All Our Beautiful Goodbyes by Julianna MacLean is a deeply emotional and thought-provoking novel that explores love, loss, and the complexities of human relationships. The story follows Elizabeth, a woman grappling with grief and the remnants of a past love, as she navigates the difficult journey of healing.

MacLean’s writing is poignant and beautifully crafted, pulling readers into the emotional heart of the story. The characters are well-developed and relatable, and the exploration of their struggles with forgiveness and moving forward feels both raw and real. This book is an emotional rollercoaster, filled with moments of hope, sorrow, and redemption.

If you're in the mood for a heartfelt and moving read that lingers long after the final page, All Our Beautiful Goodbyes is a must-read.

All Our Beautiful Goodbyes by Julianne Maclean is a sweeping, emotional romance set against the hauntingly beautiful backdrop of Sable Island. The book spans several decades, following the life of Emma Clarkson, a woman whose heart is shaped by love, betrayal, and the unforgiving passage of time. The author’s prose is undeniably beautiful, and the setting is rich with atmosphere—Maclean does an excellent job of painting a vivid picture of life on the island, and I could almost taste the sea air and feel the isolation Emma faces.

The plot, however, feels a bit familiar. The story centers on Emma’s heartbreaking love life, from her first passionate but ill-fated love with a shipwrecked British captain, to a second chance with a seemingly perfect man who harbors dark secrets. While the twists and turns of Emma's life certainly kept me engaged, some of the plot points were predictable, and I found myself waiting for the next dramatic revelation to occur, which sometimes felt more like a formula than a fresh narrative.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

This story was so good and I have added Sable Island to my bucket list! I would love to visit this place after reading this novel. Emma was raised on Sable Island and doesn't know much different, her father has done all he can to protect her from the real world and who people really can be. When a handsome captain and his crew are rescued from a terrible wreck, Emma can't help but wonder if there could be something. It has been love at first sight for her and their time together was not without some sort of connection, but when he gives her the cold shoulder when he leaves, she wonders if she was just a foolish girl. Years later a veterinarian has come to study the horses and she thinks maybe this is her second chance at love. Things progress quickly and soon she is a wife with a baby on the way, but her husband has become a different person and she is in for a shock about who he really is. Heading back to the safety of Sable Island she realizes she has now been hurt by two different men and may be better off on her own with her son and father. When a surprise visit from her past shows up to the island, she doesn't know what to do. She wants to guard her heart, but ultimately she can't and a future is planned. A future she has always dreamed of, but when a letter shows up months after their plans were supposed to happen, she knows this is the tragic ending. There will not be a happy ever after. Almost fifty years later, she gets the shock of her life when the truth of what really happened those decades ago comes knocking at her door. This was such a deep read! You felt for Emma through the whole entire story. Thank you to the author for the complementary novel and to Suzy Approved Book Tours for the invite. This review is of my own opinion and accord.

A unique setting provided a romantic backdrop to this appealing novel. Sable Island is a small island off of the coast of Nova Scotia, populated mainly by wild horses. A small settlement was established to help save sailors from frequent shipwrecks, and that is where Emma’s story begins. As the daughter of the man in charge, Emma grew up with her father, since her mother died in childbirth. Learning as much as her father could teach her, Emma hoped to go off the island to university, but a series of events prevents that from happening. With a life full of heartbreaks, disappointments, joy and more, Emma’s story reels the reader in as she ages. Recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a beautifully written emotional read. Emma had lived a sheltered life and I liked how she acknowledged that. After the events of shipwreck she started learning some hard lessons. I loved her growth and maturity as she navigated her circumstances. The men surrounding her all frustrated me at some point as I was really wanting her to live her dreams. The 1955 timeline was so good and I loved how we not only got to know Joanna but it rounded out the story and when it started it gave me a lot of hope and clarity.

Thank you @juliannemaclean @suzyapprovedbooktours for the gifted copy.

I’m enamored with World War II stories and the focus on after the war is a refreshing change of pace. The book is broken into multiple POV parts that showcase Emma’s story from after the war and spans fifty years. Set on the beautiful Sable Island, it makes me long to return. This is a love story that grabs you from the beginning and keeps the emotions on high alert. Twists and turns will keep you pleasantly surprised. It’s a great book to snuggle up with on the rainy days of spring.

