in the rest of Cottonwood Cove series

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Fantastic Story & Listen🎧 Charming & Heartwarming!

This small town, brother’s best friend romance is a fabulous start to a new series, the characters are amazing and the storylines not only captivated my attention the entire time but tugged on my heartstrings too. Laura Pavlov is a gifted author, I enjoyed her writing style and her descriptive details takes you alongside the characters and into their heads, enabling your to see what they are seeing, thinking and feeling. The characters are realistic, easy to relate to and connect with, they are easy to care about too. Hugh Reynolds is a busy man, besides running his own bar restaurant, he took over his family’s businesses too. Luckily his friend Travis’ sister, Lila James, who just finished college is coming home before starting her new job in Chicago in a couple of months. While home she will work with Hugh to help him organize and manage his business more efficiently. Travis has mixed feelings about her returning home, he is happy to see her but not happy she is staying with their father who drinks too much and has been down on his luck. Travis has given up on their father, but she hasn’t and she plans to get him the help he needs while she is home. Lila is happy to be home and see her friends and she has one more thing she wants to do before starting her new career and life in the city, to lose her V-card. When Hugh sees Lila, he knows he is in trouble, she is not that a kid anymore she is a beautiful woman, and she is also off limits. It was great to watch these two spend time together and get to know each other again. I thought they were perfect together and for each other. The chemistry between them is undeniable, and they could only deny each other for so long before giving in. They both knew her time was limited and she would be leaving, but they agreed to a temporary fling, enjoy each other’s company, and bodies, but keep it to themselves. I loved how everything played out in this book, it is a wonderfully plotted story and has the perfect balance of drama, charm, witty dialogue and humor, heartfelt emotions, and steamy romance. Besides the fabulous lead characters, there are some amazing secondary characters, including the Reynolds family, the banter between them is hilarious. Laura Pavlov, thank you for the wonderful story and emotional rollercoaster ride. 

🎧📚🎧 And for the fabulous narration, Mackenzie Cartwright and Connor Crais are the perfect cast to bring these characters and story to life. They had a complete understanding of who they were portraying, gave each a voice that fit each of that character’s persona and were believable in every role they played. Crais nailed it as Hugh, swoon worthy and all, grasping all sides of his personality, and Cartwright did the same for Lila, playing her role with perfection. Both were great performing the roles of the secondary characters as well. They set the perfect tone for the story, captured all the character’s emotions and projected them into their performance and had you feeling every single one. These versatile voice artists are entertaining storytellers and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for the amazing listen. 

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Hugh & Lila

I love small town shenanigans and this book is full of them. Hugh and Lila are perfect for each other and fit so well together. Lila’s belief in the good in others is nowadays such a rare thing… I loved her for it!
Connor Crais and Mackenzie Cartwright were great as Hugh and Lila.

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Sweet Love Family and Romance

I enjoyed this book. It was a nice easy read. Looking forward to read the rest of the series.

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Can't wait to visit Cottonwood Cove again!

I am not sure how Laura Pavlov has been off my radar, but I am so glad I have now discovered her! What a great small town romance! I listen to a lot of books, bit this one has quickly moved to my top ten so far of the year! The first book in the Cottonwood Cove series, we meet Lila. Coming home from college after years of intense athletic training, a national win under her belt and her degree earned, she is taking off the summer and then will leave to start her new job in the city. She has plans and now after writing them down is ready to put them in place. Hugh is her brother's best friend, and after an altercation at home, he takes her in and gives her a job. Hugh never really noticed Lila, after all, your best friend's sister is off limits. But as their time together progresses, so does the undeniable attraction. He is there for her as she ticks off things on her list, and their feelings are just growing stronger. Does she feel the same? How will her brother react? Is she going to finish out the list and leave? There is a lot more than just the romance in this book, as Pavlov confronts relevant issues head on and takes us on a journey of depression, addiction and healing. Plus family is everything and we get a good does of sibling teasing and caring. It's a fabulous listen and I could not get enough.

Connor Crais and Mackenzie Cartwright are one of my favorite teams to listen to together, and they are amazing at bringing a story to life. This book is easy on the ears, and their ability to pull out the personalities of each character is spot on. Hugh is sweet and swoony, but he does have a tough streak and a vulnerability that Crais gives him. Cartwright creates the mature Lila, taking on the world, yet with a bit of a naivete to keep her real. I truly enjoyed their portrayal of the Cottonwood Cove town and can't wait to hear more!

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