What do you think?
Rate this book
When We Believed in Mermaids
An Amazon Charts, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestseller.
From the author of The Art of Inheriting Secrets comes an emotional new tale of two sisters, an ocean of lies, and a search for the truth.
Her sister has been dead for fifteen years when she sees her on the TV news…
Josie Bianci was killed years ago on a train during a terrorist attack. Gone forever. It’s what her sister, Kit, an ER doctor in Santa Cruz, has always believed. Yet all it takes is a few heart-wrenching seconds to upend Kit’s world. Live coverage of a club fire in Auckland has captured the image of a woman stumbling through the smoke and debris. Her resemblance to Josie is unbelievable. And unmistakable. With it comes a flood of emotions—grief, loss, and anger—that Kit finally has a chance to put to rest by finding the sister who’s been living a lie.
After arriving in New Zealand, Kit begins her journey with the memories of the of days spent on the beach with Josie. Of a lost teenage boy who’d become part of their family. And of a trauma that has haunted Kit and Josie their entire lives.
Now, if two sisters are to reunite, it can only be by unearthing long-buried secrets and facing a devastating truth that has kept them apart far too long. To regain their relationship, they may have to lose everything.
From the author of The Art of Inheriting Secrets comes an emotional new tale of two sisters, an ocean of lies, and a search for the truth.
Her sister has been dead for fifteen years when she sees her on the TV news…
Josie Bianci was killed years ago on a train during a terrorist attack. Gone forever. It’s what her sister, Kit, an ER doctor in Santa Cruz, has always believed. Yet all it takes is a few heart-wrenching seconds to upend Kit’s world. Live coverage of a club fire in Auckland has captured the image of a woman stumbling through the smoke and debris. Her resemblance to Josie is unbelievable. And unmistakable. With it comes a flood of emotions—grief, loss, and anger—that Kit finally has a chance to put to rest by finding the sister who’s been living a lie.
After arriving in New Zealand, Kit begins her journey with the memories of the of days spent on the beach with Josie. Of a lost teenage boy who’d become part of their family. And of a trauma that has haunted Kit and Josie their entire lives.
Now, if two sisters are to reunite, it can only be by unearthing long-buried secrets and facing a devastating truth that has kept them apart far too long. To regain their relationship, they may have to lose everything.
348 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2019
67161 people are currently reading
137139 people want to read
About the author
Barbara O'Neal
28 books4,394 followersBarbara O'Neal is the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and #1 Amazon Charts bestselling writer of women's fiction. She lives in Colorado with her partner, a British endurance athlete.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 14,185 reviews
February 4, 2020
So much wasted potential. Fair warning, I did not enjoy this book. (I don't think there's spoilers but proceed at risk)
I’m absolutely gutted at how dreadful this book was. It has firmly lodged itself in my top five least favourite books of the past couple of years and almost led me to have a January DNF – as if January 2020 hasn’t been bad enough as it is.
This year I decided to put aside some of my beloved fantasy in favour for a little more dramatic reading. After this, I think I’ll be converting back again.
I was so excited by this premise; a potentially faked death; a house filled with history and mystery; a tortured past interwoven with melancholy and intrigue; the question of where did it all go wrong; the beautiful back-drop of New Zealand and a family ripped apart – but by what?
Instead, we got a couple of hundred pages of two colourless women reflecting on a much more interesting, if tragic past, interspersed with a surplus of flowery language that added nothing to a story with absolutely no plot.
The tone was so confused. O'Neal should have made up her mind – was she depicting a romantic vision of two sisters torn apart by time and reconnecting in a peaceful re-imagination of their childhood home by the sea? Or was she writing a tragic and gritty story of two traumatised adults looking for closure? Because she failed at both.
In more skilled hands, the dual tone of this story could have made for a heart-breaking and emotive piece, something that made you recoil in horror from their grim childhood but empathise with the women they became as a result. Quite frankly I didn’t really care if either of them got a happy ending. They were boring characters who need to go to therapy asap, not go on a magical mystery tour down memory lane.
The flashbacks were the most interesting, but they felt like they were written by someone else entirely. Not just because of the tonal shift in these memories, but the style was altogether more readable, cohesive and enjoyable.
All the nonsense with Kit running around New Zealand and her affair with Javier was… fine, I suppose. But what on earth did that add to the plot?? If she hadn’t met him, her story wouldn’t have changed except that we’d have heard her side through internal monologue. His relevance only really appears at the end, along with the other shreds of plot.
And why, WHY, did we have to hear so much about Mari and her house renovations? We’re not reading Architectural Digest and I didn’t care at all what her opinion on windows was. It added nothing and slowed down an already dragging story.
The attempt to shoehorn a side plot investigation about the movie stars death could have made an excellent addition and breathed some much-needed life into Mari’s dull as hell story, but it was completely forgotten! I thought that with the mention of the computer and the journals we would get a tasty little puzzle to solve but no. It’s literally not mentioned again, other than as a very brief after thought at the end. What was even the point in including it??
