Wow! Jessica Guerrieri’s debut novel, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, is an absolute knockout. With sharp emotional insight and beautiful prose, Guerrieri expertly navigates complex themes of motherhood, grief, familial bonds, and the grip of addiction. The story feels raw and authentic, never shying away from the painful, messy truths that often go unspoken. I especially enjoyed the themes of how life can sometimes not turn out how you want and how you adapt to that.

At times, this book is difficult to read. Not because of the writing, but because it pulls you so deeply into the main character Leah’s world. I found myself having to take breaks, as Leah's life could feel isolating as she struggled to find her place. Guerrieri makes you sit with her protagonist’s conflicting emotions, and you feel every moment of her struggle, her longing, and her guilt. It’s a deeply human story told with compassion and nuance.

This book is about more than motherhood and family relationships, it's an exploration of identity, resilience, and the quiet desperation that can live beneath the surface of a seemingly ordinary life. An incredibly moving and thought-provoking debut.

Thank you to Harper Muse and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

If you're looking for a new book club pick, look now further than 𝗕𝗘𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗟 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗘𝗘𝗣 𝗕𝗟𝗨𝗘 𝗦𝗘𝗔. This heart-wrenching family drama will give you so much to discuss.

In her debut novel, Jessica Guerrieri tackles a topic that's not often talked about - alcoholism among mothers. It's so culturally accepted for women to need their "mommy juice" or show up to their kids' sporting events with Stanley cups filled with alcohol but what goes unsaid is how many are using drinking as a way to self-medicate or numb. Leah, the book's protagonist, seems like one of those social drinkers and the people in her life are unaware that her problem goes deeper, even as she starts to spiral out of control.

The story is surprisingly relatable but also left me feeling like I was watching an accident happen in slow motion - it's hard to read about Leah's alcoholism, especially because the relationships and situations are so authentic. It had me tearing up by the end, as did the author's note detailing her own experiences with addiction.

I highly recommend this one on audio - the narration was terrific.

Thanks to Harper Focus and Harper Muse for the copies to review.

A great story about loss and love - how one characters journey through alcoholism and how that ripples throughout the entire family. I enjoyed the plot as well as the character development.

Very well written. Leah was not a very likable character but we were introduced to her in her downward spiral from her alcoholism. The book touches on many different things like addiction, family dynamics, motherhood, and loss of identity. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I listed to the audiobook and then read it on my own. Absolutely loved this book. The audio was fantastic too.

I will be eagerly anticipating Jessica Guerrieri's next book. Her debut novel BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA filled me with a whirlwind of emotions. The book, the characters, the story all intertwined to make me feel.

Leah O'Connor is easily relatable, she misses her old self, her old life before a husband and three children. Her life appears ideal but she has a void, she feels empty.

Leah drinks to fill the void, to ease the pain. She is harming herself and her family.

The women are the stars of this book, the overbearing mother-in-law with her own story to tell, Amy, the sister-in-law, friend that anyone would be lucky to have.

I highly recommend this book. Held me captive from the first page to the last. One of my favorite books of the year. Ms. Guerrieri is an author to watch.

This book hit me in the gut—in the best way. It’s raw, honest, and beautifully written, with a voice that feels like your smartest, funniest friend telling you the truth about motherhood, addiction, and finding yourself. I couldn’t put it down and found myself underlining so many lines. Emotional, real, and surprisingly uplifting.

I love books about motherhood and its unique struggles and this one hit the mark and then some. The added element of addiction was done so well. There were so many moments that I had a visceral reaction the the MC decisions and struggles. So incredibly well done.

Free-spirited, artist/surfer girl Leah is on an alcohol-fueled downward spiral. This book is a tough read that stares alcohol addiction, child loss, and complicated family relationships directly in the face. It’s hard to tell which relationship is the most fraught, Leah and her husband Lucas, her children, her mother-in-law Christine, her best friend Amy, or the one she has with herself. It is abundantly clear that this author has first hand experience with addiction and recovery.

