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Finding Yellow
Kiki never planned to stay in Crystal Water—two nights, max. Just a quick visit to see her sister and then she’d be gone. But fate has other ideas. On the verge of a nasty anxiety attack and all alone on a quiet beach, she meets Antonin, a kind stranger who convinces her to give the sleepy little town a chance.
Haunted by the belief that everyone blames her for the death of her parents, Kiki keeps her heart guarded. But as she settles into life in Crystal Water, she begins to find pieces of herself she thought were lost. She bonds with Fox, the mysterious new baker in town and unknowingly captures the attention of Reese, the gruff flower shop worker with a soft side.
As unexpected friendships bloom and family wounds begin to heal, Kiki starts to wonder if the love she’s been searching for has been right in front of her all along.
Can she let go of the past and embrace the hope of a new beginning—or will tragedy steal it away before she can even have her first kiss?
Haunted by the belief that everyone blames her for the death of her parents, Kiki keeps her heart guarded. But as she settles into life in Crystal Water, she begins to find pieces of herself she thought were lost. She bonds with Fox, the mysterious new baker in town and unknowingly captures the attention of Reese, the gruff flower shop worker with a soft side.
As unexpected friendships bloom and family wounds begin to heal, Kiki starts to wonder if the love she’s been searching for has been right in front of her all along.
Can she let go of the past and embrace the hope of a new beginning—or will tragedy steal it away before she can even have her first kiss?
Kindle Edition
Published August 28, 2025
5 people want to read
About the author
E.C. Farinha
4 books16 followersE. C. Farinha always felt like she was only good at one thing, telling stories. Writing made her feel worthy and getting lost in a book made her feel safe. She was born and raised in South Africa but she dreamt of living in a faraway land, which was unfortunately fictional. She was therefore determined to create her own. She started writing as a teenager and never looked back. When tragedy hit in 2020 Going Home was born. Going Home is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 25, 2025
The third instalment of the Crystal Waters series follows Kiki, a complex character dealing with an array of emotions, loss, trauma and anxiety all while finding her feet in a new town.
Her journey to independence, trust, forming friendships and confidence in herself was very special to see unfold.
It perfectly depicts the messiness that is life and how things don’t always go to plan but with the right support system and tools, you are capable of living a full and vibrant life.
This is a beautiful story to help anyone who is processing loss, grief and mental struggles because of it. It definitely found me at the perfect time 💛
Her journey to independence, trust, forming friendships and confidence in herself was very special to see unfold.
It perfectly depicts the messiness that is life and how things don’t always go to plan but with the right support system and tools, you are capable of living a full and vibrant life.
This is a beautiful story to help anyone who is processing loss, grief and mental struggles because of it. It definitely found me at the perfect time 💛
September 7, 2025
Book 3 in the Crystal Water Series was another heart warming book by the author that touches the soul.
I loved meeting Kiki and her journey of who she became since she first arrived in Crystal Water was really special and beautifully written. And meeting some of the characters in the previous books again was something I enjoyed.
Uncertainty, insecurity, loss, heartbreak, friendship, finding oneself and trusting people again… and love… Finding Yellow is a book that speaks to the heart.
I loved meeting Kiki and her journey of who she became since she first arrived in Crystal Water was really special and beautifully written. And meeting some of the characters in the previous books again was something I enjoyed.
Uncertainty, insecurity, loss, heartbreak, friendship, finding oneself and trusting people again… and love… Finding Yellow is a book that speaks to the heart.
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August 28, 2025ARC REVIEW!
Finding Yellow is a heartwarming and thought-provoking book that resonated deeply with me. The story follows Kiki, a complex and relatable protagonist, as she navigates the aftermath of losing her parents and coping with trauma.
Kiki's struggles with anxiety, overthinking, and feelings of isolation are palpable, making her a character I'd love to see grow and heal. Her journey is beautifully portrayed, and I found myself invested in her story from the very beginning.
When Kiki moves to the small town of Crystal Water, she's met with kindness and warmth from the residents, which initially puzzles her. However, as she becomes more comfortable, she discovers the true beauty of friendship and love. The people she meets become her support system, helping her confront her demons and become the best version of herself.
