SO immersive I couldn't put it down. What an amazing read. I loved the story and it really pull through at the end.

I give this a 4.5. Loved the dual POV. Sisters torn apart, tortured lives, love story....all part of this beautiful story of a family that was broken.

This was such a powerful book. It certainly checks all the emotional boxes and in some respects it is definitely not a happy tale. But it is a glorious roller coaster ride. It is a story of difficult relationships, troubled pasts and abandonment. It is a story of new beginnings and hope. Barbara O’Neal has an amazing gift for making characters real, rather than too pretty and perfect to be true. This book was tragic, heart wrenching, beautiful and hopeful. Like a phoenix the relationship between a mother and two daughters rises out of the ashes and becomes something new. This book is a gift.

I loved this book. It was out of my norm but it had also been a book that I had on my list. It is life in a nutshell. There are no positively happy stories. There is a mystery, there is romance and there is a lot of darkness that ends in light.

It's great to be in a position to recommend much more diverse books to our young people at school. Building the senior school library as a place where students actually come and find books that they want to read as opposed to books that teachers think they ought to read is an important responsibility and one we take really seriously.
Books like this are such a positive move as they will appeal to a broader set of readers than we are usually attracting. Dealing with modern issues in a clear and captivating way with a strong narrative voice and characters that the students can relate to is critical as we move forwards. This book is both an intelligent and compelling read that will hold even the most reluctant reader's attention and keep them turning the pages long into the night. It keeps the reader on their toes and ensures that you give it your full attention too. I found myself thinking about its characters and events even when I wasn't reading it and looking forward to snatching kore time with it and I hope that my students feel the same. An accessible, gripping and engrossing read that I can't recommend highly enough. Will absolutely be buying a copy for the library and heartily recommending it to both staff and students.

I really loved this book. But then pages I was engrossed by the author's plot and her well-developed characters. It's actually kind of hard to put into words how much I really enjoyed reading this book and hated to put it down when it was over. I love how it was told between the two sisters perspectives. There were so many feelings in this book. Unhappiness, happiness, heartbreak, addiction and yet so poignant. I found myself ugly crying through most of this book . I'm off to search for another book by this author. I definitely recommend this.

A bit far fetched, this felt like the literary equivalent of watching Eastenders to me. I can see the appeal and why people enjoy it, but it wasn't for me.

This book is nothing short of amazing! I read this once before but for some reason I didn't write a review on it but I loved the book so much I decided to read it again. I very rarely ever read anything a second time but this one stuck with me. I keep thinking about the characters and want to Know more. I just can't say enough good about this book! It is fabulous! I highly recommend!

Thanks Net Galley for allowing me to read this amazing arc for my honest opinion.

Dr. Kit Bianic has been mourning her sister for fifteen years. Their unconventional childhood led to a strained relationship and then Josie died in a terrorist attack while she was in France. It was the catalyst needed though to get their mother into rehab and AA. Kit has thought of her sister often in the last fifteen years, but one night she catches a brief news story where she swears she sees her sister in the background. Her mother saw the same news story and pleads Kit to go look for her sister. So, Kit takes off for New Zealand with one goal in mind. Find her sister. What Kit didn't expect was meeting the handsome Spaniard, Javier. She sees it as a vacation fling, but Javier sees it as much more.

Josie left her past behind when she moved to New Zeland and reinvented herself as Mari. She has a good life with her husband, Simon, and their two children. She knew there was a risk of her past coming to light when she got caught on camera the night of the fire, so she wasn't all that surprised to see her little sister show up in New Zeland. She lies and tells Simon that Kit was her childhood best friend because she knows that the truth will destroy her marriage. Will she be able to reconcile the past and save her marriage at the same time?

For the most part, I enjoyed When We Believed in Mermaids. The two sisters had a pretty traumatic childhood. Not just neglect from their parents, but the earthquake that tore their family apart. Then there was this random kid that literally swept into their lives. And their parents just treated him like a long lost son. It was clear that for the time that Dylan was with them, he was the stabilizing force for the sisters. Which is a lot to ask of a teen boy. I also really enjoyed the romance between Javier and Kit. I thought it was sweet and romantic. The end seemed a little rushed, though. The author spent all this time developing the characters and the story and then boom. It is over? CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS.

