What the Wind Knows

not a chopped-up badly written serial with cliff-hangers that force you to buy another installment - what a pleasure to finally find a real book on Kindle after all the junk I've gone through this past year. Cliff-hangers for sure but they are by chapter, fast-moving and keep you pulled in to the very end. A wonderful story from the first word to the last! Very professional writing, like a big thick novel I used to get from a library from a real publishing house - every sentence perfectly structured, no typo's or made-up words. I intended to read a couple chapters a day and make it last, but I made the mistake of getting comfortable in my recliner and literally couldn't stop reading until many hours later I got to the end! Should have read a few chapters to learn the characters then gone to the end to see what happened like I usually do, then I go back and read the whole thing at my leisure. Then I wouldn't have spent most of the day glued to the story. Every character becomes real very quickly, the story is so believable although your mind knows it's fantasy. So much Irish history woven throughout - if you have any Irish in your roots at all you sure need to read this! And if you don't, it will make you wish you were Irish - it was that magical. Be entertained and educated at the same time. There were a dozen times the story could have ended and left one feeling sad, but it kept going until the amazing wonderful happy ending! I'm going to read the whole thing again as I kinda hurried through a lot of the history part trying to get to the end so I could get back to my housework LOL

This book was amazing! It was so good with beautiful writing and a riveting and interesting storyline of romance, time, and history. However, it had some scenes that were not "clean" (not explicit, but a little handsy) so I wouldn't say it is a "clean romance" sadly! I skipped those parts and because of them I wish I hadn't read it. I'm sad that I can't recommend this book to anyone because of that and won't be reading any more books by her. "Slow Dance in Purgatory" was an awesome clean romance, why couldn't this have been clean too?

My grandfather was born in Dublin in 1904 and although he wasn't Irish (German ancestry), I'd always wondered about his history in Ireland and how it fits into my own life story. I decided a pilgrimage of sorts was necessary to figure it out. I took my sister with me and we visited site after site, enjoying as much of Ireland as we could in a 3 week period. We visited every tourist site we could, and some usual locations on a whim. Many of those sites are mentioned in this book. We started at the Cliffs of Moher, spent days visiting Malahide Castle, Dublin castle the national museum's, New Grange and Galway, Cork, Muckross House and Middleton. We skipped the Blarney stone (who really wants to kiss something thousands of others had kissed in the last week?? It sounds unsanitary to me). We also skipped Waterford, but visited the Drombeg standing stones, the Ring of Kerry and the Giants Causeway. We traveled east to west, south to north and still didn't have time to see it all. We never did learn about our heritage, but I'm guessing that will be another opportunity. Another trip. Another adventure. Ireland is a beautiful place with a LOT of history, from the famine to the loss of the Titanic, its played its part in our lives. I wish I'd read this book before our trip. It would've explained a little more of the political conflicts that remains today. Belfast and northern Ireland remain part of the British empire and there are still some who are angry with the capitulation and presence of British influence on "Irish soil". As few as 20 years ago there were bombings and killings in protest of British rule. The Irish are a proud and traditional people. Wool sweaters, caps, fried fish and potato dishes, traditional music and dance are all present, but a new element has been added in spades: tourism. It seems that Ireland has recently increased 10x its business in tourism. It's growing as well. You can't see a clear skyline anymore, every city is dotted with cranes as they tear down the old and rebuild modern structures. This book was wonderfully written, making all of the history come to life. I enjoyed the characters, the plot (the conflict, the history, the romance), the language & tradition, the recollection of a past that isn't my own, but it felt SO real. Reading this story placed me there in the middle of the love, laughter, & heartache. I enjoyed the book tremendously. I WILL look for other books by this author. I'm usually content with a book when I'm done, this book made me crave more of Ireland. Maybe I'll get to visit the Emerald Island again someday.

