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Beyond the Moonlit Sea
From the bestselling author of These Tangled Vines comes a gripping novel about one woman’s search for answers when her husband vanishes in the night.
Olivia Hamilton is married to the love of her life, Dean, a charismatic pilot who flies private jets for the rich and famous. But when he vanishes over the Bermuda Triangle, Olivia’s idyllic existence unravels. After years of waiting, Olivia must eventually let go of the fragile hope that her beloved husband might still be alive.
Melanie Brown is a particle physicist who spends late nights studying the Bermuda Triangle. But her research interests falter when her mother dies in a tragic accident. Struggling to reboot her life and career, Melanie begins a forbidden love affair with her therapist.
When a shocking discovery shows Olivia’s and Melanie’s paths are intertwined, it casts Dean’s disappearance in a new light. The two women’s strange connection threatens to unlock secrets that will change everything Olivia thought she knew about her marriage, her husband, and most importantly, herself.
Olivia Hamilton is married to the love of her life, Dean, a charismatic pilot who flies private jets for the rich and famous. But when he vanishes over the Bermuda Triangle, Olivia’s idyllic existence unravels. After years of waiting, Olivia must eventually let go of the fragile hope that her beloved husband might still be alive.
Melanie Brown is a particle physicist who spends late nights studying the Bermuda Triangle. But her research interests falter when her mother dies in a tragic accident. Struggling to reboot her life and career, Melanie begins a forbidden love affair with her therapist.
When a shocking discovery shows Olivia’s and Melanie’s paths are intertwined, it casts Dean’s disappearance in a new light. The two women’s strange connection threatens to unlock secrets that will change everything Olivia thought she knew about her marriage, her husband, and most importantly, herself.
345 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 14, 2022
11653 people are currently reading
21640 people want to read
About the author
Julianne MacLean
79 books4,298 followersJulianne MacLean is a USA Today bestselling author of more than thirty novels, including the contemporary women’s fiction Color of Heaven Series. Readers have described her books as “breathtaking,” “soulful” and “uplifting.” MacLean is a four-time RITA finalist and has won numerous awards, including the Booksellers’ Best Award and a Reviewers’ Choice Award from Romantic Times. Her novels have sold millions of copies worldwide and have been published in over a dozen languages.
MacLean has a degree in English literature from the University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and a degree in business administration from Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. She loves to travel and has lived in New Zealand, Canada, and England. MacLean currently resides on the east coast of Canada in a lakeside home with her husband and daughter.
For more information about Julianne and her writing life, please visit her website at www.juliannemaclean.com. Be sure to follow her on Bookbub to be notified whenever her ebooks are offered for FREE or 99 cents. (www.bookbub.com/authors/julianne-maclean) and chat with her on Facebook (www.facebook.com/JulianneMacLeanRoman...), Twitter (@JulianneMacLean), and Instagram (@JulianneMaclean).
MacLean has a degree in English literature from the University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and a degree in business administration from Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. She loves to travel and has lived in New Zealand, Canada, and England. MacLean currently resides on the east coast of Canada in a lakeside home with her husband and daughter.
For more information about Julianne and her writing life, please visit her website at www.juliannemaclean.com. Be sure to follow her on Bookbub to be notified whenever her ebooks are offered for FREE or 99 cents. (www.bookbub.com/authors/julianne-maclean) and chat with her on Facebook (www.facebook.com/JulianneMacLeanRoman...), Twitter (@JulianneMacLean), and Instagram (@JulianneMaclean).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,734 reviews
March 7, 2022
Julianne MacLean is an author I've been wanting to read for awhile now and I'm so glad I finally got the chance. I love her writing style! I must do a shout out to a great Canadian author too! (Woot Woot!!) 🇨🇦 I really enjoyed the story and the writing flows easily from one timeline to another.
The timeline of the story changes from 1986 to 1990 and well into the later 1990's. It then goes into 2012 and ends in 2017. It's a story that follows the life of Olivia Hamilton. She is a young wife and her husband is a pilot and he goes missing in the Bermuda Triangle in 1990 and is presumed dead. The story also goes back to 1986 when a lady named, Melody Brown is seeing a therapist and also writing her dissertation on the disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle. Both these stories will later intertwine beautifully.
This was an entertaining story that spans over time. There's a lot of emotional feeling in it. It's mostly a historical fiction story mixed in with some romance and a mystery. I think this would make an excellent BookClub selection. I'd like to kindly thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for granting me access to this Advance Reader Copy.
The timeline of the story changes from 1986 to 1990 and well into the later 1990's. It then goes into 2012 and ends in 2017. It's a story that follows the life of Olivia Hamilton. She is a young wife and her husband is a pilot and he goes missing in the Bermuda Triangle in 1990 and is presumed dead. The story also goes back to 1986 when a lady named, Melody Brown is seeing a therapist and also writing her dissertation on the disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle. Both these stories will later intertwine beautifully.
This was an entertaining story that spans over time. There's a lot of emotional feeling in it. It's mostly a historical fiction story mixed in with some romance and a mystery. I think this would make an excellent BookClub selection. I'd like to kindly thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for granting me access to this Advance Reader Copy.
June 29, 2022
EXCERPT: Olivia - Miami 1990
I should have known better. I shouldn't have said the things I did.
That's what I told myself when I learned what happened to my husband on his return flight from the US Virgin Islands. But isn't that what we all say after something goes terribly wrong and we look back and wish we had behaved differently.
