Rating: 4.5 Stars

Becca married young and remained in her broken marriage out of fear and obligation. Then came the straw that broke the camel’s back, and she was finally ready to leave her husband, his family, and their money behind.

This was a quite a journey, and I loved it! Becca stayed with her husband as long as she did out of fear, and even following the divorce, she was still be driven by fear. Delivering that boat to its buyer was so critical for her as she tried to figure out her “second act”.

This was a tough journey, both physically and emotionally. Becca found herself in some rather precarious situations at sea, but she learned so much. She not only learned the art of sailing, but she also learned that she was stronger and more capable than she ever gave herself credit for. This woman whose life had been dictated by the Larkin family for over twenty years pushed herself in a way she never had before. She reawakened parts of herself she thought were lost forever, and it was such a wonderful thing the bear witness to.

The mother-daughter relationship was also explored. Becca didn’t want to come between her daughter and her ex-husband. She wanted to both be honest with her daughter while not creating friction between them. At the same time, she had to begin seeing her daughter as an adult. It was a rocky road for these two, and I was frustrated with both Becca and Liv, but sometimes growth can be painful.

I am trash for stories of rebuilding your life. Becca did a great job rising from the ashes of her failed marriage, and Harms did a wonderful job telling her story. The blend of exhilarating action, humor, romance, and warmth was perfect for me. This story took me through a wide range of emotions, and it ended in a way that left me happy and satisfied. It’s also always a pleasure reading a story that reminds me that it’s never too late for my second act.

Thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC of this!

I have liked the author's other books a lot, so I was really excited for this one! It was a really fun almost adult coming-of-age, where the protagonist was leaving a years long marriage with nothing to show for it besides her husband's beloved boat that shares her name. She starts off on an adventure to sell it with her adult daughter for some bonding time and space from starting over, but when the seas turn out to be too rough all of that changes. She is offered a chance to figure out who she is outside the role of wife and mother, as well as a new chance at love, and it was all very hopeful and sweet!

Pub date: 10/18/22
Genre: women's fiction with romantic elements
One sentence summary: All Becca has to show for her divorce is her college-aged daughter Liv and a 40-foot sailboat, but sailing to Miami with handsome Grant will give her a whole new lease on life.

I liked THE OVERDUE LIFE OF AMY BYLER, so I was excited to read another book by Kelly Harms. I really enjoyed getting to know Becca - if you love books where characters have to "start over", this is a great pick! Grant and Becca had a fun dynamic - he was quite swoon-worthy and dashing.

The balance of romance and self-discovery in the book worked really well. Plus - the sailing storyline was really fun, and it made me feel like I was taking my own ocean voyage. I think this will be a great summer read for years to come (or a winter read when you're tired of snow!)

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wherever the wind takes us is a novel about relationships. Marriage, divorce, dating, mother and daughter dynamics and friendship. Becca got divorced from her rich husband who after raising their daughter for 21 years was left with nothing but the clothes on her back and a huge sailboat. Did I mention he cheated on her. Nice one. My rating is 3,5 stars.

This book really made me think. Not that I related to the exact conditions in the story but about my relationship with my mother. Parents, especially mothers does so much for their children yet when they decided to do something for themselves their actions are questioned. How is that fair? Why do we treat women differently then men? Its infuriating.

One thing that I think would have improved my reading experience is if these social norms were brought up more. Maybe a comedic take like in The ex talk WWAMWMD or a more serious one. That wouldn’t matter. And I wish we got more information about Becca’s daughter and ex husband in the ending. Because I’m curious like that.

I would recommend this one to my friends, I’m sure everyone would take something from it and it would definitely be a fun one to discuss.

A breezy read to go along with the title. Becca is newly divorced, no home, no job, but she has her ex’s boat. She sells it and agrees to deliver it to Miami, along with her sailing mentor, Grant.
I shook my head a lot at Becca. For a 42 year old she has a blasé attitude toward life. She’s not worried about where she will land or what she will do money wise. I thought she was impractical for most of the story.
Things do blow up for her, eventually, but she had to find her own way.

