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!

I can’t imagine any other narrator giving voice to Leah but Mia Hutchinson Shaw! She’s fabulous!

💋NetGalley Audio: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
Pub date - 5/13/25
Harper Collin’s Focus

The narrator does a fantastic job with pacing the story. She does an excellent job being clear, enunciates well, and is easy to understand. Distinguishing between the cast of characters’ voices is at times not so easy to discern. The lack of vocal distinction was as if she was telling the story, but not embodying the story. The portrayal falls short of a true performance. When I listen to an audio book, I expect a performance. I want to feel as though I am in the same room with the cast of characters. Having said that, this portrayal makes it easy to become disinterested. It feels dull and I quickly lost interest.
Additionally, it would be incredibly helpful to have the character's name announced with each chapter, as it currently takes too long to figure out who is speaking based on the dialogue.

As for the story, it was mediocre. Just another story about one woman’s problem with drinking to cope. I didn’t find anything exceptional within the plot. I appreciated the style of writing but needed more depth in the character, Leah. This is why I rated it three stars.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Colin‘s Focus for giving me the opportunity to listen and review this story. I look forward to working with you again in the future.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/168550668?shelf=read&sort=date_updated&order=d

This debut novel was a heart wrenching look into the life of an alcoholic. Leah, once a free spirit and aspiring artist, now finds herself struggling to care for her 3 young children surrounded by her husband’s close knit and sometimes overbearing family leading her to frequently turn to alcohol. A complex, layered family drama in which the author uses her own history with alcohol to tell a realistic and relatable story. Lots of triggering topics in this book: alcoholism, addiction, infertility, miscarriage, and suicide. A bit slow to build but overall a really good listen.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus for the audiobook.

I picked this book based on several enthusiastic recommendations, going into it without any prior knowledge of the plot. At first, I wasn’t sure what to expect or whether I would connect with the story. But as the narrative gradually revealed what Leah, the main character, was hiding—or believed she was hiding—I found myself increasingly drawn in.

While I don't personally relate to the specific issue of dependency on "mommy's little helper," I recognize how normalized it has become in our culture. As the story unfolded, I developed a strong sense of compassion for Leah. The author skillfully illustrates how someone who is outwardly “responsible and respectable” can struggle with addiction and the complex, often painful journey of confronting it.

I recommend!

Between the devil and the deep blue sea

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨4.75

I still can’t quite pin down the obsession I had with this book. It might be the excellent narration (as I received the ALC/audio for this one in exchange for an honest review), or it might be the honesty and rawness from the main character, Leah. There is such an easy pull to escapism and disassociation in being a mom. It’s all encompassing, relentless and overstimulating at times (while also fulfilling and a blessing - two things can be true at the same time). Jessica Guerrieri so perfectly shows the duality of the emotions of a mother and how easily you can sink into bad habits to disassociate. This novel was so powerful and I know already I’ll be thinking about it for a long time.

📖 Leah battles with herself and her demons, being torn between the life she has and the life she wanted. Resentments pulls her further from her family and further toward alcohol and its escapes.

Thank you to Harper Muse Audio for the Advanced Listening Copy in exchange for an honest review.

This story has a slow start. But as I became more vested in the characters, it speeded up and became a pretty good read.

Leah has been struggling for quite a while. She is overwhelmed with motherhood and her lack of creativity when it comes to her art. She has been drinking more and more. This soon becomes increasingly apparent and causes many issues within her family.

Amy is Leah’s sister in law and a very good friend. Amy is a character I loved. She made sure Leah had the support she needed from her husband and her family. Amy is the loyal friend everyone wants on their side.

This is a story which will have your emotions all over the place. But it is also about love, friendship and family.

Need a tale about strength and overcoming your demons…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel for a honest review.

This is a very raw front row seat to motherhood and functioning alcoholism. There are times you are rooting for the main character and then there are times you want to shake her. Motherhood is hard. Feeling like you’ve slowly lost yourself after having children is not something many moms talk about. It’s a heart-warming sometimes heart wrenching story about marriage, in-laws, chosen family and just the everyday moments we have in life.

