I am one of 3 sisters. I have a daughter with the same name as one of the characters. This book called to me, and I got so much more than I expected. Beautifully written, it will pull you in from the beginning. What happens in our childhood will affect the rest of our life.

Three sisters experience a traumatic, life altering event early in their life. They move on as best they can…until life brings them all to a point in their lives that changes are forced on them. A Father doing the best he can, but not really knowing how to parent. Alex and Colleen growing up much too fast, mothering Riley and trying to find their own way with memories haunting them. Riley, the baby, unable to overcome what happened to her at an early age and what she is doing to herself. Each come to a point in their life where change needs to be made regarding marriage, job decisions and lifestyle.

This book deals with heavy subjects…addiction, mental health, marriage, parenting. It deals with family, love and loss. Don’t let the darkness of the subject matter put you off. It’s a beautiful story of family and coming together. Raw, honest, real….this story will rip your heart out and put it back together. I especially enjoyed the mysterious visitations. Grief is brutal and shapes our life.. past, present and future. I thought the writer did an excellent job of portraying the internal struggle of an addict and humanizing that struggle. The cover art was a perfect portrayal of this book. I look forward to this authors next book!

Thanks to Ms. deVeer, Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

Alex, Colleen, and Riley were children when their mother committed suicide- Alex found her. They made a pact to stick together but life intervened and they went their separate ways into separate worlds, all carrying the burden of what happened. Now, Colleen has hired a private detective to look for Riley, who has disappeared. But she's turned up at Alex's door on stormy night. And then she disappears again. This is an unusual novel about sisters who have been wounded. No spoilers about Riley. Know that everything is not what it seems- from Colleen's happy life to Alex's thoughts. It's atmospheric- deVeer has captured conditions of storm on the coast- and even creepy in spots. If it's slow in spots (and it is) hang on for the characters, who are well drawn. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

As a reader who lives on Boston's north shore, and whom has lost a family member to suicide, "The Ocean in Winter" really hit home for me.

Elizabeth de Veer's detailed descriptions of the area are incredibly accurate, and appeal to all of the senses - transporting you into the world of these three grieving sisters. The writing is lush, emotional, and makes me eager to read more... it's hard to believe that this is de Veer's debut novel! Her acutely poignant depictions of the aftermath of suicide really capture the sense of loss, confusion, and open-ended grief that comes with navigating what's left behind. Readers can feel the struggle and the strife, and will hopefully walk away from this novel feeling empowered to face their own losses with bravery and grace.

I'm happy to rate this title four out of five stars - my only criticism being that I found the third act somewhat predictable, and a bit long-winded. Thankfully, Elizabeth de Veer's incredible writing kept me invested until the very last page. I look forward to reading more from de Veer, as she's certainly a tour de force on the contemporary fiction landscape.

The Ocean In Winter is a spell-binding family drama and I enjoyed it more than I expected to!
🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊
It's narrated by three sisters....
Alex - tired of being the responsible eldest. She's taken care of her family since the age of 11 when their mother committed suicide. She's planning to move to India, hoping for a more fulfilling life.
Colleen - has a successful husband, two kids and a gorgeous house but her life begins to unravel when her husband moves out.
Riley - a troubled model in New York who's struggling with addiction.

Very character driven, which I LOVE but like most character driven books it does mean the pace is on the slower side.
It has hints of the supernatural and some really stunningly beautiful writing.

** thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.
Available July 6th

A very well-written family saga full of tragedy and heart-break. It feels moody in all the best ways and really conveys the setting so well. It's heavy but not depressing and an impressive debut novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Three sisters. Bereaved and traumatised by their mother’s suicide when they were just children, the experience united them in a close bond that is put to the test when the youngest, Riley, disappears off the radar and they are desperate to find her. Now grown up, they each have their own demons to struggle with as they try to make sense of their early loss. I found it a compelling, insightful and very well-written exploration of sibling love and loyalty. The introduction of a supernatural element didn’t sit comfortably with me in a novel which is very much grounded on the harsh realities of adult life, but I felt the author incorporated it seamlessly into the narrative and I managed to accept it. It’s a haunting – literally – tale about the bonds that bind sisters and which can help them navigate an often difficult and painful world. A really absorbing read.

Compelling plot and family dynamic, but the writing was of the "tell" not "show" variety and so it was tough to get through.

A beautifully, wonderful well written and poignant book about three sisters coping with the profound effect their mother’s suicide!.
This story is told in a first person perspective alternating between the three of the sister's.... Alex, Colleen and Riley.
I loved how real and raw this book was! Simply an amazing book!
This was an incredible story of what can happen to those left behind after a suicide!