This book is a lovely tribute to the fierce history of Ireland and the Irish people. As a woman of Irish heritage it strikes close to home. The vocabulary and descriptions allow you to be fully present in whatever part of the story you are reading. The author makes clear that some aspects of the book are fictional; but there’s enough history to tell the story of Ireland. The love story is poignant and sweet. I recommend reading this book.

When I first heard Amy’s latest book was up for pre-ordered, I immediately one-clicked. This was months before I knew anything about the book. I just knew my favorite author wrote it and hence an automatic purchase and read. A few weeks into, what to me, seem to be an interminable wait; I found out that it was a historical romance. A small fear gripped my heart as I’m not big on historical romance or historical anything. Shortly after, I heard that not only was it a historical romance, but it was a time travel historical romance. I’m not going to lie my heart crashed. Shortly before the release of the hardcover on Feb 1st I won an ARC. (Advance Review Copy). I was thrilled, ecstatic, just a little afraid, and completely beside myself. It took me a day to put my fears away and pick up my kindle. On a rainy Sunday afternoon, I grabbed my kindle, my blanket, and a nice cup of tea and snuggled in my favorite reading chair. I wanted to give this book the chance it deserved because Amy has never let me down. I’m not sure how many readers really look at book covers, and if they do, do they see a preview of things to come? I’ve found that they tell a story before reading the pages between the cover. I meticulously studied the cover and saw a woman who had suffered. There was pain and loss in her eyes, but yet they were strong and hopeful. I knew our heroine was going to make it. And so I read…… The relationship between Annie and her grandfather was endearing. And their love and support for each other was unmistakably. I cried when he took his last breath. I wanted, perhaps needed, to hear and know more. One of my favorite parts of the book was how seamlessly the author pulls Anne in 1921 Ireland and how she arrives there. I was so connected with everything Anne was feeling and seeing that it really took me by surprise. Thomas has to be one of my favorite heroes, his love for Anne is intense and he is a good, caring and brave soul. I loved that about him. And Anne, what a great character. She was what she needed to be when she needed to be. As a woman from 2001 traveling to the past I felt she was able to keep up with the standards of the time without jeopardizing who she really was. Oh and the journals. Love the journals. We all need to learn to keep them. It is a small portal to our future generations. There is a fine line when history is being told because as humans we can easily point fingers, but Amy did an amazing job without accusation or picking sides. “Don’t let the history distract you from the people who lived it” I read the book in one seating. Laundry was not finished that day, messages were not returned and dinner was ordered in. After finishing I wasn’t sure how I felt. To be candid that feeling was there for days, and can honestly say I can’t remember the last time a book did this to me. Overall I give this book 5 stars. Amy is a magical storyteller. Her words flow and put you in a spell between fact and fiction. I was sad to see the story end. I was left wanting more, such much more. Not because the book was unfinished, but because the story was so beautiful written. If you haven’t yet ordered, I urge you to do so now. You will not be disappointed. In fact, I loved it so much, that a kindle copy is not enough; I just ordered the hardcover book (I hear the cover is gorgeous) and the audiobook. A first for me. Happy Reading!

Read it! You will like it! Push through the fantasy part , read until you fall in love with the characters. It is good.