After Becca Larkin divorces her husband, thanks to the prenup she signed before they married twenty two years ago, the only things she walks away with are her dignity & the title to a live-aboard sailboat. Since she spent the last two decades being the perfect stay-at-home wife to Alastair and mother to Liv, Becca now has no home, income, or job qualifications. To put it short, she is floundering. The only thing she knows to do is sell the boat, take the money and start over. She meets Grant Murphy, who not only helps her sell the boat, but helps her prepare to sail it down from Maine to Miami, to deliver it to the buyer. Liv is planning to accompany her. A fun girls trip on the open waters, with two women who barely know what they are doing. What could possibly go wrong?
This is a rom-com/chick-lit book that is filled with emotional moments between mother and daughter, situations that will make you smile, and romance between Becca and Grant. I know nothing about boats or sailing, and so a lot of that in-depth descriptions and boating terminology made my eyes glaze over, and detracted from my enjoyment somewhat. Otherwise this would make for a great beach read.

The great American roadtrip, with sails

Becca Larkin married young to a wealthy, successful lawyer who swept her off her feet. Twenty-two years later, when she files for divorce, she exits married life with a much loved adult daughter and memories of a life built upon lies. She suffers guilt at the realization that the comfort she lived in was all constructed by money earned defending the most despicable criminals and mob members.

Left with little after a rigid prenup she signed as a young, lovestruck bride, Becca’s financial future is riding on the sale of an expensive sailboat gifted to her years earlier. To get the boat to a seller in Miami, Becca, an inexperienced sailor, must journey from Maine to Florida in what she hopes will be a mother-daughter bonding trip. When her spoiled daughter bails on her, a handsome, Irish sailing instructor steps in to oversee the voyage – and to shake up Becca’s life in ways she could never imagine.

This is a beautifully told story of one woman finding herself, building courage where none existed previously, and shaking off the lethargy of two decades to embrace the strength and adventure she’d abandoned two decades earlier. Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy - all thoughts are my own.

I love Kelly Harms and have read most of her books. I was so excited to receive her upcoming release. However, I was very disappointed. I did not love or even really like any of the characters. I was appalled at Liv’s behavior and treatment of her mother throughout the course of the book. I had a hard time getting past the age difference between Grant and Becca, especially given Liv’s past feelings for Grant, It all felt very uncomfortable for me. The sailing references and terms were challenging for me. I don’t usually have any issue reading a book about something I’m not familiar with but for some reason, I had a very hard time with sailing. I found myself skimming a lot of the sailing parts. I am rating this a 3 because I love Kelly Harms, but I might have actually rated it a 2 if it was an author I wasn’t familiar with.

A huge Thank You to The author, The publisher and NetGalley for providing the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
So good! I absolutely enjoyed it!

First a glimpse inside the story:
After 20 years of marriage, Becca got divorced from Alistair a rich lawyer from a wealthy family.
When she got married she was her daughter age 21 years old soo in love and full of life and dreams and saw in her husband everything. However, with time she fell out of love, and Alistair changed and she just became the mother and the wife. Now, in her forties, she is penniless and divorced and with nothing by her side but her daughter Liv and The sailing boat she got from the divorce which is called Becky-Ann.
Becca knows nothing about sailing and she needs money, therefore, she decides to sale it by herself, with the help of her daughter they will sail to Miami together embarking on a journey of bonding, surprises, and maybe love.

My opinion:
It was a lovely story about a mother-daughter relationship and starting over and facing life difficulties.
However, I felt it lacked passion it was pretty slow and the chapters were lengthy. I was just flipping through the pages to get to the end. In addition to the sailing part which I have no idea about and I've never done in my life so I found a hard time enjoying it and imagining it.
So in a nutshell, I'm not saying this book is not worthy of reading but it wasn't for me.

