Happy Publication Day to Between the Sound and Sea written by auto-buy author Amanda Cox! As its lovely cover hints, this story is set on the Outer Banks of North Carolina and features a (fictional) lighthouse, its imagined history, and the people of several generations who are drawn to it.

Told in dual timeline format with a strong sense of place, its complex characters deal with a host of issues including fractured family relationships, loss of reputation, dementia, and grief. The author is a professional counselor which enables her to craft their interactions realistically yet compassionately. I especially appreciated how she included one character’s decades of regret about a relationship in his youth even after a long and happy marriage.

The search for home, both literal and philosophical, is a theme throughout, and the ways the title’s symbolism is woven into the novel united the storylines. The subplots of faith, mystery, intrigue, and romance added interest and meaning. Just when I thought I knew where the plot was headed, the author surprised me in the best ways. I keep almost no novels after reading them, but Ms. Cox’s books have a place of honor on my keeper shelf, and I’m thrilled to add Between the Sound and Sea to my collection.

Several times while reading this story, I was reminded of Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes. These novels are each unique but also in conversation in meaningful ways.

Thank you to Revell and NetGalley for the review copy of this novel perfect for summer reading.

This was an enjoyable read. The plot was interesting and the characters were interesting and dynamic. I would recommend this book to others.

Amanda Cox has easily become a favorite author for me. This novel included The Outer Banks, and that has also been a favorite for me, dealing with a lighthouse made it very special as well as the historical mystery that gave depth to the story. I really appreciate the times I have visited several different maritime museums, so I felt immersed in things I knew and enjoy. And Amanda has a way of adding layer upon layer to her characters that keeps me coming back to read all she has written. There was just a dash of romance, done in the manner I like, not the main focus. If you enjoy depth of character, delightful settings, bits of historical interest mixed in with romance you will enjoy this novel. Write on Amanda! Thanks to Net Galley for an advance copy. And many thanks to Amanda Cox and Revell for this opportunity.

This book was so good and easy to get lost in. I loved the characters, they felt to real and the people I would like to know in real life.

I highly recommend this book to anyone.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own*

I was worried that there would be too much religion and faith in this book for me, I was definitely concerned for no reason. While there is an element of faith, it is light, and definitely not overwhelming.

This book takes place in a remote lighthouse, away from society. There is a love story, but the relationship between granddaughter and grandfather is central. The grandfather wants to see the lighthouse restored before he dies, seeing it as a penance for past mistakes. This is the story of what those mistakes are, and what redemption really means.

Between the Sound and Sea becomes a dual timeline story mostly through the memories of octogenarian Finnegan Walter O'Hare, AKA Walt. In the early 1940s sixteen-year-old Walt left his best friend, Cay, behind as he left to join the merchant marines. It was the last time he saw her because she was reported to have disappeared the same night his ship was blown out of the water. Her father was found dead not long after, and so rumors about the father and daughter began. In 2007, Walt is still looking for ways to make things right.

Both story lines are interesting and well-thought-out. Each has its share of love, tragedy, and loss. The overall theme of restoration is well-done. The characters are ones that readers will come to care about. I highly recommend all of Amanda Cox's books. They are rich in excellent writing and deep themes. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Between the Sound and Sea from Revell via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Between the Sound and Sea is another captivating read by Amanda Cox. The story has a sweet romance, lost friendships, mystery, family relationships, and wonderful historical details wrapped up into a wonderful storyline. Taking place on the Outer Banks of North Carolina involving a lighthouse, had me glued to the pages from the beginning. The vivid descriptions of the area and the charm made me feel like I was there.

The story unfolds as Joey, Finn, and Wally work together to restore the lighthouse and house. The story has some suspense that had me on the edge of my seat, but then the work of God's intervention shined through the pages bringing more layers to the story. It was balanced perfectly. This one will stay with you long after you turn the last page. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher; a positive review is not required. All opinions are my own.





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Between the Sound and Sea is another engrossing, multilayered story by master storyteller Amanda Cox. The setting is on the Outer Banks of North Carolina where we meet Walt, an eighty plus year old, his grandson Finn, and Joey, an event planner who worked with her father and brother with their construction company. The three come together to restore an old non-working lighthouse on a barrier island between Pimlico Sound and the ocean. Walt has carried regrets for over sixty years, feelings of failing to help his friend when they were teenagers. Cay's father was the light keeper at the time of World War II. He was killed and Cay's body was never found the night of a merchant ship's explosion. Finn has some regrets of his own as a young man. Joey wants to restore her family's name in her hometown in Tennessee. The characters are wonderful, likable, and relatable; the setting was easy to visualize. This emotional story is one rich in history with a touch of mystery, romance, faith, second chances, and surprises.
I received a copy for the purpose of an honest review. These are my thoughts.

