Shift the Tide

Latitude & Longing #2

by Bryce Oakley

Izzy Tierney is doing everything right. She’s got a job she’s proud of and a passport full of stamps from her frequent work trips. Everyone keeps telling her she’s living the dream — but it’s starting to feel more like drifting. Constant motion is just another way to avoid standing still long enough to feel lonely. She tells herself she’s content, but something’s missing — something she’s never quite let herself want.

Kiera Phillips is caught in a swirl of uncertainty. Newly divorced and living with her two daughters in her parents’ house, she’s trying to rebuild a life she no longer recognizes. A new city, no job, no real plan — and now even her closest friendships feel distant. She’s doing her best to hold it all together, but the truth is, she feels completely lost.

Then, an invitation from the group a weekend getaway to a beach house in San Diego. Izzy and Kiera agree, thinking it’s just a short escape — how bad can it be? But what starts as a casual weekend quickly pulls them into deeper waters. Reconnected bonds stir up old emotions, buried truths, and unanswered questions. By the end, neither woman knows where she stands.

When real life rushes back like an unstoppable tide, they’re left wondering if they can truly leave the past behind — or if their lives are about to change for good. What happens when the weekend ends, and you’re left standing at the shore, knowing the tide has shifted?

Shift the Tide is a spin-off story of One Last Run, featuring two characters who kept stealing the show. It can be read as a standalone or the second in the series.

Genres: Lesbian, Romance, Contemporary, LGBT, Lesbian Fiction, Friends To Lovers, Audiobook

286 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 18, 2025

About the author

Bryce grew up in the mountains of Colorado with a taste for adventure and a head full of clouds. She never grew out of either. She lives in Denver with her partner, two adorable rescue dogs, and a very opinionated cat.

Reviews

[Diane (IF U'RE PRIVATE, PLEASE SKIP ME!!!) Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars!
An enjoyable book #2 in the 'Latitude & Longing' series -- maybe continuing.. Nice coupling (Izzy & Kiera) but still cannot get enough of Danica & Pete plus love the nerdy and amusing dialogue.
Highly recommended book and series!

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the first book of this series and was excited when I found out this book was in the works. And it's an admirable follow-up, but I wish Oakley would have provided a little more context about Izzy and Kiera's past. We're told here and in book 1 that there was a single kiss in college and we're told that there was always some tension there. And while I was happy enough to go along with the history, I wanted more evidence of it. So the romance feels a little shallow (a little instant-lovey), even though it's very cute. I also loved Kiera's daughters (even though I'm not sure of their ages) and parents.

Maggie remains the literal 5th wheel in the group and I don't know what Oakley's trying to accomplish with her and her story. Is there going to be a third book? There's drama there (and there was in book 1) but I haven't figured out why she's in this series yet. And I like her character, so it's not that, but what narrative purpose does she serve?

[Clara Addicted to sapphic books · Rating 3 out of 5]

After One last run, I wanted to know a lot more about Kiera and Izzy. I found again the strengths I found in book one. First is the cohesion in the group of friends; they are so supportive with each other, and the group chat made me laugh each time. Their friendship is one of the main characters, deliciously meddling. The second is Oakley's ability to create situations of intimate intimacy and tension. The reader expects every scene with them together. I was expecting to know what happened between them in college on a deeper level, but I was left hanging. I knew that they were attracted to each other, but adding that to their existent friendship was not enough for me to really get what made them truly connect. The relationship issues between Gwen and Maggie remained without an answer and left me frustrated. I only learned that I know book 3 was coming afterwards.

[Megzz · Rating 3 out of 5]

(rounded up from 2.5)

Shift the Tide was disappointing. Especially after how much I enjoyed the first book in the series. This one redefined “slow burn” — where slow is excruciating and burn is more like a gentle sizzle.

Honestly, nothing happens. It’s repetitive to the point of frustration. If I had a pound for every time a chapter ended with some variation of “she couldn’t name it yet, but something had shifted” or “they both felt it, though they couldn’t talk about it yet”...

What really bummed me out is that I love friends-to-lovers and I love second-chance romances — but this book lacked everything that makes those tropes exciting. We’re told Izzy and Kiara are friends, but we never actually see it. Not in the present (very few interactions), and certainly not in the past. No flashbacks, no vivid memories, just passing mentions that they kissed once and maybe had a crush on each other. Yet we’re supposed to believe they’ve spent decades pining? Nah.

