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Compass #3

Batı Dalgaları

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Damian Blackstone varlığımla zerre kadar ilgilenmiyordu. Hayatıma girmesinin tek amacı geçmişiyle ilgili cevaplar bulmaktı. Bu yüzden bana sevdiğim masallardaki kötü adamlar gibi davranıyordu.

Beni büyüten adamın vasiyetinde Damian’la evlenmemi şart koşmasını bir türlü anlayamıyordum. Onun gibi bir adamla yaşayabileceğimden emin değildim. Birbirimize olabildiğince zıttık. Ben güneş ışığında yıkanmayı severken, o gölgelerde iyileşiyordu.

Beni sadece amacına ulaşmak için bir araç olarak gören birine karşı duygu besleyeceğimi hiç düşünmemiştim. Ama onun karanlığında zaman zaman bir kıvılcım gibi parlayan ışıklar görüyordum. Nezaket görüyordum. Onun ruhunu görüyordum.

Ben onun Kültella’sıydım, o da benim Çirkin’imdi.
Çarpık peri masallarının mutlu sonla biteceğinden emin değildim.
Ama cevabı bulmaya kararlıydım.

368 pages, Paperback

First published December 9, 2021

946 people are currently reading
10790 people want to read

About the author

Brittainy C. Cherry

56 books18.1k followers

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5 stars
4,441 (39%)
4 stars
3,874 (34%)
3 stars
2,114 (18%)
2 stars
679 (5%)
1 star
247 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,436 reviews
Profile Image for Brittainy Cherry.
Author 56 books18.1k followers
December 3, 2021
Stella & Damian make me SO HAPPY! I cannot wait for y’all to read this one, coming Dec 9th ♥️
Profile Image for Maditales.
625 reviews33k followers
July 20, 2023
See why. I loved this plot line and overall most of the things but one thing weirded me out soooo much and it sadly contributes to the entire plot line.

Okay so we have an arranged marriage plot between a character that was introduced in the last book, Damian, and Stella, this quirky funny and very very caring woman that I absolutely loved.
Here is where the issue arrises related to the person that set up this arranged marriage.
You know I would have not gotten the ick if he had not said those few words to Stella.

Can I say them? No because it would be a spoiler and is only revealed at the end of the last book.
I don't think that this is an issue for a lot of people, I just personally hold a weird grudge against this.

Do not get me wrong the romance between the two was not only cute and amazing and the chemistry was there.
I absolutely loved the slight grumpy sunshine plot we had going and the side characters really brought out the best of each characters and did a lot for the story.
Stella's past was so sad and if we get personal, it reminded me a lot of things that were said to me when I was younger, and it just made me emotional so I loved how she, by the end of the book knew that she was enough and important.
Damian really helped here as well and I loved how he treated her, even if in the beginning he was not only grumpy but a bit mean.
He had a horrible past as well and it made me almost tear up multiple times. I wanted to hug younger Damian so badly.

I was also really happy about Connor in this book. He is such an amazing best friend to Damian and we got their backstory in this book which is related to a life changing event in Damian's life and it made me love Connor even more.

I also just loved the slow burn in here but the first kiss scene to me was a bit confusing because I thought we had definitely missed a couple of steps even if the chemistry had grown a lot. It was just very much 0-100 in one second.

Also let's not forget the amount of drama in this book that punched me in the face.
Right when I thought they were happy- "PUNCH" and then again, just when I am thinking we are reaching the happily ever afte- "PUNCH"

wowww there were a lot of things going on, especially towards the end of the book where the combination of all of this was a bit too much but also at the same time kind of funny?
Profile Image for ❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books.
2,621 reviews10.9k followers
December 9, 2021
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90ca45e7e7c6ddfa7f3d6d91a5f154bd-1-3-1 'WESTERN WAVES' is the third full length, romance book in Brittainy Cherry's 'Compass' series. The previous books are Southern Storms & Eastern Lights Spoken in 'Dual Perspectives.'

One thing I knew I could count on from this author going into this, and I wasn't wrong, was to be hit in the feels and she obliterated them. These two had so many obstacles thrown at them when younger, leaving battle scars on their hearts. These two were so deserving of each other, the storyline pulled me under and filled me up at the same time, such an emotional poignant beautiful story which I never wanted to end.

There was a bit in the ARC review that offered unnecessary drama and I did state that if that was removed then this book would’ve been an easy 5 star rating for me. I’m soooooo glad it was removed because there was no place or need for it, it didn’t mesh or flow with the storyline at all. So now my rating has been changed 🙌

These two were as different as chalk and cheese, she was the light that danced in the surf, he was the dark which kept himself guarded from people. But delve deeper and these two were mean't for each other, they may have been forced to be together but it was written in the stars, they were a match made him heaven. I absolutely adored these two.

Also normally I like to envision what the characters appearance looks like, we’ve got the eye candy on the cover, 🔥 but when it came to our heroine we’re not really given much about her, plus size, black and brown eyed 🤷‍♀️which if you weren't paying attention you would've missed, the book only really delved into her beautiful soul. All in all this still made for a great read which I really enjoyed..
Profile Image for Christy.
4,542 reviews35.9k followers
December 7, 2021
4.5 stars

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"It’s easy to love and care within the sun, but real love shows up strongest when the clouds move in, and fear is ignited. Real love shows up during the highest of tides, and still, it stays.”