This is the best of Amanda Cox, and her books are always amazing in plot and writing style. Last year I wanted a dual storyline novel including a lighthouse and Between the Sound and Sea fit this perfectly!
Joey is not thriving in business in her hometown due to her family name being soured in the community when she hears about a lighthouse needed renovation on the Outer Banks. When she gets the job and start working for the owner Walt and his grandson Finn, they start discovering journal entries about the young lighthouse keeper who saved many from drowning. They three work together to solve the lighthouse keeper's mystery and what became of her as she's Walt's first love.
So many elements to this story that I loved-light romance, historical journal entries and mystery. I hated to see this story end. It will be one of my top three for the year.
I received a complimentary copy of Between the Sound and the Sea, but all opinions are my own.

A beautiful, romantic, faith filled mystery! Between the Sound and Sea completely grabbed hold of my imagination and didn’t let go. Full of secrets, legends, history, and restoration, this dual time line romance takes place on North Carolina’s Outer Banks in 2007 & the 1940’s. I enjoyed both timelines and how the past & present were woven together with plenty of twists along the way. It’s a lovely story about regrets, fear, and moving forward with romance & a touch of humor.

Josephina “Joey” Harris is struggling to find work in the town she adored and grew up in after a lawsuit tarnished her family name. Needing to get away, she decides to take a job restoring an old light house on Bleakpoint Island. When she arrives, she’s welcomed by the 81 year old owner, Finnegan “Walt” O’Hare however his grandson Finn is not so enthusiastic. He decides to give her a chance at his grandfather’s bequest and as she begins working on the lighthouse, she uncovers secret documents hidden in the walls.

As past and present collide, Joey becomes invested in finding out what happened to the light keeper and his daughter and the reason why Walt is so obsessed with restoring the lighthouse. With rumors of ghosts, legends, and a German invasion, restoring peace to Walt’s life becomes an all consuming task. But Joey and Finn have their own pasts they’re trying to overcome and as their once antagonistic relationship becomes more friendly, will they have a chance to restore their own lives as well?

I loved the beautiful prose and imagery in this story. I could easily picture the dilapidated lighthouse and the sandy beaches. Walt is such an endearing character and I loved his matchmaking. I also loved Joey and Finn and their slow-burn frenemies to more relationship. Both of them have reasons to be cautious about falling in love and I enjoyed watching them learn to overcome fears. The side characters will were delightful as well. I enjoyed the teenager Peter whose life takes a turn for the better.

The mysterious disappearance of Cay, Walt’s first love, is teased out throughout the story as letters, logbooks, and secrets are uncovered. I enjoyed finding out what happened all those years ago and seeing the regrets finally being put to rest. It’s a heartwarming story of second chances & restoration that inspirational historical fiction fans will adore.

Highly recommend! I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own and voluntarily provided. 4.5-5 stars!

‼️World War 2 dual time line
⚓️ Boats in danger
💡dilapidation and decommissioned lighthouse on the Outer Banks
💔 lost friendship
👷event planner turned construction manager
💕 Second Chance at love

There is not a page in this book that did not pull me into the story. Amanda Cox has written another masterpiece that has me hooked from page 1.

The dual timeline is well written and you will find yourself traveling back in time to when the lighthouses of the US Atlantic Coast played crucial roles in WWII. Then just as easily you flow back into present day as Joey (female MC) faces hard times and embraces change by risking everything to oversee the restoration of a lighthouse in the Outer Banks.

The lighthouse has been the hot topic of the local small island gossip for years. The mystery unfolds as Joey tries to restore the lighthouse to it former glory. As she oversees this project, she begins to understand why Walt has taken on the project.

The story weaves in forgiveness, real family issues, and second chance love that begins with friendship.

There could be some triggers for those who have experienced miscarriages, divorce, death, and Daniel division. However, the story is focused on the healing process from those issues more than anything.

I received an advance copy of this book through NetGalley and Revell Publishing. This review is my honest opinion.

#newrelease #netgalley #netgalleyreads #betweenthesoundandsea #amandacox #whattoreadnext #bookstagram #booksbooksbooks

-Positive Content-
-There were some good quotes I REALLY liked from the book.

