Whose Waves These Are
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Looking at the many 5 star reviews, I was looking forward to reading this novel. Unfortunately this book was not for me. I found it boring, especially the first half, too many tragedies, too many characters to keep track of, too much confusion, secrets, etc.
I knew the minute Annie met Jeremiah, how that is going to play out.
I didn’t relate to any of the characters, overall, I can’t give this book more than 2 stars.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for my review. Are you looking for a great read-one that you just want to savor instead of devour? A story where the characters and their lives seem to stick with you long after the story has ended? This is the story for you! It is the fabulous story of Robert Bliss-a man among men. Humble, God-fearing, caring he comes back from WWII a changed man. He finds a way to honor the men that were lost in the war and makes it his life's work. As his life is nearing its end, however his work is unfinished. His great-niece Annie, is called to his bedside and as Robert's life story is revealed we can see how it will impact the future of everyone who knows him. Awesome story!

In my opinion, this book needs to be on every reader’s must-read list! Whose Waves These Are captivated me from the first line and even after I’ve lovingly set the story on my all-time favorites shelf, it continues to tug at my reader heart.

Annie, Robert, and all the wonderful secondary character citizens of Ansel-by-the-Sea, Maine are charming, endearing, and inspiring! I love each and every aspect of this story more than I can say! Amanda Dykes is a masterfully talented storyteller and her words paint this impactful tale with rich emotion and spiritual truths.

The experience of reading this book is a journey of heartfelt discovery and I can’t risk spoiling even a tiny bit of your enjoyment by saying anything more! I urge you to pick it up this story of honor, sacrifice, duty, family, and love to enjoy without delay! (Then grab the novella, Up From the Sea, and savor it as well!)

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a review. The opinions expressed are my own.

I was in a reading funk when I decided to start this book and it got me hooked from the start. I was pleasantly surprised that it is a dual storyline with a story starting with Bob and his twin brother Roy and the tales of their lives through the years. The other plot is contemporary with Bob's niece coming back to Maine to help care for her uncle.
It's a wonderful story of reconciliation and forgiveness in a small town in Maine. I would recommend this to those looking for a new storyline.

Whose Waves These Are is the first book from the the same titled series was a good read. I liked it and would give it four stars.

Okay, so this book is so amazing that it gets ten stars. However, the writing style is maddening at times, especially the verb tenses and the past/present hops even within the same paragraph. I almost DNFed it. So I have to cut the rating in half...and it’s still.....five stars! 🤣

I’ve read Amanda Dykes before, and because of how well I like her novellas I was willing to push beyond the 25% mark where frankly the writing style was driving me batty. After about 30% it smooths out a bit and I was able to get in a rhythm of the present tense. I really couldn’t put it down after that. The suspense of what’s going on in present, the fun of watching Annie connect and find a family of sorts in the town and with the friends of her beloved Grandbob (her great-uncle Bob).

You WILL need a box of Kleenex at your elbow when you read this one. You’ll be weeping over folks in the story and over all the heartache and all the hope...trust me, this book is just overflowing with emotion! Friendship, brotherhood, romance, love and loss—and that STORM at the end...WOW.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for a free reading copy. A favorable review was not required.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of Whose Waves These Are from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Oh, now THIS book, I loved! Though it took a few chapters to really get invested, the double storyline really hooked me! Everything worked: true-ringing depth of characters, estranged family members, a mysterious stranger, a big city girl returning to a small town, promises kept, loss and tragedy for many, and best of all; enduring love for nearly everyone. What a great book! I adored Annie, her "GrandBob", and the entire endearing group of townspeople of Ansel, Maine. These was also a parallel storyline from the past that looped back into the present in the most wonderfully surprising way. (I refuse to write spoilers, so I will just say that loved this story so much, I began searching online for Ansel and lighthouses in Maine, hoping to find one like what was described in the book!)

Thank you to NetGalley and Amanda Dykes for the ARC!

Whose Waves These Are is an amazing story of love, devotion, misunderstanding, loss and redemption. Annie Bliss is a plucky character determined to make amends for her own mistakes and those of her family. She's strong, yet vulnerable. Jeremiah's patience and uncertainty add a delicious layer of mystery to the already interesting story. As Annie and Jeremiah work to unravel the years of tangled family threads, the village of Ansel-by-the-Sea rises up to its full potential to love the people who need it most. Amanda Dykes has woven a fascinating and satisfying story, A perfect Maine tale. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Magnificent.
This novel spans decades, leaving you waiting for the next puzzle piece to unfold. Move over Nicholas Sparks- Amanda Dykes just passed you...

Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes is simply STUNNING! It's off the charts when it comes to ratings, and 5 stars don't do it justice!
By the time I turned the last page of Whose Waves These Are, I was speechless. This is such a masterpiece of brilliant storytelling I can hardly put into words all the emotions I felt while mining the treasures to be found on each page. Amanda Dykes has a gift for eloquent language and a turn of phrase. I felt like I was reading poetry in fictional form.