ABOUT 'BEYOND THE MOONLIT SEA': Olivia Hamilton is married to the love of her life, Dean, a charismatic pilot who flies private jets for the rich and famous. But when he vanishes over the Bermuda Triangle, Olivia’s idyllic existence unravels. After years of waiting, Olivia must eventually let go of the fragile hope that her beloved husband might still be alive.
Melanie Brown is a particle physicist who spends late nights studying the Bermuda Triangle. But her research interests falter when her mother dies in a tragic accident. Struggling to reboot her life and career, Melanie begins a forbidden love affair with her therapist.
When a shocking discovery shows Olivia’s and Melanie’s paths are intertwined, it casts Dean’s disappearance in a new light. The two women’s strange connection threatens to unlock secrets that will change everything Olivia thought she knew about her marriage, her husband, and most importantly, herself.
MY THOUGHTS: I am a sucker for stories about or set around the mysterious disappearances that occur in the Bermuda Triangle.
I started Beyond the Moonlit Sea with great excitement and read almost half of it in the first sitting. The storyline, which spans from 1986 through to 2017, and is told from the multiple viewpoints of Olivia, Melanie and Dean, intrigued me although I often found the writing style quite stilted and, at times, awkward.
The second half of the book became predictable, and was largely quite mundane. I found myself skimming over pages until we came to the chapters involving the DNA when my interest was again piqued, but not to the same extent it had originally.
I was expecting suspense, and didn't get it.
Would I have liked more about the mysteries surrounding the Bermuda Triangle? Definitely. Ditto for Melanie's thesis.
I found it quite odd that Melanie as described by her 'friends' to the police is vastly different from the many facets of Melanie that we see through both her own and Dean's eyes. This information is dropped into the book, and then - nothing!
Unfortunately, this was only an okay read for me, nothing more.
⭐⭐.5
#BeyondtheMoonlitSea #NetGalley
I: @juliannemaclean @amazonpublishing
T: @Julianne MacLean @AmazonPub
#contemporaryfiction #domesticdrama #historicalfiction #mystery #romance
THE AUTHOR: Julianne Maclean loves to travel and has lived in New Zealand, Canada, and England. MacLean currently resides on the east coast of Canada in a lakeside home with her husband and daughter.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Lake Union Publishing via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Beyond the Moonlit Sea by Julianne MacLean for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
I should have known better. I shouldn't have said the things I did.
That's what I told myself when I learned what happened to my husband on his return flight from the US Virgin Islands. But isn't that what we all say after something goes terribly wrong and we look back and wish we had behaved differently.
ABOUT 'BEYOND THE MOONLIT SEA': Olivia Hamilton is married to the love of her life, Dean, a charismatic pilot who flies private jets for the rich and famous. But when he vanishes over the Bermuda Triangle, Olivia’s idyllic existence unravels. After years of waiting, Olivia must eventually let go of the fragile hope that her beloved husband might still be alive.
Melanie Brown is a particle physicist who spends late nights studying the Bermuda Triangle. But her research interests falter when her mother dies in a tragic accident. Struggling to reboot her life and career, Melanie begins a forbidden love affair with her therapist.
When a shocking discovery shows Olivia’s and Melanie’s paths are intertwined, it casts Dean’s disappearance in a new light. The two women’s strange connection threatens to unlock secrets that will change everything Olivia thought she knew about her marriage, her husband, and most importantly, herself.
MY THOUGHTS: I am a sucker for stories about or set around the mysterious disappearances that occur in the Bermuda Triangle.
I started Beyond the Moonlit Sea with great excitement and read almost half of it in the first sitting. The storyline, which spans from 1986 through to 2017, and is told from the multiple viewpoints of Olivia, Melanie and Dean, intrigued me although I often found the writing style quite stilted and, at times, awkward.
The second half of the book became predictable, and was largely quite mundane. I found myself skimming over pages until we came to the chapters involving the DNA when my interest was again piqued, but not to the same extent it had originally.
I was expecting suspense, and didn't get it.
Would I have liked more about the mysteries surrounding the Bermuda Triangle? Definitely. Ditto for Melanie's thesis.
I found it quite odd that Melanie as described by her 'friends' to the police is vastly different from the many facets of Melanie that we see through both her own and Dean's eyes. This information is dropped into the book, and then - nothing!
Unfortunately, this was only an okay read for me, nothing more.
⭐⭐.5
#BeyondtheMoonlitSea #NetGalley
I: @juliannemaclean @amazonpublishing
T: @Julianne MacLean @AmazonPub
#contemporaryfiction #domesticdrama #historicalfiction #mystery #romance
THE AUTHOR: Julianne Maclean loves to travel and has lived in New Zealand, Canada, and England. MacLean currently resides on the east coast of Canada in a lakeside home with her husband and daughter.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Lake Union Publishing via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Beyond the Moonlit Sea by Julianne MacLean for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
July 9, 2022
About the book: “From the bestselling author of These Tangled Vines comes a gripping novel about one woman’s search for answers when her husband vanishes in the night.”
After enjoying These Tangled Vines, I was looking forward to MacLean’s latest, especially because it involves a mystery surrounding the Bermuda Triangle, which is off the coast of North Carolina down to Miami and Puerto Rico and has always intrigued me.
Olivia is married to Dean, who disappears over the Bermuda Triangle. After years, she is finally beginning to let go.
