Going into this book, I knew that I would probably enjoy/love it. It really didn't disappoint me as each chapter revealed a new twist and I found myself not wanting to put it down. Highly recommend!

When Paul Winstead disappears on his honeymoon, his bride, Emilia, is defenseless against the accusations hurled at her by his wealthy, distrustful family. Sick and vulnerable, she flees to a new life thousands of miles away, but never gets over her first true love. Thirty years later, her daughter Gracie flees another failed relationship. Her reunion with her mother and younger half-sister is cut short when her mother receives a mysterious phone call and leaves without explanation.

Gracie and Meg follow their mother to her native Puerto Rico and are confronted with revelation after revelation. A dying, psychic grandmother recently released from prison. The fact Gracie's father was not an unknown hook-up but a much beloved husband who is still alive.

Lauren Rico delivers another memorable suspense novel with strong female characters and an unforgettable Puerto Rico setting. #AftertheOcean #NetGalley

This book was so good. The story was intricate & beautiful. There's a lot to unpack. Each layer of mystery has a layer of deep emotions. Perhaps I should compare this story to an onion. A delicious onion!
I loved every character. They were well fleshed-out. None of them were one-dimensional. The author put a lot of thought & care into each of them.
I loved the mystery. I loved the shock of learning the truth. Er, truths. I loved the emotions. I cried.
I strongly recommend you read this book! I want to read more by this author now.

When you think you’ve got it figured out—YOU DONT!!!!

Gah! This book had me thinking so many different outcomes and I never would’ve guessed this one. This is a story of love and mystery! Emilia and Paul are newly weds on a cruise ship but it turns to the worst when Paul doesn’t come back after visiting a local island. No one will take her seriously. She calls his rich family to see if they can pull some strings and the blame gets placed all on her. Her only way out of this is to disappear and hope the Winsteads don’t come looking for her.

Thirty years later, Emilia receives a notice that Paul is still alive and resides in Puerto Rico where he went missing. Her adult daughters don’t know anything going on so they end up following her.


I won’t spoil anything, but this is an amazing book and family and the strength of connecting with each other. I loved the mystery aspect of this book and would recommend this author to everyone!

Emilia has always wanted the truth about her husband Paul and now years later she might get it. Emilia and her daughters Gracie and Meg tell the story as Emilia returns to Puerto Rico where Paul disappeared when they were on their honeymoon. This is very much about family and secrets and it's filled throughout with music. Thanks to netgalley for the ArC. A good read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for the eARC.

I really liked the characters and relationships that played a main role in this book. I cannot imagine being a newlywed and having your husband go missing on your honeymoon. I liked the way it played out and the way it explored the characters.

This book had it all. A interesting plot about a mother and daughter relationship. It had beautiful writing and a nice pace. The cover is stunning. Loved it! Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for this free eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Perfect read. 10/10. Prose, plot, pacing - everything is well executed. This was soo satisfying to read.

I only meant to dip into the first few pages and get back to my to do list, but I knew my responsibilities didn’t stand a chance as soon as I read the prologue.

There’s family drama, mystery, music, romance and ambition. And Lauren’s writing is so engaging you can’t stop reading. What more can a girl ask for?

What an absolutely stunning and riveting family saga. The writing was so vivid, I felt like I was on the boat and the islands. It has gripping really short chapters, which nudge the reader to read just one more.
The story is told by several different narrators which really adds nice layers.
Emilia and Paul get secretly married and take a cruise, one that Paul never returns to and disappears setting into motion a lot of things.
Having dual times, “the now” and “30 years ago” demonstrates beautifully how times have changed but some things stay the same.
I really appreciated the sisters, Gracie and Meg, navigating love, resentment, jealousy and the confusion that it is to be sisters.
It is also a tale of the worst and best kind of people and how people can change.
I also really appreciated the trigger warnings at the start of the book and the Book club discussion questions.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Short version: I loved this and will read anything that Lauren E Rico writes.

Emilia and Paul are newlyweds in their early twenties, having just eloped and hopped on a cruise ship to celebrate. Two nights in, after a stop in Puerto Rico, Paul is missing, and Emilia is concerned, but nobody will take her seriously. She calls his parents, the Winsteads, because she knows their money will get things moving, but instead, they shift the blame to Emilia and try to get her arrested and charged with Paul's disappearance. Her only option is to disappear herself and hope the Winsteads never come looking for her.

Thirty years later, Emilia receives word that Paul might be alive and living in Puerto Rico. She immediately hops on a plane to follow that lead. Not having previously known about this aspect of their mother's past, her two adult daughters, Meg and Gracie, follow her.

This is a story of mystery and love. Family and the strength of connection. Seeing parts of people that you may not have ever seen in such a way. And I loved it.

This book is out on December 24th and I think it's a must read for anyone and everyone!

This novel was an entertaining read about undying love and the relationship between a mother and her daughters.

After the Ocean is a beautiful story about finding your way in life and doing what it takes to keep your child safe. The underlying thrill/mystery piqued my interest and the unraveling of a love story kept me glued to the pages. I loved the setting of Puerto Rico and the sprinkling of Spanish among the pages. This was a very thought-provoking novel and one that I would highly recommend! Unlike any other story I've read, it combined the best of both worlds of thriller and romance. Truly a fabulous book!

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing | Kensington for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a super unexpected unique plot. Really really good! I couldn't put it down.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to l NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I read Familia last year by this author and it was one of my favorite reads, so I immediately requested this book. I enjoyed this book and how it showed that redemption can be possible. I do feel like the story could’ve been more fleshed out towards the end or maybe we could’ve seen more at the end but I am happy with this story.

This was a fantastic thriller. With a dual time line and multiple narrators we start the story of Emilia & Paul on their cruise honeymoon when Paul goes missing.

A really intriguing story which I sped though.

This is one of the most thought provoking stories I have read in a veryyyyy long time. It was just so good! It had so many good things and left me thinking

Wow! After the Ocean was such a good read. I can’t say enough good things about this book. I couldn’t stop turning the pages until the very end.