She thinks he’s wrecked her summer. He’s ready to prove her wrong.

Summertime visits with her dad is Kaia Anderson’s favorite part of the year. With the recent retirement of long-time tour surfer Neil Harper, her surf-coach dad has been frothing for the next surf star to call upon him. Unfortunately, this new surf star has overlapped with Kaia’s plans, which have been relocated to St. Catalina Island – a remote tropical paradise with choppy cell service, little Wi-Fi, and no connection to the California summer she’d dreamed of. If it can be damaged,

Dominic Richardson has probably had his hand on it. His reputation, his family’s name, and his longstanding friendship with the Great White Surf crew have all been ruined. Surfing the best swells on the planet with a stellar coach in his corner, Dominic’s slowly revamped his surf career and his family’s reputation. The only thing he’s missing is his former surf crew, the West Coast Hooligans.

Kaia is over Dominic before she even meets him. She doesn’t appreciate a spoiled, rich kid uprooting her summer, but Dominic doesn’t play into Kaia’s agenda to prove she’s right about him. He’s determined to be on his very best behavior and prove to everyone that he’s not the guy in the tabloids – and he might just make Kaia believe in him too.

My Review

Kaia is a high school senior looking forward to spending another summer with her dad, just like they always do. Unfortunately, he has other plans. This year they’re headed to the remote island of St. Catalina, a tropical paradise that may not even have reliable internet. Needless to say, Kaia isn’t thrilled. She’s already upset about her summer being turned upside down, and the last thing she needs is a cocky, rich surfer boy making things even worse. A little internet stalking and a whole lot of attitude are exactly how this story begins.

Dominic may come across as a spoiled rich kid with a big ego, but beneath the surface he’s determined to prove he deserves the surfing sponsorship he’s chasing. Surfing isn’t just a hobby for him, it’s the career he wants. He’s moody, grumpy, and has no interest in dealing with Kaia or her attitude. He’s simply there to surf.

Kaia quickly befriends Sloane, the hotel manager’s daughter, and their friendship helps turn what she thought would be the worst summer into one she’ll never forget. As the story shifts from enemies to lovers, readers also get a touch of forbidden romance, forced proximity, and young love. For a young adult romance, I really appreciated that both Kaia and Dominic built genuine friendships on the island. Sloane and Will were fantastic supporting characters who brought even more heart to the story.

The story gives Dominic a satisfying redemption arc while Kaia experiences her own journey of self-discovery. Throw in a small-world connection, found family, and the beautiful island setting, and it all comes together into a relaxing summer read. I especially loved the surfing scenes, the resort atmosphere, and the cozy nighttime bonfires that captured the perfect summer vibe.

Overall, this was a sweet, feel-good read. It took me a little longer than I would have liked to finish, but I still enjoyed every minute of this short, heartwarming story.

If you would like to read Chasing Swells by Nikki Chartier, you can find this book on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn on qualifying purchases. 

If you like this book you may also enjoy books with these tags and categories: enemies to lovers, young adult and tropical.