THE GOOD:

Beautiful, heartwarming, intriguing.
Emilia/Emily seems a lovely soul; her daughters are feisty, fun, and captivating.
Great backstory for all.

Told in alternating points of view that switches with each chapter and keeps things interesting and moving along.

Clean fiction with a no diversity checklist bingo and a happy ending that leaves one feeling peace.

THE BAD:

The cover and title. While the tale does begin on a cruise ship near Puerto Rico, in this case I don’t think they accurately represent the story. A better title would have been Return to Me, taken from a poem read near the end of the novel, which has multiple shades of meaning for this book.

I would have lived more detailed descriptions of the lush Puerto Rican island as well as the small “nothing” town in Oregon where Gracie and Meg grow up.

These are small issues, however, overall.

CONCLUSION:

Highly recommended. I will definitely be reading more from this author!

Thank you NetGalley Kensington Publishing and NetGalley.

The premise was interesting but I didn't enjoy this book.

What an interesting plot! Sometimes thrillers can feel repetitive, with the same storylines just being reworked so that you feel you've read the novel before but weren't sure where. This one feels fresh.

Super appreciate the author including trigger warnings 💕

“𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯. 𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘴𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭. 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘬𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮, 𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘨𝘰 𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘧𝘢𝘳 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺.”

Thank you RB Media, Kensington Books and Netgalley for the advanced readers copies!

I discovered this author last fall when I came across her other book Familia. I bought it - haven’t read yet - and was intrigued by her premises. A thrilleresque/mystery in the multicultural interests genre? Sounds totally up my alley and I binged the audiobook, which is done by a full cast, almost overnight. We are told the full story between two timelines from a few characters. It’s not so much thriller as it is a family mystery.

Even though I haven’t read the book but only watched the show adaption, I found quite a few similarities between this and Black Cake, but there’s still plenty to distinguish them. I don’t know what it was but it held my attention and interest the entire time, and I really enjoyed it! Beyond the mystery there’s also the family dynamics that is between mothers and daughters, even a father and his sons.

Content warnings include minimal profanity, mentions of sexual abuse and a brutal murder, a side character is said to be a medium, and traumatic injuries. Overall 4 out of 5 and I’ll definitely be reading Familia at some point too.

Thank you Net Galley & the publisher for the e-ARC.

This book could be classified as a mystery but it’s so much more. It’s a story about love, connection, family.

I really enjoyed the characters, plot and the dual timelines. The many perspectives were easy to follow and added interest to the book.

I look forward to reading more from this Author!

I haven't read Familia or any other of Rico's previous novels, so this was my first experience of her writing. The book is told from multiple character perspectives, starting with Emilia, the wife of the man who goes missing. When the book shifted after several chapters to her daughter's perspective, many decades later, I realized that despite being a thriller, there was no tautness achieved. I wasn't "missing" Emilia, and knew barely anything about her missing husband. I was actually growing somewhat bored, hardly flipping the pages to see what came next - so this was a did not finish for me.

This story of love with an interesting mystery took place within dual timelines encompassing today and 30 yrs ago. It started with Paul one night as he was hurtling through the air toward the ocean 30 years ago. What an opening!
The story then centers around Emilia Oliveros, who claims that Paul got off their cruise in San Juan, and never returned to their cabin. She claims that they were married two days prior but does not have a marriage certificate. Paul was from a wealthy Texas oil family that didn't like Emilia and though that she was a gold digger. The family demands that she be arrested but without a body there is no proof of murder. A detective and his wife take her under their wing as the tension on the ship increases and manage to get her out of Puerto Rice to Oregon where she eventually marries and has two daughters. All three of the women play classical piano and in fact, that was how Emilia and Paul met as he was a cellist.
When Emilia, now Emily, receives a phone call 30 years later (today) that Paul might be alive, she takes off for Puerto Rico, while her daughters follow not knowing of her past.
I loved this book and the characters who were realistic and well developed. The mystery kept me guessing as the author let the reader in on a few scattered tidbits, without revealing too much. This is a story of family and love, pain and joy.
I received an ARC of the book from the Publisher, Kensington Press, and am leaving my review voluntarily. I recommend this book for a great book club discussion and look forward to anything this author offers. It is definitely a 4 1/2* read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This was such a beautiful story about life and forgiveness!