All in all I think this was a poorly constructed and weakly executed story that the author had no real direction with whilst writing. I'd heard good things about O'Neal, but off the back of this, I won't be heartbroken if I don't encounter her again.
I’m absolutely gutted at how dreadful this book was. It has firmly lodged itself in my top five least favourite books of the past couple of years and almost led me to have a January DNF – as if January 2020 hasn’t been bad enough as it is.
This year I decided to put aside some of my beloved fantasy in favour for a little more dramatic reading. After this, I think I’ll be converting back again.
I was so excited by this premise; a potentially faked death; a house filled with history and mystery; a tortured past interwoven with melancholy and intrigue; the question of where did it all go wrong; the beautiful back-drop of New Zealand and a family ripped apart – but by what?
Instead, we got a couple of hundred pages of two colourless women reflecting on a much more interesting, if tragic past, interspersed with a surplus of flowery language that added nothing to a story with absolutely no plot.
The tone was so confused. O'Neal should have made up her mind – was she depicting a romantic vision of two sisters torn apart by time and reconnecting in a peaceful re-imagination of their childhood home by the sea? Or was she writing a tragic and gritty story of two traumatised adults looking for closure? Because she failed at both.
In more skilled hands, the dual tone of this story could have made for a heart-breaking and emotive piece, something that made you recoil in horror from their grim childhood but empathise with the women they became as a result. Quite frankly I didn’t really care if either of them got a happy ending. They were boring characters who need to go to therapy asap, not go on a magical mystery tour down memory lane.
The flashbacks were the most interesting, but they felt like they were written by someone else entirely. Not just because of the tonal shift in these memories, but the style was altogether more readable, cohesive and enjoyable.
All the nonsense with Kit running around New Zealand and her affair with Javier was… fine, I suppose. But what on earth did that add to the plot?? If she hadn’t met him, her story wouldn’t have changed except that we’d have heard her side through internal monologue. His relevance only really appears at the end, along with the other shreds of plot.
And why, WHY, did we have to hear so much about Mari and her house renovations? We’re not reading Architectural Digest and I didn’t care at all what her opinion on windows was. It added nothing and slowed down an already dragging story.
The attempt to shoehorn a side plot investigation about the movie stars death could have made an excellent addition and breathed some much-needed life into Mari’s dull as hell story, but it was completely forgotten! I thought that with the mention of the computer and the journals we would get a tasty little puzzle to solve but no. It’s literally not mentioned again, other than as a very brief after thought at the end. What was even the point in including it??
All in all I think this was a poorly constructed and weakly executed story that the author had no real direction with whilst writing. I'd heard good things about O'Neal, but off the back of this, I won't be heartbroken if I don't encounter her again.
October 7, 2025
You're Going To Want To Read This Somewhere Where You Can Cry. Wow. This is a tragic tale, all around. It is primarily about two sisters and the scars they share - and the lengths they will both go to try to overcome them. Amazing story, solid mystery (though some of it becomes obvious earlier than the actual reveal). This one will grabs you with the first line, has you tearing up a bit early on... and then can have full on water works through the last quarter to third or so of the tale. Light and airy, this aint - but it *is* one of the better, more intense dramas I've read this year. A remarkable contrast to O'Neal's 2018 book The Art of Inheriting Secrets. Very much recommended.
April 5, 2020
When we Believed in Mermaids by Barbara O’Neal is a 2019 Lake Union publication.
A drama that probes the complexity of family, sisterly bonds and the power of love and forgiveness
Kit’s sister, Josie, died years ago during a terrorist attack. But, while watching television footage of a club fire, Kit swears that one of the people stumbling out of the smoke and debris is Josie. The resemblance is so uncanny, even Kit’s mother is shaken by it and urges Kit to take time off to pursue the possibility her sister might still be alive.
To that end, she travels to New Zealand, where her search will lead to a host of startling revelations and will change forever her perceptions of the past, the present, of her family, and of herself…
I am a sucker for family dramas packed with secrets and lies. This is a touching novel that reminds us that family is family, and that certain bonds, no matter how complicated or difficult, are unbreakable. While mother and daughter relationships are lightly examined, the bond between sisters is at the heart of the story.
The other relationships featured in this tale, are romantic ones. While ‘Josie’s’ marriage is one that must be explored, Kit’s burgeoning relationship with Javier, a man she meets upon her arrival in New Zealand, is often in the forefront- maybe too much so in the beginning.
I had begun to question Kit's resolve to locate her sister as she spent more time pursuing her attraction to Javier that looking for Josie. I also had trouble feeling the chemistry between the couple, initially, maybe because I was more interested in finding out if Kit’s sister was alive, and if so, what would happen when they finally met face to face. I was also more invested in Josie’s marriage and what her husband would do once he found out the truth.
But, as the past began to merge with the present and the fragmented pieces of all the relationships began to form a cohesive unit, I warmed up to Javier a bit more, and absolutely loved the way the story came together in the end.
