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Provincetown Tales #6
Returning Tides
A devastating hurricane brings insurance investigator Ashley Walker back to Provincetown, the last place she wants to be. Not only must she deal with the dangerous consequences of the natural disaster, she has to fight her soul-shattering need for the woman she left behind. While Reese Conlon and Tory King deal with the challenges of a community in turmoil, a new threat emerges that proves to be even more deadly than the ravaging storm. A silent killer stalks the night, drawing ever closer to the one woman he believes to be his. Soon, no woman is safe, including Tory. The sixth in the Lambda Literary Award-winning Provincetown Tales.
Audio CD
First published November 1, 2009
22 people are currently reading
377 people want to read
About the author
Radclyffe
138Ìýbooks1,630ÌýfollowersRadclyffe has written over forty-five romance and romantic intrigue novels, dozens of short stories, and, writing as L.L. Raand, has authored a paranormal romance series, The Midnight Hunters. She has also edited Best Lesbian Romance 2009 through 2015 as well as multiple other anthologies. She is an eight-time Lambda Literary Award finalist in romance, mystery, and erotica—winning in both romance and erotica. A member of the Saints and Sinners Literary Hall of Fame, she is also an RWA Prism, Lories, Beanpot, Aspen Gold, and Laurel Wreath winner in multiple mainstream romance categories. In 2014, she received the Dr. James Duggins Outstanding Mid-Career Novelist award from the Lambda Literary Foundation. In 2004, she founded Bold Strokes Books, an independent LGBTQ publishing company, and in 2013, she founded the Flax Mill Creek Writers Retreat offering writing workshops to authors in all stages of their careers.
She states, “I began reading lesbian fiction at the age of twelve when I found a copy of Ann Bannon’s Beebo Brinker. That book and others like it convinced me that I was not alone, that there were other women who felt like I did. Our literature provides support and validation and very often, a lifeline, for members of our community throughout the world. I am proud and honored to be able to publish the many fine authors at Bold Strokes Books and to contribute in some small way to the words that celebrate the LGBTQ experience.�
Radclyffe lives with her partner, Lee, in New York state.
She states, “I began reading lesbian fiction at the age of twelve when I found a copy of Ann Bannon’s Beebo Brinker. That book and others like it convinced me that I was not alone, that there were other women who felt like I did. Our literature provides support and validation and very often, a lifeline, for members of our community throughout the world. I am proud and honored to be able to publish the many fine authors at Bold Strokes Books and to contribute in some small way to the words that celebrate the LGBTQ experience.�
Radclyffe lives with her partner, Lee, in New York state.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
July 29, 2019
Bam 💥 Radclyffe *drops the mic*
July 4, 2022
Excellent
Radclyffe has the ability to put you right in the middle of her stories. You actually feel like you are part of the community. Living, breathing the characters lives with them.
In this one Radclyffe manages to wrap up a few on going storylines. But also creates a few more.
Bri's attacker from book one reappears and is apprehended. Reese's spell in combat although not completely, but certainly well on the way to recovery. Tory and Reese want another baby. I'm looking forward to that :). Also Ash returns and looks for Allie. The hurricane clean up in underway. But the most important is the FBI still playing with lives including Carter and Rica's.
For a quite seaside town it definitely has a lot of action. Radclyffe keeps you on your toes. The action comes fast and furious but she lets you enjoy the characters as well. Gives you some breathing room.
It's easy to read and you get involved pretty quick. I needed something that was easy to read and follow. This answered my need perfectly. Enjoy!
Radclyffe has the ability to put you right in the middle of her stories. You actually feel like you are part of the community. Living, breathing the characters lives with them.
In this one Radclyffe manages to wrap up a few on going storylines. But also creates a few more.
Bri's attacker from book one reappears and is apprehended. Reese's spell in combat although not completely, but certainly well on the way to recovery. Tory and Reese want another baby. I'm looking forward to that :). Also Ash returns and looks for Allie. The hurricane clean up in underway. But the most important is the FBI still playing with lives including Carter and Rica's.
