First time reading this author. Her writing is beautiful and the story was intriguing. But I did feel like as I was reading it was hard to decipher what was truly important to the story. Everything felt important, every look, every sigh, every corner of, every description. Part of that added to the whimsy, but eventually it felt like I was missing something if I didn’t fully capture the depth of each sentence. It started to feel a little boring and almost tiring to read that way. Maybe it was just the reading season I’m in. I think most people would read it and love the intricacies of the writing. But for me it caused me to want to skim. And in doing so, by the time I got to the end of the story, I still felt like I knew exactly what happened and followed along. All that to say, I think maybe it was too wordy and flowery for me right now. I struggled with the purpose of going back and forth between Daniel and Sebastian. I struggled to care about parts of Sebastian’s story because it seemed longer than Daniel’s and I was more in to Daniel’s. But by the end, it unfolds and makes sense. I still just think overall the book could have half the length and still told the same story in a beautiful way.
I’ll definitely try another book by Dykes, just going in to it know what style of writing to expect.

Immersive slow build read, with a full cast of characters, and an unfolding mystery.

It took some time to get oriented and into the story, but there is pay off for patience as this dual time line story comes together piece by piece. Beautifully written, captivating and downright poetic. Perfect for fans of thought provoking and immersive novels.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions are my own.

You seriously cannot go wrong with an Amanda Dykes book. I learned so much about Italy that I had no clue about before. So not only was a taken into the magical land of Venice, but I learned so much history!

I love Venice and the premise of the story -- an abandonded baby in a basket floating in the canals -- was intriguging. The setting, mystery and dual time line made for an engaging read. I enjoy recommending this book to library patrons.

Thank you Netgalley and Bethany House Fiction for the gifted book! All opinions are my own.

It's 1904 Daniel is trying to live up to his last name, Goodman. He has made some mistakes, suffered the consequences, and now is trying to atone for his wrongdoings. So when the opportunity presents itself for him to make things right with his estranged Mother by traveling to her homeland of Italy to capture the essence of Venice in his sketchbook as he also translates a rare Italian storybook to English, he convinces himself it is the beginning of a new life for himself.

The book Daniel is trying to translate begins in 1807 when a baby boy, Sebastian, is found in a basket floating along the canals in Venice. Taken in and raised by a group of artisans, he struggles with his identity and when a woman washes ashore in his life, he must contend with not only who he is, but who he wants to be.
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This book is beautiful. I may have highlighted the most number of passages ever in a fiction book that I have read. Sometimes I would read something four times to just appreciate how Dykes crafted a beautiful description in place of what could have been very ordinary. I love how the two storylines were woven together. I loved each story equally and we all know how rare that is.

I don't think I have said this before but DO NOT read this on audio. I tried this on audio and felt lost and distracted the whole time. I could not engage my brain to care. And this was my IRL book club book in June and everyone who read it on audio didn't love it. But those who read it with our eyes did. There is just something about reading this lovely prose with your eyes that pulls you into the story.

It took me WAY too long to finally write this review . . . not because I didn't have anything to say about All The Lost Places, but more because I knew no matter what I said, it wouldn't be enough to sum up the magic and loveliness that is this story! Amanda Dykes became a new favorite of mine from her debut novel a few years ago and every story since has only solidified her place on my "must read, must buy, must have a paperback copy on the shelf!" list. This story was gorgeous and mesmerizing, both deep and whimsical . . . and no surprise at all, it was poignant and powerful. I loved it, and I can't wait to read whatever Amanda Dykes writes next!

This was a “did not finish/dnf” at 22% unfortunately. While I really enjoyed Daniel‘s story, in that he was a reformed thief, and an artist with a passion for books and art. I found going back in time confusing, and the language was too flowery and too descriptive for me to follow the older story. I wish she would’ve just stayed with Daniel’s story and I would’ve enjoyed it so much more.

Initially I was really drawn in by the imagery in this book. It was beautiful. I made it about half way before I couldn’t read any more. The pacing was pretty slow, and I just had a hard time picking it back up. I may try again in the future to read the book because the imagery really is wonderful.

