Jill doesn't miss! Hunger Games x The Bachelor on a floating city? The premise is fantastic and Jill absolutely delivers. I was on the edge of my seat as Eden has to navigate the competition as well as her growing, real feelings for the "bachelor" she is supposed to humiliate and steal from. When the book started, Eden's life circumstances are so challenging and her anger is so real, I couldn't see how she could possibly fall in love with Theo. I knew that's where the book was headed, but I just didn't know how Jill Tew would pull it off in a way that felt authentic to Eden and her rage. But she did, she absolutely did! I was rooting for Eden and Theo the whole way. Also, this would make for SUCH a good movie or TV project. I would love to see this world on the big screen--the inside of my head felt too small.

I absolutely devoured this one! Loved the unique setting of the Marshes in former Miami, and the desperation of the inhabitants is palpable. And Eden was such a compelling protagonist. Her mission to get back at the "Cruisers" was thrilling, but what really hooked me was the unexpected connection she found with Theo. The dating competition premise is such a clever way to throw these two seemingly opposite characters together, and I loved their chemistry! This book is a great blend of dystopian world building and just the right mix of romance with some deeper themes about class and environmental justice. Highly recommend!

Thank you Random House Children's Books for providing this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Hunger Games meets The Bachelor in an action-packed romance with a love triangle that will have your heart in knots.

Thank you to NetGalley and Jill Tew for providing an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!


If you loved Tew’s The Dividing Sky, you’ll love An Ocean Apart. Swoonworthy romance, high emotional stakes, a tight plot, lush descriptions, and inextinguishable hope against an economically ruined America, this book is everything I’ve come to expect from Tew’s writing. Written with the raw authenticity of someone who’s worked in corporate America, this book manages to be brutally honest in its social commentary yet stubbornly hopeful shown in the love the characters have for each other, even across huge financial barriers and diverse backgrounds. In other words, this is cozy dystopian at its finest, inviting its young readers to think deeply about the patterns in our own society while encouraging change and giving hope for the future. I can’t wait to see what Jill writes next!

Jill Tew does it again with this totally addictive dystopian romance. I blew through the pages--who doesn't love a contest for the cute rich guy all backdropped by a more sinister world full of secrets?

5 ⭐ Thank you NetGalley, the Ballgowns and Betrayal Street Team, and Jill herself for the opportunity to read the eARC of this book.

Where do I even begin?! This book was everything to me -- a breath of fresh air. Tew really knows how to write YA Dystopian Romance and she does it so well. As someone who has also read her debut The Dividing Sky, I can tell she's grown even more as an author after reading An Ocean Apart!

Firstly, I love the way Tew writes setting/nature. Every time I read a book of hers, I feel immediately immersed in whatever setting the book takes place in. Her flowery and picturesque language does not go unnoticed. My mind leaves reality and easily dives into her fictional world.

I ate the plot of this book RIGHT up. If you love reality TV (especially dating competitions) but want to add the element of a dystopian world to it with high-tech innovations, then this book is ABSOLUTELY for you. I love the way Tew weaves her stories with many issues we face today in a capitalist society: greed, consumerism, lack of empathy, turning a blind eye, classism. It's always an interesting backdrop to the romance and I think it highlights how these are very real issues we face in the present day, even if the story is fictional.

Speaking of romance, I love the way Tew wrote this love triangle! I'm usually not fond of love triangles, but I think it really works for this book. Both Henry and Theo are very likeable love interests with characteristics and dynamics that make them likeable for different reasons. I was 80% finished with this book and still didn't know who Eden would choose and I LOVED that I couldn't really predict her choice that far into the story! Even when I did find out her choice, it made sense to me. I didn't find myself screaming at my eReader for what Tew decided to do. Brava!

The ending didn't feel rushed to me. It felt concise, but not rushed. In my review of The Dividing Sky, I did feel that the ending was rushed; so, as I said earlier, I really think the conclusion for an Ocean Apart shows an aspect of Tew's growth in the two years from her debut.

Overall, I had a blast reading this book! An Ocean Apart is exhilarating, dazzling, and swoon-worthy. From the descriptive beauty of the Florida marshes to the infiltration of a dating competition to the high-tech ballgowns to the Easter eggs from her debut novel, you are destined to have fun on the Desdemona. I think people of all ages can enjoy this book. I am so glad I could read an advance copy and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity. Y'all are not ready for the release of this story in October. Get ready. Maybe it'll even capture your heart the way it did mine 🩵🌊🫧💧

Jill Tew is the undisputed QUEEN of YA dystopian romance -- An Ocean Apart is yet another jewel of a book, filled with high-stakes action and rib-tickling banter and heartwarming romance. Eden and Theo are an absolute delight together, and the Ever After vibes of their dynamic is off-the-charts. An Ocean Apart is sure to delight readers of all ages -- and would be STUNNING as a film adaptation, by the way. Cannot recommend this enough!!!

An Ocean Apart is an absolute BLAST to read and is everything this genre should be, especially in YA. Jill Tew is truly leading the dystopian renaissance and we’re all lucky to witness it.

This book was so freaking good. The world building was top notch. I felt like I was there in the distant future with them. Eden and Theo their banter was so much fun to read.

Highly recommend great book.

Fast-paced, entertaining, romantic, and heartwarming all at once. I finished this book in a single sitting and adored it. The semi-lighthearted concept of a dating competition placed on the foreground of a far more serious environmental crisis and a girl's desperate attempt to make a better life for herself and her disparaged people ended up becoming a fun but still emotional story.

Eden is determined - if not a little morally askew - in her attempts to charm her way into Theo's heart. On the journey of course, their inevitable real romance becomes conflictingly adorable as we know Eden's heart also belongs back at home and with Henry. The cast of supporting characters we meet during their time on the Bachelor Cruise, mainly Theo's mom and the other heiress competitors, are also fairly well fleshed out and add charm and life to the story and the world.

This book also includes lots of small nods and easter eggs to Jill Tew's debut, The Dividing Sky, placing them in the same universe (but perhaps...An Ocean Apart? Ha. Haha.) and making the experience of reading both novels extra enticing.

Overall, a great YA dystopia with a fantastic message and an adorable cast that was a pleasure to read!

Tew simply doesn't miss. I didn't think I could love a dystopian more than The Dividing Sky, but I was WRONG. The vibes are off the charts, the social commentary is COMMENTING, and my Ever After steeped heart was utterly charmed. I'm begging for a film adaptation, stat.