Melanie is a physicist studying the Bermuda Triangle. After her mom passes away suddenly, Melanie begins a relationship with her therapist (ick).
Melanie and Olivia discover a connection between them, and it may offer understanding about Dean’s disappearance.
This is an emotional and intriguing story, perfect for summer reading. Lots of secrets and touches of drama as the story unfolds. I really enjoyed both timelines. Overall, Beyond the Moonlit Sea is a story filled with lies, losses, and starting over.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
After enjoying These Tangled Vines, I was looking forward to MacLean’s latest, especially because it involves a mystery surrounding the Bermuda Triangle, which is off the coast of North Carolina down to Miami and Puerto Rico and has always intrigued me.
Olivia is married to Dean, who disappears over the Bermuda Triangle. After years, she is finally beginning to let go.
Melanie is a physicist studying the Bermuda Triangle. After her mom passes away suddenly, Melanie begins a relationship with her therapist (ick).
Melanie and Olivia discover a connection between them, and it may offer understanding about Dean’s disappearance.
This is an emotional and intriguing story, perfect for summer reading. Lots of secrets and touches of drama as the story unfolds. I really enjoyed both timelines. Overall, Beyond the Moonlit Sea is a story filled with lies, losses, and starting over.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
July 25, 2022
Whew. By page 13, I was swept up and over my head in Beyond the Moonlit Sea. In this romantic mystery, love and tragedy go hand-in-hand. Julianne MacLean’s writing is flawless and beautiful, so smooth that it is almost hypnotizing. And just when the reader is settled into the story, the author throws in a twist, and goes on to pen a multi-plot story that is a tale of hope and perseverance with women who remain faithful and forgiving even in the face of undeniable truths. The world’s greatest writers have struggled to define love, but this author nailed it.
Julianne MacLean is an incredible writer and storyteller, creating strong characters with very real human emotions. I couldn’t flip the pages fast enough. And even still, I am caught up in this story and find myself flashing back to characters and events. Next on my list is to do a google search on the Bermuda Triangle. The author describes her research in the Author’s Note, and there are Questions for Discussion in the back of the book. This would be a great read for a book club. Thank you to BookSparksBookClub and Julianne MacLean for the advanced copy.
Julianne MacLean is an incredible writer and storyteller, creating strong characters with very real human emotions. I couldn’t flip the pages fast enough. And even still, I am caught up in this story and find myself flashing back to characters and events. Next on my list is to do a google search on the Bermuda Triangle. The author describes her research in the Author’s Note, and there are Questions for Discussion in the back of the book. This would be a great read for a book club. Thank you to BookSparksBookClub and Julianne MacLean for the advanced copy.
June 24, 2022
Olivia Hamilton marries Dean Robinson, she doesn’t care that her elderly father doesn’t approve and the newlyweds move to Miami. Dean changes professions, he’s now a pilot and he flies private jets. When Dean’s plane vanishes over the Bermuda Triangle, he’s the only one aboard and Olivia’s shocked and devastated. The official verdict is announced, despite this Olivia still holds onto some hope, as time goes on she has to accept Dean’s gone and moves on with her life.
Melanie Brown is a particle physicists who’s doing her research dissertation at Columbia University on the Bermuda Triangle, when her mother dies in a tragic accident, she loses interest in her work and she begins seeing a therapist. Melanie starts to look forward to her weekly therapy appointments, she forms an attachment to her therapist, they begin a secret love affair and he’s committed a serious breach of medical ethics.
Years later a shocking discovery links Olivia, Dean and Melanie. The man Olivia loved, married and mourned may have been lying to her and surly Dean wouldn’t have faked his own death and why?
I received a copy of Beyond the Moonlit Sea from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Told from multiple points of view, it’s an entwined and tangled tale about love, loss, grief, and the effects of childhood trauma, social status, pressure, responsibility and work have on the characters. The story uses the odd occurrences that happen at the Bermuda Triangle to add mystery and suspense to the narrative and it worked for me. This is the third book I have read by Julianne MacLean, I thoroughly enjoyed the light romantic thriller and four stars.
Melanie Brown is a particle physicists who’s doing her research dissertation at Columbia University on the Bermuda Triangle, when her mother dies in a tragic accident, she loses interest in her work and she begins seeing a therapist. Melanie starts to look forward to her weekly therapy appointments, she forms an attachment to her therapist, they begin a secret love affair and he’s committed a serious breach of medical ethics.
Years later a shocking discovery links Olivia, Dean and Melanie. The man Olivia loved, married and mourned may have been lying to her and surly Dean wouldn’t have faked his own death and why?
I received a copy of Beyond the Moonlit Sea from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Told from multiple points of view, it’s an entwined and tangled tale about love, loss, grief, and the effects of childhood trauma, social status, pressure, responsibility and work have on the characters. The story uses the odd occurrences that happen at the Bermuda Triangle to add mystery and suspense to the narrative and it worked for me. This is the third book I have read by Julianne MacLean, I thoroughly enjoyed the light romantic thriller and four stars.
July 26, 2022
Thanks to NetGalley & Lake Union Publishing for an eARC of this book. The following review is my honest reflection on the text provided.
Is June a plane crash mystery month or something I don't know about? Beyond the Moonlit Sea is the second eARC I've read with a lost plane at the centre of the narrative (see: The Gravity of Missing Things ).