It was less so a mystery of what happened to Paul and more about family, goodness and interpersonal relationships. There were some mysterious aspects, but that was not the biggest focus of the story at all.

I thought it was written well! Even though there were a lot of plot points, it all worked together. It was easy to understand and I thought all of them were important to the overall story.

I liked all of the characters, I thought they were fleshed out. I cared about them and liked characters we only met for a couple of pages, which says something about how the author is a good writer.

I loved Miguel, even though he wasn’t a main character. I wish we saw a little more of him in the end. I understand he is not super important to the story at the end of the day, but it felt like we didn’t get a proper send off for him.

I thought the sibling dynamic between Gracie and Meg was so well done! It was beautiful to watch them work things out after it was tense at first but still with the love they have for each other.

I actually really liked Blaine’s character. There is something to be said about someone so awful realizing he was wrong and changing his ways! Even if the characters or the readers can’t 100% forgive him for what he did, you can’t say that he didn’t change.

One thing I will say I wish happened was that we saw a little more of Paul and Emilia’s relationship, even if it was just in flashbacks. I still really cared for their relationship and could feel their love, even if it was told a little more than it was shown. I know there were a lot of working parts so it might be a lot extra to add scenes of them together, but something was missing a little bit. I did cry a little when Emilia said Paul was waiting for her, that was so sweet.

There was a little bit of a supernatural aspect with Emilia’s mom. I personally could have done without it, just because it was such a small part of the book I didn’t think we needed to add that in since there was already so much else to be talked about. Though it didn’t harm the book any or make me dislike it, it was just a little unnecessary in my opinion.

I had a hard time with Ismelda’s character because she chose not to believe Emilia. What happened to Emilia when she was younger is so awful, I couldn’t imagine if my own mother didn’t believe me. I thought it was very realistic how Emilia dealt with it. It is hard to forgive her, but that is your mother and you only have so much time with her on this Earth.

I loved how everything connected and wrapped up nicely! It was such an inspiring story about how not to quit, even if things are tough, or not being forced to do something you don’t want to do even if other people expect you to.

I really do recommend reading this book. It is kind of slow paced, but in a good way. It’s a very human story, and a hopeful one at that. Which we need in the world! Very wholesome, even if difficult or sad things happened throughout.

I loved Familia, so I was excited to receive an advanced copy of Lauren E. Rico's newest novel, After the Ocean. It hits on similar notes in terms of its focus on a decades old family secret and the younger generation determining what really happened. The story was set in the same universe as Familia, so it was neat to hear about a plot point in that novel and the same detective.

The story has a dual timeline, thirty years prior and present-day. Emilia and Paul are classical musicians in their early twenties and have just married. They are on their honeymoon, a cruise that has stopped in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Emilia has been very ill with a stomach bug and when she finally awakens, her husband has disappeared without a trace. Paul’s wealthy family believes Emilia to be undeserving and after his money, so she worries they will blame him for his disappearance. She is soon taken into custody on the ship accused of killing him despite there being no evidence that a crime has even been committed.

In the present day, we meet Emilia’s ambitious daughter, Gracie, a lawyer in her late twenties. Gracie’s personal life is tumultuous and she needs a break from her fiancé. She goes to her parents’ home for a break, where she reunites with her younger sister, Meg, who is seemingly living the life Gracie was meant for before an accident left her unable to play piano. While there, Emilia receives a cryptic phone call and drops everything to travel to Puerto Rico, leaving her family in the dark. Concerned, Gracie and Meg follow her and learn there is a lot they don’t know about their mother and her past. The story is fast-moving, with a lot happening from page to page. I loved the drama of the story and family relationships. Rico writes in such an inviting way.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ebook ARC. All thoughts are my own.

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.