I can't thank NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing & Author for giving me the chance to read and review this compelling advanced ebook!

I enjoy a good sister novel and this book delivered big time for me. We meet and follow three distinct young women as they navigate growing up with the trauma of their childhood always present. This book shows the strength of those sisterly bonds but also the limits. Motherhood, depression and other life trials must ultimately be faced alone but it does help to have a sister to share it all with. There is a wonderful sense of place throughout with coastal northeastern Massachusetts always in the background with its changeable weather as the setting for the haunting. The writing is excellent, even a bit poetic at times. I will read more from this author who is new to me. This is mostly a character driven novel and at times I found the introspection repetitive and annoying as if the author didn’t appreciate the reader’s memory for detail but it is earns solid four stars for an enjoyable satisfying read with a bit of suspense and drama thrown in. - Mary

A remarkably assured debut from author Elizabeth de Veer, The Ocean in Winter is the family-centered narrative of three sisters and their various attempts to cope in their adult lives after the suicide of their mother during their childhood. Alternating point of view chapters between the three show each in turmoil in different ways as they attempt to make sense of their lives and find answers as to what pushed their mother to take her own life. This is an honest and lyrical exploration of mental health, legacy, and the obligations of family that is at turns poignant and incisive. The main complaint I had personally was that certain sections seemed a bit overlong, leading to some plot points that were introduced and not entirely resolved by the end. However, this doesn't detract too much from the overall experience, and empathetic readers will find plenty to enjoy here.

**I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to
Blackstone Publishing**

I absolutely loved this book-the idea of surviving the early death of your only parent, the impact it has on the sibling relationships and your own mental well being is explored thoroughly and wonderfully in this story.

I have reviewed this novel for New York Journal of Books where it will be posted the evening prior to the release date.

"The Ocean in Winter" by Elizabeth de Veer
Blackstone Publishing
July 6, 2021
978-1982674649
Contemporary Fiction


“The Ocean in Winter is a compelling, well-written debut . . .”

The Emery sisters grow up in the small northeastern town of Amesbury, Massachusetts, with their father George, who is a postal worker, and their mother Suzanne, an artist. A normal, middle-class family, they are close and considered happy. That is, until one day when the girls return home from school, and Alex discovers their beloved mother drowned in the bathtub. At age 11 and the oldest, she shields younger sisters, Colleen, eight, and the baby Riley, age four, from this tragedy.

This is when the family crumbles. George withdraws leading Alex to take their mother's place, caring for her siblings and keeping house. Everyone is bewildered, not able to comprehend why their mother would commit such a cowardly act. The thoughts that run through the girl's minds are: Did we do something to make mom do this? Does she no longer love us?

Twenty-five years pass, and the sisters now live separate lives. Alex is a nurse living her dream working in a hospital in India. Unencumbered by a husband or children, she spends long hours helping those severely ill or poverty-stricken, believing she is making her way in the world. When she learns she inherited a house in Newburyport from an elderly woman who befriended her years ago, she departs from India to finalize the paperwork, planning to sell the property and return to India. Upon landing back in the States, she heads to her father's house, dismayed to see how withdrawn he is as well as now a hoarder of junk. Alex settles in her newly acquired property determined to fix it up so she can move on with her life.

Colleen lives not far from their dad who still resides in the house where the girls grew up. Married with two preteen children who are her total focus, her life is in chaos when Eric, her lawyer husband, asks for a divorce. Feeling a failure, she wonders what her future will bring. Meanwhile she takes refuge at a friend's beach cottage while the kids stay in their dad's condo.

Riley’s life is in New York where she experiences the hectic pace as a model gracing the covers of magazines, appearing in commercials and ads, and parading the runway in the latest fashions. Working tirelessly, she becomes dependent on opioids to keep her going.

Though the siblings are miles apart geographically, they are close in heart, yet after months pass without any communication from Riley, Colleen becomes nervous. Has Riley lapsed into drugs again after having been in treatment? As suspicions lead to the worst-case scenario, Colleen consults Alex:

"'It's been three months,' I say. 'Letters, emails, phone calls, texts, messages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter. Give me one of those, and I'm with you, yes, things happen. I get it. Two weeks? Three? Sure. But it's been months.' I pause to take a breath. Alex does not meet my eyes, which tells me that she's beginning to understand. 'Plus, there's something I didn't tell you. A couple of years ago, she had a drug problem.'

"'What?'

"'I saw her in New York. She was acting strangely, and she finally told me that she had just finished rehab. She asked me not to tell you and Dad.'

