Rough Waters by Nikki Godwin ~ Review

Haley's future has been waiting on the west coast for the past year, but she isn't the only new face in Crescent Cove this summer. When Colby Taylor's parents locate him and interrupt his surf competition, the surf star spirals out of control, dragging Drenaline Surf's reputation through the mud and into the ground with him.

With Colby's secrets plastered across surf magazines and tabloid headlines, Haley takes on the job of playing damage control for Drenaline Surf - which isn't easy when Colby breaks everything he touches, Topher breaks the law, and Miles breaks his leg.

Instead of chasing dreams of forever, Haley spends her summer chasing the unraveling careers of the hottest new faces in the surf world, and she's about to learn what happens when forever doesn't last.

At First Sight

I didn't need to see this book to know I was going to read it.  I could have had no cover at all and I was going to read it no matter what.  Rough Waters is the 2nd book in the Drenaline Surf Series and where Chasing Forever Down was my favorite book of 2013, there was no question as to whether or not I would be reading this one.  That being said, I like the cover of the book and it looks great side by side with Book 1 Chasing Forever Down.

Characters and Relationships

One of the main things I love about Nikki's books are her characters.  You can't help but fall in love with them...or maybe hate them depending on the character, which is okay in my opinion because you need to feel the emotion that each character brings to you.  The relationships that were built in Chasing Forever Down were flawlessly continued in Rough Waters.  I have always loved the friendship between Hailey and AJ, the gang of surfers known as The West Coast Hooigans, and the relationship that Hailey and Vin started to build in Book 1.  I particularly enjoyed getting more insight into Topher, who you can't help but love and want to be around all the time.  His energy is contagious (even if it does come from Ocean Blast Energy Drink and sugar cubes) and the way he cares about his friends is as authentic as you will ever find in a person.  I also loved getting to know some new characters, Clover in particular, who will hopefully show up in future installments as he was a heck of a lot of fun.

Is This A Kissing Book?

Nikki doesn't write a whole lot of romance, which doesn't bother me in the least. No one tells a story quite like Nikki and you are so involved with the characters and what's going on that you won't miss it (at least I don't).  That being said, there is a real whopper of a kiss in this one and I'm leaving it at that.

Don't Leave Me Hanging

This series is far from over which thrills me to death.  Bring on as much Crescent Cove and Drenaline Surf as you want!

The Best Gems

• Surf Competitions
• Carnival Rides
• West Coast Hooligans (because they are always the best)
• A Tie and A Black Dress
• Conversations in Hospital Waiting Rooms
• AJ (Yeah, I have a real love for AJ, he gets to be one of the best things always!)
• Understanding Colby Better
• Shark ~  ALWAYS Shark

The Sum Up

I was ready for this book the minute that I finished with Chasing Forever Down.  That book touched me in a way that none had for a long time.  I couldn't wait to see what happened with the characters that I had come to love and find out more about the ones I didn't know quite as well, and Rough Waters, didn't disappoint.  This book made me FEEL just as Chasing Forever Down did. There are so many layers written into this series that is so beautifully written it takes me on a ride from happy, to sad, to smiling, to crying.  Nikki never ceases to amaze me with her ability to not only weave a story but to make it so much more.