I absolutely loved this authors debut Weyward.

Sadly this one just didn’t hit the same for me. I found the story a bit confusing with the switching back and forth between time and characters. I really enjoyed the boat expedition and the strong female characters.
The present part of the story for me was where I was a bit underwhelmed. The story moved a bit too slow for me with not much pay off in the end sadly.

With that said I did love the narrator. I thought she did a stellar job and will absolutely listen to more of her audiobooks!

Still I appreciate this authors writing and will certainly pick up more from her in the future.

Powerful, imaginative, and brilliant. Weaving three different time lines, but everything felt perfectly tied together. Really loved this book and it’s feminist themes.

I was absolutely blown away by The Sirens. My expectations were high, as Weyward has been my favorite book of 2024, but The Sirens definitely held up to the test. It's a tale of women, wronged by men, brought together through generations to keep themselves safe. Feminine rage stories are my absolute favorite, and this was no different.

Giving it a full five stars!

Update as I have had the chance to listen to the audiobook: the narrator's voice is perfect for the setting! Enjoyed it quite a bit, but I think I did personally enjoy reading the physical copy myself, as I like to visually see the change in POVs. Still definitely worth a listen!

✨BOOK REVIEW ✨

Sirens by Emilia Hart
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


Hart is quickly becoming my new favorite author. Her debut novel Weyward was beautiful and I was so excited to be able to read her next upcoming novel! Sirens, is STUNNING.

This book is captivating. I was unable to put it down, the multiple POV and dual timeline moves at a seamless pace that draws the reader. I truly don’t have the words to describe how moving the relationships between sisters is depicted or how Hart captures women’s experiences so poignantly.

A huge plus is the audiobook is just as stunning! The narrator perfectly captures the words and tone of the story- plus does beautiful Australian and Irish accents!

Set your alarms, mark your calendar and RUN to preorder or grab this beautiful book when it releases.


✨Pub date: 4/01/25 ✨







*Thank you NetGalley, Macmillian Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review 💌




Review posted to Goodreads
Review will be posted to bookstagram on 1/17 and will be reshared on pub week and pub day

📚 The Sirens 🎧
✍ Emilia Hart
📖 Fiction/Magical Realism
⭐4/5

🙏 Thank you to Macmillan Audio, NetGalley and the author for the advanced listener copy of The Sirens. All opinions are my own.
◾
🎯 What I loved: A story of sisterhood and the unbreakable bonds of women in the throes of abuse, The Sirens is beautifully written and haunting. Like Hart's debut Weyward, the story explored the depths of women's strength and was a thought-provoking tale of multiple sets of women who share deep connections despite the distance, time and secrets pulling them apart. The audio on this was so well done and I recommend listening to this one if possible because the Australian and Irish accents and siren songs add so much to the story. Also of note, the epilogue in this book strategically ties some loose ends together in a way I wasn't expecting, so make sure you stay the course on this one!

🙅‍♀️ What I didn't: I predicted the connections in this book early so if you're someone that wants a twist that you can't predict, be weary. But to me, this book wasn't about the twists, it was about journeys of self-discovery, reflection and growth and that's what I got in spades.
◾
Read if you love:
*alternating timelines that include references to historical events
*sisterhood and stories of female empowerment
*women overcoming obstacles and the patriarchy
◾
See also: Beautiful Ugly, The Blue Hour, Weyward, Spells for Forgetting

This was my first time with a book by this author, so I had no idea of what to expect from it, really.
I was intrigued by the plot (historical + mermaids) and I don't regret reading it.
However, I don't think I'm the right audience for this book.
I was initially very invested in the 'present' timeline, following Lucy's POV - and not so much in the other 2 POVs.
But as the story moved on, I found myself no longer curious or entertained by Lucy's storyline. I liked the turmoils of his relationship with her sister, but in general it all fell flat to me.
Also unfortunately, the 'historical' part of this story didn't clique with me.
The mermaid's lore was cool, but sometimes it got way too 'fantasy' for my taste.
I'll say this is the classic 'I'm not the right audience for this book' case.
I can see many readers enjoying this book, though.
I recommend it to readers who generally are into fantasy/historical stories.

