Found at Sea

by Olivia Ellesar

371 pages, Paperback

Published December 18, 2025

Reviews

[Megs: Knee Wall Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found at Sea is a beautiful debut novel. A coming of age story, and a friendship that spanned over a decade. I felt like we were growing up alongside Elizabeth, through the glimpses into Elizabeth’s life. And the shared trauma that turned into a beautiful found family through the story.

Lizzie is spitfire and I loved her gumption. Loved seeing her break out of the box women were put into during that time. And that she had very supportive family and friends.

Oliver, oh his tortured heart. I just want to hug him. Loved ending the book on his POV. It provided so much depth to his character as well as some of the thought behind his actions.

Such a slow burn romance and Ellesar got the timing perfect when it finally paid off.

Julian, Ellie and Clara, I loved their close knit friendship was beautiful.

I felt transported back in time with Ellesar’s writing. I could feel all the emotions her characters were feeling.

[Julie Conlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ll admit that while I am fond of historical fiction, the honest reason I picked up this book was because it was written by an old friend from college (Go Eagles!) who I still keep up with on social media. I wanted to support her and finally read her work. What I didn’t expect was to be completely blown away. This story pulled me in almost immediately and kept me emotionally invested without being heavy-handed, and paced in a way that kept me turning the pages. It’s an easy read that manages to tug at your heart and stay with you long after you’ve put it down. I came to this book out of curiosity and in support of an old friend, but I finished it wanting to put it in the hands of others. It’s the kind of book you don’t just enjoy, you genuinely want to recommend. Great job my friend!

[Marilyn Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of historical fiction and Ellesar’s debut novel did not disappoint. I never thought much about the trauma inflicted on the survivors of the Titanic until this book. The book takes you from the Titanic to New York in the 1920’s. It was a lot of fun to experience a blind pig (I had to google it) and the crazy night life of the time period. Also, it was a love story with well developed characters who I cheered for through a decade of history. Well done!

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down. I just had to know what was happening with Elizabeth and Oliver. Having the Titanic be where they meet was the reason I wanted to read this book. I enjoyed all the history we get to read about as we follow their relationship over the years. Worth the read for everyone and especially historical fiction fans. Thank you Olivia Ellesar for my arc

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone knows the story of the Titanic. It will forever live on in infamy. The story told in this book allowed you to live life through a survivor's eyes. I am usually not into historical fiction but have always found the story of the Titanic drawing me in. It is a story of tragedy, coming of age, and love.

4/5 ⭐️ 2/5 🌶