Thank you to Hyperion Avenue and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel. I had read Jane's previous work so I had a general idea of what I might be getting into but this still went beyond that. I don't know that I agree with the blub of this being flat-out fun as there are some heavy topics therein and it is very heavy on the sci-fi. This is not The Expanse or space opera, to be sure, but there are real topics of divorce and grief and longing in here. There is a happy ending here but goodness me the turns it takes to get there. Not sure my particular audience would like this but it may be worth your while. 3 stars.

An interesting romsci-fi (romance x sci-fi) book about a child growing up on pearl island with her single mother and spending a lot of time alone. One summer she befriends a boy and after a tragic incident, he dies. Fast forward 30 years and the same girl is now a woman dealing with a messy separation and a bad attempt at control over her life as she takes her own child to pearl island, where she grew up. Weird things start to happen with creates and monsters out for blood. Personally, this was not for me. I'm more into fantasy than sci-fi, but this felt like a somewhat digestible sci-fi to a reader who like mostly contemporary romance and romantasy. The writing wasn't anything I'd particularly write home about, and I never felt compelled to keep reading, but I didn't mind it either. It was a bit of a palate cleanser and a little break from the usually romance books I read. If the concept of the novel sounds interesting to you I'd def try it out, just not personally for me!

I really enjoyed reading this book—it's a very interesting mix of genres, definitely with some sci-fi and fantasy elements, but I would say it's a character-forward story above all else, with very high plot stakes! I won't say too much about said plot, since one of the pleasures of this weird little gem is seeing it unfold and not knowing where it' going next, but the premise was excellent and I felt the book delivered on that premise. Emily Jane is truly a beautiful writer—there were several places I stopped to contemplate an image or line of dialogue that really struck me. I will definitely be looking out for future books from her!

I was gifted a copy of this book by NetGalley, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to leave this review.

This book is weird - in the best, most whimsical way. It's refreshing to read a fantasy novel that doesn't take itself too seriously, blending elements of humor and adventure with a unique story.

It could easily be categorized in multiple genres - romance, sci-fi, even YA - and somehow, it works! The kid characters were a highlight for me. Their humor was well placed and brought a lightness to the novel to balance some of the heavier themes like grief.

The plot was strong, and I enjoyed the pacing for the most part. I agree with other reviewers that the middle section dragged a bit, and the strong might have benefited from being a little shorter. However, the strength of the plot carried the book through, even when the protagonist was frustrating. That said, I really enjoyed her redemption arc by the end. The protagonist reminded me of a grown up version of Nancy from Stranger Things - flawed, determined. Overall, this was an entertaining and unique read!

Love anthony Ryan's work and this is just as fun and soul destroying as his other works... I enjoy the journeys and characters he creates

DNF 18%

The premise of this book is so intriguing and I do enjoy the writer's sense of humor. However, the children are so obnoxious and the FMC is distressingly negligent. I don't think I will be able to enjoy the balance of this book.

Hm, this book made me laugh out loud a few times. It was a quick read and was pretty chaotic. I’m not a big Pokémon person so I think some of that was lost on me.

This was a very silly, light, cozy fantasy where a mom going through divorce takes her kids to the beach to work on her novel and get away from her soon to be ex-husband who has a long list of her "underminstances" (aka his grievances after getting into some man's self help book) he doesn't let her forget about. Their trip gets uprooted by the appearance of the mom's childhood friend Timmy Caruso who disappeared at the beach 30 years ago... and somehow looks exactly the same as he did 30 years ago.

What unfolds is a sweet, nostalgic-feeling, childhood-magic summer story involving a sea monster, some "squidoodles", a sexy contractor who frequently comes to the rescue, natural disasters, and a cinematic, over-the-top climax. This was an easy breezy, light read that was entertaining, however I did wish we had a a stronger through line moving the plot forward.

Thank you to the publisher for granting me access to an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions remain my own.

It's very rare for me to select a Netgalley title that I then find so dull that I'm tempted not to finish it. This is one of those. I did finish it, though, and can report that it has all of the excitement and sophistication of Dick and Jane books, and while the premise sounds solid, the writing plods. And plods. And plods.

Thanks for the review copy. I love the cover. I liked the hint of science fiction, It is also whimsical.

This was fun and cute while I was reading but not that memorable. I would say middle of the road, didn't drive deep into any topics just kind of 2 dimensional.

Thank you, NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for this ARC for review. I read this author’s previous book, On Earth As It is On Television, so I knew to expect a quirky read. I have say, I liked this book even better!! 10 year old, Timmy Caruso disappears one summer while vacationing on Pearl Island. 30 years later, he returns from the ocean the same age and he’s on a mission to save the world. He finds his friend Jenni from 30 years ago, who is now a mom of 2, a writer, and struggling with adult issues and her soon to be ex-husband. But weird things are happening on the island and Jenni and her kids believe Timmy and must try to save the world from a terror in the water. This book is weird in the bast way and laugh out loud funny and very relatable in parts.

This book has an interesting premise, and I was not sure what to think going into it, so I just went in with no intentions. It was unique, quirky, cute, and maybe a little whimsical. I really liked Jenni, her kids, and Timmy! Sure the kids could be annoying, but they were going through A LOT for being so young. As the story progressed, it got more and more intense. I was getting pretty stressed hoping everything was going to work out. Overall, it was really interesting and unlike most books I tend to read. I will definitely have to check out more by this author.