One of the standout aspects of this book is the representation of friendship. Kiki's relationships with the people in Crystal Water are authentic and uplifting, showing the power of human connection in healing and growth. The romance with Reese is equally well-done, gentle, respectful, and perfectly paced. Reese's gentle & patient love helps her heal, and their romance is very sweet. He shows Kiki that she's not broken, but loved, and his patience & understanding give her the space to open up.
I also appreciated the book's exploration of reconciliation, particularly Kiki's journey towards understanding and mending her relationship with her sister. It's a poignant reminder that healing is possible, and relationships can be rebuilt with time and effort.
Throughout the novel, EC Farinha weaves together themes of grief, loss, mental health, and self-discovery with remarkable sensitivity. Kiki's love for reading and her work as an audiobook narrator add another layer of depth to the story, highlighting the importance of finding solace in books and building connections through shared passions.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the book, there were a few areas where I felt the story could benefit from further development. The descriptive writing, particularly when it came to the town of Crystal Water and its various locations, was sometimes sparse, making it difficult for me to fully visualize the setting. Additionally, I would have loved to learn more about the characters' backstories and motivations, which might have added another layer of depth to the narrative.
Kiki's character, while well-developed in many ways, felt a bit undefined in terms of her age and personal history. I also wondered about the dynamics between Kiki and her sister, and how their differing experiences with their parents might have shaped their relationship. Furthermore, while Antonin is introduced as a significant friend in Kiki's life, his role felt a bit underdeveloped given his supposed importance.
Despite these areas for improvement, "Finding Yellow" remains a powerful and uplifting read. It's a testament to the human spirit's capacity for resilience and growth, and a reminder that healing is possible with time, support, and self-care. I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for a story about hope, friendship, and the beauty of human connection.
Finding Yellow is a heartwarming and thought-provoking book that resonated deeply with me. The story follows Kiki, a complex and relatable protagonist, as she navigates the aftermath of losing her parents and coping with trauma.
Kiki's struggles with anxiety, overthinking, and feelings of isolation are palpable, making her a character I'd love to see grow and heal. Her journey is beautifully portrayed, and I found myself invested in her story from the very beginning.
When Kiki moves to the small town of Crystal Water, she's met with kindness and warmth from the residents, which initially puzzles her. However, as she becomes more comfortable, she discovers the true beauty of friendship and love. The people she meets become her support system, helping her confront her demons and become the best version of herself.
One of the standout aspects of this book is the representation of friendship. Kiki's relationships with the people in Crystal Water are authentic and uplifting, showing the power of human connection in healing and growth. The romance with Reese is equally well-done, gentle, respectful, and perfectly paced. Reese's gentle & patient love helps her heal, and their romance is very sweet. He shows Kiki that she's not broken, but loved, and his patience & understanding give her the space to open up.
I also appreciated the book's exploration of reconciliation, particularly Kiki's journey towards understanding and mending her relationship with her sister. It's a poignant reminder that healing is possible, and relationships can be rebuilt with time and effort.
Throughout the novel, EC Farinha weaves together themes of grief, loss, mental health, and self-discovery with remarkable sensitivity. Kiki's love for reading and her work as an audiobook narrator add another layer of depth to the story, highlighting the importance of finding solace in books and building connections through shared passions.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the book, there were a few areas where I felt the story could benefit from further development. The descriptive writing, particularly when it came to the town of Crystal Water and its various locations, was sometimes sparse, making it difficult for me to fully visualize the setting. Additionally, I would have loved to learn more about the characters' backstories and motivations, which might have added another layer of depth to the narrative.
Kiki's character, while well-developed in many ways, felt a bit undefined in terms of her age and personal history. I also wondered about the dynamics between Kiki and her sister, and how their differing experiences with their parents might have shaped their relationship. Furthermore, while Antonin is introduced as a significant friend in Kiki's life, his role felt a bit underdeveloped given his supposed importance.
Despite these areas for improvement, "Finding Yellow" remains a powerful and uplifting read. It's a testament to the human spirit's capacity for resilience and growth, and a reminder that healing is possible with time, support, and self-care. I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for a story about hope, friendship, and the beauty of human connection.
August 20, 2025
"𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏'𝒕 𝒖𝒑𝒔𝒆𝒕 𝒎𝒆. 𝑴𝒚 𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒅𝒊𝒅..."
"𝑰 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒌 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒆. 𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚, 𝒐𝒇 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆."