I may be in the minority here - the GoodReads rating is very high - but I found Olivia to be an insufferable perspective to read. To be fair, though, Dean and Melanie's perspectives were not much better. Olivia and Melanie are two sides of the same coin. A very unstable, slightly insane coin. I didn't mesh well with the writing style, and even though most of this narrative was entirely outlandish, it still managed to be incredibly predictable.
I would have loved to have seen Dean's childhood trauma explored further; it was addressed so quickly and then basically forgotten. Dean makes so many questionable choices, Beyond the Moonlit Sea would have been much more compelling if the motivation, or even the ability, to make these choices had been analysed. All of the characters felt very shallow, but this failure to examine Dean's past further, I believe, affected the narrative the most.
So much unexplored potential made Beyond the Moonlit Sea frustrating rather than engaging.
Review originally posted here on Britt's Book Blurbs.
Is June a plane crash mystery month or something I don't know about? Beyond the Moonlit Sea is the second eARC I've read with a lost plane at the centre of the narrative (see: The Gravity of Missing Things ).
I may be in the minority here - the GoodReads rating is very high - but I found Olivia to be an insufferable perspective to read. To be fair, though, Dean and Melanie's perspectives were not much better. Olivia and Melanie are two sides of the same coin. A very unstable, slightly insane coin. I didn't mesh well with the writing style, and even though most of this narrative was entirely outlandish, it still managed to be incredibly predictable.
I would have loved to have seen Dean's childhood trauma explored further; it was addressed so quickly and then basically forgotten. Dean makes so many questionable choices, Beyond the Moonlit Sea would have been much more compelling if the motivation, or even the ability, to make these choices had been analysed. All of the characters felt very shallow, but this failure to examine Dean's past further, I believe, affected the narrative the most.
So much unexplored potential made Beyond the Moonlit Sea frustrating rather than engaging.
Review originally posted here on Britt's Book Blurbs.
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December 19, 2025
I am officially so in love with this author’s storytelling. Every time I pick up one of her books, I get completely absorbed emotionally invested, attached to the characters, and unwilling to leave the world she’s created. Beyond the Moonlit Sea was no exception.
Quick summary:
Beyond the Moonlit Sea follows two women across dual timelines and multiple POVs, whose lives become unexpectedly intertwined by love, loss, and long-buried secrets. Olivia’s world is shattered when her husband, Dean a private jet pilot vanishes without a trace over the Bermuda Triangle. Years later, she’s still haunted by unanswered questions and the fragile hope that he might somehow still be alive.
Melanie, a particle physicist researching the Bermuda Triangle, is struggling with grief after her mother’s death and making choices that threaten to unravel her life. When a shocking discovery connects Melanie’s research to Olivia’s past, the truth about Dean’s disappearance begins to surface.
I absolutely loved the dual timelines and how seamlessly the past and present were woven together. The multiple POVs added so much emotional depth, allowing the story to unfold slowly and deliberately while building tension and heartache in equal measure. Each perspective felt purposeful, and the payoff was worth the emotional investment.
This is a beautifully layered, character-driven novel about grief, longing. What really stands out, though, is the emotional pull. This author has such a gift for writing relationships that feel real messy, tender, and deeply human.
A heartfelt, immersive read that lingers long after the final page. If you love character-driven stories with layered timelines and emotional payoff, this one is absolutely worth picking up.
My Ratings For JM Books-
A Fire Sparkling- 5 Stars
These Tangles Vines- 4.85 Stars
All Our Beautiful Goodbyes- 4.85 Stars
Beyond The Moonlit Sea- 4.25 Stars
Buddy read with my babes Nicole 💖
Quick summary:
Beyond the Moonlit Sea follows two women across dual timelines and multiple POVs, whose lives become unexpectedly intertwined by love, loss, and long-buried secrets. Olivia’s world is shattered when her husband, Dean a private jet pilot vanishes without a trace over the Bermuda Triangle. Years later, she’s still haunted by unanswered questions and the fragile hope that he might somehow still be alive.
Melanie, a particle physicist researching the Bermuda Triangle, is struggling with grief after her mother’s death and making choices that threaten to unravel her life. When a shocking discovery connects Melanie’s research to Olivia’s past, the truth about Dean’s disappearance begins to surface.
I absolutely loved the dual timelines and how seamlessly the past and present were woven together. The multiple POVs added so much emotional depth, allowing the story to unfold slowly and deliberately while building tension and heartache in equal measure. Each perspective felt purposeful, and the payoff was worth the emotional investment.
This is a beautifully layered, character-driven novel about grief, longing. What really stands out, though, is the emotional pull. This author has such a gift for writing relationships that feel real messy, tender, and deeply human.
A heartfelt, immersive read that lingers long after the final page. If you love character-driven stories with layered timelines and emotional payoff, this one is absolutely worth picking up.
My Ratings For JM Books-
A Fire Sparkling- 5 Stars
These Tangles Vines- 4.85 Stars
All Our Beautiful Goodbyes- 4.85 Stars
Beyond The Moonlit Sea- 4.25 Stars
Buddy read with my babes Nicole 💖
October 16, 2022
Not as romantic or mysterious as one might be led to believe from the title, cover art, and/or book synopsis referencing the Bermuda Triangle.
I wouldn't really call it book club fiction, though, either. More a light suspense. Perhaps contemporary fiction is best, even if the story starts out in 1990 and 1986.
