Finding Amy

by Julieann Dove

[kimbacaffeinate]

If you are a regular at Caffeinated, you have borne witness to my struggles with Amy and the Amy series. While Dove kept me reading, the triangles and Amy’s painful growth made me slightly crazy. To say I was nervous beginning this book is an understatement but in the end, it was worth it. Dove delivered a sweet, small-town romance as Amy came into her own, found family, and grabbed her own slice of happy.

One of things I admire about Dove is that she writes about messy, complicated and flawed characters. When we meet Amy she was sheltered, naïve and confused. We witness her life crumble and see her struggle for footing. Along the way she meets men who for better or worse help her transformation. She was real, vulnerable, and put herself out there. As we read, we also witness a strengthening in Dove’s writing and Finding Amy delivered all the elements I love in a story.

I totally feel in love with the people and little Island of Classique in Finding Amy. After the events at the end of Leaving Amy, our heroine flees and travels cross-country to her Aunt’s home. Amy believes she will be house sitting for her Aunt for the next 3 months. She plans to lick her wounds as she puts space between herself and the mess she left. Things change when she finds she won’t be staying there alone and I was hooked.

From the beginning, the interaction between the houseguest and Amy was fantastic. Sparks, loathing, snark and more had me completely addicted. This guest pushed Amy, allowing her to heal, to discover her strengths, and find happiness from within.

The island came to life in Finding Amy as we met islanders, learned about Amy’s family and watched her become a part of this community. I adored the small-town feel and actually hope Dove does a spinoff series set here.

Finding Amy delivered making me laugh, snicker, sign, swoon, and even shed a tear. If you love messy journeys of self-discovery on the road to happiness come, meet Amy. She will frustrate you but in the end, you will adore her. While I think Finding Amy will work as a standalone, the first two books should be read in order.

Copy provided by author/work as VA for this author. This review was originally posted on Caffeinated Book Reviewer