HEARTS IN THE STORM

Two people tormented by their pasts meet in the Outer Banks on the anniversary of a devastating storm in this psychological romance.

Trista plans to vacation on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. She is haunted by the end of her marriage and death of her daughter, Angie, and this trip is part of her grieving process. She’s picked a good place to be vulnerable; even the waitstaff at a seafood restaurant sense her fragility and respond kindly (“The waitress lingered a second longer than she might normally. ‘It’s a man, isn’t it?’”). Trista gets to know some of the locals, especially her neighbors—Sissy and her brother, ex–Coast Guard officer, Duck. He’s a handsome former swimmer, but, alas, he’s immature and often drunk, a “frat boy trapped in a grown man’s body.” Other people despise him. One man calls Duck a “murderer,” and many blame him for the death of his high school best friend. As the plot unfolds, the mysteries of what happened to Duck and to Trista’s daughter unravel, and the two become linked when Trista hires Duck to sail her out to sea on the 5th anniversary of her daughter’s death. Meanwhile, a deadly hurricane looms on the horizon. Seward’s novel works well as a thrilling tale of survival and love. Duck and Trista have good chemistry and bond over their shared traumas. The prose, however, while readable and page-turning, often strays into predictable territory (e.g., “he still carried the weight of the world on his shoulders”). Still, Seward builds tension as the characters fall for each other and face the brunt of the storm, which gathers force throughout the novel. This tension buoys a novel that otherwise hits some expected story beats.

A compelling romance and high stakes help elevate this novel.