A few anachronisms, as characters say things like "safe space " and "look it up", which aren't 20th century phrases. Also, the novel could use a good scrub to remove non-American terms and phrases, such as "washroom".
But, a decent read overall. Kept me entertained for a few hours. And, thankfully, for a current novel, wasn't chock full of diversity checklist items. Just characters doing their things, like they should, rather than unneeded focus on ethnicity, sexual preferences, or disabilities. This fact alone bumped this up from a 3-star to 4.
I wouldn't really call it book club fiction, though, either. More a light suspense. Perhaps contemporary fiction is best, even if the story starts out in 1990 and 1986.
A few anachronisms, as characters say things like "safe space " and "look it up", which aren't 20th century phrases. Also, the novel could use a good scrub to remove non-American terms and phrases, such as "washroom".
But, a decent read overall. Kept me entertained for a few hours. And, thankfully, for a current novel, wasn't chock full of diversity checklist items. Just characters doing their things, like they should, rather than unneeded focus on ethnicity, sexual preferences, or disabilities. This fact alone bumped this up from a 3-star to 4.
November 17, 2022
Contemporary Women's Fiction
Publication date : June 14, 2022
Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins
Narrated by: Amanda Leigh Cobb, Graham Halstead, Reba Buhr
Olivia Hamilton set out to search for answers when her husband, Dean, vanishes over the Bermuda Triangle. Melanie Brown is a particle physicist who spends late nights studying the Bermuda Triangle. The two women’s strange connection threatens to unlock secrets that will change everything Olivia thought she knew about her marriage, her husband, and most importantly, herself.
I mainly picked up this story because of Amanda Leigh Cobb (A Day Like This, The Carrow Haunt, etc), and I enjoyed her performance. Sadly the story felt dragged out and boring for me. There's too much filler content and the characters lacks depth.
I found myself skimming through the flashbacks more than once because I just wanted to know what was going to happen in the present day.
Publication date : June 14, 2022
Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins
Narrated by: Amanda Leigh Cobb, Graham Halstead, Reba Buhr
Olivia Hamilton set out to search for answers when her husband, Dean, vanishes over the Bermuda Triangle. Melanie Brown is a particle physicist who spends late nights studying the Bermuda Triangle. The two women’s strange connection threatens to unlock secrets that will change everything Olivia thought she knew about her marriage, her husband, and most importantly, herself.
I mainly picked up this story because of Amanda Leigh Cobb (A Day Like This, The Carrow Haunt, etc), and I enjoyed her performance. Sadly the story felt dragged out and boring for me. There's too much filler content and the characters lacks depth.
I found myself skimming through the flashbacks more than once because I just wanted to know what was going to happen in the present day.
April 13, 2022
Buckle up my friends! Beyond the Moonlit Sea is quite a curvy little seaside ride. 😲
Olivia is married to Dean Hamilton, a successful pilot. When Dean's aircraft disappears above the Bermuda Triangle the couple's blissful marriage comes to an end. Olivia mourns Dean's loss for a number of years. Will she ever be able to move past the pain?
Melanie Brown researches the Bermuda Triangle for many hours each day. Melanie seeks grief counseling with a male therapist following the death of her mother. The two begin a taboo relationship. Is this dangerous affair r-e-a-l-l-y what the doctor ought to be ordering? 🤔
I love Julianne MacLean's writing. Her characters are always well developed and the plot twists are shocking. She is a highly successful best-selling author with over thirty books to her credit. Her newly released books are always on my must-read list.
Beyond the Moonlit Sea will be published June 14th.
Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing, for allowing me to review this outstanding e-book. Also, a huge thank you to Julianne MacLean for giving me hours of reading pleasure. Your novels are always a delight to read.
Olivia is married to Dean Hamilton, a successful pilot. When Dean's aircraft disappears above the Bermuda Triangle the couple's blissful marriage comes to an end. Olivia mourns Dean's loss for a number of years. Will she ever be able to move past the pain?
Melanie Brown researches the Bermuda Triangle for many hours each day. Melanie seeks grief counseling with a male therapist following the death of her mother. The two begin a taboo relationship. Is this dangerous affair r-e-a-l-l-y what the doctor ought to be ordering? 🤔
I love Julianne MacLean's writing. Her characters are always well developed and the plot twists are shocking. She is a highly successful best-selling author with over thirty books to her credit. Her newly released books are always on my must-read list.
Beyond the Moonlit Sea will be published June 14th.
Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing, for allowing me to review this outstanding e-book. Also, a huge thank you to Julianne MacLean for giving me hours of reading pleasure. Your novels are always a delight to read.
February 20, 2022
This started off really strong for me, but as I got into the multiple perspectives, it dropped off. I definitely enjoyed one narrator more than the others. It also caused the story to become a bit predictable. I was really hoping for a more suspenseful read. The writing seemed stilted and slightly juvenile at points considering the age of the characters. The plot became improbable. I’ll admit I skimmed chapters just to get to the end.
July 21, 2022
Enormously unimpressed
People have given this book 5 stars
, and I am at a loss as to why. I found the story like a grade B movie. The characters had very little depth and the plot was not enticing. I finished it because I kept hoping it would get better – it didn't.
Don't bother reading this. There are much better "beach reads" out there!
People have given this book 5 stars
, and I am at a loss as to why. I found the story like a grade B movie. The characters had very little depth and the plot was not enticing. I finished it because I kept hoping it would get better – it didn't.
Don't bother reading this. There are much better "beach reads" out there!