Oof. This one is really good, but it’s so sad to watch a like-able character spiral down the hole that is addiction. It’s very unique and humanizing though to see it happen to a person who seemingly has a beautiful life. You’re used to images of drunks and strung out junkies who you imagine had nothing going for them ever (though of course how can anyone know that?). This spins the narrative to the all-too-true normalcy of one drink turning into many drinks with the excuse of it making life more bearable. A worthwhile read for sure.

Overall good book, timeline was confusing at times. Story is about one woman’s downfall with alcoholism and complicated family relationships. Trigger warning for abortion, miscarriage, alcoholism, and toxic family dynamics. You hate to love the main character.

First-time author!! You felt the emotion in this book. Jessica Guerrieri really made you feel the raw emotion of addiction, alcoholism, and loss. Do not miss this one. The audio truly brought it home.

Poignant examination of addiction and motherhood. With the first person perspective, it reads almost like a memoir. High-quality audio production with enjoyable narration by Mia Hutchinson-Shaw.

THE AUTHOR GRABS YOU WITH A DREAM OF A DIFFERENT LIFE

This is not the life she wanted. In her other life, Leah would be childless, traveling the world, eventually living in a tropical climate, surfing and painting morning, noon, and night. Instead, she is a frustrated mother of three, with a husband, obsessed with opening a new family-owned restaurant in honor of his mother.

Leah feels alienated, despite her husband Lucas’s large family. To get through each day, Leah takes solace in wine, lots of wine. She deplores Christine, her perfect and selfless mother-in-law, who controls the O’Connor family. Leah’s best friend and ally is her pregnant and petite sister-in-law, Amy. But when Amy finds comfort in Christine’s mothering, Leah becomes jealous. As Leah’s drinking increases and her behavior becomes more erratic, Amy turns to Christine for help, leading to a storm between the women.

The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is a slow-moving novel with an intricate plot. It is an intriguing and hopeful debut novel about active addiction and family dynamics. The author grabs you with Leah’s dream of a different life.

The writing is descriptive, emotional, and atmospheric. While the subject matter of the book is difficult with alcoholism, miscarriage, and suicide, I appreciated the writing immensely. Leah is a flawed and complicated character; she is self-centered, unhappy in her life, and full of rebellion and complaints, particularly when fueled by alcohol. Not someone easy to like.

I listened to the audiobook; the narrator’s performance was solid and perfectly suited the book. Listening added depth to the story, and the pacing was perfect. Listening made the story feel very real.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this audiobook. All opinions expressed here are my own.


Publisher HarperMuse Audio
Published May 13, 2025
Narrated Mia Hutchinson-Shaw
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

A deeply personal debut family drama about Leah and Amy, two women who marry brothers becoming best friends along the way and their struggles with alcholism, infertility, infant loss and mental health. The way the author writes about female friendship and the lies we all tell ourselves to excuse the unhealthy habits was extremely relatable.

Told from surfer and artist Leah O'Connor's perspective as she finds herself drinking more and more to get through her days as a mother to four children and not willing to admit she has a problem. Things eventually come to a head though when Amy refuses to keep sitting idly by as her friend heads down a dark path from which she could lose everything.

Great on audio narrated by Mia Hutchinson-Shaw with a note included at the end read by the author herself. This would make a great book club book and is highly recommended for fans of authors like Tracy Lange. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Happy pub day to this complex book! If you love a novel that has a broken MC with a rocky road to redemption, this book could be the perfect summer read for you!

“Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea” explores alcoholism through the lens of a mom struggling to nail down her identity as a wife, daughter, mom, and artist; who she is vs. who she could have been had any other path been taken. It is dark in tone based on themes, but also carries a family drama vibe to it that will appeal to many of my friends who love contemporary fiction.

My struggle sometimes in books with broken people are how “likeable” they feel to me, as my personal connection and relatability so strongly impacts my view of a book. That makes this one complicated, because of course it lends itself to unlikeable qualities when dealing with hard topics. So what I can say is that it is probably extremely realistic and is written with poise and great insight. My enjoyment of it varied throughout, but I am so glad I read it and this author has amazing writing abilities.

3.5 ⭐️for my personal bias, but strongly recommend nonetheless. And if you’re an audio fan, audiobook is the way to read this one!

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is Jessica Guerrieri's impactful, emotion-driven debut novel about alcoholism and strained family dynamics. Guerrieri addresses quite a few other potentially triggering themes at the beginning of the novel. So, be mindful if those could affect you.

The story is told via flashbacks and present day. As a listener of the audiobook, there were a few times I didn’t recognize the narration slipped into a flashback. A little bit of differentiation would have been nice and kept me from having to rewind a handful of times. Otherwise, it was wonderfully narrated with inflection, emotion, and an obvious passion for the story. All in all, the audio side of Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea was great!

This book left a lasting impression, though it wasn’t a favorite. Guerrieri’s ability to build such dynamic side characters is what kept me listening. (I often found the FMC to be spoiled, bratty, and misery seeking.) That and the impending train wreck I knew I had to witness. Guerrieri layers tension and dynamic with friendship and family creating a beautiful overall arc. Though Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is not a favorite of mine, I am left impressed and haunted. Beautiful job. Impactful read. Dynamic on many fronts.

Thanks NetGalley & HarperColllins Focus for the audiobook!

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is a heart-wrenching and poignant exploration of life as an active alcoholic. This story unfolds like a slow burn, reminiscent of a tragic accident you wish you could look away from, yet can't seem to tear your eyes from. Leah, a free spirit who once believed motherhood might not be in her future, now finds herself with three children, a husband, and a tightly-knit extended family.

Despite her many flaws, Leah is a character you can’t help but like. Like many addicts or their loved ones, I found myself thinking, "Maybe it’s not that bad." But, as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that it is—and much worse than anyone realizes. Every word, every scene, feels raw and authentic, providing an unflinching look at the good, the bad, and the ugly, both from the addict herself and those who are impacted by her disease.

That said, the ending, in some ways, didn’t sit well with me. It felt slightly far-fetched and didn’t seem to align with the realistic, vulnerable tone the rest of the book maintained. Despite this, I was completely captivated by the story and am eager to see more from this talented author

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by Jessica Guerrieri (book covers is in image) is the story of Leah O’Connor and how an unexpected pregnancy changes the trajectory of her life, and how she copes with the expectations she had for herself, and where she currently has landed. Struggling with the demands of motherhood, and her relationships with her family and friends, we go on the journey of her slow downward spiral into depression, alcoholism, and ultimate redemption and sobriety.

The narration by Mia Hutchinson-Shaw while fabulously done, could not overcome the challenge of identifying if we are in the past or present timelines that this story weaves through. I had the opportunity to both read and listen to the audiobook and found it easier to follow the timeline when I was reading the book. Nonetheless, this was a great book and I highly recommend it.

Thank you, HarperCollins Focus | Harper Muse, for the opportunity to read this ARC and listen to this ALC. All opinions are my own.

Book Rating: 5 Stars
Audiobook Rating: 4 Stars
Book and Audio Release Date: May 13 2025

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Many thanks to NetGalley, Goodreads, HarperCollins Focus | Harper Muse for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of this wonderful debut novel by Jessica Guerrieri, with the audiobook beautifully narrated by Mia Hutchinson-Shaw. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Leah's life didn't turn out quite as she planned. Her artistic ambitions have been pushed to the side while she tries to be a good wife and mother. But she can never be as good as her mother-in-law, who always seems to be judging her. Plus, she's keeping a secret that could threaten everything. So she turns to alcohol.

A very personal look at addiction, motherhood, and family and I really liked this story. Leah’s struggles seemed so relatable, and her secrets weighed heavily on her. Add to the mix that her husband was opening a new restaurant and gone so much, her work and time were an afterthought, and a mother-in-law that Leah felt was always judging her and was too involved in their lives. Who wouldn’t want another glass of wine? I thought the portrayal of her alcoholism was done so well – be sure to read the author’s note for the reason. It's also an exploration of the women in our life we need to support us, and how we have to let them in. This is a beautifully-written debut, with characters I cared about, and a story I didn’t want to put down.

wow! Great debut. This one was great. The family themes were so accurate. The other topics were heavy at times but manageable. I really enjoyed it and the narration was great.

Great book! Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is a deep dive into alcoholism and how it affects everybody around you. If you love family dramas and deep characterization, this is your book!