For a quite seaside town it definitely has a lot of action. Radclyffe keeps you on your toes. The action comes fast and furious but she lets you enjoy the characters as well. Gives you some breathing room.
It's easy to read and you get involved pretty quick. I needed something that was easy to read and follow. This answered my need perfectly. Enjoy!
March 16, 2019
Holy cow, this was just fantastic!
This series is one of the best I've ever read, and Radclyffe for sure is the master of series. How she creates a community of friends and lovers and intervenes different aspects and plots, I'm totally in awe. She's an excellent storyteller.
For me, this one was the best in this series but not by far. Loving, heartbreaking, thrilling and constantly holding you on your toes.
Dear Mrs. Radclyffe, I really hope there comes more after #7 in this series :-)
This series is one of the best I've ever read, and Radclyffe for sure is the master of series. How she creates a community of friends and lovers and intervenes different aspects and plots, I'm totally in awe. She's an excellent storyteller.
For me, this one was the best in this series but not by far. Loving, heartbreaking, thrilling and constantly holding you on your toes.
Dear Mrs. Radclyffe, I really hope there comes more after #7 in this series :-)
July 30, 2017
HOLY SHIT BALLS!
By far the best in this series... absolutely fantastic. The story was spot on, it keeps pulling you back to the book. The characters seem to grow and become stronger, and I love how they seem to connect with one another. The town is ran by a bunch of lesbians, not very realistic but still a great read.
By far the best in this series... absolutely fantastic. The story was spot on, it keeps pulling you back to the book. The characters seem to grow and become stronger, and I love how they seem to connect with one another. The town is ran by a bunch of lesbians, not very realistic but still a great read.
October 20, 2020
I've really enjoyed reading this series this month, and I particularly liked that this one focussed on tying up a lot of things that have appeared in previous books in the series. I loved that Carter was back amongst the storylines and I think focussing this on Allie was a great choice.
I'm not normally one for spending time in the bad guys mind as part of the narrative, but because it's Rad and I love this series I won't dwell on it. It did add a feel of risk and fearfulness, plus a bit of mystery to the storyline, in a lot more depth than has previously been apparent in Provincetown.
I loved the Tory and Reese storyline in this one. I'm normally more connected to Tory (this feels somewhat strange for me), but I really connected with Reese this time around.
All in all, it's another great Radclyffe book and I'm really looking forward to the last two instalments in the series.
I'm not normally one for spending time in the bad guys mind as part of the narrative, but because it's Rad and I love this series I won't dwell on it. It did add a feel of risk and fearfulness, plus a bit of mystery to the storyline, in a lot more depth than has previously been apparent in Provincetown.
I loved the Tory and Reese storyline in this one. I'm normally more connected to Tory (this feels somewhat strange for me), but I really connected with Reese this time around.
All in all, it's another great Radclyffe book and I'm really looking forward to the last two instalments in the series.
March 18, 2021
Wow! This series just gets better and better. I think this might be the best book yet.
October 11, 2022
What? A Radclyffe book and only 3*s? Well, yes - it was just too busy, too much going on with too many characters, it emotionally drained me. I had to stop reading after 15 minute bursts so I could take it all in. Exhausting.
April 4, 2020
Radclyffe knows her craft well especially the ones involved with medics and the cops. This was action plotted from the beginning to the end. Since the book follows a series, it was obvious that they also had history and though such history didn't deprive me of enjoying the storyline, I do feel i would have appreciated all the characters more by having their history beforehand.
Great reading all the same.
Great reading all the same.
August 26, 2024
I loved this story. This was enjoyable with the mystery and mayhem with violence mixed in.
December 7, 2021
Another excellent book to the series. A lot of suspense in this one. I couldn’t read it fast enough!!
The town is in shambles after the storm so Ashley Walker is back to evaluate the damage to the properties. I feel so much for Ash. She broke things off with Allie destroying her own heart because she thought she was doin the right thing for her. A noble gesture but she was totally wrong, she and Allie belong together. I could feel the anguish Ash was going through especially when Allie is hurt. Allie loves Ash and is heartbroken after Ash leaves her. She tries to keep things on superficial with the woman she dates but she can’t help but want the same type of relationship for herself that others have found. My heart was so happy when she gave Ash another chance. I had tears.