(#1)“Because God meets us right where we’re at. And maybe things in our lives get broken down and beaten up along the way. The good news is restoration work is kind of His specialty.”-Joey Harris

(#2)“I feel like I’ve slipped and fallen into an episode of Scooby-Doo. Send help.” -Joey Harris

(#3)“The best gifts are the ones you can share with someone, you know.” -Joey Harris

(#4) "But that’s the beauty of love and grace, Cay. The real kind. We don’t have to earn it.” -Walt O'Hare

-My favorite characters were the historian couple Jerry and Renee, and a spunky elderly woman named Kit.

-I also liked the mention of the band Casting Crowns. I love their music!

Negative Content
-While a great-grandmother tells her great-grandson a story about a girl lightkeeper and she says: " 'she stripped out of her sodden clothes and wrapped a wool blanket around her shoulders.' She winced. Oops. That was probably more detail than a fifteen-year-old boy needed to hear about a fifteen-year -old girl. She continued, more mindful of the particulars she shared."

-A grandfather says that his grandson's sentence contained, "S*xism and ageism all in one breath." Which his granson replies with: "And you might call me s*xist, but I call it calling a spade a spade."

-an elderly man's heart pounding loudly reminded him of "that horrible boxed-up heart under the floor in Edgar Allan Poe’s dreadful story."

-mention of "A siren's song"

-Before the MFC (main female character) puts out a fire it mentions "She stripped off her shirt and soaked it through before pulling it back on."

-A character gets injured and another says "And you’ve been busting your tail in therapy...”

-a grandfather mentions to his grandson about him "being a royal pain in the rear.”

-an elderly man thinks to himself that, "His ancient rear end was alone in a wildlife sanctuary with about four hours of daylight left."

-The MFC's best friend Sophie says to her over the phone, “Now, park that snazzy truck of yours, march your rear end over to those men..." When the MFC goes to preview a job with her clients.
-Sophie says to the MFC once she agrees to try an idea of hers, “So you’re not ready to cuss me a blue streak for sending the wild idea your way?”
-When the MFC tells her best friend Sophie about a guy it says, "Sophie sighed like a lovesick teen."  She also kept insisting for her to send a pic of the guy. Sophie also says, “He’s hot, isn’t he?”
Overall she acted way more giddy than a married woman and mother such as herself should be when discussing another man.
Sophie ended up being my least favorite character for the 4 reasons above.

-A man says "my old man" when referring to his father.

-The MMC (main male character) let the MFC (main female character) stay the night in his vacant hotel room, while he stayed the night at the hospital with his grandfather.
(This was not wise because if nobody knew it was vacant when she entered his hotel room, it would look like she stayed the night with him, even though she didn't. Which could ruin both their reputations.)

-While staying in the hotel room the MMC let her use: "Joey towel-dried her hair and put on the oversized North Carolina T-shirt she’d found on sale at the pharmacy, wearing it like a nightgown." (There is no mention of what else she is wearing, which makes an indecent mental image for a male reader.)

-The MMC in his past, had a girlfriend his family warned him about. He stubbornly failed to heed their warnings and kept seeing her anyway, and he ended up getting her pregnant. He sometime after proposes to her, and she says 'yes', and so they get married.

At 30 weeks pregnant, she unexplainably lost the baby. Doctors could not explain why. Soon after, they went their separate ways, she went to live with her parents and he went to live with his grandparents.
(I guess they divorced? It didn't say other than that.)

After explaining this to another character he says, “Pops and Gramma were by my side when my matchstick life toppled, even though I’d spent the past six months acting like the north end of a southbound donkey."

-Earlier in the book it mentions the MFC's dad and brother having had an argument, and her brother leaving angry.
Later the subject of the argument was somewhat explained: " ' Trey looked away. “I can’t deal with it if he starts in on me. Criticizing my every move.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “I know Dad didn’t handle things in the best way, but I don’t think calling you out for not showing up for work because you’d been out barhopping with your friends all night and hooking up with any girl that would have you is quite the same thing as criticizing your every move.” '

(If this was the case, their dad had every reason to try to correct and guide his son, instead of leaving him to his sin.)

-mention of "nasty" and "ugly" rainy weather. (It's not good to complain about the weather God creates.)

-Though the MMC changed later, I didn't like how even though he was concerned about his grandfather's mental state (which was better than he first thought), was bossy and overbearing when talking to him.

-When a male and female character is talking about getting married she says, "You’re the chance I want to take..."

When you're highly considering marrying someone it needs to be a person you are absolutely sure is the right one for you, not a chance or a guess you're taking.