Brittainy C. Cherry always slays with her words. She gives me so many feels and has the most beautiful writing and stories. Western Waves has so much I love. A broody/damaged hero, a forced proximity/arranged marriage, and my absolute favorite troupe- a grumpy/sunshine hero/heroine.

Damian and Stella meet in a unique way. They both have had trauma from their pasts that are different and they both handle/cope with those problems in different ways. Stella is a people pleaser and Damian doesn't do people. But now they're stuck together and married for at least six months. It's a long story... They have to learn to live together and get along, but it's a little more than they bargained for.

I loved so much about this story. The romance, the hero, the hero!. Seriously, Damian was my favorite part of this book. I couldn't have loved this hero more. It definitely had that fairytale retelling vibe, which I love, but it also had something I really didn't care for... but even with that, it didn't significantly lessen my enjoyment of the book. I still loved it so much.

If you're looking for an emotional romance that will give you all the feels, if you love a damaged hero, and if you love books where the hero and heroine heal/help each other, Western Waves is the perfect book for you! Another fantastic read by Brittainy Cherry.
Profile Image for Lana ❇✾DG Romance❇✾.
2,313 reviews13.7k followers
December 21, 2021
2 Stars

The second I saw the blurb to this book, I knew this would be my first Brittainy Cherry book. Unfortunately, as excited as I was to read it, the further I got into the story, the less I liked it. In all fairness, it was looking to be a solid 3 star read for me...until a certain plot device towards the end. As Christian Grey once said, I have very singular tastes. And that particular plot device? HATE it. I absolutely loath it actually. It truly ruined the entire story for me. But more about that in a minute.

I love a modern twist on a fairy tale. This one was definitely the perfect set up with an enemies to lovers twist. Unfortunately, the enemies to lovers thing barely lasted a few chapters into the story. But that's fine. Stella and Damian have a unique meet cute when Damian is the grumpy stranger that takes the last scone at a bakery and they have it out. Stella never expects to see the man again, but has quite the surprise when not only is he at the reading of the will to the man who was like a father to her. But his final wish is for them to get married in order to collect on a hefty inheritance left for both of them. The twist? Stella has a boyfriend of ten years who fully encourages her to do this. I mean, why not? It's in name only.

While I liked the story for the most part, what I disliked is that the characters became more about their particular issues than anything else. Stella and her insecurities through years of belittling by the wicked step mothers. Damian and his abandonment issues. The romance was entirely lackluster due to the fact Stella and her horrid boyfriend are together for the majority of the story. And when they finally do get together? The particular twist completely ruined any warm and fuzzies I would have had from it. When I tell you I hated it, I seriously couldn't be more disappointed by the direction that this story took. It felt so unfair to the characters and their plight, and just ruined any and all romance in it for me. Sadly, that thing plummet my rating to a two. While I can't say I loved the book, if it hadn't been for that, it would have been a solid three star. I'd love to try this author again, but sadly, this book did absolutely nothing for me. This is a personal taste thing obviously, and as you can see, plenty of readers loved this one. So read it and judge for yourself.

ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review

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Profile Image for ApoorvaReads.
637 reviews428 followers
December 10, 2021
2.5 stars ⭐️

Ngl, there were beautiful quotes and the writing was amazing but I had more negative opinions than positive by the end of this book.

MILD SPOILERS-
First of all the h had a boyfriend of 10 years and she still got married to Damien?? It would be accepting if he wasn’t much in the picture but oh my god, he made quite a lot appearances and the fact he lowkey was after her to marry Dame and then did a full 180 was crazy.

The h was kinda annoying sksks. The starting had me wanting to dnf cause her overreacting was pissing me off but when i got to know the reason i kinda felt a little bad(Emphasis on little.)

The romance felt so off?? Like it was literally them talking and then Dame goes like “he’s never gone down on u so let me” and wtf? I had to check twice to see if i missed a couple of chapters cause it sure felt like it.

Overall, I really wanted to love this one cause I’ve enjoyed this author’s previous works but sadly, this one was a miss for me.

This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Syndi.
3,710 reviews1,038 followers
May 25, 2022
I am a big fan of Miss Cherry's works for so long I read romance genre. It has been a while since I picked up her book. Western Waves is has all of her signature story telling. Inserting a powerful moral messages and beautiful original quotes.
From what something is so original and free spirited theme, Miss Cherry delivers a excellent story.

For me what really moves me is Stella. Stella has been told that she is not enough all her life. I can relate to that especially for women. We been told we not enough and sadly some of us succumb to it. Miss Cherry through her story, telling her readers that all of us beautiful. And enough.

I enjoy listening to the audiobook. A wonderful read.

4 stars
Profile Image for ✦ Rox ☽.
325 reviews61 followers
December 20, 2021
DNF 76%
Started promising but oh lordy, did it get worse

So Stella (heroine) is this sweet, gentle soul who sees only the best in people and Damien (hero) is the grumpy, jaded pessimist who only sees the half empty part of a glass. It should work, right? RIGHT?? Wrong. Pls keep in mind that this is a Contemporary Romance.

Rant incoming | SPOILERS |

🚩Stella’s adoptive dad (her dead mom’s bff) is Damien’s biological father (neither knew about eachother until just before the dad died) so, basically…they share a dad. Their dad *cringe* states in his will that they must marry *gag* to get his money (the guy is a multi millionaire, mind you). He (the dad - sorry if this is super confusing) is also leaving Damien to figure out which of his ex-wives (who were your stereotypically evil stepmother to Stella) is his mother (the one who dropped him off at the orphanage and dind’t tell the dad). FUN, right?

