Contemporary Romance Book Review: The Waves

Publisher's Description

"Dillon Hayes is twenty-eight and single, an unfortunate status her overbearing family is determined to fix. So when she’s stuck on a cruise ship for a seven-day reunion with the lot of them, she's desperate for any escape she can find, even if it means partnering with a sketchy stranger for an off-the-beaten-path snorkeling excursion. After her mother's last matchmaking attempt, Dillon is more than willing to trade all her good sense for a few hours of solace. Liam Gamble is stuck in the middle of family vacation hell. The worst part: it's not even his family. This will be the last time he ever accepts a free-vacation invitation from his best friend. At this point, he'd be willing to hand over his life savings to get off this crazy ship. So when he catches one of his friend's cousins sneaking off board, he decides to join her, hijacking her private excursion and nearly blowing her cover. If she gets to leave, so does he. But what starts off as a secret escape turns into a very real nightmare when their shady tour guide leaves them stranded on an uninhabited island with nothing but the clothes on their backs and no idea how to keep themselves alive. As hours turn into days, and the weather proves as threatening as their need for food and water, Dillon and Liam must join forces and rely on each other if they have any hope of seeing their families again. Funny thing: sometimes in life, the end of the rope is when you discover everything you value has been in front of you all along."

Click here to purchase a copy of this novel for yourself. 

My Review

The Waves, by Amy Matayo, is an engaging book that offers a riveting tale of adventure, survival, and romance. Told beautifully through the first person perspectives of the two main characters, this novel is very well-written and thoroughly engrossing. It is fast-paced and utterly entertaining. From the first paragraph to the last, this book easily held my attention with its gripping plot, integral setting, and genuinely likable characters.
 

In The Waves, Ms. Matayo draws the reader fully into the story with her incredibly immersive style of writing. Her attention to sensory details makes sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures vivid and real. Page after page, Ms. Matayo skillfully builds and maintains believable suspense and that is truly thrilling. Throughout the novel, the characters are expressive, multi-dimensional, and unforgettable. Furthermore, the settings are artfully detailed bringing a fresh perspective to oceans, islands, and even sand. 

Ms. Matayo is certainly a talented writer with a tremendous gift for storytelling. The Waves is a remarkably enjoyable novel that will linger long in my memory. I enthusiastically recommend this book to all readers who enjoy clean romance that is as captivating as it is clever.

*I was given a copy of this book by the author/publisher. A review was not required. The review I have written contains opinions that are entirely my own.

 About the Author: Amy Matayo

"Author Amy Matayo is an excellent speaker, mathematician, seamstress, chef...and liar. She's decent at writing books but not much else. Then again, the book thing makes her marginally cool and a whole lot intimidating.

Not really. Not even her kids are afraid of her.

She graduated with barely passing grades from John Brown University with a degree in Journalism. But she's proud of that degree and all the ways she hasn't put it to good use.

She laughs often, cries easily, feels deeply, and loves hard. She lives in Arkansas with her husband and four kids and is working on her next novel." Biography from Amy Matayo's author page on Amazon.com.

Click here to visit Amy Matayo's website.

You can also find Amy on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amymatayo, on Twitter: @amymatayo, on Instagram: amymatayo.author, and on Snapchat: amymatayowrites.