Fearful Riley may be using again or would maybe opt for their mother’s solution, Colleen contacts her Riley’s apartment manager and learns she is no longer a tenant. She then hires a New York investigator, hoping he can locate her baby sister. They keep in close contact, and Colleen is relieved to learn he locates her sister, and she asks him to approach Riley to see if she is okay.

When a major storm is predicted for the Northeast, Alex is concerned if her old house will withstand the heavy winds. The weather becomes eerie, and the power and cell service cut off, leaving Alex disconnected from the rest of the world. After hearing a knock at the door, she discovers Riley on her doorstep.

"The Ocean in Winter" is a compelling, well-written debut with the title being more than significant for this riveting novel as it illustrates the emotions of grief, pain, and even happiness which are often synonymous with the cold, destructive, and mysterious sea.

I don’t like to give bad reviews but this book was just not for me. I failed to care about any of the characters and when about 50% in, the soap opera storyline went down a bad road with drugs and sex. I shut the book and said, nope, done.
I sometimes feel the descriptions of the book is of a completely different one. I didn’t find any tenderness, wise, magical or beautiful scenes. The only thing I did find interesting was Alex’s life in India. I’m sure others may enjoy this story but I just found it shallow, filled with drama and like a soap opera.
I want to thank Blackstone Publishing with NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an ARC. Comes in with 2 stars.

This is a great book that tells the story of three sisters whose mother commits suicide and we see how that event affects them differently.

Alex is a dedicated nurse who planned to escape to India. Colleen stayed near their hometown in Massachusetts and threw herself into being a wife and mother. Alex, literally a baby when her mother died, is a model living in NYC. Unfortunately, she also has a drug problem.

Chapters are told by different sisters. The author’s writing style really pulls you into their lives with enough detail to make it interesting but not overdone.

The ending was a bit of a surprise with a nice twist. Awesome story, well told!!!

This is a story of three sisters, whose mother committed suicide when they were young, leaving them with a father who was too emotionally detached to offer them help to deal with the trauma.
Each sister goes their own way when they are grown, living completely different lives, each one unique and unlike each other.
The story is told from the three different perspectives of each sister. Though close when they were growing up, they grow apart in adulthood, each living completely different lives until years later they meet and try to reconcile their relationships and deal with the trauma that has been at the forefront of their lives for years.
This is a sad story, but it is beautifully written. It is a story about love, loss, and suffering, and also about how tragedy impacts our lives not only when it occurs, but for long after. It is a story about sisterhood and repairing broken relationships.
I enjoyed reading this story, it is very detailed, the writer does a great job of showing each sisters' distinct individual personality, bringing them to life.
A wonderful piece of literary fiction, I give 4 stars and recommend this novel strongly. It is scheduled to publish July 6, 2021, so don't miss it.
Thank you to Blackstone publishing and Net Galley for the free ARC e-copy of this novel, I am giving my honest review in return.

A story looking at the relationship between 3 sisters, who are all very different and dealing with the trauma of losing their mum at a young age to suicide. I liked the ghosty elements to this and how some bits were written to cause apprehension which for someone who doesn't read anything remotely horror-like worked for me.
On the whole, this was a captivating book and I enjoyed reading it but I feel like it could've been ~70 pages shorter. The ending kept dragging and I didn't enjoy the fact that everything was explained perfectly. I would have preferred if some of the ending was left up to the reader to decide.

This novel follows three sisters, whose mother suicided when they were young. As adults they are each dealing with this trauma in their own way, and are uniquely affected by it.

I liked the concept of this novel, exploring longterm grief and trauma and how ideas from childhood spill over into adulthood. However, overall I found these themes to be let down by the execution. The characters were all fairly one-dimensional, and I found a lot of their dialogue to be quite forced and stagey. I found this to be a big letdown in a novel tacking such interesting themes. This novel is being marketed as literary fiction, but I would definitely describe it as contemporary, not lit fic.

Thanks to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for an ARC. The Ocean in Winter is out on 6 July 2021.

The Emery sisters will forever live in my soul. Novels like this one come once in a lifetime, and boy am I glad I’m here to bear witness.

Eleven-year old, Alex, finds her mother in a bathtub unresponsive. Even though she’s the eldest of the three sisters, she wanted to fall apart, but held it together to summon help for their mother. Unfortunately, Alex, Colleen and Riley were motherless. Their mother had committed the ultimate sin of taking her own life. What kind of mother would do something so heinous? What did her husband and children do to make her leave her family behind permanently? This is what Alex carried with her throughout her life, as did her sisters.

Riley, the youngest of them, was a fashion model living in New York and doing whatever her carefree life afforded her. Her family hadn’t heard from her in years. When the girls were younger, they made a pact when their mother killed herself. They would always stay close. Hmm, that’s nice in theory, but you try carrying it out when life begins to happen. Colleen, the middle child, has the perfect life. She’s married to a successful lawyer, has two great kids and a great house and a great marriage. But, was her life as perfect as she thought?