And then it takes about a million chapters for them to finally get their act together. (Spoiler: it all ends in true lesbian U-Haul fashion in the epilogue.)

Here’s hoping Maggie’s story brings the spark back, because this one never really caught fire.

[Siddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kiera has just got out of her marriage, her cheating husband not putting up much of a fight to keep her and their two young girls.
Izzy works for a non-profit founded by their mutual friend Pete, and has had a crush on Kiera for a long time.
The group of five women, Kiera, Izzy, Pete, Danica, and Maggie met at college two decades before, and have been there for each other in the intervening years, getting together for a holiday sometimes. Pete and Danica have ended up together (I think in a previous book, but I haven’t read it - certain to go on my TBR list!), Maggie is married, Kiera just divorced, and only Izzy hasn’t been in a long relationship.
Beautifully evocative descriptions, especially from their holiday together. Some grief after a sudden death, but handled in a really sensitive way.
A really lovely slow burn romance - long term friends to lovers, with some hiccups on the journey.

[Judy - JC · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started reading this book, after the first in the series, (One Last Run - A Sapphic Romance) but ended up finishing it first. I think that happened because while I don't necessarily crave extensive angst, I do love complex, well-developed lives woven into a narrative - and in this case, those layers had been simmering since the previous book. Truthfully? I enjoyed this one way more than the first installment.

Izzy and Kiera find themselves having to pave the way forward - though let's be honest, they were already coming into this with baggage, missteps, and misunderstandings galore.

As for their actual love story? Zero complaints. But I'll echo the same issue I mentioned in my last review: that underdeveloped resolution for the fifth married friend's storyline still leaves me wanting closure.

[Monteeeee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read Pete and Danica’s story earlier this year and was really looking forward to Izzy and Kiera’s. In some ways, this one just didn’t hit the same. Bryce Oakley is a great writer—her stories always pull me in—and this was no different in terms of tone and pacing. But the love story between Izzy and Kiera felt rushed.

Most of the book is spent with them dancing around each other, going back and forth, and then suddenly—at about 86% in—they’re in love and it ends. I wanted more for them. The emotional payoff didn’t quite land, and I honestly think the story needed more pages to give their relationship room to grow and breathe

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished reading One Last Run, of which this book is a spin-off. Izzy and especially Kiera played a significant role in this book. That made me curious about their past and even more so about what would happen next. That's why I picked up this book right after finishing One Last Run.

The beginning of this novel seamlessly follows the ending of the previous book. I was hooked from the start. Although you can easily read this book as a standalone, I think it would be more fun to read One Last Run first.

I didn't immediately like Izzy as a character, and her interactions with Keira were a bit awkward at first. But of course, that turned out fine.

I thought the entire book would be about the five college friends in a vacation home again, but this time the vacation only lasted three days and therefore only covered a small portion of the book. That didn't matter, because it was another enjoyable reading experience. At least as good as the previous one, but this time with witty group chats. 4+⭐️

[MJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed book one in this series so obviously had to give book two a go! I’m really glad we got Kiera’s story. Especially after what happened in book one!
Seeing how Izzy and Keira figured things out, in their personal life’s and together was amazing! They had so many of their own issues to work through but were always connected. It was so nice to watch Keira figure things out and have such a supporting and loving family while she did so! (I wish everyone had this!)
Bryce Oakley has definitely become an auto buy author for me now and I will be working through their back catalog while also looking forward to what comes next!
Highly recommend! As always, Quinn absolutely nailed the audio narration. Always in safe hands with Quinn Riley.

Written in third person with 2x POV’s. Narrated by Quinn Riley. Latitude and Longing Book 2. Divorce, Starting Over, Single Mum, Found Family, Second Chance, Coming Out, Slow Burn. 2x Spicy Scenes (1 is in kind of two parts. So could be 3 depending on your definition 😂).

[Cheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was pretty good. I like Oakley's writing style and humor.

[Kylie Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really loved Kiera and Izzy!! I enjoyed their relationship as well. However, this book was so insta-lovey and everything in the story felt so incredibly rushed and I felt that I didn’t get to sit with any of the information in the book long enough. Besides the fact that everything felt rushed so early on in the book, it’s still a fun read and I enjoyed the chemistry. I just really wish certain aspects were explored more or that it was more spread out.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I barely put One Last Run down, picking this one up immediately. Izzy and Kiera are just a shy blip in the first book but they come to light here. The friend group continue to get in trouble and create engrossing bonds that really hit home. Loved it!