🚩Stella is in a long term relationship (10 years!!!) when she and Damien get married and start living together. The boyfriend is a certified dickface, but she doesn’t break it off until 60% in the book!!! And they (Stella and her boyfriend) still have sex EVEN AFTER Stella marries and lives with Damien. *throws kindle aggressively into a pillow*

🚩Once the boyfriend is out of the picture, we get SOOO many time jumps where both of them are like: yeah, we totally had hot sex a bunch of times. Trust us, it was hot.
Like please, their chemestry was lukewarm AT BEST. And I can’t get over how they’re technically SIBLINGS. *eye twitch*

🚩Unplanned pregnancy. At this point I was like whatever, just let it end already. But PLOT TWIST it’s not Damien’s because the fetus is 3 months old and they haven’t done it for that long. It’s dickface’s kid and Stella doesn’t know that she can get a period callendar to keep track of her cycle because she’s clearly bad at math.

Yep. That was the last straw. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.
Profile Image for Sanyah(Taylor’s Version).
227 reviews234 followers
January 11, 2022
It was funny the first half of the first half when she smacked his credit card out of his hand. After that, the story wasn’t delivered as it wasn’t written properly.

It didn’t give what it needed to gave.
Profile Image for MELISSA *Mel Reader*.
1,396 reviews1,506 followers
December 15, 2021
4 All I Want Is You stars!
(ARC provided by author)

“One with the earth, one with the sea, may the waves of the ocean bless you be.”

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Stella Mitchell is kind hearted and full of sunshine and joy. She loves deeply, and has always been the girl that feels too much. She’s suffered loss, but is still forever searching for the silver lining in life. Her world turns complicated when the man who raised her and meant everything to her asks her to do one last thing for him in his will. Say “I do” to a stranger. A gorgeous, mysterious, cold man who has been nothing but rude since they met. They were complete opposites in every way. She’s a people person, and he prefers to be left alone. She talks too much, and he’s too quiet. Where she is happy and approachable, he is grumpy, broody and keeps everyone at a distance. As darkness meets light they clash while trying to endure their arrangement. While they navigate the crazy situation they are in will they embrace the unexpected feelings that arise, or let fear win?

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-Oftentimes, men lost their attractiveness once they opened their mouths and spoke, and Damian was the hottest ugly man I’d ever crossed paths with.

- Stella’s eyes were remarkable to take in. They expressed everything she was feeling without any words.

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Western Waves by Brittainy Cherry is the third standalone in the Compass series. It’s a heartwarming, arranged marriage of convenience, forced proximity, enemies to lovers romance about self discovery, family and undeniable connections. Opposites attract and we get a beautiful story full of emotion, humor and love. We also get more of Connor & Aaliyah from Eastern Lights. As usual Brittainy writes a love story that will hit you in all the feels! <333

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***NOW AVAILABLE***
https://amzn.to/30cZsjz
Profile Image for ✰ Bianca ✰ BJ's Book Blog ✰ .
2,332 reviews1,342 followers
December 9, 2021
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Stella + Damian

When Stella was still a little girl, her mom died and she went to live with her mom's best friend Kevin and his old nanny - who was like a grandma for her - still is.
Now Kevin has passed away too and his last will is a tiny bit weird.
It says she has to marry this Damian guy for six months - if not, all the many millions will go to her three ex step-moms(ters).

Damian. He showed up in town the morning of the funeral. And let's say it was not love at first sight between Stella and him.
And now she has to marry the guy? The guy who seems to be Kevin's long lost son who hates her because she grew up as Kevin's daughter?!

LET THE FUN TIMES BEGIN!

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What do you want me to say?!
Another beautiful Brittainy story! Obvs! 🤣
I loved it.
This book was so sweet, funny, adorable ... but also so very heartbreaking.
Damian is this grumpy, dark-souled foster kid. And Stella is this sunny, curvy, funny California girl.
They are so perfect for each other! But of course they don't see it yet.
Only we do - and grandma Maple!
I loved reading this. I could've done without Stella's long-time boyfriend idiot, but it was such a beautiful and just so very sweet love story! I really want to see this on TV one day please!

I also have to say that I would've been ok with it if the book had ended at the 77% mark. It was all happy endy then already. But then we get a slightly redundant extra drama moment! It all turned out perfectly in the end of course, but I just would've preferred the story without the extra drama.
All in all I had the feeling that because this was such a huge and beautiful love story ... it was a bit too short for everything. I wanted a bit more falling in love. More about her father and his mother and the whys. More about his father and her mother and the whys. More about so many things. It could've been a trilogy with all the possibilities in the story!

BUT still - I loved Damian and Stella - I loved the story. Beautiful book!

Next up Northern Stars - cant wait! We might get a little clue into who the hero will be at the end of this book! 😍

WESTERN WAVES was such a beautiful Brittainy Cherry love story. Sweet. Heartbreaking. Funny. Romantic. Just Adorable. Run to your nearest amazon for your own grumpy Damian - this one is MINE!

