Beyond the Moonlit Sea by Julianne MacLean is destined to be on of her top sellers. It is a book with twists and turns that cannot be found anywhere other than real life. Dean is a psychologist with a rotten background. When he returns to Wisconsin to say good-bye to his dying aunt, he discovers he has missed her by a day. He is devastated, but returns to New York, to his job. He is "seduced" by a needy patient of his, one whom he knows it is wrong to get involved with even as he is doing it. Unethical. He could lose his job. At the same time as the relationship is winding down for him, he meets Olivia, a woman so out of his league it is unimaginable. He parents see it but she does not. They move to Florida where he fulfills his dream of becoming a pilot and they live in bliss for four years. Then, one night his plane disappears in the Bermuda Triangle. Olivia is devastated. She searches for answers and then discovers she is pregnant. It had been their dream. Now the pregnancy was her salvation. She moved back to New York to live with her mother, for now. She lives her life until she reconnects with her college boyfriend, Gabriel. Things work out and they are married and have built a life, together with one child and another on the way, when the police show up asking questions abut Dean. They ask for a DNA sample. They have found a body of a young woman, buried for years. She was pregnant. They want to know if the baby was Dean's. So much to unpack.

The plot is not an ordinary one, but neither is it outlandish. Pieces of it happen everyday. For Olivia's heart to be broken again and again shows her strength. She continues to be a mother to her children and a wife to Gabriel. She loves him and is happy with the way her life is going. He is worried every day that if Dean showed up, he (Gabriel) would be second best. This is truly a love story. They nurture and care for one another no matter what is happening. This is what Maclean is known for: this supportive, deep love. She does it well. This book is beautiful in that even when things are at their worst, Gabriel and Olivia are a unit. I loved it.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Beyond the Moonlit Sea by the author and Lake Union Publishing, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #lakeunion #juliannemaclean #beyondthemoonlitsea

I was looking forward to reading Beyond the Moonlit Sea after absolutely loving These Tangled Vines last summer.

Beyond the Moonlit Sea is about one women's search for answers when her husband goes missing at sea. It's part romance and part mystery with the husband's disappearance and a Bermuda Triangle twist.

Olivia is married to the love of her life, Dean a pilot. When his plane goes down over the Bermuda Triangle, Olivia is devastated. Melanie is a physicist who studies the Bermuda Triangle but when she's doubting her work she starts meeting with a therapist to get her life back on track. How do their paths intertwine??

I was drawn into this book in the first few chapters. I found it fascinating and thought the Bermuda Triangle was a fun aspect to think about. The characters and writing are great. I loved the themes of family, loss, grief and childhood trauma that are expertly woven throughout the book.

What would you do if your husband disappeared into thin air? Wouldn’t you “know it, feel it” if he were dead? Olivia is married to the love of her life, her pilot husband Dean. One night his plane goes missing over the Bermuda Triangle and she becomes obsessed with getting answers. Ultimately, she must come to the realization that Dean is gone and never coming home.

The Bermuda Triangle...

Across a span of time (years) we follow the mystery that shrouds both Olivia and Melanie and how their loves intersect and are connected.
Women's fiction with lot's of twists.

4.5

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It held my interest and I didn't want to put it down. I wanted to find out what would happen. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.

As a fan of Maclean’s series “The Color of Heaven”, I was beyond excited to see her newest book pop up on NetGalley. “Beyond the Moonlit Sea” is a beautiful combination of historical fiction, women’s fiction, romance, and mystery. This is typically Maclean’s MO and I’m here for it! Within the pages of this novel, you’ll read the story of Olivia and Melanie, their connection to the Bermuda Triangle, to each other, and learn that sometimes things aren’t always what they seem.

This is an unusual book. It rockets back and forth between Miami in 1990 and New York in 1986, and then all the way up to 2017. Both pieces have very much to do with the Bermuda Triangle. But the two stories are quite different.
Olivia’s husband, a pilot, has vanished (in 1990) over the Bermuda Triangle after ferrying a celebrity passenger to the US Virgin Islands. He never knew his wife was pregnant.
Melanie is a research scientist, a Ph.D. Candidate in molecular physics (in 1986). Her thesis, which is about the Bermuda Triangle, has stalled and her professor/mentor sends her to a therapist. She begins to deal with her unfortunate childhood as the daughter of a bar fly. But then she enters into an obsessive and totally inappropriate relationship with her therapist whose growing up was as dysfunctional as his own.
Spoiler alert: Melanie’s therapist and Olivia’s husband turn out to be one and the same person.
Dean, the therapist, attempts to leave Melanie to be with Olivia, whom he believes to be the love of his life. It goes wrong (you have to read the book to find out how and why) but he does marry Olivia and move to Miami. After four years, he disappears (literally off the radar screen) leaving Olivia to piece together her life. I can’t give away the rest of what happens without more spoiler alerts.
The rest of the novel is about figuring out what happened to Dean and separately to Olivia.
For me the essence of this book is about men not believing that women are strong and capable. This is my favorite quote:
“I was so tired of people assuming I was too fragile or innocent to protect myself. What was it about me that them think I couldn’t handle hardship? Except for Gabriel. He had let me come here on my own.”
I think this book is a departure for MacLean, but somehow she makes it work. I am pleased to recommend it to her fans, and to people who have never read her.
I received an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion, which you have here. My thanks to the publishers.

