I loved this!! So adventurous and the world building was so intriguing! The romance was beautifully developed and I loved the friendships made along the way. A stunning novel, can’t wait to read more from Sara Holland!

In a world not so different from ours (especially if you look back a couple hundred years ago), where whales are being hunted nearly to extinction, although in this fictional world, these whales also have magical properties to them, which further entices the characters in this world to hunt them and use their bodies, blood, and every other part of these beautiful creatures in order for the people to live a bit easier in a hard world. This book presents the ethical question of how much of the world people can use to their benefit and what happens when you overtax those resources, and start to realize the ethical concerns of what you are doing.

The main character in this book, Annie Fairfax is the heir to what seems to be the biggest and most profitable whaling business around. But, she’s also been cursed by the finfolk—the presumed protectors of the whales—and the only person who has any idea of how to break her curse is to trust Silas, the half-finfolk captain about her age. As they travel along with Annie’s fiancé who is likely planning to kill her, Annie begins to question the whole system which her family built.

I absolutely loved this book—it has great world building that although there are differences, feels frighteningly familiar to our own world. Annie herself is also a complex character, and I cannot wait to see how she progresses in the next book of this series. Of course, Silas was my favorite, with his mysterious reasoning for helping Annie and the other cursed whalers.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Excitement isn't a strong enough word for this book. I have loved everything by Sara and when I got the chance to read this book I couldn't wait to dive it.

Let me tell you, I was hooked right from the first page. It jumps right into the story but in such a perfect way.

Annie lost her parents in a shipwreck and now its just her and her siblings left to carry on the family company. Since Annie is the oldest that makes her the heir and must now figure out how to keep everything running smoothly and deal with the family curse.

Annie and her sister learned long ago that their family has been cursed. That when any of them experience heartbreak, the curse will take. So they must guard their heart and not let anything break it. Well, when her parents died, Annie's curse came for her.

So run a company, figure out this new venture she has to go on and hope it's worth the investment and figure out how to no turn into a monster. Oh yeah and deal with two guys. Sounds like a blast right? What 19 year old wouldn't want this over non scaled arms and claws right?

As you get further into the book, it's impossible to put down. I truly think this is Sara's best work yet. Which is a big deal because her Everless series is still one of my favorites to this day.

This is not a book to ignore and a series I certainly can't wait to devour.

This book was completely immersive and original! It is a young adult novel that is filled with a lot of mystery. It includes magical whales, heartbreak, a curse, betrayal, ambition and survival! The characters in this story are strongly developed, lovable and diverse. This story captivated me and I found it to be very thought provoking. It has a clear thesis, flows well and is easy to read. It is extremely adventurous, tense, emotional and dark. This story includes fae mythology, a love triangle and ethical tension. This author had a great imagination and I am very grateful that I found a new fantasy author! I plan on reading more of her books! The atmosphere and the vivid imagery in this story was amazing! The story is very gripping and exciting!

“Break Wide The Sea” is part of a series and this book comes with an immersive story where a young woman is cursed with heartbreak induced sickness, which is fatal. She has to go against time to get a cure that will protect her family legacy from the finfolk that would destroy it! A lot happens and the ending will leave you wanting more! Overall, I rate this novel a 4.5 out of 5 stars!

Content warnings include body horror, violence, death of a parent and grief. Fans that love reading young adult novels that are about marine folklore, morally grey characters, along with emotional depth, would really enjoy this book!

Thank you to NetGalley, author Sara Holland and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for this digital ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This book is expected to be published on November 11, 2025!

Thank you to Wednesday Books for the advance reading copy!

This is my second book by Sara, and I'll preface this by saying Havenfall wasn't my cup of tea - if you loved that, then this will very likely be up your alley!

I was excited to give her work another chance, especially with the beautiful cover and intriguing premise, but I had a difficult time with the writing. I'm rapidly approaching my thirties, and this felt much more young adult than I was expecting so ultimately I DNF'd.

Young adult readers will likely adore this release!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book!

What a ride! This YA fantasy is so good and pulls you in from the first page. And who doesn’t love some romance?

