Thank you to the author, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was not familiar with this author, and found this a quick, easy and entertaining read. I enjoyed following the journey of Becca - from self-sacrificing wife and mother to divorced and hurt, and then slowly blossoming as she learns to give herself some priority, rather than placing the needs of everyone else ahead of her own. The author makes the unlikely setting (sailing from Maine to Miami as a non-sailor) interesting and even at times gripping, certainly authentic. Bonus was the humor and the unexpected romance.

Rebecca Larkin has just finalized her divorce after 22 years of marriage, and all she has to show for it is a 40-foot sailing yacht with her name on it. She and her daughter Liv attempt to sail to down to Miami to the buyer - Becca doesn’t want to keep anything that belonged to her ex-husband. When Liv bails part way through, her new crew mate is Grant, a hot 26yo Irishman. The time at sea gives her new perspective and forces her to figure out who she is and what she wants for her second act of life.
Lots of sailing terms I sort of skimmed over. Took me a bit to get into the book, but flew through the last half of it. An enjoyable read that makes one long for a boat ride.

Perfect I beach read! I love books centered around sailing, takes me in an immediate vacation filled with salty air and sunburns. This author is one of my favorites and even though I felt like this one was not as funny as her others, it was still an enjoyable, uplifting, easy, breezy read. Thank you NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. Happy Pub Day, available now!

Over the weekend I enjoyed this beautiful view from new-to-me park Window to the Mystic Lake where I sat and read and enjoyed the unbelievably nice 70º weather. While definitely unusual for October in New England, it was NOT something to complain about.
I also have (almost) no complaints about Wherever the Wind Takes Us by Kelly Harms which is available today from Lake Union Publishing - thank you to them and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. It's available on Kindle Unlimited along with others by the author if you want to check it out!
If you haven’t read anything by Kelly Harms yet, I don’t know what you’re waiting for. I loved The Overdue Life of Amy Byler when I read it a few years back, and I have enjoyed everything else I’ve picked up that she’s written. Her books are, as her website says: beachy, brainy, bingeworthy. It’s a great combination of some of my favorite book attributes, especially in the women's fiction genre.
Wherever the Wind Takes Us follows Becca, who at age 42 has just divorced her sleazy ex-husband after 22 years of marriage. She leaves the divorce proceedings with almost nothing besides the 40-foot sailboat named the Becky Ann, a nickname she never enjoyed. Becca has minimal experience sailing and no intention to keep the boat. She meets a young man at the marina who helps her sell it. But the boat needs to be delivered to Miami, and it’s currently in Maine. Becca and her college-age daughter, Liv, who has received some sailing instruction, set sail on the bonding trip. But Liv gets overwhelmed and flies home from Philly (!!), after calling in reinforcements, aka the young Irish man in Maine who sold the boat.
I definitely did not like Becca’s ex-husband, but I also did not like Liv! She frustrated me to no end and I was happy she left the trip! The sailing voyage helped Becca transition from married life into her second act post-divorce and find her “balance.” I truly had trouble putting this book down because I was invested in Becca’s growth and her learning to appreciate and even enjoy sailing. I loved the ending!!

Another cute book by Kelly Harms! The main character of this novel, Becca, is in her early forties and finally divorcing her husband after 22 years of marriage, much of it unhappy, but she stayed in it in part for her daughter who is now 21. Thanks to their prenup, despite her husband’s wealth, all she gets from their divorce is her husband’s fancy sailboat that the judge grants to her. She decides to sell it, and that she should sail it to Miami despite her lack of experience where the seller will take possession.

There’s mother-daughter bonding and relationship woes, figuring out what her identity even is after many years of subsuming herself in marriage, romance, and lots of sailing. Maybe even a little more sailing details than I needed, but I will say that even as a seasick person who doesn’t sail, this book totally made me feel like I could visualize everything happening on the boat!

I’m a major Kelly Harms fan - I’ve read all 5 of her previous books including this one. I always know k can count on her books to be light and fun but with some real emotions too. This was not my favorite of her books (that title is still held by The Overdue Life of Amy Byler), but another quick and cute read.