Overall, this was a wonderful, very engrossing story, with strong themes of familial love, forgiveness, and redemption. It’s also a story about finding inner strength, owning one’s mistakes, resilience, personal growth and love’s power to heal broken relationships. While there are some serious issues explored in this novel, ultimately, it is an uplifting, satisfying book, and I’m glad I finally got around to reading it.
*Content warning-
A drama that probes the complexity of family, sisterly bonds and the power of love and forgiveness
Kit’s sister, Josie, died years ago during a terrorist attack. But, while watching television footage of a club fire, Kit swears that one of the people stumbling out of the smoke and debris is Josie. The resemblance is so uncanny, even Kit’s mother is shaken by it and urges Kit to take time off to pursue the possibility her sister might still be alive.
To that end, she travels to New Zealand, where her search will lead to a host of startling revelations and will change forever her perceptions of the past, the present, of her family, and of herself…
I am a sucker for family dramas packed with secrets and lies. This is a touching novel that reminds us that family is family, and that certain bonds, no matter how complicated or difficult, are unbreakable. While mother and daughter relationships are lightly examined, the bond between sisters is at the heart of the story.
The other relationships featured in this tale, are romantic ones. While ‘Josie’s’ marriage is one that must be explored, Kit’s burgeoning relationship with Javier, a man she meets upon her arrival in New Zealand, is often in the forefront- maybe too much so in the beginning.
I had begun to question Kit's resolve to locate her sister as she spent more time pursuing her attraction to Javier that looking for Josie. I also had trouble feeling the chemistry between the couple, initially, maybe because I was more interested in finding out if Kit’s sister was alive, and if so, what would happen when they finally met face to face. I was also more invested in Josie’s marriage and what her husband would do once he found out the truth.
But, as the past began to merge with the present and the fragmented pieces of all the relationships began to form a cohesive unit, I warmed up to Javier a bit more, and absolutely loved the way the story came together in the end.
Overall, this was a wonderful, very engrossing story, with strong themes of familial love, forgiveness, and redemption. It’s also a story about finding inner strength, owning one’s mistakes, resilience, personal growth and love’s power to heal broken relationships. While there are some serious issues explored in this novel, ultimately, it is an uplifting, satisfying book, and I’m glad I finally got around to reading it.
*Content warning-
August 4, 2019
This book was a solid read but a few things kept me from really enjoying it. One, Josie is very selfish, and when she's young, with her issues, it's understandable. As an adult though... I really cannot fathom how she stayed away from her family for fifteen years seemingly without remorse, lied to her husband for over a decade, and thought she could get away with it. Two, Josie and Kit reconnect far too late in the story for real drama to happen, so the ending is lackluster. Everything is forgiven rather quickly.
Three, Kit as an adult is often an uninteresting character to me. Four, the romance between Kit and Javier seems out of place and took up time that should have been dedicated to the family drama. Not to mention, the fact that romance is part of how to show Kit is all healed is a problematic trope. I would have given her close friends to start with it; it doesn't seem like she has any.
Five, the travel talk. Parts of this book read like a travel to New Zealand ad. I could have used less talk about how beautiful the harbors were and more of the plot. And finally six: there's a distinct lack of tension, probably because it takes too long for the sisters to meet again. Their tragic past is the most interesting part of the novel. Everything else is mired with too much focus on romance, entirely too much focus on the backstory of Josie's new house, and unnecessary discussion about things that don't affect the plot. I don't care Josie's daughter may be having issues in school and I don't care about how she'll renovate her home or her walks with her friends or anything else. Josie shouldn't have been a point of view in the beginning of the novel because all she does is silently regret things and make no effort to fix them. She doesn't impact the plot at all for the first half. Not to mention, knowing she's alive and well and totally fine while her sister's life is a mess... again, there's no tension in that, and it doesn't make her character very likable. By the end of the book, I'd pretty much lost most of my sympathy for her. I felt sorry for Josie but not Mari, if that makes sense.
Three, Kit as an adult is often an uninteresting character to me. Four, the romance between Kit and Javier seems out of place and took up time that should have been dedicated to the family drama. Not to mention, the fact that romance is part of how to show Kit is all healed is a problematic trope. I would have given her close friends to start with it; it doesn't seem like she has any.
Five, the travel talk. Parts of this book read like a travel to New Zealand ad. I could have used less talk about how beautiful the harbors were and more of the plot. And finally six: there's a distinct lack of tension, probably because it takes too long for the sisters to meet again. Their tragic past is the most interesting part of the novel. Everything else is mired with too much focus on romance, entirely too much focus on the backstory of Josie's new house, and unnecessary discussion about things that don't affect the plot. I don't care Josie's daughter may be having issues in school and I don't care about how she'll renovate her home or her walks with her friends or anything else. Josie shouldn't have been a point of view in the beginning of the novel because all she does is silently regret things and make no effort to fix them. She doesn't impact the plot at all for the first half. Not to mention, knowing she's alive and well and totally fine while her sister's life is a mess... again, there's no tension in that, and it doesn't make her character very likable. By the end of the book, I'd pretty much lost most of my sympathy for her. I felt sorry for Josie but not Mari, if that makes sense.
