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.

I'm not sure what it was about this book that I didn't connect very well with it. The subject matter was very interesting, timely, and relevant and the prose was beautiful. It just felt hectic to me - a lot of characters and a lot of jumping around. Perhaps this was supposed to be indicative of the alcoholism in the main character, or perhaps it was a function of listening to the book on audio, but I just could not pin down this storyline enough to follow it clearly. I do believe this author has promise and I would certainly give another book of hers a try.

An intimate family drama about motherhood and the secrets of three women in the O’ Connor family. Leah gave up her dreams to become an artist when she found out she was unexpectedly pregnant. She uses alcohol to numb the feelings she has not living the life she planned and absorbing the brunt of childcare. Her sister in law Amy is her best friend and confidant and struggles with infertility. And Christine is her mother in law who always seemed like the perfect mother to whom motherhood came easily to is hiding a deep buried secret of her own. Leah always felt like an outsider in this family but as it turns out her addiction has kept her from connecting with her family. Real, raw and honest with trigger warnings for infant loss, infertility and addiction. A powerful debut that is going to be widely liked.

Leah O’Connor’s once carefree life vanished with an unexpected pregnancy and a hasty marriage to charming surfing enthusiast Lucas. Now, a decade and three children later, her artistic dreams feel lost beneath the weight of motherhood, resentment, and tension with her controlling mother-in-law, Christine. As Lucas pours himself into a new restaurant project honoring his mother, Leah spirals into loneliness and drinking, confiding a dangerous secret to her sister-in-law, Amy. When Leah’s unraveling endangers her family, the O’Connor women confront long-buried truths. In the aftermath, Leah must face her own choices, ask for help, and decide whether healing or heartbreak lies within her fractured family.

5 stars!

WOW. Wowwww. What an intense and captivating read. Jessica has written a story that so many readers will be able to relate to - maybe not necessarily every facet of it, but they will see themselves in moments, in conversations and in feelings. Readers will understand the immensely human tale told behind each of these characters and their experiences alone and while interacting with one another.

The relationship between Leah and her sister-in-law Amy will stay with me. The two have experienced so much life together, and some really challenging heartaches, and yet no matter the troubles they face, they have one another without question. To have that level of comfort and loyalty and commitment from a friend is absolute magic and a driving force throughout this novel.

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is not for the faint of heart, as there are many difficult subjects covered - addiction, escapism (both healthy and unhealthy), miscarriage, family drama and more. That said, if these triggers do not make you shy away from this engrossing debut, I hope you will read Leah's story. I am beyond glad that I did.

Wow! I was so engrossed with this one from the beginning! This took something foreign to me in my own life, addiction, and brought in something so familiar, motherhood. It was beautiful and heartbreaking and so well written! I finished it within a couple of days.

Between The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea is a heart wrenching book about addiction, motherhood & marriage. Leah never really had a family and enjoyed being on her own until one summer she met Lucas. In a whirlwind of a summer she ends up pregnant. Lucas wants to marry her and Leah obliges. After years and three kids Leah is struggling. She is trying to be a good mother but her alcoholism is getting in the way. Through this time a lot of skeletons that were in the closet get uncovered and can Leah be the mom and wife she needs to be. Can their marriage survive this?

This is a raw and harrowing dive into the life of a woman, wife, mother, and friend living in the throes of alcoholism.

The story tackles the demon of alcoholism and how it affects the addict and those around them, showing the wreckage addiction leaves in its wake. However, with beautiful authenticity and compassion, it also explores marriage, motherhood, pregnancy loss, family dynamics, loss of self, and friendship. This book is deep and immersive, yet it brings you up close, making it feel intimate and personal.

I am floored that this is a debut! The author does a brilliant job of capturing the nuances of these characters, not only their flaws but also their desires and heartaches. You feel their pain, guilt, jealousy, and longings, yet you’ll see true friendship and support in action. It is incredibly heartrending, yet waves of hope and love ripple throughout.


Thank you @uplitreads @jessicaguerrieriauthor and @harpermusebooks for the gifted book and the ebook via #Netgalley.

BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA is a raw and emotionally resonant debut about the quiet unraveling that can happen behind closed doors, especially for women navigating the relentless tides of motherhood, strained family ties, and the creeping grip of addiction.
Leah O’Conner has put her career on hold to raise three young children while managing an increasingly tense relationship with her mother-in-law. What begins as a nightly glass of wine to take the edge off slowly turns into something more dangerous. As Leah’s choices grow more reckless, she’s forced to confront the cost of the life she left behind, and the one she’s struggling to hold together.

Debut author Jessica Guerrieri writes with clarity and conviction, drawing from her own experience with alcoholism to craft a story that feels deeply honest. Leah may not be a traditionally “likable” protagonist, but her flaws are real, and her journey is one many will recognize. This novel doesn’t romanticize addiction or lean on tired “mommy juice” tropes”. It offers a more nuanced, unflinching portrayal of the weight women carry, and what it means to begin again.


READ THIS IF YOU:
-Understand how brave it is to ask for help
-Appreciate flawed female leads and unvarnished motherhood narratives
-Are drawn to raw, intimate family dramas

PUB DATE: May 14, 2025
RATING: 4/5

Many thanks to Harper Perennial and Netgalley for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

What a haunting book that captured so many of the complicated feelings of motherhood, relationships and self care. This book and these characters will stay with me for a long time. It’s written so smoothly the pages fly by and stories get deeper and deeper. There are sensitive topics covered in this book. This book would make a great addition to a book club as the discussions could be endless.

I really don’t have the words yet to truly express the power of this story. Well done.

This reads like bingeing the latest hit TV series. It’s a complete work of literary women's fiction that will have so many understanding and able to identity with. Leah is walking the line between existing with the pressures of motherhood & wanting an escape to be who she was before it all began.

Jessica Guerrieri’s debut novel is an incredible work of fiction. I can’t wait to see what else she pens, if this is the kind of writing we get!