-A man remarries after having already split up with his first wife.
Biblically (in the KJV), you're not supposed to remarry after being divorced because it keeps from being able to mend things if it is possible with your first spouse. (It also calls remarrying after divorce adultery.)


Language
-dur* ×1
-h*ck used ×1
-Fool/fools is used a few times, mainly talking/thinking about oneself, a bit to others.

Triggers-
-a few mentions of dead bodies washed up onshore after a torpedo had hit a ship. (Very brief, no details.)

-brief mention of someone having lost a lot of blood after being wounded in shipwreck. (No details.)

-brief mention of 2 couples both having had a miscarriage. (No details other than how far along one mother was.)
-mention of a character losing his parents in a car wreck.

-Some Thoughts-
I really missed the clean romance, characters with manners, heart-warming stories, and innocence from the other novel ("The Edge Of Belonging") and novella ("Where We Belong") I've read by this author. That's what I loved most about those stories and rated them 5 stars.

If I had to say what lowered the rating, it would be because the negative content just added up to be so much.
Due to my personal convictions as a Christian I cannot with a clear conscience recommend this book.

I received a complimentary e-book copy from Revell Books to review through Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and the thoughts above are my own.

When the Harris family name has been drug through the mud, Josephina “Joey” Harris contemplates her future. Stick around Copper Creek, Tennessee, and watch her once-successful event planning company dissolve into next to nothing? Or apply for a lighthouse restoration project in North Carolina that her best friend begrudgingly convinces her to apply for? Joey applies and surprisingly gets the job of project manager for the lighthouse project.

Will Joey return to Copper Creek ready to save her fledging business once the lighthouse project is complete? Or will she stick around the North Carolina island, living out a dream she didn’t even know she possessed in a place that she never thought she’d call home?

Sometimes you pick up a book with uncertainty, unsure of what you’ll find because the author is new to you. Then, pretty soon, you find yourself up past your bedtime and thinking of the book even when it’s not open in your lap. Such is the case for me.

This was my first Amanda Cox novel and oh how I marvel as the brilliant writing of this piece of book art! A good mix of history, mystery, and some light romance (“light” as in romance wasn’t a predominant theme of the book), both the characters and the plot just left me in awe! This book was like getting a warm and gentle hug from a long-lost friend whom you are deeply grateful to spend time with. I didn’t want this one to end AT ALL, and I could’ve kept reading it another 100 pages. The character development was incredibly shaped, and Joey, the main female character, was endearing, strong, and sweet. I think she could be my friend in real life. And Walt? This precious man reminded me a lot of my own grandpa.

This story of hope, restoration, and second chances will certainly not be forgotten anytime soon, and I will be recommending this one for a long while! I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to read and review this one!

This was another really good book by this author.
It’s a romance and a mystery wrapped up in one heartwarming story. I really enjoyed the book and had a hard time putting it down. Definitely recommend

Told with several twists and turns, and rich with banker history, this story tells the misfortunes of Walt and Cat, who lived through an Outer Banks WW2, struggling with things that are openly discussed today but were swept silently away in earlier times. The lighthouse becomes a character of its own, and we watch it develop, then waste away, then become restored in the present-day storyline. Finn and Joey have an interesting, slow-burn-style relationship, and one of my favorite characters is the youngster they happen upon. Just when it seems like you, the reader, have everything pulled together in your mind, there's another twist! With a satisfying ending, you'll walk away feeling both entertained and educated.

BETWEEN THE SOUND AND SEA
BY: AMANDA COX

About 4.5 Stars for exquisite Writing!

It is the year 2007, and Joey Harris is talking over the telephone to her best friend named Sophie. Joey is the only member of her family left who remains living in the tourist attraction area called, Copper Creek, Tennessee. Joey's parents have left that day to move to Florida, taking early retirement in order to escape the family being outcasts, and their good names and reputations having been ruined. Her father had been the owner of a successful Construction company that had restored most of the historic buildings in the town's square. After her dad sold his company, it became in the very least, uncomfortable to be unfairly blamed for the new owner of his Construction company's illegal stealing money from the customers who hired him. It wasn't her father's fault that the new owner turned out to be a scam artist that her dad sold his construction company to. Joey has stayed, but is also being scapegoated from their tourist location's charming town that inhabited small minded citizens. She has spent eight or nine years building her Event Planning business, and as she speaks to Sophie she tells her how one woman walking down the same sidewalk, ignored her by crossing to the opposite side of the street to avoid Joey. Her calendar has had everybody cancel various events for special occasions such as weddings, milestone anniversaries, etc.