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Sam *Just the Highlights* · Rating 4 out of 5]

2026: 3.5

Some things I found annoying but mostly cute

[FemmeFataleReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shift the Tide is a funny and entertaining read about wanting to be chosen for who you are and being afraid of the future. It has lots of pining and gay panic.
The characters are so cute and well-rounded, but should be rewarded an Olympic medal for overthinking. They overcomplicate their feelings... it felt very realistic. It's the 'she says she likes me but I don't know if she really means it' kind of complicated.

The story doesn't follow your usual romance structure. It has a lot of ups and downs throughout and shows the MCs dating.

I'd recommend reading the whole series, because every woman in this friend group is worth a book and it takes a bit of time to get to know them all. It's about a messy friend group on multiple vacations. There are complicated feelings, messy relationships, and funny characters.

In the beginning, there was a little too much tell. It was still bearable, because I appreciated that all the information of book 1 was out in the open quickly.
Throughout the book, it wasn't really tell, more like explaining things that are either obvious or just a different phrasing. BUT Oakley's emotional imagery is always so on point that I can forgive the redundancy.

The story was also quite predictable.

However, just as the first book, this one had amazing dialogues and I loved the found family parts, as well as the children and grandparents.

[han · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let's go with like, a solid 3.25~3.5*s LOL just like the previous entry in this series, I found it perfectly fine! Like, seriously fine. Cute, in a fine way. I think everyone could see from the first book that Izzy and Kiera had tension haha, so I'm glad to see them end up together in this sequel. It was also great to just see Pete and Danica living their best, disgustingly-in-love lives as well lmfao

It did feel kinda rushed? Especially towards the ending lol like there was a lot of Kiera's friends kinda just telling each other how to feel—there's a lot of that in this series now that I reflect on it LMAO but it's alright.

And also, I do wish these books had more of a like, cooldown period at the end AHAHA I feel like in both One Last Run and Shift the Tide, we kinda hit the high of the main couple saying they love each other, and then BOOM suddenly an epilogue that takes place 1 year later.

Again, nothing too egregious, but personally I would've liked some time to cool down and let them be happy in the present. But yeah! Overall, cute books. Not sure if I'm gonna read the 3rd entry yet, though—I haven't really been won over by Maggie and Gwen yet. We shall see.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was well-written and it was nice to see the ongoing friend group in action again (the text exchanges were hilarious!) and I LOVED the epilogue with the girls involved… but there was one thing missing. It’s been a while since I read One Last Run so I read this as more of a standalone, and I just missed the part where Izzy and Kiera, you know, get to know each other. It felt like they went from one kiss at a party in college to eternal love without ever really spending time together? And with how Izzy started with a bunch of bad feelings, the first half was a little rough. Things picked up in the second half but I’d have still liked to see Izzy and Kiera and the girls spend more time hanging out.

All in all a nice read, but I can’t rave like I did about the first. Here’s hoping the third is back to form!

[Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actual rating: 4.6

Came with expectations and was not disappointed. Loved this book.
Kiera needed love, especially after coming out of a (somewhat) easy divorce (she had literally no pushback from her husband). Her two girls were a cute addition. They were a good buffer, hope their chickens, ducks, and other animals thrive.
Who better to give Kiera the love she deserves than her electrifyingly great high school kiss and friend, Izzy?

Friends to lovers is always a tough path to go down. It can either be the best decision of your life or the worst. For Kiera and Izzy, I'm happy they at least put aside their fears and gave them a shot. Their chemistry was palpable, loved every single page.
Which we got to know more about HS Izzy and Kiera, but nonetheless, good book.

PS- Meddling friends are the best (and the worst at the same time). We love them tho.

[nat ☾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

i am kinda conflicted on how i feel about this book, it was not a bad one but not a great one either. i read this without reading the first one in the series with the thinking that it was interconnected but there is a plot line that apparently starts with the first book that is important to understand the dynamic between the group and our characters which is why i think i was lost at times. the romance also felt a little surface level because we do not get context as to how they started, we are told they shared a kiss years ago and that there has always been “tension” and throughout the book you can feel it but it feels like something new and not something that has occurred for years. it also felt a little rushed at the end and i think some characters got more spotlight in the story than the people we were suppose to follow.

