I was hooked from the beginning, what a book! On the island of Little Auger a young girl goes missing, disappearing in the early morning. Her death breaks up the friendship of Caitlin, Roz and Nina and the impact is felt by all their families. Years later they are contacted by a journalist, a podcaster who says she has found something new linked to Hazel’s disappearance. This leads to the once childhood friends meeting again in adulthood on the island.
There are plenty of twists along the way and perhaps a rekindling of past friendships.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc.

between the waves will linger long after you finish. and even cause pause throughout the books. you feel like you are truly "between the waves" yourself at time as you go between the pages. there is a great ebb and flow to the pace. there is an undercurrent of grief,loss and whats unsaid throughout. there is also a certain drowning of these woman, who in there own way are never the same again after a tragic event decades before. they are all real humans. and like people in life that we just saw a snippet from, we might not like or agree with all they are. but when you look deeper into people, or when we know people. we then know and come to realize there is so much more to the why and who people are after what shapes them. and these woman are all under a ripple of what happened all those years ago and i enjoyed knowing their takes on the past and present.
the podcaster ideas was also a good one. it gave a new perspective and a good way to bring the woman back. it was also like another narrator forcing answer and questions alike to be spoken.
the book follows a vanishing of a friend 20 years before and how the girls left behind shattered from each other. and that night they all had a part to play. for very different reason this still lingers with their souls. then a true crime podcaster comes along saying she has new evidence. and the woman must now come back together to confront what went on then and also who they are now.​
their are secrets and guilt throughout this book. and the sometimes gentle sometimes unraveling of all these woman is gripping and emotional to read. the added depth comes in the way of the location to and Hilary writes this with such charge behind it so it feel even more atmospheric.
you are truly on an emotional journey with this book both with the woman themselves and finding out what happened.
its excellent.

What a great read! I went into it expecting a mystery book but it was so much more! It is such a great exploration of how grief shapes a person.

Roz, Catrin, and Nina find their worlds turned upside down when Stella, who has a podcast, contacts them and says she has information about the disappearance of young Hazel years ago. The three women have all struggled with grief and guilt for what happened when they were teens. Stella pokes in holes. This moves back and forth in time to tell their stories. It's a familiar plot to readers in this genre but the atmospherics are good and I liked the characters. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read for a rainy day.

This is the first book by this author, so I went into it completely blind. Not sure what to expect, but it was such a good read.
The writing style is what really got me, within the first chapter I found it flowing, easy to follow and the way she wrote with clear, subdues emotions, made it all the more relatable.
I’m not one of those who tries to guess an ending/ the plot, I just like to be immersed in the story and see where it takes me and I was more than satisfied with how this took me and where I ended with it.
I’ve immediately purchased the author’s 2 previous books to read on the basis of this.
I really enjoyed the writing style, the story and the character development. I’d recommend this to everyone.

Twenty years ago, three teen girls spent a family holiday on an isolated island called Little Auger that was only accessible during low tide. The locals had stories about the island being haunted and cursed. Locals avoided the island. A younger sister disappears, and the friends are left to deal with their grief, guilt, and personal fears on their own.
Twenty years later, a journalist contacts them to say she has found evidence that may solve the mystery and wants to interview them for an article. Because at the time of the disappearance, there were accusations that the family who owned the island’s father may have been involved in the disappearance. This caused the girls to have a strained relationship, but because they all are looking for answers they agree to meet.
It is a story of broken families and friendships, loss of trust, and guilt. No one wanted to re-visit the nightmare.
The story unfolds slowly building the tension until the final chapter ends with a satisfying twist.
It was an enjoyable read that kept me coming back for more. This is the first book that I have read by this author, but it won’t be the last. Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union publishing for an advanced reader copy for my honest review. I plan to post a review on my blog at Virginia-Gruver.com, Linkedin, and Goodreads now and will follow up with reviews on Amazon and Barnes and Noble closer to the release date.

This book by new to me author Hilary Taylor, published by Lake Union Publishing is a story that is gripping, heartwrenchingly beautiful, grips with both hands. Pretty confusing, but well written and intriguing.

