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A Sea of Stars
On the day of her father’s funeral, Robyn West didn’t expect closure.
She didn’t expect peace.
She certainly didn’t expect a map—hand-drawn, cryptic, and inked in her father’s handwriting. One last dare from the man she wasn’t ready to lose. One final chance to uncover what he left behind. The only problem? It leads straight to the water she’s spent her life avoiding—the place where her past still haunts her.
Finn Thomas lives in absolutes. Victory or failure. Wind or stillness. As a rising sailing champion, his world is built on precision and control. Robyn is anything but. She’s wild grief and impossible hope. And together, they’re heading straight into a storm they may not survive.
Bound by a mystery neither of them fully understands, Robyn and Finn begin to unravel the truth her father left behind. But the deeper they dive into the map’s secrets, the more dangerous the water becomes.
Because some truths were meant to stay buried.
And some love stories were never meant to survive the tide.
She didn’t expect peace.
She certainly didn’t expect a map—hand-drawn, cryptic, and inked in her father’s handwriting. One last dare from the man she wasn’t ready to lose. One final chance to uncover what he left behind. The only problem? It leads straight to the water she’s spent her life avoiding—the place where her past still haunts her.
Finn Thomas lives in absolutes. Victory or failure. Wind or stillness. As a rising sailing champion, his world is built on precision and control. Robyn is anything but. She’s wild grief and impossible hope. And together, they’re heading straight into a storm they may not survive.
Bound by a mystery neither of them fully understands, Robyn and Finn begin to unravel the truth her father left behind. But the deeper they dive into the map’s secrets, the more dangerous the water becomes.
Because some truths were meant to stay buried.
And some love stories were never meant to survive the tide.
558 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 12, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 1, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
This book is heavy. In the best, most heart-wrenching way.
The FMC, Robyn, is truly going through it, and I felt sad for her immediately. Even with people around her, this story really highlights how isolating grief and pain can be, and how you’re the only one who can pull yourself out of a dark place.
There’s a quiet sense that maybe there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. The MMC, Finn, feels like that possibility. And Cosette? The kind of friend everyone deserves.
When Robyn finally decides she has to move forward because life isn’t stopping for her, I felt nervous and so proud of her. Nervous because I didn't know if she would continuing moving forward. However, healing isn't linear so I was almost expecting it to happen at some point.
The way Robyn and Finn are very clearly healing parts of one another was beautiful to read. You feel the character development and love growing, page by page.
I don’t know what to do with myself after this one. I’m emotional, confused, and very much not okay, which usually means the book did exactly what it was supposed to do.
Theres tons of description in this which is great as it sets the scene, emotions and makes you feel connected to the characters. In a few parts, I found myself wanting it to hurry up slightly, but I think this is down to personal preference.
Highly recommend if you're looking for a romance that's going to reaaaally make you feel something.
🌶️🌶️🌶️
This book is heavy. In the best, most heart-wrenching way.
The FMC, Robyn, is truly going through it, and I felt sad for her immediately. Even with people around her, this story really highlights how isolating grief and pain can be, and how you’re the only one who can pull yourself out of a dark place.
There’s a quiet sense that maybe there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. The MMC, Finn, feels like that possibility. And Cosette? The kind of friend everyone deserves.
When Robyn finally decides she has to move forward because life isn’t stopping for her, I felt nervous and so proud of her. Nervous because I didn't know if she would continuing moving forward. However, healing isn't linear so I was almost expecting it to happen at some point.
The way Robyn and Finn are very clearly healing parts of one another was beautiful to read. You feel the character development and love growing, page by page.
I don’t know what to do with myself after this one. I’m emotional, confused, and very much not okay, which usually means the book did exactly what it was supposed to do.
Theres tons of description in this which is great as it sets the scene, emotions and makes you feel connected to the characters. In a few parts, I found myself wanting it to hurry up slightly, but I think this is down to personal preference.
Highly recommend if you're looking for a romance that's going to reaaaally make you feel something.
July 19, 2026
♾️⭐️
If you want the perfect summer romance with a hint of mystery, this is the book for you! Because who doesn’t love a sailor who knows his knots? 👀🌊
This is genuinely one of the most beautiful, heart wrenching, perfect love stories I’ve ever read. 🙌🏼
This book portrays grief in such a raw, real way and it honestly broke my heart.
Robyn, my sweet girl 🤍 she is just the perfect fmc, she is real and relatable and perfectly imperfect. From the very start of this book I was with her, feeling everything she felt, the good and the bad.
Finn, “good girl” Thomas, the man you are 🙏🏼 Robyn is a stronger woman than me, because I would have folded like a deckchair. This is a man who knows what he’s doing in e wry aspect of his life and makes sure you know it. Or at least, that’s how he wants it to seem.