This book was all kinds of beautiful.

Beautiful cover.
Beautiful setting.
Beautiful prose.

I’m a sucker for dual timelines - as long as they’re clear - and this one is done…beautifully.

My favourite part, save for the wild horses, obviously, is the vivid sense of place.

As a Canadian, it’s a bit embarrassing, to have never heard of Sable Island, but I’m glad to finally know, and live vicariously through this book’s characters.

The writing is such that you can TASTE the sea air and feel the breeze on your skin.

It’s wreaking havoc on my hair, but it’s doing wonders for my complexion.

I’m so glad to get to know another Canadian Author’s work, and I’m thrilled to have her robust back-catalogue to dig into.

Elbows up!

A stunning historical romance, 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐛𝐲𝐞𝐬 whisked me away to the isolated shores of Sable Island—an island approximately 180 miles off the coast of Nova Scotia. The island is known for its wild horses and its history with shipwrecks.

The author utilizes the island’s rugged beauty and nautical history as the captivating backdrop for this story of love and heartache. From first loves to forbidden loves, this is a tale of shipwrecks, broken hearts, family, and second chances. There are missed opportunities and lives separated by oceans and time.

Atmospheric, heartbreaking, and hopeful, this tender generational saga will have you turning pages and perhaps reaching for the tissues. You might also find yourself googling Sable Island.


Thank you @suzyapprovedbooktours and @juliannemaclean for the gifted ebook.

Thank you to my partners, Suzy Approved Book Tours and NetGalley, and the author. I appreciate the gifted paperback and eARC! I am leaving this review voluntarily!

1. 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 • Emma falls head over heels for Oliver after his ship crashes near her island. As the reader, I was able to feel every emotion right alongside her. How strong those first feelings of love and lust are…and how quickly those feelings arise!

2. 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐥 • Ugh! My heart! Just when Emma finally finds someone to help her forget about Oliver, a whopper of a revelation comes to light. Granted, some great things happened anyway before the bomb went off, but I was crushed for her.

3. 𝐀 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜 • Sable Island sure does something to a person once they set foot on it. The characters who visit find a sense of peace and belonging and a few find themselves in the throes of blooming love that was never expected.

4. 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐢𝐞𝐬 • The immense love between Emma and Oliver was sidetracked by many things, many times. The ultimate betrayal that left them apart is one of utter bitterness and selfishness. As the story of it unfolded, my heart broke into so many pieces. And yet, the road taken did allow them the things that did make their lives whole and satisfying, so it would be hard to regret it.

5. 𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐨𝐨 𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐞 • As we age, I think we need to throw caution to the wind and take the chances that are given to us. Forgiveness is a huge obstacle, but once given, it frees up space to feel and experience many things. Our characters learn this the hard way, but it comes to a close with a hope for the future!

Sweet, cozy romance. Loved how the story unfolds along the 50 years-timeline. Perfect second chance romance, full of emotions.

Emma was full of dreams — to leave the beautiful, yet secluded island she grew up on in her pursuit of education. Yet a big storm and a ship wrecked captain changed everything.

Love shapes us and love shaped Emma. With a second chance, Emma learns that true love never dies.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the e-arc!

All Our Beautiful Goodbyes will take you on a reading journey spanning almost 50 years through the history of Sable Island, love, loss, deception, and new beginnings. MacLean has written a beautiful story with wonderful well-developed characters and descriptions of the area that make you feel like you are there. I really enjoyed this story!

A heart-wrenching saga of love, both returned and unrequited. This emotional book is the ideal cozy fall book.

I've read and honestly loved several of this author's books. Each is unique and held me captive throughout. This one is no different. This is a beautiful story filled with so many emotions. Love, betrayal, loss, new life, goodbyes, beginnings. Love lost and possibly found. So much emotion in this story set on and around Sable Island.

Emma was born and raised on Sable Island. She lost her mother when she was born. Her father raised her by himself and did a great job. He taught her so much and she's very smart. She wants nothing more than to go to college but her dad is not so keen on the idea. He doesn't want to let go.

