An incredible debut! This emotional and transportive story of loving and being loved reignited something in me. I’m not eloquent enough to communicate what that “thing” is, but just wow.

Set against the backdrop of Croatia’s Dalmatian coastline, Ivona’s story is a journey through grief, love, heartbreak, and hope. Hilje’s prose is stunning. I travelled to Croatia over a decade ago, and it was such a gift to visit again through this story.

Read if you enjoy:
🌊 gripping storytelling
🌊 tender journeys of self-discovery
🌊 gorgeous cinematic prose
🌊 mesmerizing coastal settings
🌊 layered and deep characters

I highly recommend this book widely. I expect to see it on many “best of the year” lists — I know it will be on mine.

This was a god debut. I normally don’t do love triangles but this one was good. Honestly the way the book started I was so on edge to find out what happened between Ivona and valho.

I had planned to do a read/listen of 𝗦𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗢𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗗𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗘𝗔 by Lidija Hilje, but after just the first few pages, I knew I wouldn’t do any listening. This says nothing about the audiobook. I’m sure it’s brilliant. I just found debut author Hilje’s writing so beautiful that I had to savor it in a way that one can really only do with eyes on the words. This is an amazing story, and I’ll get to that soon, but beyond that Hilje TOOK ME to Croatia. Her writing of the place was so very evocative that I was transported. I’ve yet to visit Croatia, but when I do, I think I’ll feel as if I’m returning. She did the same thing with her characters. I knew them. I cared about them. For a short time, it was as if I was living in their world.⁣⁣
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Within this incredible writing is a touching story of a woman finding herself in a place and time where the cards have been stacked against her. Ivona divorced the love of her life for reasons only she and one other person know. Ten years later, it still pains her every day, especially because she and Vlaho, now remarried with young children, remain close. The whys and whats of their relationship slowly come to light as does much more about Ivona, the life she’s bound to, and the one she wants.⁣⁣
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I predict you’ll be seeing 𝘚𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘢 on a lot of Best Book lists this year. I know you’ll be seeing it on mine. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟⁣⁣
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"I love him with the kind of ludicrous love that won't let itself be extinguished. The kind that digs its nails under your skin and stays. The kind that acts like an x-ray, seeing inside your deepest layers."⁣⁣
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Thanks to @simonbooks for a digital copy of this book.

“I love him with the kind of ludicrous love that won't let itself be extinguished. The kind that digs its nails under your skin and stays. The kind that acts like an x-ray, seeing inside your deepest layers.”

Slanting Towards the Sea is one of those hauntingly melancholy books that captures part of life's complexities.

Ivona and Vlaho divorce despite still being in love. She doesn't have the heart to tell him the truth about the marriage's end, and the only other person who knows isn't saying anything either.

Years later as Ivona's dealing with her parents aging and familial obligations that aren't panning out, she reunites with her ex-husband. She's actually welcomed into the fold of his new family. When another man could potentially be the fix for her family's financial woes and her personal ones, things get a little hairy.

I used half of my July @spotify audiobook hours to listen to this beautiful debut. Also thanks to @netgalley and @simonbooks for the ebook!

#backyard_bookstack #bookstagram #simonbooks

Thank you for this ARC! I loved this story. It was a powerful love story and also had family drama, which is my favorite genre. Most importantly, the author did a great job of making Croatia a character. I learned a lot about life in this country. I highly recommend this book. I know these characters and their journey will stay with me for a long time!

In Slanting Towards the Sea the reader follows Ivonna as she loves, suffers through many disappointments and through Croatia’s changing and challenging rules. This book is intense and interesting from beginning to end.

A stunning book. Croatian culture and history are woven into every page of this curious love story.

Ivona was married to the love of her life, Vlaho, for several years before they divorced 10 years ago. In the present day, she is close companions with Vlaho and his new wife, Marina, as well as their two children. It is an odd dynamic and a delicate dance. The story unfolds with bouncing back in time to Ivona and Vlaho's early relationship and marriage, then continues on with the present realities and new challenges they face.

I found this story beautiful in its brutal realities. As someone who spent time with Croatian-American friends & their families and then later visited the country, I was fully immersed and loved the authentic depictions of the culture and how it came to be. Hilje educates those not familiar with the struggles and realities of Croatia's recent history since its independence and the aftermath of the war in the 90s. The dysfunction of the government and the shifts towards tourism are all part of the challenges Ivona especially faces in her goals for employment and choices about where she lives, etc.