There was some heart stopping moments in this book. First when Tory is home and realizes someone has broken in to the house and she doesn’t know if they are still there! Or when Carre is home and that a**hole is trying to get in the door. When Tory thought something might be wrong with Reese. Finally poor Rica, she has so much strength. I don’t know how I would have reacted if it was me. Oh man I was holding my breath holding out hope for them all to be alright.
I love all these woman so much.
The town is in shambles after the storm so Ashley Walker is back to evaluate the damage to the properties. I feel so much for Ash. She broke things off with Allie destroying her own heart because she thought she was doin the right thing for her. A noble gesture but she was totally wrong, she and Allie belong together. I could feel the anguish Ash was going through especially when Allie is hurt. Allie loves Ash and is heartbroken after Ash leaves her. She tries to keep things on superficial with the woman she dates but she can’t help but want the same type of relationship for herself that others have found. My heart was so happy when she gave Ash another chance. I had tears.
There was some heart stopping moments in this book. First when Tory is home and realizes someone has broken in to the house and she doesn’t know if they are still there! Or when Carre is home and that a**hole is trying to get in the door. When Tory thought something might be wrong with Reese. Finally poor Rica, she has so much strength. I don’t know how I would have reacted if it was me. Oh man I was holding my breath holding out hope for them all to be alright.
I love all these woman so much.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 30, 2011
The mystery part was fairly predictable, as expected from the first book of hers I read, but I liked these characters a lot more, and there was a lot of hot sex happening in P'town!
(Do you see what is happening in my life right now? Law school has destroyed my brain and all I can read are trashy vampire and not-as-trashy lesbian romance mysteries.)
(Do you see what is happening in my life right now? Law school has destroyed my brain and all I can read are trashy vampire and not-as-trashy lesbian romance mysteries.)
January 19, 2016
This book was so unrealistic. Every top position in this town is held by a beautiful lesbian. Where is this place and why am I not there. Maybe I should've started at the beginning but...so unrealisitic I doubt it was believable in the beginning either. I don't think I'll read anymore Radclyffe...A little disappointed.
May 8, 2010
My initial criticism of this book was that it seemed to idealistic. Where in the U.S. are you going to find a town full of lesbians running the entire town? But I confess I got over that really quickly. The mystery of who is stalking this group of friends supersedes my initial inability to suspend my disbelief. I loved the emotional conflicts and the intensity of love between the 4 different lesbian couples. I won't say that this book is in anyway extraordinary but for me it's the first queer novel that went deeper than just sex. By the way, there's lots of sex and lots of innuendos. Love them! More than anything I was happy to read a queer novel that represented queer relationships without being a coming out story. For the most part, I think that this book is more of a mystery and less of a romance but there's enough of both to make me happy.
November 20, 2018
This series is coming to a close, and I don't want it to. So much has changed from the beginning of this saga 'til now. So, finally, we come to Allie. The ravishingly beautiful dark horse up has been playing in the background, until now. In this book she finally gets to shine. I was excited that we didn't lose Reese, Tory, Bri or Caroline in this book and still managed to to hang onto Allie as the star. I wondered with the re-emergence of Ashley Walker's character, whether things might heat up between them, aside from Allie's hot temper. I also had never felt so uneasy for everyone's safety in any of the other books. Radclyffe does an excellent job of maintaining a level of fear and just enough creepy to keep it edgy. As Allie was always my closet champion, this book was a home run for me.
September 11, 2024
Fun read with the familiar characters. One of the more dramatic cases in the series. A nicely written gruesome story.
December 29, 2023
4.25 Stars
October 7, 2022
Well, well, well�
In the last book I complained about Allie and hoping that I would not have to read her story. And wouldn’t you know it…here it is. And I am surprised that I actually liked it. I also felt like if she could find a love of her own, she wouldn’t be trying to glom on to other people’s S.O. This was another story about an age gap, but not in the same was a Pia and K.T. I think I enjoy that end of it better than the younger ones where one is in the 20’s. But it is, what it is. I understood how someone like Ash would be feeling and the uncertainty of anything approaching love and forever with someone so much younger. But the heart wants what the heart wants.