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Profile Image for le.lyssa.
161 reviews488 followers
August 1, 2022
Ich bin so überwältigt von diesem Buch🤯Der dritte Teil der Compass-Reihe ist mal was ganz anderes. New Adult ist häufig sehr ähnlich, aber das war wirklich eine intensive und einzigartige Geschichte.
Die letzten 200 Seiten hatten es echt in sich…Ich musste häufig mal kurz eine Pause machen und hab mich garnicht mehr getraut weiterzulesen.
Ich rate Euch vorher mal kurz in die TW reinzuschauen, da in diesem Buch sehr viele verschiedene Themen angesprochen werden, die Wunden aufreißen können.

Ich empfehle Euch dieses Buch absolut weiter🫶🏼
Profile Image for Grecia Robles.
1,696 reviews466 followers
February 25, 2022
Arranged-Marraige
Grumpy/Sunshine

Amo mucho a Brittainy C. Cherry, me parece una autora con una pluma fantástica que mueve todos mis feelings y por lo general siempre me siento identificada de alguna manera ya sea por la historia o por alguno de sus protagonistas pero en esta ocasión no me gustó como yo hubiera querido es que tengo tantos mixed feelings.

Voy a empezar contando un poco de la historia Stella y Damien se ven obligados a casarse por un herencia, por parte de ella fue el hombre que la crio como si fuera su padre y en el caso de él su verdadero padre del que no tenía conocimiento, acentan está locura ya que ella quiere respetar sus deseos y él quiere saber su origen.

Ellos son dos polos opuestos mientras es el frio, oscuro y osco, ella es sensible, alegre y brillante, al principio no se llevan bien pero con el paso de la convivencia van traspasando sus barreras, conociéndose, confiando en ellos, convirtiéndose en amigos y eventualmente el amor toca a su puerta.

Ellos como pareja e individualmente me gustaron mucho, eran bien lindos, pero sobre todo a mí ms gustó él es que Damien es puro amor y bondad después de que le rascas esa capa dura.

Pero ahí va lo que no me gustó, EL DESARROLLO DE LA HISTORIA, o sea, ella tiene NOVIO en gran parte de la historia y yo odio eso, ¿Cómo vas a desarrollar una historia de amor cuando tienes a alguien en medio? Además, si lo haces es INFIDELIDAD, no había necesidad es que estoy tan molesta y pude haber pasado por alto eso porque después de quitaran al novio del medio su relación era tan bonita, pero tuvo que venir otro plot twist que fue HORRIBLE, o sea, WHY?

Siento que es una historia totalmente desperdiciada, tenías un matrimonio por conveniencia que se podía haber desarrollado de mil maneras y hubiera quedado una historia hermosa porque tenías a los protagonistas perfectos, pero NOOOOO.

Aún así no la odie el libro, el epílogo me pareció súper bonito y esperanzador.

PD: Connor es un ser de luz, necesito un Connor en mi vida.
Profile Image for warhawke.
1,549 reviews2,237 followers
December 6, 2021
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Type: Standalone book 3 of 4 from Compass series
POV: First Person - Dual
Rating:
3.75 Stars



Stella Maple Mitchell got the privilege of growing up with a caring and supportive father figure. But her future was thrown off balance when she found out Damian Blackstone was going to be in the picture. Things might not be easy when two opposing strangers had to tolerate each other for one common goal.



Stella and Damian were two completely opposite personalities. Stella was a bit kooky and had been irreparably damaged as a child. Damian was described as having darkness but clearly, my interpretation of dark is on a different level. But I liked how their relationship didn’t feel forced and how they helped each other overcome their personal struggles.

We were two misfits that were surrounded by a world in which we didn’t belong. Yet still, we felt comfortable because we had one another.


This one turned out a lot lighter than I expected. There were a lot of funny and cute banters, with bits and pieces of sad backstory. There were a couple of things that I wish resolved more clearly. While the plot was a little corny for my liking, I enjoyed the story overall.

Western Waves is a story of finding a common ground. It would appeal to readers who enjoy light-hearted, close proximity enemies to lovers Romance.



Books in the series:
Southern Storms (Compass, #1) by Brittainy C. Cherry Eastern Lights (Compass, #2) by Brittainy C. Cherry Western Waves (Compass, #3) by Brittainy C. Cherry Northern Stars (Compass, #4) by Brittainy C. Cherry



✖ 🌊 ✖ . . . (F)BR with Loyda . . . ✖ 🌊 ✖





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Profile Image for Alexandra Nordwest.
17 reviews159 followers
August 18, 2022
3.5 ⭐️ - Ich liebe die Bücher von BCC einfach, weil sie jedes Mal mitten ins Herz gehen. Und so hat es mich auch nicht gewundert, dass der dritte Band der Kompass-Reihe da keine Ausnahme gewesen ist. Damian und Stella waren auf ihre Art unglaublich und einfach so viel, dass ich das Buch kaum aus der Hand legen konnte. Ich wollte einfach immer mehr von den beiden. Wollte ihre ganze Geschichte mit all ihren Facetten. Aber - und dieses Mal gibt es leider ein größeres Aber - da war dieser einer Punkt, den ich einfach komplett überstürzt fand, der in meinen Augen nicht reingepasst hat und den Fluss für mich ein wenig kaputt gemacht hat. Davor und danach war absolut ins Herz, aber diese eine Szene zwischen den beiden hat für mich persönlich einfach nicht an diese Stelle gepasst. Deswegen das Aber. Dennoch habe ich diese Geschichte - wie auch ihre anderen - sehr gefühlt und kann sie euch nur ans Herz legen. Vielleicht passt das Aber für euch besser, als es für mich getan hat.
Profile Image for Leah City of Words and Pages.
672 reviews293 followers
January 30, 2023
Es hat gut angefangen, aber mein aller größtes Problem war unsere Protagonistin Stella. Ich finde es nicht schlimm, wenn Charaktere unerfahren, naiv oder gutgläubig sind, aber sie war für mich einfach dumm. Mir fällt leider wirklich kein anderes Wort ein. Sie war unauthentisch und total übertrieben dargestellt, was dazu führte, dass ich keinerlei Sympathien mit ihr verbinden konnte.
Damian mochte ich schon mehr, aber um ehrlich zu sein verstehe ich nicht, wann oder wie er sich in Stella verliebt hat. Dieser Prozess ist einfach an mir vorbeigezogen … Ich hab nicht wirklich etwas gefühlt und die großen Emotionen gab es leider auch nicht …

