What the Wind Knows

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review. Also my tags may have spoilers in them so be forewarned before checking out full review.

Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖📖
Narration:🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨✨✨

Don't go near the water, love.
Stay away from strand or sea.
You cannot walk on water love;
The lough will take you far from me.

First Impressions
What The Wind Knows is a standalone historical fiction with a strong plot of a romance blended in with it. What The Wind Knows is a book that has been on my TBR for the longest age. I have been wanting to explore way more historical fiction and I knew that this would be just what I needed. I chose this book as one of my Romanceopoly picks and I am so glad that I did. I was highly nervous about this book however, so I wasn't sure how it would exactly work for me though, but what a complex, deeply layered story that resonates deep within you. This is worth all of the love that it has received and so much more. Its definitely one of the top books for me, and definitely at the top of the list for one of the best books of the year. I am recovering from reading this book, that is how impactful it is. It will hit you deep in a place that no many books will go.

“I fell so fast, so hard, and so completely. Not because love is blind, but because . . . it’s not. Love isn’t blind, it’s blinding. Glaring. I looked at you, and from the very first day, I knew you. Your faith and your friendship, your goodness and your devotion. I saw it all, and I fell so hard."

First Line
"Grandfather, tell me about your mother."

The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Thomas Smith
The Heroine: Anne Gallagher

Summary
Anne Gallagher, is a romance writer and grew up listening to her grandfather's stories of Ireland. When he passes, she goes to Ireland to spread his ashes near his childhood home, while at sea she is pulled into another time....she is now in Ireland and the year is 1921. She has been shot, and she finds herself being cared for by Dr. Thomas Smith, whose guardian is of a young boy who is her grandfather. His mother Anne disappeared and Anne is mistaken for his mother who disappeared some years ago. As Thomas and Anne try to figure out a way through this new relationship, with secrets being kept, Ireland is in a political conflict and Anne wonders if she will be able to stay in this time with Thomas or will she be taken back to the time she was born in and lose the man she loves deeply....

Tragedy makes for great stories, but I’d much rather your story—the one you live, not the ones you write—be filled with joy. Don’t revel in tragedy, Annie. Rejoice in love. And once you find it, don’t let it go. In the end, it is the one thing you won’t regret.

What I Loved
What The Wind Knows is a story that will easily deeply entrench itself into your heart. I am honestly at a loss of words after reading this book but also wondering why I took so so long to pick this book up because it is everything so many readers have claimed it to be and I can see why it was nominated for one of the best books of the year when it came out. This is a captivating historical fiction romance that takes us through this incredible journey of Anne Gallagher and seeing her discover love in a time that was so divided in a culturally rich country trying to discover their identity.

the wind and water know all the earth’s secrets. They’ve seen and heard all that has ever been said or done. And if you listen, they will tell you all the stories and sing every song. The stories of everyone who has ever lived.

This story was powerful in every single way. I was so in tune with all of these characters and they easily wormed their way into my heart...even my soul so much that they connect to you deeply. There is such poignant love in this family but most especially between Thomas and Anne. At first there is plenty of tension between them. Anne of course is hiding a huge secret of being from the future and knowing details of the time but also not knowing other details. We see how she is being torn on revealing what she knows or determining what not to reveal to others. We see her bonding in a special way to her grandfather who is just a little boy who just sees her as his lost mother and building a sweet relationship with him. We see the deeply layered story that has so much depth in the little moments. I loved the intimacy that we see build between Thomas and Anne. And honestly I love how this author writes her intimacy moments. Its not going to be for everyone, but it just shows you can write a swoony romance without needing explicit scenes and its so flawlessly portrayed here. I was so easily swept up in the almost magical tones of this story that digs deep into the heart of Ireland in a time that was so packed with conflict. It made me appreciate the history of Ireland and its people. Amy Harmon really does her research and she pulls her readers into a story that brings the details out in such a way that you will find yourself captivated and yearning for so much more about this culture and time.