July 22, 2019
I am planning, sometime in the future, on re-reading this book. Barbara O´Neal is one of my favorite authors, her descriptive abilities are powerful... lush. I have to admit that I couldn´t dnf this story. it wasn´t boring or slow. If anything it was (for me) too detailed, too dark.
I admit I read to a certain degree to escape. To experience things (even if only on paper) like visiting new places, foods, ideas or even time periods. And this story did give me the first three of these things--it was truly well written. But it didn´t give me enough hope. I feel like you do when you eat too much of something really heavy and you feel it sitting in the pit of your stomach hours latter.
Like I said, I plan on re-reading this. In the hope that I just picked the wrong time in reading this the first time. Now the story is sitting heavily in my mind, and it is dark.
I admit I read to a certain degree to escape. To experience things (even if only on paper) like visiting new places, foods, ideas or even time periods. And this story did give me the first three of these things--it was truly well written. But it didn´t give me enough hope. I feel like you do when you eat too much of something really heavy and you feel it sitting in the pit of your stomach hours latter.
Like I said, I plan on re-reading this. In the hope that I just picked the wrong time in reading this the first time. Now the story is sitting heavily in my mind, and it is dark.
December 16, 2023
Trigger warnings: child sexual abuse, drug abuse, suicide, alcoholism
This is one of those very popular novels with 250,000 ratings on Goodreads, so it is indeed well liked. I previously read the Lost Girls of Devon, so I kind of knew what to expect. This novel was very ambitious and tried to do far too much, but so much of it resonated with me.
Kit and Josie grew up in Santa Cruz California as severely neglected children, yet they had each other and surfing. And then Josie is gone, blown up in a terrorist train attack, yet her sister Kit and mother see her on a news clip fifteen years later in Aukland New Zealand. So that's the main story, but Ms O'Neal brings in a lot more, sometimes working, sometimes superfluous.
For me, the story about Kit meeting a man, who quickly becomes a rare lover for her in Aukland, was too similar to my own story. My wife of 36 years and I met in New Zealand on holiday, both from separate continents, in a story not too dissimilar to here. A bit contrived at times, but I did like it. 3.5 stars
This is one of those very popular novels with 250,000 ratings on Goodreads, so it is indeed well liked. I previously read the Lost Girls of Devon, so I kind of knew what to expect. This novel was very ambitious and tried to do far too much, but so much of it resonated with me.
Kit and Josie grew up in Santa Cruz California as severely neglected children, yet they had each other and surfing. And then Josie is gone, blown up in a terrorist train attack, yet her sister Kit and mother see her on a news clip fifteen years later in Aukland New Zealand. So that's the main story, but Ms O'Neal brings in a lot more, sometimes working, sometimes superfluous.
For me, the story about Kit meeting a man, who quickly becomes a rare lover for her in Aukland, was too similar to my own story. My wife of 36 years and I met in New Zealand on holiday, both from separate continents, in a story not too dissimilar to here. A bit contrived at times, but I did like it. 3.5 stars
April 25, 2020
I am fuming, absolutely fuming right now. I feel so painstakingly deceived by Goodreads right now - my one reliable source for discovering new and intellectually stimulating stories.
How is this book rated 4.23 stars??? There must be a miscalculation on the site's end... There must be!!
The premise of this book was deliciously enticing as was the book cover (which further upholds the statement of never judging a book by its cover) because this book was garbage. This book was a constant motion of ebbs and flows and I was perplexed with O'Neal's complete disregard for creating an actual plot. She waited until PAGE 281 to finally give an INCH and reveal something that
was slightly intriguing
. This is a prolonged essay lacking any depth, written by a sixth grader for her English class, that is what this is. While I loathe this book, I am utterly proud of myself for enduring the horrific journey and completing it from cover to cover. Good. Riddance.
July 16, 2019
When We Believed in Mermaids is an engrossing, turbulent, and poignant book about two sisters, Kit and Josie. When the story begins, Kit is shocked to see her sister in the background of a news broadcast from New Zealand, thousands of miles away from their home in California--especially since Josie had been killed 15 years earlier. When she goes to New Zealand to find her sister, Kit unknowingly sets off a chain of events that will impact her own life, as well as that of her sister and the life she has built. Kit and Josie were such complex, fascinating characters, each of them reacting to the pain of their childhoods which left them emotionally scarred. The flashbacks in the story give so much insight to the horrors of their childhood; the neglect, the abuse, the addictions. But they also show us the love the two sisters had for each other, the closeness they shared until it all went horribly wrong. The setting of the book was fantastic, from the beaches of Santa Cruz to the beauty of New Zealand. And the surfing! The author's descriptions of the girls as they surfed from the time they were children made it feel like I was in the middle of those waves with them! The pages of this book are filled with love; love between sisters, the love of children for their parents, steadfast love, and new love; and how love can somehow withstand everything that threatens to destroy it.