Bottom Line - When We Believed in Mermaids is a story about reconciliation, forgiveness and two sisters who struggle with both.

Details:
When We Believed in Mermaids by Barbara O'Neal
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Pages: 352
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Publication Date: 7/16/2019
Buy it Here!
Thank you to NetGalley for the book in exchange for a review.

The premise of this book sounded extremely interesting, but I had trouble connecting to the characters. I wanted to love this, but it didn't live up to the synopsis.

2 Stars ( I received an e-arc from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review)

I barely got through this book, I was listening to it on audio and got about 15 - 30 minutes through and then fell asleep for about an hour. It was odd from what I do remember and I have been more critical of books lately. Actually not finishing when I am not enjoying it.

I’ve enjoyed every book I’ve read by this author, but I wasn’t sure how I felt about this one when I read the synopsis. The plot seemed very far fetched and implausible. The storyline borders on being soap opera-y, but somehow, some way, the author makes it work. There are a lot of issues and themes about pretty much every relationship human beings can have with each other. One might think that it would be too much to take on in one novel, but Barbara O’Neal brings it all together in a way that makes sense.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book.

Kits sister had been dead for almost fifteen years when she appears on the news. She was working in the e.r. as a doctor at the time. Josie has been missing with no body. Kit loves the beach. Josie had loved drama. The cove is empty with recent shark attack. Kits mother also sees Josie on the news . Kit is to go to Auckland with her husband Simon. Interesting but not a favorite ♥️

I loved this book. The raw emotions just pour off the page. The beauty of friendship and the heartache of loss. All come across in beautiful prose that had me in tears. For me this is easily one of the best books of the year.

I really enjoyed this book, it had a great storyline that pulled you in. It was emotional, beautifully written with mystery, romance and characters that you'll love and hate. Thank you for providing me with a copy!

O’Neal crafts an emotional narrative around the idea that maybe a sister isn’t dead. She takes the readers with her as the sisters find their way back to each other. Be prepared with tissues and time when you begin.

This was a great story about a woman named Josie everyone thought had died. When her sister Kit accidentally sees her on TV, she knows she has to find her, She goes to Auckland to search her out, and hopefully repair their friendship. I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Kit and Josie (aka Mari) grew up near Santa Cruz, on the California coast. Their parents owned and operated a restaurant, perched on an oceanfront hillside, right next to their house. From a very young age the girls were left to their own devices, and essentially raised themselves. Although they were very different, they were very close, which was a good thing, because their parents were too busy with their volatile relationship and restaurant business to pay much attention. At some point in their childhood Dylan, a homeless teenage boy, arrived at their home and stayed on. He lived in their home, worked in the restaurant and took care of the girls. Dylan's past was a mystery, but he ultimately became just like an older sibling to the girls.

As the girls grew up they went their separate ways. Kit went on to attend medical school and became an emergency room physician. Josie (aka Mari) had a serious problem with both alcohol and drugs which sent her life spiraling, until she was killed in a terrorist bombing in Europe.

Several years later, Kit and her mother see a television news report about a fire in New Zealand, and in the background is a woman who looks just like Josie (aka Mari). Kit promptly flies to New Zealand to try to find this woman.

This was a fabulous book. I was intrigued from the first page and loved the story right up to the very last page. It was original and interesting and I highly recommend it to anyone. Thank you to Netgalley, the author Barbara O'Neal and the publisher Lake Union Publishing for a complimentary copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.

Barbara O’Neal is a wonderful writer. Although I felt this book had a slow start, overall I did enjoy the story. The only part that fell short for me was the subplot about a murder mystery. It felt out of place and completely unnecessary to the story.

Oh I absolutely loved this one! I was completely hooked from page one, and I really loved the relationships between the characters. I'm such a sucker for stories revolving around familial relationships, and this one really fulfilled all of my expectations. I loved the mystery that was tied into the story, and it really helped me to want to continue on with each chapter! I read this one so fast, and I definitely recommend this as a really fun summer read.