I loved Wherever the Wind Takes Us by Kelly Harms. It was a great story about a woman trying to figure out life after a divorce. With sailing as the backdrop, it was a touching story that examined a mother/ daughter relationship and a search for what’s next.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

4.5 stars
This book read as a cross between Trish Doller’s Float Plan and Robinne Lee’s The Idea of You and I loved every minute of it. As a newly divorced 42 year old, Rebecca Ann, has never lived on her own or really lived outside of the wealthy bubble her life provided. But set free with literally nothing to her name except for a fancy sailboat she receives as a settlement, she plans to set sail with her college-aged daughter and sell the boat to a wealthy investor. Only problem? Becca doesn’t sail and the boat has to get to Miami from Maine within 3 weeks.
This book primarily was about the growth of Becca as she tries to navigate life “after” divorce. Marrying Alistair Larkin (known for his family’s defense of famous sleezeballs), having a child young and being provided for her entire life has left her insecure and unsure about her self-worth, her wants, and desires. I loved that the protagonist was close to my age and could feel both old and young at the same time, clearly needing a life change after staying in a dead marriage 10 years beyond what she should have. And Becca instantly being attracted to a younger marina/dock worker seems completely fitting since the idea of sex has not even been on the table in years. As Becca and Liv (her daughter) set off for their mother-daughter adventure, it becomes clear that maybe the trip isn’t all they had hoped for and that perhaps it will take the help of someone with more experience to get this duo down to Miami. Becca begins to see her relationship with Liv change and she is able to process and separate her roles of mother, friend, and wife, sometimes not without heartache. I loved the sailing references and even though many times had no clue what was being described on the boat, felt that I was along for the ride with Becca, literally learning the ropes along with her. And let’s talk about Grant. 26, unbelievably hot, and a hard worker to boot. He is exactly what Becca never imagined for herself, but quite possibly exactly what she needs. Grant allows her to be her best self and he encourages Becca, teaches her, and is gentle with her feelings, but is also honest and completely open with her. I think it’s under this time with Grant that Becca begins to imagine for herself what she actually wants out of life regardless of any prior notions of what a 42 year old should be doing with her self. Although I had some ideas about the ending, it is so perfect and really explores the complexities of mother-daughter relationships. Every woman married, single, or divorced who feels past her prime or like life has passed her by should read this book. It is invigorating and a perfect fantasy for the questions about “what else is out there” beyond your current life. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Yes please! This was such a fun adventure and I want to read more of KH books! Grant sure sounds like a cutie and I loved the mother-daughter friendship-relationship in this book. I would happily be friends with this protagonist in real life! I never listen to audiobooks after I've read the book, but I think this story might change that for me. So fun!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rebecca is a newly-divorced, former stay-at-home mom who's trying to find herself after two decades of living to serve her husband, Alistair, and her daughter, Olivia. Although Rebecca refuses to take any of Alistair's ill-gotten wealth and despite their ironclad prenup, she still receives his beloved sailboat in their divorce settlement. Desperate to sell it so that she can finance her "second act", she sets out to deliver the boat herself with her daughter, and along the way she discovers plenty about who she is and what she's capable of.

I love mother-daughter stories, and the premise of them sailing together and getting a little revenge on the father sounded perfect to me. Halfway through the trip, though, Olivia is switched for Grant, a twenty six year old hot sailor, and the romance component begins, something I was also looking forward to.

What I wasn't expecting was for Rebecca and Grant to have a sixteen year age gap, and for Olivia and Grant to have had a past, so I was immediately turned off by the whole thing. I was also disappointed to see the mother-daughter relationship go down the drain so easily and cruelly. The way Rebecca talks about Olivia makes it sound like she hates her.

Overall, I'd recommend this book to fans of sailing, as there's a month's worth of daily reports of the trip's hardships and of Rebecca's learning process and eventual falling in love with the skill.

Kelly Harms is one of those rare authors who create characters and stories that are so poignant and emotional, you find yourself thinking about them days later. For me, this was especially true of Becca Larkin in WHEREVER THE WIND TAKES US.

After 20+ years of marriage, Becca can no longer justify being married to a man she doesn’t respect. When she unexpectedly gets possession of a sailboat in the divorce, she decides to sell it and sail the “Becky Ann” from Maine to Miami to deliver it to the new owner. Unfortunately, Becca doesn’t know the first thing about sailing but her daughter Liv does and what better way to bond with your child than to travel together, right?

Becca and Liv are accompanied by a handsome (and complicated) love interest in the form of a sailing instructor named Grant and over the course of the trip, Becca learns a lot about herself and begins to imagine what her life could look like if she put her own needs and desires first.