August 2, 2020
The book is primarily about two sisters, the scars they share and the lengths they will both go to try and overcome them. I was immediately drawn in! I instantly connected with this author's writing style and characters.
The book is an easy read and may be predictable at times, but I tend to look for this in a light read. The book provides romance, lies, passion, and betrayals with a little mystery thrown in. Something for everyone
The book is an easy read and may be predictable at times, but I tend to look for this in a light read. The book provides romance, lies, passion, and betrayals with a little mystery thrown in. Something for everyone
September 25, 2019
I just found this whole book so unrealistic. As a NZ’er who lives in Auckland I have to point out we don’t get earthquakes in Auckland, we also don’t refer to Maori people as ‘Maori’s’ (the slim Maori girl behind the counter, the chubby Maori driver) 🤦🏼♀️ just no. And then just happened to run into her sister on the street? Are you kidding me
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 2, 2023
(First posted this review on Facebook on August 2, 2020.)
First, I have to admit that I have this library list of books that I keep of books I want to read and check out at the library and this particular book has been on that list since March 11, 2019.
It also hasn’t been in the library since then, so you can imagine how I felt when it landed as a donation in my Little Free Library Shed! Yes, ecstatic!
So, after the necessary book quarantining, I was ready to read it.
First sentence, "My sister had been dead for fifteen years when I see her on the TV news." I was like, "Yes!" I knew then I was in for a story.
It is primarily about two sisters and the scars they share - and the lengths they will both go to try to overcome them.
It is engrossing, turbulent and poignant.
And more…like, angst, hope, disappointment and love.
This story is really set-in two-time periods, but is elegantly, artfully woven together by well-placed flashbacks that resonate so deeply.
I’ll be honest, not all reviews were kind, but, I was entranced.
Maybe sometimes we need to read a drama that probes the complexity of family, sisterly bonds and the power of love and forgiveness.
P.S. – if you like surfing, or New Zealand, or the Santa Cruz area, or a little murder mystery about a once Hollywood actress…they all have a part in this story…
First, I have to admit that I have this library list of books that I keep of books I want to read and check out at the library and this particular book has been on that list since March 11, 2019.
It also hasn’t been in the library since then, so you can imagine how I felt when it landed as a donation in my Little Free Library Shed! Yes, ecstatic!
So, after the necessary book quarantining, I was ready to read it.
First sentence, "My sister had been dead for fifteen years when I see her on the TV news." I was like, "Yes!" I knew then I was in for a story.
It is primarily about two sisters and the scars they share - and the lengths they will both go to try to overcome them.
It is engrossing, turbulent and poignant.
And more…like, angst, hope, disappointment and love.
This story is really set-in two-time periods, but is elegantly, artfully woven together by well-placed flashbacks that resonate so deeply.
I’ll be honest, not all reviews were kind, but, I was entranced.
Maybe sometimes we need to read a drama that probes the complexity of family, sisterly bonds and the power of love and forgiveness.
P.S. – if you like surfing, or New Zealand, or the Santa Cruz area, or a little murder mystery about a once Hollywood actress…they all have a part in this story…
November 7, 2019
To be honest, I wasn't impressed. The synopsis sounded more promising than what was actually delivered. The book fell flat for me. If you want to read a good book about sisters, I suggest reading Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner instead!
August 12, 2019
3.5 stars. I enjoyed it, but... I was often annoyed with the characters, the narration, the speed with which everything occurred. (Maybe I was just reading with my grumpy pants on).
The blurb is pretty good at giving the basic set-up.
The chapters alternate viewpoints between Kit and Mari, with each chapter revealing more of the past while also grounding us in each sister's current life. Kit's search for her sister (and her budding romance with Javier) seem to take longer than the few days that the author claims it does.
Mari and her husband have acquired the fabulous 1930's mansion of a famous actress, who was murdered. The author tries to shoehorn in a 'solve the mystery' subplot, which fizzles for lack of time on the page. (we do learn 'whodunnit', but it is a throwaway line at the end of the book). I did enjoy all the house details (HGTV reno-porn)--I guess it was all there to give us an idea of Mari's life now, but the elaborate house wasn't necessary as a setting for all of the emotional upheaval that takes place there.
All of my quibbles aside (I am avoiding talking about the ending, which was good, but... ), I did read it cover to cover. I also plan on reading her next one.
The blurb is pretty good at giving the basic set-up.
The chapters alternate viewpoints between Kit and Mari, with each chapter revealing more of the past while also grounding us in each sister's current life. Kit's search for her sister (and her budding romance with Javier) seem to take longer than the few days that the author claims it does.
