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Release date: December 6, 2016

Publisher: Lake Union 

Genre: Women’s Fiction 

Blurb: 

From the bestselling author of Everything We Keep comes a gripping tale of long-buried secrets, the strength of forgiveness, and the healing power of returning home for good.

After a harrowing accident tore her family apart, Molly Brennan fled from the man she loved and the tragic mistake she made.

Twelve years later, Molly has created a new life for herself and her eight-year-old daughter, Cassie. The art history professor crafts jewelry as unique and weathered as the surf-tumbled sea glass she collects, while raising her daughter in a safe and loving environment—something Molly never had. But when Cassie is plagued by horrific visions and debilitating nightmares, Molly is forced to return to the one place she swore she’d never move back to—home to Pacific Grove.

A riveting exploration of love, secrets, and motherhood, All the Breaking Waves is the poignant story of a woman who discovers she must confront her past, let go of her guilt, and summon everything in her power to save her daughter. 

Review: 

I absolutely loved Lonsdale’s debut novel Everything We Keep and after reading her follow up All The Breaking Waves I am now an even bigger fan. This book had all the same wonderful elements that shone so beautifully in EWK; polished writing, a gripping plot and characters that leave a lasting impression.

Molly was a character that I could relate to on all levels. She’s a mom who loves her eight year old daughter, Cassie and will do anything to protect her. I have an eight year old daughter as well, so this definitely struck a chord with me. All of the women in their family have special gifts in the form of premonitions and while this sounds inherently amazing, there are definitely downfalls. Molly struggles to let Cassie live the life of a normal little girl despite her special gifts. I can’t imagine trying to explain paranormal abilities to a child when they don’t even make sense to most adults. 

This is so much more than a typical women’s fiction novel, it seamlessly blends genres in a style that is uniquely Lonsdale’s own. There is suspense, magical realism, drama, deep family histories,  and romance. Somehow this all works perfectly and even though I don’t normally read much with a paranormal aspect, it added something special to the story here.

There were some nice twists here, which for some reason I didn’t expect, I’m not sure why, I should have known better after all the turns in EWK! Lonsdale has a spellbinding quality to her writing that make her books real page turners. There are also several themes present here and some great discussions could stem from the topics, perfect for a book club.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Lake Union for my review copy.