August 11, 2022
I started reading this book because the concept was interes and I badly wanted to see what ha-penned. After the first 100 pages though it just got frustrating with the switching of perspectives and the slow progression. Then I finally got to the end, to discovering the mystery and I find out it’s super cliche and that I read 344 pages for nothing. The characters were dull and Olivia was boring. Overall I wouldn’t recommend, the ending is not worth the read.
December 18, 2025
4.5 stars!
everything i thought this book was going to be… it wasn’t and i mean that in the best way possible.
the plot shifted so often that i genuinely stopped trying to predict where it was going, and that ended up being one of the most interesting parts of the experience.
with multiple povs and different timelines, i expected something confusing or unnecessarily long, but instead it was incredibly well balanced and easy to follow. nothing felt excessive, every perspective had a purpose.
it blends mystery, romance and grief all at once, without ever overwhelming the reader. everything flows naturally.
i truly enjoyed this book.
thanks for reading with me, my lovely meags 💗
everything i thought this book was going to be… it wasn’t and i mean that in the best way possible.
the plot shifted so often that i genuinely stopped trying to predict where it was going, and that ended up being one of the most interesting parts of the experience.
with multiple povs and different timelines, i expected something confusing or unnecessarily long, but instead it was incredibly well balanced and easy to follow. nothing felt excessive, every perspective had a purpose.
it blends mystery, romance and grief all at once, without ever overwhelming the reader. everything flows naturally.
i truly enjoyed this book.
thanks for reading with me, my lovely meags 💗
August 9, 2022
From the bestselling author of These Tangled Vines comes a gripping novel about one woman’s search for answers when her husband vanishes in the night.
This suspenseful and emotionally charged novel about love, grief, secrets, hope and family is told from several points of view from the year 1986 to 2017.
Beyond The Moonlit Sea is a page-turner. It grabbed me from the start and didn't let go. Although there were several twists and turns and surprises, the story was realistic and entirely plausible. I was so involved with the characters, the relationships between them, and the scenarios and situations that I read it in one setting.
Julianne MacLean is an amazing and excellent author and I believe that this beautifully written story is a masterpiece!
5++stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This suspenseful and emotionally charged novel about love, grief, secrets, hope and family is told from several points of view from the year 1986 to 2017.
Beyond The Moonlit Sea is a page-turner. It grabbed me from the start and didn't let go. Although there were several twists and turns and surprises, the story was realistic and entirely plausible. I was so involved with the characters, the relationships between them, and the scenarios and situations that I read it in one setting.
Julianne MacLean is an amazing and excellent author and I believe that this beautifully written story is a masterpiece!
5++stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
June 29, 2022
It was only okay
This is what I would call a beach read. The characters were shallow and the story was silly. I will not recommend this to anyone.
This is what I would call a beach read. The characters were shallow and the story was silly. I will not recommend this to anyone.
July 21, 2022
Meh. The first half was quite exciting and the second limped along to an unimaginative conclusion.
June 15, 2022
Olivia Hamilton has held on to the hope for years that maybe it's possible her husband Dean could be alive. Dean was a pilot who flew the rich and famous and disappeared while flying alone over the Bermuda Triangle. Melanie Brown is a physicist who studies the Bermuda Triangle. The lives of these two women come become intertwined and truth and secrets come to light. I was hooked on this story. Very real and I felt a good many emotions reading it. A story of love and loss with some twists that make it hard to put down. A fast read.
Dawnny Ruby
Novels N Latte
Hudson Valley NY
Dawnny Ruby
Novels N Latte
Hudson Valley NY
June 14, 2022
We are taken from the brilliance of New York City to the beach of Miami and the Great Barrier reef in Australia in a story that will keep you turning each page in anticipation of what is going to happen next with Olivia Hamilton.
Olivia Hamilton thinks she has the world at her door. She meets the man she wants to spend the rest of her life with, the love of her life, Dean Robinson a therapist she meets when she is doing a documentary for her gradate year from collage. Despite her father's misgivings and faith in Olivia, she marries Dean and they live what she thinks is an idyllic life in Maimi with Dean. But one phone call in the middle of the night and her world is changed forever. Dean is missing, his plane has gone off the radar screen and they believe he has disappeared in the vortex of the Bermuda Triangle.
Melanie Brown is doing her dissertation as particle physicist on the Bermuda Triangle for her PHD and her work comes to a halt when her mother dies in a tragic tornado and she cannot get back on track. She is struggling and it’s been suggested that she see a therapist and when she starts working with Dr. Dean Robinson, it becomes more than therapy for her, it becomes love. The two start a relationship in secret as it is unethical for the two to be together. Things start to unravel and it becomes a tragic relationship.
In the coming years, Olivia with start a new life, but Meline Brown will soon become a vital piece in the puzzle that is Dean and the next twenty years will tell a tale of mystery, pain, and a new/old love and what really happened on that fateful day when the world changed for Oliva.
I loved this book. I could not put it down once I started. Julianne MacLean has written a book that is, in my opinion, the best book she has ever written. It was like doing a puzzle and some of the pieces were in the right place and others would not fit, until it was almost done and you found that right piece to put it all together. Who was the real Dean Robinson and did he really disappear in the mysterious Bermuda Triangle? You will have to read the book to find out. This book has romance, that will make you sigh and shed a few tears, mystery and intrigue all put together that will keep the reader turning the page to find out what happens next in the lives of Oliva, Dean and Meline.
