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.

Emma Clarkson, grew up on Sable Island and in 1946, when the war was over, she had been accepted to go to a University in Nova Scotia, Before she left her father had an accident, and she stayed to help him get better. While she was doing that, there was a ship wreck, and the people of Sable Island rescued the men, and a British sea captain, named Oliver Harris, was one of the ones rescued. Emma and Oliver made a connection, and she fell in love with him, but when another ship came and picked them up, he left.
A veterinarian came to the island, to study the horses, and she finds love again. In time, she learns that all is not what it seems, and she says goodbye once again. She learns she has to take care of herself and her family, and that is what she does.
In 1995, Joanna Griffin, was mourning the death of her grandmother, when she discovers that her grandfather once loved a woman named Emma. Lies, betrayals, and other events kept them apart forever. She decided to go solve the mystery of who Emma was, and she finds Emma. What I learn after that, kept the story flowing smoothly, and we see Emma's life, all her accomplishments, and the life she created. I was so surprised by what she learned from Joanna.
Julianne MacLean, wrote another book that that captures the heart and soul of the people of Sable Island, the Sable Island, and all that Emma went through. She followed her head soul, through the people she loved, to the person she became, and the career she went after. I loved reading this book, there was a lot to the story, but it felt like there was so much calm surrounding it.
I received an ARC from Lake Union Publishing through NetGalley.

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.

All Our Beautiful Goodbyes by Julianna MacLean is the most beautiful novel that I read in just one sitting.
The novel spans a lifetime as it is set in 1946, the following few years; and then into 1995.
The main setting is a wild and rugged small island off the mainland of Canada. The landscape is at one with nature – but nature can be dangerous.
The book is about the greatest love. It is a love that will never die, despite attempts by others to thwart it. People come and go; the years move on; relationships and people die – but this is a love that lasts. Like a diamond refined by fire. This is a love that only gets stronger.
All the characters were well drawn, likable and believable. I found myself cheering on the leading pair, willing their love to last.
There is also the parental love for their children. These various relationships are strong within the tale.
The beauty of the natural landscape takes up residence in the reader’s heart. We long for the wild, untamed landscape that offers both beauty and danger.
All Our Beautiful Goodbyes is a work of great beauty. It has a serenity that leaves the reader feeling calm, peaceful and loved.
I received a free copy from the author. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this book. The characters are so well developed, I felt like I knew them personally. Emma is a smart, passionate young woman with a pure heart and a love for life. Oliver is persevering after witnessing the horror of WWII and trying to go on as normally as he can. Their connection is immediate, but filled with complications. Sometimes goodbye in all of its forms, is the only way to move forward. It can be beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. And it can take a lifetime to learn and heal from past pains. This is a journey of discovery on many levels. Life, suffering, perseverance and unending love. Simply beautiful.

Thank you so much Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this wonderful story. Julianne MacLean is an auto-buy author for me and she never disappoints! I really liked Emma, the main character, and enjoyed following her life in this coming-of-age story. There are twists in the story you will not see coming and MacLean always does a great job with that. The setting on Sable Island is incredible (love a Canadian setting!) and after reading I had to do a little research on my own with some of the resources MacLean recommends at the end of the book. I recommend this if you like a coming-of-age type story and you are needing to ignore your own world for a couple of days because you will be deep into this book when you start!

There are many twists and turns that caught my heart! All the emotions here. The writing is so beautiful that you can see the horses and feel the salt wind and see the stormy skies. Throughout the story, I felt the loss, but there is hope!

I had a hard time getting into this book. It might be the mood I am currently experiencing. As I have written with other reviews, I am a major mood reader.. I may give this book another shot in the future.

Such a gorgeous, emotionally frustrating story! All Our Beautiful Goodbyes is a love story set on the wild Sable Island in the rough North Atlantic Ocean near Halifax, Nova Scotia. Life circles around the young heroine with love, desertion, children, lost opportunity and more love. Didn’t want the lovely drama to end!

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this beautiful ARC.