Mari and her husband have acquired the fabulous 1930's mansion of a famous actress, who was murdered. The author tries to shoehorn in a 'solve the mystery' subplot, which fizzles for lack of time on the page. (we do learn 'whodunnit', but it is a throwaway line at the end of the book). I did enjoy all the house details (HGTV reno-porn)--I guess it was all there to give us an idea of Mari's life now, but the elaborate house wasn't necessary as a setting for all of the emotional upheaval that takes place there.
All of my quibbles aside (I am avoiding talking about the ending, which was good, but... ), I did read it cover to cover. I also plan on reading her next one.
November 11, 2019
Wish I had seen that the genre was “romance “ and “chick lit” (what a horrid term!). The book description focuses on the relationship between the two sisters and promises suspense but reader beware —— you’ll spend pages upon pages on inane descriptions of kit and her budding romance and every detail of their pastries and his chest hair and sunglasses, with only glimpses of the actual plot. I really hate to not finish a book but I couldn’t make it past page 91.
August 13, 2019
There are too many things to rave about here. Lush writing, as always with this author. You will feel transported to New Zealand, a place I think we must all go visit. You'll be lulled into an intensely romantic subplot. You'll have a front row seat to a bittersweet reunion filled with angst and hope and disappointment and love. This story is really set in two time periods, but is elegantly, artfully woven together by well-placed flashbacks that resonate so deeply. And the tragedies that befell this family, these sisters--wow.
I can't (and wouldn't want to try to) summarize the plot without spoiling the experience for you, so all I can say is go pick up this beautiful story of love, redemption, and forgiveness. You won't be sorry, I promise.
I can't (and wouldn't want to try to) summarize the plot without spoiling the experience for you, so all I can say is go pick up this beautiful story of love, redemption, and forgiveness. You won't be sorry, I promise.
June 28, 2023
I enjoyed this summer themed book! I love the title and all the nostalgia of a childhood spent on the beach. The family drama is at times dysfunctional as children learn to cope with a promiscuous mom and alcoholic. It does dive into a romance which is fast-paced. As all families suffer tragedies and loss, this one does too.
From Kit's POV, she tries to outlive the pain they have suffered. She is an adult and works as an ER doctor. She takes care of her mother even though she resents the childhood they had. In the past, they owned a restaurant and their father worked hard to provide for them. Their family takes in a young boy who is abused in his own family and Kit and her sister, Josie, love him. One loves him like a brother and the other one has stronger feelings until he dies tragically. Josie runs away from home and suffers drug abuse and worse until she dies tragically in a train wreck caused by terrorists.
15 years have passed and Kit and her mother see Josie in the background of a New Zealand news report when a nightclub burns. Kit travels to New Zealand to find her and when she does there are a lot of surprises, anger, grief, love, forgiveness and redemption.
"Doubt thou the stars are fire, Doubt that the sun doth move, Doubt truth to be a liar, But never doubt I love."
A great job for the narration on this audio: Sarah Naughton, Katherine Littrell! This was a first from this author and I'm thankful to get it from Amazon!
From Kit's POV, she tries to outlive the pain they have suffered. She is an adult and works as an ER doctor. She takes care of her mother even though she resents the childhood they had. In the past, they owned a restaurant and their father worked hard to provide for them. Their family takes in a young boy who is abused in his own family and Kit and her sister, Josie, love him. One loves him like a brother and the other one has stronger feelings until he dies tragically. Josie runs away from home and suffers drug abuse and worse until she dies tragically in a train wreck caused by terrorists.
15 years have passed and Kit and her mother see Josie in the background of a New Zealand news report when a nightclub burns. Kit travels to New Zealand to find her and when she does there are a lot of surprises, anger, grief, love, forgiveness and redemption.
"Doubt thou the stars are fire, Doubt that the sun doth move, Doubt truth to be a liar, But never doubt I love."
A great job for the narration on this audio: Sarah Naughton, Katherine Littrell! This was a first from this author and I'm thankful to get it from Amazon!
May 21, 2020
Rating: Good
Genre:
Contemporary
I have seen this book on Kindle Unlimited's best seller for a long time so I decided to give it a chance. I went into it without even reading the synopsis. It is the story of two sisters Kit and Josie. Josie was killed many years ago while being on a train due to a terrorist attack. One day, while watching live coverage of a club fire in Auckland Kit sees this woman on the TV who looks like Josie a lot. She believes it is Josie so she travels to New Zealand to find her sister.
The story is told from the perspective of the two main characters and the timeframe alternates between the present and the past. As the story progresses the reader will understand the two characters in a better way and can make a good understanding of their motives. There are some trigger warnings here you need to be aware of, but I am not going to mention any because I feel they will spoil the story.
When We Believed in Mermaids is a good book, enjoyable and have some substance and that family bonding thing if that is what you are looking for but I feel the 5 stars on Goodreads and Amazon are exaggerated a bit. I am not disappointed that I read the book because it is an engrossing experience but I feel a good 3 stars rating is more appropriate for it.
