Review of All the Lost Places by Amanda Dykes

About the Book ~

When all of Venice is unmasked, one man's identity remains a mystery . . .

1807
When a baby is discovered floating in a basket along the quiet canals of Venice, a guild of artisans takes him in and raises him as a son, skilled in each of their trades. Although the boy, Sebastien Trovato, has wrestled with questions of his origins, it isn't until a woman washes ashore on his lagoon island that answers begin to emerge. In hunting down his story, Sebastien must make a choice that could alter not just his own future, but also that of the beloved floating city.

1904
Daniel Goodman is given a fresh start in life as the century turns. Hoping to redeem a past laden with regrets, he is sent on an assignment from California to Venice to procure and translate a rare book. There, he discovers a city of colliding hope and decay, much like his own life, and a mystery wrapped in the pages of that filigree-covered volume. With the help of Vittoria, a bookshop keeper, Daniel finds himself in a web of shadows, secrets, and discoveries carefully kept within the stones and canals of the ancient city . . . and in the mystery of the man whose story the book does not finish: Sebastien Trovato.

For more information about Amanda Dykes and her books, check out her website here!

My Thoughts ~

If you're looking for a story that has the qualities of water -- life-giving, moving, and beautiful! -- then you must experience the whimsical journey that is All the Lost Places by Amanda Dykes!

All the Lost Places was a magical journey! This bookish journey to Venice brought the legendary city to life in a way that highlights the restorative power of story. Also, I need a book boat! I absolutely LOVED the premise of a book within a book! As Daniel translated the mysterious text, I enjoyed how the story took over, showing in such a simple yet profound way how a reader becomes immersed within a book as the story takes on a life of its own. Some of the lyrical descriptions and jumping around was a bit jarring for me, leaving me a bit lost at times; however, there is no question that All the Lost Places was beautifully written! Although this was a story of found hope and life, there was also loss and death in the journey. Some things may be triggering for those who have experienced medical trauma and loss. 

The spiritual thread in All the Lost Places was every bit as intwined, deep, and moving as you'd expect from this lyrical journey. Through both circumstances beyond their control and of their own making, Sebastian and Daniel are plagued with the question, "Who am I?" Though as different as could be with reverse Cinderella vibes and a reformed thief, this question is answered through all the wondrous aspects of found family (including a dash of romance!) and the devotion of the only Man who could pay the price.

Three Stars ~ All the Lost Places by Amanda Dykes is a work of art! All the Lost Places is a standalone, but the author has other books in her backlist for readers to enjoy.

Disclaimer ~ In accordance with FTC regulations, I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not compensated, nor was a positive review required. All opinions expressed are my own.

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer loves to write romantic and comedic stories that proclaim God’s deep love for us. She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and an avid blogger. In her spare time, Joy loves to sing (especially Disney songs), drink large quantities of coffee, and take flowery photos for Bookstagram. When Joy isn’t fighting with fictional people, she’s hanging out with her husband and their adorable little girls. Connect with Joy via www.vjoypalmer.com!

Connect with Joy on her website, personal blog, devotional blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Goodreads, and Amazon Author Page!

Any questions? Check out my Disclosures and Policies Page!

Review of The Kissing Tree Novella Collection

About the Book ~

In this Texas-sized romance novella collection, courting couples, decades apart, leave a permanent mark of their love by carving their initials into the same oak's bark.  

Regina Jennings - "Broken Limbs, Mended Hearts"

When a young man from her past returns and upends their small town with a new invention, schoolteacher Bella Eden is reminded of the heartbreak she suffered years ago under the old oak tree. When her job is put on the line, can she trust the man who disrupted her life to help her fight for a brighter future?

Karen Witemeyer - "Inn for a Surprise"

Determined to keep love alive for others, Phoebe Woodward builds an inn that caters to couples. When her father sends a property manager to help make it a success, she finds her whimsical vision thwarted by his stodgy practicality. Finding the right blend of romance and reality is a challenge, and her spinster heart may be in for a surprise. 

Amanda Dykes - "From Roots to Sky"

WWII airman Luke Hampstead found comfort in letters from the sister of a lost compatriot. When he visits Texas to thank her, he discovers her constructing a project with surprising ties to his letters . . . and that she herself is even more surprising. While a promising opportunity awaits him elsewhere, will what they've shared be enough to give their future flight?

Nicole Deese - "Heartwood"

Abby Brookshire's world is turned upside down when the historic tree she's strived to preserve as the head groundskeeper at the Kissing Tree Inn is put in danger of removal. Making matters worse, the only way to protect its legacy is to partner with the man she's been ignoring since he left town years ago. Will she have the courage to move on from the past and start a new beginning?

For more information about the authors -- Regina Jennings, Karen Witemeyer, Amanda Dykes,  Nicole Deese -- and their books, check out their websites by clicking their name!

My Thoughts ~ 

The Kissing Tree is everything I love in a novella collection! Each story is pure loveliness!

I adore when each novella continues to build on the previous stories in the collection! As we follow these four sweet stories, readers get to stay connected to the continuous generations of Oak Springs and the characters who are destined to capture many hearts! However, the detail that truly sets this novella collection apart is the Kissing Tree itself! From origin story to the bittersweet end, readers get to be part of the Kissing Tree's life in each of these beautifully crafted moments through the decades! 