I watch mesmerized, as her skin becomes smooth once more, my touch forgotten. I’ve left a smudge in the crook of her arm. There is ink on my fingers. I like the way it looks, my thumbprint on her skin. If I were a better artist, I would paint her in thumbprints, leaving my mark in my all favorite places, a testament of my devotion.

The ending was pure magical for me. I don't want to reveal too much, but I will say that it had me so much in my feels, that it moved what was a 4 star read to a 6 star read....that is how powerful and moving it is. It will deliver a different perspective that is tug at your soul heart strings and burrow into all the layers of the human condition and the true transcendence of true love where time has no meaning. If you need a deep romance that will have you believing in true love....this book is a must read for you!!! So powerful in every single way.

The wind you hear is the same wind that has always blown. The rain that falls is the same rain. Over and over, round and round, like a giant circle. The wind and the waves have been present since time began.

What I Struggled With
The first half could be a battle sometimes. This isn't the easiest time travel romance to read at all. Its super complex and some of the details can be super confusing lol I think that is what would have made the book even better, is having more clarity on the beginning parts of this but thank goodness the second ending definitely made up for it.

Narration
So rich and detailed, the accents were just right, not too over powering. It really helped you feel for the time and the emotional cadence to the tones delivered the right messaging when it was needed. Truly one of the best I have listened to in a while.

Overall View
What The Wind Knows is a deeply heart achingly moving story that delves past boundaries and delivers a vibrant romantic tale to make you believing in true love and the power it has that stretches past time and into the unknown....A TIMELESS JEWEL THAT IS A MUST READ FOR EVERYONE!

I love her with an intensity I didn't think myself capable of. yeats writes about being changed utterly. I am changed utterly. irrevocably. and I can only revel in all its gloriousness.

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Historical Fiction, Time Travel
Character Types: Writer, Doctor, Single Dad (guardian)
Themes: Ireland, Fade to Black, Heart/Emotionally Touching
Tropes: Epic Love, Mistaken Identity

Book Perspective
1st POV and Journal Entries of Hero

Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Both

If you like these authors, I recommend This Book
Diana Gabaldon
Chanel Cleeton
Lorraine Heath

Song This Book Inspires
New Start by Martin Phillips

Steam/Spice Explanations

Simmering cup of tea---soft warm touches and light intimacy
Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.
Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.
Blazing fire to the building-The prime focus is the sex scenes, scorching hot, and could burn one. Less focus on the emotional intimacy to the relationship.

Narrators:
Saskia Maarleveld, Will Damron

random find when i tried the kindle subscription, worked really well as historical fiction

cried a river

A perfect blend of historical fact and human connections. I loved this book so much. A new auto buy author for me.

reread (23/07/21): my best people. reread (17/01/21): yup. still love this book as much, if not more, as the first time i read it.

i would literally die for anne & thomas.

I absolutely love this story. The book is very well written and I was hooked from the very beginning. If you are looking for a Historical Fiction/Historical Romance with time travel in it then i do highly recommend this bo0k.

First off, I'd like to thank the lovely @thebibliotheque on Bookstagram for putting this book on my radar. I'd never heard of it before, but I quickly realized what a hidden gem this book is. WHAT THE WIND KNOWS by Amy Harmon tells the story of Anne Gallagher, a 21st century woman who unintentionally travels back in time to 1920s Ireland -- a nation on the brink of war. On this unexpected journey, Anne must grapple with previously unknown truths about her ancestry, and the possibility that--against all odds--she might actually be falling in love with a man from a different time. It was pretty much a no-brainer that I would enjoy this story -- it's got a great balance of historical fiction, romance, and fantasy -- basically the perfect recipe for my reading tastes. I thought the dynamics between the different characters were all intriguing and believable (meaning there are other relationships besides the main romance that were equally interesting), and the historical drama made for some great scenes and plot devices. What initially sparked my interest in this book is that the premise sounds similar to Outlander (which I'm a huge fan of), yet even though the story is completely different, I think if you're a fan of the series then I'd recommend checking out this book (and if you're a fan of any of the genres I mentioned earlier!).

4.5!!! This had one of the most beautiful endings I’ve ever read.