Amanda Dykes creates characters that engage the spirit, and weaves a spell with her words and story building.
A magical, mesmerizing must-read.

All the Lost Places by Amanda Dykes is a work of historical fiction that will stay with you for a very long time. This book is really three stories in one— two stories set in the past plus an extra story that ties them together. This language in this book just shines. It’s beauty is nearly lyrical at times. The places that the author features in this book— San Francisco and Venice— are both places I know well. The author did a fantastic job bringing them to life. Venice in particular is so vivid and true to life, bringing you there even if you are far away. This book radiates with themes of hope and redemption. I could not love it more. Highly recommend! I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

Thank you to Bethany House & Baker Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.

DNF @ 25%

I might find my way back to this one someday, but for whatever reason I absolutely could not get into it, no matter how much time I tried to dedicate to reading it.

🛶( pretend that emoji is a gondola, k?) I have spent days trying to figure out how to write this review. I’ll start out by saying, Amanda Dykes’ novel, Whose Waves These Are, was the book that made me realize beautifully written, (non-cheesy) Christian fiction was out there. I adored that book and have read every thing she’s written since! So I was stoked when @netgalley and @bethanyhousefiction sent me a Kindle copy!
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🛶 Having said that, this book felt a lot different than previous ones. Her writing is always beautiful and poetic - but in this case, I found myself really not knowing what I was reading for several chapters 🤣. This is probably just because I’m not a deep reader - I like to just know what exactly is going on. I don’t want it veiled, I want it to be really clear. So this is likely just a reading preference, but because the story, particularly the history portion of it, was so vague, I really struggled to get into it.
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🛶 Halfway through the book, things picked up for me and I was fully invested in both story lines. I also loved the Venetian setting! There were some really interesting twists, but then some were left with loose ends 😫. I ended up really enjoying the stories, but just wish it was shorter so that I could enjoy reading the whole thing!
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🛶 Anyone else with me?
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🛶 These mixed feelings won’t hinder me from reading whatever Amanda writes next. She is so gifted, even if this one wasn’t my fave! Also, no content warnings!

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"Empty places...are not always lost places." This is a beautifully written story about being lost and redeemed, being empty and filled - iti s filled with beautfule and wondrous imagery and lyrical prose. This is the first book I've read by Dykes but her writing is captivating and her characters poignant and identifiable and so it will not be my lost. The book is about a hidden island, a hidden talent, a hidden guilt, a hidden identity, and a hidden book. All lost and waiting to be found. Daniel is seeking redemption and hopes to find it in Venice, but it may not come in the form he expects. He is hoping to find the original copy of the Book of Waters, of which only a few copies exist with Daniel owning one. But the clues to finding the book are in the book. As Daniel translates and tryies to uncover the lost book he finds his story in the story of the book. Dykes intertwines the the two stories - Daniel's and the Book of Waters - creating an engaging plot to complement her vivid imagery and wonderfully constructed characters. An amazing read.

Loved this poetic tale of the romantic city of Venice! The writing style is magical and captivating, and I could easily relate to Daniel's wish to right the wrongs of the past.

The book is a fairly thick tome compared to most books that I read, but was well worth it. And the artwork? Bello. Magnifico!

I especially loved the quote at the beginning:

“Courage keep, and hope beget; The story is not finished yet . . .”

—Dante Cavellini

And this quote that reminded me of the beloved Dr. Seuss books:

"You are loved. You are you. You are full of good purpose. You were made for this, your time, and this, your life. There is none like you, and I see the fingerprints of a mighty and good, kind, loving God in your good, kind, loving soul. You are full of honor and goodness. There is no one in this world with such a big heart as you. I see it in the way you tend to each of us, always watching, always helping. You, Sebastien, are a man who loves well.”

Simply put, I can't wait to see what Mrs. Dykes writes next!

I received a complimentary paperback from Bethany House Publishers through an Open Bookies giveaway. I also received a complimentary e-book copy from Bethany House Publishers through Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and the thoughts above are my own.