Regina Jennings - "Broken Limbs, Mended Hearts"

"Broken Limns, Mended Hearts" was a wonderful story to brand the romantic oak tree of Oak Springs as THE Kissing Tree! I also really enjoyed the way new technology with respect for the past was melded into the fabric of the couple's conflict! 

Karen Witemeyer - "Inn for a Surprise"

"Inn for a Surprise" was so much fun! We join the story as the newly-built Kissing Tree Inn is being prepared for its first guests. I adored the witty banter between the couple and learning of the different couples who found their way to the Kissing Tree, thus inspiring the creation of the Kissing Tree Inn!

Amanda Dykes - "From Roots to Sky"

"From Roots to Sky" is tale with as much perseverance as there is romance! We rejoin Oak Springs and the Kissing Tree after hard financial times, war, and grief have reached their unapologetic hands into the community. I loved the way the community worked together and the poetic way the couple found both their roots and their wings in life!

Nicole Deese - "Heartwood"

"Heartwood" is the perfect balance of bittersweet, second chances, and new beginnings to close out this novella collection! The apt portrayal of how grief can affect even the sturdiest of relationships hit me in the feels! I adored the chemistry between the couple as they found their second chance at a new beginning! However, the beautiful message of how letting go -- symbolically and literally -- can never remove the legacy carved into our heartwood is what makes this conclusion so perfect!

Five Stars ~ The Kissing Tree is one of my favorite novella collections to date! Additionally, each of the authors has a plethora of novels in their respective backlists!

Disclaimer ~ In accordance with FTC regulations, I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not compensated, nor was a positive review required. All opinions expressed are my own.

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer loves to write romantic and comedic stories that proclaim God’s deep love for us. She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and an avid blogger. In her spare time, Joy loves to sing (especially Disney songs), drink large quantities of coffee, and take flowery photos for Bookstagram. When Joy isn’t fighting with fictional people, she’s hanging out with her husband and their adorable little girl. Connect with Joy via www.vjoypalmer.com!

Connect with Joy on her website, personal blog, devotional blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Goodreads, and Amazon Author Page!

Any questions? Check out my Disclosures and Policies Page!

Review of Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes

About the Book ~

In the wake of WW11, a grieving fisherman submits a poem to a local newspaper:a rallying cry for hope, purpose...and rocks. Send me a rock for the person you lost, and I will build something life-giving. When the poem spreads farther than he ever intended, Robert Bliss's humble words change the tide of a nation. Boxes of rocks inundate the tiny, coastal Maine town, and he sets his calloused hands to work, but the building halts when tragedy strikes.

Decades later, Annie Bliss is summoned back to Ansel-by-the-Sea when she learns her Great-Uncle Robert, the man who became her refuge during the hardest summer of her youth, is now the one in need of help. What she didn't anticipate was finding a wall of heavy boxes hiding in his home. Long-ago memories of stone ruins on a nearby island trigger her curiosity, igniting a fire in her anthropologist soul to uncover answers.

She joins forces with the handsome and mysterious harbor postman, and all her hopes of mending the decades-old chasm in her family seem to point back to the ruins. But with Robert failing fast, her search for answers battles against time, a foe as relentless as the ever-crashing waves upon the sea.

For more information about Amanda Dykes and her books, check out her website here!

My Thoughts ~

The theme of Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes is found in the beauty of breaking...and rebuilding in the way only God can!

The author has a lyrical, poetic way of storytelling that is unique and different than other authors with this writing style. The words flow and move... Truly, it's like the author's words move like ocean waves, through blessed calm and heart-wrenching tragedy, crashing against the shore of the reader's heart. The setting flourished under this writing style, but by itself, Ansel-by-the-Sea is one of the most charming fictional towns I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing via story!

We experience the story through Robert and Annie's perspectives -- and it is quite the story! It is the kind of story that while you know it's fictional, you also know these stories exist (and maybe even in your own family history). Tales of daring rescue, crushing loss, and fathomless love. Their story -- because it is as much one story as it is two -- will move you to weep and fall to your knees in respect and grief, but it will also build something life-giving in your soul. It is a story of light piercing the darkness in a miraculous way that can only be credited to God. It is a story of looking for the light because -- as Roy said -- "there's a whole lotta light."

Four Stars ~ Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes is a stunning story of hope and light in the darkness. Amanda Dykes is an author to watch! Whose Waves These Are is a standalone, but there is a prequel novella, Up from the Sea. However, it is not necessary to read it before reading Whose Waves These Are.

Disclaimer ~ In accordance with FTC regulations, I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not compensated, nor was a positive review required. All opinions expressed are my own.

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer is the author of Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations and Weddings, Willows, and Revised Expectations, and she is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is also an avid blogger and co-founder of Snack Time Devotions. In her spare time, Joy is an unprofessional chocolate connoisseur/binger, and she loves acting crazy and drinking coffee with the teens she mentors. When Joy isn’t urging the elves that live in her computer to write, she’s hanging out with her husband, their adorable baby girl, and their socially awkward pets.

Connect with Joy on her website, personal blog, devotional blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Goodreads, and Amazon Author Page!

Any questions? Check out my Disclosures and Policies Page!