I HONESTLY don’t know where to start on how much this book meant to me! I finished ‘What the Wind Knows’ in 2 nights and never wanted it to end. I also finished it 2 weeks ago, thinking on how can I move the reader on reading a book you’ll never forget... How do does one explain the love I had for a country I lived in for 3 years, and closed my eyes seeing the Ireland I once knew as beauty! I was in love with the concept of how the story was written so well. I am not usually a reader of fantasy, but you couldn’t have pulled this away from me! It is beautifully well written novel. It might have been fiction/fantasy, but every event in 1916-1920’s were on target, during a heartbreaking time in history. I listened & read—I highly recommend listening, for every emotion felt & heard in the narrators voices 🤗. Amy Harmon, pulled every feeling and emotion I was feeling and went through! I felt Anne’s confusion, her unconditional love for her grandfather, Ireland & never wanting to let go of what she found! I felt everything that Thomas was going through during the IRA anguish and the U.K 🇬🇧 involvement. What they were fighting for, the bloodshed for friends he lost, and a ‘woman’ who he once knew, but this woman stole his heart and soul. As well as his confusion with the “Anne” he once knew, and “didn’t” know. The novel and story was so cleverly woven into ‘Time Travel’ and, as I keep saying, a much loved, that we all wish we had, ‘love story. I’m trying so much not to give away spoilers, I pretty much loathe them, because spoilers give away a Novel that needs to be read! Anne, is an author, who lives with her grandfather, who was born and raised in Ireland. Her whole life has been a balancing act of trying to find love, while balancing her family-grandfather-and her writing career. Amy Harmon never directly points anything out with Anne and certain ‘reasons’, unbeknownst to the reader. Since the age of 5 she didn’t understand why her grandfather wouldn’t take a trip with her to Ireland. He taught her the way she should sound as a true Irish Lady, as well as ‘Gaelic’. Daily Anne would ask him, “When are we going? I have tickets?” “Not yet Anne!” Every year she begged and every year he refused. Again, the author threw her wants into learning how sometimes you have to sacrifice boundless ambition for love, respite, and family. Her grandfather always spoke about Thomas as his second father, as an amazing man, who was loved, extremely admired and a highly accomplished Doctor. He never took his focus off of his duties to Ireland via the IRA, yet Thomas never fought. He was their strength and was boundless in a love, he never would have thought existed. As much as I truly want to go on and say so much more about ‘What the Wind Knows’ ‘story within a story’ I cannot. It would go against my solid belief in *NO SPOILERS ALLOWED* What I can and will remark on is the novel & story is not a ‘chick flick’. It is filled with love, tragedy, suspense in not knowing what could be around the corner at any moment. The twists and turns are not like ones in a thriller, but they’re everywhere in this story.. The book was mostly written from Anne's POV and also with entries from Thomas's diary that gave the reader a glimpse into his POV. In ending my review..I couldn’t let myself put this novel down for a minute. I will definitely read again, because it’s not..in my opinion..to be just read once. If I could I’d give it 10 stars..It was so well written with an amazing imagination as well. Lately books that are called Romance/Fantasy are just predictable, too sweet, cookie cutter type, they don’t stray away from what they think readers like..This is not one of those and I’m so grateful to have been able to go to a place of happiness while I read ‘What the Wind Knows’ Thank you Amy, for bringing me out of a funk, to a place that brought out a smile that needed to come out and the tears as well...all at the same time 💕💕 Highly recommended for all..

I have read at least 3 of the Outlander books. I was hooked until it became redundant. The love story was terrific and the Scottish history fit in pretty well as part of the fiction and helped paint the picture of life at that time, rather then give a history lesson. In this novel, there is a terrific love story once you pick it out from the history lessons. Yes, the history passages felt more like lessons. Yet, it was hard to tell if the history was fiction or true. That muddied the story for me and was so distracting from the love story thread that I almost quit reading it. Eventually I quit reading the history lesson parts and the love story blossomed. It was palpable. I felt it creeping up on the main character as I read it. The author knows love. The author has a great sense of what love does to a person from feeling none, to developing a deep love, how it makes you feel, act and the things you do either unconsciously or purposefully when it affects you. The time travel is well defined and delivered. It is not full of confusing twists and turns but is laid out in a straightforward manner where the reader is not confused while reading about the confusion that the main character feels. Of all the time travel novels I've read, this one does a good job of keeping the reader in the proper time-frame. Kudos to the author. The ending chapters don't simply 'wrap it all up' quickly as so many novels do when the author runs out of material or time to deadline, but rather leave you in a place that you can understand what happens to the two lovers going forward in the resulting time-frame. I would give it less than 4 but more than 3 but have no way to do it. I give it a 3.5 because the history blurs the love story. (I gave Outlander a 4) Happy reading!