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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
I follow this author on social media and so I was looking forward to this book. I thought it was beautifully written. I enjoyed the story and felt the characters were likable and mostly relatable. Orca was young and sheltered, yet she was wise and willing to learn, and she knew her own heart. Her father had reasons for his behavior. Adam and Jack both grew. It was perfectly lovely.
thank you so much to the author and netgalley for gifting me an early copy in exchange for an honest review!!
i don't know why i thought this book was a fantasy
i don't know why i thought this book was a fantasy
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was a very well-written, addictive read. I would read it for hours at a time, and although it took me just over 13 hours to finish, it didn't feel like a drag.
Worldbuilding
I loved the immersive description, especially on the island - I could easily imagine being there. The worldbuilding was easy to digest since details were only revealed when it became relevant to the story. I learned a lot about the island through Orca and Jack's conversations and Orca and Adam spending time together on the island. I particularly love the greenhouse with the flowers and butterflies!
Characters
Orca: First of all, I love the name
Worldbuilding
I loved the immersive description, especially on the island - I could easily imagine being there. The worldbuilding was easy to digest since details were only revealed when it became relevant to the story. I learned a lot about the island through Orca and Jack's conversations and Orca and Adam spending time together on the island. I particularly love the greenhouse with the flowers and butterflies!
Characters
Orca: First of all, I love the name
Oh. My. God
This book was such a gem to read! Abbie, you outdid yourself with this one for sure!
The coziness of this story, the lighthouse….it was so good. I had to stop at one point in the story and just smile while i felt the warmth of the moment.
But also the raw beauty of the sea and the stark contrast of the sometimes cold and loud otherworld…
This book encapsulates so much of what i feel inside. What i long for.
And having the characters live through these themes was just great.
The characters of course were brilliant. Their voices so distinct. Abbie nailed it.
All of their internal conflict was super clear and believable! Really showed me what a good character driven story looks like.
Pacing was on point. Abbie is just good at having good descriptions without them being too long. Just what you need to be immersed. And finally a novel i dont have to skim unnecessary descriptions between dialog.
Very refreshing.
Adam was such a great love interest. He was the sort of guy you can instantly fall in love with.
And the chemistry between the two was great. It wasnt rushed and always felt exciting. You just wanted them to be together so badly.
But I want to see mooore!!
This book was such a gem to read! Abbie, you outdid yourself with this one for sure!
The coziness of this story, the lighthouse….it was so good. I had to stop at one point in the story and just smile while i felt the warmth of the moment.
But also the raw beauty of the sea and the stark contrast of the sometimes cold and loud otherworld…
This book encapsulates so much of what i feel inside. What i long for.
And having the characters live through these themes was just great.
The characters of course were brilliant. Their voices so distinct. Abbie nailed it.
All of their internal conflict was super clear and believable! Really showed me what a good character driven story looks like.
Pacing was on point. Abbie is just good at having good descriptions without them being too long. Just what you need to be immersed. And finally a novel i dont have to skim unnecessary descriptions between dialog.
Very refreshing.
Adam was such a great love interest. He was the sort of guy you can instantly fall in love with.
And the chemistry between the two was great. It wasnt rushed and always felt exciting. You just wanted them to be together so badly.
But I want to see mooore!!
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is great. I went into it because I watched the author's videos and wanted to see her work and now I can see she is a great writer. The dynamics between the characters are really interesting and I hope she writes more like this!
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 stars, rounded up.
I really did like a lot about this book. The lighthouse vibes were amazing, and I really enjoyed the setting. I was entertained, as someone who hasn't been to the Pacific Northwest, by the fact that this did not feel like a Pacific Northwest story at all. Abbie is from New England; her new author photo is a New England lighthouse I've been to hundreds of times. That was what I pictured for this entire book. It may not have been correct, but it did make me ridiculously happy.
Orca, also, was a fantastic lead. This was a very Rapunzel-esque story, and I'm always a fan of the ingenue-type female lead who's a fish out of water. I loved how much she loved her father and her dog. I also, personally, really liked the ending of this book--it tied things up very neatly, but I thought it was earned and happy. No one in this book is a terrible person or a distinct villain, and that's okay. It was exactly what I wanted from a sweet contemporary.
I wasn't necessarily a fan of the love triangle. While I didn't really notice the age gap--it was not super prominent, if I'm being honest, and normally I'm super sensitive to that--I didn't like the instalove. I do entirely understand where it came from, and Abbie did a great job with motivations, but I didn't love how fast it all progressed. I think a slightly slower burn would've done the job better. But that's okay!
Adam was great and I loved him. He was that kind, rugged pilot type with the heart of gold. I do wish we'd gotten a little more of an internal struggle from him (and Jack) that didn't JUST revolve around Orca, but I did love that his fatal flaw was thinking too well of people. It was a great touch that I don't see often enough. Also Jack was a wonderful take on the younger brother character. I loved his arc.
I didn't especially mind the kissing or the swearing that a lot of people have complained about. Basically: this is a secular novel. That's okay. If you want a clean book, this one is not for you. I didn't find it especially gratuitous or bad on either count, but I'm also not especially sensitive to this stuff. Keep that in mind.
Romance is definitely not my genre, but I did enjoy this book and I look forward to more from Abbie!
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author for review. All thoughts are my own and no review was required.
I really did like a lot about this book. The lighthouse vibes were amazing, and I really enjoyed the setting. I was entertained, as someone who hasn't been to the Pacific Northwest, by the fact that this did not feel like a Pacific Northwest story at all. Abbie is from New England; her new author photo is a New England lighthouse I've been to hundreds of times. That was what I pictured for this entire book. It may not have been correct, but it did make me ridiculously happy.
Orca, also, was a fantastic lead. This was a very Rapunzel-esque story, and I'm always a fan of the ingenue-type female lead who's a fish out of water. I loved how much she loved her father and her dog. I also, personally, really liked the ending of this book--it tied things up very neatly, but I thought it was earned and happy. No one in this book is a terrible person or a distinct villain, and that's okay. It was exactly what I wanted from a sweet contemporary.
I wasn't necessarily a fan of the love triangle. While I didn't really notice the age gap--it was not super prominent, if I'm being honest, and normally I'm super sensitive to that--I didn't like the instalove. I do entirely understand where it came from, and Abbie did a great job with motivations, but I didn't love how fast it all progressed. I think a slightly slower burn would've done the job better. But that's okay!
Adam was great and I loved him. He was that kind, rugged pilot type with the heart of gold. I do wish we'd gotten a little more of an internal struggle from him (and Jack) that didn't JUST revolve around Orca, but I did love that his fatal flaw was thinking too well of people. It was a great touch that I don't see often enough. Also Jack was a wonderful take on the younger brother character. I loved his arc.
I didn't especially mind the kissing or the swearing that a lot of people have complained about. Basically: this is a secular novel. That's okay. If you want a clean book, this one is not for you. I didn't find it especially gratuitous or bad on either count, but I'm also not especially sensitive to this stuff. Keep that in mind.
Romance is definitely not my genre, but I did enjoy this book and I look forward to more from Abbie!
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author for review. All thoughts are my own and no review was required.