CRASHING WAVES
Kelsey Kingsley
• 18 July 2025
• Book #1 in the Lighthouse Duology
• Book #1 in the Lighthouse Duology
★★★★★
4.75 Stars
Every child
deserves to be loved.
Every child
deserves parents who love them.
Yet, for as long as I can remember, I’ve harbored an insatiable craving for that one simple thing.
Love.
I was desperate for it. Through years of mistreatment and degradation, I longed for the affection I saw others receive. And I was willing to do anything to prove myself to the people I wanted it from—including going to war.
Yet it was never enough. Nothing ever was.
Except when it came to Laura, my high school sweetheart … and I pushed her away.
Over and over again.
Because how could I possibly deserve love from her—or anyone—if my own parents couldn’t find me worthy of theirs?
Maybe I’m just not worthy of anything.
Yet, for as long as I can remember, I’ve harbored an insatiable craving for that one simple thing.
Love.
I was desperate for it. Through years of mistreatment and degradation, I longed for the affection I saw others receive. And I was willing to do anything to prove myself to the people I wanted it from—including going to war.
Yet it was never enough. Nothing ever was.
Except when it came to Laura, my high school sweetheart … and I pushed her away.
Over and over again.
Because how could I possibly deserve love from her—or anyone—if my own parents couldn’t find me worthy of theirs?
Maybe I’m just not worthy of anything.
Max
He grows up in a horrible and unloving household. And he only stays because it's better that he take the abuse than his little twin sisters.
But when he's 18 he leaves aka has to leave for the Army.
And he comes back every once in a while - and his sisters are totally okay. But his live is just bubbling along. His highschool 'crush' Laura... things could happen there. But Max is scared - mostly for her. He doesn't want her to have to wait for him to come back home or not come back home one day...
Since this is a duology, we have to wait a tiny little bit for book two to arrive.
But we need the time to heal from all the crying we did in book one. Lol.
Jeez. You basically start crying with little Max in the first chapter and it doesn't stop until the end.
I loved reading this - even though it really reminded me of some other book... Maybe even a Kelsey Kingsley book? I can't remember - I suffer from Booksalzheimers - but I recognized so many things in here? Maybe it's just that we meet people in here that we met before? Did we? Which is always a problem for me - because: Bookalzheimers! I never remember what happened in other books!
Also - I kinda wished there was a year mentioned in the front. Because we are not in the present. Not anywhere near 2025!
I also could've lived without all those mentions of god and all the praying.
But other than that - I really liked reading this and I can't wait to see where Max is taking us in book two!
CRASHING WAVES was a really heartbreaking first part of the Life of Max! Can't wait to read how his story ends...
↓ LiNKS TO THE BOOK & AUTHOR ↓
#PreOrder Book #2 - 29 August
Hemingway-Rowan Book #1
Book #2
Vinnie & Andy
Greyson's book
Greyson's dad's book
Holly Freakin' Hughes
Kelsey Kingsley is the author of fifteen novels. She lives in New York with her family and a cat named Ethel. She loves tattoos, music, makeup, and Frasier reruns. Kelsey is a Slytherin. She curses a lot, and she fucking hates cheese.
