Barbara O’Neal did an amazing job describing a family dynamic that tears apart and destroys all that got swept up in the dysfunction that was Eden. The journey that starts on the coast of California and continues to the coast of New Zealand is beautiful yet sad. The past mixed with the present makes this a page-turner that you don’t want to put down. What made a child happy and what is believed to be joy is shown to actually be dark, and tragic when remembered and reflected on as an adult. When We Believed In Mermaids is a tale that must be told in order for healing to begin.

I have been reading Barbara O'Neal novels for years, going back to when she was Barbara Samuel and last summer I read and enjoyed her The Art of Inheriting Secrets (See my review here). I love the stories she writes about second chances, family drama, romance, and how often good food is mixed into the pages. With sisters of my own, I was pulled to the story of Kit and Josie, who grew up with neglectful parents too busy with a restaurant, an addiction and their explosive relationship. The girls are watched over by a teenage boy who shows up on their doorstep, but he has issues and demons of his own and then tragedy strikes. The sisters deal with it in different ways--Kit by immersing herself in medical school and her career as a doctor--pushing away anyone who gets to close, and Josie by taking after her mother's addictions and aimlessly darting in and out of Kit's life until she is killed in a terrorist act in Europe. Fifteen years after Josie's death, Kit and her mother have rebuilt their relationship and are shocked to see television coverage of a nightclub fire in New Zealand as the camera pans on a woman who has to be Josie. Kit heads to Auckland to find her and meets a Spanish musician. I don't want to go into all of the details as the secrets and childhood traumas unfold with the story told from both Kit and Josie's perspective both in flashbacks and in current time.

When We Believed in Mermaids me both reaching for the tissues and smiling at the sisterly bonds and good storytelling. I liked the characters with their flaws, bad decisions and all--I was rooting for them the entire way. Although some of the sisters' past is tough to read, O'Neal writes it without dwelling on it and with a feeling of hope for redemption. I have long wanted to visit New Zealand and she makes the gorgeous setting come alive. I think this may be one of my favorite books from Barbara O'Neal--an excellent read with a summer vibe that I recommend adding to your summer book stash.

Another perfect book from Barbra O'Neal. I highly recommend this emotional story of sisters and a search for the truth. With complex and fascinating characters you will be lost in this beautiful story. I loved it.

This is quite a mixed bag of emotions that this book has brought me. My first thought was "how boring and slow". Then, as it moved along, my thought was" how incredibly selfish" Josie was to let her family think she was dead all those years. The flashbacks showing the lives of these two, totally different little girls were devastating. What selfish people can do to their children is mind-boggling.

Then I thought, this book certainly isn't the HEA I like to read......until it was and I found myself sobbing over the ending.

There are so many twists and turns that you come to realize, nothing in life is what it seems.

This book was gifted to me by the publisher in return for an honest review.

This novel was very deep and emotional for me. The author has created a tale of honest emotion, of regret and redemption, and of characters haunted by their past. This book will be with me for a long time.
Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

My Thoughts…

I have to admit that I am a sucker for mermaids. As a Disney child, I grew up watching The Little Mermaid and dreaming of a world Under the Sea. So any title involving mermaids grabs my attention in a way other books cannot. That word alone invokes a sense of wonder and magic. In this case, I believe the magic can be found in the capacity and transformative power of love.

Like mermaids, love is mythical, with powers that can’t be understood by mere humans. In When We Believed in Mermaids, Kit and Josie share many different types of love. Showing that it comes in all shapes and sizes. They describe themselves as soul mates and sisters, but also have romantic love, proving the depths of the heart are deeper than the depths of the sea.

This story rose up and surrounded me. Much like the waves Kit surfed, I felt this book swell and pull me under its spell. Javier comes in like the sea wind and almost instantly affects everything in his path. Their love story, filled the senses, keeping me riveted to the pages, my imagination fully engaged on all levels. The food and drink they share, the feel of each other and the water, the sites they experience together, are described in such vivid detail that I felt almost overwhelmed and simultaneously wanting. I craved to jump into a lot of these pages to really be where they were.

What’s Missing

If a book falls short of a 5 star rating, I try to figure out why instead of leaving it to the whim of my feelings. Sometimes, I am successful with this, sometimes I’m not. Here, the only minute criticism I have is the middle. At times it seemed to drag just a tiny bit, especially with the inclusion of Sapphire House.

Conclusion

This is a truly beautiful story of not only people, but of a place: New Zealand. It’s also a wonderful example of the bond between people and our ability to use that bond for pain and pleasure.

*Special thanks to Barbara O’Neal, TLC Book Tours, and Lake Union Publishing for a copy of When We Believed in Mermaids in exchange for an honest review.

