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The Sky Beneath Her
Win a free kindle copy of this book!
1 day and 06:25:54
100 copies available
U.S. only
An unforgettable tale of lost love and buried truths, where the mysteries of a famous shipwreck hold the key to one woman’s future—and the truth of her mother’s final days.
It’s been seven years since a tragic diving accident took her mother’s life, leaving Tula Cassidy with a crushing fear of the sea. The ocean she once loved is no longer a part of her. And she can’t imagine it ever will be again.
Until her return to the Outer Banks changes everything.
While clearing out an old beach house, Tula receives a mysterious manuscript about the Oceanus. The passenger ship’s final voyage ended in disaster in 1942, and its underwater wreckage ultimately became her mother’s final resting place.
As Tula unravels the ship’s haunting history, she uncovers not only an unexpected family connection, but also a story of survival that helps her understand her own journey toward healing.
With help from Nathan, the charming dive instructor she left behind years ago, Tula faces her deepest fears to unlock the secrets of both past and present. Sometimes the greatest journeys begin when we find the courage to dive back in.
It’s been seven years since a tragic diving accident took her mother’s life, leaving Tula Cassidy with a crushing fear of the sea. The ocean she once loved is no longer a part of her. And she can’t imagine it ever will be again.
Until her return to the Outer Banks changes everything.
While clearing out an old beach house, Tula receives a mysterious manuscript about the Oceanus. The passenger ship’s final voyage ended in disaster in 1942, and its underwater wreckage ultimately became her mother’s final resting place.
As Tula unravels the ship’s haunting history, she uncovers not only an unexpected family connection, but also a story of survival that helps her understand her own journey toward healing.
With help from Nathan, the charming dive instructor she left behind years ago, Tula faces her deepest fears to unlock the secrets of both past and present. Sometimes the greatest journeys begin when we find the courage to dive back in.
326 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2026
About the author
Mary Ellen Taylor
17 books2,014 followersA southerner by birth, Mary Ellen Taylor’s love of her home state of Virginia and its past is evident in her contemporary women's fiction novels, from her first THE UNION STREET BAKERY to her latest, THE WORDS WE WHISPER, which debuts July 20, 2021. Her novels explore issues of family, home and belonging and entwine the past and present.
Richmond born, Mary Ellen has lived there most of her life. Alongside writing, cooking and baking are important creative outlets for Mary Ellen, who's been known to name recipes in honor of her characters. Just a few years ago, she earned her Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate at the University of Richmond's Culinary Arts Program. "In some ways, I liken baking to my efforts as a writer. You need to learn the basic tools of the trade before you can push the limits and create a distinctive sweet dessert or savory novel.”
Mary Ellen is also known nationally as New York Times and USA Today bestselling suspense novelist Mary Burton. Together, they have published forty-five novels, with Mary Burton’s latest, NEAR YOU, debuting April 13, 2021.
When not traveling or holed up writing, she and her husband spend time alternately enjoying their empty nest and spoiling their miniature dachshunds, Buddy, Bella and Tiki.
Richmond born, Mary Ellen has lived there most of her life. Alongside writing, cooking and baking are important creative outlets for Mary Ellen, who's been known to name recipes in honor of her characters. Just a few years ago, she earned her Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate at the University of Richmond's Culinary Arts Program. "In some ways, I liken baking to my efforts as a writer. You need to learn the basic tools of the trade before you can push the limits and create a distinctive sweet dessert or savory novel.”
Mary Ellen is also known nationally as New York Times and USA Today bestselling suspense novelist Mary Burton. Together, they have published forty-five novels, with Mary Burton’s latest, NEAR YOU, debuting April 13, 2021.
When not traveling or holed up writing, she and her husband spend time alternately enjoying their empty nest and spoiling their miniature dachshunds, Buddy, Bella and Tiki.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 356 reviews
Review of advance copy
The premise of this was so intriguing and I was really enjoying it at first! The setting, the set up, everything.
Then it just seemed to drag on and became very boring with little to nothing happening. I ended up finding both timelines boring, but I did keep giving it a chance. It just didn’t work for me. Very sad, because in the first 15% of the book I was convinced this would be a 5 star read!
There were some elements that kept me reading like hints of magical elements, but it just wasn’t executed properly to keep the suspense and intrigue.
Thank you to Amazon First Reads for the free advance copy.
Then it just seemed to drag on and became very boring with little to nothing happening. I ended up finding both timelines boring, but I did keep giving it a chance. It just didn’t work for me. Very sad, because in the first 15% of the book I was convinced this would be a 5 star read!
There were some elements that kept me reading like hints of magical elements, but it just wasn’t executed properly to keep the suspense and intrigue.
Thank you to Amazon First Reads for the free advance copy.
June 8, 2026
A little mysticism required
Content Warning: this book discusses severe domestic violence, marital rape, and murder.
——————-
This is a very good book. This is also a book mislabeled as “book club fiction” (whatever that means) that belongs with the other magical realism books. Magical realism is “what happens when a highly detailed, realistic setting is invaded by something too strange to believe” (Stretcher, 1999), and that perfectly describes this dual timeline story that has one narrator for the present and several for the past (pay careful attention to the chapter titles!). Tula is our contemporary narrator, a woman who grew up as a “free spirit,” traveling the world with her adventure-diver mother, Mariah, who died diving seven years prior to the start of the story. Tula has returned to the Outer Banks, where her mother died diving the wreck of the Oceanus, to clear out a home inherited by one of the partners at the law firm she works at as a paralegal. His justification for sending her? Having found a partly written manuscript about the Oceanus from a survivor, and her connection to the ship.
Meanwhile, the historical timeline has several authors, all telling their story and that of the final days of the Oceanus. Like most dual timeline stories, Tula is connected to the historical timeline, the question is merely one of how. The mystery unfolds well, although it is one you can easily see coming. What’s important in this case, as is often the case with dual timeline stories, isn’t the mystery but the meeting of timelines — how you get there vs where you end up.
At the same time, it’s important to note that not every mystery, not every secret of this story, is going to be solved by the end. There is supposition, you will have guesses, and there is broad implication and bold hints dropped, but if you’re looking for a clear answer about the magical side of realism, this story may not be for you. It was for me, and I thought that overall it was delightful, well-written, and very well worth the read, and I would unreservedly recommend it to anyone looking for a little bit of magic and mystery in their life… or at least the books they read.
Content Warning: this book discusses severe domestic violence, marital rape, and murder.
——————-
This is a very good book. This is also a book mislabeled as “book club fiction” (whatever that means) that belongs with the other magical realism books. Magical realism is “what happens when a highly detailed, realistic setting is invaded by something too strange to believe” (Stretcher, 1999), and that perfectly describes this dual timeline story that has one narrator for the present and several for the past (pay careful attention to the chapter titles!). Tula is our contemporary narrator, a woman who grew up as a “free spirit,” traveling the world with her adventure-diver mother, Mariah, who died diving seven years prior to the start of the story. Tula has returned to the Outer Banks, where her mother died diving the wreck of the Oceanus, to clear out a home inherited by one of the partners at the law firm she works at as a paralegal. His justification for sending her? Having found a partly written manuscript about the Oceanus from a survivor, and her connection to the ship.
Meanwhile, the historical timeline has several authors, all telling their story and that of the final days of the Oceanus. Like most dual timeline stories, Tula is connected to the historical timeline, the question is merely one of how. The mystery unfolds well, although it is one you can easily see coming. What’s important in this case, as is often the case with dual timeline stories, isn’t the mystery but the meeting of timelines — how you get there vs where you end up.
At the same time, it’s important to note that not every mystery, not every secret of this story, is going to be solved by the end. There is supposition, you will have guesses, and there is broad implication and bold hints dropped, but if you’re looking for a clear answer about the magical side of realism, this story may not be for you. It was for me, and I thought that overall it was delightful, well-written, and very well worth the read, and I would unreservedly recommend it to anyone looking for a little bit of magic and mystery in their life… or at least the books they read.
June 26, 2026
Beautifully written and engaging! I enjoyed following the saga of the shipwreck. Wrapped up a little too quickly at the last minute or it would have been a five-star read for me.