The mental health and familial relationship representation is very well done, as is the way a loving relationship can still manage to breakdown seemingly beyond repair. I loved Ivona's awareness and growth by the end of the book and the hope that perhaps, things work out the way they need to, even if they are painful.

🚨 content warnings (spoilers): 🚨 this book does deal with difficult topics such as divorce, family dysfunction, infertility, & infidelity

**will return to add Instagram post link when posting this week

Ivona thought that in finding the love of her life while in college, she would end up with everything she always dreamed of. Sadly, life is not quite that simple or straight-forward. At the beginning of Slanting Towards the Sea by Lidjia Hilje we learn that Ivona is divorced from her husband, Vlaho (Not a spoiler!). With alternating time lines and Ivona as our narrator, we are witness to the making and dissolution of a relationship. But, what appears to be a look-back story of a young couple in love, is so much more.

Slanting Towards the Sea is a serious, slow-burn love story that tackles difficult themes of infertility, grief, family bonds, and divorce. There is a certain melancholy throughout, but that is buffered by the exquisitely written Croatian seaside setting, which is as much a character as the humans we get to know in this story. This is the first book I’ve read set in Croatia, and I was entranced by the descriptions of the natural terrain, surrounding towns, and daily life; as well as how the history and modern-day political landscape played a role in the lives of these young lovers and their families.

Ivona, Vlaho and an interesting cast of side characters were well-drawn and flawed in a way that made them feel authentic and real. In many ways, this is a simple story of ordinary people, and like all of us, they have their share of traumas, tragedies and love. When all those facets of a person, a couple, a family, come together, any number of outcomes might occur.

I recently learned while listening to an author interview, that Hilje wrote this debut novel in her second language, English, making this debut stand out all the more. While I enjoyed the story, getting to know the characters, and the beautiful writing, the author did rely heavily on metaphors at times, some of which felt a little clunky. With that one exception, I can say I liked this book very much and I will look forward to reading more by this author.

If you enjoyed the vibes and themes explored in books such as Thirst for Salt, The Paper Palace, and Broken Country, you might enjoy this novel too.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC of Slanting Towards the Sea by Lidjia Hilje in exchange for my honest review.

This is a lyrical novel about family, love, and loss, set against the vivid backdrop of the Croatian coast. At its heart, it’s a love story between Ivona and Vlaho. The book opens with Ivona mourning their divorce, she left him, and now finds herself close friends with his second wife, Marina, and their children.
Through a blend of present-day reflection and flashbacks, we see Ivona revisit her past with Vlaho, her family history, and the looming threat of losing her ancestral home. What stood out to me was the poetic language and Ivona’s deep introspection as she tries to understand who she’s become. When a new man enters her life, she’s forced to confront her past decisions and consider what kind of future she wants.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

If I had to describe SLANTING TOWARDS THE SEA by Lidija Hilje using just one word, it would be complicated. Not the writing style, plot, or anything like that—just the situation that the female protagonist is in. Ivona experiences a series of events that steer her life in direction she didn’t expect. Many disappointments, obstacles, regrets, and challenges are thrown her way. Let’s just say that things get messy.

This novel surprised me in the most wonderful of ways. It went places I didn’t see coming at all. My jaw dropped multiple times, I sucked in many breaths, and let out countless sighs. I wasn’t just intrigued and invested, I was completely entranced. The writing is exquisite, and occasionally took my breath away. I’d find myself rereading sentences just because they were so beautiful.

READ THIS IF YOU ENJOY:

- Reflections on loss and grief
- Marriage and divorce stories
- Character-driven novels
- Slow-moving plot
- Family drama and dynamics
- Complex love stories
- Lyrical prose
- Flawed and realistic characters
- Croatian coastline setting
- Emotional reads

A question that I get asked all the time is: “What kind of books do you like to read?” After reading this debut, I feel like I can just hand future inquirers this book and say, “Ones just like this. It’ll explain everything!” I’ve always been drawn to quiet, slower-moving, character-driven stories about the complexities of women’s lives. This novel encapsulates exactly that.