Ich habe wirklich mehr erwartet, wurde aber eher enttäuscht …
Profile Image for Sofia.
569 reviews137 followers
December 4, 2021
3,5⭐️

The story was beautiful and the words were so touching in the best way aka the Brittainy Cherry way. This is a journey of self-growth, self-discovery, and self-awareness. Stella's character is not one that you come across often in books. And reading you will see what I mean.

Damian Blackstone and Stella Mitchell are complete opposites.
But you know what they say, opposites attract. And they couldn't be more right.
Damian and Stella are brought together by the death of Stella’s adopted father, Kevin, who was also Damian’s biological father. They are forced together by a testament left on Kevin’s will. 6 months of marriage, living in the same house, to access the fortune he left for them.

They come from completely different backgrounds yet they are two broken souls. The journey to their love is beautiful and real.

I also loved Grams Maple, I love the way she taught Stella to look at life. It's such a beautiful concept.

Now the part that has me a bit confused. I hope I can explain it properly.

I love the writing, the story, the characters, and yet I still felt like something was missing and I don't understand why.
I was missing the piece that REALLY, FULLY connected me to this book. Maybe in a future reread I will be able to fully understand why.

*ARC provided by Give Me Books PR in exchange for an honest review*
Profile Image for Shirley.
285 reviews73 followers
September 4, 2022
"Über die dunkelste See" ist eines von vielen Brittainy C. Cherry's Büchern, das mich berühren konnte. Es ist intensiv und wunderschön. Manchmal zu viel des Guten, aber trotzdem eine Geschichte, die man nicht so schnell wieder vergisst.

Das Cover finde ich toll. Es passt zu Stella und zur Geschichte. Auch der Titel hat eine tiefere Bedeutung und passt perfekt zum Cover. Den Schreibstil der Autorin mag ich persönlich sehr, weshalb ich immer wieder ihre Bücher lesen werde. Ich finde ihre Vergleiche oder Metaphern wunderbar und liebe die vielen inspirierenden Sprüche, die von der Autorin in ihre Geschichten eingebaut werden.

Die Charaktere konnten mich Stück für Stück von sich überzeugen. Stella ist liebevoll und interessant. Sie ist eine einzigartige Protagonistin, deren Geschichte ich gerne verfolgt habe. Manchmal wurde sie mir zu perfekt beschrieben, aber nach und nach wurden ihre Zweifel und Fehler stärker und somit ihr Charakter für mich authentischer und greifbarer. Bei Damian's Charakter hätte ich mir mehr davon gewünscht. Ich hätte mir erhofft, stärker seinen Charakter durchschauen zu können. Ich hatte hin und wieder Mitgefühl mit ihm, aber so richtig mitreißen konnte sein Charakter mich nicht. Die Nebencharaktere wurden gut ausgearbeitetet, wobei Jeff für mich leicht zu durchschauen war und natürlich sehr negativ dargestellt wurde, ebenso die drei Stiefmütter. Die Mutter von Stella wurde als eine Art Heilige dargestellt, was in Brittainy's C. Cherrys Büchern oft der Fall ist. Genauso gab es eine weise alte Frau, die im typischen Stil der Autorin für die Hauptcharaktere da war.

Die Handlung hat mich zuerst nicht angesprochen, aber nach kurzer Bedenkzeit, wollte ich unbedingt mehr über die Umsetzung des Hochzeitsthemas erfahren. Dies wurde auch relativ glaubhaft umgesetzt. Für mich war es natürlich keine Überraschung, dass sich Stella und Damian letztendlich ineinander verliebten. Aus diesem Grund hat mich das Ende sehr überrascht und ich muss zugeben, dass ich es gelungen finde. Meiner Meinung nach gab es allerdings mehrere Szenen, die etwas übertrieben waren oder auch unangenehm und manchmal ohne Kontext. Diese Szenen hätte ich mir am liebsten erspart. Besonders gut gefallen hat mir die innige Beziehung und Freundschaft zwischen Stella und Damian, die sich ganz langsam entwickelt hat.

Mittlerweile habe ich das Gefühl, dass mich die Bücher der Autorin nicht mehr hundertprozentig überwältigen können, so wie es zum Beispiel "Wie die Ruhe vor dem Sturm" und "Wie die Stille unter Wasser" es konnten. Natürlich sind Geschmäcker verschieden und ich wurde von diesem Buch toll unterhalten, aber ein Herzensbuch ist es für mich nicht. Deswegen bekommt es 3,5/5 Sternen von mir und ich werde es gelegentlich weiterempfehlen.
Profile Image for Jeeves Reads Romance.
1,683 reviews795 followers
December 6, 2021
I was really looking forward to this, but it's a no from me. I'm not going to be able to explain my rating without at least a few spoilers, so that's your warning. Just know that it started off well and then unraveled quickly.