Without spoilers, I can safely say I did not see the twist coming at all. I had a suspicion of what I thought was going on and it was so completely wrong.
This was a book that I just could not put down, I mean staying up to 2:30am to finish it sort of good 🫣 I think you can really tell that this is a book written from real grief and love and it translates to the story so perfectly. I was laughing, giggling, blushing, kicking my feet like a school girl and damn near in tears at the end. I had that feeling of bone deep anxiety reading the last few chapters like my heart was being clawed out from my chest.
Asailia James has knocked it out of the park with this one and I can’t wait to see what she’s got up her sleeve for the rest of this story, because if this was the debut?! Let’s just say once book 2 it out, it’ll be straight to the top of my tbr 💕
To Miss James personally, thank you for letting us as readers be apart of this journey with you and allowing us to love these characters and their stories as much as you do. 💙
If you want the perfect summer romance with a hint of mystery, this is the book for you! Because who doesn’t love a sailor who knows his knots? 👀🌊
This is genuinely one of the most beautiful, heart wrenching, perfect love stories I’ve ever read. 🙌🏼
This book portrays grief in such a raw, real way and it honestly broke my heart.
Robyn, my sweet girl 🤍 she is just the perfect fmc, she is real and relatable and perfectly imperfect. From the very start of this book I was with her, feeling everything she felt, the good and the bad.
Finn, “good girl” Thomas, the man you are 🙏🏼 Robyn is a stronger woman than me, because I would have folded like a deckchair. This is a man who knows what he’s doing in e wry aspect of his life and makes sure you know it. Or at least, that’s how he wants it to seem.
Without spoilers, I can safely say I did not see the twist coming at all. I had a suspicion of what I thought was going on and it was so completely wrong.
This was a book that I just could not put down, I mean staying up to 2:30am to finish it sort of good 🫣 I think you can really tell that this is a book written from real grief and love and it translates to the story so perfectly. I was laughing, giggling, blushing, kicking my feet like a school girl and damn near in tears at the end. I had that feeling of bone deep anxiety reading the last few chapters like my heart was being clawed out from my chest.
Asailia James has knocked it out of the park with this one and I can’t wait to see what she’s got up her sleeve for the rest of this story, because if this was the debut?! Let’s just say once book 2 it out, it’ll be straight to the top of my tbr 💕
To Miss James personally, thank you for letting us as readers be apart of this journey with you and allowing us to love these characters and their stories as much as you do. 💙
April 25, 2026
This book completely took me by surprise. I don't even know how to explain what this story did to me. Only that it felt like being caught in a tide you didn't realise was pulling you under until it was too late.
I'm always a little dubious of tiktok recommendations, especially when it comes to newer authors because the market feels so saturated right now. But if all published work was saturated with this??? With stories like this, with characters like this? I'd devour every single book this author published without hesitation. I'm saying that with my full chest too and since this is her debut? Bold, I know.
And Finn Thomas... Holy God. The way he loves is feral in the most devastating way. He's constant and and for Robyn whose world was destroyed by death and grief? Constant is what that girl needs. This book confirmed for me that we need to bring back yearning men. Bring back men who feel everything and don't know what to do with it except stand there and burn. New book boyfriend unlocked.
There were moments between the protagonist and MMC that felt so full of restraint they almost hurt to read. So much so that I almost got a Devney Perry vibe from this writing. It had that emotional weight, that ability to make everything feel grounded and real while still completely consuming you. You can really tell this author loved her characters.
My review? I went in dubious and came out competely and emotionally ruined. A five star read for sure.
I'm always a little dubious of tiktok recommendations, especially when it comes to newer authors because the market feels so saturated right now. But if all published work was saturated with this??? With stories like this, with characters like this? I'd devour every single book this author published without hesitation. I'm saying that with my full chest too and since this is her debut? Bold, I know.
And Finn Thomas... Holy God. The way he loves is feral in the most devastating way. He's constant and and for Robyn whose world was destroyed by death and grief? Constant is what that girl needs. This book confirmed for me that we need to bring back yearning men. Bring back men who feel everything and don't know what to do with it except stand there and burn. New book boyfriend unlocked.
There were moments between the protagonist and MMC that felt so full of restraint they almost hurt to read. So much so that I almost got a Devney Perry vibe from this writing. It had that emotional weight, that ability to make everything feel grounded and real while still completely consuming you. You can really tell this author loved her characters.
My review? I went in dubious and came out competely and emotionally ruined. A five star read for sure.
February 20, 2026
I’d been wanting to read this book for a while after seeing it on TikTok. As someone who loves the sea, and romance books, this one really stood out to me. So this is a book that had been on my TBR for some time and I have to say it did not disappoint.