I thoroughly enjoyed this emotional, moving book by Hilary Tailor. At its heart is the mystery of the disappearance of a little girl - Roz's little sister Hazel, on holiday on the island of Auger. What happened that day changes the lives of Roz and her friends Catrin and Nina forever. The three of them have always been close, but their friendship doesn't survive the tragedy of Hazel's disappearance. They are all scarred, their personal lives damaged by the different way each of them copes. Twenty years on, when a podcaster claims to have unearthed new evidence to solve the mystery and the three of them finally meet up again, Roz, Catrin and Nina are all struggling to cope with individual crisies. What is revealed has the potential to allow them all to move on, if they let it.

I found the mystery element intriguing and engaging - Tailor really makes you care about Hazel's fate - but I particularly enjoyed the character development, and the way Tailor allows you to see all sides of her flawed characters. The solution to the mystery and the outcomes for Roz, Catrin and Nina were moving and believable. A real page-turner and highly recommended.

The book was fantastic! The mystery in this book kept me turning the pages. I desperately wanted to know what happened to Hazel.

Not only is this a mystery but you get to see the impact it has on the three friend’s lives. Roz has a daughter, Willow, who looks exactly like Hazel did. She is now the same age as Hazel and Roz is doing everything in her power to keep a tight grip on her.

Nina’s mother moved the to London after Hazel went missing. She is now a popular television host. She has refused to let anyone get close to her except for her mother.

Catrin takes great photos and therefore travels all over. Not one to put down roots, she comes home to do the podcast. Her motive is simple, she is trying to find out what happened and clear her father’s name. Roz’s parents accused him of doing something to Hazel.

Stella, the podcast host, has her own agenda.

I really enjoyed the story continuing after we find out what happened to Hazel and the impact it had on everyone’s lives.


Thank you Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Really good book that i will recommend to others.

Thanks for the opportunity to read & review it.

A really enjoyable read, based on a small island just off the coast of Wales. Three teenagers are on holiday when one of the girl's younger sister disappears early one morning. With no body and no answers, their friendship is torn apart. 20 years later, a. podcaster claims to have new evidence and so the three women return to the island, looking for answers.

I enjoyed the combination of character driven story and missing person's plot, with an additional edge of tension from the presence of the podcaster, who is clearly looking for a career-defining scoop. Much soul searching, some shocking revelations and eventually, the truth, make this atmospheric book an emotional read, with a touch of mystery.

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Hilary Tailor and Lake Union for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Between the Waves was a fast paced mystery that really did have me guessing until the end. As an avid true crime prodcast listener, it was a fun element to have a true crime podcaster involved. I enjoyed getting to see the story through the lens of each of the three friends, which helped build the suspense, as each knew different bits and pieces that all contributed to the full story of the night of the incident. While I did enjoy Between the Waves while immersed in it, I must admit that there is not a whole lot that I can recall about it a few weeks and a few books after reading it.

I was super gripped right up until the reveal of what happened to Hazel. I was very confused as to why this was happening in the middle of the book. I then lost interest a bit as I really didn't like any of the characters so wasn't super interested in how the reveal impacted their lives going forward.

This is more than a story about a missing girl, it's about friendship and family and relationships and how the past impacts the present. Of course I wanted to know what happened to Hazel that morning on the island, but I also needed to know what happened in the lives of the three teenage girls after they went their separate ways. Between the Waves is beautifully written, atmospheric and thought provoking, such a pleasure to read.

Between the Waves is a novel that begins as a mystery but evolves into something much deeper—a poignant exploration of grief, secrets, and the long-lasting impact of silence. This is not just a story about a tragedy; it’s about how loss lingers, shaping people and relationships long after the initial heartbreak.

The three main characters are deeply flawed yet profoundly human, each carrying the weight of their past as they struggle to rebuild themselves. The author masterfully layers their emotional journeys, allowing readers to witness their fragility and resilience in equal measure. While the story moves at a slower pace, this deliberate rhythm enhances the book’s reflective and atmospheric nature rather than detracting from it.