My rating:

Plot: 5 out of 5 stars
Writing: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Character development: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Recommended for readers of:

Historical Fiction


Review:

A beautiful vividly written story that starts of slowly but with great attention to detail, this made you get a real feel for the beautiful surroundings and the remoteness of Sable Island, it also made the characters appear realistic, as you got a good understanding what motivated them.

The book has a distinct feel of loss but also shows determination to never give up and a feeling of hope. The story is written over several different time lines that are nicely interwoven into a nice and satisfying ending.

Overall: this is an positive and evocative story with interesting characters. I really enjoyed it and recommend reading it.

Review copy provided through Netgalley at no cost to me.

This book was such a captivating read, but it definitely pulled at my heartstrings. The mix of historical fiction and family drama, with just a hint of romance, made it so engaging. I loved how the dual timelines were woven together—it made the story feel rich and layered. The characters felt so real, and the way the author wrote about love, loss, and resilience really stuck with me. It’s one of those stories that stays in your mind long after you’ve turned the last page. Beautifully written and deeply moving, it’s a book I’d happily recommend.

As much as I wanted to love this, as I so enjoyed two previous novels by Julianne MacLean, but I just couldn't finish this. There wasn't much plot, and in general I just found it boring. I loved A Fire Sparkling and enjoyed These Tangled Vines, but this one didn't live up to those standards. I couldn't make myself care about these characters.

So loved this book following Emma and her father who live and work on Sable Island which is in the Atlantic Ocean off Nova Scotia Canada. From wild horses and ship wrecks it can be a beautiful island but desolate at times when a storm rages. After one storm a ship runs aground and when the crew are brought to shore Emma meets the Captain Oliver. A story spanning decades and an ending I was not expecting.
My thanks as always to NetGalley and publisher Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity for the early read.

Have you had a book on your TBR that keeps getting pushed back in the reading queue then you finally read it and wish you’d done so earlier? That was All Our Beautiful Goodbyes for me. I started the book on the way to work and had a hard time putting it down. I was so invested in the two main characters and couldn’t wait to find out what would happen. I so badly wanted it to be predictable with a happy ending but only one of those wishes came true. It was a beautifully written love story and I’m so happy I finally read it!
Emma had spent her entire life on Sable Island living with her father and dreaming of one day attending University. Her mother died giving birth to her and her father is her only family. She knows her father won’t let her go easily but like the wild horses on the Island Emma can’t be fenced in.
Right before Emma leaves a ship wreck rocks her world and changes her life forever. She will experience the greatest love and the greatest loss in her young life that would break most but Emma is resilient and does everything with passion and zest for life. Sometimes life throws painful curveballs and it feels like you can’t breath, but if you put one foot in front of the other you can find your own happiness.

“All Our Beautiful Goodbyes” is the perfect title for this book. I found the first few chapters slow at first, which is not at all typical of the writings of Ms. Maclean. Her other books tend to send you flying right from the first page. However, I understand the gradual movement was deliberate by the author. Those beginning chapters were a needed introduction to the characters and their disposition. In addition, the descriptions of the breath-taking geographical landscape and the purpose and work done on the island was important to the story. As the narrative unfolds it is clear that our main character is unbelievably naïve. The decisions she makes are totally from her heart and lack insight from world experience. In her defence, however, her life had been dictated by an over protective yet loving father. The book does pick up momentum and I was engrossed in the many thought-provoking twists of “lost love", "lost dream", "lost hope", and "lost future”. Ms. Maclean does a splendid job intertwining these losses with beautiful restorations. “All Our Beautiful Goodbyes” transforms to “All Our Beautiful Hellos". I thoroughly enjoyed this latest book by Ms. Maclean. Her immense research always adds exceptional value and reality to a fictional saga.

This is a saga of life on Sable Island, an isolated area where the citizens live with wild horses and rescue ships caught in bad weather. Emma is a young woman ready to spread her wings and leave for college in 1946. A nearby shipwreck brings sailors on shore, including a handsome captain who quickly makes a mark on her life. Their few days together changed both of them.

The story deals with Emma's life, choices, betrayals and successes, and eventually reconnects in 1995 when several pieces are put together.