The audiobook was perfect. I've known this narrator for a while and, in my opinion, she never disappoints. Even when I'm not enjoying the book as a whole, I always enjoy Barrie Kreinik's work.
Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for allowing me to listen to a free audio copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

First, a huge thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for supplying me with this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. After loving Weyward, I was so excited to read this book, but in all honesty, it fell flat for me from the beginning all the way to the end. If I hadn’t been given the book to review, I probably wouldn’t have finished it. A quote from the beginning of the book really shows the overwrought and stilted style that ruined Lucy as a narrator for me: “I felt like a religious zealot having a crisis of faith. What use is a weapon people are unafraid to touch?” In this line, she is talking about the truth of what happened to her, but it just seems so off the mark for the context that it completely pulls you out of the narrative. In addition, the primary device used for getting the plot going, sleepwalking, completely gets ignored throughout the end of the book and doesn’t allow the reader to fully understand how that played into the larger narrative. As a whole, I found the character to fall flat and think that the author missed a huge opportunity to reclaim the trope of a siren in a way that she just didn’t. A lost opportunity in my opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley, Emilia Hart and MacMillian audio for the free audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I still haven’t read Weyward, so I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy this or not but the premise of this made me believe it was worth a try. I really enjoyed the characters, the magical aspects, and the alternating chapters from past to present. It’s written so beautifully. I would definitely recommend.

Similar to Weyward, this follows three women in different times and it isn’t until the end that the stories link. Once again it starts out slow but it is so worth it. Such a beautiful, unique story, with mermaids! Emilia Hart is Becky an autobuy author for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book, and to Macmillon Audio and Netgalley for the ALC of the same!

I started reading a digital copy of this book, and I was pulled in after a few chapters, but I knew the right narrator could really make the accents and the snippets of songs shine. I wasn't wrong, and Barrie Kreinik did just that. I both read and listened to the novel, and the audio really added to the experience (trying to read accents in my head never works for me).

There were pieces that didn't connect for me - like <spoiler> Lucy not knowing Jess had the same rare skin condition despite being raised by the same parents dealing with the same skin issues for two people </spoiler>. I know that's not huge, but it's something that pulls me out of the narrative - like comparing it to my own family life and knowing nothing like that could happen within a small family.

But, that's tiny. The overarching story was excellent. I loved the dual storyline and wanted to know more about what happened in each, and where they overlapped. I think that arc was beautifully written and so well crafted, and I loved the ending.

Wow, this book will likely be one of my favorites for the year! Emilia Hart knows how to capture dark twisty tales with just a touch of whimsy. Readers will enjoy this book for the mystery and drama captured on every page.

I listened to the audiobook version of this story. I really appreciated the narrators ability to "turn up the volume" on the accents for different settings in the story. There are two timelines in this story, one set in present day, and the other many years ago. The narrator was able to set up the listener to be immersed into both worlds.

Thank you to Emilia Hart, the publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC!

Thanks to Emilia Hart, NetGalley, Barrie Kreinik, and Macmillan Audio for the chance to read and review! My opinions are my own.

Unfortunately, this one did not work for me. It has a beautifully described setting, and I loved the idea behind it of these joint stories. But the pacing was absolutely glacial. I'm all about character driven work, but I did not connect to the characters enough to be invested in this one. I listened to the audiobook and think the narrator did a good job giving them voice and character. Overall, I feel like this book just needed more plot driving it. But that is just my opinion!