When Emma meets Oliver after his ship wrecks off the coast of Sable Island, she falls head over heels in love. But he has to leave and she's left humiliated and heartbroken. Why would he ever do that to her. Push her away. Act as though they never shared anything special. But that is exactly what he did. After all he was a married man. His wife was living a complete separate life with another man so it couldn't have been her. Could it??

Then Emma meets and falls for Logan. He came to Sable Island as a veterinarian to care for the horses. They fell in love and got married. Not long after she gave birth to a baby boy. Then things went so wrong for the couple. Logan had secrets he never divulged to his wife. They were in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Logan was arrested. Emma was devastated and returned to Sable Island.

Her life was so complicated and then Oliver returned professing his undying love for her. They spent the day together and when he had to leave he promised to return at Christmas and they would announce their engagement. That was not to be...

Emma went through so much because of these two men. She had to move on with her life. She had found herself pregnant again and went back to Halifax to her friend Ruth's. She gave birth to a baby girl, Rose, and already had a son, Matthew. She was destine to be alone it seems. She would not return to Sable Island but instead went on to school. She made a life. Then years later a car pulls up to her home....

This book is told beautifully. Yes it made me cry. A lot. Especially close to the end. This author takes you deep into the lives of Emma and her father. The horses on Sable Island. The loves Emma had and lost. It's one I highly recommend.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

What a wonderful book!
This epic tale spans decades (1946-1995) amidst the remote splendor of Nova Scotia.
After WWII Emma Clarkson dreams of attending university and leaving behind Sable Island, the only home she has ever known.
Emma's destiny is forever changed when British Sea Captain Oliver Harris is rescued from his shipwreck nearby. Emma falls deeply in love with him but he returns to sea once recovered. Heartbroken she must forget him and carry on trying to believe it wasn't meant to be. Emma does find love again but all is not as it seems.
Many years later Oliver's granddaughter discovers her grandfather's secrets and is determined to cross the ocean to find her grandfather's lost love.
From beginning to end the author captivates us with a story of love, loss and forgiveness.
I was totally immersed in all of the characters as well as the wonderfully descriptive scenery of Sable Island.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

The novel was enjoyable with twists and turns and I was kept wondering at Emma’s future. The ending was something I didn’t see coming

If you’re looking for an absolutely epic love story, look no further—this is it. ALL OUR BEAUTIFUL GOODBYES by Julianne Maclean will pull you in immediately, and take you on an emotional journey. One would think that finding a love interest on a remote island would be nearly impossible, but the author proves us wrong!

There’s so much to love about this story, but what I loved most was learning about Sable Island, a small, remote island off the coast of Nova Scotia. The female protagonist, Emma Clarkson was born and raised there, and I found life on the island so fascinating. Spanning decades, the reader learns all about the hardships, challenges, and obstacles that Emma faced during her time on the island. The author also throws in a lot of great little twists, turns, and surprises along the way.

READ THIS IF YOU ENJOY:

- Historical romances
- Second chances
- Remote island setting
- Post-WWII era timeline
- Multiple POVs
- Family drama and dynamics
- Father/daughter relationships
- Reflections on motherhood
- Emotional reads
- Animals and nature

I found the audio version of this novel so easy to listen to. The narration was superb and it flowed so smoothly. I was engaged and entertained the whole time—my mind did not wander once! (That’s rare! 🤣)

I’m not sure why I haven’t picked up one of Julianne Maclean’s novels before, but I’ll definitely be reading more from the author in the future. I’m off to hunt down her backlist now! 4/5 stars for ALL OUR BEAUTIFUL GOODBYES! It’s out now and currently free to read and listen to on kindle unlimited! Go download it now!

I have read several of Julianne MacLean's books and this one did not disappoint. She has such a beautiful way of developing a story, with such care and attention from the characters to their surroundings. It makes you feel as if you are right there with them. I was routing for Emma and Captain Harris throughout the whole book. I would highly recommend this book!

Thank you to Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC. Thank you as well to Julianne MacLean for your talented story telling.

I read this book as an arc reader.

This is a wonderful story about the history of Sable Island. Lots of love, loss, betrayal and understanding of another person.

Emma lives with her dad on an island off nova scotia. She’s ready to go to college but a storm & captain of a ship Oliver change her plans. Years go by and he reappears in her life. They’ve loved each other for years will they finally be able to be together?