Wow, this book took me on an emotional rollercoaster! 🎢 The lengths families go to for love and protection are beautifully portrayed, and the minor characters added so much richness to Emilia's story. The Puerto Rican setting was a stunning contrast to Oregon, making the narrative even more engaging. Plus, the exploration of music as a driving force in the characters' lives was simply brilliant! 🎤 Definitely looking forward to more from this author!

Having loved Lauren's first book, I knew that I would probably love this one. This story of redemption set in Puerto Rico touches upon social injustices and moral ambiguities at its finest. Highly recommend!

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.

I read the ebook, but received the audiobook and sampled the narrators. The narrators are fantastic! I always love Frankie Corzo. This book would be great as an audiobook listen.

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