July 5, 2026
Tula Cassidy is the daughter of free-spirited professional diver, Mariah Cassidy, who died in a dive accident seven years ago. The Oceanus is the wreck that Mariah was determined to explore, even though it ended up costing her life. Tula has been dealing with the fallout of the loss of her mom and a strained relationship with the ocean ever since.
Sounds like an interesting premise, but unfortunately for me, everything about the writing style was just... flat. One-dimensional. I don't go into any book expecting to dislike it, but almost from the first chapter, I struggled to connect with Tula or her emotional journey. It certainly didn't help that we kept getting dragged out of her narration back to people on the Oceanus almost eighty years earlier, who were equally flat and one-dimensional.
I really struggled with these characters all the way through. Tula is our main voice, and hers is the story we are supposed to care most about (I think). But Tula has almost no feelings that we can actually see; we're just supposed to take her word for how she's feeling, even when her actions and words don't match whatsoever. Ironically, I'm having a very hard time finding words for just how uninteresting she was as a character. I think the best description is a snippet from the only actual "confrontation" in the whole book between Tula and her supposed friend, Kaitlin. (Spoiler tags below, even though there aren't really any plot spoilers in this exchange.)
My literal first thought after reading that last line was "Tula's angry??" I seriously can't tell. She doesn't speak any differently when she's upset. She's always tight-lipped and unemotional. Same with literally every other character. I can't tell that Kaitlin is feeling frustrated either. I'm pretty sure there's only one exclamation point in the whole book and it's a few sentences later in this same scene. I guess that's how we're supposed to tell they're fighting.
What's even more frustrating as a reader is that up to that point, Tula has spent the whole book whining about the exact same things that Kaitlin describes about her own life. Tula criticizes her "landlocked" tendencies and how cramped and small her life feels now. Then she turns around and complains about Kaitlin wanting the exact same things Tula has told the reader she wants for herself.
The other thing that was agonizing about reading Tula's narration is that she reminds you every five seconds that her life changed drastically seven years ago. Seriously, I looked it up - the phrase "seven years" appears more than forty times throughout the book, which came out to at least once every like, seven or eight pages. (More frequently when you account for only half the book being from Tula's POV.) Mariah died seven years ago. Tula's been at her law first for almost seven years. She hasn't been in the ocean in seven years. She (and everyone else) will remind you constantly and it really brought awareness to how repetitive the dialogue and inner narration were. (I was also keeping a tally on how many times Tula complained about having gained ten pounds in - you guessed it - seven years, and let's just say I was annoyed. What's more annoying is the other characters like Kaitlin and Nathan ALSO commenting on Tula's supposed weight gain, like literally anyone cares.)
At the beginning, I thought we were going to have at least four main characters - Tula in the present day, then Gertrude, Sigrid, and Chief Mate Riggs in the past on the Oceanus. However, we ended up only getting one chapter from Riggs' POV and two chapters from Sigrid, so the bulk of the narration was between Tula and Gertrude. It begs the question of why Riggs and Sigrid even had chapters dedicated solely to their own first person POVs? These couldn't have been cut out and re-written to give us the same info from the two actual main characters?
That brings us to the substance of the plot itself. The whole reason Tula is out here digging up her past is because one of her bosses at her law firm calls her in and tasks her with cleaning out his dead great-uncle's old house. He's chosen Tula specifically because he has some random pages of a manuscript found in the house detailing things about the Oceanus and its sinking. These random pages are supposedly the driving force of the whole narration and the reason we're following Tula to the Outer Banks in the first place. But we learn just about nothing about what it actually looks like. Tula describes the introduction as basically details about the ship itself. But as the story goes on, I thought she'd find bits and pieces more scattered throughout the house. Instead, she finds basically the "rest" of it all at once somewhere near the end of the book. We're led to believe by the way Tula talks about it that she is reading more intimate details of the lives of those on the ship. But we're never shown what it actually looks like or how she's learning this information.
Honestly, the secretive "manuscript" could have either been a journal kept by Gertrude or just summarized by Tula's own narration (rather than jumping directly to the past). Instead, we have absolutely no idea what Tula is actually reading or how it's connecting her to the passengers on the Oceanus. If it had been presented as Gertrude's diary, then we would at least know what Tula is reading and how she is relating to it. But we just don't see what the manuscript actually contains except for broad generalizations of ship specs all the way up to the baby's delivery. If it was written from Dr. Brooks' perspectives, then we could have had a neutral third person narration of things or people observed on the ship. Or first person from someone (Dr. Brooks or Gertrude), but we don't know whose perspective we're reading until the very end. Anything!!! The whole time, I couldn't figure out why anyone really cared about any of these people.
Content-wise, there was one open door sex scene. I skimmed through it and it was only a few pages (and from what I did see, it read just as boring as the rest of the narration). It felt really out of place to me because romance is not at all the focus of this novel, and it seemed like a throwaway filler scene more than anything. But since it was very much open door, it's worth mentioning so you can be aware to skip if that's not your thing. (But honestly, I would skip this book in general.)
All in all, it's certainly not the worst book I've ever read, and I reserve one-star ratings only for books I truly hated. But the plot lacked direction and the characters lacked depth and connection. It read more like a documentary script than a novel. If anyone else grabbed this on Amazon First Reads, then I hope y'all enjoyed it more than I did.
Sounds like an interesting premise, but unfortunately for me, everything about the writing style was just... flat. One-dimensional. I don't go into any book expecting to dislike it, but almost from the first chapter, I struggled to connect with Tula or her emotional journey. It certainly didn't help that we kept getting dragged out of her narration back to people on the Oceanus almost eighty years earlier, who were equally flat and one-dimensional.
I really struggled with these characters all the way through. Tula is our main voice, and hers is the story we are supposed to care most about (I think). But Tula has almost no feelings that we can actually see; we're just supposed to take her word for how she's feeling, even when her actions and words don't match whatsoever. Ironically, I'm having a very hard time finding words for just how uninteresting she was as a character. I think the best description is a snippet from the only actual "confrontation" in the whole book between Tula and her supposed friend, Kaitlin. (Spoiler tags below, even though there aren't really any plot spoilers in this exchange.)
My literal first thought after reading that last line was "Tula's angry??" I seriously can't tell. She doesn't speak any differently when she's upset. She's always tight-lipped and unemotional. Same with literally every other character. I can't tell that Kaitlin is feeling frustrated either. I'm pretty sure there's only one exclamation point in the whole book and it's a few sentences later in this same scene. I guess that's how we're supposed to tell they're fighting.
What's even more frustrating as a reader is that up to that point, Tula has spent the whole book whining about the exact same things that Kaitlin describes about her own life. Tula criticizes her "landlocked" tendencies and how cramped and small her life feels now. Then she turns around and complains about Kaitlin wanting the exact same things Tula has told the reader she wants for herself.
The other thing that was agonizing about reading Tula's narration is that she reminds you every five seconds that her life changed drastically seven years ago. Seriously, I looked it up - the phrase "seven years" appears more than forty times throughout the book, which came out to at least once every like, seven or eight pages. (More frequently when you account for only half the book being from Tula's POV.) Mariah died seven years ago. Tula's been at her law first for almost seven years. She hasn't been in the ocean in seven years. She (and everyone else) will remind you constantly and it really brought awareness to how repetitive the dialogue and inner narration were. (I was also keeping a tally on how many times Tula complained about having gained ten pounds in - you guessed it - seven years, and let's just say I was annoyed. What's more annoying is the other characters like Kaitlin and Nathan ALSO commenting on Tula's supposed weight gain, like literally anyone cares.)
At the beginning, I thought we were going to have at least four main characters - Tula in the present day, then Gertrude, Sigrid, and Chief Mate Riggs in the past on the Oceanus. However, we ended up only getting one chapter from Riggs' POV and two chapters from Sigrid, so the bulk of the narration was between Tula and Gertrude. It begs the question of why Riggs and Sigrid even had chapters dedicated solely to their own first person POVs? These couldn't have been cut out and re-written to give us the same info from the two actual main characters?
