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

This is a weird read, twisted. Fantasy, sea monsters, life monsters and heartaches. If your into fantasy this is the book for you. I was given an advanced reader copy of this book by NetGalley and I am freely sharing my review.

Here Beside the Rising Tide is a family adventure that, while original and fun in parts, dragged in others. Jenni's best friend disappeared when they were ten years old only to return 30 years later while Jenni is going through her own personal drama.

As a sea monster attacks their beach home, Jenni, her children, and Timmy, must find a way to battle back.

The plot was very original, but there were certainly areas such as the asides for Jenni's books did not move the plot along. Jenni as a famous writer was not as interesting as Jenni the mom. This could have used some paring down in places to make it move quicker while still hitting the major plot points.

Wow! I feel such an out-of-body feeling after finishing Here Beside the Rising Tide by Emily Jane.
Where mom Jenn takes her kids Evie and Mason without permission from their dad, from Ohio to a small North Carolina coastal town where Jenn had spent her summers growing up.
What happens next is a summer of unbelievable adventures and horrific nightmares of epic proportions.
Add a little back to the future, shoplifting, a book editor, an irate dad, and a love interest, what's not to love about this story?
The only thing that annoyed me was the excerpts that popped up now and then. I know why they were there, but it distracted me.

I really enjoyed Here Beside the Rising Tide. Emily Jane was a new author for me and I didn't know what to expect other than I liked the premise of the book. Happily I found it to be unique and quirky and a lot of fun. The author did a great job combining the past, the present and the future to create a story with elements of sci-fi, horror and even a touch of romance. The character development was well done and I felt like Jenni and the kids were a real family. I also really liked that the residents of Pearl Island tended to be open-minded and tried to work together. I gave the story 4 stars because I saw no need for the Danz Landry excerpts. I really just wanted to skip over them and get right back to the story. Without them I would give the book 4.5 stars. I definitely would recommend this book and I look forward to reading more from Emily Jane.

This book was interesting and definitely different and I think many readers will love this one! Personally, this was not my favorite book but there is no doubt it's a good story. The fact that Jenn just up and left with her kids did put me off a bit and I don't know if that was the best decision but it does make a good setup for the plot.

Thank you NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is bizarre, and I mean that as a compliment.
Jenn's moderately crappy husband wants a divorce, so she packs up the kids and goes to the tiny beach town she grew up in, supposedly to "clean up her mom's house" after her mom passed away, but really mostly to irritate her soon to be ex.

I mean, she does work on getting her mom's house in order, but also <spoiler>reunites with a childhood friend who disappeared while swimming and is somehow still 10 years old, works on not working on her new novel, falls in love, and helps her children fight in the sea monster apocalypse.</spoiler>

Really recommend not reading the spoilers if you're planning on reading this one because the amount of directions this book goes is both hilarious and unexpected. I wish goodreads did half stars, because this is a 3.5 for sure - not quite a 4 as I felt like it was a little long for what it did.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this one - a very fun read.

I found Emily Jane’s first novel to be similar in tone to her first - whimsical with a hint of sci-fi, but rooted in great characterization with meaningful on-page relationships. Her characterization really shines through the friendships, family relationship, and romantic relationships that she showcases and develops along the way.

The plot is a bit ridiculous, but in a fun and magical way - a sea monster off the coast of a small beach town, where everything is otherwise as you might expect it (apart from the squidoodle, of course). The main character, Jenni, is a mom who’s about to go through divorce, and dealing with a lot of complicated emotions. It turns out to be a very heartwarming tale about growth and evolving into new versions of yourself.

The sci-fi in this is not too strong, so don’t expect complicated world-building, or a lot of definitive detail regarding the other entities in this book. The focus is definitely on Jenni’s family and relationships, and her kids are hilarious. The side characters definitely carry the plot along and make it a well-rounded cast! The beginning does drag a bit, but the second half makes up for it in action and fun.

With a bit of romance, action, and many heartfelt moments, this was definitely an enjoyable read! Thanks to NetGalley, Hyperion Avenue, and Emily Jane for the eARC! I was so excited to receive this as my first ARC, since I found her first novel to be so much fun.

This book was...interesting. At first I enjoyed the madcap style but it got a little wearing by the end. I also didn't really sympathize with the protagonist. I could have used a little more of her background, both with her mom and with her (ex?) husband. I didn't quite get her reasoning for running away.
For me, the pacing also felt a little wonky. Bit of a mushy middle, with the end coming fast and furious. I also just didn't 'get' that last confrontation between the squidoodles and the Big Bad. I understand that it's supposed to be zany but all of the crazy things they created just felt like too much for me.
Based on other reviews I've seen, I think I will give Jane's earlier work a try.

This book is insanely good and I can honestly say I haven't read anything like it ever before!!! I loved how fast paced it was and how Emily Jane was able to perfectly blend together the sci fi, horror, mystery, and romance genres together. This was such a fun and intriguing book and I cannot wait to go and read more of Emily's books!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the arc!!

This was such a fun ride! A real genre bender of a novel and one of the most unique I've ever read. It really had everything you could ask for: humor, action, family drama, romance, adorable squid creatures, and mild eldritch horror. As a fan of Pokémon I also appreciated those references. I've never read Emily Jane before, but I'll be certain to grab any books I see going forward!

This book ended up not being for me. I can think of friends who will love it and have recommended adding it to their TBR. The writing and characters were good, but I found myself wanting to put it down.

Here beside the Rising Tide is an unconventional humorous tale about an unhappy family about to go through a divorce. Jenn packs up the kids and dog and runs away to her childhood home. And then something weird happens - a childhood friend who drowned 30 years ago returns…and he is still 10 years old.
It’s a fun story but has underlying aspects that we can all relate to. It’s chick lit, it’s fantasy, it’s humorous.

I really loved this author's previous book, so I was very excited to read her new novel, and this one did not disappoint me!
Again, Emily Jane brings a FUN story with monsters (not aliens, like in her last book), adult characters going through real life and relatable issues, and kids! Lovely, adorable, charismatic kids as a huge part of the narrative.
I loved everything about this book. Also, the fact that the adult main character is a mystery-smut writer was a nice treat. LOL
I'll come back here with a full review by the publication date, but I must recommend this book to everyone who likes these tropes or to whom has read Jane's previous book and enjoyed it.

Thank you, NetGalley and Ballantine Books, for providing me with a free e ARC of this delightful and FUN novel.

This was an interesting title in that it explores so many different genres. I thought the concept was unique and really kept me on my toes throughout. It can be really difficult to pull off a mix of genres like this, but I thought the author did an excellent job of doing this without feeling disjointed. At the heart of the book is a woman trying to hold onto pieces of her life that seem to be slipping away, which is something we all feel at least some of the time. I enjoyed the moral of the story as well the relationship between Jenni and the kiddos. This was a very surprising read in that I didn't know much about it going into it. I think this title really benefits from that approach and added to my enjoyment.