Just enjoyed this story from cover to cover and I keep thinking about it again and again. The writing was very good and the cultural indifference from the author gave new insight. I like stories about sisters in rediscovery mode and how they survived in between. When childhood trauma occurs there is a wisdom about recovery and forward motion that is explored with sensitivity and depth in this story. I appreciated the plot lines and the connections. The cultural insights helped to make the world a smaller place

First time reading this author and would definitely read any of her other books. I am not going to give a book report, just say that the characters are realistic, likeable and once you start reading its hard to put the book down. The cover gives adequate description of the storyline. The author brought in the past events and current events of the main characters effectively and all is easily understood. Enjoyed the book.
Thanks to the author,publisher,and NetGalley for the ARC. I received this book as a complimentary copy for an unbiased review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Call me twisted, but I love reading books about dysfunctional families. Sometimes its nice to break the cookie cutter mold. This book did not disappoint. Very sad how these sisters grew up. Thank you, NetGalley, for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

When families are dysfunctional the losers are the children. Two sister and their story of growing up mostly on their own. Heartbreaking but show how you can pull yourself up by your bootstraps.

I loved the title of the book and that is what drew me in to begin! This was a new author for me and I loved the story and the characters were easy to follow along with. It was a quick read and I enjoyed it very much. Will continue to follow this author and would highly recommend this book to anyone that wants a great read!!

How I adored every single thing about this book! From the childhood lives of Kit, Josie and Dylan on the California beach, to a mystery that took me to New Zealand and all of its beauty, there is so much to be immersed in and I was.

This was a very special and very tender book for me. And although there were some beautiful romantic themes, this book focused more on sister and sibling relationships and explored the theme of forgiveness in the most beautiful way, bringing me to tears many, many times. I felt and still feel the very tender emotions and I appreciate the authors fabulous ability to make me feel so strongly about her characters. Characters who I won’t be forgetting anytime soon. For me, they lived and breathed and I loved going on this very personal journey with them.

I can’t recommend this book enough. If you love family drama, characters that will live and breathe and be with you forever then you need to read this book. It’s taking it’s place at the top of my Books of the Year

Definitely one of the best books I have read this year! A first by me by this author and won't be my last! I read this in a day and could not put it down!! This story of two sisters lost in many ways after much tragedy in their lives left them to find themselves and try to overcome pain and loss. I'm order to move on this they must face the truth of the past, but it may be more than they can bare. Amazing characters and story line will keep you on the edge of your seat! Loved this!!! Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing and the author for my ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

When We Believed in Mermaids. A very hard book to talk about without giving the story away. When the girls were little they believed in mermaids but they grew up and things changed. Read the story and you will understand I think.

I am a fan of the author's writing and always look forward to sitting down reading her books.. Her writing is so entrancing and lovely that it draws you into the story. This was a unique story for the author and very complex. It is the story of two sisters and the bonds that draw them back together after tragedy. Its about how two sisters have innate abilities after tragedy to understand each other and support each other.

I loved the writing and the story. Its a complex set of charcters that the author builds upon as only she can. The story is so well crafted that it draws upon each sister and time of their life with brilliant clarity. I love the author's descriptions of locations and how richly she describes each part of the story. I highly recommend this book for your reading enjoyment

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinion is my own.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The opening line of this book caught my attention and I couldn't put it down. "My sister has been dead for nearly fifteen years when I see her on the TV news." Kit then travels to New Zealand to find her sister. The story jumps between Kit and Mari, aka her sister Josie, in her present life with glimpses of their past difficult childhood. Ultimately a beautiful story of family, forgiveness, and love.
I loved this book. The descriptions of this seaside town were beautiful. The flashbacks to their past were spaced perfectly to keep you guessing what happened while keeping the story in the present going. I look forward to more books by this author.

This book is the story of two sisters, Josie and Kit, who are so close to each other growing up that it seems nothing would ever separate them from each other, or so it seems. Sisterhood, love...you can't go wrong. I would strongly recommend this book.

Netgalley provided me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

This is a tale of two sisters .... Josie is the dreamy, flighty older sister who reads to her little sister in a sleeping bag by candlelight. Kit is the little sister who grows up to become a doctor, both strangled and defined by the mantle of responsibility she has assumed. The big sister who wanders the world, a vagabond who seems to suck the marrow from each day until it holds no room for regret.

And then the older sister disappears. The void is inconsolable and yawning until a chance videobyte ripe with the possibility of her survival against all odds renews hope.

Kit makes a journey to the other end of the world to discover the truth. But the truth is never simple. Secrets long buried will bring closure or tear the rift beyond repair.

I loved this story of insidious sibling rivalries, escapism and self-realization.

4 stars.

Thanks to net galley an the publisher for the Arc. “My sister has been dead for nearly fifteen years when I see her on the TV news" is the opening line and we swiftly go down the rabbit hole to Australia to look for the missing sister. It was an interesting read although slow to start. There were parts that seemed irrelevant to the story and parts that stretched credulity. It did end up being a bit too "chick lit" for me and all lose ends wrapped up a bit too nicely. 3

When we believed in Mermaids was a powerful and emotionally charged book about two sisters. This book was really amazing and I was hooked from the start! This was my first book to read by Barbara O'Neal and I look forward to reading more. This book was a solid 5 star read for me.. I really enjoyed it and I highly recommend it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.