Intrigue at an Ancient Lighthouse

If you need an escape to a seaside village, check out Between the Sound and Sea by Amanda Cox. It's about a girl who's a bit down on her luck, Joey (Josephina) Harris, who is hired on as a contractor by friendly, elderly Walt and his less-than-friendly grandson, Finn, to help restore an old, abandoned lighthouse. What Joey isn't anticipating is finding mysterious notes hidden in the walls of the lighthouse. As pages unfold, a story comes together of heroic rescue and lost love.

Amanda Cox crafts such sweeping stories and Between the Sound and Sea is no different. I love a novel to feel like an escape, and I really liked that aspect of this story. It felt like a true adventure to the hidden island and I felt engrossed by the whole “coastal” and Outer Banks theme. I loved the stories about the lighthouse and mystery of the lighthouse keeper. 

Cox is also masterful at creating characters and deeply examining their relationships, trials, and triumphs. There were multiple times where I had to reread something she wrote because of how beautifully it was written. I did like the main characters and enjoyed following their relationship growth.

I did have trouble staying glued to this book, I think because I often found it a bit predictable, plot-wise. That said, I do love a happy ending and I'm glad it didn't have major twists and ruin the feel-good nature of the story! There were some mysteries along the way, but I didn’t find that they were harrowing. Instead, it was more of a pleasant unfolding of the story. If that's the kind of story you like, you'll like this one. I also wished for a bit more of the Christian aspect. It's really just sprinkled here and there but not very deep, and I prefer when Christian books really have some "message" to tell or learning about God that the main characters experience along the way. 

Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.