That brings us to the substance of the plot itself. The whole reason Tula is out here digging up her past is because one of her bosses at her law firm calls her in and tasks her with cleaning out his dead great-uncle's old house. He's chosen Tula specifically because he has some random pages of a manuscript found in the house detailing things about the Oceanus and its sinking. These random pages are supposedly the driving force of the whole narration and the reason we're following Tula to the Outer Banks in the first place. But we learn just about nothing about what it actually looks like. Tula describes the introduction as basically details about the ship itself. But as the story goes on, I thought she'd find bits and pieces more scattered throughout the house. Instead, she finds basically the "rest" of it all at once somewhere near the end of the book. We're led to believe by the way Tula talks about it that she is reading more intimate details of the lives of those on the ship. But we're never shown what it actually looks like or how she's learning this information.
Honestly, the secretive "manuscript" could have either been a journal kept by Gertrude or just summarized by Tula's own narration (rather than jumping directly to the past). Instead, we have absolutely no idea what Tula is actually reading or how it's connecting her to the passengers on the Oceanus. If it had been presented as Gertrude's diary, then we would at least know what Tula is reading and how she is relating to it. But we just don't see what the manuscript actually contains except for broad generalizations of ship specs all the way up to the baby's delivery. If it was written from Dr. Brooks' perspectives, then we could have had a neutral third person narration of things or people observed on the ship. Or first person from someone (Dr. Brooks or Gertrude), but we don't know whose perspective we're reading until the very end. Anything!!! The whole time, I couldn't figure out why anyone really cared about any of these people.
Content-wise, there was one open door sex scene. I skimmed through it and it was only a few pages (and from what I did see, it read just as boring as the rest of the narration). It felt really out of place to me because romance is not at all the focus of this novel, and it seemed like a throwaway filler scene more than anything. But since it was very much open door, it's worth mentioning so you can be aware to skip if that's not your thing. (But honestly, I would skip this book in general.)
All in all, it's certainly not the worst book I've ever read, and I reserve one-star ratings only for books I truly hated. But the plot lacked direction and the characters lacked depth and connection. It read more like a documentary script than a novel. If anyone else grabbed this on Amazon First Reads, then I hope y'all enjoyed it more than I did.
July 2, 2026
What a great read! Taylor always knows how to tug at my heartstrings with her beautiful stories and poetic prose. In The Sky Beneath Her, the vast enigmas of the sea haunt our FMC who is looking for answers to the tragic death of her mother. This was definitely a slow burn, character-driven novel that dragged in certain areas, but the mystery of the past was intriguing and held me captivated throughout. The ending was a bit predictable but not overly satisfying. I would have liked to have a little more of an explanation about Tula's mom. What happened and where did she go? Despite my unanswered questions, I really did enjoy this book. I think others will as well. I would definitely recommend.
Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for granting me a digital copy in exchange for my honest review!
Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for granting me a digital copy in exchange for my honest review!
June 2, 2026
Then and Now
One of the few duel-timeline book where I have enjoyed this structure. Then is 1942 when German U-boat submarines were combing the east coast of the US looking for any large ships to sink. The ship "Oceanus" was carrying metals and goods and over 100 passengers. The 1942 part of the book begins 6 days before the ship is hit by a torpedo and sinks.
The 2019 begins when Tula is called into her boss's office certain she is going to be fired. Upset with her pending divorce and her ex's demand that she needs to move out of the house so he can sell it, she hasn't been doing her best at work.
Instead her boss wants her to relocate to North Carolina temporarily to find the rest of an old historical narrative of the sinking of the Oceanus and clean out his great uncle's house and prepare it for sale.
Her Mom was a deep-sea diver who traveled the world and did not come up from her last dive to explore the Oceanus. Her body was never found. Tula had been an experienced diver having started with her Mother at a young age. After this she was afraid of the ocean and couldn't even get in the water.
This historical novel is strong on character development and the mystery of Tula's connection to any of the people on the ship at the time of its sinking.
All the time this great carcass of a ship with the huge gash in its side lurks in background undisturbed by nothing but time.
One of the few duel-timeline book where I have enjoyed this structure. Then is 1942 when German U-boat submarines were combing the east coast of the US looking for any large ships to sink. The ship "Oceanus" was carrying metals and goods and over 100 passengers. The 1942 part of the book begins 6 days before the ship is hit by a torpedo and sinks.
The 2019 begins when Tula is called into her boss's office certain she is going to be fired. Upset with her pending divorce and her ex's demand that she needs to move out of the house so he can sell it, she hasn't been doing her best at work.
Instead her boss wants her to relocate to North Carolina temporarily to find the rest of an old historical narrative of the sinking of the Oceanus and clean out his great uncle's house and prepare it for sale.
Her Mom was a deep-sea diver who traveled the world and did not come up from her last dive to explore the Oceanus. Her body was never found. Tula had been an experienced diver having started with her Mother at a young age. After this she was afraid of the ocean and couldn't even get in the water.
This historical novel is strong on character development and the mystery of Tula's connection to any of the people on the ship at the time of its sinking.
All the time this great carcass of a ship with the huge gash in its side lurks in background undisturbed by nothing but time.
June 18, 2026
I am usually a humongous fan of Mary Ellen Taylor’s writing and fly through her books. But, this one was just ok for me and took me a while to get into.
Firstly, the book starts with an unnamed person trying to escape war torn Vienna. It then moves into chapters told by different people, jumping from the past to the present, all centered around a shipwreck.
There are at least 4 voices in this book, and at first it was hard to keep track of who is who. Once it is clear who is who, the story is fairly predictable.
The author also started each chapter with a date and time, as she has done for her last 3-4 books. In the history portion of this one, the date made sense. But in the rest, it did not. I’m not sure why she has started doing this in her books. Her last few books have honestly felt like a different author from her earlier books, and it makes me wonder if she’s got a ghost writer writing under her name now.
Once the story got going, I was interested in understanding how the past & present connected, and how all of the loose ends would wrap up. Unfortunately, not all of the loose ends were wrapped up, even if it did have an epilogue of sorts.
There were also hints of magical elements that just kind of went nowhere. I would have liked a little more clarity on that.
All in all, it was an ok book.
Firstly, the book starts with an unnamed person trying to escape war torn Vienna. It then moves into chapters told by different people, jumping from the past to the present, all centered around a shipwreck.
There are at least 4 voices in this book, and at first it was hard to keep track of who is who. Once it is clear who is who, the story is fairly predictable.
The author also started each chapter with a date and time, as she has done for her last 3-4 books. In the history portion of this one, the date made sense. But in the rest, it did not. I’m not sure why she has started doing this in her books. Her last few books have honestly felt like a different author from her earlier books, and it makes me wonder if she’s got a ghost writer writing under her name now.
Once the story got going, I was interested in understanding how the past & present connected, and how all of the loose ends would wrap up. Unfortunately, not all of the loose ends were wrapped up, even if it did have an epilogue of sorts.
There were also hints of magical elements that just kind of went nowhere. I would have liked a little more clarity on that.
All in all, it was an ok book.
July 11, 2026
4🌟 for story , 4🌟 for audio
So many layers to this book. We have grief and loss, overcoming fear, domestic abuse, WWII, mystery, shipwrecks, and then some. Multiple pov and dual timeline.
~♡~ What I loved
A beautiful story of a woman overcoming her fear and healing from the loss of her mother.
Loved the mystery surrounding her mother's disappearance.
The dual timeline was mostly done well
The audio itself was great, but I would advice those who are not able to keep track of who's narration it is to steer clear. There is distinct voice change from past to present, but not much for the few chapters in the past that weren't Gertrude.
~♡~ What I didn't love
I am not a fan of the beginning, it's too neat and unrealistic.
Some of the characters were a bit flat.
There are four povs total, but two of them we hear from one or two times only. To me that seems pointless and we didn't get a whole lot from them.
Thanks to Brilliance Publishing and Mary Ellen Taylor for sending for me an Alc to review.
Narrated by Sarah Naughton.
So many layers to this book. We have grief and loss, overcoming fear, domestic abuse, WWII, mystery, shipwrecks, and then some. Multiple pov and dual timeline.
~♡~ What I loved
A beautiful story of a woman overcoming her fear and healing from the loss of her mother.