Firstly, a moment for the writing please. It is SUBLIME. The author writes so poetically and layers her writing with such gorgeous imagery. Sometimes I find that books are well-written but there isn’t much of a story, or sometimes it’s the other way around but Asailia James gives us both: a beautiful romance as deep and as vast as the waters they sail in but also the writing itself is beautiful.
I also should say I don’t ordinarily read books with spice as I am very particular and sometimes it makes me cringe but the intimate scenes in this book were so well written, my toes were curling, I could feel the heat coming out of my kindle! It’s definitely a passionate and intense love story, you just might need a drink of water when you reach chapter 28!
The twist at the end made me physically cold. I had shivers as I realised the secret. Wow, what a book. I can’t believe this is a debut. I only have one question: when are we getting book 2?!
Firstly, a moment for the writing please. It is SUBLIME. The author writes so poetically and layers her writing with such gorgeous imagery. Sometimes I find that books are well-written but there isn’t much of a story, or sometimes it’s the other way around but Asailia James gives us both: a beautiful romance as deep and as vast as the waters they sail in but also the writing itself is beautiful.
I also should say I don’t ordinarily read books with spice as I am very particular and sometimes it makes me cringe but the intimate scenes in this book were so well written, my toes were curling, I could feel the heat coming out of my kindle! It’s definitely a passionate and intense love story, you just might need a drink of water when you reach chapter 28!
The twist at the end made me physically cold. I had shivers as I realised the secret. Wow, what a book. I can’t believe this is a debut. I only have one question: when are we getting book 2?!
February 23, 2026
I found this book in the most backwards way: during a 1 a.m. Miley Cyrus deep dive after her Hannah Montana reunion was announced. (If this opening doesn’t already convince you to read this book, idk what will) I came across the author saying, “If you like this film… read my book,” comparing it to The Last Song, a CLASSIC, is a big claim. One I had to see for myself. So, I grabbed my Kindle.
AND OH MY!!! The author was not exaggerating.
The coastal setting isn’t just a backdrop. I could feel it. With the book being set in the UK, I’ve actually visited some of the places mentioned, and she captured everything perfectly. I could practically taste the sea. And the emotional core? It hits in that quietly devastating way. The father-daughter thread feels honest. And after reading the dedication, my heart broke. I’m lucky I haven’t lost my dad, but for the author to write something so raw and truthful without it feeling manufactured… it was incredibly moving. It felt lived in, and I’m so sorry to anyone who can relate.
But on another note: the spicy scenes? Wow. I never knew I needed to read a sailing romance, but I can definitely see myself picking this back up in the summer just to live vicariously through Robyn. Finn Thomas is hot asf and deserves all the credit!!! The way love and loss sit side by side without competing is pure magic.
Five stars. I'm emotionally damaged. No regrets. Who knew I’d be thanking Miley Cyrus for helping me discover this book?
AND OH MY!!! The author was not exaggerating.
The coastal setting isn’t just a backdrop. I could feel it. With the book being set in the UK, I’ve actually visited some of the places mentioned, and she captured everything perfectly. I could practically taste the sea. And the emotional core? It hits in that quietly devastating way. The father-daughter thread feels honest. And after reading the dedication, my heart broke. I’m lucky I haven’t lost my dad, but for the author to write something so raw and truthful without it feeling manufactured… it was incredibly moving. It felt lived in, and I’m so sorry to anyone who can relate.
But on another note: the spicy scenes? Wow. I never knew I needed to read a sailing romance, but I can definitely see myself picking this back up in the summer just to live vicariously through Robyn. Finn Thomas is hot asf and deserves all the credit!!! The way love and loss sit side by side without competing is pure magic.
Five stars. I'm emotionally damaged. No regrets. Who knew I’d be thanking Miley Cyrus for helping me discover this book?
January 25, 2026
easy 5 stars.
finally something new in the romantasy genre, this book was so fun and i never realised i had a thing for hot sailors but here we are. besides a man who knows how to use a rope, the plot had me hooked!!! cannot wait for book two. this author knows what the girls want.
finally something new in the romantasy genre, this book was so fun and i never realised i had a thing for hot sailors but here we are. besides a man who knows how to use a rope, the plot had me hooked!!! cannot wait for book two. this author knows what the girls want.
September 1, 2026
I love Finn and Robyn and I accidentally finished this over one night🙈 Needless to say the ending left me rather distraught and I will be eagerly awaiting book 2!!!
January 23, 2026
I have no words to explain how good this book was!!! A Sea of Stars hit me right in the heart. Robyn felt so real, like someone I could know, and Finn completely wrecked me in the BEST way. Their chemistry is insane, but what really got me was how human and raw the story felt. I honestly couldn’t put it down. Add this to your TBR now!!!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews