Surf and Surrender by Riley Edgewood

Last review for Sexy Beach Reads Week, but stop by tomorrow for the wrap up post!

Surf and Surrender by Riley Edgewood
Release Date - February 23, 2015

Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages - 289 pages
My Rating - 4/5
**borrowed from fellow blogger**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

She wants to forget he ever existed. He'd never give up her memory.

Quinn Westwood is completely over Sawyer Carson. He broke her heart years ago and disappeared from her life without a word. So yeah. She's over him. Never even thinks of him. In fact, she's spending her college summer break surfing and lifeguarding in the Outer Banks, while nursing a bruised heart from a different relationship gone wrong. She doesn't have room in her mind or heart for Sawyer—until she runs into him at a beach bonfire and the sparks that fly between them are way hotter than the flames heating the sand.

Sawyer never got over Quinn. The only thing stronger than what he feels for her is the secret keeping them apart, but sharing it would destroy more than just his life—it'd ruin hers, as well. Still, he can't seem to keep away from her, can't seem to keep his hands off of her soft, tempting skin. Especially since she has even less self-control when it comes to reigniting the physical side of what made them perfect together.

But secrets have a way of slipping out, and when Sawyer's is revealed it threatens to shatter everyone involved. He'll have to face walking away a second time, and Quinn will have to decide if fighting for him is worth it when the fallout could affect more than just her heart, but also those of the people she loves most.

Surf & Surrender is the second book in Riley Edgewood's Summer Love series, but can be read as a stand-alone novel.

Second chance romance novels, when done right, can be some of the most satisfying romance reads. The history of the couple shines through, and there is an investment in the characters and outcome. Surf and Surrender is one such book. Riley Edgewood has written a sweet, sexy look at a couple's second chance to be together.

The characters in this novel, both Quinn and Swayer, have had their hearts broken. They are both working through it the best they can, and that includes making some snap decisions. It includes making choices that they maybe wouldn't make otherwise, but you understand them and choices. You understand how hurt could cause you to react they way they do, and the why behind the decisions they make. I, personally, find that important in this kind of story. If you can understand the characters you'll connect to them more, and the forgiveness that comes will feel all the more authentic because you'll understand why it is happening.

There is some darker topics that are touched upon in this novel including. They are hard to go into without spoilers, but the overall message of you never really know what is going on in someone's life is an important one. What someone presents to the outside world, and the reality of the situation could be greatly different. Many of us do not even stop to think about that in our interactions with people. Riley Edgewood shows, through various characters, that the perception and the truth are more complex than what appears at first glance and that made these characters feel all the more real.

The chemistry is palpable in this one, and the sex scenes are actually sexy. There is a spark between these two characters that effortlessly comes across in the writing. You believe their history, and the feelings that we're being shown are there. It adds a bittersweetness to everything as they work through their issues, and untangle all the secrets that have built a wall between them. Their connection is the centrepiece of the story and it shows in so many ways. You'll never look at a surf shop the same way after a certain scene, and you also feel just how heartbreaking goodbye sex can be. The fact that these scenes resonate at all, and that they come across as sexy, is because you feel the attraction between the characters, and their connection to each other that goes deeper than just sexual.

This issue with second chance romances that I tend to have is usually with the reason the couple is long no together. It typically portrays one of the characters in a negative light, and sometimes the reasons are insurmountable (or at least they should be). Unhealthy relationships tend to flourish here because of the nature of romance tropes. I, therefore, was pleasantly surprised to find this novel contained an obstacle that was both heartbreaking, and portrayed both characters as victims of the actions of others. They are victims of circumstance. It made you ache for the time they lost, and the secrets that were kept. It also makes the reconciliation believable and wanted.  This is a true second chance romance where both parties deserve the chance to set things right and where forgiveness is as easy as breathing.

You'll want to pick up Surf and Surrender if you want some sweet mixed in with your sexy. It's a perfect summer romance in both its setting and the fact it makes a great beach read. Its blend of drama, plot, sexy scenes, and character development really worked for me and I cannot wait to read something else by this author.