Macmillan Audio ALC
This solidified Emilia Hart as an auto-read author for me. I just love how she takes a topic and makes it her own, while also staying true to some of the lore surrounding what she is choosing to write about. I don't read many stories about sirens, but I was engrossed from beginning to end. I liked how this book was dual timeline and how the present and past intertwined. She created such an atmosphere of suspense with the women being sent as prisoners to Australia in 1800, how Jess's journal filled in more of the story, and the most present timeline from Lily's POV - and what mysteries they all were hiding.
Even with it being three main characters, I knew the narration here would be perfect because Barrie Kreinik is one of my absolute favorite narrators because of how she captures each character's individuality. She did perfectly!

I hate to say that if it wasn't for the epilogue, this book would have been better.
The way the stories wove together and the overall mystery was very interesting.
I really just feel like a different epilogue or no epilogue would have been better overall.
Also, there is a random head injury in this that felt a little pointless.
The audiobook was done well. No complaints there.

Book Review: The Sirens by Emilia Hart
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5)

This novel weaves a tale of sisterhood, resilience, and the call of the sea across three timelines. While the unique mermaid-esque lore and alternating perspectives create an intriguing mix of historical fiction and mystery, the story felt too slow and sorrowful for me. Many elements remained unexplained, which left me feeling more frustrated than enchanted.

That said, fans of atmospheric, character-driven narratives may find the magic and mystery of the sea captivating. 🌊🧜‍♀️

Thank you, MacMillan Audio, Emilia Hart, and NetGalley, for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. 😊

4 ☆
2019: Lucy awakens in her ex-lover’s room in the middle of the night with her hands around his throat. Horrified, she flees to her sister’s house on the coast of New South Wales, hoping Jess can help explain the vivid dreams that preceded the attack—but her sister is missing. 1800: Mary and Eliza are torn from their loving home in Ireland and forced onto a convict ship heading for Australia. As the boat takes them farther and farther away from all they know, they begin to notice unexplainable changes in their bodies.

The cover art is gorgeous! I don't even know what to say about this story. This story took me by surprise; by the name alone, I was thinking mythical creatures—sirens walking among humans and taking men. But that's totally not what's happening in this story. It almost gave me a coming-of-age, finding family, and coming to love one's self in their uniqueness vibe. Which isn't bad at all, and I felt like this story showed all that. The pacing was good, though I did feel like it was a little long and could have been a little shorter. But overall, I really enjoyed this story.

The audiobook was good. The narrator did a good job telling the story; it was very easy to listen to and understand. I listened to this story at 2x speed.

Thank you, Netgellay, Macmillan Audio for the audiobook, and St. Martin's Press for the ebook in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed the dual timelines this book followed. I liked switching between the POV of Lucy (2019) and Mary (1800s) throughout the book while also getting a glimpse at what Jess was facing in 1999. The atmosphere of this book was great, and the main characters are likable. This is a book of magic, enchantment, and strong female characters as you sort through family mysteries and secrets spanning multiple generations. I did find the story to be predictable. However, that didn’t affect my overall opinion of the book because it was so well written. I stayed engaged the entire time. I listened to the audiobook version and the narrator did a great job. I would definitely recommend adding this beautifully written novel to your TBR list. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

The queen did it again! Emilia Hart is a wonder ladies and gentleman. I would recommend this book to all my friends and feel no nerves at all!

Another 5 star read from Emilia Hart!

I'm so glad I was able to get an advance copy of Sirens on audio. I absolutely loved Weyward by Emilia (also a 5 star read), so I knew I HAD to read Sirens.

The narration was great, very well written to be read as an audiobook.

I did get lost in the time-line sometimes, but it was easy enough to get back on track.

The characters are likable, and you can share all their emotions with them as they go through the story. Very descriptive in telling about events and locations.

Looking forward to more to come from Emilia Hart.

Thank you so much Emilia Hart, Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for this opportunity. I am absolutely swooning over this book, the story was beautifully complicated, the narration was perfection and I was engaged from minute 1 and never wanted to press pause. The concept of this book was fascinating and simultaneously otherworldly and completely real, This is my first Emilia Hart book but it is absolutely the first of many.