Genre:
Contemporary
I have seen this book on Kindle Unlimited's best seller for a long time so I decided to give it a chance. I went into it without even reading the synopsis. It is the story of two sisters Kit and Josie. Josie was killed many years ago while being on a train due to a terrorist attack. One day, while watching live coverage of a club fire in Auckland Kit sees this woman on the TV who looks like Josie a lot. She believes it is Josie so she travels to New Zealand to find her sister.
The story is told from the perspective of the two main characters and the timeframe alternates between the present and the past. As the story progresses the reader will understand the two characters in a better way and can make a good understanding of their motives. There are some trigger warnings here you need to be aware of, but I am not going to mention any because I feel they will spoil the story.
When We Believed in Mermaids is a good book, enjoyable and have some substance and that family bonding thing if that is what you are looking for but I feel the 5 stars on Goodreads and Amazon are exaggerated a bit. I am not disappointed that I read the book because it is an engrossing experience but I feel a good 3 stars rating is more appropriate for it.
February 19, 2020
This book was... less than mediocre.
The book claims to be some kind of mystery but really, it's not. The first line is Kit seeing her presumed-dead-from-a-terror-attack-in-France sister on the news about a nightclub fire in New Zealand. So Kit flies off to Auckland to... hook up with a Spanish musician and eat pastries and buy inks and hook up with the Spanish musician some more and comment on his chest hair and spare-tire belly and she asks like 2 people if they've seen her sister and ugh...
It would have been better if Kit was getting swept up with her boyfriend after putting a bit more effort into finding her sister, like coming against dead ends while actually trying to solve the mystery... instead of just going on (the author's) whole "Eat, Pray, Love" fantasy. How she winds up finding her is just boring as well and certainly not even worth the dramatic build up. Nothing satisfying here.
The whole story is a let down. It falls flat and does not deliver at all on the premise. I want to say the writing makes up for it. At times the prose are lush and descriptive, a step up from a grocery store romance. But then at times you get lines like,"I love her like she's one of my own organs" which is just cringe.
In short, this was a boring non-mystery masquerading as a mystery. Not recommended.
The book claims to be some kind of mystery but really, it's not. The first line is Kit seeing her presumed-dead-from-a-terror-attack-in-France sister on the news about a nightclub fire in New Zealand. So Kit flies off to Auckland to... hook up with a Spanish musician and eat pastries and buy inks and hook up with the Spanish musician some more and comment on his chest hair and spare-tire belly and she asks like 2 people if they've seen her sister and ugh...
It would have been better if Kit was getting swept up with her boyfriend after putting a bit more effort into finding her sister, like coming against dead ends while actually trying to solve the mystery... instead of just going on (the author's) whole "Eat, Pray, Love" fantasy. How she winds up finding her is just boring as well and certainly not even worth the dramatic build up. Nothing satisfying here.
The whole story is a let down. It falls flat and does not deliver at all on the premise. I want to say the writing makes up for it. At times the prose are lush and descriptive, a step up from a grocery store romance. But then at times you get lines like,"I love her like she's one of my own organs" which is just cringe.
In short, this was a boring non-mystery masquerading as a mystery. Not recommended.
April 1, 2020
When We Believed In Mermaids is a novel about sisters, love, lies, loss and healing.
The storyline switches between two sisters and between the past and the present.
I thoroughly enjoyed this well-written story!
The storyline switches between two sisters and between the past and the present.
I thoroughly enjoyed this well-written story!
October 26, 2020
Stunning, quick read that I finished in just two sittings! When We Believed in Mermaids is a raw and tormented story of two sisters. Their tale is told in alternating chapters with flash backs to their tumultuous childhood that was filled with neglect, abuse, and addiction.
It's a story that made me question what is family, what is love, and when is it better to walk away? I highly recommend, but have your tissues nearby!
It's a story that made me question what is family, what is love, and when is it better to walk away? I highly recommend, but have your tissues nearby!
November 20, 2019
This author is a pro with a genre I would call "heavy-topic relationship and romantic suspense."
While this is fundamentally a story of a family and its dysfunction wrapped in the suspense of finding a believed-dead sister, readers should also be aware it deals with rape, child neglect and abuse, abortion, and drug use.
O'Neal is an experienced author who makes readers feel so deeply about her characters it is as if she has written a biography or memoir rather than fiction.
Highly recommended.
While this is fundamentally a story of a family and its dysfunction wrapped in the suspense of finding a believed-dead sister, readers should also be aware it deals with rape, child neglect and abuse, abortion, and drug use.
O'Neal is an experienced author who makes readers feel so deeply about her characters it is as if she has written a biography or memoir rather than fiction.
Highly recommended.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 4, 2020
I wanted to like it.
I tried. I wanted to like the book. I finished it. However, the long detailed flashbacks that a woman has, who started her life over 15 years ago, it was just repetitive and unrealistic that she was having them the same time her sister happened to be in town.
Just the flashback style alone...I couldn’t. It was over reaching. She looked out a window...had a flashback. Wrote with her fountain pen...had a memory. A very detailed memory. Was this her daily life? FOR 15 YEARS? No.