The story follows Stella, a woman who has a series of run-ins with a rude but sexy man that do not go well. When she sees the mysterious stranger at the funeral of a loved one, Stella isn't sure what to think. It's at the reading of the will that Stella discovers Damian's reason for being at the funeral... and the fact that he is the man that she's supposed to marry. According to the will, Stella and Damian will inherit millions if they marry and live together for six months. The only problem - besides the fact that Damian is a jerk - is that Stella is already in a relationship.

That's right, our heroine has a boyfriend of TEN YEARS when she gets married to Damian. And he is in the picture for the vast majority of the book. That alone turned me off from the story, but there were also some interesting... developments... along the way. The romance was also lackluster at best, and it was utterly unromantic when they finally got together. I'm not going to share more details about the story, but let's just say that the boyfriend thing left a sour taste in my mouth, and then things got worse from there. I was so excited when I read the blurb, and was looking forward to a Beauty and the Beast reimagining, but this was sooo not that. Cherry is a talented writer, but this is not the best example of her work, unfortunately. I appreciated receiving an early copy (and am voluntarily leaving a review), but this was a miss for me.
Profile Image for lxvanessaxl.
374 reviews288 followers
August 18, 2022
4,25/5⭐️
„Über die dunkelste See“ von Brittany C. Cherry ist das 3 Buch einer Reihe.
Ich mochte die anderen Teile der Reihe schon sehr gern und hatte daher relativ hohe Erwartungen, denen die Geschichte leider nicht ganz gerecht werden konnte. 😅 Die Charaktere mochte ich eigentlich ganz gern und auch die Idee der Geschichte fand ich cool. Aber irgendwie war das Buch mir zu „negativ“. 🙈 Es beinhaltet sehr viel Themen und auch wichtige Themen aber irgendwie war mir das einfach zu viel. Es wurden viele Sachen nur angeschnitten was ich sehr schade fand.
Den Schreibstill hingegen mochte ich sehr. Er war recht einfach, was das lesen sehr angenehm gemacht hat. ☺️
Alles in allem war es ein gutes und unterhaltsames Buch, was ich trotz der kleinen Kritikpunkte empfehlen kann. 💗
Profile Image for Antonella.
4,123 reviews621 followers
May 9, 2022
stopping before I hate read this
Profile Image for Bia.
275 reviews6 followers
December 3, 2021
”Real love shows up strongest when the clouds move in, and fear is ignited. Real love shows up during the highest of tides, and still, it stays.”

About the book:
grumpy/sunshine, arrange marriage and forced proximity.

Damian has lived in the system most of his life, and out of nowhere finds out that his biological father that he never met has made a testament and he is included so he travels to California, and there he meets Stella, his father adopted daughter, during the reading of the testament to access the fortune he left for both of them, they end up having to get married for six months.

Damian Blackstone he is the sweetest, and the most genuine person that i ever read, during the book we see how bad he thinks he is, but he is the best person in the world, he is kind, caring and sooo grumpy... he has a lot of traumas so i will always understand his side and honestly? i think it’s absurd that there isn't a man like him, and to know that i will never be able to have him for me because he is fictional is so sad.

Stella Maple.... what a woman!!!! think about a good person... now multiply by a thousand... it's her. She's captured my heart on the front pages, she is magical, she is unique, she has the ability to see the best things in people, and she loves fiercely, but she forgot to love herself and it touched me a lot, and i’m sure that she will touch you guys too during the book.

Damianstella has an undeniable chemistry from the very first pages, their development was incredible, but what i really loved most on this book was how they was always there for each other, especially Damian to Stella... he was always there telling her that she was enough, and he showed her how to love herself again.. and that's so beautiful, to me they're soul mates, one sees the best in people and the other sees the worst, they complete each other and that's beautiful to see.

This book was different from all Brittainy for me, i thought this book more lighter in terms of subjects, but i felt it was very personal for her, and for me too, the things that i read in this book touched me a lot, every book of hers touch me but this one had a different meaning for me, several times Damian said things to Stella and i felt like he was talking to me and for this i appreciate it.

Loving yourself is a process, it's hard when this is taken away from us.. it's hard for us to find this again and i say it for myself, i know that i always say this but Brittainy is my favorite author, what i love most about her writing and books is the the way she moves and touches me, for me it ends up being much more than a book, because she always manages to make something inside me change and that makes her books much more than a book for me.


*ARC provided in exchange of an honest review
Profile Image for Amy | Foxy Blogs.
1,840 reviews1,044 followers
January 26, 2023
Western Waves may not have been for me, but I understand that it may appeal to others.

1st: While the age gap between the main characters, Damian (21) and Stella (28), was not a significant factor in the story, I found it hard to believe that there would not be any insecurities or conflicts based on this difference.

2nd: Stella's relationship with her boyfriend of 10 years felt unrealistic, especially given the circumstances in which she marries Damian for financial gain. They must marry for at least 6 months to gain the inheritance left behind by Kevin. Furthermore, the boyfriend's encouragement of the marriage and subsequent spending spree further detracted from the credibility of their relationship.