WHEREVER THE WIND TAKES US is a genuinely heartfelt and funny story about hope, bravery and the joy that can be found just beyond our greatest fears.

This five-star gem of a book releases October 18, do yourself a favour and pre-order your copy today. Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for the advance copy.

The story
Becca is 42, and recently divorced. She was a stay at home mom and wife for the last 22 years but is walking away from her marriage with almost nothing, except the kind judge decided she was entitled to her wealthy ex husband’s yacht. Becca aims to sell the yacht but the buyers she finds wants it delivered to Miami. This involves an seemingly epic voyage of self discovery for both Becca and her daughter Olivia. When Olivia bales out after a week and a bit, she calls her sailing teacher, Irishman Grant to take her place.

My thoughts
This story had very strong vibes of Trish Doller’s Float Plan, but replacing death with divorce as a place to grieve and make a second act, complete with a charming Irish sailor. Having said that, the sailing seems to be more of a metaphor for taking control of your life in this story, and I really enjoyed how the author did not shy away from the scary and technical aspects here. It underlined how serious an endeavour this was, and how hopelessly unprepared both Becca and Olivia were for this trip. The craziness of Becca’s ex-husband’s antics interspersed with his supposed generosity (suspect trying to keep control) provide a dollop of spice and interest. I have really enjoyed Kelly Harms’ other books and this one was great too!

Wherever the Wind Takes Us is the fourth book I’ve read by Kelly Harms, and I’ve enjoyed them all! She never disappoints, and there’s so much to love about her latest. Here’s what I appreciated the most:

* Lots of family drama, with a strong emphasis on mother/daughter relationships.
* Fun adventure aspect. I had no idea sailing was so exhilarating! (And difficult to master!)
* Hot and spicy romance scenes with just the right amount of steam.
* A realistic look at the difficulties of leaving a toxic marriage, and starting over after a nasty divorce.
* A dynamic lead character that you can’t help but admire, and root for.

I should add that there’s a LOT of sailing jargon in this novel. So if you love to sail, this one is right up your alley. A lot of it went way over my head, and my eyes sometimes glazed over, but I did learn a lot! Ha! Overall, another solid novel from Kelly Harms. Wherever the Wind Takes Us releases on October 18th!

Where the Wind Takes You is another heartwarming, laugh out loud winner from Kelly Harms. I was hooked after The Overdue Life of Amy Byler and have now read everything that she has written both before and since....and her newest does not disappoint!

Becca Larkin is starting a new chapter in her life after finally divorcing her rich, condescending, adulterous husband but this is anything but a clean break. She doesn't want any of his dirty money - he's a lawyer for some pretty repulsive criminals - but she does have to sell her uber-expensive boat to stay afloat (pun intended!). As she sets sail from Maine to Miami to sell her only acquisition from the divorce, her goal is to strengthen her bond with her daughter Olivia during their adventure at sea. When Olivia calls Grant, the young sailing instructor who may or may not be her ex boyfriend, he comes to the rescue and helps Becca find her way to Miami and find herself in the process.

I am a HUGE Kelly Harms fan and grateful to receive this ARC. Her ability to capture heart, character build, and weave in LOL-worthy dialogue has made me a faithful fan and is ever present in Wherever the Wind Takes Us. Keeping it real, this one was hard for me to get through as it dives DEEP into sailing and all the accompanying terminology. As someone with zero experience, I couldn't keep up with the descriptions or understand what was going on. I felt the "telling" made up a majority of the book and took away from the great story working at its core. The "twist" was genuinely surprising and I wish more time has been devoted to working out this portion of the story rather than being a beginners guide to sailing. Nonetheless, adding a notch for Harms to my belt is still satisfying.

A journey of both self discovery and of mother daughter bonding. Becca is surprised to say the least when she gets the sailboat in her divorce from Liv's dad, She decides to sell it but also to sail it herself from Maine to Miami where the new owner will take possession. Not so fast, Liv hires Grant,. a 26 year old Irishman to help them and, well, he does. He helps in ways none of them expected (all positive). I learned a few things about sailing, enjoyed the characters, and was entertained by the dialogue. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Fun.