 Author: Amanda Cox Genre: Contemporary Fiction Pages: 336 Release Date: August 6, 2024 Publisher: Revell Every family has its secrets. Josephina "Joey" Harris wouldn't mind if her family still had a few of their own after a lawsuit tarnishes their name. When an opportunity opens to become a temporary keeper of a decommissioned lighthouse on a North Carolina island, she takes the opportunity to escape the scrutiny of her small town to oversee its restoration. Soon Joey discovers strange notes tucked deep in the crevices of the lighthouse's old stone walls--pages torn from a keeper's log recounting harrowing rescues at sea. When things start to go amiss on the island, locals are convinced that it is the ghost of the lighthouse keeper and his daughter who were lost at sea during World War II. As Joey sifts through decades of rumors and legends and puts together the pieces of the past, a love story emerges--one that's clearly not over yet.
 Reviewer: Joy Hannabass Joey Harris jumps at the chance to become a temporary keeper of an old disengaged lighthouse on an island in the beautiful state of North Carolina. The Harris name has been ruined because of a lawsuit that had to do with their business, so Joey needed and wanted to get away from her home and build a name for herself. This job in North Carolina as a lighthouse keeper was exciting for Joey. I love the way Amanda Cox writes the details of restoring the old lighthouse. I have always loved stories about old lighthouses, and I felt like I was right in the middle of it all, helping with the restoration. It gets interesting when Joey finds pieces of paper tucked deep in the cracks of the old stone walls. After reading some of them, Joey realizes they are small pieces of pages torn from a lighthouse keeper’s log signed by someone named Mae. Could this be a woman lighthouse keeper, or maybe a lover of the lighthouse keeper? You can find these answers when you read this wonderful and interesting book. I love the characters created by Cox. Perhaps my favorites are Walt and Finn. They were certainly interesting fellows, and I enjoyed getting together with these two. Cathleen McCorvey, better known as Cay, was another loveable character and I did grow to love her. Well, there are many others, so I’ll just mention these two. I won’t give too much away here. There are quite a few twists and turns in the story, which I always love because it keeps me from guessing what’s next. Cox does an amazing job here keeping our minds guessing, both the present day and the historical part of the story. Emotions run wild here in this story, starting from the beginning. There’s also a lot of regret, heartache and fears, and then God shows up in their lives and there becomes a road of love, finding peace, and forgiveness, along with restoring hope and restoration to these lives I grew to love. Between the Sound and the Sea is a beautifully written dual-time story. A story that will stay with me for a long time. There’s so much more in this story that I didn’t mention or just touched on. I feel you can read the book for yourself and get so much more out of the story. If you enjoy stories about lighthouses, dual-time stories dealing with present and historical events, lovely characters and beautifully written with intriguing details, you will love this book. I can’t wait for the next Amanda Cox story. I’m giving Between the Sound and the Sea Five Stars. Run out or log on to your favorite bookstore and get it now! You won’t be sorry! I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Revell through Interviews & Reviews for my honest opinion. Reviewer: Amy Smelser This story was beautiful both inside and out. This cover really caught my attention and made me want to read this book. And the story was like a beautiful piece of art, in this case a lighthouse, slowly being restored. Or at least that is how I saw it. While not quite a time-slip novel, this novel does set our characters on their journey while trying to solve some mysteries of the past. A love story that never had a chance to grow due to war and death. How another love and a lifetime sprang up instead. There were some difficult questions the author allowed her characters to ask, and I appreciated that. I also was intrigued, yet again, at how close WWII came to our shores here in the US. This story delves into a little more of what was going on just off the shores of the Carolinas. This is a story of how life really can turn everything that we planned on end. Time just keeps marching on, away from our happiest childhood experiences, to a time when we just need to let go and move forward. And like the main character, Joey realizes, when does she start living instead of planning a life for others? A legend, a mystery, and a couple of love stories with the backdrop of restoring an old lighthouse were just the stories I needed to dive into. I was provided with a copy of this novel from Revell through Interviews & Reviews. I was not required to post a positive review, and all views and opinions are my own. Reviewer: Kimberlee Sams I loved everything about Between the Sound and Sea by Amanda Cox. The premise is that, after an (unjustified) business scandal, Joey decides to try something new and accepts a job as project manager for a lighthouse renovation. What follows is a beautiful story of what she finds in her new project, both professionally and personally. Joey, potential love interest Finn, and his father Walter were given detailed backstories, which were gradually revealed as current events played out. It was easy to see how the past shaped each of them into the people they currently were. I especially appreciated how, as the renovation progressed and more mysteries were revealed, the relationships among the three deepened, and each found personal emotional healing. There is also a side plot involving a young man named Peter who has his own difficulties and relationship with the lighthouse. In addition to providing a fun and entertaining story, this book offers plenty of food for thought about love, acceptance, forgiveness, grace, and moving on from past hurts. I received a review copy courtesy of Revell, through Interviews & Reviews, for my honest opinion.  