I gave up on this one about 85 pages in. I loved the beautiful cover and the premise of the book sounded really interesting. It was just really slow to set up the story and the writing was starting to get to me. "A thousand questions rolled through her like an unseen avalanche." "But hearing him say he'd known and hadn't come scooped out a hollowness in her." I find these types of phrases a bit distracting when I'm reading. I was really looking forward to this book and was disappointed that I couldn't really get into it. ( )

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! There were a few parts that were a little Hallmark-movie-channel, but mostly I’d say this book did exactly what the author intended—instilled a sense of wonder and made the impossible seem possible. The book follows two storylines, one historic and one contemporary, both stories of long-awaited love. I honestly enjoyed the historical storyline more. This book has a little of everything without delving into violence, sex, or foul language. There are smugglers, strong women, swashbuckling sailors fighting battles valiantly for their King, loving families and the constant gentle undercurrent of an all-encompassing Love.

I appreciated that this book was completely clean. The characters relied on God and scripture in hard times, they looked to the created world around them for beauty and wonder, and they sought out wholesome adventures. Like I said, there were a few points where the reader was kindly asked to suspend reality and enter the world of Hallmark perfection. But for someone who generally doesn’t enjoy Christian fiction, especially Christian romantic fiction, I thought this was a fun, joyful little read. This author is clearly very talented and I will be hunting down her other books in the near future.

Just imagine... ( )

I loved this book even though I felt it was a challenging read. Historical fiction, fantasy, and inspirational all rolled into one. Getting the audiobook (beautifully read!) And reading along was the turning point for me. So glad I stuck with it and finished it! ( )

Goodness. I’m not sure I have the words to fully express the beauty of this book. Set the Stars Alight by Amand Dykes is a masterfully written time-slip novel with one timeline set in present-day England and the other timeline in the early 1800s in England or aboard a ship belonging to its Navy.
This story is magic. Not the pick-a-card kind of magic, but the light-your-eyes-and-heart-
-with-wonder kind of magic. All the tales regaled in the Watchmaker’s cottage. All the impossible places visited. All the lessoned learned. Imaginations stretched. It creates an atmosphere of tangible magic--the contagious kind.
The mysteries and truths of this story are the kinds that broaden the limits of our hopes and dreams. When nothing is impossible, hope and wonder rule the day.
Set the Stars Alight is one of my favorite books from this year. I absolutely loved Lucy and Dash’s story, especially all the fantastical tales Lucy’s father told by firelight in their humble cottage. And Frederick’s story, while marked with heartache, is still incredibly beautiful in its persistence of nobility and selfless love.
I would highly recommend this book to any fan of Christian fiction, especially if you are a fan of time-slip novels.
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher with no expectation of a positive review. All opinions are my own. ( )

This book deserves 10 out of 5 stars! It is a beautiful, riveting, breathtaking story that captured my heart and soul! I can't fully explain just what an amazing read this was! ( )