Becca has just completed her divorce and is trying to figure out what is next for her in “Wherever the Wind Takes Us”. Turns out the judge awards her with ownership of a sailboat and the story takes off. The story centers on Becca identifying what life she wants as she traverses her relationship with her daughter and a potential romance. It is a fun read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this book on the recommendation of a friend. It started fast. It slowed down with so much boat talk, but when the sailing smoothed and all three main characters started to progress, I flew through it. I liked the journey. I liked the setting and the relationships. I gasped out loud and texted my friend at the end. It was a good summery read to get us through fall.

Becca Larkin had an idyllic life - or so it seemed - until she couldn't take it anymore and divorced her husband, leaving her penniless. The one asset to her name was his prized boat, and she finds herself on an unexpected journey with her 21 year old daughter.

What starts as a frustrating and comical jaunt soon drives frustration and all the emotions - changing relationships and having Becca question who she is, what she wants, and what to do with the rest of her life.

The relationships were messy, and this was a fun, fast read. I liked how the main characters were developed and imperfect.

Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union publishing for the ARC.

Kelly Harms is an auto-buy author for me. I have loved all of her other books and The Matchmakers Of Minnow Bay is one of my all time favorites. If she is not on your radar, she should be. Wherever The Wind Takes Us is an enduring coming of age story but for the 40-something just divorced, spirited woman that is relatable to so many. Becca has always put others ahead of herself allowing her flame to completely burn out. She acquires a sailboat and with practically no sailing experience, decides to embark on a journey down the Eastern seaboard. I loved Becca. She is vulnerable, quietly fierce, and doesn’t know her own greatness. This book was a quick, thoughtful, and heartwarming read with explorations of mother-daughter relationships and believing in yourself. One I recommend you get your hands on!

Thank you @netgalley and lake union publishing for the early copy.

Kelly Harms has a knack for writing books that make you want to keep reading. I’ve read other books by her and love her writing style. This book is set on a boat that Becca Ann is delivering down the east coast to a new buyer after her divorce. It has an attractive male that adds an interesting twist to the story.

My favorite part was the ending because the way to the story ended. Perfect!!!

After 22 years of mostly unhappy marriage, Becca has had enough. She only stayed so long for the sake of their 21 year old daughter Liv. Her husband, Alistair Larkan, and his family firm defend the worst criminals and she's determined to live penniless rather than depend on his dirty money. The only thing she takes away from the divorce is his beloved sailboat Becky Ann.
When she stops in at the marina looking to sell she meets sexy, younger, and Irish Grant Murphy who convinces her to sell it herself and arrange transport to get the most money from the sale. Maine to Miami shouldn't be so hard right? Only problem...she can't sail. Liv agrees to help and they spend the first part of the journey terrified, seasick, and behind schedule. Liv calls Grant to take over and then ditches them, but the sailing for the rest of the trip is like night and day. He's a sailing instructor and makes everything they'd struggled with seem effortless, teaching her along the way to enjoy and fall in love with the sport... and him. But can she really drop everything for the impossible dreams he weaves for their future?
I love how Becca finds her true self out on the water, becoming a brave confident woman willing to take what she wants rather than settle for "crumbs". I hated how she kept justifying Liv's actions as being young, or a Larkan, or stuck between them in the divorce. Liv was a horrible, entitled, and selfish character that I couldn't stand and I was so glad she abandoned Becca with Grant.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this read, having not read anything by this author before. This was a book I judged solely on its cover and synopsis, if I am being truthful. I didn't do any research, so I went in completely blind.

Had I realised how heavy the plot works around sailing, I'm not sure I would have picked this up. However, the hopeless romantic in me loved the blossoming connection between Becca and Grant. The complexities between Becca and her daughter, Liv, were approached realistically, and as a reader, I could see things from both perspectives.

I enjoyed the concepts discussed in this book, but I'm afraid all the sailing jargon was lost on me. Some parts became quite confusing due to this. Don't let this prevent you from picking this book up, though, as I am sure plenty of readers will thoroughly enjoy it.

Short synopsis: Becca has been living in a loveless marriage for 22 years, and when she divorces Alistar the only thing she gets in the settlement is a 40ft luxury sailboat. To get back on her feet side decides to sell the boat, but must deliver it to Miami.

My thoughts: I have always thought it would be fun to ride a sailboat, and this made me want to even more. I enjoyed learning about sailing right along with Becca, and felt like I was on the adventure with her.