Loved the mystery surrounding her mother's disappearance.
The dual timeline was mostly done well
The audio itself was great, but I would advice those who are not able to keep track of who's narration it is to steer clear. There is distinct voice change from past to present, but not much for the few chapters in the past that weren't Gertrude.
~♡~ What I didn't love
I am not a fan of the beginning, it's too neat and unrealistic.
Some of the characters were a bit flat.
There are four povs total, but two of them we hear from one or two times only. To me that seems pointless and we didn't get a whole lot from them.
Thanks to Brilliance Publishing and Mary Ellen Taylor for sending for me an Alc to review.
Narrated by Sarah Naughton.
July 11, 2026
4.5⭐️this was a great summer read, little mystery ( though easily solvable) enjoyed the location of the book
June 29, 2026
This was a very good book. I throughly enjoyed it. I loved the characters and the storyline. I thought it was well written and I look forward to reading more from this author. I would definitely recommend this book.
June 13, 2026
Engaging and Entertaining
A well written book that ties past to present in a good way. Only one bone to pick ... having dived many of the wrecks off the NC coast over the past 40 years, I think she does a generally good job of describing wreck diving. But in an early reference to the Oceanus she says it's 200 feet down, and later 140 feet. Both depths are well outside the limit for sport or casual diving. At that depth a diver would need special equipment, including an air mix of some sort, and would still have less than 30 minutes at depth. A dive could take 45 with the required decompression stops, but any examination of the ship would have to be very fast. Other than that this book brought back wonderful memories of days spent in the waters of the graveyard of the Atlantic.
A well written book that ties past to present in a good way. Only one bone to pick ... having dived many of the wrecks off the NC coast over the past 40 years, I think she does a generally good job of describing wreck diving. But in an early reference to the Oceanus she says it's 200 feet down, and later 140 feet. Both depths are well outside the limit for sport or casual diving. At that depth a diver would need special equipment, including an air mix of some sort, and would still have less than 30 minutes at depth. A dive could take 45 with the required decompression stops, but any examination of the ship would have to be very fast. Other than that this book brought back wonderful memories of days spent in the waters of the graveyard of the Atlantic.
July 19, 2026
The Sky Beneath Her by Mary Ellen Taylor
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tula, the daughter of an adventurous single mother who traveled the world diving and exploring shipwrecks, travels back to the Outer Banks to face her past. Seven years ago her Mother died during a diving incident exploring the Oceanus, a ship torpedoed during WWII.
This is a dual timeline novel that is both historical fiction and contemporary women’s fiction.
Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing this ARC for me to read and review!
I’m a big proponent of healing and self-discovery so I absolutely ate this story up! I felt completely absorbed into the vivid descriptions of the setting and characters. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres so I really enjoyed the dual timeline between historical and modern day.
I think stories that explore ones past while also illuminating a personal journey during present day are my favorite to read.
While I recognize many of her novels, I had yet to read one. After reading this novel, I will be exploring all of her previous titles. I think she is a phenomenal writer and I really enjoyed this story.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tula, the daughter of an adventurous single mother who traveled the world diving and exploring shipwrecks, travels back to the Outer Banks to face her past. Seven years ago her Mother died during a diving incident exploring the Oceanus, a ship torpedoed during WWII.
This is a dual timeline novel that is both historical fiction and contemporary women’s fiction.
Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing this ARC for me to read and review!
I’m a big proponent of healing and self-discovery so I absolutely ate this story up! I felt completely absorbed into the vivid descriptions of the setting and characters. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres so I really enjoyed the dual timeline between historical and modern day.
I think stories that explore ones past while also illuminating a personal journey during present day are my favorite to read.
While I recognize many of her novels, I had yet to read one. After reading this novel, I will be exploring all of her previous titles. I think she is a phenomenal writer and I really enjoyed this story.
July 24, 2026
Angry -false information
This book really riled me because I feel if an author writes a book that contains a subject and that subject is a huge part of the story, then the author should know the subject or research it. The story surrounds divers and diving a wreck. The author had the recreational divers diving 200-220 feet and on multiple days consecutive days. Only very special divers called technical divers can go that deep. They are specifically trained and use Nitrox or special oxygen mixture. If a recreational diver were to dive 150 feet, the diver could dive for one minute on a tank of air; if the diver did stops at every thirty feet or so, that time might increase to 5 minutes. The risk of diving that deep is oxygen necrosis, having a dangerously high blood pressure or the bends or several other deadly conditions. Divers cannot dive more than 25 feet without waiting several days to dive again or making sure their prior time is calculated into the time on they dive again. There were so much dangerous information given around this subject. The information could lead to a " newbie" or someone who has not taken a certified diving course to dive and die. The story also jumped back in time. If the whole story had been about the people who were on the ship it would have been more interesting. So many things were not feasible in the book. Rant over.
This book really riled me because I feel if an author writes a book that contains a subject and that subject is a huge part of the story, then the author should know the subject or research it. The story surrounds divers and diving a wreck. The author had the recreational divers diving 200-220 feet and on multiple days consecutive days. Only very special divers called technical divers can go that deep. They are specifically trained and use Nitrox or special oxygen mixture. If a recreational diver were to dive 150 feet, the diver could dive for one minute on a tank of air; if the diver did stops at every thirty feet or so, that time might increase to 5 minutes. The risk of diving that deep is oxygen necrosis, having a dangerously high blood pressure or the bends or several other deadly conditions. Divers cannot dive more than 25 feet without waiting several days to dive again or making sure their prior time is calculated into the time on they dive again. There were so much dangerous information given around this subject. The information could lead to a " newbie" or someone who has not taken a certified diving course to dive and die. The story also jumped back in time. If the whole story had been about the people who were on the ship it would have been more interesting. So many things were not feasible in the book. Rant over.
July 4, 2026
Good war story from WWII - the rest, meh.
Let me first say that I don't like romances. The book is about Tula, raised by her mother, traveling the world looking for shipwrecks to dive on. Her mother works with a young man, Nathan, and they become diving partners. And Nathan naturally becomes the love interest in this sophomoric attempt at novel writing. One day, when diving on a ship called the Oceanus off the Outer Banks of North Carolina in Nathan's absence, Tula's mother fails to surface and she is never found again.
This story alternates with a much more interesting story of how the Oceanus got sunk by a German U-Boat, and the drama and intrigue involved in that story. That part of the story was exciting, and explained many mysteries brought up in the modern story.
I ended up skipping many parts of the Tula story because it was like a teenage romance - shallow and boring, and frankly, not well written. So I don't know how the Tula part ends, and I don't care. I can only recommend this book if you like skipping whole sections of it to read the good parts.
Let me first say that I don't like romances. The book is about Tula, raised by her mother, traveling the world looking for shipwrecks to dive on. Her mother works with a young man, Nathan, and they become diving partners. And Nathan naturally becomes the love interest in this sophomoric attempt at novel writing. One day, when diving on a ship called the Oceanus off the Outer Banks of North Carolina in Nathan's absence, Tula's mother fails to surface and she is never found again.
This story alternates with a much more interesting story of how the Oceanus got sunk by a German U-Boat, and the drama and intrigue involved in that story. That part of the story was exciting, and explained many mysteries brought up in the modern story.
I ended up skipping many parts of the Tula story because it was like a teenage romance - shallow and boring, and frankly, not well written. So I don't know how the Tula part ends, and I don't care. I can only recommend this book if you like skipping whole sections of it to read the good parts.
June 16, 2026
That was a good book. I would classify it as historical fiction since it includes actual historical events. I learned some things. For example, I did not know that German U-Boats torpedoed and sank many ships off the east coast of the USA during WWll. Although I have heard of U-Boats, I did not know that were actually submarines. I did not know anything about the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and now I know a good deal. On multiple occasions I found myself googling places and events to know if they were veritable, and to learn more about them.
The characters were believable and interesting. The dual plot was woven together nicely. There was small amount of sex, but little detail. Also, very little vulgarity. Overall, a good book. One of the best ‘First Reads’ I’ve read. I am, however, still wondering what the ghostly white cloud was.