Can’t wait to continue the series!

I totally grabbed this copy because it was a “read now” copy and I am a sucker for fantasy books that take place with mermaids and sirens and pirates. I also don’t see a lot of those books that exist in general so I’m usually quite intrigued when I come across one. This one did seem more oriented towards the sea in general and not so much mermaids and sirens and pirates, but I had my hopes up.

I did not realize this book was intended for around 14 age range so it’s young adult but middle grade almost which makes a lot more sense as to the writing style and why I didn’t personally connect with it very much.

I personally really like to have humor in my fantasy books, and this one did not have a lot of it, and I was really pulled out of it immediately due to the corporate jargon that existed that I was not expecting in a fantasy book so please be mindful that there is corporate jargon because the book centers around the main characters families whaling company - they hunt whales for their magic. Had I known this I likely would not have grabbed this book as I don’t really enjoy books with animal death in general and clearly that’s going to be a large portion of this book.

There is just a lot of elements in this one that did not connect for me personally so I DNF’d around 15%

If you are looking for a fun middle grade age fantasy book I think this one is a solid one. I just personally don’t connect with it as I am in my late 20s and I was wanting I think something a bit more adult oriented.

Thank you so much for this ARC. I appreciate the opportunity to leave honest feedback voluntarily.

I enjoyed this story right from the beginning. An interesting concept, and the author pulls you in quickly. There was lots of excitement, magic, curses and drama. The plot moves quickly and I wanted to know what happened next! I didn't realize this would be a series, but with the ending, I'm glad to know it will continue! I'll definitely be looking for book 2.

I struggled a bit with the relationship development between characters. With the main characters serious personal struggles, I found the actions and declarations of her friends and family didn't quite fit with her interactions with them. This hurt my investment in the big plot points as I didn't feel the relationships were strong enough. I hope we'll learn about it more in depth in book 2!

This book is captivating and takes its time to tell the nescessary story. Relationships are well developed and realistic. Also, the worldbuilding was sufficient.

Romance, mystery, magic. This book was not a usual read for me, a little more romance then I'm used to, but it was still good! I liked the "finfolk" and felt the general atmosphere of the book swept you right into the pages.

I really wanted to like this, but unfortunately I struggled connecting with the characters and have DNF’d

Thank you netgalley and St. Martin’s for an advanced copy!

Break Wide the Sea follows Annie, hieress of the fairfax whaling company. The sailors hunt magical whales, but also face the risk of becoming cursed by the finfolk, fae who live in the same waters. Annie has inherited her familial curse, and is sprouting scaled and craving blood. I loved the concept of this book, however, I unfortunately found the execution lacking. The pacing slowed significantly after the first third or so of the book and I struggled with staying engaged throughout the rest.

This was very mysterious and fun to imagine with the sea. I enjoyed seeing where this story would end. I had high hopes that were filled.

I really enjoyed the overall vibe and tone that the author set with this story. It was easy to fall into and immersive enough that I could easily lose myself in reading. There is that level of classic teen fantasy going on but it's also nice to see the author pushing the story towards more unique and fresh takes on pretty typical YA tropes, and that really elevated the story a lot. The plot moves at a really natural but quick pace, which made reading effortless and I quickly consumed the whole book. I'm looking forward to more from this series!

This was a really enjoyable read!

There was so much to love about this book, but I think my favorite part was the world building and the magic system. I really loved that the world had a historical feel to it, with (finfolk and whale) magic woven in. I especially loved once the characters went on their sea voyage, and seeing how they all adapt to the different secrets and obstacles thrown their way. All the different curses were really interesting to hear about, and I wish the curses got more page time, and were more involved in the plot.

The character relationships and dynamics were all very interesting. I really loved Annie’s relationship with her siblings, and how protective she was of them. In terms of the love interests, I liked seeing how they treated Annie differently; and while I knew who she would end up falling for, it was interesting to see how she got to that conclusion and made sense of her feelings.

With the plot, I felt that it started off really strong, and then started to taper away, as the characterizations took the driver seat. But then it really picked up at the end, and the ending had some really compelling twists. I’m excited to see what the sequel has to offer!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for allowing me to read the digital ARC!

I think this is a good addition to the roster of YA fantasy. I love the finfolk, especially since I do love a good mythical/whimsical creature! Such a unique spin on a classic, it really made that aspect of the book stand out.

The plot and the characters felt a little limited to me. They wanted to have more depth, but didn’t quite meet the mark for me.

This would be the perfect book for someone just getting into romantasy, but would prefer it to lean more heavily into fantasy.

Sara Holland’s Break Wide the Sea is a gorgeously written fantasy that blends myth, romance, and legacy into a sweeping tale set on treacherous, enchanted waters. Annie Fairfax is a compelling heroine, caught in an impossible bind between duty and desire. Cursed to transform into a monster if her heart breaks, Annie’s journey to find a cure leads her deep into the mysteries of her world—and herself. The stakes are both deeply personal and powerfully epic, as ancient finfolk, family secrets, and political betrayal churn beneath the surface of this maritime adventure.

Holland’s worldbuilding is rich with lore and atmosphere, immersing readers in the coastal town of Kirkrell and the eerie, beautiful threat of the sea. The emotional threads shine brightest—Annie’s unraveling relationship with her fiancé August, and her charged, unpredictable alliance with the enigmatic Silas Price. Their voyage north is full of tension and wonder, with moral questions about legacy, love, and survival driving the story to a poignant, high-stakes conclusion.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this spellbinding novel in exchange for my review. Break Wide the Sea is perfect for fans of dark folklore, slow-burn romance, and fantasy with a deep emotional current.

I thought it was a good book just didn’t grab me personally. I always try to go outside my comfort zone but maybe mythical creatures are just not my thing. I did enjoy the adventure and romance. Thank you so much for the ARC!

This is a beautiful story of a girl struggling to step into her fathers shoes and run the family whaling company. It is full of overcoming struggles, proving your worth, and finding camaraderie in the most unlikely of places. I love how the story immediately pulled me in with the mystery of what Annie was hiding. I also really loved the fact that the "Fae" creatures were not your typical Fae but were Finfolk, almost reminiscent of sirens. It was a unique take on an often overdone category. The storyline was captivating and continuously held my attention, and the ending! It is not often that the ending of a book leaves me speechless, but this one accomplished just that! I was left heartbroken and longing for more.

However, I was not the biggest fan of having a same sex relationship in the book. I also felt like the spice was a little too spicy to be advertised as a teen/YA book. I would not be comfortable handing this to a teen or young adult. I would say that while there's no nudity in the description of the make out scenes, the details it gives just barely push it over the line into what I would categorize as Adult.

I’m not crazy, I’m just a little unwell.

The only other book to leave such an emotional impact on me was Heartless by Marissa Meyer. After the damage that book did to me and now this one, I fear I will become heartless. There is a hole in my chest. I just spent the last 10 minutes ugly snot crying because of the ending of the book. Sara Holland, count your days. But also god bless you for writing such a masterpiece. This book’s ending destroyed me, but I still loved every minute reading the story. This book was a breath of fresh air. It had such a wonderful take on underwater fae. The magic system was unique. The characters grow so much. I’ll admit the FMC annoyed me for a long time. She lived in rose colored lenses for 75 percent of the book, but once those were off everything changed. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader racing through the pages. The yearning between two of the characters made my heart ache. It was so well done. Whaling is a prominent element to the story. I could tell a lot of research went into it. I actually found that aspect very intriguing. (Obviously I would never participate or condone it, but reading about it was interesting.) That being said, there is definitely a content warning for death/killing of animals. Be weary of that. I skimmed those parts. It made the content bearable without losing the impact the descriptions made on me as the reader. The writing in this was so atmospheric and immersive. I loved the seaside imagery as well as the imagery while the characters were out at sea. If you liked the setting and immersive writing in House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig, I think you’ll really enjoy this one’s setting. The stories aren’t at all the same. But the settings gave me the same feeling.
I am so eager for the next installment whenever it may be. I will definitely be purchasing a physical copy once it is released. Now onto the author’s backlist!