This was a good way to bring Rica and Carter back into the fold and introduce them being entrenched in the small town community by making Carter a beat-cop. We saw that coming a mile away. Plus Reese is making the town’s police force of strong smart women. They are HANDLING things, well�
My favorite couple still tends to be Reese and Tory. The love between them, the way they “hold� one another in all ways, the way they speak to one another even in their own personal relationship chaos, is strikingly beautiful. Everyone wants a love like that. I am also glad that Reese, K.T. and Tory are ok. I am glad that Tory and K.T. sees themselves as family. Pia knows that they still love each other and always will. It is a sustaining type of love and it should be. I couldn’t understand it at first. Now I can, what they lacked in their relationship with one another is strongly represented in their current mates. It helps make it work. If Reese wasn’t so wonderful, I would have wanted K.T. and Tory to rekindle their love.
Can’t wait to see what’s coming next…Tory and another baby?
In the last book I complained about Allie and hoping that I would not have to read her story. And wouldn’t you know it…here it is. And I am surprised that I actually liked it. I also felt like if she could find a love of her own, she wouldn’t be trying to glom on to other people’s S.O. This was another story about an age gap, but not in the same was a Pia and K.T. I think I enjoy that end of it better than the younger ones where one is in the 20’s. But it is, what it is. I understood how someone like Ash would be feeling and the uncertainty of anything approaching love and forever with someone so much younger. But the heart wants what the heart wants.
This was a good way to bring Rica and Carter back into the fold and introduce them being entrenched in the small town community by making Carter a beat-cop. We saw that coming a mile away. Plus Reese is making the town’s police force of strong smart women. They are HANDLING things, well�
My favorite couple still tends to be Reese and Tory. The love between them, the way they “hold� one another in all ways, the way they speak to one another even in their own personal relationship chaos, is strikingly beautiful. Everyone wants a love like that. I am also glad that Reese, K.T. and Tory are ok. I am glad that Tory and K.T. sees themselves as family. Pia knows that they still love each other and always will. It is a sustaining type of love and it should be. I couldn’t understand it at first. Now I can, what they lacked in their relationship with one another is strongly represented in their current mates. It helps make it work. If Reese wasn’t so wonderful, I would have wanted K.T. and Tory to rekindle their love.
Can’t wait to see what’s coming next…Tory and another baby?
January 7, 2022
I enjoyed catching up with the characters, and meeting a new one who I suspect will feature more prominently in the next installment. I liked the element of suspense in this book which, along with the previous one in the series, brings a darkness. I do think however there should probably be a trigger warning. I'm not sure all readers will enjoy reading about the villain's 'throbbing c**k', or a near rape.
There were things that grated with me, that other readers may not have a problem with. I have never liked the character of Allie. I thought she was very disrespectful to Bri's relationship in earlier books., And she has continued to be inappropriate towards Bri at times. A softer side is revealed in this book but she's never gonna be a favourite of mine. The scenes with Flynn seemed to move into deep discussion and actions that would suggest a much more established relationship, rather than just a date or two.
Whilst I enjoy reading well written sex scenes as much as the next person, there were just too many, and for me they got in the way of moving the story forward and felt repetitive.
I can see by other reviews that I'm out of step with many other readers on this one. I am looking forward to completing the series despite the fact that I have nitpicked!
In terms of the narration Nicole Zanzarella narrates the whole of this series and does a sterling job throughout.
There were things that grated with me, that other readers may not have a problem with. I have never liked the character of Allie. I thought she was very disrespectful to Bri's relationship in earlier books., And she has continued to be inappropriate towards Bri at times. A softer side is revealed in this book but she's never gonna be a favourite of mine. The scenes with Flynn seemed to move into deep discussion and actions that would suggest a much more established relationship, rather than just a date or two.