Kiki is one of my favourite Crystal Water girls! She's awkward, has anxiety, has never been kissed and she has an interesting sense of humour. And she's an audiobook narrator. How awesome it that! I enjoyed watching her grow and evolve, working through her trauma and grief and finding her space in the world.
When Kiki goes to Crystal Water, she only expects to be there a day or two at the most. She and her sister don't get along and who wants to live in a tiny town like Crystal Water anyway? Then she meets Antonin (golden-retriever energy!) and decides to stay. In Crystal Water, she learns to navigate the world on her own and she's torn between Antonin, Reese and Fox. All three golden retriever boys with issues and good hearts.
I enjoyed the banter between her and each of the boys, as well as the way she handled the situation. Her friendship with each of them was wholly unique and their kindness was unparalleled.
Finding Yellow is about healing from trauma and grief, about finding both yourself and your person - the one who holds space for you. The one who's arms around you keeps all the bad stuff away. It's about falling in love with the world, with another human being and, most importantly, with yourself. This book is beautiful, from the cover, to the dedication straight through to the bonus chapter.
"𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬."
The Crystal Water series is one of my favourites! It's interconnected, but each book can be read as a stand-alone. I will never stop recommending it!
(Also, all three books are being released in August - the first two have brand new covers - and all three now contain bonus chapters!)
"𝑰 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒌 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒆. 𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚, 𝒐𝒇 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆."
Kiki is one of my favourite Crystal Water girls! She's awkward, has anxiety, has never been kissed and she has an interesting sense of humour. And she's an audiobook narrator. How awesome it that! I enjoyed watching her grow and evolve, working through her trauma and grief and finding her space in the world.
When Kiki goes to Crystal Water, she only expects to be there a day or two at the most. She and her sister don't get along and who wants to live in a tiny town like Crystal Water anyway? Then she meets Antonin (golden-retriever energy!) and decides to stay. In Crystal Water, she learns to navigate the world on her own and she's torn between Antonin, Reese and Fox. All three golden retriever boys with issues and good hearts.
I enjoyed the banter between her and each of the boys, as well as the way she handled the situation. Her friendship with each of them was wholly unique and their kindness was unparalleled.
Finding Yellow is about healing from trauma and grief, about finding both yourself and your person - the one who holds space for you. The one who's arms around you keeps all the bad stuff away. It's about falling in love with the world, with another human being and, most importantly, with yourself. This book is beautiful, from the cover, to the dedication straight through to the bonus chapter.
"𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬."
The Crystal Water series is one of my favourites! It's interconnected, but each book can be read as a stand-alone. I will never stop recommending it!
(Also, all three books are being released in August - the first two have brand new covers - and all three now contain bonus chapters!)
August 28, 2025
ARC REVIEW: Finding Yellow by @ecfarinha
Rating: ✨✨✨✨✨
Finding yellow just might be my number 1 book by @ecfarinha ❤️.
Finding Yellow by E.C. Farinha is a tender, introspective journey of healing, connection, and rediscovery set in the heart of Crystal Water.
The story follows a woman who arrives carrying emotional weight and quiet grief, only to find unexpected warmth in the town’s rhythm and its people.✨
😘Cat your writing is gentle yet evocative, painting a world where broken pieces can be reassembled through kindness, community, and love.😘
The dynamic between Fox (the mysterious baker with a past) and Reese (the gruff flower shop worker with a soft center) adds layers of tension and sweetness, each man reflecting a different kind of safety and risk.💞
What makes Finding Yellow stand out is its emotional honesty; it doesn’t rush healing or romantic resolution, but instead lets the protagonist breathe, stumble, and grow.
Cat’s prose is heartfelt and quietly powerful, perfect for readers who crave character-driven stories with emotional resonance and a touch of slow-burn romance.❤️
✨If you’ve ever felt lost and longed to be found, this book will speak to you.✨
#bookstagram #morganlutz00 #romancebooks #books #findingyellow #ecfarinhabooks #ecfarinha #indieauthorsofinstagram #authorsofinstagram #supportindieauthors #southafricanauthors #bookstagram #bookstagrammers #ecfarinhastreetteam
Rating: ✨✨✨✨✨
Finding yellow just might be my number 1 book by @ecfarinha ❤️.
Finding Yellow by E.C. Farinha is a tender, introspective journey of healing, connection, and rediscovery set in the heart of Crystal Water.
