This novel is transportive, especially when it comes to food. Reading this one was like a hug at the end of a day at the beach.

This book follows Violeta Sanoguera, a young Colombian woman, as she navigates doing what she is expected, told to do vs following her heart. Through the years she lost her confidence and trust in herself.

This story tells her journey from a young 18 year old, leaving her first love to move to the US to go to college and fulfill her abuela's dream for her. The book jumps forward 10 years to her abuela's death that brings her back to her hometown, her family's restaurant and her old love. What will she decide to do, where will she end up and who will she love? I was hooked from the beginning and couldn't help but want Vi to succeed and find her place, her joy, her confidence, her passion, and her love. Read this incredibly well written story to find out what happens.

One of my favorite quotes: (no spoilers)
"but, she loved me fiercely, in the way protective love follows you around, seeps into your head and controls your thoughts. In the way that love wants to know everything you do and finds what you do is always interesting. The kind of love that feels like no matter what you do, you can never escape it. But just like any other blessing, love is limited. Finite. The kind of love that we can appreciate only when we lose it."

A few things I loved about this book:
- The descriptions of the food made my mouth water. It felt like taking a peak into someone's memories, feelings about the food. LOVED!
- The Spanish to English translating through this book was flawless. Sometimes the translation can feel cumbersome but it was beautifully done and didn't pull me out of the story. If anything it kept me engaged.
- The way grief is portrayed in this book was relatable, genuine, heartbreaking and beautiful.

I loved following Vi and all of her relationships through this book! I resonated with the main character's search for heart's home and navigating the decisions made for you by your elders. It was especially poignant that (for me) the romances come in secondary as I was rooting for the relationship with Vi and her mother and her grandmother to grow and resolve. Each character had such a complex relationship with the main character that I want to give major props to the author for getting all of that into one novel!

more so 3.5 i liked the story but i did not feel anything for rafa unfortunately. i felt more for liam, which is surprising. aside from the romance plot, i did like it. it was slow at times though.

{received this book via netgalley}

➡️ Vi, a Columbian immigrant returns to Barranquilla after her grandmother dies. As she deals with the gift her grandmother bequeathed her, Vi reconciles her past, accepts her present, and crafts her future.

💭 I loved this book! The author did a great job of describing Vi, her surroundings, and looking at how her past influenced her present. The story was relatable. Some moments made me laugh, some made me frustrated, and some moments made me cry remembering stories with my own grandmother.

✅ I recommend this story for anyone who has ever felt the call to come back home. I look forward to reading more from this author.

"I had come home to save Caminito, to claim a life that now I realized had always felt right."

Violeta is faced with a seemingly impossible task: saving her grandmother's restaurant after her death. Doña Emilia loses her battle to cancer, and everyone's world in Barranquilla is shook. She was a pillar of the community and a presence that everyone enjoys. Violeta, her mother, and long time family friend Anton, must think of a way to save the restaurant before the bank seizes the property due to debt. Violeta feels it is impossible, and she tries to tackle the emotions and stress this brings. As she feels she is reaching her breaking point, she places love over fear, just as her abuela reminds her. And with newfound confidence and direction, she knows everything will be alright.

The Waves That Take You Home is filled with a beautiful story about the importance of family and trusting oneself. The characters are lovable, and the plot is engaging. I really enjoyed the details that brought the restaurant and food to life (I would love a cookbook of the recipes mentioned). I was not a big fan of the writing style, but that did not stop me from enjoying the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This review can also be found on Goodreads.

This was such a lovely, heartfelt story. Romance and family drama with cooking!! The book is easy to read but highly engaging and the characters are fully developed, loveable and flawed in equal measure. Can not recommend enough for lovers on contemporary drama.

I got a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

So, I'm from India. And we have similar familial structures to that in Colombia. And I lost my grandfather a year ago and I'm still not over it. Needless to say, this book had me in tears for 2 nights.

Sometimes it feels like our previous generation, our grandparents try so hard to stop us from making the same mistakes that they did. But in this process, they alienate us because they never tell us their stories. I never knew what mistakes my grandfather made because it was probably not something he was comfortable discussing with us. But he wanted us to have a comfortable life, to not worry about money - because he didn't have the sort of comfort that money could give.

There's so much to feel in this book. I think this book was so much about Abuela, that we somehow didn't get much of Vi at all. It didn't feel like it was a huge problem, but that's my only gripe about the book, that it didn't spend time talking about the main character as much as it should have.

But that being said, the shining point for me was this thing, this draw that people have to their homes. We somehow overhype Western countries to the point of oblivion, so much so that everything seems to pale in comparison. But life there isn't easy. Not saying life back home is easy, just that we're blinded with the benefits of living a life abroad.

There were a lot of beautiful moments in the book that particularly touched me because in some ways I too am like Vi, and some of the lessons here are things that will stay with me.

All in all this was a massively enjoyable book. I'm so glad I read it.

I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

This book takes you through a journey of finding yourself and grief.

Vi, has to go back to Colombia after her grandmother passes away. She has to try and save her grandmother’s beloved restaurant, Caminoto. She also has to try and navigate her difficult relationship with her mom. Going back to Colombia also means confronting her past and old love Rafa. Is Rafa her true love or is her current boyfriend Liam?

Vi is also seeing her late grandmother and is confused between seeing her or letting her go.

This book is written remarkably well. The storyline and lessons it teaches will stay with you long after this read.

If I had to describe this book in one word, I’d say HEART. I would absolutely recommend for anyone needing a rediscovery of self.

I enjoyed this book so much that I read it in one sitting. Initially, I was drawn in by the beautiful cover but once I read the synopsis, I knew it was my kind of book.
The author interwove family, loss, magical realism, character growth, and a failing restaurant in a way that made it all feel important and beautiful. The storyline was captivating and kept me guessing throughout. I'm not sure if it was the theme of coming home or finding yourself or all the talk of food, but this book felt cozy and comforting to me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

I related to this book…heavily. My grandmother encouraged me to leave my country as well for a “better life” but you don’t know what you have till you lose it. Vi as a character was very strong, especially with the obstacles she had to overcome. On a lighter note I really enjoyed reading about some of the Colombian culture. It’s similar to the culture of the West Indies so many paragraphs reminded me of home.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC in exchange of an honest review💞 oooff, this one was so beautiful but so sad! In "The Waves Take You Home," Maria Alejandra Barrios Velez weaves a story that feels like a genuine exploration of life's twists and turns, grief and finding your way. The characters feel real, and the story just flows, making it a book that tugs at your emotions and keeps you cheering for these people.

To be honest, I started this for the second chance romance but ended up more invested in Violeta’s journey, her relationship with her mother, her grief and her grandmother’s story and ghost. Personally, I did not like Rafael and while Liam started out being the safe choice, he clearly wasn’t the better one either.

Besides this, I really enjoyed this story! It moved with a graceful rhythm, leaving you both moved and reflective and just overall so comforted but sad but happy. A great read, indeed!

"The Waves Take You Home" by María Alejandra Barrios Vélez left a profound impression on me.

This debut sensitively narrates the resilience of women in the author's family and their connection to a Caribbean city. The story of Violeta Sanoguera, who returns after her grandmother's death to take on not only the family restaurant but also her own destiny, touched me profoundly.

The author's interweaving of themes such as home, loss, and the rediscovery of past love creates a profound journey for readers. Overall, I found the book to be exceptionally well-crafted, leaving a thoughtful and beautifully poignant impression.

If I may offer a small note, at times, the narrative felt a bit uneven, which, however, does not detract from the story's impressive depth and beauty. The positive aspects far outweigh any minor hiccups, and it remains an impressive work that is well worth discovering.

This was such a beautiful story about family and never giving up.

From the first page you were sucked into the story, that the author so wonderfully wrote.

Vi, our main character, hasn't had an easy life. After moving to NYC she worked so hard to be able to pay the bills. She even worked for a person who didn't treated her the right way, but she needed the money. Throughout the story we see her evolve from the person who was struggling, who let herself be put aside by others and who didn't come up for herself to a person who still was struggling but wasn't alone, who had her family by her side. She became someone to admire, someone who came up for herself and who never gave up even if it didn't look great.

This book held such a powerful message: believe in yourself and never give up, even if you don't see how it will work out.

Last but not least I want to thank the author for providing me with an earc.

This was a beautiful story that i read in one go. i couldnt put it down. this deserves best selling awards in my opinion,