An interesting- and different- setting and a sympathetic character in Emma made this a good read. I'd never heard of Sable Island before picking this up and now I'm fascinated by this dot of land off the coast of Nova Scotia. Emma.. who feels trapped, falls for Captain Oliver Harris but their relationship is not to be. Or is it?? Emma's goals change over time and she matures throughout but will she find love? No spoilers from me. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

I love historical fiction with a deep emotional resonance and long-buried secrets! This one is set in beautiful Sable Island and spans from the aftermath of World War II to the 1990s. Focuses on two love stories across generations.

Emma Clarkson, a young woman torn between her dreams and a love that alters the course of her life. As Emma’s story unfolds in the past, her granddaughter Joanna unravels the mystery in the present time. This reveals unexpected twists and a powerful connection that bridges decades.

This was a book I thoroughly enjoyed! I’m a huge fan of deeply romantic, poignant, and immersive novels that stay with you long after the final page.

I usually like this author's books, so I was excited to read All Our Beautiful Goodbyes. The premise sounded perfect: post-war Canada, an isolated island, and a love story filled with longing. But sadly, the execution did not live up to my expectations.

The story had potential, but the plot felt overly dramatic at times. I was interested enough to finish it, but I couldn’t shake off the disappointment. One of the biggest issues for me was the time jump. It happened too suddenly, without easing into it. It felt confusing, and I did not feel like the past was fully resolved before we were thrown into the present. The ending also lacked the closure I was hoping for.

The great part of the book was learning about Sable Island. I had never heard of it before, and the historical details about this small, remote island off the coast of Nova Scotia were fascinating. The author did a great job weaving in real history.

A heart tugging story that makes you ask if you believe in soulmates. Emma grew up on a small island famous for helping shipwrecks. One shipwreck brings a captain whose life is forever changed when he meets Emma. Emma is beautiful and smart and wants to leave the island to study at college. When the captain returns home, Emma remains on the island to care for her father after he gets sick. Emma is a selfless person who puts everyone and everything else first. I enjoyed getting to get know her in this book. I read this book in one day and was lost in the world the author skillfully created. It is a perfect contemporary fiction story.

Patience is a virtue, and that all-too common phrase is not misplaced in this book both for the reader and for our heroine, Emma Clarkson. This story is not just about romantic love but love for life, for family and weathering even the worst of storms. In fact, I felt Emma's growth as a woman was at the forefront of this novel. All I wanted was for her to achieve the happiness she desperately deserved.

I enjoyed the multiple POVs, although I wish it had been more consistent. I think it threw off the pacing a little bit for me personally. Ultimately, I did enjoy the way the story unfolded and look forward to reading more from Julianne MacLean.

3.5 stars rounded up

Spanning the timeframe of 1946 to 1995, All our Beautiful Goodbyes by Julianne Maclean follows Emma, a young woman raised on remote Sable Island, off the coast of Nova Scotia. When a shipwreck brings Captain Harris to shore, Emma becomes infatuated. The story follows Emma and Captain Harris and their complex relationship over nearly 50 years.

I loved this book, I read it in one weekend and could not put it down. The beauty and atmosphere of Sable Island pulls you in from the start (I can visualize the wild horses!) and makes you feel like you are one of the few privileged people to get to visit and experience this remote rescue colony.

Emma is a young and ambitious woman who dreams of being a psychologist but feels trapped on the island, where she must care for her father and contribute to the efforts of the rescue community. We follow her evolution as life throws challenges her way.

Seeing Emma grow from a naïve to independent and self-aware woman is the greatest beauty of this book. The themes of resilience, trust, and family resonate through this book.

The writing flows beautifully and each chapter leaves you wanting to continue to the next. Historical fiction lovers will love this book, especially those interested in reading a story set in eastern Canada (with some Saskatchewan ties).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Julianne MacLean has done it again with All Our Beautiful Goodbyes. I immediately fell in love with the lead character Emma and felt as though I was with her throughout her entire journey. This historical fiction novel takes place on Sable Island, just off the coast of Nova Scotia, and the descriptive writing is so beautifully done. The ocean sounds, the horses, the tall grasses, and the sifting sand dunes. I could clearly hear and see it all. We first meet Emma in the early 1940's and follow her life through 1995. She has a life filled with love, loss, heartbreak, and second chances. The father-daughter relationship was relatable and Emma's relationship with Captain Oliver Harris pulled at my heartstrings. There is nothing quite like a first love. In true Julianne MacLean fashion there are twists and turns that make you gasp, cry and smile.

I would love to say more, but I don't like giving away spoilers. I highly recommend this book and will definitely be buying a copy and adding it to my collection of Julianne MacLean books.

Thank you NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and Julianne MacLean for providing an ARC in exchange for honest thoughts.

I gave this book 5 Stars

I loved this book. Julianne MacLean is an awesome writer.
While I don't normally like books that are in the 40 and further back. This book was great because it starts in the 40's but then comes all the way to the present. It was a true joy to follow the characters through all this time. The trials and tribulations they went through and how that shaped their whole life.
Another cool thing is that Julianne MacLean used a real island in the middle of nowhere that actually does have wild horses just like in this book. At the end she shares how her research took her to the island and what she encountered.

A fabulous book that you won't want to put down.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

When Captain Oliver Harris`s British naval ship Belvedere capsized on the shores of Sable Island, twenty-one-year-old aspiring psychologist Emma falls in love. Still, life takes many twists and turns as life's road is unknown until travelled.  Being from Nova Scotia, I enjoyed the descriptions of Sable Island, Halifax and the people. The writing was great as the characters seem developed and realistic, though I became annoyed with Emma occasionally throughout the novel due to her life choices and naivete. The scenery was well described and character interactions were realistic responses for the most part. This a book about accepting the choices we make when we come to a fork in the road of life and how we deal with the consequences of our choices. 

Thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC. This is my honest review.

A woman who is unlucky in love. How many times can her heart be broken and by the same man?
From the description of the secluded Sable Island, its inhabitants, the wild horses and the yearning for something more than life on the island, Emma fiercely fights for her independence through heartache, loss and determination. Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for a copy of this tragic story. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

Life on Sable Island was all Emma Clarkson knew, but she longed for more. Accepted into Dalhousie University to study psychology, she was looking forward to many new things. It’s 1946, the war is over, and things are changing on Sable Island. The Belvedere, a British merchant ship, is the latest shipwreck but it brings Emma’s first love.

Life has a way of throwing curves and University falls on one of those. Love happens, babies come and accidents occur but that first love never seems to go away. 1953 and then 1995 are times in her life that just flow together. Will the happy ever after really come?

A copy was received through Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley. These thoughts are my own and were in no way solicited.

All Our Beautiful Goodbyes is a stand-alone historical novel by Julianne MacLean set on Sable Island, Nova Scotia spanning from the late 1940s to 1995. The overarching theme is love: romantic, for your children and family, for yourself, and for your home.

Summary: In the post-WWII era, 21-year old Emma Clarkson lives a unique life with her father on remote Sable Island. Just a few dozen other people and many wild horses and seals also live on the small island. A shipwreck brings Captain Oliver Harris and his crew to Sable Island, and Emma instantly falls in love with the captain. Her love is not returned in kind, and after a week, Captain Harris leaves the island. While nursing her heartache, Emma meets a veterinarian named Logan, and moves on to marry and have a family with him. However, Logan is not who he claims to be. Years later, Emma's path crosses again with Captain Oliver Harris and complicated emotions resurface. Will she be able to find love with Oliver, or is their chance at love lost forever?

My Impressions: My favorite part of this book was learning about Sable Island. I didn't know it existed before I read this book, and I was intrigued to learn the history about it. I appreciated the historical facts the author placed into the book. The author also did a great job of plotting out the novel, and the pacing for each of the book sub-sections is excellent. However, I found large parts of the book to be written in a telling-not-showing format, and the dialogue used was very amateur (boring, simplistic, repetitive words, i.e. lots of he said, she said.) I also did not like some of the immoral choices made by the main characters. I did enjoy the ending and how the author wrapped up the last section of the book.

Content Considerations: Mild language. Romantically, nothing beyond kissing is on-page. Sex is mentioned as having taken place, but it is completely fade to black. Pre-marital sex and martial infidelity.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the complementary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. My review contains my own opinion and is in no way influenced by the author or publisher.

This is a beautiful, but tragic, story of love and heartache. Emma and her father live on an island and have few visitors, but when a shipwreck brings a man into Emma’s life, it will never be the same. This was a good romance!

