Treading Water by Marie Force
Contemporary Trilogy, Book 1
Marie Force
Contemporary
Reviewed by Miranda









Jack Harrington’s life is pretty good.  He has a beautiful wife and three wonderful daughters.  Until one day when it all comes crashing down around him.  His wife is hit by a car and left in a coma.  With no chance of a recovery, Jack must pick up the pieces of his and his daughter’s lives.  So far he hasn’t been the most attentive dad.  He’s always worked hard to provide for his family but since the tragedy he’s learned what’s most important—and that’s his girls.  Life moves on and Jack struggles to manage work and family.   He never expected another opportunity at love to walk into his life but she does.

Andrea Walsh is an interior designer working for the hotel Jack’s company is building.  When she comes to Newport for design inspiration, she finds more than she bargained for.  The chemistry boils between her and Jack but the complications in both of their lives make it seem impossible for them to have a relationship.  Andi isn’t exactly itching to start something.  Her ex left her when they discovered their son was deaf.  She fears being abandoned by another man but their feelings cannot be contained.  They embark on a long distance relationship that soon becomes more than they ever imagined.  Is it possible for these two to get a second chance at love?

Wow wow wow…that is my constant thought after finishing Treading Water.  I find myself still gripped by the powerful emotions that Marie Force brought forth in Treading Water.  Life is full of endless possibilities and Treading Water shines a light on all that can be had if a person is willing to grab it.  Jack may be over forty but he proves it’s never too late to change.  After his wife’s accident and horrible prognosis he’s forced to change everything he’s ever known.  The reevaluation of his life spotlights the areas where he was lacking.  The relationships with his daughters become his number one.  I love the journey Ms. Force takes the reader on in Treading Water.  We get a front row seat to Jack’s personal tragedy and the years that follow.

Ms. Force asks the question, “Is it possible to be sad and happy at the same time?”  When Jack meets Andi he is forced to deal with not only his burgeoning feelings for her but the guilt he feels at saying goodbye to the relationship he had with his wife.  I adore Andi.  She is such a strong woman who walks into this difficult situation with her head held high and good intentions to pave her path.  I love that Ms. Force kept surprising me.  When I thought something cliché would happen she would throw me a curve ball.  Treading Water is a definite must read! Treading Water creates an emotional firestorm within the reader.  It shines the light on the good and the bad in life and proves that one moment can change everything and it’s never too late to find love.  Marie Force grabbed my heart and squeezed every ounce of emotion out of it but most importantly her monumental story left me blissful.  Treading Water may be fiction but it gives me hope; hope in everyday people and happily ever after.  I cannot wait for the next book in this trilogy, Marking Time.