The characters were believable and interesting. The dual plot was woven together nicely. There was small amount of sex, but little detail. Also, very little vulgarity. Overall, a good book. One of the best ‘First Reads’ I’ve read. I am, however, still wondering what the ghostly white cloud was.
July 11, 2026
Emotional and moving historical fiction that switches between present day and 1941-42
I enjoyed the audiobook narration of this story and found the voice of the narrator perfect for all the characters.
There were quite a few to keep track of and at one point in the past versions of the story, I couldn’t tell right away which female character was telling her backstory.
There were a few unanswered questions and so lingered a bit in my mind at the end but overall it a great read!
I enjoyed the audiobook narration of this story and found the voice of the narrator perfect for all the characters.
There were quite a few to keep track of and at one point in the past versions of the story, I couldn’t tell right away which female character was telling her backstory.
There were a few unanswered questions and so lingered a bit in my mind at the end but overall it a great read!
July 26, 2026
The author is obviously not a diver based on a few key details but that doesn't detract from the story. The mystical notions could have been expanded upon and I would have liked a bit more for the ending - it seemed quick. The relationship with Kaitlin never really settled either.
July 11, 2026
This book was historically correct and had all the characters and bones of a compelling novel but as usual the ending was rushed and fell flat.
July 13, 2026
4,25⭐
Such an intriguing story, love how the past and present are all connected.
Such an intriguing story, love how the past and present are all connected.
June 8, 2026
The ocean breathes in this adventure
Mired in boredom, Tula gets the opportunity to return to the Outer banks and in doing so faces her demons and looks at her past. Interwoven with the story of her grandmother, the story flows toward a resolution and reconnection. With the ocean. Lovely, well written book.
Mired in boredom, Tula gets the opportunity to return to the Outer banks and in doing so faces her demons and looks at her past. Interwoven with the story of her grandmother, the story flows toward a resolution and reconnection. With the ocean. Lovely, well written book.
July 20, 2026
This was good. The ending wasn't as good as I would have liked.
June 10, 2026
Good historical novel,but disappointed in the ending.
June 22, 2026
The perfect beach story! One minute it’s sand dunes, beaches, boats, and diving a shipwreck. Then you’re on the ship during WWII, with a new identity and enemy U-boats lurking under the water seeking to destroy you. Past and present merge bringing healing and challenges. As each story heads to its conclusion questions are answered, secrets are revealed, and love is discovered.
July 3, 2026
In The Sky Beneath Her, New York Times bestselling author Mary Ellen Taylor delivers an emotionally compelling, deeply atmospheric, and beautifully resonant Outer Banks multi-timeline contemporary women's fiction mystery. The story hinges on a guarded, grieving daughter navigating immense physical and psychological hurdles to face her paralyzing fear of the deep sea and dismantle a decades-old wartime tragedy.
SUN-DRENCHED COASTAL HEALING VS. A SUNKEN WARTIME TRAGEDY.
"A woman haunted by her mother's tragic diving death must conquer her fear of the ocean to unlock a World War II mystery."
The Hook
Seven years after her mother vanishes into the ocean during a tragic diving accident, a grieving woman returns to the Outer Banks—only to discover a mysterious manuscript linking her family to a sunken World War II passenger ship.
Elevator Pitch
Tula Cassidy has been paralyzed by a crushing fear of the sea since the day it claimed her mother's life. Forced back to her family's North Carolina beach house to sort through the estate, she is handed an old, unpublished manuscript detailing the final 1942 voyage of the Oceanus.
As Tula dives into the haunting history of the torpedoed wartime vessel, she uncovers generation-spanning family secrets and must face the deep waters she has spent years running from.
Setting
~The atmospheric, windswept coastline of the Outer Banks, North Carolina.
~The watery depths of the Atlantic Ocean, where the wreckage of the Oceanus rests.
~A parallel historical setting in 1942 aboard a doomed Atlantic passenger ship.
Time Periods:
~World War II
~Present day
Vibe
Immersive, emotional, and deeply atmospheric. It perfectly balances the salt-air chill of a coastal mystery with the warm, slow-burning healing of a family drama.
Mood
Soulful, atmospheric, and thick with ancestral secrets. It perfectly pairs the sweeping historical gravity and dual-timeline mystery of Kristin Harmel's The Book of Lost Names with the healing coastal warmth of Mary Alice Monroe.
Genre
~Contemporary Women's Fiction / Historical Mystery
~Dual-Timeline Fiction / Multi-generational / 20th Century Historical Romance
Themes
~Confronting and overcoming deep-seated grief and fear
~The enduring, complex bonds between mothers and daughters
~Unearthing historical secrets and survival stories
~Second Chances
~The transformative power of the sea
Standout Characters
~Tula Cassidy: A broken but resilient protagonist trying to reclaim her courage and her identity after turning her back on the ocean she once loved.
~The Shipwreck Survivors: The courageous 1942 figures from the manuscript whose historic choices echo through generations to reshape Tula’s future.
~Gertrude (1942 Timeline): A passenger crossing the dangerous wartime Atlantic, carrying massive secrets of her own while facing perils beneath the waves.
~Nathan: The charming, patient dive instructor from Tula's past who helps her literally and figuratively face the depths.
Author Writing Standout
Mary Ellen Taylor (a long-time favorite who also writes as Mary Burton) expertly weaves the past and present together. Meticiuolsy researched, she essentially treats the ocean itself as a living character—a haunting guardian of both ghosts and answers.
Takeaway
True healing doesn't happen by avoiding the things that broke us. Sometimes, the only way to find freedom and move past grief is to have the courage to dive back into the waters we fear the most.
Title Significance
"The Sky Beneath Her" beautifully reflects the perspective of a diver looking down into the endless, vast blue of the ocean floor, transforming the terrifying deep sea into a space of limitless truth and memory.
Metaphor
The shipwreck of the Oceanus acts as a metaphor for buried trauma. It remains hidden in the dark, gathering wreckage over decades, until it is intentionally uncovered, explored, and brought into the light to heal.
THE COLD WATER CAN CONCEAL LIES, BUT SOME SECRETS REFUSE TO STAY BURIED.
"An exceptionally atmospheric, poignant psychological puzzle packed with family secrets, stunning Outer Banks settings, and an unforgettable journey."
Why You Should Read
It is a brilliant choice for readers who love rich, multi-layered coastal mysteries with historical weight. The dual-timeline mystery keeps the pages turning, while the emotional arc delivers a genuinely heartwarming payoff.
My Thoughts
HAVING READ HER ENTIRE BACKLIST, TAYLOR CONTINUES TO ELEVATE HER CRAFT.
"A masterfully written, dual-timeline triumph that showcases Mary Ellen Taylor's elite gift for weaving deep history with rich domestic emotion."
The Sky Beneath Her is a breathtaking story about overcoming fear and reclaiming your life. Some secrets refuse to stay buried at sea. The historical mystery aspect of 1942 completely drew me in. Taylor writes small-town coastal dynamics beautifully, and watching Tula slowly rebuild her life and reclaim her connection to the sea was incredibly moving.
Having read all of her books and had the absolute pleasure of interviewing Mary Ellen several times, I can confidently tell you that this novel represents a stunning high-water mark for her storytelling.
The Sky Beneath Her takes you straight to the Graveyard of the Atlantic. If you love family secrets, slow-burn mysteries, and emotional healing, pick this up right now for your summer reading pleasure.
Verdict ⭐⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5 Stars).
"A flawless, five-star emotional masterpiece that beautifully cements Taylor's status as a premier queen of coastal women's fiction. An emotionally gripping, beautifully written summer read that flawlessly bridges historical tragedy with modern healing."
Audio 🎧Standout
Narrator Sarah Naughton does an exceptional job handling the distinct shifts in tone between the tense 1942 historical timeline and Tula’s emotional present-day journey.
Highly recommended for readers of
• Women’s fiction set in the Outer Banks
• Shipwreck and World War II historical mysteries
• Mother–daughter relationship novels
• Stories about overcoming fear and healing after loss
• Emotionally uplifting contemporary women’s fiction
Recs or read alikes
~The Brighter the Light or When the Rain Ends by Mary Ellen Taylor (For more of her trademark emotional depth and beautiful coastal settings)
~Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan Henry (The ultimate match! An extraordinary, deeply moving dual-timeline novel following a modern historian curating artifacts from an 1838 luxury steamship explosion off the North Carolina coast, exploring how we "survive the surviving")
~The Beach House series by Mary Alice Monroe (For readers who love rich, multi-layered coastal sagas centered around strong women)
~The Keeper of Happy Endings by Barbara Davis (For the emotional dual-timeline mystery and healing from past trauma)
blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date July 1, 2026
My Rating: 5 Stars
July Newsletter
July 2026 Must-Read Books
SUN-DRENCHED COASTAL HEALING VS. A SUNKEN WARTIME TRAGEDY.
"A woman haunted by her mother's tragic diving death must conquer her fear of the ocean to unlock a World War II mystery."
The Hook
Seven years after her mother vanishes into the ocean during a tragic diving accident, a grieving woman returns to the Outer Banks—only to discover a mysterious manuscript linking her family to a sunken World War II passenger ship.
Elevator Pitch
Tula Cassidy has been paralyzed by a crushing fear of the sea since the day it claimed her mother's life. Forced back to her family's North Carolina beach house to sort through the estate, she is handed an old, unpublished manuscript detailing the final 1942 voyage of the Oceanus.
As Tula dives into the haunting history of the torpedoed wartime vessel, she uncovers generation-spanning family secrets and must face the deep waters she has spent years running from.
Setting
~The atmospheric, windswept coastline of the Outer Banks, North Carolina.
~The watery depths of the Atlantic Ocean, where the wreckage of the Oceanus rests.
~A parallel historical setting in 1942 aboard a doomed Atlantic passenger ship.
Time Periods:
~World War II
~Present day
Vibe
Immersive, emotional, and deeply atmospheric. It perfectly balances the salt-air chill of a coastal mystery with the warm, slow-burning healing of a family drama.
Mood
Soulful, atmospheric, and thick with ancestral secrets. It perfectly pairs the sweeping historical gravity and dual-timeline mystery of Kristin Harmel's The Book of Lost Names with the healing coastal warmth of Mary Alice Monroe.
Genre
~Contemporary Women's Fiction / Historical Mystery
~Dual-Timeline Fiction / Multi-generational / 20th Century Historical Romance
Themes
~Confronting and overcoming deep-seated grief and fear
~The enduring, complex bonds between mothers and daughters
~Unearthing historical secrets and survival stories
~Second Chances
~The transformative power of the sea
Standout Characters
~Tula Cassidy: A broken but resilient protagonist trying to reclaim her courage and her identity after turning her back on the ocean she once loved.
~The Shipwreck Survivors: The courageous 1942 figures from the manuscript whose historic choices echo through generations to reshape Tula’s future.
~Gertrude (1942 Timeline): A passenger crossing the dangerous wartime Atlantic, carrying massive secrets of her own while facing perils beneath the waves.
~Nathan: The charming, patient dive instructor from Tula's past who helps her literally and figuratively face the depths.
Author Writing Standout
Mary Ellen Taylor (a long-time favorite who also writes as Mary Burton) expertly weaves the past and present together. Meticiuolsy researched, she essentially treats the ocean itself as a living character—a haunting guardian of both ghosts and answers.
Takeaway
True healing doesn't happen by avoiding the things that broke us. Sometimes, the only way to find freedom and move past grief is to have the courage to dive back into the waters we fear the most.
Title Significance
"The Sky Beneath Her" beautifully reflects the perspective of a diver looking down into the endless, vast blue of the ocean floor, transforming the terrifying deep sea into a space of limitless truth and memory.
Metaphor
The shipwreck of the Oceanus acts as a metaphor for buried trauma. It remains hidden in the dark, gathering wreckage over decades, until it is intentionally uncovered, explored, and brought into the light to heal.
THE COLD WATER CAN CONCEAL LIES, BUT SOME SECRETS REFUSE TO STAY BURIED.
"An exceptionally atmospheric, poignant psychological puzzle packed with family secrets, stunning Outer Banks settings, and an unforgettable journey."
Why You Should Read
It is a brilliant choice for readers who love rich, multi-layered coastal mysteries with historical weight. The dual-timeline mystery keeps the pages turning, while the emotional arc delivers a genuinely heartwarming payoff.
My Thoughts
HAVING READ HER ENTIRE BACKLIST, TAYLOR CONTINUES TO ELEVATE HER CRAFT.
"A masterfully written, dual-timeline triumph that showcases Mary Ellen Taylor's elite gift for weaving deep history with rich domestic emotion."
The Sky Beneath Her is a breathtaking story about overcoming fear and reclaiming your life. Some secrets refuse to stay buried at sea. The historical mystery aspect of 1942 completely drew me in. Taylor writes small-town coastal dynamics beautifully, and watching Tula slowly rebuild her life and reclaim her connection to the sea was incredibly moving.
Having read all of her books and had the absolute pleasure of interviewing Mary Ellen several times, I can confidently tell you that this novel represents a stunning high-water mark for her storytelling.
The Sky Beneath Her takes you straight to the Graveyard of the Atlantic. If you love family secrets, slow-burn mysteries, and emotional healing, pick this up right now for your summer reading pleasure.
Verdict ⭐⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5 Stars).
"A flawless, five-star emotional masterpiece that beautifully cements Taylor's status as a premier queen of coastal women's fiction. An emotionally gripping, beautifully written summer read that flawlessly bridges historical tragedy with modern healing."
Audio 🎧Standout
Narrator Sarah Naughton does an exceptional job handling the distinct shifts in tone between the tense 1942 historical timeline and Tula’s emotional present-day journey.
Highly recommended for readers of
• Women’s fiction set in the Outer Banks
• Shipwreck and World War II historical mysteries
• Mother–daughter relationship novels
• Stories about overcoming fear and healing after loss
• Emotionally uplifting contemporary women’s fiction
Recs or read alikes
~The Brighter the Light or When the Rain Ends by Mary Ellen Taylor (For more of her trademark emotional depth and beautiful coastal settings)
~Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan Henry (The ultimate match! An extraordinary, deeply moving dual-timeline novel following a modern historian curating artifacts from an 1838 luxury steamship explosion off the North Carolina coast, exploring how we "survive the surviving")
~The Beach House series by Mary Alice Monroe (For readers who love rich, multi-layered coastal sagas centered around strong women)
~The Keeper of Happy Endings by Barbara Davis (For the emotional dual-timeline mystery and healing from past trauma)
blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date July 1, 2026
My Rating: 5 Stars
July Newsletter
July 2026 Must-Read Books
Review of advance copy
Read for First Reads June 2026.
Meh. It was fine, I suppose - not particularly memorable, and just enough of a "mystery" to hold interest. That said, the mystery is pretty predictable, and the setup for our main character to even start investigating feels pretty contrived (her boss sends her to go clean out his dead great uncle's house, without telling her how he even knows anything about her history... uh... ok...).
The main character in the modern timeline actually spends a large percentage of her page-time cleaning houses, which isn't particularly exciting to read about - her high school friend owns a cleaning company, and there is a lot of description of the laundry, the vacuuming, getting cleaning supplies for the business, picking up trash on the floor, sorting papers, etc etc etc. They never seem to eat anything except hamburgers, and her friend is pretty infuriating as a character, particularly later in the book when we learn how well her business is (not) going.
I don't mind a split timeline book, but I wish this one had been a tad more immersive in the historical timeline. The historical story takes place during World War II and follows an Austrian woman escaping both Nazi-controlled Austria and her abusive husband on a ship bound for New York City. I had a hard time imagining the scenes on the ship though - this wasn't an ocean liner like Titanic, and it wasn't a cargo ship either... but it was hard to imagine exactly what it would have been like with the little description we got. It was also weird having the historical perspective for the Austrian woman be first-person - but with flawless modern English for her inner thoughts. It seems like a 3rd person narrator would have felt less jarring.
There is a bit of a romance subplot in this one, which fortunately doesn't take the headline until the last 50 or so pages, but it was pretty obvious from the start that it was going to be there. I didn't love it, and I don't think it was necessary. (Also, it was just so tropey and borderline cringey... mid-twenties girl just got out of a bad marriage and is being confronted by some traumatic memories from her teen years, and attractive conveniently un-partnered guy from her past just happens to be in town and happy to help her through it.)
This may sound nitpicky, but I was incredibly annoyed by the way SCUBA diving is presented in this book. It reminded me a lot of the issues I had with The Amalfi Curse last year, which had some similarities in that the main character is the daughter of a professional diver, dove all the time with her parent as a teenager and has tons of experience, but a rookie mistake in the past caused trauma that comes back in the book (and when the scenarios are described, they're not really believable given the amount of experience these divers are supposed to have). In this book, the author actually makes the mistake of describing dives in terms of numbers and specifics. At one point, a guy panics on a dive and surfaces after being down for about 20 minutes without telling his divemaster. When questioned about his depth, he said he was diving at 150 ft (and he didn't even make it to the final depth of the dive). The rest of his group, which presumably did make it to the final depth, was down there for an hour. Practices and standards vary by dive organization/certification, but most recreational dives are under 100 ft, and even with advanced certification, rec divers wouldn't be diving below safety limits of 120 ft (and the dive time would likely be limited).
There is NO WAY even an independent dive operator would take clients (experienced or not) on a recreational wreck dive, on standard air, below 120 feet, and certainly not for an hour. They'd been in the realm of technical diving, on specialized air mixtures with specialized training. (But wrecks found off the Outer Banks are between 90 and 120 feet anyway, so why would these guys need to go deeper than 150?) And if the guy had actually been at 150 ft for 20 minutes and surfaced without a safety stop or without the slow ascent required, he would have been showing symptoms of nitrogen poisoning. He would have been in pretty bad shape.
The lack of basic fact-checking on the diving portions of the book made me question the fact-checking on historical portions as well. Overall, I'd say don't read the book if you're looking for a good realistic story with historical elements... be willing to suspend some disbelief for this.
Meh. It was fine, I suppose - not particularly memorable, and just enough of a "mystery" to hold interest. That said, the mystery is pretty predictable, and the setup for our main character to even start investigating feels pretty contrived (her boss sends her to go clean out his dead great uncle's house, without telling her how he even knows anything about her history... uh... ok...).
The main character in the modern timeline actually spends a large percentage of her page-time cleaning houses, which isn't particularly exciting to read about - her high school friend owns a cleaning company, and there is a lot of description of the laundry, the vacuuming, getting cleaning supplies for the business, picking up trash on the floor, sorting papers, etc etc etc. They never seem to eat anything except hamburgers, and her friend is pretty infuriating as a character, particularly later in the book when we learn how well her business is (not) going.
I don't mind a split timeline book, but I wish this one had been a tad more immersive in the historical timeline. The historical story takes place during World War II and follows an Austrian woman escaping both Nazi-controlled Austria and her abusive husband on a ship bound for New York City. I had a hard time imagining the scenes on the ship though - this wasn't an ocean liner like Titanic, and it wasn't a cargo ship either... but it was hard to imagine exactly what it would have been like with the little description we got. It was also weird having the historical perspective for the Austrian woman be first-person - but with flawless modern English for her inner thoughts. It seems like a 3rd person narrator would have felt less jarring.
There is a bit of a romance subplot in this one, which fortunately doesn't take the headline until the last 50 or so pages, but it was pretty obvious from the start that it was going to be there. I didn't love it, and I don't think it was necessary. (Also, it was just so tropey and borderline cringey... mid-twenties girl just got out of a bad marriage and is being confronted by some traumatic memories from her teen years, and attractive conveniently un-partnered guy from her past just happens to be in town and happy to help her through it.)
This may sound nitpicky, but I was incredibly annoyed by the way SCUBA diving is presented in this book. It reminded me a lot of the issues I had with The Amalfi Curse last year, which had some similarities in that the main character is the daughter of a professional diver, dove all the time with her parent as a teenager and has tons of experience, but a rookie mistake in the past caused trauma that comes back in the book (and when the scenarios are described, they're not really believable given the amount of experience these divers are supposed to have). In this book, the author actually makes the mistake of describing dives in terms of numbers and specifics. At one point, a guy panics on a dive and surfaces after being down for about 20 minutes without telling his divemaster. When questioned about his depth, he said he was diving at 150 ft (and he didn't even make it to the final depth of the dive). The rest of his group, which presumably did make it to the final depth, was down there for an hour. Practices and standards vary by dive organization/certification, but most recreational dives are under 100 ft, and even with advanced certification, rec divers wouldn't be diving below safety limits of 120 ft (and the dive time would likely be limited).
There is NO WAY even an independent dive operator would take clients (experienced or not) on a recreational wreck dive, on standard air, below 120 feet, and certainly not for an hour. They'd been in the realm of technical diving, on specialized air mixtures with specialized training. (But wrecks found off the Outer Banks are between 90 and 120 feet anyway, so why would these guys need to go deeper than 150?) And if the guy had actually been at 150 ft for 20 minutes and surfaced without a safety stop or without the slow ascent required, he would have been showing symptoms of nitrogen poisoning. He would have been in pretty bad shape.
The lack of basic fact-checking on the diving portions of the book made me question the fact-checking on historical portions as well. Overall, I'd say don't read the book if you're looking for a good realistic story with historical elements... be willing to suspend some disbelief for this.
July 8, 2026
The more I think about this one, the more it irks me. It was an easy read but quite stupid. It was emotionally flat and repetitive. People talk but don’t seem to have much for thoughts or real emotions. Just the big 7 years ago trauma and burgers. My biggest gripe is with the diving. I chose this First Reads book because I love stories about diving. Most of the books I’ve read have been non-fiction. If only this author had done the minimum research she would realize NONE of the diving in this book makes sense. The Oceanus is at 200 feet in the Atlantic Ocean yet they are all so casually diving to it. It’s a technical dive that requires specialized training and certifications. Recreational diving is only to 100-120 feet. They would be breathing tri-mix and going to a wreck like that is dangerous. You wouldn’t be taking noobs to a shipwreck at 200 feet. One diver was so new he couldn’t even jump off the platform properly and he ended up surfacing after he had a freak out. He didn’t stop to decompress but they basically said, oh well, he’ll be fine. And the whole book just didn’t tie up in a satisfying way. Like why would Tula’s mom not leave a note for her? She left her the necklace but no note. She must know her daughter enough to realize this would horrible for her. She blames herself and has “trauma” from what happened seven years ago. And there is a whole trust set up for her and Dr Brooks is some sort of benefactor yet no one tells her anything? They just let her flounder? So they come up with some scheme to get her to the house so she can find stuff for herself? It just didn’t make sense. And Tula reads like a 50 year old but she is 25 and terrified of the 10 pounds she’s gained over the last 7 years. Even the love interest has silver streaks threading his hair so I have to remind myself she’s in her freaking 20’s. And why does love interest Nathan keep going on about how if he was there, none of it would have happened. That makes it sound even more like it is Tula’s fault. And Tula is so traumatized, as if she watched her mother die but she didn’t. She left and her mom chose not to ascend and chose to not leave her teenage daughter a note or anything. I’m sure this reads like a crazy person but I had to get it out!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 12, 2026
This dual time line novel is intriguing and beautifully written. Both time lines were interesting and I was surprised when the connection between the time lines was shared near the end of the story. I especially enjoyed the present-day time line and found it interesting to see the way that the main character grew as she faced long held fears that had affected her life more than she realized.
1941 timeline. The Oceanus is traveling from Spain to the United States with several passengers. It was a very dangerous time for ocean travel because German U-boats had been sinking boats near the Outer Banks in North Carolina. Normally boats making that crossing, traveled together but the Oceanus was delayed and traveling alone. Despite the danger, there were passengers on the ship who had to get to safety out of Europe and the threat of the Nazis. Most notable were Dr Brooks who had kind of a shady back story and Johnna who was fleeing from her cruel Nazi sympathizer husband in Vienna and was about 8 months pregnant. She wanted to keep a low profile but Dr Brooks seemed to know a lot about her and one of the other passengers recognized her from Vienna. Will she be able to safely get to America where she can hide in New York City.
Present Day Timeline – Tula grew up with an adventuresome mother who traveled the world and dived for treasure. When Tula arrived in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, it had been seven years since her mother disappeared when she was diving to the Oceanus. Tula had completely changed her life after her mother’s death == she was afraid of and didn’t want to live anywhere near the ocean. She moved to Norfolk, got a job and got married. After 7 years, her marriage had ended and her employer asked her to clean out his uncle’s house and get it ready to sell. The house was very close to the wreck of the Oceanus. Was it a coincidence or was there a connection between that house and the man who lived and died there and the ship that was sunk by a u boat in 1942? As Tula finds paperwork in the house, she learns not only more about the man who lived there but also discovers an unexpected family connection. Will her discoveries help her overcome her fears and return to the ocean that she used to love? ‘Sometimes the greatest journeys begin when we find the courage to dive back in.’
I thought that this was an intense intriguing story and definitely recommend it!
1941 timeline. The Oceanus is traveling from Spain to the United States with several passengers. It was a very dangerous time for ocean travel because German U-boats had been sinking boats near the Outer Banks in North Carolina. Normally boats making that crossing, traveled together but the Oceanus was delayed and traveling alone. Despite the danger, there were passengers on the ship who had to get to safety out of Europe and the threat of the Nazis. Most notable were Dr Brooks who had kind of a shady back story and Johnna who was fleeing from her cruel Nazi sympathizer husband in Vienna and was about 8 months pregnant. She wanted to keep a low profile but Dr Brooks seemed to know a lot about her and one of the other passengers recognized her from Vienna. Will she be able to safely get to America where she can hide in New York City.
Present Day Timeline – Tula grew up with an adventuresome mother who traveled the world and dived for treasure. When Tula arrived in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, it had been seven years since her mother disappeared when she was diving to the Oceanus. Tula had completely changed her life after her mother’s death == she was afraid of and didn’t want to live anywhere near the ocean. She moved to Norfolk, got a job and got married. After 7 years, her marriage had ended and her employer asked her to clean out his uncle’s house and get it ready to sell. The house was very close to the wreck of the Oceanus. Was it a coincidence or was there a connection between that house and the man who lived and died there and the ship that was sunk by a u boat in 1942? As Tula finds paperwork in the house, she learns not only more about the man who lived there but also discovers an unexpected family connection. Will her discoveries help her overcome her fears and return to the ocean that she used to love? ‘Sometimes the greatest journeys begin when we find the courage to dive back in.’
I thought that this was an intense intriguing story and definitely recommend it!
July 12, 2026
THE SKY BENEATH HER reads like historical fiction but, as best I can tell, there's no factual basis for it and it felt much more like a mystery to me. On the websites I've looked at, rating averages for this novel exceed 4 stars. Not the first time I've been an outlier, awarding it three stars.
The title does NOT refer to looking down at earth from space. Instead, it refers to the expansive and mysterious life that exists underwater; several of the main characters are involved with the world of scuba diving.
THE SKY BENEATH HER is yet another one of those contemporary novels that moves back and forth through time, telling two separate stories whose connection is only revealed at the end.
• One storyline follows Tula Cassidy, a contemporary woman in her mid 20s, who abandoned her deep love of the ocean and diving seven years earlier, after the sudden death of her mother.
• The second story concerns a passenger ship called the Oceanus that was torpedoed by a German submarine in 1942, off the coast of North Carolina. (No such event occurred.) We follow the story of several of her passengers, fleeing Europe for a variety of reasons, including one pregnant woman escaping an abusive partner.
Tula winds up on a work assignment on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, (where her mother died) and the novel traces her investigation of that death and reckoning with her own damaged psyche. Tula slowly picks up bits and pieces of seemingly unrelated information, which definitely built increasing suspense. Because, of course, the tidbits are not as random as they first appear and eventually Tula is able to put the full story together.
THE SKY BENEATH HER is the first novel I've read from this author. I found it an enjoyable and quick page-turner. And, along with Tula, I kept going so I could understand how the two storylines connect.
I awarded three stars because I found a superficial feel to the book overall. Primarily plot-driven, I never felt concern or caring for any of the characters. They simply remained two-dimensional in service to the plot. (Remember though that many readers rated this book more highly!) I think this might be enjoyed most by fans of Liane Moriarty, Jojo Moyes, and Beatriz Williams.
The title does NOT refer to looking down at earth from space. Instead, it refers to the expansive and mysterious life that exists underwater; several of the main characters are involved with the world of scuba diving.
THE SKY BENEATH HER is yet another one of those contemporary novels that moves back and forth through time, telling two separate stories whose connection is only revealed at the end.
• One storyline follows Tula Cassidy, a contemporary woman in her mid 20s, who abandoned her deep love of the ocean and diving seven years earlier, after the sudden death of her mother.
• The second story concerns a passenger ship called the Oceanus that was torpedoed by a German submarine in 1942, off the coast of North Carolina. (No such event occurred.) We follow the story of several of her passengers, fleeing Europe for a variety of reasons, including one pregnant woman escaping an abusive partner.
Tula winds up on a work assignment on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, (where her mother died) and the novel traces her investigation of that death and reckoning with her own damaged psyche. Tula slowly picks up bits and pieces of seemingly unrelated information, which definitely built increasing suspense. Because, of course, the tidbits are not as random as they first appear and eventually Tula is able to put the full story together.
THE SKY BENEATH HER is the first novel I've read from this author. I found it an enjoyable and quick page-turner. And, along with Tula, I kept going so I could understand how the two storylines connect.
I awarded three stars because I found a superficial feel to the book overall. Primarily plot-driven, I never felt concern or caring for any of the characters. They simply remained two-dimensional in service to the plot. (Remember though that many readers rated this book more highly!) I think this might be enjoyed most by fans of Liane Moriarty, Jojo Moyes, and Beatriz Williams.
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June 16, 2026A Nice Amazon First Read Choice!
I chose this book because I like my fiction with a lot of historical realism and being born into such a time of predominant stability and prosperity, anything about people living in a world at war just amazes and humbles me. This was a very pleasant and hard to put down story, with pretty good character dedication and the threads of intrigue holding true throughout. I was a little dissapointed when it ended because it was so good but also because I really felt the ending seemed rushed. Maybe I was hoping or expecting a different, more detailed reconciliation of the various mysteries and their characters because it was not at all the outcome thought was being teased, yet the twist was not a satisfying surprise. In truth I felt the stories ending was very ubrupt and flat and wish the author had taken opportunity to really add flourish and beauty to the reconciliation between the present day characters and the mystery of their ties to the past. (which I neglected to say that this was two stories, one in the past and one in the present.) Personally I would have chose the more fulfilling ending of secrets revealed and happy ever after. I know that in real life and especially during tumultuous times as war, so many secrets are just lost and that thread in a persons geneological history may just be severed and cannot be salvaged. But in this case, it made for a really unsatisfying conclusion to a very satisfying read until then. I would definitely put this in the category of The Nightingale and All the Light We Cannot See just not quite at that dedicated. But still recommend!
I chose this book because I like my fiction with a lot of historical realism and being born into such a time of predominant stability and prosperity, anything about people living in a world at war just amazes and humbles me. This was a very pleasant and hard to put down story, with pretty good character dedication and the threads of intrigue holding true throughout. I was a little dissapointed when it ended because it was so good but also because I really felt the ending seemed rushed. Maybe I was hoping or expecting a different, more detailed reconciliation of the various mysteries and their characters because it was not at all the outcome thought was being teased, yet the twist was not a satisfying surprise. In truth I felt the stories ending was very ubrupt and flat and wish the author had taken opportunity to really add flourish and beauty to the reconciliation between the present day characters and the mystery of their ties to the past. (which I neglected to say that this was two stories, one in the past and one in the present.) Personally I would have chose the more fulfilling ending of secrets revealed and happy ever after. I know that in real life and especially during tumultuous times as war, so many secrets are just lost and that thread in a persons geneological history may just be severed and cannot be salvaged. But in this case, it made for a really unsatisfying conclusion to a very satisfying read until then. I would definitely put this in the category of The Nightingale and All the Light We Cannot See just not quite at that dedicated. But still recommend!
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