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.

All Our Beautiful Goodbyes is a heartfelt story about love, sacrifice, and self-discovery, set across two timelines. In 1946, we meet Emma Clarkson, a young woman living on the isolated Sable Island. When British sea captain Olive Harris is rescued from a shipwreck, Emma’s life is turned upside down. As their intense romance develops, Emma struggles with her dreams of studying psychology while being tied to her island life and her father.

Fast forward to 1995, when Joanne Griffin learns about her grandfather’s lost love. She sets out to help him reconnect with his past, leading to unexpected healing and discoveries.

MacLean beautifully captures the inner lives of her characters, especially Emma, as she navigates love and tough choices. The dual timelines flow smoothly and create a deeply emotional story about fate and connection. If you enjoy historical romance and vivid settings, this one’s a must-read.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Overall I enjoyed this book very much. I found it quite a page turner, always wanting to know what would happen next. The setting for the most part of the book, Sable Island, not much more than a large sand dune around 290Km from Halifax, Nova Scotia is evocatively described and plays a big part in the story. Once I’d finished the book I looked up photos online of the island and found it to be very much as the picture I had in mind as I read it. At the end the author gives information on the island and its history with a link to a post on her website of her research trip to Sable Island.

I liked that it covered a long time frame, covering generations of one family. It moves along at a steady pace with lots of drama unfolding along the way. It is ultimately a romance, and despite romantic fiction not really being my thing, there was so much going on to keep me interested it didn’t deter my enjoyment too much.

If, unlike me, you’re an old romantic you will be in your element with this story, however I must admit I did find the romance part a little far fetched perhaps. Every character seemed to fall in love at the drop of a hat, certainly proving there might be something in love at first sight. For me personally, it did have me rolling my eyes at times, but not every reader is as cynical as me when it comes to matters of the heart.

All in all though, I found this to be an absorbing and enjoyable read and would try more books by this author as the writing is very good.

This is an extraordinary story of love found, love lost and love reunited that spans nearly 50 yrs of heartache and joy and a love that would never really die. Betrayals and lies that all surround Sable Island off the coast of Nova Scotia after WWII and a young woman who has spent her life on this island and where two men will change the life of Emma Clarkson forever.

The first man would be a Capitan of the Royal Navy Oliver Harris who’s ship and crew is stranded in the Atlantic Ocean and was rescued by the people of the island, only to leave to go back to England and a devastated Emma is left behind. Before he came into her life, she was leaving her beloved island and going to pursue a dream of going to university.

The second man to turn this young girl's heart is Logan who has come to the island and makes her almost forget Oliver, but he too will betray her and leave her devastated with a young son to raise. When Oliver comes back into her life and leaves again, Emma is again left with a broken heart and a child on the way, when she is told some devastating news about Oliver.

Emma must learn a new way of life and with now two young children and find her way in the world she always has wanted. Only to learn fifty years later when Oliver once again comes back into her life through his granddaughter and all the secrets that have been kept from them. It’s a love story that stands the test of time and will leave you with a heart filled with knowing that love will prevail no matter how many years it takes to be with your one true love. It tells the tale of just how strong a woman can be when faced with love and tragedy and building a life you want in the face of these two things.

So come to Sable Island and you will be changed for ever....
This book is worthy of more than 5stars. Once started it will be hard to put this book down.

What an amazingly told story. You care so deeply about each character that it keeps the pages turning. It was also fascinating to learn about Sable Island. I’ve read so many of Julianne MacLean’s books and loved each one. I will have to wait impatiently to see where she takes me next.

My Review
☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️

What a beautiful story.
Begins spring of 1946. Ending in summer of 1995.

Emma's story is one I simply didn't want to end. She lived a life. So many others know nothing about. But what a life she lived.
On sable island.

Only once in a lifetime have a true love.
Sometimes, it's not meant to be.
There are too many obstacles in the way.

Well, all I can say is what a phenomenal story.I just loved it. And I did not want this book to end. Beautifully written.

Truly a phenomenal story.

I Loved everything about this story.

Julianne MacLean

All our beautiful goodbyes by Julianne MacLean
RD March 25,25 by Lake Union Publishing
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this one early
When I first seen it on the NetGalley site, I was excited to read as I have been a fan of Julian McLean for a while now

And any of her other books that I read, I enjoyed
This one pulled me in from the first page.
My heart definitely began to tug at the heartaches that Emma-endured on the course of her life starting from birth but being raised by her father she did have a good life living on a island called Sable Island.
This book kept me interested from page one. But when I thought u had it all figured out wow did Julianne Maclean drop a bomb on me. This book was beautiful written and was a great read! Can’t wait to pick up more of hers now. Thank you.

Such a heart-wrenching love story...one I couldn't put down! Interesting historical fiction and great family saga makes the story unforgettable. My emotions were moved, and in the end I was satisfied. I would recommend this book if you are looking for a love story that spans a lifetime. Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

This story sat at a 3.75 for me, but just know that Julianne MacLean is a great write. The story flowed well, and it kept my interest.

Sable island was depicted perfectly. It was beautiful, yet treacherous, and I loved getting the feel of such a location that I did not even know it existed. A sandbar that’s been around for centuries!

Knowing the historical aspect of the story is true, it was fascinating to learn of a place I really was not familiar with. Although I’d heard of Sable Island, I had never actually looked at it on a map (please, do) and the history of saving those shipwrecked in the North Atlantic.

But the one thing, that I didn’t love was part of the story itself. While I actually LOVED the characters, there were so many negative coincidences that I really did struggle with it. And I would have felt a little better had we gotten a little more of Emma and Oliver at the very end of the story. We had gone through so much with them with what felt like such little return.

Overall, I definitely still recommend this book. Where it fell a bit short for me, I doubt others would feel the same, and the skill of MacLean’s writing would be enough for me to give this story a chance. I look forward to what she has coming next.