Under the guise of clearing out her late mothers' house and finishing her latest novel, (but mostly to get away from her responsibilities and her soon-to-be-exhusband), boring, burned out, middle-aged novelist Jen impulsively takes her 2 kids and their dog to the beach island where she grew up. Pretty mundane life stuff.
Shortly after they arrive, Jen's best friend from age 10 walks out of the ocean. Missing and presumed drowned for 30 years, Timmy remains 10 years old, unchanged and un-aged. And that's when things start getting weird.

Thirty-years ago, 10 year old Jenni watches as her best friend Timmy Caruso disappears while swimming near her beachfront home. Present day, Jen is an accomplished author on the verge of a divorce, and she takes her kids back to her beachfront home after her mother’s passing when a young boy appears on the shore, claiming his name is Timmy Caruso, and Timmy states he’s on a mission to save the world. Here Beside The Rising Tide is a mashup of sci-fi/horror/fantasy genres, with some humor thrown in the mix. The plot is a bit of stretch, which includes sea monsters, time travel and weather anomalies. The book reads like a YA novel at times, and the dialogue among the children can be maddeningly juvenile and was a major distraction that spoiled most of the story for me, and unfortunately was too large a part of the novel. Was hoping for more sci-fi and less YA. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NETGALLEY and Hyperion Avenue for eARC

Plot: 3 (Concept is a 5, hence my ARC request)
Characters: 4
Writing Style: 3.5
Cover: 5 (I fucky love it)
Enjoyment: At first, 5, but then it lost steam and went to a 3ish. At one point, I wanted to read King's "Finders Keepers" more, despite the deadline. Sadge.

& that's a low 3, mind.

This sci-fi romance action book is told through third person POV, mainly from our MC, Jenni, though sometimes from the children or other side characters, coupled with excerpts from books within "(T)he Rising Tide" world. Quick-paced, humorous, cozy setting (until it's not, of course), non-linear timeline. The dialogue, though, it's awkward more often than not, even if it works in certain situations. It honestly came down to. There being. Too many. Short sentences. Distracting. Coupled with the overabundance of action words -- "SQUELCH SQUELCH SQUELCH" & "bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang", etc it dissolved into a push to finish, which was a bummer, considering how hard it started off. I loved the book at first. And then that underwhelming battle conclusion... sigh. IDK what happened, sorry.

SPOILER CREATURE REVEAL, MAYBE? BELOW!




P.S. Uhhhhh, you can't just, um, have 🦕 left in modern day. Just sayin'.

This book was not what I was expecting. Nail biter, page turner, could not put down. Loved that there were second chances and battles. Different but good book. Highly recommend!

This was alllll over the place, kind of in a good way and kind of in a bad way. I like the weird and fantastical, but I feel like there was almost not enough weird and fantastical in this, or maybe just not executed in a very organized fashion. I enjoyed the aspect of self discovery and reconnecting with yourself and your childhood self, but the plot and execution were a little strangely executed. Most definitely unique, I have not ever read anything like it before! I liked the differing points of view, I almost wished the switched more often or in a more organized way. Overall, if you’re looking for something different and love sea monsters, I would give this a try.

Thank you to Hyperion Avenue and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review

Here Beside the Rising Tide from Emily Jane is story with a fantastical plot involving a beachside town and a sea monster.

Jenni, a romance author, is going through the opposite of romance i.e. divorce when she returns to Pearl Island with her children. Jenni grew up in Pearl Island and had one glorious summer with her friend Timmy Caruso. They spent the entire summer swimming, running on the boardwalk, and enjoying all the benefits of summer. Then, Timmy disappeared.

Now, her Pokémon-obsessed children in tow, she's trying to find herself again. Then....late one night, a boy comes out of the sea. He says he's Timmy Caruso and he's 10 years old.

