This was sad for me.. especially since I already had preordered the physical copy, but I DNFd this book about 30% in. And realized that the short comings I had were similar to a lot of low ratings that were given.

I personally have loved Emilia Hart's previous book and was so hopefully for this next book, but it fell short for me. I did not like the characters and was not able to connect and feel interested in where the story was going. I was hoping it would be another sisterhood book that I could tell my sister to read and love all the same. I will be hopefully for their next book and what they are able to create since I loved one book and disliked their second.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-ARC in exchange for the honest review.

A dark, atmospheric tale that blends mythology with raw emotion. Hart’s writing pulls you into a world where danger and desire collide, and the characters wrestle with their own secrets and fears. It’s haunting and intense, with enough twists to keep you hooked. If you like your fantasy with a bit of edge and complexity, this one’s worth a look.

Emilia Hart has done it again with The Sirens. This novel is magical, mysterious and one I could not put down. I loved her dual timelines and how the entire plot came together. I won't lie, it's a bit predictable, but it really doesn't matter because the story is that good. I loved Weyward, and I truly feel like The Sirens might be even better.

Add this one to your TBR list.
Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
4.5/5 stars

I have a love-hate relationship with paranormal mysteries. They’re often great! But they also creep me out so much that I can freak myself out just being alone in my house while I’m reading them. The Sirens by Emilia Hart is the epitome of a paranormal mystery that I enjoyed while also finding it so. damn. creepy. This is a solid follow-up to her debut novel, Weyward.

In her second book, Hart again draws on folklore and myth, blending long-ago timelines with that of the present. She has moved locations, to Ireland and Australia, and once again finds a way to tell a compelling story of women who have a mystical connection with the natural world. The two big twists of the novel aren’t much of a surprise, but Hart nevertheless kept me hanging on how the book would ultimately come to a resolution.

I loved this book ALMOST as much as I enjoyed Weyward. Emilia Hart has definitely become an author that I will immediately read, no questions asked. The story was just a tad slow for me, hence the four stars. But I will highly recommend it!

I enjoyed the story with all the twists and turns. I was drawn in from the beginning. I have also read Weyward wand will continue to books published by this author. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

This was my first book by this author, and I really enjoyed her writing style! This was a deeply interesting story, although it was slower moving and wasn't as captivating as I hoped it would be. Overall, a solid book!

Emilia Hart has cemented herself as an auto-buy author for me. Did I love this one as much as I loved Weyward? I did not. But her beautiful writing and stories about the strength of women and their bonds with each other are so powerful to me. Also, the cover and sprayed edges of this book? GORGEOUS. The most beautiful book I own.

I have to say—this was pretty good! What stood out most to me was the writing itself. Hart has a beautiful, almost poetic way with words. Her prose flows so effortlessly that even the most familiar story beats feel refreshed under her pen.

Now, I wouldn’t say the storyline was groundbreaking—it’s a tale that’s definitely been done before. But the fusion of historical elements, like the female prisonships bound for New South Wales, with touches of mermaid folklore? That was a creative and compelling twist. I especially appreciated how she wove the mythology in without making it feel over-the-top.

Overall, while the plot didn’t knock me off my feet, the craftsmanship of the writing made it a really enjoyable read. It wasn’t super deep or emotionally devastating, but it was solid, evocative, and well put together.

While this title starts with a bang, I felt it didn't maintain the momentum. I liked Weyward but didn't love being in the dark for most of this book. The journal entries read like a novel, and not like a person writing about their life. I struggled to stay engaged.

Dual timelines follow sisters Jess and Lucy (present day-ish) and Mary and Eliza (1800), set in Australia. Magical realism happens with the water.

At first I wasn’t sure if I liked the dual timelines. I wanted a cleaner way to explain the magical realism piece. I did like the imagery of the rocks and caves, though. I also liked what was done for love: the love of a wife, the love of a mother, the love of a sister.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. If you liked Hart’s Weyward, you will like this.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this advanced reader’s copy.

Two sisters unveil the secrets of a little beach town in New South Wales. I really liked this book's narrative style. The plot twists kept things interesting. My only only small complain is the ending and the "big reveal", but the rest of the story is pretty great, so in my mind I'll plot a different ending.

I hadn't read Emilia Hart's previous book Weyward and now I am adding it to by TBR!

I loved Weyward, so I went into this really wanting to love it. While there were elements I enjoyed, I struggled to stay interested. It felt difficult to connect with the characters and the plot didn’t excite me. I was hoping for more mythology, legend and lore. After struggling with the print version, I tried it on audio as well but I just couldn’t get into it.

