"I wanted to tell him that you can meet someone and they can change your life forever, even if you have only known them for a short while, that when you leave, you’re a different person than before you met them…"

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Also, the quote I used may have changed or been altered in some way, I am just quoting from what I received.

I wish the book had been longer! I feel like a lot happens in too few pages. I would have enjoyed seeing more of the orphanage, or pesantren, and spent more time with the children there. The art and group therapy were interesting, and I would have liked for it to have been expanded on. It was eye-opening listening to them recall their memories of the tsunami, and seeing how far they had come after such a traumatic experience.

It's a sweet story with a whirlwind romance. I wouldn't really call what they had an insta-love, it was more like an insta-attraction. I like that Sienna wasn't afraid to act on her feelings, and that she trusted herself and Deni. Their feelings did grow rapidly, but don't all new relationships start off that way? They were both in a unique situation, and they never forgot that their time together was temporary. They wanted to enjoy what they had and live in the moment.

Deni is still a mystery to me. His entire life before Sienna and the tsunami is still unknown, and something else I wanted to know more about. I also felt like the information about her friends at home, Bev and Spider, was limited. I had hoped to learn a little more about them, too.

Oh, and Bapak? Deni made a lot of serious accusations against him that were never investigated. I feel like someone should have either verified his claims, or at least looked into them. I really love the story and the concept for this book, I just wish there had been more.

Originally posted at Do You Dog-ear? on December 12, 2017
http://www.doyoudog-ear.com/2017/12/where-i-found-you-sea-1-by-heidi-r-kling.htm... ( )