Jenn rents a summer house on Pearl Island. But shortly after she arrives, a boy emerges from the nighttime sea. His name, he says, is Timmy Caruso. He’s ten years old. And he’s on a mission to save the world. While dealing with her hilarious children, "Timmy" and a too-hot-to-handle contractor, Jenni tries to manage everything. Then, shark attaches, sea-creatures addicted to sugar, and tidal waves start occurring, Jenni has to wonder if "Timmy" was telling the truth.
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This isn't a deep story. It's lighthearted and does show growth and change. The location helped immensely, as who doesn't want to spend a summer at a beach town.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

⭐️

I did not finish this book because I could not get into it. It started out too slow for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Emily Jane for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

whimsical, kinda sci-fi but really more of a whimsical, chaotic fantasy. not much consistency in the worldbuilding, btu that worked very well! 5 stars, tysm for the arc.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to review the ARC.


I was a bit scared because I am not a huge sci-fi or fantasy book person. But this didn’t really have sci-fi like her last book. I actually really enjoyed this book. It was fast paced and it was fun. There were some mysteries too which I loved loved!!!

such a fun and unique read!! this would be so much fun to read on the beach. it was so whimsical and crazy and quirky and full of childlike wonder. I loved that it was so easy to fall in love with the characters. A perfect blend of mystery, motherhood, romance, sci fi, and probably more. I’m so happy I got to read this, thank you netgalley for the early copy!!

Jenn, a recently divorced mom of two, brings her kids to her childhood home. The home, falling into disrepair, has been vacant since Jenn's mom died. The cottage on Pearl Island was the site of a life-changing event for Jenn. As the only child, she reluctantly returned home. She is shocked at the condition of the house and its contents, debating whether demolition or renovation made the most sense. As she struggles with this decision, she needs inspiration for the next book in her popular mystery series. Jenn's writing has kept her away from her kids. She wants to develop a bond with them, but how? Strange events will lead her to a shift in her world and bring her in touch with her children.

Jenn is the proverbial divorced mom desiring a relationship with her children. Her focus has been on writing and custody arrangements will keep her out of her children's lives part of the time. She believes showing her kids where she grew up will bring them closer. Hurt by the divorce, healing will be slow. The events that unite Jenn and her children are unusual and I found the abrupt shift into fantasy surprising. The circumstances that Jenn and her children find themselves in are unbelievable. I never reconciled myself to the fantasy theme in the second half of the book The author has a great imagination, crafting a unique storyline. Her character development needs work. Many questions remain unanswered making the ending feel incomplete.

What a lovely weird and bizarre book! I have no idea how to box this one up because it spans many genres in such a fun and unique way. All I can say for certain is that most everyone will live this!

What a wild ride….what a charming tale. I never thought that a book about sea monsters could make me cry, but this one did. Jenni is a soon-to-be-divorced Mom of 2 who’s also the author of the popular series about the kinda female Bond. Jenni’s husband has dumped her and wants the kids. Under pressure from her editor to finish her next book, she grabs the kids and the dog and heads to Pearl Island for the summer. Jenni grew up there and it was the location of a traumatic event in her life. At age 10, Jenni meets and becomes best friends with Timmy Caruso who was visiting Pearl Island with is wealthy family for the summer. One day, Jenni and Timmy are at the beach and Timmy just disappears…no body was ever found and Jenni has never had a best friend again. Now back in Pearl Island, Jenni must decide what to do with her recently deceased Mother’s house, finish her edits and avoid increasingly angry texts from her husband. In the middle of this chaos, a 10 year old boy appears on the beach and claims to be Timmy. He befriends Jenni’s kids and says he’s return to save the world along with strange green squid-like sea creatures who love sweets. Next, there are unexplained huge waves up and down the Atlantic seaboard, missing swimmers, surfers and fishermen and the appearance of a black, huge, sea monster destroying everything in it’s path. Also the sexy contractor hired to fix up Jenni’s Mom’s house seems to always appear when needed…. It sounds crazy but this good is delightful!

