Set the Stars Alight by Amanda Dykes

In an aged brick cottage in London, the magic of the past comes alive each night for the family of a humble watchmaker. In her father's fireside stories, Lucy Claremont's fascination with the high seas begins, leading her to devote her life's work to discovering the whereabouts of a legendary lost ship. But when tragedy strikes, it's childhood friend Dashel and his knowledge of the stars that may help her solve the puzzle.

Two hundred years earlier, three young lives are altered forever when a shepherd rescues the privileged son of a powerful admiral. As the children grow, war leads to unthinkable heartbreak, deep love, and a story of betrayal, sacrifice, and redemption that fades into obscurity as centuries pass.

As Lucy and Dash explore mysterious ruins on the East Sussex coast, their search leads them to a community of souls and a long-hidden tale that may hold the answers--and the healing--they so desperately seek.

This is the sophomore release from Amanda Dykes and she weaves an intricate story. I read her first book and enjoyed it quite a bit, so I was excited to see what he next book would bring. She does a great job of weaving the past with the present and pulling all of the characters together. I did feel like some of the background that needed to be built into the characters felt a bit rushed and maybe not all that necessary. I enjoyed the modern time line much more than the historic one and would have loved to have the whole story told through that lens. Lucy and Dash were my favorite and I want to know so much more about Dash. It felt like there were a few too many things the author was trying to do with this story. I did love the connections to faith and the higher story she strove to tell, which is what really makes this a book worth reading.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

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The Best Summer of Our Lives by Rachel Hauck

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