Well done Julianne Maclean you have written a 5+++ star book.
Thanks to Netgalley, and the publisher of Beyond the Moonlite Sea for giving me the opportunity to read and review this amazing book by Julianne MacLean.
Olivia Hamilton thinks she has the world at her door. She meets the man she wants to spend the rest of her life with, the love of her life, Dean Robinson a therapist she meets when she is doing a documentary for her gradate year from collage. Despite her father's misgivings and faith in Olivia, she marries Dean and they live what she thinks is an idyllic life in Maimi with Dean. But one phone call in the middle of the night and her world is changed forever. Dean is missing, his plane has gone off the radar screen and they believe he has disappeared in the vortex of the Bermuda Triangle.
Melanie Brown is doing her dissertation as particle physicist on the Bermuda Triangle for her PHD and her work comes to a halt when her mother dies in a tragic tornado and she cannot get back on track. She is struggling and it’s been suggested that she see a therapist and when she starts working with Dr. Dean Robinson, it becomes more than therapy for her, it becomes love. The two start a relationship in secret as it is unethical for the two to be together. Things start to unravel and it becomes a tragic relationship.
In the coming years, Olivia with start a new life, but Meline Brown will soon become a vital piece in the puzzle that is Dean and the next twenty years will tell a tale of mystery, pain, and a new/old love and what really happened on that fateful day when the world changed for Oliva.
I loved this book. I could not put it down once I started. Julianne MacLean has written a book that is, in my opinion, the best book she has ever written. It was like doing a puzzle and some of the pieces were in the right place and others would not fit, until it was almost done and you found that right piece to put it all together. Who was the real Dean Robinson and did he really disappear in the mysterious Bermuda Triangle? You will have to read the book to find out. This book has romance, that will make you sigh and shed a few tears, mystery and intrigue all put together that will keep the reader turning the page to find out what happens next in the lives of Oliva, Dean and Meline.
Well done Julianne Maclean you have written a 5+++ star book.
Thanks to Netgalley, and the publisher of Beyond the Moonlite Sea for giving me the opportunity to read and review this amazing book by Julianne MacLean.
July 22, 2022
Julianne MacLean is a must read author!
Beyond the Moonlit Sea, swept me away as we read how Olivia and Dean beautifully fall in love despite their differing class status. When tragedy strikes, my heart hurt for Olivia. If this was the only plot in the story it would have been good; however, when the author is able to pull the rug out under you and bring to life an entire other side of the story…that’s when a good book becomes Ahmazing!
This book will give you all the feels and the twist is one that you will not see coming! This is an epic contemporary love mystery story you need to add to your summer reading!
Beyond the Moonlit Sea, swept me away as we read how Olivia and Dean beautifully fall in love despite their differing class status. When tragedy strikes, my heart hurt for Olivia. If this was the only plot in the story it would have been good; however, when the author is able to pull the rug out under you and bring to life an entire other side of the story…that’s when a good book becomes Ahmazing!
This book will give you all the feels and the twist is one that you will not see coming! This is an epic contemporary love mystery story you need to add to your summer reading!
May 2, 2023
There was literally not a SINGLE plot twist. The whole book I kept thinking “Oh, this is it! This is where it gets interesting” but nope, the moment never came. I only finished it because there was SO much potential for plot twists and mystery, especially with all the mentions of the Bermuda Triangle stuff… but it fell so flat. Maybe if there was more character building at the beginning of the book it would have been more interesting, but it was so rushed at the beginning that I didn’t get attached to a single character. And then it just dragged and dragged and dragged until the very boring, very predictable, unimaginative end.
February 9, 2022
This was such a good book ! It brought tears to my eyes at times and other times I was so happy for olivia, the main character who's husband Dean disappears on a flight . It was a love story and a mystery in one. I highly recommend this book
July 11, 2022
Just not my cup of tea. I’m not a romance novel fan expected more mystery.
July 9, 2022
The Bermuda Triangle: Scary or Fascinating? Little bit of both? I think regardless of science or urban legend, I’ll probably not be flying over anytime soon!
What a premise - a plane that goes missing in this strange and mysterious part of the ocean and Olivia is devastated to have lost the love of her life. In another place and time, Melanie spends her time studying this fascinating mythical region - until her mother dies and she turns to therapy to help her get back on track. When her and her therapist begin a forbidden love affair, the pages could not turn fast enough for me.
What will happen if they are found out? Will Olivia give up hope of ever finding out what happened to Dean? How will these two women's lives intersect?
It’s one of those stories where you’re inevitably going to deep-dive down a rabbit-hole on Google to learn about the mysterious occurrences and disappearances that have happened at the Bermuda Triangle. It’s also one of those reads where the mystery may seem clear, but tiny interwoven paths lead to a shocking discovery that is full of suspenseful emotions - all culminating in a lovely, but unexpected ending that will solidify a place in heart for every single character.
I just adore Julianne MacLean's stories and this one was no exception.
What a premise - a plane that goes missing in this strange and mysterious part of the ocean and Olivia is devastated to have lost the love of her life. In another place and time, Melanie spends her time studying this fascinating mythical region - until her mother dies and she turns to therapy to help her get back on track. When her and her therapist begin a forbidden love affair, the pages could not turn fast enough for me.
What will happen if they are found out? Will Olivia give up hope of ever finding out what happened to Dean? How will these two women's lives intersect?