The story follows a woman who arrives carrying emotional weight and quiet grief, only to find unexpected warmth in the town’s rhythm and its people.✨
😘Cat your writing is gentle yet evocative, painting a world where broken pieces can be reassembled through kindness, community, and love.😘
The dynamic between Fox (the mysterious baker with a past) and Reese (the gruff flower shop worker with a soft center) adds layers of tension and sweetness, each man reflecting a different kind of safety and risk.💞
What makes Finding Yellow stand out is its emotional honesty; it doesn’t rush healing or romantic resolution, but instead lets the protagonist breathe, stumble, and grow.
Cat’s prose is heartfelt and quietly powerful, perfect for readers who crave character-driven stories with emotional resonance and a touch of slow-burn romance.❤️
✨If you’ve ever felt lost and longed to be found, this book will speak to you.✨
#bookstagram #morganlutz00 #romancebooks #books #findingyellow #ecfarinhabooks #ecfarinha #indieauthorsofinstagram #authorsofinstagram #supportindieauthors #southafricanauthors #bookstagram #bookstagrammers #ecfarinhastreetteam
September 9, 2025
4.5 ⭐
ARC Review:
Finding Yellow is the 3rd book in the Crystal waters series. The story follows Kiki’s journey and life in Crystal Waters after losing her parents and how she manages to cope with the loss and all the new changes in her life.
Kiki is someone who struggles with anxiety, overthinking and overall feels isolated from most people, she is a character who I found a lot of myself in so seeing how she bloomed in Crystal Waters was amazing to see.
Her story is beautifully written from being in a new town with only a sister who she thinks hates her to leaving and trying to find her own path in this new town, we see her met with kindness and warmth from all the people she comes into contact with through this we see her become the true version of herself, the people she meets along the way slowly start to become her support system which helps her fight her inner struggles.
Her friendship with Antonin is also something that really stood out to me, he became her safe space, her person which was really heart-warming.
This book is all about smelling the roses and not rushing the journey through grief and self-discovery, which I think Cat nailed on the head this was truly an amazing story, one I could not put down.
ARC Review:
Finding Yellow is the 3rd book in the Crystal waters series. The story follows Kiki’s journey and life in Crystal Waters after losing her parents and how she manages to cope with the loss and all the new changes in her life.
Kiki is someone who struggles with anxiety, overthinking and overall feels isolated from most people, she is a character who I found a lot of myself in so seeing how she bloomed in Crystal Waters was amazing to see.
Her story is beautifully written from being in a new town with only a sister who she thinks hates her to leaving and trying to find her own path in this new town, we see her met with kindness and warmth from all the people she comes into contact with through this we see her become the true version of herself, the people she meets along the way slowly start to become her support system which helps her fight her inner struggles.
Her friendship with Antonin is also something that really stood out to me, he became her safe space, her person which was really heart-warming.
This book is all about smelling the roses and not rushing the journey through grief and self-discovery, which I think Cat nailed on the head this was truly an amazing story, one I could not put down.
November 6, 2025
Kiki comes to Crystal Water for a short period after the death of her parents. Believing her parents death is her fault, she isolates herself from people and has anxiety attacks.
She meets Antonin, who convinces her to give the small town a chance.
Will she find the healing she needs?
E. C. Farinha has a way of digging deep into your soul. The way in which Kiki is portrayed and each of the people she encounters, is done exceptionally well. Her characters have depth and her world building makes you feel like you're in Crystal Water along with her characters. Expect to feel a whole range of emotions while reading this story. I love seeing previous characters from the other books as well.
There are two other books in the Crystal Water Series, Going Home and Wishful Thinking. They can be read as seperately but you will find characters from previous stories in Finding Yellow.
She meets Antonin, who convinces her to give the small town a chance.
Will she find the healing she needs?
E. C. Farinha has a way of digging deep into your soul. The way in which Kiki is portrayed and each of the people she encounters, is done exceptionally well. Her characters have depth and her world building makes you feel like you're in Crystal Water along with her characters. Expect to feel a whole range of emotions while reading this story. I love seeing previous characters from the other books as well.
There are two other books in the Crystal Water Series, Going Home and Wishful Thinking. They can be read as seperately but you will find characters from previous stories in Finding Yellow.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews