I loved Where The Forest Meets the Stars but I just didn't connect with this one. I will definitely be interested in future books from this author.

This author has a beautiful writing style with complex characters, emotional connections, and a touch of mystery which I really enjoyed. I was invested in the story and wanted to see what direction it took. However, I think the problem I had with this book was the relationship. I don't have a problem with age gaps (21 vs 29), however Vaughn read much older and Riley much younger, almost like a teenager. Especially with some revelations later on, it felt uncomfortable at times. This was a solid 3-star read for me but I know a lot of other people loved it!

Well written and intricately put together, this novel is essentially a romance between two people with awful childhood experiences but it’s also about secrets and magic and the moon and forgiveness and family. Riley is a young woman whose mother and aunt dies in Chicago when she was 11 and since then she has lived with her cousins in rural Wisconsin. Vaughn Orr is a successful young author who turns up at the property having run out of petrol. Both are attracted and both have secrets.
I really enjoyed reading this, I was pulled into the story from the start and the big reveals are gasp worthy. It’s probably a bit overly perfect, I’m not sure real people would act in the way Riley’s family does but they are shown as unique so it’s not too hard to accept. I thought it dragged a bit wrapping up the story but overall a great read.

Glendy Vanderah did it again. What a beautiful book that honestly took me by surprise several times. Lovely characters and such an interesting story line.

In The Oceanography of the Moon, we follow two different perspectives from Riley and Vaughn. Riley has a troubled past, having lost both her mother and aunt in a suspicious manner, and now she is living with her cousins. The past is coming back to her when Vaughn, famous author, randomly shows up at their cabin in rural Wisconsin. As the reader, we know that Vaughn and Riley are somehow connected, but it slowly unfolds through beautiful writing and an interesting romance.

In all of Glendy Vanderah's books, I feel calm - surrounded by nature and the true humanity of others.

After suffering unimaginable trauma as a child, Riley finds solace in the rural home of her cousins, Alec and Sachi, but cannot let go of the events of her past. A chance meeting with troubled, bestselling author Vaughn soon turns her world upside down. But was it chance after all? Riley's eight-year old nephew Kiran thinks not.

This was a fascinating read. I particularly enjoyed the first half, as we learn more about the people and their relationships, the magic and motivation that drives them, the moon, the moths and everything in between. Woven into these were more complex themes of neurodivergence, climate change, crime, ethics, abuse, loss, healing, and the different shapes of family.

I found the relationship between Vaughn and Riley to be an odd one, particularly given the age difference. Vaughn was a mostly unlikeable character, although I found his mid-story reception arc interesting. I want to know more about Sachi and Kiran, and Julia - each of those characters have such a interesting backstory.

This was written from the point of view of both Riley and Vaughn in alternating chapters, with the story continuing seamlessly between each.

~Many thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exhcange for an honest review~

This one was just not for me, I wanted to finish it but it was just too much of a slow burn and I completely lost interest along the way. I love this author’s writing so it makes me sad but I will for sure check out her other books (absolutely loved Where the Forest Meets the Stars).

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a free advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book and I loved seeing the characters develop. The atmosphere and especially the side characters are amazing. The only character I didn't like - I'm sorry - is Vaughn.

I do think the age difference between Riley and Vaughn was drawn out and enlarged just a bit too much. Also, beware of a lot of DUI. I mean a lot. (Also a lot of drinking/alcohol consumption in general) I see that it is used to make a point in the plot, but just like the age gap it came across as just a bit overdone.

I very genuinely liked this book. The characters and the scenes depicted are vivid and engrossing. However, compared to Glendy's other books, I enjoyed this one ever so slightly less than the others.

I didn’t have to get far into The Oceanography of the Moon to discover this would be a five star read. This book is absolutely stunning and the writing here so beautiful and rich. The story of these two wonderful characters overcoming childhood trauma and all it entailed was compelling and deep. This didn’t feel like a story I have read before… it felt so fresh and unique! I was hooked by the first pages and didn’t regain balance until the very end. My only complaint is that the story ever ended! Not to be confused with a bad ending… the ending did indeed wrap up and come together perfectly.

Perhaps one of the most memorable aspects to this one for me was the imagery and symbolism within this story. I loved that element and how it added to the storytelling. The whole reading experience was just magical!

This was an at times heart wrenching yet equally heartfelt and endearing story of family and love that will stick with me for time to come.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union for the gifted e-copy!

I love Glendy Vanderah and joyously anticipate every book she writes. Her writing has enormous depth and emotional clarity. This title was a little less great then her previous couple of books, but I hope she keeps it up because she has tremendous potential as a writer.

After having read Where the Forest Meets the Stars, I was really excited that another book was coming out by this author. The book really started on mesmerizing and unique. I loved the premise of the seas of the moon and the symbolism and imagery this adds to this book. I thought Riley was a unique and quite interesting character until fell for Vaughn and then it was girls gone wild for her. She immediately became immature, yet confident which was extremely ridiculous pairing. She was not even the same character and the book just lost it's luster and anything that it had going for it for me. I know that this author is better than a cheesy romance where both sides have secrets and then everything just turns out peachy. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

There's always a feel of whimsy and magic that pulls me into Glendy Vanderah books. There were parts of this story that I didn't fully connect with, but the magic still made it a wonderful experience.

Such a beautiful story, with beautiful characters. A story both heart wrenching and heart warming, all at once! My only regret is waiting so long to read this.

This felt like it had a pretty big political agenda riding alongside the plotline we were all supposed to be following. Like excuse me, but why are we talking about transgender kids? Whether a 9yr old boy is picking a He or She pronoun today based on the mood he's in? And why is there a big focus on global warming and climate change, disguised as, again, what this fictional 9yr old side character has major anxiety about? Why is this "romance novel" trying to be so woke? It really, really distracted from the main characters and the story we were meant to be following along with...the famous author with writers block who comes to a remote small town looking for a vacation and just so happens to meet this quirky girl with issues from her own past, and btw she has a super welcoming family, to the point of it being weird and borderline dangerous how freaking welcoming they are, so now these two are practically neighbors for a week and in that amount of time the girl decides this is it - this is who im going to lose my virginity to...the guy thats introduced me to hard liquor and gotten me drunk every night this past week.

Is this a good book? I'm going to go with no... it's full of unlikeable characters and unrealistic situations and had the potential for at least 30 more eyerolls had I not threw in the towel at chapter 17. I just can't anymore!

Thanks netgalley for giving me the advanced pdf so that I can share my thoughts and opinions with y'all 💛

This book started off beautifully just like her other two but by the end I really found myself struggling to connect with the story and likely would have not finished it if I hadn't been able to access the (Very well done) audiobook. I can't wait to read more from this author in the future but this one was just not for me, unfortunately.

The Oceanography of the Moon is a beautifully told story of two people dealing with childhood trauma. Riley Mays lost her aunt and her mom only months apart. Her aunt was beloved to her; her mom was not. But their loss affects her still, 10 years after their deaths.

Vaughn Orr is a bestselling novelist who lost his mom to suicide when he was a baby. He was raised by an abusive father until he left his home in Chicago at 16 and moved to NYC.

While looking at properties in Wisconsin, Vaughn stumbles across Riley and her family. They invite him to stay, and Riley and Vaughn discover an attraction that will change them forever.

I really enjoyed The Oceanography of the Moon. I love a found family story. I love the twists that were all throughout this book.

I’m not usually a fan of nature in a book but while nature absolutely played a part, it was very well balanced and accentuated the characters stories.

Thank you to #netgalley and #lakeunionpublishing for the advanced e-copy of #theoceanographyofthemoon .

I fell in love with Glendy Vanderah's writing when I read Where the Forest Meets the Stars. Everything was so poetic, raw, and emotional, with characters that were so easy to love. It compelled me instantly because everything felt so honest like it was poured straight from the heart.
And the result was simple: binging the book in one day.

The Oceanography of the Moon had a cozy beginning. A bit different than her previous book, but definitely had great potential. However, something was missing along the way.
Somewhere around the middle of the book, everything started revolving around romance, and I don't think that I felt it. I didn't have time to feel the chemistry between the characters, it was a bit bland and cliche for my taste.

A promising story with mediocre execution.

i enjoyed the writing and the ‘meat’ of the story but the romance aspect of the book really fell flat for me and i didn’t really care about any of it. this was my first book from this author and i’ve seen nothing but praise for her previous 2 books so I do think i’ll still check those out

Well that was a wild ride. This is a story filled with magic and family and lies and love.
Overall I liked this story. The magical elements were a nice touch and this has some deep feelings.
I thought maybe I knew what the 'big reveal' might be but I was totally wrong. I thought it all worked out well in the end, everything was tied up in a neat bow, although I am left with questions about certain characters & aspects, but maybe it is meant to be that way.

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for a copy to read and review.