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!

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is filled with family secrets, lies, and regrets that keep you reading from the first pages. Leah made a choice that led her life down a path she had never imagined for herself. As a wife and mother, Leah becomes unmoored from her identity, wrestling with secrets resurfacing from her past as well as the secrets of those close to her.
Based of of personal experience, this is an incredible debut by Jessica Guerrieri.

Harper Muse ALC
What a stunning debut. The author does such a great job at capturing the complexities of motherhood and how alcohol is shown as a solution. This book is about one woman’s life as she starts to rely more and more on alcohol to help her get through her days. This book was visceral and heartbreaking. Yet it’s so needed. While it focused on one woman and her family, you could feel the depth of drinking culture and the pressures of that here. It was marvelous, and I can’t wait to follow this author’s journey.
Mia Hutchinson-Shaw captured the rawness of Leah so well in her performance.

I was really intrigued by this one but sadly I ended up DNFing. It was really slow paced and I just couldn't get into it.

This was dark. Way darker than I expected. It was hard to listen to, at times, if only because I don't like reading about someone being so self-destructive. The addition of pregnancy and children made it even harder for me to read. It was well written but just not for me. Hope you have better luck!

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea comes out next week on May 13, 2025 and you can purchase HERE.

There's a phantom life that runs parallel to the one I'm currently living, like a shadow. That version of me is childless and, therefore, untethered to the O'Connor family. I think of her whenever I'm clipping my two-year-old's toenails, and the little half-moons splinter off in different directions, and I find myself scouring the floor so I'm not stepping on discarded pieces of my youngest daughter's body when I'm barefoot at three o'clock in the morning and need to pee. I'm confident my shadow self has already circled the globe, only to have landed someplace tropical like Costa Rica-beholden to simply the movement of the sea. Sometimes I wave, but she's surfing and cannot wave back.

Jessica Guerrieri’s debut Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is a stunning and emotionally fraught piece of literary fiction that doesn’t flinch from the messiness of life. The novel follows Leah, a woman trying to navigate the rocky terrain of motherhood, marriage, and fractured family dynamics, all while wrestling with her own unraveling sense of self.

I had the chance to listen to the audiobook before its release, and wow, this was a heavy humdinger of a story. Literary fiction doesn’t get much better than this. Character growth is where this genre shines, and Guerrieri absolutely nails it. And the narration by Mia Hutchinson-Shaw was spectacular. She is a skilled voice actor who brought the characters to life.

Leah begins as a woman I could connect with. She’s a mom and a wife, trying to keep it together amid all the small indignities of daily life, including dealing with a challenging mother-in-law, Christine. I saw myself in some of Leah’s frustrations. But as the story progressed, Leah made choices that left me shaking my head. She said things to Amy, her sister-in-law, the one person who truly saw and understood her, that made me want to shake her by the shoulders. Christine was self-absorbed and manipulative at times, no doubt. But Leah? She didn’t meet the moment with grace. As her drinking worsened, I watched her spiral, making one destructive decision after another.

And yet, I cared. That’s the magic of what Guerrieri has done here. Even when I disliked Leah, even when I couldn’t understand her, I still wanted better for her. I wanted her to see Amy’s kindness. I wanted her to set healthy boundaries with Christine. I wanted her to heal. That kind of emotional investment is rare, and it’s a true testament to Guerrieri’s storytelling.

What really struck me was how this book gently but powerfully critiques the way our culture glamorizes drinking, especially for moms. That whole “Mommy needs wine” message is everywhere, and it can be so damaging. Leah’s descent into alcoholism is heartbreaking, and it’s made worse by how normalized her drinking is at first. This story shines a light on that and reminds us how important it is to create space where choosing not to drink is seen as just as valid and worthy. We need to talk more openly about that.

This is not a light, breezy read. It deals with weighty topics; alcoholism, grief, stillbirth, miscarriage, family dysfunction, and it doesn’t offer easy answers. But it does offer hope. And it’s that hope, woven into the heartbreak, that made this novel feel like something special.

It might not be “enjoyable” in the traditional sense, but it is absolutely worth it. A bold, brave, beautifully crafted debut that I’ll be thinking about for a long time.

Thank you to HarperCollins Focus and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 ⭐️ 👏🏻👏🏻
This debut novel was written so well. It was raw, devastating, and felt so realistic. I listened on audio and WOW, the narrator did such a fantastic job. Her voice for this character was spot on!!
It was painful and sad but such an incredible story. Alcoholism and addiction is something that touches most families in one way or another. I loved that the story was told in first person POV of the FMC Leah. I also loved how the author articulated the perspectives of the other family members. Leah was relatable and likable when she wasn’t intoxicated. I felt empathy and frustration toward her. The weight of responsibility and expectations of motherhood can be so hard. The author does such a great job at showing exactly how Leah felt. The disease slowing creeping in and then quickly escalating to such a big problem.
I highly recommend reading the authors note at the end.

Add it to your list. 🙌🏻
Release date 5/13/2025

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus for this audio arc in exchange for my honest review.

WOW! What an incredibly moving debut book. The topics are heavy, focused on alcoholism and the effects it can have on the individual struggling with the addiction as well as the family watching the damage be done. While this was such a heartbreaking and sad story, it was very well done and deeply moving. Additionally, the audiobook is fantastic, and regardless of format, this novel will stick with you.

Highly recommend the read / listen!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse Audiobooks for my ALC and ARC copies in exchange for my honest review.

Leah O'Connor has been married for ten years and has three children. She is at a point where a buried secret and the demands of motherhood cause her to lose herself and feel that she is sacrificing her career and herself. Her coping mechanisms find her at a precarious crossroads. Leah begins to feel further alienated from her extended family as her behavior becomes more erratic. This book focuses on themes of family dynamics, pain, addiction, alcoholism, motherhood with its joys and heartaches, redemption, and family secrets.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this digital audio e-arc.*