ARC Review: The Day of the Wave by Becky Wicks

I have really enjoyed books by Becky Wicks before, so I was really excited when I read the blurb for The Day of the Wave. Not only did I expect it to be written well, but I couldn't help but be drawn to the content. It was something I hadn't ever seen in a romance novel before, and I was instantly intrigued about a book that centered around a real life natural disaster. Though I don't necessarily agree with the book's Amazon tagline of being "An inspirational historical romance novel" that followed the real life events of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, I did find it very interesting. Yes the book does touch on the tsunami and how things happened in real life, this book is mainly about Ben and Isla reconnecting in the future. 

Ben and Isla met as teenagers just days before the Boxing Day tsunami hit. They both suffered terrible losses as a result and were never the same. Both of them were left with scars, Isla's on the outside while Ben's were internal. But they never knew that the other survived. Now ten years later, a chance meeting reconnects them, and they jump at the chance to spend time together once again. Though a lot has changed as the years have passed, Ben and Isla realize that the connection they once shared has remained. Though no one understands everything that they went through but each other, is it possible for them to leave their pasts behind for a chance at a future together? 

I liked Ben and Isla a lot. I thought that they were great for one another, and I loved that they had a connection that had never faded. These two understood one another in a way that no one else could, and they just seemed to always know what the other needed. They supported one another and encouraged each other through good times and bad. It was great to see them push one another, while also understanding that sometimes they just needed to avoid certain subjects. They were both still struggling with so much, and the patience between them was exactly what they needed. They helped one another while also realizing that some things had to be done on their own time table rather than what others thought. I loved the friendship between them and how they had always held onto everything that they had talked about and felt years before. They had such great chemistry, but it was the connection between them that made their bond unbreakable.

While I really liked this story and seeing Ben and Isla reconnect, I did think that there were times my interest started to wane a little with all the details given. Becky Wicks does a great job of describing things so that you feel like you are actually seeing the cities with your own eyes, but I do think that it can sometimes cause the reader to get a little lost in the details. I also had a tough time with how much others factored into this story, when I really wanted Ben and Isla focused on reconnecting with each other. I kept waiting for things to change between them so that we could see them start to figure things out together as a couple, and it took quite awhile before they were each able to actually move forward without being with someone else. I was glad that there was no cheating though, even if that meant that Ben and Isla together took a bit longer. I think that this book was a really interesting story, and I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for something different. I know this won't be the last I read from Becky Wicks , and I look forward to seeing what she writes next.

**ARC Provided by Xpresso Book Tours**

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ARC Review: Before He Was Famous by Becky Wicks

Before He Was Famous was my first book by Becky Wicks, but I knew I had to read it. The blurb and cover instantly drew me in, and I'll be honest I was super excited to read Noah and Chloe's story. I am a huge fan of friends to lovers stories, and the fact that Noah is a rockstar just made this one all the more interesting to me. It was so good, and I really loved everything about this book! The writing style was fantastic, and the characters were so real to me. This one is a must read!

When Chloe gets the opportunity to work for a magazine as a blogger following her rockstar best friend on tour, she jumps at the chance. Noah and Chloe have been best friends since they were children and have always been really close. They spent one night together years before, but they have both moved on and never talk about it. Even though they are both attracted to each other and have feelings for one another, they are both seeing other people. With Noah's girlfriends and their jealousy as well as someone sending threatening notes to Chloe, do they stand a chance of exploring things between them? Can they possibly make a relationship work in a world of fame, jealousy and social media?

I really liked Noah. He was a hot rockstar that had won a reality show and was experiencing fame for the first time. But he was also this down to earth guy that was so easy to relate to. He wasn't arrogant or cocky, and he just wanted to be treated the same. He was so sweet with Chloe, and I really loved seeing them interact and fall even harder for each other. They were so adorable together, and you could tell that they just had this natural and undeniable connection. They had nicknames for each other and inside jokes, and you could really see how important they were to each other. They might not have always been around each other, but they were a huge part of each other's lives. I really liked Chloe as well. She was so supportive of Noah, even when it was painful to see him with other girls. She was always there for him. I also really liked that she was so normal. She wasn't a huge girly girl and she wasn't one that focused on angst and drama, and I really thought that her character was one that you would want to hang out with in real life. It was easy to see why Noah would want to be with her and why they were so close. I thought that they had amazing chemistry and it was so much stronger because of the emotional bond that they shared.

Overall, this book was fantastic! It was unique and different, and I can promise you that you have never read another NA book or rockstar book like this one. I really enjoyed everything about this story and it was so easy to get lost in. I could not put this one down and read it cover to cover without stopping for pretty much anything. I highly recommend this book, and I think it is one that everyone can find something to relate to. It is a beautiful story about friends falling in love with one another and struggling to take their feelings and turn it into something more. This is one that will stick with me, and that I know I will read many more times in the future. I can't wait to read more from Becky Wicks and look forward to seeing what she comes up with next.

**ARC Provided by Author**

Purchase: | Amazon |

Guest Post with Author Becky Wicks and Giveaway

Meet Becky Wicks, author of Before He Was Famous.

Becky Wicks is a HarperCollins author going indie!

Before He was Famous is her new adult epic romance about a guy and a girl's struggle to handle the fame he finds through winning a TV talent show. There's plenty of steamy sex and suspense in there, (ah, the thrills of when best friends become lovers) and she's releasing a fantasy romance soon, too.

Becky Wicks has also written three funny travel books about her time in Dubai, Bali and South America (HarperCollins). Her first book, Burqalicious - The Dubai Diaries, her second book, Balilicious - The Bali Diaries and her third, Latinalicious -The South America Diaries are out now as ebooks - snap them up and make your feet even itchier!

Becky has also written a comedy romance with author Sarah Alderson under the name Lola Salt, called The Extraordinary Life of Lara Craft (not Croft) which should raise a giggle or two... think Bridget Jones if Jackie Collins had written it!

Find Becky at:

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