Thank you to Harper Muse and NetGalley for my complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was an emotional and powerful read. Leah could easily be an unlikeable character, but instead, you empathize with her and root for her. A story that on the surface looks like a story about a woman struggling with her marriage and her life not being what she planned while dealing with a boundary crossing mother-in-law, was actually a nuanced story about the emotional load of women in a marriage with children, especially when life isn’t what you expected. We watch Leah’s spiral into alcohol dependence. At first, it seems social and fun. She’s having wine with her sister-in-law on girls’ nights. She’s drinking to get through family dinners, drinking to go to kids sporting events and needing a ride.
It’s an emotional story that brings you right alongside Leah and her struggles.

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is set in a seaside town in Northern California. I did not read anything about what this book was about before I started reading it, which is generally my favorite way to start a book. However, that can backfire sometimes with unexpected dark themes. This story is narrated by Leah, an artist, a surfer, a mother of three, and an alcoholic. I found the story compelling, and was interested to see what would happen as the story slowly unfurled. I found Leah to be one of those unlikeable characters, and I did not like the decisions she was making. I also did not like her mother in law Christine, at first, probably because she is shown through Leah’s eyes. I did grow to like Christine once her tragic past was revealed. Leah’s alcoholism was unexpected, and steadily grew worse as the story went on, kind of like the waves crashing in an increasingly stormy sea. Overall, I liked the book.

Thank you to @netgalley and @harpermusebooks for the advanced reading copy. This book published May 13th.

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is the debut novel by Jessica Guerrieri. It’s the story of Leah O’Connor, a young woman who has a great husband from a really close and prominent family, 3 beautiful children, a career as an artist (she’s a painter) and she suffers from alcohol addiction. Throughout the story, Leah never feels like she fits in with her in-laws. Her mother-in-law Christine seems overbearing at times. She gives off the impression that she’s the perfect mother and that everyone in the family should strive to be like her since she’s the perfect role model. Leah came from parents that were young when they had her and were not exactly great at parenting but she was fortunate to have a grandmother that she was close to. From growing up like this, she became somewhat independent and lived life on her own terms, having no one to worry about other than herself. But while dating 2 guys at the same time Leah becomes pregnant. She marries Lucas O’Connor but is never really sure if he is her daughters biological father. This secret along with other issues in her life is what serves as a catalyst to her drinking. She feels like she is losing herself, her artistic accomplishments and everything she used to be. Her identity is disappearing every since becoming a mother. It takes learning some truths, having secrets revealed, and the help of her best friend/sister-in-law Amy along with her own strong will and determination to realize she has a problem and needs to seek help. This was a fantastic debut novel and a book that many could benefit from by reading it. I really enjoyed it and must admit that I got a little emotional towards the end and needed tissues. I’d like to thank Harper Muse for accepting my request to read an early copy and NetGalley for the arc. This book covers a very difficult subject, one that many people struggle with but did it really well and I commend the author for a job well done. It’s a book I highly recommend and I look forward to reading more by this author in the future. I’m giving this book a 4.5 star rating.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This was such an amazing book about alcoholism and addiction. I loved reading this from the point of an alcoholic and how they think. I grew up as a child seeing this from a parent who tried to hide it and it was a very emotional read but so so good.

As a mother in recovery, this hit me hard. I could see so much of myself in Leah, and what could happen to me and my family if I were to ever give up. The far reaching consequences of addiction were so well represented, it was painful to read. The fact that this is a debut is crazy to me—not only is the story itself deeply moving, but the writing is stunning and engrossing. I can’t wait to read more from Guerrieri.

I have such complex feelings about this one, but as a mother who never envisioned motherhood for herself, it definitely resonated. The beautiful pace kept me turning pages even as I waited for the alcoholism to go from not seeming that bad to suddenly out of control. A wrenching portrayal of addiction and motherhood, this debut novel was stunning!

Raw and beautiful, this book grabbed hold of my thoughts and my heart. It explores heavy, real, complicated topics like infertility, relationship with family, and alcoholism against the lens of marriage and motherhood. The question it returns to again and again is how do you be yourself when everything and everyone is demanding so much of you. Leah feels like she has lost herself and turns more and more to alcohol to remember herself before marriage, children, and life. But will trying to find herself cause her to lose everything? The writing drew me in and the characters and situations felt real. I am still thinking about the book and the question of finding a way to be true to yourself.I listened to the audio as well and the narrator did a good job of bringing the story and the characters to life. I recommend this to readers that enjoy books about the messiness of life and family.