Sophie sends a job application to Joey for a job restoring an old decommissioned lighthouse in North Carolina, in the Outer Banks on a remote Island. Joey tells Sophie she is into planning parties, when Sophie reminds her that she grew up helping her father, working at his Construction company. So with nothing to lose, Joey applies for the position of Project Manager and drives there to meet for an interview. The interview takes place with a young man her age, along with his grandfather who is paying out of his own pocket for the restoration work, to return the lighthouse to its former glory. It had fallen into serious disrepair from neglect and damages, because after the government stopped using it during the war as a light for boats and ships, that were being torpedoed by the Germans. It had stopped being used during the Nineteen Hundred and Forties, after the father and daughter had both run into difficulties during World War II. After Joey met with the younger man named Finn, who is hiring he ends up being rude to her, because of her name being Joey, he expected a male applicant. His grandfather who goes by the same name, but prefers to be called Walt, has no need to use the lighthouse and the groundskeeper's housing, but he is doing it, because he feels sorry for his 15 year old friend, named Cathleen. The two had been close since they met at 9 years-old, at the tiny school. Walt last saw the Lighthouse Keeper's daughter whom they spent all their time together, playing and roaming the remote Island and became best friends. She had disappeared without a trace many decades ago, sometime during the 1940's, she helped out her father whose body was found drowned, washed up onto the shore. He doesn't know what happened to Cathleen, but he feels pain and regret towards failing her in some way. Those feelings have arisen since he moved back to the area, after he became a widow.

Joey does get hired for the position who Walt is responsible for, since he feels her experience as an Event planner, juggling multiple people while keeping the client happy, will be skilled enough to coordinate the different workers in this sentimental restoration project. After Joey has gotten the good news from the structural engineers that the foundation doesn't need replacing, she emails it to Finn. She needs to get another company in to fix the steel and iron, rusty spiral staircase, and she decides to climb the 150 stairs that lead to the top, about one hundred feet in the air, where the old light stood to estimate the cost of repairs, and what needs replacement. As she is climbing, aiming the beam of her flashlight along the decayed plastered walls, she finds scraps of the Lighthouse keepers logs behind the plaster in several areas hidden away. She scraped more in the area as she climbed the spiral staircase on her climb up to the top deck, using a putty knife and found several more pieces of crumbled paper hidden . An older couple whose specialty is restoring historic artifacts are cleaning up the cottage on the grounds, and finds more journal entries and logs that are written by two separate persons handwriting. She is intrigued by this mystery since the writing should have been written by Cathleen's father only. She wonders why the handwriting is by different people entered into the old records. She places them inside a plastic sleeve for safekeeping in her notebook.

The locals have rumored that the lighthouse is haunted by the spirit of Cathleen and her father. Neither Walt or Joey believe in ghosts, but there have been stories of sightings that have become myth and legend, over the many years the area has been abandoned. She thinks she sees movement in the bushes below that are known as scrub oak. When she climbs to the bottom to check things out, she finds that someone who had tried to start a fire, which only succeeded to cause smoking around the cottage, that she puts out with buckets of water from the sea. After, she notices that someone has stolen the newly discovered scraps of paper and records of Cathleen's father's journals and Keepers logs. She radios Walt to come and after they survey the area and cottage decide that there's no sense reporting it to the police. The police aren't likely to care about an old deserted, decommissioned lighthouse on an isolated Island. Her and Walt have become acquainted more and she can tell it was his idea that convinced his grandson into hiring her for the job. Finn, Walter's grandson has asked Joey as part of her job, to keep an eye out for his eighty one year-old grandfather. Joey doesn't mind since she likes Walt, and doesn't agree with Finn, that Walt needs her supervision. She sees the Island's natural beauty and has grown to love her job.

