Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC of The Sirens in exchange for an honest review.

Coming off of the success of Weyward, I could not wait to get my hands on Emilia Hart’s second book, The Sirens. I went into The Sirens pretty blind, as I did not pay much attention to the book description prior to requesting. After finishing the book, in hindsight, The Sirens is likely not a book I would have selected on my own if it had not been for my positive viewpoint of Emilia’s first novel. That being said, The Sirens is especially well written and plotted out, even though the subject matter isn’t necessarily to my liking. I will say, this book moves incredibly slow until you get about 60% of the way through, then it starts picking up and carrying the reader through chapter after chapter. I will say, the uphill struggle to get there was rough, but I read the last half of the book in one sitting just to see how the entire story ended up being interwoven upon itself.

Seeing as this story hops between three viewpoints across time, it was incredibly well written and easy to follow, which is not an easy task with such an intricate plot line. I’ve seen other authors attempt these multiple viewpoints across a timeline and many times it ends up messy and disorganized, which The Sirens certainly is not, and for that I have to say ‘Well done.’

I will continue to enjoy Emilia Hart novels as her writing is stunning, however, The Sirens just fell a little short of of my expectations, especially after coming off of Weyward, which I really enjoyed. 3.5 out of 5 stars in my imperfect opinion.

4 ⭐️

“Freed from her prior inhibitions—from the compulsion to be nice, to be a good girl—she’d become something she could never have imagined being. She’d become… dangerous.”

Sirens by Emilia Hart is a captivating dual-timeline mystery that follows two sets of sisters—one in 1800, exiled on a convict ship to Australia, and one in 2019, haunted by the past. In the present, Lucy pieces together the eerie events surrounding her birth, her sister’s disappearance, and the strange pull of the ocean. As she digs deeper, she realizes that maybe they’re all not quite… human.

I love a good siren/mermaid story, so I was hooked from the start! By the halfway mark, my theories were flying, and I couldn’t help but share them with anyone who would listen. Emilia Hart weaves an intricate mystery, dropping just enough clues to keep you guessing. I wish I could share my annotations because my notes were full of AHA!! I knew it!! moments.

One of the most fascinating twists was the unique take on sirens—the girls in 2019 have a rare condition (aquagenic urticaria), causing their skin to change upon contact with water. They fear it, avoid it… yet, they’re inexplicably drawn to it, often sleepwalking into pools or baths in the middle of the night. The entire time, I was practically yelling, Just go into the water already!!

Despite the 200-year gap, the storylines felt deeply connected, intertwining history and myth in a way that never felt disjointed. The parallels between the sisters—both physically and mentally—were striking. Dual timelines can sometimes feel uneven, but here, they complemented each other beautifully.

If you love atmospheric mysteries with historical elements, a touch of the supernatural, and a unique take on sirens, this one is definitely worth picking up!

♡ Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this arc in exchange for an honest review

The Sirens was a unique story on women’s empowerment, rage and sometimes the need for vengeance. The story follows two sets of sisters in different periods of history and how they are trying to figure out where they belong in the world. The book brings to light the inequality of being a woman and the importance of women helping/protecting women. The power of dreams and the mystery and magic of the ocean is weaved throughout the story and the author talks about so many colors and textures, it really brings scenes throughout the book to life.
I really enjoyed reading this book and the story it told about what these sisters must embrace and overcome to learn who they are and what they must do to take over the mantle of those before them. I enjoyed the fantasy elements and the real historical events of Australia in the book
Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martins Press for an eARC of this book!

I really enjoyed Weyward so I was very excited to receive and ARC of The Sirens. I am a big fan of dual timelines and was fully submerged in both storylines. I enjoyed this story so much and loved the ending. Great read!

Emilia Hart has such a way with her words! It truly is a gift. Her lyrical and immersive writing is some of my favorite I have read to date, and I will continue to genuinely look forward to whatever story she gives us next.

The Sirens was a hit for me. All the elements I loved in Weyward were in these pages, wrapped up in a new story that drew me in deeply. We have strong feminist themes, beautiful magical realism, dual timelines with real elements of history, and a mystery that kept me on my toes the whole time. Honestly, the reveals sprinkled throughout this book slapped. I audibly gasped more than once. Overall, this was a gripping, dark, and beautiful story that I continue to think about long after I have finished it.

