This was an excellent book with a very different premise. I enjoyed the way the story was told alternately between two sisters that had been apart for several years, one presumed dead. It's a story of heartache, forgiveness and renewal. I really enjoyed the authors style of writing and highly recommend this book.
Thank you to Lakeside Publishing, the author and NetGalley for an arc of this book.
This review is my own unbiased opinion and deserves 5 big stars!

This was a 5 star read all the way for me! Ms. O'Neal's writing is superb! The book is about family dynamics, addiction, lies and deception and false perceptions. It is a dual point of view--the view of two sisters who have been separated by oceans and lies for ten years. Kit didn't know Josie was alive...and that's how Josie wanted it. If Kit finds her, it may mean the end of the life Josie has built for herself in New Zealand. The life she has now is the life she's always wanted and she won't give it up--no matter what.
When We Believed in Mermaids was striking in that the description of New Zealand by Ms. O'Neal was done in some miraculous manor that also revealed the souls of the two sisters. She somehow made you FEEL the place through each of the sisters. Every tree, every flower, every ocean breeze and every wave was vitally important to the women in this book and how they responded to life. Every bite of food and every sip of wine became an integral part of them and Ms. O'Neal made me feel as if I was experiencing all the joy and all the pain right along with them.
The men in the book (alive and dead) demand their own importance. They play a vital part in the lives of the sisters. I didn't like them all, but they were the emotional outlets for the women; a necessary slice of their lives and they helped make them who they became.
These were two of my favorite lines in the book: "She was the worst mother of all time. She was the best mother of all time." Aren't they all?
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

Kit was working in the ER when she looked at the TV and saw her died sister of fifteen years. Her sister Josie was supposedly killed in a terrorist train attack in France. On the TV there was a live coverage of a nightclub fire in Auckland and the woman on the screen looked identical to Kit's sister. Kit decides she is going to go to Auckland and find her.

The book is told in two perspectives Kit and Mari, which is her sister Josie. She stole someone's identity and is going by Mari now. She is married and has two children and loves her life. While Kit is an ER doctor and is very lonely. When Kit gets to Auckland she is on her search for her sister and she meets a man who she can confide in and talk to about her sister and they end up having a romantic relationship.

This is a very character based book you learn through the two perspectives about their childhood and what made them into the people they are today. I honestly can't believe Josie would leave her family high and dry and fake her own death. Leaving your family to grieve over you and your not even dead. I kind of think it's selfish. And poor Kit I would be pissed if I saw my dead sister alive. At first I though Kit and Javier, her love interest was kind of creepy. He was kind of mysterious, but after getting to know him he was a really nice and genuine guy. Kit definitely deserves someone good in her life for everything she has gone through. I felt the book was beautifully well written and recommend if you are into family dramas and character driven books.

When We Believed In Mermaids is a beautiful but heartbreaking story centred on the relationship between two sisters. As the past catches up with them in the present it’s time to decide what is unforgivable and what can be forgiven.

It took a while to get me hooked as I found some of the early decisions a bit unbelievable but once I was transported to the beautiful beaches of New Zealand I didn’t want to come back.

I loved the gorgeous descriptions of the settings and the complexity of the characters. O’Neal has a delightful way of drip feeding details.

I must admit I found it slightly repetitive and disjointed in places but that’s bound to happen when switching between two different characters and various moments in time.

When it’s not tugging at your heartstrings it’s a little bit cheesy and a tad predictable in places but isn’t most of the best chick lit?

I really enjoyed it and if you like your summer reads filled with secrets, sadness and suspense then you will too.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. As always all opinions are my own.

One night while working in the ER, Kit, happens to glance at the tv an there in the background is here sister Josie, who died fifteen years ago in a terrorist attack. The resemblance is unmistakable. The news footage was from a club fire in Auckland, and soon Kit hops on a plane to go in search of Josie, whom she has believed to be dead all this time. With this new discovery, Kit is forced to confront the demons of her past. Revisiting old memories of her and Josie spending their time pretending to hunt for mermaid treasure and pirate booty, the lost boy that became apart of their family, and the tragedy that has haunted the both of them their entire lives.

This novel is told from both Kit and Josie’s perspectives. At first I struggled with the concept of Josie abandoning her life and starting over, but slowly I began to understand why. Both points of view show how they handled the same events in such different ways which really added to the story line. I ached for their loss and cheered for their successes and I really wanted kit to find her. Kit also has a romance interest through her journey in Auckland which I think added more to the story line. Such a beautiful and emotional story of sisterhood bonds, tragedy, healing and forgiveness.