I think that this is a very well written literary and historical novel, that I would have loved to have seen included in this work, the process of the several components of detailed descriptions, of how each part of the process of the work of the restoration was done. I find that this is a personal preference since I love historical places, and have an interest in how these things are done. It is a terrific job done by this author's talent, to have included into the writing, the wondrous aspects she used to bring the isolated setting alive on the page. She did a fantastic job at this, to the point where I could visualize in my mind how the area looked. It had an isolation about it that placed me in the exact location of where it took place. Walt has a need to spend what remaining funds he has to restore Cathleen's former home. Even though he has no idea of what happened to her. Joey and Walt are lovable characters from the very beginning, that you can't resist wanting them to meet their individual desired outcome. The grandson Finn, becomes gradually likable once you understand his past. Joey plays an integral role due to her positive attributes, to helping both Walt and Finn. It remains to be written further throughout the novel, how Walt cares about Cathleen by his musings, along with him telling Joey of that fateful last night before she disappeared. I also would have liked to have additional secondary characters of the men who were doing the restoration work. As they proceeded from start to finish. Instead, it is told in the writing the work is done. I never witnessed the work getting done by additional characters added as different parts took place regarding the restoration process. There's a lot of telling instead of showing the work either before or after it's finished. I actually thought I would be reading about the work getting done, while the different phases of the restoration took place in the present tense. I didn't realize that this is Christian fiction, but it isn't something loud or off-putting, but explains why the growing romance is done in a clean fashion without a blow by blow detailed way. That romance sticks to a slow gradual build up begun by getting to know one another slowly. The most that is included is hand holding with a mutual enjoyment of each other's company which on a personal level appeals to me much more. This is more of a character study with gorgeous descriptions of the setting, brought vividly to life. The author has the characters acting convincingly with good intentions. Those readers who are looking for a faster paced plot driven novel won't find it here. I'm grateful to have read this author's fictional novel who has written prior work and is also an Award Winner. I'd recommend to those who love mystery elements and enjoy their settings to be so vividly drawn they become a character. I am thrilled to have discovered a brand new author whose both past and future work I'm interested in reading. This isn't listed or marketed as Christian fiction that I saw, but the few mentions of God and the clean romance led me to conclude it is. I apologize for any wrong assumptions made that appear in this review.

Publication Date: August 6, 2024

Thank you to Net Galley, Amanda Cox and Revell for generously providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#BetweentheSoundandSea #AmandaCox #Revell #NetGalley

Cozy. Sweet. Heartfelt. This new novel from Amanda Cox, Between the Sound and Sea, gets all the warm, feel-good adjectives! This contemporary Christian novel is cozy and light, and full of lovely characters, a beautiful story, and a setting that will transport you to the coast of North Carolina.

I usually gravitate toward historical novels. While this book has an entirely contemporary setting, it ties in the island’s history and WWII folklore in a way that still gives historical vibes — and it captured me in a way that I wasn’t expecting. Between the Sound and Sea gives a well-balanced blend of romance, light mystery, historical elements, and contemporary women’s fiction, all wrapped up in a heartfelt bundle.

Sometimes, you just need a feel-good story to curl up on the sofa with, and this book was entirely that. There is romance (but no spice), a little bit of family drama, and a whole cast of wonderful characters to root for. The epilogue wrapped everything up neatly and I also appreciated the author’s note giving us a little more insight into the history of that area during WWII.

The lighthouse setting is also beautifully done. You get a fantastic sense of the coast and this rugged and worn island in need of a little TLC, and I loved the renovation aspect of the plot. This connected with some of the book’s main themes and I thought it made for a vivid and transportive location that I would love to visit!

Thanks to the publisher for my gifted advance copy. For readers looking for a super sweet, contemporary, Christian fiction novel, this is one to add to the TBR!

Just beautiful. I am a thriller girly but do like to cleanse the palate with a feel good book and I love historical fiction. The writing was like poetry and the character were so real that I actually miss them already. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

A beautiful and moving tale. Wonderfully told with a very ambitious thought to give the impression of a historical novel. The characters were clearly portrayed bringing generations to be nicely entwined. I really enjoyed seeing how Peter developed with support from everyone. At the start he came over as a loser and a lost soul. A great story or repair within family disagreements and misunderstandings.

This is hands down a beautiful story. It's more than one story, woven among five central characters and two time periods.
I received the advanced reader's copy of this book from Revell via NetGalley and this is my own unsolicited opinion.
Amanda Cox has done an excellent job letting the characters tell the story. I appreciate that very much. Joey, Josephine Harris is an event planner with a crashing business. She has an opportunity to take a break from her community and go to Breakpoint Island, N.C. She has a chance to head up a project to refurbish the lighthouse and keepers' cabin there. In the mid 1940's the lighthouse stood sentinel to protect those who sailed the waters near the sound. 15-year-old Cathleen lived with her father, keeping a huge secret, even from her best friend until one fateful night everything changed.
Hidden notes, possible sabotage, rumors of the keepers' ghost and the irritating grandson of the man who bought the island all add up to mystery for Joey. It all gave this reader a surprising and touching novel filled with second chances.
It's so good. It deserves five stars.