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.

“I would like to uncover forgotten bits of history, the stories that most people don’t know and save them from being lost to time.” A noble ambition from a young character in this well conceived story.
This was an absorbing tale of determination and finding true home. Walt, at near 80, is still haunted by the girl he knew on the Outer Banks before WWII. He wants to restore the lighthouse that she and her father operated before tragedy struck. His grandson Finn is being protective and hires Joey Harris to be the project manager and watch out for Walt. She finds fascinating records in the lighthouse and is intrigued by their history.
With a persuasive voice, the author takes us on a journey of discovery by the characters as they resolve issues with reconciliation and have their faith strengthened as they realise where home really is. “I’m sure going backward is never the answer. We learn what we can from the hard times and keep on moving forward.”
This was a satisfying story that shows what home is and the connections that make a family.
* A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Bethany House on behalf of the author and via NetGalley. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.*

Amanda Cox has a gift for writing meaningful characters and beautiful descriptions. Between the Sound and Sea is a brilliant example of her talent in these areas.
That said, as I read, I often found myself desiring a bit more to the plot, a little more excitement and action. However, plot-driven stories are my personal preference and this does little to diminish the quality of this book.
I appreciate the historical research that went into this novel, as well as the scenic elements.
I am grateful to NetGalley and Revell for my advance reader copy of Between The Sound and Sea and look forward to many more readers enjoying its beauty in the days ahead.

Oh my goodness!! I just finished the first book I’ve read from Amanda Cox. It’s entitled, Between the Sound and Sea, set in the Outer Banks off of North Carolina’s coast. It was full of mystery and adventure, tears and laughter and precious friendships that would last a lifetime. It pulled at my heartstrings and kept me turning the pages when I should have been sleeping. Don’t miss this picturesque story!!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions expressed are completely my own.

“The best gifts are the ones you can share with someone, you know.”

Amanda Cox and her beautiful lyrical voice will get me every time. Told from third person voice of Joey and Wally, there is so much nostalgia, fond memories, regret, fear and need for forgiveness wrapped around the Bleakpoint Island and its lighthouse. Joey’s compassion, tenderness, and peace-making heart is endearing and Wally’s trips into long-forgotten memories are heart-breaking and soul-bearing. I loved Finn and his methodical, practical, slightly OCD ways and his broken, searching soul that needs to escape from fear of living. I really enjoyed the history of the lighthouses during WWII on the Outer Banks.

It’s a satisfying and wonderfully written novel of faith, trust, and overcoming fears. I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Revell via NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.

1 Star
This is the first book by this author that I've read, and honestly I'm disappointed in the content this book contained and I can't recommend it.


Negative Content

The NIV translation is used some in this book.

A elderly woman tells her great-grandson a story, and it mentions a teenage girl coming in out of the rain and standing in front of a fire place, then it says that she stripped out of her sodden clothes and wraps a wool blanket around her shoulders. Then the woman thinks that that was probably more detail then a fifteen year-old-boy needed to her about a fifteen-year-old girl, and it mentions she continued, more mindful of the particulars she shared. (This was not needed as well as inappropriate.)

A elderly man tells his grandson that his comment held s*xism and ageism all in one breath, and the grandson told him that he might call it s*xist, but he called it calling a spade a spade.

A elderly man says that he figures he might as well enjoy doing whatever fool thing pops into his head as long as his body is able.

Over the phone, one woman tells another to park her truck, then march her rear end over to some men that she worked for.

A woman asked another woman, "So you're not ready to cuss me a blue streak for sending the wild idea your way?"

Someone mentions that there was a band of teenage boys some time back that ventured somewhere and was no doubt out to do mischief, and that it was unknown to the person whether or not they were tipsy on whatever they'd pilfered from their parents' liquor cabinets.

A woman breaks through a clearing to see a ring of fire around a house, and before trying to put it out, it says she stripped off her shirt and soaked it through before pulling it back on. (This info was unnecessary and honestly inappropriate.)

A mention of a elderly thinking that his heart pounded too loudly in his chest, remaining him of that horrible boxed-up heart under the floor in Edgar Allen Poe's dreadful story.