3rd: The ex-wives of Kevin, Stella's adopted father, and Damian's biological father, came across as annoying and added little to the story.

4th: The supernatural elements such as tarot cards and communicating with the dead felt out of place and added to the overall "woo-wooness" of the story.

5th: The revelation of Stella's

Overall, I would give this audiobook a rating of 2.5 stars due to these factors.

Audiobook source: Hoopla
Narrator: Trei Taylor & Paul Stefano
Length: 9H 43M
Profile Image for Shabby  -BookBistroBlog.
1,935 reviews988 followers
December 9, 2021
Sensitive stories are Brittainy's Forte. She writes from the heart and it speaks to us in a special way. This compass series is another example of sentiment driven love which had major feels.
It starts on a lighter note bit soon the big emotional waves crash through the prose making it rich and supple.

"One with the earth, one with the sea, may the waves of the ocean bless you be"

Damien Blackthorne and Stella are of contrasting personalities and temperament, yet right beneath the surface, these wronged souls are looking for redemption and acceptance.
And blueberry muffins and hot coffee too!

"Broody and Moody, all right.
Mysterious and haunting.
Handsome in an annoying way.
Yes, Damien was a very fitting name for that creature"


The mutual sentiment and Kevin's will binds them together for a greater cause and this forced proximity leads to melding of hearts.
The ending had a surprising twist which was ......interesting.
4 stars for Ocean blue....waves of peace
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Profile Image for marioncoin | coin.reads.
696 reviews336 followers
March 31, 2023
eh mercé bribri ! bon clairement pas mon fav, un peu too much, tout va vite mais j'men fou je suis officiellement fan inconditionnelle de tout ce que fait BCC donc j'ai aimé et je mets 4 étoiles car je ne peux pas mettre moins.

can't wait to meet Aidennnnn dans le tome 4 🥳

— "je te promets de ne pas laisser s'exprimer ce qu'il y a de pire en moi afin que tu puisses laisser s'exprimer ce qu'il y a de meilleur en toi."
Profile Image for Jessica.
308 reviews104 followers
February 5, 2023
Das war die letzte Chance für BCC mich evtl. doch noch zu überzeugen. Der Anfang, wieder Mal ein Prolog aus der Kindheit, war so gut! Ein Schicksalsschlag und die Prota noch ganz süß als unschuldiges Kind. Auch den Epilog fand ich sehr gut. Der Rest war eher nicht meins 🥲

Direkt nach dem Prolog erhalten wir die "Blaubeer-Scone-Szene", die mich schon fast zum Abbrechen brachte und dabei war ich erst bei 4% des Hörbuches angelangt.

Was ist passiert? 🫐
Die Protagonistin geht in eine Bäckerei und sieht, dass dort gerade der letzte Scone an einen jungen Mann verkauft wird. Daraufhin fängt sie ein Theater an, dass er den Scone herausrücken soll, weil er IHR gehört?? Unabhängig davon, was sie mit diesem Scone verbindet – absolut gar nichts rechtfertigt ihr Verhalten in dieser Situation.

Wie es dann auch kommen soll, wird dieser junge Mann ausgerechnet der Love-Interest in diesem Buch. Nachdem ihr Stiefvater verstirbt, setzt dieser ein Testament auf, in welchem er die Bedingungen für das milliardenschwere Erbe vorraussetzt. Die Prota (seine Stieftochter) soll den leiblichen Sohn des Stiefvaters heiraten, welchen er persönlich selbst nicht mal gekannt hat. Zudem sollen die Beiden dann auch für 6 Monate zusammen wohnen. Sollte eine dieser Bedingungen nicht erfüllt werden, geht das gesamte Erbe an die bösen Stiefmüttern. (Achtung! Klappentext ist leider falsch.)

Die Art und Weise wie die Beiden also zusammen kamen war schon unrealistisch genug. Aber gut, so ist halt NA. Aber dass die bösen Stiefmüttern absolut nicht getan haben, um diese Hochzeit bzw. Beziehung der Beiden zu sabotieren, war ja mal richtig unrealistisch. Ich meine, jede von ihnen war doch hinter dem Geld her? Aber von nichts, kommt auch nichts 😂

Zurück zu der Hochzeit. Obwohl die weibliche Prota bereits mit ihrem derzeitigen Freund jahrelang zusammen ist, entschließt sie sich trotzdem auf den Deal ein. Und das eigentlich auch nur, weil ihr Freund sie dazu drängt, es des Geldes wegen zu machen. Der Typ war der typische (Ex)freund wie in jedem zweiten Buch von BCC und ich frage mich jedes Mal, warum die Protas in ihren Büchern immer mit solchen Typen zusammen sind?? (Selbst Damien spricht sie darauf an.)

Warum also? 🤔
Weil sie denken, dass sie selbst nicht gut genug sind. Weil sie naiv und unreif sind und all die red flags nicht sehen. Weil sie einfach alles mit sich machen lassen und für jede problematische Situation jedes Mal eine passende Erklärung finden, warum das ganze doch vertretbar ist. Und nicht nur in der Beziehung verkaufen sie sich unter Wert, auch in ihren restlichen Leben.