Beyond the Moonlit Sea is truly a mix of mystery, drama, with some romance added to the mix. Olivia, a young socialite, goes against her wealthy family and marries Dean, who has swept her off her feet. Dean has hidden secrets that crop up after he disappears while flying a plane over the Bermuda Triangle. The story moves back and forth throughout their lives, telling the tale from multiple perspectives. Julianne MacLean weaves an engrossing web of a story that leaves you having to read just one more chapter until you have finished the book and have all your questions answered. A very satisfying read for sure. Loved the addition of the Bermuda Triangle aspect.
Many many thanks to Julianne MacLean, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read an arc of this satisfying read, published today, June 14th. Looking for more books Julianne MacLean!

What a good book! I was hooked from the beginning! Julianne MacLean crafted a love story and mystery out of legend and science, mistakes and buried secrets and trauma inflicted by past experiences. I loved the twists and turns and found myself saying "that was unexpected" more than once. I definitely recommend Beyond The Moonlit Sea. Thanks #NetGalley and #LakeUnionPublishing for the ARC.

Another riveting story from Julianne MacLean. This book is an emotional story of love combined with gripping suspense. Definitely a page turner. She grabs you with such intense relationships and the search for truth that you cannot put this book down until you finish. Wonderful writing and once again, you understand why Julianne MacLean is a best-selling author.

I received an ARC as part of the Advanced Review Team for my honest review. Great book!

New twists from a favorite author

I have read most of Julianne MacLean's books and thoroughly enjoyed them all. Beyond the Moonlit Sea is more similar to her later books than the very early ones. It explores complex issues of love, loss, acceptance and resolution of the unknown in a twisty plot and character driven novel. You won't be able to put it down.

Thank you to the publisher who lent me a time-constrained e-arc via Netgalley. This review is optional and my own opinion.

Wow! Just Wow! Julianne MacLean has another winner. I so enjoyed this story of loss, acceptance and love. With surprises throughout the book, it was nearly impossible to put down. I loved the twists and turns of the well-written characters. This book will stay with you long after you've finished reading it

Buckle up my friends. Beyond the Moonlit Sea is a curvy seaside ride.😲

Olivia is married to Dean Hamilton, a successful pilot. When Dean's aircraft disappears above the Bermuda Triangle the couple's blissful marriage comes to an end. Olivia mourns Dean's loss for a number of years. Will Olivia ever be able to move past the pain?

Melanie Brown researches the Bermuda Triangle for many hours each day. Melanie seeks grief counseling with a male therapist following the death of her mother. A taboo relationship develops between Melanie and her therapist. Is this dangerous affair really what the doctor ordered? 🤔

Julianne MacLean writes beautifully. Her plot twists are shocking and the characters told from alternating perspectives are well developed. She is a highly successful best-selling author with over thirty books to her credit. New releases by Juliana MacLean are always on my must-read list.

Beyond the Moonlit Sea is available on June 14th.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing, for allowing me to review this outstanding e-book. Also, a huge thank you to Julianne MacLean for giving me hours of reading pleasure. Your novels are always a pleasure to read.

Beyond the Moonlit Sea by author Julianne MacLean is set to release on June 14, 2022 by Lake Union Publishing. It’s a women’s fiction novel about Olivia Hamilton, a young woman who lives her life trying to find answers or some truth about the disappearance of her first husband. Olivia who comes from a wealthy family, marries Dean, a seemingly good man who comes from a troubled past. One night while flying home alone on a plane, he disappears around the Bermuda Triangle. Is Dean really dead or has he simply disappeared because he’s hiding from his past? Because I have read other books by this author, I wasn’t surprised by how much I enjoyed this story. I found it to be a fast read as it held my interest and kept me turning the pages. I think all readers of women’s fiction will enjoy it as much as I did. I’d like to thank NetGalley for the arc that I received off the Read Now section. It’s a good family drama and one I really enjoyed reading. I’m giving it a 4 star rating!