A elderly man thinks to himself that he was lured away from a place by a siren's song of days gone by.

A person tells another that a man thinks them both incompetent fools.

The main male was married before and then it is implied that they divorced, and at the end of the book he and the main female are married, and it doesn't mention if the main males ex passed away before he remarried (its not biblical for someone to remarry if your ex is still living.)

A person tells a woman that any foggy morning on the water you'll have a fisherman come back swearing up and down he saw a legendary woman.

A elderly man thinks that a woman would think him a old fool making much of nothing (for bringing her a thank you gift.)

The word "heck" is used once (1×).

Someone says its a fools errand their on.

There is a misunderstanding between a man and woman and due to said misunderstanding the woman says something that is misunderstood as a invite to stay in the same house (they do not).
Later on in the book the man is staying at the hospital overnight with a family member, and he lets a woman spend the night in his hotel room in his absence since she had a very long drive home otherwise (not a good idea because it could very easily ruin their reputations if anyone saw the woman enter the man's hotel room and not leave until morning, even if he was not there or if nothing happened.)
Her being there is mentioned later on.

A elderly man thinks that he was a fool at one point when he was a teen.

A elderly man mentioned that he was tired of not being able to do a "durn thing" about something to make it better.

A man says that his grandparents raised him, and that the Lord knew that he did not make it easy on them. (I'm not sure whether or not it was flippant.)

A man mentioned that when he was in high school he met a girl and they fell in love, and that the man didn't listen to his grandparents when they told him to be careful. To not awaken love before its time. To take things slow, but his seventeen year old self thought he knew better.
She ended up pregnant. (They weren't married.)

The man above mentioned that his grandparents had stayed by his side, even though he'd spent the last six months acting like "the north end of a southbound donkey."

A elderly man thinks to himself that his ancient rear end was alone in a wildlife sanctuary with about four hours of daylight left.

A mention of a woman putting on a over sized t-shirt, wearing it like a nightgown.

A elderly man tells a young man and woman that he was "trying to give you two young fools time enough to see what's right in front of your eyes."

A man tells his sister upon her saying their dad was coming, “I can’t deal with it if he starts in on me. Criticizing my every move.” his sister crossed her arms over her chest and said, “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.” (while it was in the past, it still would have been better left out of the book.)

Someone tells his grand father that he's been "busting his tail" in therapy to rid himself of his walker.

A mention of a woman wearing Bermuda shorts.

........
Typos-

"All those erasure marks, traces of plans that were still on, just without her help."

"Maybe you don’t understand all my whys, Finn."

.....................

I'd heard of this author before but this was the first one I've read. I've heard that this authors older books didn't have this problem with content, and this book did have some really funny parts to it, but if her new books are like this one content-wise, then I wouldn't read any more new books by this author.

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

Through a redemptive story of loss and overwhelming regret, Amanda Cox once again weaves past and present together in an emotional, heartfelt tale. This one, between the sound and sea.

With characters as weather-worn as the lighthouse itself, readers take a front row seat as friends and family are providentially transplanted together to search for the truth of Bleakpoint Island and Saint Mae. Add a little wisdom, capricious folklore and a few well placed, mysterious happenings and you end up with another restored, Amanda Cox community you want to be a part of.

This book is suitable for teens and older with no inappropriate intimate scenes and no bad language. I received this book from the author/publisher free of charge, with no expectation of a positive review.

With her incredible, wondrous knack for storytelling, Amanda Cox will immerse you into the world of Between the Sound and Sea, a gripping, emotionally charged, multi-generational, Contemporary Christian Fiction story. A semi-dual timeline told in flashbacks will keep you enthralled in this story about God’s redemption, and second chances, which are written with such vivid scenes, that I could smell the marsh of the Outer Banks.

This book has everything that tugs at one’s heartstrings in a superbly well-executed spellbinding plot, which is enhanced as each thoroughly developed character reveals their backstory of struggles with fear and regret. Cox, with grace, delves into some heavy issues, one being dementia in the 1940s. I enjoyed witnessing Joey, Finn, Walt, Cay, and Peter’s journeys as they each grew and faced the difficult situations that they endured. There is also a mystery woven throughout the story, adding suspense, keeping you guessing and turning the pages to the end. 