I love a daring mix of genres, and this book definitely delivers. Most readers will probably read the jacket copy before diving into this story, and will therefore know where it is headed. But I love the idea of someone picking up this book and being surprised and delighted by the turns it takes. Great characterization, wonderful tension, and even a bit of romance. I loved that the main character was a writer as well, giving a glimpse into that world. A great read, especially if you're a wannabe beach bum, like me.

This book is bonkers, and I mean that as a complement. There is A LOT going on in here, which for some readers may be off-putting. But I really enjoyed the ride (though the tonal shifts were a bit chunky... not sure what purpose the editor's POV served.) Basically a 4.5 for me.

There's a bit of romance (our hero, Jenn is a romance writer), there's a bit of family drama (parenting struggles, the death of a mother, an impending divorce), there's a light bit of Sci-Fi (a mysterious boy from the past who reappears/a bit of an ET vibe) and then there's HEAVY Sci-Fi (a giant monster in the sea!)

Does it all go together? Mostly, yes. Particularly if you are the sort who is comfortable with things taking a swerve into the surreal (*raises hand*). And I thought it was a great analogy for parenting in the modern world. As Jenn thinks to herself at one point, "Scared was a permanent feature of being sentient in a volatile universe."

I though Jenn was a believable character, and I liked that she was not a great parent, not a great wife...just this woman who is thrust into a crazy situation and tries to do her best. (But gosh is there a lot of screen time for those kids!) Nothing about the craziness is ever explained, (WHY is this monster thing happening? Who knows? Climate change? It is a metaphor?) But I was OK with that, because it seems like that how horrific things happen in life too--suddenly and without reason.

Heads-up...there is SO MUCH CANDY in this book. It plays an integral part of the story. So you might want to get a handful of gummy worms before you crack this open. Thank you to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, I totally did not expect this to go off into a fantasy world. What a fun, crazy adventure. The things that go on in our minds when we're not paying attention. The novel goes from a happy summer by the sea to a world gone mad. It's like life becomes a cartoon, frightening and funny at the same time. It's a coming of age story no one expects. I think this book would appeal to preteens through old age. It's laugh-out-loud funny at times, a crazy puzzle at other times, and poignant. Sometimes you have to put the book down and ask yourself, what just happened here? The point is, growing up is just not that simple.

Okay, I absolutely loved this bizarro book! Time travel! Sea monsters! Summers at the beach! Fans of rom-coms, mom-coms, sci-fi, Harlequin romances, and Pokémon, specifically, will eat this book up, but I think almost anyone can take something away from it.

“They were all just insignificant humans clinging to life on their big hunk of space rock, making it up as they went along…”

And all references to the “Chuck-sized dent” had me reeling 😂

Thank you to #Hyperion and #NetGalley for the digital ARC of #HereBesidetheRisingTide. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

I have to admit that I requested this book entirely because of 1) the title (keep sining Uncle John's Band in my head) and 2) the cover (pink sky, a boardwalk and tentacles - yes please!). The premise didn't sound bad, but I was leery of the romance writer protagonist. Happy to report I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed this absurdly fantastical time travel apocalypse by sea monster story.

Jenn is a best selling author of a romance adventure series, but her life is imploding. Her husband wants a divorce. She can't seem to get the edits done on her latest book. And she needs to deal with her childhood home which has been empty for 3 years. So she "kidnaps" her kids, escaping to her childhood hometown of Pearl Island and mayhem ensues. Even though the plot devices are over the top, you go along for the ride because you want to see everything work out for Jenn and her kids.

I enjoyed this book although it would not have been one I would have chosen, but I found myself wanting to keep reading, and not put it down. It encompasses so many genres, romance, sci-fi, fantasy, and a bit of realistic fiction combine to tell a great story. I would recommend it as a fun read for just about anyone.

This is not a genre that I ordinarily read. However, the author's writing is so compelling that I just kept turning the pages to see how she would resolve things. I would recommend this book for anyone who enjoys SciFi/Fantasy.
#HereBesideTheRisingTide#NetGalley