This had a great self discovery and starting over factor with a cute romance mixed in. I also liked watching relationship between Becca and her daughter Olivia change throughout the course of this book.

Read if you love:
* Self acceptance and discovery
* Women’s fiction with romance
* Grand adventures
* Learning something new
* Family dynamics

Kelly Harms has great stories featuring older characters. I really liked how much this character grew, paralleling her journey on the boat. I loved Grant! The romance begins about 50 percent and that's where the book really took off for this romance fan... it was worth the wait! This is out next week and I’d recommend picking it up.

🥰really liked || 💋open/low
🤟age gap, mother/daughter, character growth
📚 Float Plan, Nora Goes Off Script
📺Younger

I didn’t find the characters very likable or interesting. I didn’t find the plot interesting either.

*NetGalley Advance Reader Copy

I have read several Kelly Harms novels and she's now moved to my automatic TBR list.

This book is delightful, absurd, moving, dramatic, sad, and a little bit magical.

Becca Larkin is having a last hurrah with her daughter before she settles down to a "normal" life after divorcing her wealthy but ethically questionable husband. She and her daughter Liv are sailing a 40-ft yacht - the only thing Becca got out of the divorce settlement - to the new owner. Going from Maine to Miami. Becca has never sailed and her daughter has only taken two semesters of sailing courses at college. IT WILL BE FINE.

I love Harms' way of making her main characters people you could live down the street from. People you can imagine knowing in real life, people you can imagine doing the very crazy things you would do in certain situations. Her sense of humor and imagination is fantastic, making her novels engaging and fun reads.

This one publishes on Oct. 18th - make plans to grab it!

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Becca married young and remained in her broken marriage out of fear and obligation. Then came the straw that broke the camel’s back, and she was finally ready to leave her husband, his family, and their money behind.

This was a quite a journey, and I loved it! Becca stayed with her husband as long as she did out of fear, and even following the divorce, she was still be driven by fear. Delivering that boat to its buyer was so critical for her as she tried to figure out her “second act”.

This was a tough journey, both physically and emotionally. Becca found herself in some rather precarious situations at sea, but she learned so much. She not only learned the art of sailing, but she also learned that she was stronger and more capable than she ever gave herself credit for. This woman whose life had been dictated by the Larkin family for over twenty years pushed herself in a way she never had before. She reawakened parts of herself she thought were lost forever, and it was such a wonderful thing the bear witness to.

The mother-daughter relationship was also explored. Becca didn’t want to come between her daughter and her ex-husband. She wanted to both be honest with her daughter while not creating friction between them. At the same time, she had to begin seeing her daughter as an adult. It was a rocky road for these two, and I was frustrated with both Becca and Liv, but sometimes growth can be painful.

I am trash for stories of rebuilding your life. Becca did a great job rising from the ashes of her failed marriage, and Harms did a wonderful job telling her story. The blend of exhilarating action, humor, romance, and warmth was perfect for me. This story took me through a wide range of emotions, and it ended in a way that left me happy and satisfied. It’s also always a pleasure reading a story that reminds me that it’s never too late for my second act.

Thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC of this!

I have liked the author's other books a lot, so I was really excited for this one! It was a really fun almost adult coming-of-age, where the protagonist was leaving a years long marriage with nothing to show for it besides her husband's beloved boat that shares her name. She starts off on an adventure to sell it with her adult daughter for some bonding time and space from starting over, but when the seas turn out to be too rough all of that changes. She is offered a chance to figure out who she is outside the role of wife and mother, as well as a new chance at love, and it was all very hopeful and sweet!

Pub date: 10/18/22
Genre: women's fiction with romantic elements
One sentence summary: All Becca has to show for her divorce is her college-aged daughter Liv and a 40-foot sailboat, but sailing to Miami with handsome Grant will give her a whole new lease on life.

I liked THE OVERDUE LIFE OF AMY BYLER, so I was excited to read another book by Kelly Harms. I really enjoyed getting to know Becca - if you love books where characters have to "start over", this is a great pick! Grant and Becca had a fun dynamic - he was quite swoon-worthy and dashing.

The balance of romance and self-discovery in the book worked really well. Plus - the sailing storyline was really fun, and it made me feel like I was taking my own ocean voyage. I think this will be a great summer read for years to come (or a winter read when you're tired of snow!)

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.