A Vast And Gracious Tide – Lisa Carter
I was fortunate to receive this novel as an Advance Reader Copy, in exchange for an objective review.
McKenna Dockery is a young woman living the “Banker’s’ way of life in Tuckahoe, on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Devastated by the death of her Navy fiancé three years ago, she assists her family in he running of the family business, the Skipjacks. She spends her off time visiting the nearby Island Yaupon, in search of sea glass and other treasures.
Caden Wallis is a war veteran, who was greviously injured on a mission in Afghanistan, that also killed members of his team. Physically recovered, but emotionally, still hopeless in his pain, he seeks to return a quilt that he was given during his recovery, before he takes his own life. The quilt, resembling ocean waves, was a source of solace for him, and he feels compelled to return it. Arriving on the late ferry to Hatteras Island, Caden sleeps on the beach for the night, and he and McKenna discover one another the next morning. McKenna immediately takes him under her wing, invites him for breakfast and shortly thereafter discovers that he has the quilt she had once crafted for her dead fiancé, Shawn.
Meanwhile, the drug trade appears to have come to the Outer Banks and McKenna’s father, Tuckahoe Chief of Police has his hands full. A body is found washed ashore, and Caden is the immediate suspect, and only McKenna can provide his alibi. As McKenna and Caden fight their attraction, the “Banker’s deal with more crime and a different man sets his sights on McKenna…
I originally chose this book to read because of the setting – the Outer Banks are one of my most favorite places on Earth. However, one chapter in and I could NOT put it down. The characters are so rich, and the dialogue so well crafter that one can’t help but fall in love with the characters as they fall in love with one another. Caden’s past also reflects much of what our homeless veterans have experienced, and helps to shed some light on this misunderstood population. All around a fabulous read, and one I highly recommend!! Have tissues on hand…
Tropical Delusions...... 