Amanda tied the multigenerational life stories together so well, I felt like I had long past stopped reading about characters in a book, and had transitioned to reading a journal of a family I knew and loved. The inspirational thread tying all the pain and healing, suffering and forgiveness together touched me deeply and had me saying a few prayers of my own.

I had already added the prequel novella Up From the Sea to my list of favorite books of 2019, I'll be adding Whose Waves These Are to that list too!

I am truly honored to have read this lovely rendering straight from Amanda's heart. I greatly appreciate Bethany House Publishers making a copy available for review. All opinions are mine alone.

Whose waves are these by Amanda Dykes is a must read. Set in Maine, it is a beautiful story following three generations of a family through tragedy, love, loss, and redemption. The author develops the characters and they mature and grow through living in this wonderful town surrounded by the sea. The novel begins during World War II ending some 60 years later. Through twists and turns, you will never know what is coming next. You will not be dry eyed when you finish this fantastic novel.

This book was truly captivating from the get-go and very hard to put down. It's been a while since I have been this engrossed in a story. I loved it so much that I purchased the free novella that is the precursor and companion to this story. Amanda is a very gifted writer and I look forward to many more creative and inspiring stories from her heart.

Oh my goodness, how do I begin to find words to describe my reactions to this book? I am an avid reader, have been since childhood. I have read millions of pages, perhaps thousands of titles. A few truly great books and writers of fiction are embedded in my readers heart. The Grapes of Wrath, Freckles, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Old Man and the Sea, come immediately to mind. There is also a writer who beautifully sculpted Maine island life with her words crafting stories about rugged lobster men , women who love them and a unique and rare way of life. Elizabeth Olgilvie has been one of my favorite Maine writers of all time. I never dreamed I'd find another writer who immediately reminded me of her. Amanda Dykes is that writer.
I am a Mainer and love books that correctly share the way many of us think, work, share and simply live. This author has done that.
I love this book. I love the creativity of the plot that blends many lives and three generations together. I rarely like a story that travels back and forth with characters and time periods but this method has been so well done here that I looked forward to each story and tellers portions. I cared about the characters from Roy and Bob, the twins who were both ready to sacrifice everything, to Annie, and William her father, who both had a rescuing of sorts by one of that older generation. Magnetic characters such as Jeremiah, Ed, Arthur and Bess, Liesl are well fleshed out to be wonderful people who are integral to the story.
This is a gorgeously written story with detailed sentences that enabled me to see the Maine coast, a pile of rocks or a sunrise as if done with the strike of a paintbrush. Amanda Dykes words are gems arranged in a treasure box. Her story touches emotions, gives hope in darkness and certainly reflects reality. I could imagine this being the true story of a family. Her faith shines a light within the characters without being preachy. There is great beauty in this novel. I highly recommend it.

I want to especially thank NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced reader's copy of this excellent book. I have given my own unsolicited opinion and must say this is so emotional for me. This is a beautifully written novel.

This book had an interesting idea at its root, but it felt as if it dragged on. I didn’t enjoy it very much.

There are books that have such an impact upon this reader that finding the words to review them is difficult. There is so much to say about the lives that spring to life in a book like Whose Waves These Are. This book is full of heartbreak, wonder and love that shows the depth of feeling humans are capable of. I am happy for the experience of remembering how many people fought for our country's freedom while still at home. Those who fought on foreign soil deserve our never ending gratitude. Ms Dykes captured all this and so much more in her debut novel. This is a wonderful book.

My thanks to Bethany House Publishers who provided an e-copy through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
#WhoseWavesTheseAre #NetGalley

This story had a slow beginning (for me) as the author familiarizes readers with her interesting cast of characters. I found it hard to connect with Ann Bliss at first (in current time) but I instantly connected with the historical storyline that introduced brothers, Roy and Bob. Things got really interesting when a woman from a foreign land meets Bob, it changed everything for Bob and (me) the reader. Jeremey helps Annie Bliss uncover things about her Great-Uncle Robert that changes everything for Annie as she understands her family more and starts to embrace her heritage and face her fears.

This is just one of the lines in this novel that got me as one character says it to another, “Sometimes things are better lived than explained.”

I enjoyed the authors writing style and how she got to the heart of the matter. I liked the natural flow of the spiritual thread too. Take a peek, “Roy points at the lighthouse, “It was like when the….king of the universe, stooped to wash His own disciples’ earth-crusted feet. Who rubbed spit into dirt and used the mud to make a blind man see…”That man was accustomed to doing great things in humble places, and it usually involved dirt. Or rocks, as it were. The same God who told a solitary man to build a boat to prepare for a flood when no one had so much as seen a drop of water fall from the sky in all their lives.”

There is a richness to this heartfelt, tender story as each character faces their fears and dig deep to uncover the courage needed to find their path in life. There are numerous heartwarming scenes which demonstrate the bravery and selflessness of this cast. I enjoyed the mystery and unexpected twists. Keep tissues near as you read about the complexities of this group. It’s not easy to get past your fears and embrace the love God has for them. It’s a heartbreaking, redemptive journey that will get you thinking about keeping the main thing the main thing.

