REVIEW: Where Sea Meets Sky by Karina Halle

In Where Sea Meets Sky by Karina Halle, Up until his sister Vera inspired him to evaluate his own life, or lack thereof, Joshua Miles has spent his days partying, working here and there, and pushing off his dream of going to art school. Meeting exotic beauty Gemma Henare as she backpacked through Vancouver was just the kickstart Josh needed to make some changes. When she goes home to New Zealand, he can’t let go of their night together and does the unthinkable: he goes on a journey to her homeland. In search of inspiration — and love — Josh finds all that and much, much more in his travels.

“You invaded my dreams. You invaded my art…You invaded my life. I started to think that perhaps you were never real, just something I made up, or a ghost you can’t hold on to. Most guys would let it go but I couldn’t. I came here hoping I would have the balls to find you, and with some help I did.”

The night Gemma spent with Josh meant the world to her. Truly. She finally felt a connection with someone and let him in to see her real thoughts and feelings. Mostly because she would only have one night with the sexy artistic bad boy. Then Gemma runs into Josh on her way in to work — in New Zealand! Her crazy heart flips when she gets the chance to show him the beauty of her country as they, along with her cousin Amber, take an orange VW bus on a road trip that will change their lives forever.

‘He’s a friend and he’s here for me. He can feel the ache in my heart. But I also know he’s more than a friend. He’s on the brink of becoming something else, if only I have the courage to try.’

Where Sea Meets Sky was a sweeping journey where gorgeous scenery became the background to a romance that met numerous challenges before coming to a final, sweet resolution.

I’ve ‘traveled’ with Karina Halle in other novels and loved her beautiful descriptions of time and place. But this one, well, I think New Zealand sets the bar very high for any traveling romance stories I read in the future. I fell in love with not only Josh and Gemma (and their travel mate Amber, who gets her own story in Racing the Sun) but also the people and critters in New Zealand. Who knew there were BLUE penguins there? I mean, I knew penguins were indigenous, but seriously…you’ll have to Google them. They are so adorable!

Now I know there have been mixed reviews about this particular story. The set-up is a bit different than some of Ms. Halle’s other books in that this has dual POVs. I thought it worked well in this case as this was more of a New Adult novel than Contemporary Romance. There was definitely angst. There were a lot of growing pains with both of our main characters. But I thought this still had that same raw, gritty, in-your-face realness that I love and expect from Halle’s books. That aspect plus the in-depth storytelling is the big draw for me every time.

I honestly got a kick out of Josh and his cocky bravado because I saw his caring side in his sister Vera’s book, Love, In English. I also knew he would have the artistic ability to break everything down to its basic elements, whether it was the incredible New Zealand countryside or his emotions with Gemma. I was actually more upset with Gemma as time, and their journey, wore on. I understood her wanting to protect her heart, but Josh gave her a LOT of support and many, many chances at love before she decided to reach out.

If you’re a fan of New Adult stories, I think you will enjoy this romance. There are touching poignant moments, hot & steamy (graphic) love scenes, and dramatic personal growth that had me smiling at the lovely ending.

Book Info:

Publication: Published March 31st 2015 | by Atria Books |

A new adult novel that perfectly captures the existential angst of your early twenties with raw wit, fresh insight, and true feeling from a critically adored USA TODAY bestselling author.

Joshua Miles has spent his early twenties spinning his wheels. Working dead-end jobs and living at home has left him exhausted and uninspired, with little energy to pursue his passion for graphic art. Until he meets Gemma Henare, a vivacious out-of-towner from New Zealand. What begins as a one-night stand soon becomes a turning point for Josh. He can’t get Gemma out of his head, even after she has left for home, and finds himself throwing caution to the wind for the first time in his life.

It’s not long before Josh is headed to New Zealand with only a backpack, some cash, and Gemma’s name to go on. But when he finally tracks her down, he finds his adventure is only just beginning. Equally infatuated, Gemma leads him on a whirlwind tour across the beautiful country, opening Josh up to life, lust, love, and all the messy heartache in between. Because, when love drags you somewhere, it might never let go even when you know you have to say goodbye.