Overall, Between the Sound and Sea, is a remarkable story, filled with likable, complex, captivating characters, in a unique setting, with life lessons of faith all rolled into one enrapturing read which I highly recommend!

A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Revell via NetGalley through Interviews & Reviews. I was not obligated to write a favorable review, and all opinions are my own.

Amanda Cox has written another beautiful story about second chances, starting over, and learning to let go of the past. This one focuses on restoring a hundred year old lighthouse back to its former glory. Joey needs to escape from her real life for a while, and Finn needs to care for his grandfather who suddenly bought an island with a lighthouse in a place Finn has never heard of.

This is Christian fiction so expect prayer and discussions about faith and God.

Family friendly.

I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to readers who love a good story.

“Regret is a strange animal, son. It makes you create alternate realities inside your head with hindsight as your guide. You long for those imaginary outcomes until it’s a sickness. But there’s also another side to regret… I knew how much it cost to get it wrong.”

Indeed, this twisty, dual-time novel of Amanda Cox, Between the Sound and the Sea, is full of regrets. Walter is desperately trying to make up for his regrets from 60 years earlier. Finn doesn’t know how to step away from his broken past into a safe life. And Joey thinks she can somehow solve her problems by proving her worth to a town who has rejected her. Can these three work together to restore an old Outer Banks lighthouse and solve the mystery of the light keeper and his daughter who disappeared years ago?

Cheers for obscure history revealed! Never would I have guessed WWII was this close to our mainland! Why weren’t we taught this in US history?!

I found myself with the characters saying in my head, “I wish this or that would happen, or wouldn’t have happened.” Or I was guilty, as I read, of saying, “Why? Why did [character] do that?!” Whether in reading or real life, it’s so easy to get caught up in the “if only” rut. You can see Amanda Cox’s background as a therapist come through as she explores the characters’ actions and feelings. “It was past time to leave behind the ‘if onlys.’ ‘I’m not sure going backward is ever the answer. We learn what we can from the hard times and keep moving forward.’”

This mesmerizing novel will have you reaching for the Kleenex more than once as Cox visits themes of regret, fear, and heartache. Is there a path for these characters I now love to find peace, forgiveness, hope, and restoration?

Because I love to spotlight secondary characters, I will name Pete as my fave such character. I loved how God used him in the narrative and also how he grew!

I received a copy of the book from the author and publisher via NetGalley. I also pre-ordered a pb for my keeper shelf. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“But that’s the beauty of love and grace, Cay. The real kind. We don’t have to earn it.”

“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.”

”When people are hurt and scared, they aren’t always able to reason through things well. They can’t see past the pain and fear.”

“I feel like I’ve slipped and fallen into an episode of Scooby-Doo. Send help.”

This book so far has been my top read for 2024. It is a wonderfully crafted story that kept me absolutely glued to the pages of this book or should I say to the screen of my iPad since I read the eBook version.
This book pulled on my heartstrings in so many ways because in ways I knew just what Cathleen was going though with her father. And Peter you can't help but to fall in love with that young man. Each one of the characters bring so much to this story that I hated to see it come to an end.
Amanda Cox's has another award winner with this amazing story.
Thank you to Ravell and to NetGalley for allowing me the privilege to read this story before it hits the streets.

This is a near-perfect read: well written, soundly plotted, with nicely realized characters. Amanda Cox is adept at describing just enough to give the reader's imagination something to work with, without weighing down the action. Although the plot is about restoring a lighthouse in South Carolina's Outer Banks, the book is about restoring family and community. It includes some history, a bit of mystery, and just a soupçon of romance. Something for everyone, really.

So why "near-perfect"? Well, obviously it would be better with a dog!

I have always been drawn to lighthouses and the stories about their keepers. Initially drawn by the setting of a lighthouse on a barrier island of the Outer Banks of NC, I quickly fell in love with the cast of characters.

