Between the Sound and Sea

Title: Between the Sound and Sea
Author: Amanda Cox
Major Themes: Friendship, History, Outer Banks
Synopsis: After being given the chance to help restore an old lighthouse, Joey Harris jumps at the opportunity, glad to get some space to figure out what she wants to do with her life.

I was thrilled to see that Between the Sound and Sea was coming out recently. Having read and thoroughly enjoyed several of Amanda Cox’s books, I had high hopes for this one, too. For the most part to date, her stories have not been romantic (there may be hints, but it isn’t even a subplot); instead, they deal with the nitty-grittiness of life, and the journeys we take as we walk toward wholeness and freedom. This book was a bit different; it did have a stronger romantic theme than any of her other books that I’ve read. It did hold to her typical style of tackling tough situations and showing how grace and hope can bring healing, though, and I loved that.

Publisher’s description:

My thoughts:

There was a lot to love in this book. One main facet of the story is about restoring an old lighthouse, and I’ve always loved lighthouses (The Light at Tern Rock was a story I loved when I was a girl). I also loved watching both Joey and Walt grow as characters throughout the book. With both having unresolved pasts, they have to work toward healing in their own ways—and it was fun to see how that process worked for them. The mystery surrounding Mae was a lot of fun to read about, too. I’ve always enjoyed mystery stories, and while this book probably doesn’t technically fit into that genre, it’s definitely got an element of mystery. I loved that.

Overall, though, I didn’t enjoy the book as much as I anticipated. I’m not even sure what it is that I didn’t enjoy so much, aside from the fact that the book didn’t grip my attention, so I had to keep reminding myself to read it so I could get through it. I mentioned at the beginning of the review that there’s a lot more romance in this book than in her other ones; that did add a fun element to the story, but I couldn’t help but wonder, as I read the book, what depth we were missing out on in the characters or plot by having that subplot there. (I also struggled with the fact that the main character dated a divorced man, but that’s a completely different discussion.) Also, the mystery, while fun, wasn’t as engaging as I’d like to see—it felt like all the answers were handed to the main character, rather than Joey having to search for them. This book feels a lot more like your typical Christian fiction book than any of Cox’s previous books, which I found disappointing. It didn’t have that special something that I’ve come to expect from her books that pushes them beyond good to the “it’s great, and you have to read it!” level.

If you enjoy Christian fiction with a dash of romance and mystery, a mix of older and younger characters, and a good dose of history in fun settings like the Outer Banks, you’d likely enjoy Between the Sound and Sea. It was a good story, and even though it didn’t grip my attention like some of Cox’s other books, I’m glad I got the chance to read it.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion of it.

Emma’s perspective:

I really enjoyed the setting of this story. Over a quarter of a century ago, my husband took me to the Outer Banks for our honeymoon. We never got away from the touristy parts of the islands, but I loved the way Amanda Cox brought that area to life in this story. 

I was somewhat disappointed with Between the Sound and Sea overall. It did not feel like it came up to quite the same standard of excellence that I found in her other three books. Those three books were all split-time fiction, and I loved the way Amanda Cox slowly revealed bits and pieces of the story through the earlier lives of the various characters. In this book, however, she kept everyone in the present and the mystery was revealed by someone explaining what happened. To me, that was not nearly as engrossing as the split-time stories.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion of it.

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