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC. Another great historical fiction novel by Julianne MacLean. There has yet to be a book that she has written that I haven’t loved. She is an author that is an automatic read for me. Well done!

i loved this book. i laughed and i cried. so many twists and i felt like i was on a journey too. a definite recommend.

thank you publisher and netgalley. all thoughts are my own

I absolutely loved this book! I felt like I was on the journey with Emma right by her side! I loved her from the first page and I feel like I saw the love and loss from a front row seat!

This book was a beautiful love story that had all the twists and turns that life brings us. I laughed at her quirkiness, cried when she was sad and heartbroken. And, I smiled and laughed through her joy! Really loved this book!

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC for my honest review.

#JulianneMacLean #AllOurBeautifulGoodbyes #NetGalley

This is a love story with the storyline being good, kept a good pace, didn't drag and I learned quite a bit about Sable Island and what life would be like on a sparsely populated location. I had a love/dislike opinion of Emma, most of the time she was a pleasant and naïve young lady but with her immediate fall in love attitude and easy to turn her feelings around on a dime, it was hard to figure out what she would do. Her not knowing of real life and the choice to get a degree in medical health was a stretch.
She was a devoted daughter though and a wonderful mother. I definitely felt for the Captain, I truly think he was pretty good guy. I found this to be a quick enjoyable read and I would recommend it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is a beautiful historical romance love story. In 1946, Emma Clarkson lives on Sable Island off the coast of Nova Scotia. She falls in love with a Sea captain,Oliver, after he's rescued from a shipwreck. In the end, it wasn't meant to be and he returns to sea. She does find love again with Logan, and they have a son together. But it doesn't work with him either. She is left to care for her family on her own.

In 1995, Joanna Griffin is mourning her grandmother's death when she learns about Emma. Her grandfather's long lost love. She sets out to find Emma, and help her grandfather reconnect with her.

The two timelines really worked with this one. I enjoyed reading about the hardships Emma had to overcome throughout her life. I loved the setting on Sable Island, which I never knew about. The descriptions sound beautiful. Overall, this was a story about true love, and how some people are just meant to be together.

Thank you to the publisher, Suzy approved book tours, and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

I did enjoy this book which. However, I did find it kind of slow at times. I could picture the beautiful setting setting. I will say that there was a wide range of emotions in this book which anywhere from happiness to sadness and even anger at times so I thank NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Enjoyed it. My favorite part of the book was learning about Sable Island. I had no idea it even existed. It's 180 miles off the coast of Nova Scotia. The people need to wait for the supply ship every month for mail and supplies. If you need emergency help, it's not coming right away or at all. The island is beautiful and I loved all the wild horses. The few people who lived there were surrounded by sand, horses, seals and ocean. Didn't they get bored? If they didn't have people to rescue , what did they do all day? Emma Clarkson lived on the island for twenty-one years with her father, the superintendent. She couldn't wait to go off to college. Her dad really wanted her to stay, marry one of the guys and settle down. Enter British Sea Captain Oliver Harris. After his ship crashes on some rocks, the captain and his crew are stuck on the island until help arrives. Naturally, Emma becomes infatuated with him. Everyone tells her to forget him because he's too old for her. Emma looks forward to leaving the island for school Right before she is set to leave, a seal derails all her plans. Emma delays school and stays on the island. Then she meets Logan. I'm guessing there were no background checks. Emma has lived such a sheltered life and falls for him. At least they were trying to save the horses. So once again, Emma's dream of college is derailed. Actually, she's told no to every going. Emma finds herself back on the island with her father after learning the truth about Logan. In walks Captain Harris again. With promises that he will return to her. Nothing ever goes as planned for Emma. She gets a devastating letter from Captain Harris's wife. I'm assuming Emma knows what happens when you sleep with someone without protection? Maybe not. The island didn't have a school. I hated when Logan showed up back in her life. Nothing good could come from him. The book starts in 1946, gets to 1954 and then jumps to 1995. Emma kept placing her life around men and got disappointed over and over. It was impossible for her to have any type of happy ending. There was always some type of event preventing her from getting what she longed for. Emma was always saying goodbye to someone, hoping she would see them again. It's a good thing Joanna decided to take her grandfather on a trip.

Definitely recommend the book. It wasn't my favorite by the author, but still enjoyable. Loved all the historical facts about Sable Island. I would love to visit. I enjoyed the characters, story and writing style. Loved the cover of the book. I look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Lake Union Publishing through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.