This would work well for book club it’s a thoughtful, endearing story you’ll keep thinking about long after you close the book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins! www.bookfun.org
The Book Club Network blog www.psalm516.blogspot.com

Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes is a rare gem, a novel that will stay with you long after you read it. This is a novel about war and grief, complicated family relationships, love and hope. All of these themes are weaved together so beautifully and with such beautiful writing. The descriptions in this novel really bring Maine to life while not seeming too lengthy or getting in the way of the story. Instead, the story just absorbs you instantly and you won't be able to stop reading. I highly recommend this novel. I received a digital copy of this novel from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

Every now and again I read a book that is exceptional in every way. Whose Waves These Are is one of those books. Let me share with a you a quote from the prologue, because, honestly, the publisher’s synopsis above didn’t capture my interest half as much as these short lines did.

“Every wave in that big old blue sea is a story.”

Bob told me this a long time ago, his voice brined with wind and water.

I laughed and focused on the cresting peaks from his old dock. They disappeared faster than a ten-year-old could count.

“Too many waves,” I said. “It can’t be.”

His smile pushed wrinkles around blue eyes as he squeezed my hand tight.

“So many waves, Annie. You remember that.”

It would be decades before I’d learn the truth of that. So many stories. In this pocket of a harbor where broken lives, like waves on the shore, are gathered up and held close. I never imagined then that it would be my breaking place, too.

Nor how beautiful the breaking could be.
Prologue – Whose Waves These Are – Amanda Dykes

This book caught me off guard in the best kind of way. The writing was captivating. Every page seemed to come alive before my very eyes. There are a number of powerful stories out there, but powerfully written stories are harder to come by. Whose Waves These Are exceeded all my expectations.

The depth of the characters impressed me. The author clearly knows people and she wrote real characters with real souls. I loved the attentiveness that was present on every level of the tale. I’m not normally a fan of stories that shift between the past and the present, but the way that this novel flowed it was like uncovering secret surprises along the way, the very act of discovery bridging the gaps in time.

The plot was imaginative and compelling. The links between WWII and modern day, the impact of lives across generations, the mystery of the rocks and the renewal of broken relationships were all engaging themes.

Yet, perhaps, my favorite thing about the book was that it was truly a Kingdom story. It didn’t just mention God or dabble in truth, but it breathed it. A vision for what God was up to permeated every word of the story, as beautiful and natural as a sunrise, weaving a message of hope that left me with a lump in throat and a light in my heart in a way that few novels do.

I’ll leave you with some of my favorite words of wisdom, spoken in the midst of war, from one of the characters. “Don’t get stuck in the dark…. There’s a whole lotta light…Go there instead.”

Whose Waves These Are is well worth reading and has risen to the top of my Best Books of 2019 list. I would highly recommend it to you.

There is also a (currently free) kindle prequel, Up From the Sea, that takes you back in time in Ansel-by-Sea. It is also well worth reading, but it is short and more of a snack, compared to the meal of Whose Waves These Are.

I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Whose Waves These Are
by Amanda Dykes


Bethany House

Bethany House Publishers

Christian

Pub Date 30 Apr 2019


I am reviewing a copy of Whose Waves These Are through Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley:







Amanda Dykes has weaved a beautiful story that transcends space and time.


A grieving fisherman submits a poem to a local newspaper rallying a cry for hope and rocks in the memory of those they lost in the wake of world war 2!





Several decades later Annie Bliss learns she needs to go back to Ansel by the Sea, to help her Great Uncle Robert who had helped her during the toughest summer of her youth. It is now he who needs help though and Annie is going to help him. The one thing she was not expecting was finding a wall full of hidden heavy boxes. Annie becomes intrigued by long ago memories of stone ruins, igniting a fire in her anthropologist soul, to find the answers these ruins may have.



Soon Annie finds herself joining forces with the handsome and mysterious postman. All of her hopes of healing her family seem to point to those ruins. But with her great uncle failing fast, her search for answers battles against Time.


Whose Waves These Are is a book I would recommend to anyone who likes stories of hope and history!


Five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes. Bethany House Publishers, 2019.

Of several family stories woven together in this wonderful book, one is of four generations of the Bliss family from Ansel-by-the-Sea, Maine. We meet Savannah and her identical twin sons Robert and Roy in 1944, Roy’s son William in 1962 and William’s daughter Annie in 2001.

Robert is asked by Annie’s mother to take care of the very young Annie when her parents’ overlapping duties call each away from home. Years later, Annie is called back to Ansel-by-the-Sea when the aging Robert is hospitalized.

Readers will be intrigued and fully engaged as they fit together each smallish-chunk of these individuals’ stories, each one rich in imagery and emotion. The story that emerged was, at least for me, completely unpredictable; somewhat like a 3D jigsaw puzzle without a box. I am not sure that I noticed it was labelled a Christian book before, during or after I read it.

This is an exceptional book with wonderful writing and compelling characters. I loved it!

Disclosure: I received a review copy of Whose Waves These Are via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.