Grab the fountain pen, make your list and let’s go.
I tried. I wanted to like the book. I finished it. However, the long detailed flashbacks that a woman has, who started her life over 15 years ago, it was just repetitive and unrealistic that she was having them the same time her sister happened to be in town.
Just the flashback style alone...I couldn’t. It was over reaching. She looked out a window...had a flashback. Wrote with her fountain pen...had a memory. A very detailed memory. Was this her daily life? FOR 15 YEARS? No.
Grab the fountain pen, make your list and let’s go.
July 9, 2020
"When We Believed in Mermaids" was a book I enjoyed, but my goodness, could anything else catastrophic happen to this family?
I enjoyed the authors writing but felt a lack of depth to the characters. Not much mentioned about the dad....little mentioned about the mom's struggles.....just a bit superficial! Skimming the surface so to speak. I was hoping for a bit more character development.
Enjoyable read none-the-less!
I enjoyed the authors writing but felt a lack of depth to the characters. Not much mentioned about the dad....little mentioned about the mom's struggles.....just a bit superficial! Skimming the surface so to speak. I was hoping for a bit more character development.
Enjoyable read none-the-less!
April 8, 2021
Kit is an ER doctor living a normal, if solitary life, in California until she catches a glimpse of her sister, who died 15 years ago, on Australian news. When her Mother tells Kit she saw Josie alive on the news too - Kit gets tasked with finding her sister in Auckland.
What and who will she find on this journey through half-truths, denials, and hidden treasures?
This moving account of growing up too fast, the tragedies of our childhoods sealed at the seams by secrets and lies, drives us all the way to beautiful New Zealand, its incredible waters, and lush nature. I almost feel I’ve been there in a vivid dream.
This was talented writing, with good pace and a hopeful ending - loved it!
What and who will she find on this journey through half-truths, denials, and hidden treasures?
This moving account of growing up too fast, the tragedies of our childhoods sealed at the seams by secrets and lies, drives us all the way to beautiful New Zealand, its incredible waters, and lush nature. I almost feel I’ve been there in a vivid dream.
This was talented writing, with good pace and a hopeful ending - loved it!
January 24, 2021
This one nailed every one of my pet peeves of the modern “novel”. Pop culture references in place of actual descriptions, check. Pointless mystery that has nothing to do with the actual story, check. Random romance with the “perfect” man, check. Happily ever after wrapped up with a tidy bow, check. 80% of this book was completely unnecessary filler. There are three stories in here that all could have been decent books but instead they all got shoved into one book that I would have tossed across the room at page 55 if this wasn’t for my book club. Oh book club why do you keep doing this to me!😭
January 16, 2020
Powerful story of love and family with very likable characters. Liked how the story weaved the characters’ past with the present. Many readers are giving this 5 stars but it didn’t WOW me. Nevertheless a great read with some romance and mystery if that’s what you’re looking for.
June 1, 2019
Heartrending and beautiful. But this is no easy ride.
The sisters' problems are real and crushing, and about halfway through I was far from convinced that they would resolve them, or their relationships. The men in this story are villains or heroes, or both, and I found Dylan the most poignant, while Javier was the one I want to take home with me.
But none of the men are able to step in and save the day. The sisters must do it for themselves, and fight through very difficult histories to get there.
If you're up for a lovely visit to New Zealand and a story you're going to want stay up all night to finish, I recommend When We Believed in Mermaids.
The sisters' problems are real and crushing, and about halfway through I was far from convinced that they would resolve them, or their relationships. The men in this story are villains or heroes, or both, and I found Dylan the most poignant, while Javier was the one I want to take home with me.
But none of the men are able to step in and save the day. The sisters must do it for themselves, and fight through very difficult histories to get there.
If you're up for a lovely visit to New Zealand and a story you're going to want stay up all night to finish, I recommend When We Believed in Mermaids.
May 4, 2021
Enjoyed this book. Thought it was great character profiles of two sisters. Strong plot as well.
March 1, 2020
This book was a little cheesy for me. The love story and all the woah-is-me stuff were a little too much and I found myself uninterested & irritated. Kit and Josie definitely had horrible childhoods, but everyone needs to move on and move up eventually. I wanted to shake both of them.
The dialogue was well-written, though. The descriptions of surfing, Sicilian home-cooking, touring Auckland, and the art-deco Sapphire House create beautiful imagery.
I’d recommend this book to anyone into love stories, family drama, and an interest in childhood traumas. Could be a definite trigger for anyone who experienced childhood sexual or physical abuse, though.
The dialogue was well-written, though. The descriptions of surfing, Sicilian home-cooking, touring Auckland, and the art-deco Sapphire House create beautiful imagery.
I’d recommend this book to anyone into love stories, family drama, and an interest in childhood traumas. Could be a definite trigger for anyone who experienced childhood sexual or physical abuse, though.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 14,185 reviews