This heartwarming story is more about the restoration of relationships than it is of the lighthouse itself. This dual timeline story mostly takes place in 2007, with the 1941 storyline shared as a main character reflects on memories of the past and the journal entries of the mysterious 'Mae', a heroine that displays courage and sacrificial love.

The atmospheric setting is enhanced with the hint of legends, the folklore that surrounds the history of the Outer Banks. The story begins with "It was a dark and stormy night . . . . . .". I was hooked from that point.

Each of the main characters are burdened by regrets of the past. It initially begins with Walt trying to find peace in his golden years. But his journey quickly influenced Finn, Joey and Peter, as they all confront their own past. As they work together, solving the mysteries of the lighthouse, they realize that one can learn from the past as they move forward. This is a beautiful story of secrets and forgiveness, self-discovery and family. It is told quietly but well, one full of heart.

****I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher through Netgalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

What an absolutely beautiful story this was with just the right blend of history, romance and mystery... all with a fantastic coastal setting. I couldn't help but be drawn right into this intriguing story. As the story begins, Joey takes on a job to restore an old historical lighthouse Walt---an elderly man who has his own past with the lighthouse that are a mystery to his grandson Finn. As they start the project, she discovers some old notes and unlocks an old mystery. The mystery is definitely the star of the show in this story, and truly was very wonderfully done with bits and pieces revealed just enough to keep me reading on. I enjoyed seeing how it all would play out. We are given glimpses into the past, weaving the story together perfectly. Admittedly, Finn didn't seem like a character that I was going to like at the beginning, but the more that we get to know him and see his reasons for his actions, I found myself coming around and loved him with Joey. Truly, every single character in this story was so wonderfully written that I couldn't help but love them all. It was a beautiful story of restoration with great messages of faith and one that fans of Christian fiction are sure to want to experience for themselves.

**I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Another winner by Amanda Cox! Though the first couple of chapters feel a bit disjointed, they are ultimately setting the stage, introducing the major players in our story and Ms. Cox brings them all together beautifully before the story ends. The main characters in this book are Joey/Josephina Harris, who is struggling with being an outcast in the town where she grew up, and Walt O'Hare, who is attempting to right some wrongs from several decades past, along with his grandson Finn, who doesn't understand his grandpa's new pet project. When Joey answer's Walt's ad to help restore a lighthouse on an island in the Outer Banks, she finds there is more to this project than meets the eye.

This book is very character driven, with a great deal of character growth and development. The characters are very likable and relatable though and you can't help but cheer them on. Though I tend to prefer plot driven over character-driven stories, this one still earns a full 5 stars due to the added mystery elements and plot points surrounding how the past impacts the present. Though this was not a dual timeline story, Walt's memories of his childhood friend whose dad was the lighthouse keeper play a prominent role and there are some journal entries that give some insight into the past as well. As that is the element I like best about dual timeline stories, I enjoyed that element of this story as well. The faith thread in this one was subtle, but present in the 2nd half of the book. Though there are themes of forgiveness and second chances throughout the story. And there was a strong focus on family in this book - both biological and "found" family elements that were thoroughly enjoyable. And I enjoyed that the story had a happy ending for all parties involved. All in all, this was a thoroughly enjoyable story and one I would recommend to fans of any genre of inspirational fiction. Special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-copy of this book. I was under no obligation to provide a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.

**Thank you to Revell publishing and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. These thoughts are entirely my own.**

I really enjoyed Between the Sound and Sea! It wasn’t super busy plot-wise, but the characters were AMAZING! I loved them all. They were all super unique and had unique voices to match. It is multi-POV, but this book is an excellent example of multi-POV done well. Amanda Cox made sure each of the characters had very distinct voices, so I didn’t get confused or bored reading any character’s sections.

I really loved the mystery as well! It was very atmospheric, and it was written really well. I loved the faith aspects as well; they were deep and intentional. I find a lot of novels labelled as Christian often throw faith aspects in that are very shallow and seem unintentional, but Between the Sound and Sea had amazing faith themes throughout. The found family and redemption arcs of the characters were also so amazing and heart-warming. I only wish there was a little more mystery, and I wish a few parts of the book weren’t so predictable.

Overall, though, I loved this book and would totally recommend reading it!