4.5 stars


When we believed in mermaids is a beautiful and also heartbreaking story about two sisters that went through a lot of difficult moments in their lives.
The story is very well written and will keep you engrossed in its pages without even realising where the time has gone when you finish reading it.
The story itself it's sad and heartbreaking because it deals with so many triggers situations for many people but it could easily be a reality for any contemporary family as well, not only fiction. From the abuse of all kind to the heartbreaking story of thinking and living one's life believing that your sister has died in a terrible attack.
There are so many well written descriptions of the surroundings that you really feel like being there in the book with the heroines and live their story in person.
I'll definitely recommend this book to my book friends for a more than a summer read.

I give this book a strong 4.5.

When I read the summary, I thought this was going to be a somewhat dark, fairly light mystery. It was not, and that turned out to be a good thing because I really liked this much more serious book a lot.

Kit -- an ER doctor who loves to surf -- lost her sister and best friend, soul mate, really, to a train accident 15 years ago. Until she sees her on TV. And their mother sees her, too. So Kit travels across the world to try to find her. This isn't an entirely happy, upbeat novel, though. There's a lot of different kinds of abuse discussed throughout. Alcohol and drug addiction are big parts, as well. But ultimately this is a love story that is so different from other love stories.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the arc to this book. It has not influenced my review.

When We Believed in Mermaids is an engrossing, turbulent, and poignant book about two sisters, Kit and Josie. When the story begins, Kit is shocked to see her sister in the background of a news broadcast from New Zealand, thousands of miles away from their home in California--especially since Josie had been killed 15 years earlier. When she goes to New Zealand to find her sister, Kit unknowingly sets off a chain of events that will impact her own life, as well as that of her sister and the life she has built. Kit and Josie were such complex, fascinating characters, each of them reacting to the pain of their childhoods which left them emotionally scarred. The flashbacks in the story give so much insight to the horrors of their childhood; the neglect, the abuse, the addictions. But they also show us the love the two sisters had for each other, the closeness they shared until it all went horribly wrong. The setting of the book was fantastic, from the beaches of Santa Cruz to the beauty of New Zealand. And the surfing! The author's descriptions of the girls as they surfed from the time they were children made it feel like I was in the middle of those waves with them! The pages of this book are filled with love; love between sisters, the love of children for their parents, steadfast love, and new love; and how love can somehow withstand everything that gets in its way.

There is nothing like the connection of love between two sisters and the bonds they share throughout their lives. 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. Their bond is unbreakable, or so it seems. Secrets, heartaches, doubts, suspicions, and broken trust....will they be able to overcome so many hurtful events and find their sisterness again?

This story is about what can happen in life. Josie and Kit have a very awful and painful childhood with parents who are on the edge of neglectful. Josie and Kit come to depend on each other to survive and grow up. There is a wonderful character named Dylan who enters their lives and becomes a "big brother" and looks out for them. He has come from a troubled past himself. But events happen and their lives are turned upside down.

I fell into the pages of this book. It took me into the lives of these characters and wouldn't let me go. The narrative alternates between Kit's and Josie's points of view. As the story takes place in the current time, there are "flashbacks" to fill in the pieces of the broken lives they grew up with. Ms. O'Neal wove these pieces together like a masterpiece. My heart was broken for the heartaches and tragedies that Josie and Kit endured. It felt myself wanting to draw them in. To be there for them and heal their hurts. There was so much emotion in this book for me. I cried, I ached, I pulled for them to find their love for each other again. Would they be able to find it in their hearts to forgive and mend their relationship back to what it was?

I love the setting in this book. I felt like I have experienced Auckland and the beauty that it possesses. I was on the beaches with Kit and Josie. I was in the surf and feeling the solitude in the water surfboarding. I saw the landscapes and terrain. It was so descriptively written. A perfect setting for two girls who believed in mermaids growing up.

There was a bit of mystery written into the story, too. Sapphire House is intriguing. What happened to the famous actress, Veronica Parker, who was living in there? It was a thread throughout the book and a fascinating aspect to the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved being in the pages and connecting with the characters. I was yearning for them with all my heart. I went on a journey into the hearts and souls of these characters. It's one I'll remember for a long time.

I want to thank Lake Union, Netgalley, and Ms. O'Neal for the honor and opportunity to read this wonderful story. This is a five star read for me.