I’m already looking forward to finding out what she is working on next!

Pick this one up if you like:

-Strong feminist themes
-Enjoyed Weyward (her previous work)
-Mermaids and Sirens
-Genre mashups!
-Dual timeline
-True historical elements sprinkled throughout
-Immersive writing

There are things that could have been more polished in this story; such as more explanation of the magical elements and more development for our main characters, but what this story might lack was made up for in what it does well: descriptive writing that let me truly experience the setting with all my senses.
It’s unfortunately a rare thing for me to find an author who can so throughly transport me into the story and I know other readers will appreciate the experience as much as I did.
I can’t wait to grab anything else Hart writes. She has a new fan.

Thank you so much St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for my advance copy!

I received this ARC from netgalley. The writing in this book is very compelling and it draws you in. I really love the idea behind this book and the building in of the dreams for Lucy however I felt the ending fell a bit flat for me. I loved the inclusion of Mary’s POV and felt it was super important to the story and she was one of the characters I was most interested in reading about. I did really like the way that the author draws on the female experience and includes it in her writing and the book. Overall it’s a good book and I would recommend others to read it even though it fell flat for me at the end.

I had the fortunate experience of reading this book while on a cruise, which made it all the better for the sense of place in the story.

The Sirens is a dual timeline story that focuses on two sisters during each timeline. These sisters share a certain genetic makeup that links them together and one that also sets them apart from other women.

In the present day timeline, Lucy and Jess learn who they are through dreams that link them to the sisters Mary and Eliza, from the 1800 timeline. Set in Australia, the story takes place in a small coastal town that becomes known as a place where men disappear.

Lucy, a journalist, sets out to find a link between the men who have disappeared. With limited information, she concludes that it is highly likely the men share cruelty and sexual deviancy as a trait that may make them a target.

As the story places out, readers will see if Lucy’s theory is true. I was intrigued by the mystery of the story, but expected it to be a bit more murder filled. At any rate, it was a good read for cruising the seas.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to offer my honest review and to recommend this to other readers who enjoy mermaids and mysteries.

I was blessed enough to receive this as an ARC! I truly could not believe it, as this was one of my top 5 anticipated books of the year!! *********MILD SPOILERS AHEAD*********

I really enjoyed this book. I already love anything to do with mermaids, the ocean, and mystery, so the fact that this book had it all was intriguing to me. I really loved that at the end of the day, this book is about sisterhood/family, and trusting your own self and power.

Things I loved:
- Mystical elements
- The HUGE plot twist about Jess in regard to Lucy!!! Did not see it coming.
- Justice done to one of the less savory characters
- The coastal setting
- The twist at the end!! It was hinted at throughout the book, but awesome to see play out (who the girls really are, etc)

Things I wish:
- I wish Max had been more fleshed out as a character, I would have loved to see more of him and how he interacted with Jess
- More background with Mary and Eliza, we did not see all of their story I felt like
****SPOILERS BELOW******
.
.
.

- I really wish when the girls actually became sirens that we saw more of the underwater world. How long did they live (it seems implied Mary had lived an age?), can they move freely from land to see? I felt like I was left with questions
- How did the family dynamics work out after they saved their dad? I mean how do you even move on from so many major revelations?
- Wish we had seen more of a resolution between Lucy and Ben

Overall, I really loved this book and I'm ordering the beautiful special edition copy. I just wish a few things had been touched on, but the story was fun to follow and once I started I finished it quick!!!!!

For how much I love Weyward, I was a bit worried about the sophomore slump, but fans of Hart will find her strength in being able to weave in the magic and lore of witches is just as strong with sirens. I felt drawn to the characters and couldn't stop reading because of the craft Hart possesses.