I’ve enjoyed every book I’ve read by Julianne MacLean, and this was no different. A very chilling story of a missing airplane, hints of The Bermuda Triangle and a family left with no closure.
A wonderful love story between Dean and Olivia, she a beautiful socialite and he a handsome psychologist, that dug himself out of a tragic childhood, to become successful. A career change has him working as a pilot, flying private planes for the wealthy and famous, until that day, his plane mysteriously disappears over the Caribbean. Olivia is left devastated, as no remains of the plane or Dean are ever found.
But years later, the mystery resurfaces as new information is discovered, which sends Olivia looking for answers and the hope that it will bring the closure she has searched for.
Julianne MacLean is an excellent storyteller and her characters are well developed and interesting. Despite her long list of published novels, her stories are fresh and the characters new. My thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC. This gripping mystery is definitely five stars and I loved it!

So many twists and turns to this story. Dean is getting into an inappropriate relationship with a patient. He knows it will end badly, but he is at a place right now where he needs someone. When he meets Olivia, he knows that she is the one for him. But what can he do about his patient? They are in an unhealthy relationship, and he has been trying to find a way out. Fast forward, several years, he and Olivia have the perfect marriage and he is now a pilot. He goes on an unscheduled flight in the Bermuda triangle and doesn't come home. Olivia is devastated and discovers that she is pregnant. After mourning Dean for a few years, she reconnects with her old boyfriend, Gabriel. Everything seems to be going well until the police show up at her door asking about one of her former husband's cases. She disappeared years before, so has her file from his office and they just found her body buried in the forest. Now that he is gone, he can't defend himself. Did he kill her? When Olivia's daughter discovers that she has a younger sister in Australia, Olivia isn't sure what is going on. Is Dean alive? Was their whole relationship a lie? What if he is alive?

It’s been a while since I’ve read something from this author, and this story blew me away! It's much different than anything I remember from her, and a unique romance story among it's contemporaries. This one also makes me curious to see what Maclean has in store from us next.

You can easily read the synopsis, so I won’t go over that here. Olivia and Dean's story is full of twists and turns and shocking surprises. Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen, boom, another bombshell that I never saw coming.

If you’re a fan of romantic suspense, you'll gobble this one up. With themes of love, loss, family, and forgiveness, this one will keep you reading late into the night.

I've been trying to come up with a word to describe this book. I'm not sure one word could possibly do it. It was outstanding, unusual and intriguing. It was romantic, horrifying and gut wrenching all at the same time. Are you getting the idea?

The Bermuda Triangle aspect of the book threw me for awhile, but MacLean wrote the story beautifully and pulled everything together in a way that totally blew me away. Her writing style is phenomenal. I would compare it to that of Barbara Samuel. The words (especially in the last few chapters when she was wrapping everything up) almost felt like I was reading a poem. This story is one that is going to stay with me for awhile.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for the gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.

One action, one moment, changes the fabric of lives forever. Just like dropping the stone into a still pond and seeing the ripples, this book explores how those ripples continue to surface ever after many years have passed.

I feel like this book will stay with me for a long time. Olivia and Dean were happily married, living a wonderful life in Miami when he disappeared one night returning from a business flight. While they were happy then, the road to happiness was fraught with obstacles they had to overcome, not the least of which were prior relationships and family issues. But they had gotten past everything, were happy and planning a future child.

Year pass, Olivia learns to live without her beloved Dean. She raises their daughter Rose and reunites with her Mom. Life moves forward, I won't say much here because I don't write spoilers. But one day, a knock on the door brings a shock to Olivia and brings things to light that have been buried for years.

I highly recommend this book, and all of Ms. MacLean's novels, always thought-provoking and enjoyable.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

Beyond the Moonlit Sea by Julianne Maclean is an engaging novel of romance and suspense.

The first chapter grabbed me immediately: It is 1990, Miami. Dean---a successful private pilot who flies the wealthy and famous---and his plane disappear without a trace off the coast of Puerto Rico. His lovely wife of a couple years, Olivia, is devastated and searches for the truth.
In another timeline, it is 1986, New York City. Melanie, a PhD candidate in particle physics, is reeling from her mother’s sudden death. Her professor/mentor sends her to a very attractive male therapist, Dr. Robinson, with whom Melanie verbally spars, but she is secretly smitten by his kindness and good looks.
The dual timelines and the alternating POVs of these 3 characters propel the story forward nicely, while supplying the characters’ back stories and insight into their motivations. All have complicated family dynamics from the past that infer their current behavior.
Olivia is very much a sympathetic character as a loyal wife, and her friends are a warm supporting cast. Melanie is witty, with some sharp edges, and Dean is enigmatic with deep undertones of sadness.
This book is well written, with intelligent plotting, enough twists to keep me turning the pages, and a very warm heart that delves gently into the issues of love, loss, grief, and childhood trauma. Its lean into the long-standing mystery of the Bermuda Triangle gives the novel additional depth.

This is the first of Ms. Maclean’s books I have read, and I am impressed by her storytelling skill. I will keep her on my radar for further novels.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

4.0 stars