Tag: Amanda Dykes

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All the Lost Places

by Amanda Dykes-Review

About The Book

When all of Venice is unmasked, one man’s identity remains a mystery . . .

1807
When a baby is discovered floating in a basket along the quiet canals of Venice, a guild of artisans takes him in and raises him as a son, skilled in each of their trades. Although the boy, Sebastien Trovato, has wrestled with questions of his origins, it isn’t until a woman washes ashore on his lagoon island that answers begin to emerge. In hunting down his story, Sebastien must make a choice that could alter not just his own future, but also that of the beloved floating city.

1904
Daniel Goodman is given a fresh start in life as the century turns. Hoping to redeem a past laden with regrets, he is sent on an assignment from California to Venice to procure and translate a rare book. There, he discovers a city of colliding hope and decay, much like his own life, and a mystery wrapped in the pages of that filigree-covered volume. With the help of Vittoria, a bookshop keeper, Daniel finds himself in a web of shadows, secrets, and discoveries carefully kept within the stones and canals of the ancient city . . . and in the mystery of the man whose story the book does not finish: Sebastien Trovato.

My Thoughts

This book deserves many more than five stars.

I am not sure I have ever read a book quite like this one before.

Some books come into your life, are read and quickly forgotten. 

Not so with this one It will be remembered by myself and many other readers for quite some time.

I feel spiritually fulfilled after reading this.

The descriptions are so vivid that I feel as though I was experiencing this with all the characters in the time periods portrayed.

The book is a real gem, the words are clear, concise and fluid.

I am really looking forward to reading more by this author.

I was given a complimentary copy by Interviews and Reviews and Bethany House Publishers. All opinions expressed are my own.

Grab A Copy Here

The Author

Amanda Dykes is a drinker of tea, dweller of redemption, and spinner of hope-filled tales who spends most days chasing wonder and words with her family. She’s the winner of the 2020 Christy Award Book of the Year, a Booklist 2019 Top Ten title, and the winner of an INSPY award for her debut novel, Whose Waves These Are. She’s also the author of Set the Stars Alight (a Christy Award finalist), Yours is the Night (recipient of the Kipp Award, Christy Award finalist), All the Lost Places (starred reviews from Booklist, Library Journal, and Foreword), and three novellas. Find her online at amandadykes.com

Thank you for visiting today. I hope your day is wonderful.

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The Kissing Tree: 4 Novellas Rooted in Timeless Love. Review

About The Book

Bestselling novelist Karen Witemeyer joins award-winning authors Regina Jennings, Amanda Dykes, and Nicole Deese for this Texas-sized romance novella collection. Each of the authors’ unique voices is on display in stories where courting couples leave a permanent mark of their love by carving their initials into the same oak’s bark.  

In Regina Jennings’ Broken Limbs, Mended Fences, a small-town teacher has her credentials questioned by a traveling salesman.

In Karen Witemeyer’s Inn for a Surprise, two opinionated collaborators with conflicting visions must turn a doomed business venture into a successful romantic retreat.

From Roots to Sky by Amanda Dykes follows a young WWII naval airman who heads to Texas to meet the sister of a lost compatriot.

Heartwood by Nicole Deese is a modern-day romance about the groundskeeper of a historic inn who’s reunited with someone from her past while she fights to save a town landmark.

400 pages Bethany House Publishers October 13,2020 publication date

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My Thoughts

This was such a lovely read. I have read all 4 authors before that are in this novella collection and enjoy their books.
All 4 stories are centered around a big old tree aptly named "The Kissing Tree" way back when. Taking place in a small Texas town each story features a couple in a different time period from past times to most recent times. In the most current time period, the tree is old, wearied and not in the best shape. Some want it to come down. Some are really fighting against it. Like us though sometimes doing what's best though it may not be what we want is a way to start fresh, offering forgiveness and moving on. We don't always need the sentimental object because our memories live on in our hearts and minds just like they do with all the generations of people affected by The Kissing Tree. If only the tree could talk, it would have so many stories to tell! There are a lot of emotions swirling around in this book, some misunderstandings, forgiveness, joy, happy memories and faith. A fun and inspirational read. I enjoyed this book a lot.

Published October 13th, 2020
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

The Authors

Voted #1 Reader’s Favorite Christian Romance Author of 2019 by Family Fiction Magazine, bestselling and Carol Award-winning author Karen Witemeyer offers warmhearted historical romance with a flair for humor, feisty heroines, and swoon-worthy Texas heroes. She makes her home in Abilene, Texas, with her husband and three children. Learn more about Karen and her books at karenwitemeyer.com.

Regina Jennings (www.reginajennings.com) is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University with a degree in English and a minor in history. She’s the winner of the National Readers’ Choice Award, a two-time Golden Quill finalist and a finalist for the Oklahoma Book of the Year Award. Regina has worked at the Mustang News and at First Baptist Church of Mustang, along with time at the Oklahoma National Stockyards and various livestock shows. She lives outside of Oklahoma City with her husband and four children.

Amanda Dykes‘sdebut novel, Whose Waves These Are, is the winner of the prestigious 2020 Christy Award Book of the Year, a Booklist 2019 Top Ten Romance debut, and the winner of an INSPY Award. She’s also the author of Yours Is the Night and Set the Stars Alight,a 2021 Christy Award finalist. Find her online at amandadykes.com.

Nicole Deese‘s (nicoledeese.com) fifteen heartfelt and hope-filled contemporary romance novels include her bestelling Love in Lenox series as well as her award-winning novels with Bethany House Publishers, Before I Called You Mine and All That Really Matters. When she’s not sorting out characters and plots of her own, she can usually be found reading near a window overlooking the inspiring beauty of the Pacific Northwest (most often while sipping a sparkling water). She lives in small-town Idaho with her happily-ever-after hubby, two towering-over-her teenage sons, and her princess daughter with the heart of a warrior.

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