[Torrence · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read somewhere that Kiera and Izzy stole the show in book one and that their story was highly anticipated. I disagree. I found Izzy’s character to be quite standoffish from book one. She doesn’t seem to really connect with anyone but Pete and Maggie. The one kiss in college with no development made their relationship not very believable to me. I’m still finding it hard that Alex doesn’t seem to want anything to do with his kids, which they seemed fine with.

I’d love to know more about Maggie and Gwen. I do find it weird that Gwen doesn’t go on the girls trips, it just doesn’t seem realistic. Perhaps a background of how they met and how they are getting through their issues. Maggie is hilarious and I love hearing about her.

I need more of Kiera’s parents and aunt Jade! They stole the show.

[Shannon Luchies · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a sequel to One Last Run, you MAYBE could read it as a stand alone, but it directly follows stuff from the other book.

Once again the friends are getting together, this time in San Diego, but Kiera is hesitant. After she screwed things up so badly at their last one, she's not sure she's totally welcome.

Izzy has been busy, but she still finds herself thinking about Kiera, who she had a 'thing' with in school. The women hash things out,so that's good, but things are still weird between Izzy and Kiera... especially after they kiss again.

Izzy freaks and bolts, taking a early flight out.

Their friends then go full matchmaking mode, while the characters deal with their lives, and stuff from the last book...

3 out of 5 stars. Good, didn't blow me away.

[zagzig · Rating 4 out of 5]

in which the gang moved from strained acquaintanceship to no sense of personal boundaries friend group

again, the biggest strength of the book was the five friends and the complexities of adult life. Pete and Danica have gracefully retired to supporting characters who can't have any personal issues because they've had their HEA status, leaving Izzy and Keira to relationship angst and Maggie to get repeatedly punched in the face by life

god damn it when I thought 'maybe if Maggie's marriage blows up there can be a third book of the series' I was kidding

it's a lovely time regardless, with big feelings, endearing side characters, and that thing I fucking love when someone bonds with their love interest's kids

[Sandi D · Rating 5 out of 5]

do you get a second chance..

Decades before you kissed your friend (woman) then downplayed it you were experimenting, or you were drunk, but never it was what you wanted because you were scared. Fast forward to today your husband cheated made no attempt to save your marriage just casually gave up because he had a girlfriend! or care about your two little girls.

Your life is a mess. No job, you moved across the country and are now living with your parents. Issy the woman you kissed years ago well you’re still friends with her and your group from college. Do you get a second chance at love. Who would want to get involved in your messy life. Can you put your own desires first.

[Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Enjoyable, Cosy Read

Possibly controversially, I really felt for Kiera in the last book. So, I was looking forward to hearing her side of the story this time round. I was not disappointed! Her struggles, both with life and her mental health, were relatable and heartbreaking. She was so compelling, I really enjoyed her journey through the story. Her and Izzy's feelings for another are well explored but felt a little drawn out towards the end. I did also find the romance side of the story to be a little similar to the first book in the series, but it was still enjoyable and well worth the read!

[Nicole Stovell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I honestly had no expectations for this book after how good the first one was, and I read a few reviews that made me skeptical, saying it was a semi-disappointing piggyback, but I loved it.
This book made me laugh and at least once cry and the love that Oakley portrays is everything to me. I didn’t even expect to like the characters so much in so few pages, but Oakley took her time to develop them and get us to love them.
I enjoyed this book just as much as the first, so I’m equally obsessed, and I’m just grateful the third one is out already 🙏

[MolaMolaAndCats · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was worried that this would fall flat without the glue of two decades worth of secrets falling around their heads. However, I felt like there was still a lot to explore both with these two individual characters and within the broader group dynamics.

She’s really making the fifth wheel have simply the worst time and her friends all dating each other isn’t even the hard part. Justice for Maggie

[Ellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not really sure why this took me so long to finish--I honestly kept forgetting I had it until I'd look at my goodreads. and I think that just speaks to how I felt about the book overall. I love Bryce Oakley and will read whatever she writes, but I just didn't really connect with this one!

[Katelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25

[Lexi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was exactly the sort of second chance-y low-stakes romp I needed. It stays within fairly predictable romance beats, mixing in just enough angst and drama to keep things interesting. Not a lot of thoughts, but I'm looking forward to a potential book 3.

[Samantha Holder-Venter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one a lot. I love the pining and the complicated feelings. Izzy is fantastic and Kiera’s aversion to being vulnerable is super relatable. Very enjoyable read