Ich kann dies echt nicht mehr lesen. Ich reg mich dabei einfach nur auf 😤. Deshalb verstehe ich auch null, wie sich Damien in sie hat verlieben können? Sie hat es ja nicht mal geschafft, ihre eigene Kunstausstellung "richtig" aufzubauen. Damien musste quasi alles verbessern 🤦‍♀️

Damien ist auch tatsächlich der Grund, warum das Buch 2 statt nur einem Stern erhalten hat, denn er war zur Abwechslung mal ein angenehmer männlicher Protagonist gewesen. Auch wenn er anfangs etwas distanziert und kühl war, ist er tief im Inneren doch ein guter Mann. Ich hab allerdings eben erst in einer Rezension gelesen, dass er erst 21 sein soll? Ist mir im Hörbuch scheinbar komplett entgangen, denn ich hätte ihn ebenfalls auf min. 30 Jahre geschätzt!

Nachdem wir also in diesem Roman wieder einen schrecklichen (Ex)freund haben, hab ich mich schon gefragt, ob BCC hier auch wieder mal eine ebenso "tolle" BFF einbaut. Und leider war dem auch so. Wieder mal betrügt der noch-Freund sie mit ihrer BFF 🤦‍♀️ Erst dann wird der Prota klar, dass dies wohl doch nicht der Mann fürs Leben ist und sie evtl. doch Damien in Erwägung ziehen sollte. Daraufhin folgte eine absolut cringe-würdige Sexszene, bei der ich direkt das Hörbuch leiser stellen musste 😂

Um die ganze Geschichte dann nochmals dramatischer zu machen. Entschied sich BCC dafür eine Schwangerschaft einzubauen, nur leider war dann der Vater eben nicht der gute Damien 🫠

Es scheint langsam echt so, als hätte BCC vielleicht 2-3 Grundideen, die dann in ihren Romanen immer alle nach dem selben Schema ablaufen. Dann packt sie jedes Mal, ein paar krasse "Plot Twists" ein, welche halt nie überraschend kommen und teilweise einfach over the top sind. Die Charaktere unterscheiden sich zudem auch nie wirklich von denen aus anderen BCC-Büchern. Schade! Das war wohl nun mein letztes Buch der Autorin 😐
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Bookish Lauren.
Author 1 book179 followers
December 4, 2021
Overall: 4/5
Spice level: 2.5/5
Tropes: arranged marriage/marriage of convenience, enemies to lovers, grumpy/sunshine, interracial romance

There some things I loved about this book. The grumpy/sunshine factor. Throughout his time with Stella, Damian went from ultimate grump to absolute cinnamon roll (but just for her). He showed his most vulnerable side in so many ways. It endears him to you. Also, he's had a hard life so his hard exterior was pretty justified.

I also really loved Stella's light spirit and Maple's nurturing spirit. They really showed Damian the love he always deserved.

Stella and Damian's connection was absolutely beautiful.

My real issue with this story was the major lack of character description all the way around. Of course for Damian, it's all there because he's on the cover and Stella talks about him. Unfortunately there isn't much on Stella or anyone else. But mainly Stella. We find out she's plus size, which I loved. Then almost halfway through we get a vague mention that she's a Black woman. Then much later we find out she has brown eyes. But it's just so basic and I was disappointed that it took Cherry so long to give us even a crumb of Stella's make up. It makes it even more disappointing because she herself is a Black woman. And that she buried Stella's identity halfway through the book. And that she didn't really let us see Stella through Damian's eyes, at least not the physical. We saw her heart and soul and spirit, which is definitely important, but I wanted to see what made her beautiful to him physically. He talks about how he sees through people by their eyes but there's literally one mention of her eye color, though he mentions her tears (happy and sad) in multiple scenes. Part of connecting to a story is being able to really visualize the characters but that was extremely difficult here, even for the supporting characters.

It probably seemed as if I focused more on the negative, but the overall story was really good. Cherry knows how to pull at your heartstrings. Her books aren't very spicy but the emotion keeps you engaged. I was also invested in Damian's character after having read Eastern Lights. I wanted him to get his HEA.

Stella and Damian truly balance each other out and create love where there was none.
Profile Image for Kelly (AndKellyReads).
995 reviews68 followers
December 12, 2021
I'm really struggling with what to rate this one, so whatever I picked will probably change. The first emotion that comes to mind, now that I've finished this book, is disappointment. This book, based on the blurb, should have been fantastic, but instead it felt like one huge lie. There's so much (important information!) left out and I just, I felt blindsided by most of it and it made the entire experience that much worse. And what sucks the most, is that this book started so strongly and had sections that were so beautifully written, I literally cried, but then we'd get back to this clusterf*ck of a plot and I'd lose my cool all over again.

This book was a mess. Plain and simple, it was an inconsistent, poorly edited, full of bad decisions mess. And I'm mad. It almost feels like Brittainy was body-snatched because I know (I knoooooow) she's better than this and it makes everything that much more painful. Woven in with all the beautiful sentences and sections were just totally abhorrent plot bunnies, and I still don't know how I made it through them all. Plus, the characters were just, not up to par. If anything, they made everything worse.

I won't go into detail, because I don't want to spoil anything, but I will say that if any of the following trigger you, don't read this one: emotional abuse, fatphobia, verbal abuse, alcoholism, and suicidal thoughts. This book also had some scenes that came *dangerously* close to emotional cheating, so I'll throw that in, too.

Didn't get any of that from the blurb, did ya?

This book had an interesting plot idea to start and for all the moments that were beautifully written, there was too much else that countered those elements and made this a disaster. I adore Brittainy Cherry, but this ... this was not her best work.

[I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review]
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