All the Lost Places takes you on a beautiful and meandering journey. It is not meant to be devoured but savored, with each description written to captivate and inspire. Lose yourself in the many layers of Venice and its surroundings while you discover how this dual timeline story comes together in the end.

I loved the premise of an artist and his way of paying back, but the writing just didn’t capture my attention, I’ve loved Amanda’s stories before. This one was just very hard to get into. It felt like the beginning dragged before the plot would pick up.

I do love Amanda’s writing style and messages. Her wording is poetic and flows in such a beautiful way. And she always points to truth.

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️

Amanda Dykes's beautiful novels never fail to sweep me away and make me forget my daily life. Each of the characters in All the Lost Places had a unique story and voice, and I think they'll be living in my heart for some time to come. The writing is lyrical and imaginative, and it will be going on my "keeper" shelf.

I annotated this book because I have been obsessed with all the other books by the author I have read, and I expected this book to make me cry, like Set the Stars Alight and Whose Waves These Are. Unfortunately this book fell a little flat for me, but I still enjoyed the process of reading and annotating it!

The writing style was super lovely as always: Amanda Dykes’ writing is one of my favorites! It is super lyrical and truly weave a story. The imagery was gorgeous, and Venice was described in such vivid detail. The historical aspects of Venice woven into the story were so gorgeous, and I really enjoyed learning about the architecture, history, and city of Venice!

My main reason for not loving this book is because I was not as connected to these characters. I don’t know if it was the writing style or the more abstract story, but I was not particularly able to relate to the protagonists, which made the story hit less hard. The story was told more like an allegory, with a thread of suspension of disbelief, which made it harder to relate to.

The first part of the book I was able to relate to Daniel, or at least think the story was believable, but once he got to Venice, it became more of a whimsical fairytale vibe that I wasn’t as connected to. There was a lot of mention about secrets and historical intrigue, which also didn’t make it super relatable.

The story was a dual timeline: I was more interested in Daniel’s story at first (like I mentioned, I was more connected to it), but then as the Book of Waters went on, I was super invested in Sebastian’s story (even more than Daniel’s). Amanda Dykes does split timeline stories so well. I do think the ending was a bit rushed, especially the one in the Book of Waters.

All in all, I did end up enjoying this book, though it took me quite a while to get into it. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy historical whimsical stories. I am rating this one quite low, but that is in comparison to the author’s other works: I would definitely recommend reading some of her other books if this one isn’t your cup of tea!

Things Liked:
-the prose was STUNNING!! there were so many beautiful descriptions and quotes, and in particular, the imagery of water was so richly woven throughout
-I really loved the male protagonists! They are so rarely seen in Christian fiction and I thoroughly enjoyed their character growth
-The characters were all so interesting and I wish I were more interested in them lol

Things Disliked:
-I couldn’t get into the story for quite a while: I kept putting the book down for weeks at a time and didn’t particularly want to pick it up because of this
-The characters weren’t not particularly relatable and I wasn’t attached to any of their struggles, so it was hard to enjoy them

I am not sure how to describe this book - part magical, part fantastical, part soul-searching, and part beautiful love story. Amanda's books tend to be more character driven rather than plot driven. Words are big in this book. In some ways, the plot drags along while the character development races and yet the plot is imperative to the character development. The words are beautiful and full of meaning but written in a way that requires some thought if you want to discern the full meaning.
To begin with, I simply couldn't get invested in the Book of Waters. I wanted to just follow Daniel's life and see how he grew in character and what he did, but as the book progressed, the whole story pulled me in. It did probably take about half of the book, before I was fully invested in the story.
"The words, they are buried deep inside of you. You are always a mystery. One has to work to invite your words up. Build a staircase with questions, that they might climb out." This is just one example of the beauty of Amanda's words.
I really enjoyed this book and am grateful to Bethany House via NetGalley for giving me a copy to read. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is the first of this author I am reading.

I like the slow pace of the book and it took a while for me to get into the rhythm of story. The author's writing style is unique.

An inspiring story with amazing characters and a settting that makes one want to teleport there.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and this is my honest opinion