5/5 stunning stars for SLANTING TOWARDS THE SEA! I honestly can’t recommend it enough. It’s out now!

This book has certainly made me think long and hard about the story within. Let me separate the story telling/writing from the plot.

Plot: Totally didn't agree with choices made-and I think that's the point of this book. It talks a lot about infertility which I can see being a trigger for some readers. There isn't much plot in general. We get a clip in time of Ivona's life and her marriage and divorce to Vlaho. We are in Ivona's head, processing her thoughts. It got laborious and slow much of the time.

Story telling/writing: This was a slow and methodical book. To a point that I put it down multiple times and returned. A heavy character study. I don't know that it's a compelling summer read, but I certainly loved the sense of place created along the coast of Croatia. The characters on the page are frustrating and stunted.

There is a lot to talk about with this book, which I think makes it a good read, but overall, there were too many aspects that made it not a win for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the gifted e-arc of this book.

Slanting Towards the Sea is a beautifully written and melancholic novel that fits right in with the trend of emotionally layered 2025 releases. While the pacing dragged at times, and it occasionally felt like a bit of a slog, I still found myself fully immersed in its world. The Croatian setting was both vivid and intriguing, adding texture and a sense of place that really stood out.

This was a strong debut from Lidija Hilje, and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for whatever she writes next.

What I enjoyed:
Setting in Croatia
Beautiful literary writing
Complicated relationships
Flawed characters

In the beginning, I struggled with the non- linear timeline. As the story progressed, it got better. This emotional story started off as a slow burn but picked up by the middle of the novel. I almost threw in the towel with this one but thankfully I didn’t give up. In the end, I enjoyed this complicated and emotional debut.


I received an advanced electronic copy from publisher Simon and Schuster and Netgalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview this book. All opinions are my own.

This was such a beautiful piece of literary fiction but had so many things I love in a book. Love, family, intrigue, and so much more. I recommend this book to lovers of contemporary and literary fiction.

Lidija Hije's novel, Slanting Towards the Sea, is beautifully written (quite remarkable given that she wrote in English, which is not her native language). The sense of place and culture is immersive; I felt like I spent some quality time in the region. Indeed, this is a book where the location becomes an additional character. This book is a deep character study more than a plot-driven story. The lead character is a highly sensitive person deeply mired in depression. I found her frustrating and, at times, I got fatigued by her helplessness. In short, this is a superbly executed novel, but also a mood downer. It's worth reading and is an excellent choice for Croatia if you are on a global reading challenge.

I vacillated between 3 and 4 stars for this book and ultimately went with four because the writing quality warranted it. Readers who need relatable characters or who are looking for something uplifting, this isn't for them. If you appreciate an intense mood with a book, and can handle one that is very depressing, then you'll lean toward the higher rating. If you need to like your characters and want to smile with them now and then, this one isn't for you.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me an ebook version of the novel in exchange for a review.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really enjoyable read. The author did an excellent job of bringing the Croatian setting to life. There are beautiful sentences. It was a little slow to start for me, but the entire second half flew as I was so emotionally invested in the characters.

This is one of the most beautiful writing I've encountered, ever. Hilje manages to deliver a story filled with longing and lost love between partners, life and country.

Possibly my favorite book this year!

This was so overhyped imo. It took me a week to read. The build up was unsurprising and frustrating. The ending was anticlimactic but at the same time I appreciated how things ended.

Ivona is such a frustrating character. Although I’ve dealt with infertility myself I couldn’t help but want to shake her..

The setting was unique and writing is beautiful for a debut. Just overall an underwhelming read for me.

Wow! This story was just beautiful!
This book exceeded my expectations; it was both emotional and heartwarming, and the characters were so memorable. I was totally engaged throughout the entire novel.
The book was full of vivid descriptions and vivid imagery to the point where I felt like I had slipped into the pages.

What a lovely, literary book. It flew by even as I tried to read slowly to savor it.
The writing style was stunning; I had over thirty lines highlighted in all. It was so emotionally written and vulnerable. The author beautifully explored the complexities of love and family and history — in Ivona’s relationship with Vlaho, her relationship with her family, and in the glimpses we get into the history of Croatia. The story was heartbreaking and healing at the same time and one I will highly recommend.