I SOO appreciate the ARC, but me and this book just didn't click... I DNFed it and I tried and tried but couldn't connect with the characters or the storyline. It was too hard to keep up with the changing timeline(s) as well

I received this e-arc from the publisher so let me start by saying thank you!
Something quite different. It definitely won’t be for everyone. I must say though that it seemed a bit of a stretch. I just couldn’t get past the “skin condition”.
Let me just say it was a weird concept

This is a great time slip novel about two sisters and their determination. It was a little slow in the beginning but then picked up the pace. Once I got into it, I couldn't wait to see how the story played out. I look forward to more books by Emilia Hart. Many thanks to the author, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I had both the audiobook as well as the ebook arc's so I listened to the audiobook on a car trip. This book was really good I loved the magical realism mixed with the historical fiction. This is a very dark and creepy book that reminds me a lot of what I love about Gothic fiction. Over all I was very pleased with it and would love to get a copy for my shelves!

The one thing I love about Hart's writing is how atmospheric it is. She fully transports you with her vivid descriptions and imagery. I loved her previous book, Weyward, so I had very high hopes for this one. While I enjoyed it, I didn't love it as much as I expected to. I think that came down to it feeling very similar to the previous book. Hart once again utilizes a dual timeline/POV scenario following two women separated by hundreds of years yet who find themselves linked in some way. I thought the premise was intriguing, and I did enjoy getting to know Lucy and Mary, but since nothing felt new, I could feel my attention waning as the story progressed. Even though it didn't fully work for me, I would still recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction with dashes of magical realism.

I will be honest and say this was not for me. I found the pacing to be slow, the characters hard to connect with, and the subject matter heavier than I was looking for at this moment. I believe it will find its audience. Trigger warnings at the start of the book would be much appreciated as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced electronic copy in exchange for an honest review. The Sirens comes out April 1st.

I was very excited to dive in to The Sirens by Emilia Hart. I loved Wayward and The Sirens was just as atmospheric. I liked the alternating timelines and was drawn in the setting. I will be recommending The Sirens to those who enjoyed Wayward. I can’t wait to read what Hart writes next. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy.

The Sirens is my first Emilia Hart novel. The story takes place in two timelines with one in 2019 and the other in 1800. In the present timeline of 2019, Lucy wakes up with her hands around the throat of her ex-lover and she ends up fleeing to New South Wales, Australia to the home of her estranged sister Jess. When Lucy arrives, she is unable to find Jess, but she does eventually find her diary. This leads Lucy to investigate secrets about her family. Meanwhile, she dreams of a woman named Mary and her sister Eliza in 1800 who are sent on a convict ship from Ireland to Australia. The reader follows in the POV of Lucy, Jess, and Mary where all the stories and plots seem initially separate, but they eventually all come together like pieces of a puzzle.
The story itself sort of forces the reader to originally suspend logic, in a way, as there are more questions than answers for the initial set up of Lucy and the man before she ends up in the small coast town to try and meet Jess. For me, I think the set-up was meant to add to the mystery and to start the reader in the middle of the action; however, there was not enough established yet about Lucy and her relationship with Jess to make sense of why Lucy would go to Jess after the incident. For me, this relationship needed more exploration, especially because the family drama played a large role in the story. There are disappearances of men in the town where Lucy lives yet this plot is put in the background when the focus shifts to the family drama. The focus does re-shift to this mystery as it does tie into the main story, however, there is a lot of shifting throughout the novel. As the story from the 1800s is based on a true story and the present day one is completely a work of fiction, I enjoyed the idea of bringing the two pieces together. This entire story had great potential, but, for me, it tried to accomplish too much without enough exploration of the details that would help me, as a reader, connect to each element. Overall, this story was not for me, and I don’t see myself re-reading it; however, I can see potential with the author and may try her again in the future.

Just finished The Sirens by Emilia Hart and wow — a hypnotic blend of myth, love, and grief that lingers like salt on your skin. 5/5 stars!

The Sirens by Emilia Hart

After reading and absolutely adoring Weyward, her next novel The Sirens became one of the highest book on my anticipated reads or TBR. This book truly lived up to the fame and glory of her first novel and I cannot wait to see how the public receives it. Mary and Eliza’s sisterhood followed by Lucy and Jessie’s relationship left me a wreck! The character growth we see with Lucy, no longer shying from hardship or trouble, but embracing this inner strength and bravery in herself. Jessie finally being freed from his childhood traumas. Mary and Eliza rescuing those women - all of this novel was so well done. I cannot wait to read more of this author. Thank you truly for letting me read an arc of this novel.