Colleen was worried. She hadn’t seen her baby sister in years nor had she spoken to her. She couldn’t understand why Riley wasn’t returning her calls or emails? She decides to take a trip to New York to go in search of her. Once she arrives, she soon discovers her sister is no longer living in the last known apartment address she had on her. The landlord refused to advise her of Riley’s whereabouts. So, Colleen does the next best thing. She contacts a private investigator.

Once the ink is dried and the money has exchanged hands, Nate, the P.I. sets out to find Riley, and he’s successful. When he reports back to Colleen that he’s found her sister, of course, she’s elated with the news. While Colleen was paying for private dicks to find her sister, she had no idea that Riley showed up at Alex’s doorstep. There was no way for her to have known this fact. Alex was so thrilled to have her baby sister back. There was so much for them to catch up on. Oh, there's only one problem—and that, readers, is where our story skyrockets!

This story unfolded like a poet’s words in motion. Each of the sisters’ stories were the fabric sewn together to make up the material of the plot. The Emery sisters were impacted by one vicious and selfish act—the suicide of their mother. Each of them was forced to carry a piece of their mother’s act that comforted them like a warm winter’s coat. de Veer did an amazing job in outlining the backstory leading you up to what these sisters endure. All I can say is have the tissue box handy because I cried like a baby in several sections of the book. You will see yourselves in these sisters’ lives. They will resonate so strongly with many of your souls. I was misty eyed a great deal throughout the story.

3.5 STARS. It is hard to believe that this is a debut novel. It is very well written. This author writes descriptions beautifully. In fact, it is the descriptions, sentence structures, and word usage during the prologue that first pulled me in. This novel deals with some very heavy topics. It is a book about family and personal drama and tragedies, addiction, and suicide. The pacing is a little slow for my liking and the fact that this book alternates three different POVs (one for each of the three sisters) I often felt that just as I was starting to get in to one storyline I would be yanked out and tossed into another. But, especially toward the end, I was hooked and wanted to keep reading to see how it ended.

Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
#NetGalley #TheOceaninWinter

Everyone is set adrift with the death of a family member, but if that person was your mother or your wife and she committed suicide, it can set your life going in directions that you never dreamed of.

Such is the fate of the three sisters, Alex, Colleen, and Riley. All three have grown to womanhood without the benefit of their artistic mother. Their father did his best, but he tended to be reclusive and withdrawn, never really sharing or actually knowing his wife's past. And that's where the mystery comes to play. Each of the girls have been hit with emotional, heart breaking times that they need to come to terms with, and why they ask? Why did their beautiful artistic mother kill herself in the family bathtub, leaving her oldest daughter to find her? Were these girls not good enough for her mother to love and not leave?

Alex, the oldest, left at the tender age of eleven, is destined to mother her younger sisters. Grown to womanhood, she became an ER nurse but recently quit her job, after finding out some devastating news about her health. Traveling in India, looking to get lost or maybe find that elusive peace, she learns she has inherited a house near the ocean, from a woman she met and struck up an acquaintance with on a bus. Forced to return home, to deal with this development, she gets in touch with her sister, Colleen, who is starting down the painful path to divorce. Always, the sister who seemed to have it all, the two children, a successful husband, and a gorgeous home, she knows in her heart that this was inevitable but the hurt is only compounded when her home suffers a terrible fire.

Then there is the youngest sister, Riley, beautiful, once being a successful runway model. Her life is in shambles as she travels the dark road of drug and alcohol addiction, a very dark road indeed where she has cut herself off from her sisters and travels the roadway to destruction alone.

The house Alex inherits is pretty ramshackle but within its walls, Alex hears things, voices and then footsteps that add a sense of the unknown. Yet, she attributes it to other earthly things. When a terrible storm ravages the East Coast, Alex once again is alerted to the strange goings on in her home. Suddenly, Alex hears a knock on her door. Opening it to Riley, Alex is taken with a million questions. How did Riley know where she lived, how did she arrive in the midst of a storm? They speak and Riley shares with Alex a terrible secret, but questions surge as Riley leaves asking Alex the final question of "If she could would she would save a child?"

This tale of love, loss, grief, and connections was one that could shatter your heartstrings. It was saga of family turmoil that hinted on a number of occasions of the supernatural, a world of spirits that try to alert one to danger, the past, and the way forward.

Although somewhat lengthy, I enjoyed this story and hope this new author, Elizabeth de Veer, continues to write as there was much poignancy to her words.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of this story due out July 6, 2021.