Reviewer: Marta Aldrighetti Joey feels the need to think about her life and her future. She has a firm from which she organizes events and weddings. One day she answers an ad for a lighthouse reconstruction job. What a strange job, but it starts a new adventure for her. But the very main character is Bleak Point Island, with nice landscapes, the old lighthouse, the Cay house, mysteries and ghosts. The lighthouses are so interesting and full of history. You can easily see that, what people do, tell, imagine or don’t do, does not stay in the past, but it can change the future of the people, the place, and the history. There are nice descriptions of feelings, sentiments, memories, and also about characters and places. Unfortunately, the cover didn’t appeal to me. However, I love reading this author’s books and I recommend them. I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Revell through Interviews & Reviews and NetGalley.  Reviewer: Charity Henico This was my first book by Amanda Cox, and I wanted so badly to love it. I’ve heard many great things about her novels, and I knew this would be a good one. I was born in North Carolina, but don’t remember any of it, so I was excited to “see” the beauty of it through these pages. Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me. The writing is impeccable, the characters believable and flawed, and being a lover of history, there was a historical bent to the story that I should have found intriguing. But my emotions were untouched. I felt connected to neither the story nor the characters. I have other books by Amanda that I will be reading, so this one certainly didn’t turn me off of her writing. I’ll gladly give her another try. I was given a complimentary copy of this book by Revell through Interviews & Reviews. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own. Reviewer: Elizabeth Eckmeyer Amanda Cox delivers yet another story of love, mystery, regret, and making things right. This is a story starting with Joey. Joey’s family has been blamed for a deceptive business scheme. Her family’s reputation has now changed Joey’s business as a party planner. With the help of her friend, she answers an ad to restore a lighthouse. Walter is a man who has lived life to the fullest but is hiding a secret. When he hires Joey to restore his lighthouse, Walter opens Joey to a world that once was and what could be. As the lighthouse is being restored, Joey finds clues of a young woman that once lived in the lighthouse. The more Joey digs into the restoration of the lighthouse, the more she discovers, and her life starts to change as well. This is a refreshing story about life taking us in different directions and things still working out. It’s about second chances and discovering who you are while fixing past mistakes. You will not regret reading this story. I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Reveal Publishing House through Interviews & Reviews for my honest opinion. Reviewer: Adriann Harris 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. Reviewer: Anna Bottoms I’m wowed by the intertwining stories of loss, love, and restoration in this book. Amanda Cox is one of my favorite authors, expertly weaving a tale that strikes at the heart, stirring up your emotions as you walk out each character’s journey with them. Joey is stuck by her family’s past, trying to uphold their name, living their dreams, in a community that has turned its back on her. She only needs one chance to prove to the people of Copper Creek she’s good enough. Finn is stuck by a decade of sadness and regret, looking back at his broken marriage and the loss of his child. Burying his issues deep seems to be the only way to survive. If he works hard enough, maybe he can leave them behind. Walt is stuck by sixty years of regret. He feels responsible for leaving his friend Cay alone to deal with her father’s illness on Bleakpoint Island while he runs off to sea during WWII. Even a happy marriage didn’t entirely erase the guilt, so after his dear wife’s death, he buys the Island to restore the lighthouse. Can one historical renovation project bring healing to three lost souls? God’s timing is perfect and the way this story is written shows his care for the details of our lives. Everything He does has a purpose, and this book is a perfect picture of His heart for us. I highly recommend this book. I was given a copy courtesy of Revell through NetGalley and Interviews & Reviews. This is my honest opinion of the book. Reviewer: Laura J. Davis
Between the Sound and Sea by Amanda Cox is a sweet story filled with mystery and love lost. It had a dual-time vibe, aided by stories shared and long-lost letters found. When Joey accepts a position to revamp a decommissioned lighthouse, she jumps at the chance. Once there, she meets Walt and his grandson Finn. Walt is easy to love (Finn, not so much). Walt has surprised his grandson and Joey with the news that he bought the island along with the lighthouse for personal reasons. As the story develops, we learn about lost love, WWII battles at sea, a ghost, and, of course, the real reason Walt bought the island. While I enjoyed the mystery surrounding the lighthouse keeper and his daughter, the romance between Finn and Joey seemed a bit forced and unnecessary. Walt’s story was the most interesting. If you like mysteries, you will probably enjoy Between the Sound and Sea. I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Revell through NetGalley for my honest review. Leave a Reply. |
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