4⭐️

I had a bit of a hard time with the audiobook. It’s not my first time listening to a book with several POVs and only one narrator. I thought this narrator was great and she made me understand everyone’s personality well, but I still kept getting confused. I could tell she was trying to make each character different but it didn’t end up helping much. I wish each character had a different voice because there were many times I had to go back to the start to hear “Monday: Delilah”.

Aside from that, the book was great! This is NOT my usual genre by any means. I went into this book with no expectations and was pleasantly surprised! It was like looking into the lives of 5 random strangers and their hardships. I also loved how interconnected everyone was- like of course your brother’s best friend’s wife’s best friend’s social worker is your best friend. That’s how things end up being in real life. We’re all weirdly connected in some way, our decisions not only affect us- they affect those around us too. Ultimately, we have 5 adults trying to navigate the complexity of adulthood. They realize that no matter how hard they try, they can’t do it alone. Sometimes we need to reach out to others, sometimes we need to be the shoulder to cry on— regardless, it’s really cool to see how they get back up and keep it moving. Enough rambling! It’s a great book to read if you’re in your 30s and wanna peek into the lives of others.

Thank you to NetGalley, Katie O’Rourke, and BooksGoSocial Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review!!

3.5 ⭐️A story about life, real feeling people, the various roads we take and the families we make. Blood and Water follows 5 interconnected, first-person perspectives and their human complexities. Delilah flees the northeast, post break up, to her older brother’s in Tuscan, AZ. Where she meets Tim and his girlfriend Sarah. Eventually, we meet Sarah’s friend Ally and they all get wrapped up in the family they make eventually. Helping each other solves their problems small and big-both blood and water are required to help you along your way.

Casey Montgomery’s narration of the audiobook was easy to listen too. I did not find a disconnect between the characters with her narrating both the male and female parts.

Thanks #NetGalley for this copy of #BloodWater for consideration and review.

A story of found family. A criss crossing of lives from siblings, to friends to lovers, how they all bring their baggage but are there to support each other through self discovery.

I listened to this one audiobook, there were times where I struggled to maintain my attention. There were a-lot of characters and sometimes it was tough to catch the dialogue tags whole listening.

Sarah was probably my favorite character but her story was not told completely. She is wheelchair bound from a degenerative disease but I don’t think I entirely understood what was her diagnosis. I did like her relationship with Tim. She was the most secure character.

David and Delilah were a sad story of siblings who had two different life experiences. Both were a bit whiny, I felt like he should gave had a bit more compassion for his sister since he was a grown man with a daughter.

It just fell a bit flat for me.

*ARC review*

Blood and Water is a poignant, character-driven novel that explores the complexities of family, love, and resilience. The story centers around a multi-generational family navigating personal tragedies, secrets, and the bonds that both strain and sustain them.
Perfect for readers who enjoy introspective fiction and richly layered family dramas, this book is a heartfelt read that lingers long after the final page.

Beautiful story about people in our lives that turn into our family. Nice to see a story about family you're born with and family you create through friendship.

This book was beautifully written. Katie O'Rourke has a quiet, observant style that pulls you in without needing any flashy twists or over-the-top drama. Blood & Water is one of those rare stories where not much "happens" in the traditional sense—no big mysteries to solve or shocking reveals—but somehow, that’s exactly what makes it so powerful.

It’s a quiet, character-driven novel about ordinary people trying to make sense of their lives, their relationships, and their place in the world. The writing is tender and intimate, and the emotions feel incredibly real. O'Rourke gives you time to sit with her characters, to breathe with them, to feel their doubts, hopes, and quiet revelations. It’s like watching real life unfold—messy, beautiful, and meaningful in all the small ways that matter most.

If you're looking for a reflective, emotionally resonant read that honors the beauty of everyday life and the complexity of human connection, this is definitely one to pick up.

rose- 4⭐️
Audiobook 2.75⭐️
I received an audio ARC on NetGalley as the audiobook was released in June 2025 despite the print book being released back in 2017.

The book itself was a solid book which is why I rated it 4 stars. There are plenty of reviews that mimics my thoughts on the book itself and since this isn’t a new book I’m just going to focus on the audiobook.

I give the audio 2.75 ⭐️

It was narrated by Casey Montgomery and on the surface she had nice natural vocals for the female characters and spoke at a great pace. Unfortunately, the book have 5 different POVs and some are males. This apparently isn’t a strong suit of the narrator as she didn’t even try to change her vocals for the male chapters. Now should she have to as she shouldn’t have had to narrated them. This book should have been dual narrated by a male and female. The fact that it’s not is a huge failing. While Ms Montgomery does do males voices, albeit subtly, during male lines in the female led chapters having nothing for the male chapters leaves the reader very disconnected from the prose. I’ll
Mention here that I always had trouble as there were certain words that the narrator simply mispronounced and it was glaring making me disconnect and struggle to reconnect. One example was the mispronunciation of “arthritic”. It’s not even an uncommon or unusual word so it took me by surprise. Now back to the lack of proper casting…

Had it been written in 3rd person it would have been fine to
Utilize the single narrator but that wasn’t the case. It completely takes the reader out of the story listening to an obvious female recite the lines and thoughts of the male character. I hate to be so harsh but this is a the case where the audiobook shouldn’t have been done if it couldn’t be done properly. Either with 2 actors or 1 that could do both types of vocals.

But again, I’m not going to have this fail affect the overall rating of the book which was well written and engaging if read in a different format.

I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary audio ALC from BooksGoSocial Audio through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My general rating system is below. Since I primarily read ARC books I rate according to how I think like minded readers will receive the book. I will round up or down depending on many factors and try not to let my personal wants affect a books ratings.

⭐️ Hated It but pushed through as so don’t DNF ARCs I have received.
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, content issues, poorly edited.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but it had something that stopped me from rounding up. Usually the book may have much more potential than what was given. I recommend it but with reservations.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I Really enjoyed it or think others will. These are solid reads that I definitely would recommend for a variety of reasons.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! These are books that remain rent free in my head for well after unfinished the book. It can be for a variety of reasons from being very well written or just the vibes that captured my mind. These books are also ones I would probably read again.