It’s one of those stories where you’re inevitably going to deep-dive down a rabbit-hole on Google to learn about the mysterious occurrences and disappearances that have happened at the Bermuda Triangle. It’s also one of those reads where the mystery may seem clear, but tiny interwoven paths lead to a shocking discovery that is full of suspenseful emotions - all culminating in a lovely, but unexpected ending that will solidify a place in heart for every single character.
I just adore Julianne MacLean's stories and this one was no exception.
March 19, 2023
The only reason I gave it 5 stars was because Olivia finally had gotten closure from the Melanie Brown case and disappearance while her daughter Rose got to meet Dean, her biological father. He’s a piece of shit for leaving like that having her think he was dead and shit like who tf does that to somebody they love !?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2022
Wow! Julianne MacLean is an incredible storyteller. Beyond the Moonlit Sea is set against the backdrop of the Bermuda Triangle and has so many twist and turns that you won’t see coming that you have to continue flipping through the pages to see what happens next.
This romantic suspense story is a definite 5 star read. There are parts of the story where you will need to have the tissues handy. Beautifully written and mesmerizing this is a story not to be missed.
Thank you #netgalley and #lakeunionpublishing for allowing me to read the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed above are my own.
This romantic suspense story is a definite 5 star read. There are parts of the story where you will need to have the tissues handy. Beautifully written and mesmerizing this is a story not to be missed.
Thank you #netgalley and #lakeunionpublishing for allowing me to read the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed above are my own.
June 14, 2022
What do you know for sure? What Olivia knew for sure about Dean was that he loved her and that he was a survivor. After being together for four years, she was very sure…until she wasn’t.
Do you have any regrets? Dean sure did. At times he was dealing with a tangled mass of regrets, regrets that would cloud his judgment, causing even more regrets. How would his life enfold?
This novel is cleverly written from three points of view…Olivia’s, Dean’s and Melanie’s. Each point of view is seamlessly woven together to tell a beautiful, satisfying story. It was filled with twists and turns which kept me reading and guessing.
While part of the storyline involved the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle, there was another triangle of sorts…the triangle of Olivia, Dean and Melanie. The deep development of each character drew me into their lives.
Many ingredients went into telling this much enjoyed story. There was romance and passion, while some of the passion led to unhealthy obsessions. There was also mystery, suspense, grief and healing, along with dysfunction and family drama.
I loved the ending! So very satisfying and so very good!
I received complimentary copies of this book from Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Do you have any regrets? Dean sure did. At times he was dealing with a tangled mass of regrets, regrets that would cloud his judgment, causing even more regrets. How would his life enfold?
This novel is cleverly written from three points of view…Olivia’s, Dean’s and Melanie’s. Each point of view is seamlessly woven together to tell a beautiful, satisfying story. It was filled with twists and turns which kept me reading and guessing.
While part of the storyline involved the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle, there was another triangle of sorts…the triangle of Olivia, Dean and Melanie. The deep development of each character drew me into their lives.
Many ingredients went into telling this much enjoyed story. There was romance and passion, while some of the passion led to unhealthy obsessions. There was also mystery, suspense, grief and healing, along with dysfunction and family drama.
I loved the ending! So very satisfying and so very good!
I received complimentary copies of this book from Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
September 16, 2025
The story follows Olivia Hamilton, who is married to Dean, the love of her life and a charismatic pilot flying private jets for the rich and famous. When he mysteriously vanishes over the Bermuda Triangle, everything starts to fall apart. That mystery had me hooked during the first half, but as the story went on, it began to drag and felt kind of predictable. I was also disappointed that Melanie’s thesis about the Bermuda Triangle never really got developed. Her perspective didn’t add much to the overall story, which felt like a missed opportunity because the topic is so interesting.
On top of that, Dean’s actions were frustrating since his motivations seemed unclear, which made the tension I was hoping for never really take off. I also would have liked to see Dean’s childhood trauma explored more. It was mentioned briefly but then quickly forgotten, which felt like a wasted chance to add some real depth. Overall, the book starts with a really interesting Bermuda Triangle premise but doesn’t quite live up to the hype. It’s still a decent read with some okay characters, but I wish the mystery had been given much more focus instead of being pushed aside.
On top of that, Dean’s actions were frustrating since his motivations seemed unclear, which made the tension I was hoping for never really take off. I also would have liked to see Dean’s childhood trauma explored more. It was mentioned briefly but then quickly forgotten, which felt like a wasted chance to add some real depth. Overall, the book starts with a really interesting Bermuda Triangle premise but doesn’t quite live up to the hype. It’s still a decent read with some okay characters, but I wish the mystery had been given much more focus instead of being pushed aside.
July 27, 2022
The book's blurb offers generous and solid highlights of the story’s foundation, so I won’t be adding a lot of details or spoilers. Written by Julianne MacLean, this is a suspense-filled romance that is best served up cold and I devoured it in one sitting. With both Tangled Vines and Beyond the Moonlit Sea behind me, I am certainly checking out the rest of her backlog of books along with any future releases.
Bad choices and terrible mistakes with the ensuing consequences that affect lives in devastating ways are at the center of this plot. A spellbinding tale filled with a triangle of mystique, twists and turns, likable and intriguing characters – some good/some not-so-good. One character specifically drew a range of feelings from me. Love, loss, grief, suspense and an unexpected ending that drops a shocking surprise.
A solid and enjoyable reading experience.
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