3 stars.

A mysterious and atmospheric tale of sisterhood and seaside folklore.

A woman who was publicly shamed by a boy at her university flees to the small seaside town her sister recently moved to. Longing to build a stronger relationship with her sister, she hopes that some time spent there will be the escape and therapy she needs.

The atmosphere was my favourite part of this novel. The author knows how to pull the reader right into the setting of the story. I loved the remote seaside town and crumbling home in need of every repair. The setting was dark, haunting and mysterious and immensely added to my enjoyment.

Unfortunately for me, I didn’t click with the storyline or the main character from the start, so I never had a true connection to the plot. A large issue for me was that I didn’t buy into the incident in the beginning of the book that sparked the main characters decision to flee and how she handled the whole situation. Since I didn’t connect with that, I had little investment in what happened afterward. I had a hard time sympathizing or even liking the main character.

There was a sleep element to the story that should have been mysterious and powerful, but didn’t quite work for me. There is also a unique medical condition that is a main part of the storyline that I felt could have used further explanation in how the character manages day to day life. It felt like a random piece of the plot that was never fully fleshed out.

Diary entries are a large part of this novel which are always a hit or miss for me. Sadly, they were a miss for me with this one. The diary entries did not ring true in how a teenage girl would actually write and they felt like a forced piece of the plot to push the story forward and fill the gaps.

This authors debut novel, Weyward, is on my All Time Favourite list. This book, her second release, was one of my most highly anticipated reads of 2025. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to my hopes and perhaps my high expectations were part of what ruined the reading experience for me.

Regardless, I look forward to whatever this author writes next. Thank you to the publisher for my review copy!

Emilia Hart is back with another dual timeline story that celebrates sisterhood, women, and nature. Sirens follows the stories of two sets of sisters living two centuries apart. The story is a beautiful blend of magical realism, historical fiction, and mystery. I found myself equally invested in all points of views, which kept the plot moving even though the pace felt a bit slow at times.

I feel like this story could have benefited from a bit more urgency, and there were a couple of plot points that feel unfinished to me. However, overall, I really enjoyed the atmospheric writing and the overarching theme of women and their strength.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

A tale of murder, sisterhood and sirens.

There were quite a lot of elements I enjoyed about The Sirens by Emilla Hart. I always enjoy a good atmospheric story. At times, it was like I was right there at the ocean's edge.

I'm a big fan of podcasts in novels. I was hooked everytime the story switched to podcast mode.

While I appreciated the historical elements and non linear storytelling, it felt like the novel was doing too much. There was the 1800s storyline, modern day storyline, a podcast and diary entries. With all those elements nothing was fully explored. For instance, I wanted more of the podcast instead it seemed like an afterthought.

My biggest issue with the novel was the middle dragged. While I was captivated in the beginning I found myself bored half way through.

Although I enjoyed the plot and atmospheric setting, the uneven pacing hampered that enjoyment. Therefore, I gave The Sirens 3.5 stars out of 5 stars.

The Sirens is a complicated book with severely flawed characters and I just could not relate to any of them or even care much about them. I wanted so much to like the book but it just kept dragging on with nothing happening and then a bit of a rushed ending to piece together everything. So many trigger warnings and upsetting dark things as well so read up on that before picking it up

My first read by Emilia Hart. The book was good, but everyone talks about her other book, and that it was good, hoping this would be good. just ok.

3.5⭐️
I didn’t entirely love the story, but it kept me interested and I did enjoy it. No part of it came as a surprise though and you were able to tell from the beginning kind of where the story was going, which I didn’t entirely enjoy. Honestly, I wanted a bit more from it. Still a good story but lacked a lot of the depth that Weyward had and that I expected.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

This story drew me in from the first page and held me tight until the end. It centers on a tight-knit group of women—“the Sirens”—who reunite years after a tragedy tore them apart. The narrative dives into their complicated history, resurfacing old wounds, hidden loyalties, and powerful bonds that refuse to break.

The writing is intimate and emotionally layered, effortlessly balancing suspense with raw honesty. Each of the women feels fully realized, flawed in the best way, and so easy to care about—even when they’re at their worst. The slow unspooling of their shared past keeps you guessing, while the present-day tension makes it impossible to look away.

If you love emotionally driven stories about friendship, secrets, and the enduring pull of the past, this one is a haunting must-read.