4.5/5
When I finished Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, I was wrecked. The portrayal of addiction and how it affects those in it and around it was palpable. I say this with tears in my eyes, this will be one of my top reads the year!

In Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, we meet Leah - mom of three, wife of Lucas, and member of the upstanding O'Connor family. Leah is struggling and bristling at the confines of her seemingly idyllic life.

I think it's inevitable to question your choices. Is this what I want? Is this who I want to be? However, in her debut, author Jessica Guerrieri gives us insight into the blurry lines between reality and what the addict perceives. Readers can feel the desperation, the isolation. Leah's story is heartbreaking - both for her and those who love her. Honestly, I didn't see the descent at first, and it made me wonder if that's how addiction sneaks up on people.

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea makes for such great conversation surrounding motherhood and marriage, addiction, and even mommy wine culture. I'm excited to see what Guerrieri creates next!

Read this if you like:
• Literary fiction
• Family drama
• Character driven stories
• Books about motherhood and marriage
• Book club reads

This is a deeply touching debut of finding a balance between being a wife, mother and a woman. It is the story of Leah, who is struggling to find a balance between her current life and what might have been.

The book is a no-holds tale of what addiction and denial can do to a family. Told from Leah’s point of view, we are given a kaleidoscopic view of her relationships with her family members, especially her tumultuous one with her mother in law.

I alternated between listening and reading. The narrator was fantastic. She has a way of drawing you in and keeping you engaged with the plot.

The author explores serious issues with grace and compassion- infertility, alcoholism, miscarriage, mental health and family dynamics.

Leah is very relatable as she embodies what most women feel- finding that balance between self, wife and mother.

I would have wanted to find out Christine’s point of view regarding her relationship with Leah.

If you love women’s fiction with some dash of family drama and a bit of humour then you will enjoy this.

Pre-Read Notes:

Here's where I'm at. 30% of the way through and I still don't know what the title means. That's cool, sometimes titles don't come clear until a book's final line. But since I chose the book in large part *because* of the title, I'm feeling lost. I'm feeling lost also because at 30% in, there's still no sign of a primary contlict. (*edit This approach to conflict is by design, and it. is. brilliant!) Although I love the feminist subtext and the fact the author included trigger warnings in the front matter. THANK YOU for this. It's so important. Also, this audiobook narrator is giving an amazing reading!

"We speak in nonthreatening, ambiguous terms because none of us really cares all that much. Every so often someone is a little too honest: “We are getting divorced,”they say, or “My husband’s mother died.”After politely inquiring further, we grow impatient, wondering how much longer we should stand there miming concern over other people’s hurt when we are already buried in our own." p104

Final Review

Honestly I wasn't sure if this book was for me, and I really struggled with the first half, which seemed to wander a bit. But the second half completely blew me away! This is the first book I've ever read that made me understand wanting to read it again for the first time.

I am also in love with this author's empathy and compassion for people with mental illness, like addiction and PPD. It's deeply amazing to read a book that isn't full of casual ableism. If this is a pain point for you too, definitely check this book out.

I recommend it also to fans of whip smart women's fiction, experimental form, and feminist themes. If you like Such a Good Mom (my review!) you should enjoy this.

My 3 Favorite Things:

✔️The narrative voice is somewhat addictive. She keeps referring to "mommy juice" and if this book were a drink, it would be that.

✔️ It's sort of healing for me to come in this close to several different parenting styles, in the low stakes process like reading a book. It has given me unexpected insight into my own miserable childhood (which led me in part not to be a mom) and even the parenting I experienced. This book may not be perfect (is there such a thing?) but it is honest and completely unjudgmental about parenting, especially momming.

✔️ It took me a little while to get to know them, but the characters in this story are fascinating. I really relate to the narrating character, and Christine reminds me of my own mom, for better or worse. I ended up very invested by the end, despite the lack of a primary conflict. *edit The author does this with the conflict by design and she executed it brilliantly. Wow!

Notes:

1. content warnings: alcohol consumption, alcoholism, addiction, abortion, miscarriage, ppd, family politics, early childhood stress

Thank you to the author Jessica Guerrieri, publisher Harper Collins, and NetGalley for an accessible audiobook copy and a digital copy of BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA. All views are mine.

This is a mind blowing impressive debut. It's an emotional story that peels back the layers of motherhood with the backdrop of addiction. It's raw and so real.