This book is so visually beautiful in its prose that just seeing the cover of it triggers incredibly lush memories for me of the plot, characters, and feelings I had as I read it. It's a weird one, but if the reader can suspend all disbelief and just take the ride, it is stunning and sad and ultimately, incredibly hopeful.

Octopuses seem to be hot topics these days in literature, and I have to say, I understand why. They are mysterious, adorable, and probably as close to an alien creature as we have ever been her eon Earth. I love this story.

Fun, silly, lighthearted, yet somehow also serious and poignant and deeply affecting. This book might make you roll your eyes, but it's secretly cracking your heart open at the same time.

This was a creative and fun read. This book is probably for adults, but I often stopped to wonder if it was better for younger readers. However, I liked the quirky, sci-fi, sea-monster at the seaside story.
Jenni and her friend Tommy meet as kids on the beach and spend the whole summer together. Then Tommy mysteriously just disappeared under the water and never came back.... until 30 years later. Jenni is now separated from her husband and with 2 kids in tow, she runs away to her childhood home on the beach. What follows is an imaginative story of Tommy's return, sea monsters, and saving the world. Fun, quick read that kept me entertained. I received a complimentary eBook from the publisher in exchange for a review.

Here Beside the Rising Tide is quite a strange and wonderful book. It’s difficult to describe without making it sound utterly ridiculous – because how could a book about time travel and sea monsters that includes words like “squidoodle” possibly be anything other than pure silliness? You’ll just have to trust me when I tell you that it’s actually quite poignant and meaningful (while yes, also being silly in the best way).

Thirty years after living there as a child, action-romance writer Jenn Lanaro returns to Pearl Island for the summer with her young children, in a desperate attempt to avoid both her writing deadline and her ex-husband. Shorty after Jenn and her children arrive at their beach house, a ten-year-old boy walks out of the ocean. He says his name is Timmy Caruso, and he’s on a mission to save the world. But Jenn knows he can’t possibly be who he claims – because she knew ten-year-old Timmy Caruso thirty years ago, before he disappeared from Pearl Island.

First with the weird and wonderful On Earth as It Is on Television and now with Here Beside the Rising Tide, Emily Jane is creating quite the niche for herself in contemporary fiction – using fantastical, wacky plot elements to tell stories about the joys and pitfalls of modern life. Rising Tide is whimsical sci-fi, satire, magical realism, a coming-of-age story (in both childhood and midlife), and a fantasy adventure tale with hints of romance and the apocalypse all at the same time, and it just works. Jane’s characters and dialogue sparkle on the page, and her writing is so warm and life-affirming, full of just as many insightful moments as silly ones. This is a book that celebrates the magic of childhood and resists the banality of adulthood, showing that imagination has no expiration date and that it’s never too late to chart a new path. It’s so endearing, and it has so much heart.

Emily Jane stands alone in this wildly original subgenre she’s created, and I’m here for it – and eagerly awaiting her next book. Thank you to Hyperion Avenue for the complimentary reading opportunity.

A layered and complex story that will keep you turning the pages. Take a wild, fantastical ride through time with Jenn and her kids as she tries to run from the chaos of life.
Vastly entertaining but sometimes difficult to follow. You never quite know what to expect, but that makes for an interesting read.

Jenni grew up on the island and her mother was a waitress. Timmy came from a wealthy family but they weren't particularly loving and close. Everyone of his family members did their own thing at their summer rental, so Jenni and Timmy became friends one summer and had all kinds of adventures. Until the day that the ocean swallowed him up. His body was never found.

It's now 30 years later and Jenn is a famous writer with 2 children and an about-to-be-ex-husband. She's been forced to write very similar stories about the same character for years and she needs to get away. So she rents a house on the island she grew up on. Her mother has passed on and the family house that Jenn owns isn't in habitable shape. She brings the kids and ignores the calls and texts from her ex.

One day Timmy, the same Timmy comes out of the ocean. He's the same boy and he is the same age as he was when he disappeared. And then the really strange things happening.

So is this a not too scary horror story? Is it a sci-fi thriller? I'd say it's kind of a blend, but a lot of fun to read. Jenn has to dig into her reserves and her imagination and the kids' gaming skills prove critical in vanquishing the enemy from the sea. I laughed out loud at several points. I'm glad I read it.

What did I just read??

The first 10% started off pretty strong. It was well written, capturing my attention right away, and the concept (sea monsters and time travel aliens) was definitely intriguing but the execution fell flat.

While there were a lot of little things that I thought were annoying/poorly done, ultimately my low rating is mainly due to the absolute chaos this book was and how repetitive it was without much plot advancement. It felt like the author was just trying to get her word count up so she’d over elaborate some events (feeding the squidinox) or constantly repeat things (Chuck texting, how she wander the island as a kid, her job that needed to get done, etc). It all felt pretty superfluous and just like a space filler. The book could have literally been 250 pages shorter and I feel like I’d have gotten just as much out of it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for an advanced copy of Here Beside the Rising Tide.