This is one the best books I’ve ever read. Everything was perfect. I loved how Kit and Mari/Josie could do easily fall back into the past. The story told of who they were and who they become. I’m glad they were all able to forgive and love each other again. I’m so glad Kit found love. I loved that Sarah found her person in Kit. I was so sad when I finished the book, I do hope there will be a sequel...I would love to read more about this family.
Posted on Goodreads, also.

You're Going To Want To Read This Somewhere Where You Can Cry. Wow. This is a tragic tale, all around. It is primarily about two sisters and the scars they share - and the lengths they will both go to try to overcome them. Amazing story, solid mystery (though some of it becomes obvious earlier than the actual reveal). This one will grabs you with the first line, has you tearing up a bit early on... and then can have full on water works through the last quarter to third or so of the tale. Light and airy, this aint - but it *is* one of the better, more intense dramas I've read this year. A remarkable contrast to O'Neal's 2018 book The Art of Inheriting Secrets. Very much recommended.

Kit is shocked when she sees her sister Josie, who she has believed is dead for the last 10 years, alive and running from a fire in New Zealand. These two had a dreadful childhood; their lives have been shaped by what happened to them as young girls. Josie chose to disappear and remake herself. Kit became a physician but she has a hole inside her. How they come together and heal is at the root of this novel, which has great descriptions of New Zealand (as it should!). There are men, both good and bad (and both at the same time) and perhaps more emphasis than you might like on a romance but nonetheless it does sort of work in context. Thanks to net galley for the ARC. A very good read.

When Kit Bianci sees her sister on the television, it came as a shock.... after all, she WAS killed years ago on a train during a terrorist attack. So Kit hops a plane for New Zealand to search for her missing sister. While Kit starts out angry that her sister would let her believe she was dead for the past 15 years, she ends up re-connecting and time melts away.
I love this author's books. Her characters come to life and you experience something magical with every book. This book was just as magical, if not more so. I fell in love with the characters and the settings. I highly recommend this enchanting tale!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The story weaves through the separate lives of 2 sisters trying to recover from a traumatic childhood and their fight to recover, and find life, love, trust and each other again. This touching well written book was an amazing read. I fell in love with each and every one of the characters and wanted to jump in the book and hug them. The writing was so good and the descriptions of the food and scenery made me feel like part of the story. The plot was so touching and had me in tears several times. I love books that make me feel, awaken my senses ....Touch my heart and soul. I would give this book a 10 if I could!
A must read and a joy to give this marvellous story a 5!

An emotionally gripping novel. I was invested in the characters from the beginning. The tie between the sisters and the family dynamic kept me reading. This book left me wondering if I could forgive my sister. A great read that I would definitely recommend.

I really enjoyed this book, I empathised with all of the characters (even those who typically would be seen as the ones in the 'wrong'- to escape a cycle of negativity they did what they had to do.). I loved the feeling of following an entire family throughout their history, not necessarily in chronological order, and getting an insight from everyone's viewpoint not just one key narrator. It also spurred me to try surfing last weekend for the first time- thank you Barbara O'Neal its just as wonderful as you describe! I recommend this book for anyone this summer, especially lovers of women's fiction or books with morality and moral dilemmas at their core.

Brilliant. This is a gem of a book about sisters and the relationship between them and the dysfunctional family they were brought up in. It is a very moving and very well written book.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

This is the first time I have read this author and I truly loved this book. Kit and Josie's story is one of a kind that I haven't read before. Their stories are unique in their own way. I highly recommend this book. I now have a new author added to my list. GREAT READ.

I loved this book. What a beautiful story, Josie and Kit were best friends, sisters, soul mates. Until Josie dies in a terrorist attack. Or so they thought.

This is a story of Kit who not only goes on an adventure to find her sister she also finds herself. This book gave me all the feels, I laughed and cried and my heart hurt for those girls. Their family was not one of love and protection, their lives chaotic and sad. But that doesn't take away from the beauty of it.

What a fantastic book, it is beautifully written, descriptive and it sucked me in from the first page. This would be a great summer read!.

This book was a little cheesy for me. The love story and all the woah-is-me stuff were a little too much and I found myself uninterested & irritated. Kit and Josie definitely had horrible childhoods, but everyone needs to move on and move up eventually. I wanted to shake both of them.
The dialogue was well-written, though. The descriptions of surfing, Sicilian home-cooking, touring Auckland, and the art-deco Sapphire House create beautiful imagery.
I’d recommend this book to anyone into love stories, family drama, and interest childhood traumas. Could be a definite trigger for anyone who experienced childhood sexual or physical abuse, though.