Whilst I enjoy reading well written sex scenes as much as the next person, there were just too many, and for me they got in the way of moving the story forward and felt repetitive.
I can see by other reviews that I'm out of step with many other readers on this one. I am looking forward to completing the series despite the fact that I have nitpicked!
In terms of the narration Nicole Zanzarella narrates the whole of this series and does a sterling job throughout.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2018
I love this series. I really don't know what I'm going to do when I run out of these books. One more to go, and I'll have to say goodbye to Reese and Tory, Allie and Ash, and Caroline and Bri. It's making me a little sad. Of course, I can always resist the tales at some date in the future, but it's never quite the same as reading for the first time. I was hoping that Allie would find love, after so much heartbreak, and Rad didn't disappoint. This was perhaps the most frightening of all the Provincetown Tales. I found myself second guessing the author a little bit towards the end, deathly frightened for everyone, but especially for Caroline and Rica.
Reese lived up to being one of my all time favorite heroines, and I will truly miss her. This series more than any other I have read, brought me into the lives of the characters Radclyffe so carefully crafted. I really feel as though I know each and every one, personally.
Reese lived up to being one of my all time favorite heroines, and I will truly miss her. This series more than any other I have read, brought me into the lives of the characters Radclyffe so carefully crafted. I really feel as though I know each and every one, personally.
July 17, 2022
Full marks on this Radclyffe novel from 2009. This is the sixth in the Provincetown Tales and picks up weeks after the hurricane damages the town in book #5. There is a lot of action on many fronts. The new character introduced is Ashton who is an insurance examiner inspecting damages from the storm. She was involved with police officer Allie the previous year. But there was an age gap and Ashton panicked thinking Allie was too young (23 to her 35 years) and broke it off. Of course they’re going to get back together but not before some bumps on the road. Carter joins the police force and some strange things start happening including the death of an FBI agent. There are more plot points I don’t want to share and there is a real sense of menacing as some chapters are from the POV of the stalker. This is action packed with moments given to all the regulars. Great storytelling.
August 17, 2021
This book is very well written. However it needs to come with a big TRIGGER WARNING. Hence the loss of a star. Please note that this book contains graphic descriptions of a man getting off on thoughts of violence and rape, and may not be good for all audiences. I definitely didn't want to listen to this audio book; you need to be able to skip some of the violence.
March 31, 2022
Ok at this point I’m probably way too invested into this series and these characters because this book had me stressed out and on edge the entire time!
It was another one that I just couldn’t put down. I definitely recommend this book and this entire series.
It was another one that I just couldn’t put down. I definitely recommend this book and this entire series.
September 17, 2017
In order to provide the villain for this book, Radclyffe had to retcon something from a previous book in the series. It's lazy writing and frustrating for readers.
August 13, 2018
Very suspenseful.
October 15, 2018
I'm loving this series. The things Radclyffe does with word is amazing. This book has excellent character development and beautiful dialogue.
April 19, 2021
Totally enjoyed this book in the series. Always a winner in writing and narration.
April 28, 2021
I'm so happy that Allie is finally back with Ash, and that Ash gave into her love for Allie. I really enjoy the drama of the story telling that each book gifts us. And I can't wait for the new baby?
September 28, 2020
Back in Provincetown, and Sheriff Conlon's team is contending with the aftermath of a devastating storm. Meanwhile, a psychotic stalker is biding his time...
February 4, 2016
This book shows the main characters growing and learning to deal with life as it is. Tory feels time passing, and wants to have another child, while Reese is afraid of losing her in another pregnancy. Other loose ends are tidied, and possible futures hinted. I can't wait to see another chapter in this story. Tory and Reese, Bri, Caroline, Nita, and Allie and Ash all seem like friends after following their adventures in 6 books now.
February 17, 2010
I've not read the rest of the Provincetown books by Radclyffe but I found that didn't matter, I could still follow the story. Like most of Radclyffe's books this is a romance, with some very hot love scenes, but so much more, with a dark undercurrent of tension to keep the pages turning. Perfect relaxing reading.
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