What truly sets Between the Waves apart is its setting—a quiet Welsh seaside town where time feels fluid, seamlessly blending the past and present. The disappearance of a child is not just a mystery to be solved; it is interwoven with local folklore, creating a haunting and almost dreamlike quality to the narrative. The author’s prose brings this world to life, making it as much a character as the people within it.

Though it may not be a fast-paced mystery, Between the Waves is an immersive and beautifully written novel that lingers in the mind long after the final page. It is a book for those who appreciate deep character studies, atmospheric settings, and stories that explore the raw complexities of human emotion. A highly recommended read. Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Three teenaged best friends are vacationing on a remote island in Wales with their families. One of the girls' 11 year old sister goes missing. For 20 years there are no answers until a podcaster contacts all three women claiming to have clues to Hazel's mysterious disappearance, bringing them all back to the island for interviews and to reveal what she has found.

The podcaster's "evidence" leads more to a bigger reveal of what really happened and this surprised me, but not as much as the hint of supernatural element to the story...for it had me scratching my head for a while making me wonder how it all fit together.

The story takes you through current lives of all three women and how the long ago tragedy affected them all, as well as see them make attempts to heal from the pain. Overall it was a quick, enjoyable read.

I received an ARC copy of this book via Netgalley.

As a devoted book lover, I am always on the hunt for novels that resonate deeply and linger in my thoughts long after the last page. *Between the Waves* by Hilary Taylor is one such treasure. This beautifully crafted story is a testament to the author’s remarkable ability to weave together compelling characters, vivid settings, and an emotional depth that is both moving and profound.

One line from the book stayed with me long after closing it: "Sometimes, it’s not the waves that drown you, but the silence that follows." This quote perfectly encapsulates the emotional weight and introspection that runs through the heart of the story.

The narrative flows effortlessly, much like the waves it so poetically references, pulling you into the lives of the characters with its heartfelt authenticity. Taylor’s prose is lyrical yet grounded, painting imagery so vivid that you can almost feel the salty sea breeze on your skin. The themes of resilience, connection, and self-discovery are handled with such care and nuance, making this a story that feels universal and intimate all at once.

Each page felt like an invitation to reflect, not just on the lives of the characters, but on my own experiences and emotions. Few books have managed to captivate me so completely. *Between the Waves* is more than just a novel—it’s an experience, one that I will undoubtedly return to and recommend to anyone who appreciates powerful storytelling.

If you love books that challenge your heart and soul while immersing you in a richly drawn world, this is a must-read. Hilary Taylor has cemented herself as an author to watch, and I eagerly await her next masterpiece.

An absolute 5-star read—highly recommend!

Both the cover and the description appealed to me, and this was the sort of novel I enjoy reading, so I expected to enjoy it and I did.

The pacing was fairly tight, although it did flag slightly in the middle and I did become a bit frustrated by some of the characters' actions but the story picked up again towards the end.

There was a mix of mystery and drama in the first half, where the reader wonders if Hazel's death was supernatural, murder or accidental along with Ros. The second half of the book, the reader knew what had happened and the book became more focused on the emotional drama and fallout. The ending tied up the loose ends, but felt realistic rather than too neat.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and would recommend to others.

Between the Waves is less about the mystery and more about the emotional wreckage it leaves behind. And it wrecks in the best way. The atmospheric writing pulls you into the eerie beauty of Little Auger Island, while the tangled web of guilt, secrets, and long-lost friendships keeps you hooked.

The big reveal? It comes early. But the real punch is watching these flawed, haunted women unravel and rebuild. Moody, beautifully written, and packed with quiet tension. Perfect for readers who love their mysteries with a side of deep emotional turmoil.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing an advanced copy of this book.

4 stars
Expected publication date- April 22, 2025

Thank you, NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing, for this eARC for review. All opinions are my own.

Three best friends are vacationing on a remote island with their families as teenagers. One of the girls' younger sisters goes missing early one morning. As no body is ever found, no one ever knows if she had an accident, was taken, or killed by a member of their group. The mystery tears the friends apart until 20 years later when a podcaster calls, claiming to have found clues. All 3 return to the island, hoping to find the truth.

I really enjoyed this story. There were a lot of side stories going on in each of the characters' lives that gave a lot of insight into who they are. It wrapped up neatly at the end.