When Ivy Rose returns to her hometown to oversee an estate sale, she soon discovers that her grandmother left behind more than trinkets and photo frames–she provided a path to the truth behind Ivy’s adoption. Shocked, Ivy seeks clues to her past, but a key piece to the mystery is missing.Twenty-four years earlier, Harvey James finds an abandoned newborn who gives him a sense of human connection … connection for the first time in his life. His desire to care for the baby runs up against the stark fact that he is homeless. When he becomes entwined with two people seeking to help him find his way, Harvey knows he must keep the baby a secret or risk losing the only person he’s ever loved.In this dual-time story from debut novelist Amanda Cox, the truth–both the search for it and the desire to keep it from others–takes center stage as Ivy and Harvey grapple with love, loss, and letting go.
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I’m not sure where to begin. This book was so good. It really made me think about life and relationships. I want to be Pearl when I grow up. She was my favorite character. The way she welcomed everyone with open arms and no judgment. This story opened really was close to home. Everyone needs these characters in their life. I want more. I want to know the rest of the story of Ivy.
Yes, I have a readerly crush on Harvey. I rooted for him from page one to page three-hundred-and -eighty-two. Ivy also knocked my socks off. Dual timelines are tricky, but “The Edge of Belonging” kept me equally invested in the past and the present. Cox’s debut novel, seamlessly stitched together, is poetic and masterfully told. Anything this author writes, I’ll read. I can’t wait for book number two.
I want to start off by saying The Edge of Belonging left me incredibly satisfied and my heart feeling incredibly full. What. A. Story. I’m rather stingy on giving books five stars, but this one absolutely deserves it! I’m also beginning to believe that time-split novels need more room on my bookshelves.
The time is split between 1994 and present day. I couldn’t decide which time period I kept wanting to read more! Thankfully the author gives us a great balance between both time periods. Believe it or not, all of the main characters worked their way into my hearts. They were all developed so wonderfully! Honestly, if you were to ask me which one I enjoyed getting to know the most, I wouldn’t be able to pick.
Amanda Cox tackles difficult topics such as abuse in relationships as well as sex trafficking in a way that the reader can’t help but feel compassion for the characters and disdain for those perpetuating it. Most of these topics are covered in an indirect way so that as readers, we understand what’s happened, can see the pain through each of the characters, but explicit details are left out. She also covers homelessness in a beautiful way. This book is a great reminder that not every man or woman on the streets is a drunk or druggie. They each have individual stories as this one portrays.
I think the aspect I appreciate is that even in the rawness of the pain each of these characters are going through, we’re able to relate to them in different ways. Loss, hurt, sadness are all experiences we have throughout our lives and because none of us escape life unscathed, we can see the beauty in the trials they each have gone through.
After reading this book, Harvey’s story once again reinforces WHY I want to be a foster parent so much. Each child ends up in foster homes for different reasons, but for them to never feel loved or cared for breaks my heart. That’s where Pearl becomes my hero, my example of the kind of person I want to be!
Ivy completely pulls on my heart strings for SO many reasons. She’s been through so much and seems utterly lost when she should understand that she’s completely found. And then there’s Reese, Ivy’s childhood friend. I want to believe that there are many more men like him in the world than we give them credit for. Ok, I guess if you were to twist my arm, he “might” be my favorite character in the book.
It’s not typical for me to re-read a book, but this book is already calling me back for a second time around! Seriously, don’t miss out on reading this story! It’s simply beautiful!
*I am on the launch team for this book. This is my personal opinion.
What a beautiful story this was! Debut author, Amanda Cox, beautifully weaves a story of redemption and belonging. Told in the present and the late 1990’s, this story takes the reader on an emotional journey. The characters were richly developed and each held a special place in my heart. I will not list all of the characters, but each one faced issues that only love and acceptance could fix. I will say that of all the characters, Harvey tugged at my heartstrings the most and had me tearing up many times throughout the story. Pearl, and her ability to nurture those in need while dealing with her own pain, was the string that knit all of their stories together. This is one of the best books I have read this year, and it will linger with me long after the last page. I truly look forward to more books by this talented author. Amanda Cox, thank you for sharing your God-given talent of words and story with the world!
When life interrupted and I had to put down my book, this touching story filled my thoughts begging me to return. Amanda Cox has woven together the past and present with layers that delighted me. This beautiful story has a good reminder to reach out of the broken and imperfect people in our lives with patience. I appreciated these realistic, wonderful, beautiful characters and Harvey James is my new favorite hero! Now I am waiting anxiously for what Cox will write next and hoping there might even be a sequel. I was given a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions are my own.
“The Edge of Belonging” is Amanda Cox’s debut novel. This is a split-time novel which means you get to go along with the main characters in the present as well as the past. You get to learn about the main character, Ivy Rose, both as a child and as an adult. You also will encounter some other remarkable people that are her adopted family. Ivy’s life did not start out like you would expect a baby’s life to start which is in a hospital with her birth mother. Nor is her adoption into her new family the way you would expect either. However, the one thing you would expect and hope would be true with any adoption of a baby is the love of family. Ivy does find that love among several people. Amanda Cox does an amazing job of bringing her characters and their world to life so that you feel as though you are right there with them. As she switches between past and present, she makes it easy to follow so that you are not confused or wondering which time period you are currently reading. If you are looking for a great book about love, forgiveness, and adoption, then I would definitely recommend this book. Not once was I bored with this story and at times I found it hard to put down in order to do things I needed to get done. I have to say that if this book is an example of how well written all of Amanda Cox’s future books will be then I would love to read all of them.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in order to give an honest review.
With powerful authenticity and deep realism, author Amanda Cox takes readers on an emotional and highly compelling journey to discovering the true meaning of family and finding true love in her debut novel, The Edge of Belonging. This time-slip novel follows the present-day storyline of Ivy Rose Lashley as the death of her grandmother leads to answers about the mysterious circumstances of Ivy’s adoption many years earlier. The second storyline takes readers back to 1994 when Ivy was born and how decisions made by a homeless man named Harvey change Ivy’s young life forever.
This extraordinary novel demonstrates how our family is the people who love us, not necessarily those who are related to us by blood. I absolutely loved everything about this book! The last 25% of the book had me in tears and touched me so profoundly like no other book has done in a long time. Even though The Edge of Belonging deals with some heavy topics, the romance in the novel balances out the storyline perfectly. Reese, Ivy’s childhood friend, is one of my favorite characters in the novel, and I know readers will fall in love with him, just like I did.
The Edge of Belonging is highly recommended for fans of dual timeline novels, women’s fiction, and readers who enjoy contemporary romance. The Edge of Belonging is sure to be on my top ten list of books for 2020.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.