The first thing that hooked me about this book was the title. It just sounded so perfect for a historical fiction romance full of family secrets and lost love. And it was! I loved the island setting, the wild horses, the time period and the love story. A sweeping historical fiction novel, I also enjoyed the addition of the granddaughter timeline. I’m a sucker for multigenerational stories!

This was a fascinating read set during different periods of time. A story of lost love and heartbreak. I loved how all the characters were intertwined. Although I enjoyed this book I also found didn’t feel a strong connection to the characters maybe due to the writing style. I would still recommend this book.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book, all opinions expressed are my own.

Julianne MacLean’s books are always very emotional and this is no exception. I enjoyed this novel about a place that I knew nothing about (Sable Island), love, loss, misunderstandings, consequences, and time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I always feel good after reading Julianne MacLean’s books and this one is no exception. A very emotional story about the life Emma lived and all the struggles and heartbreak she had to endure between 1946 and 1995. It took place on Sable Island which is off Nova Scotia after WWII. So much to this story that I know you won’t be disappointed, only glad you read it. The beauty of the place makes you want to go there and the story of true love will not end.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a complimentary copy.

This is a beautiful and poignant story. Emma is smart, but she has been sheltered her whole life. She was born and has lived on Sable Island her entire life. She was raised by her father because her mother died in childbirth. When a wrecks just off the island, Emma falls in love with the captain of the ship. He is only there a week, but she feels the connection. When he leaves, her heart is broken. When another man comes to live on the island, she finds love again. But all does not go well for Emma. She wanted to be a psychologist but had to put that aside when several things happen. She thinks all will go well, but it doesn't as it often happens in life. As Emma struggles when her husband is hauled off to jail and her captain did not come back after he promised. Heartbroken, Emma has to move on with her life. How will she go on?

I enjoyed the way the book is broken into 6 parts that tells Emma’s story from 1946-1995. I also appreciated the author’s note sharing the factual aspects of the book and her inspiration for the main character. The book has beautiful descriptions of Sable Island while at the same time telling Emma’s story!

I am usually not a big fan of this author. Some of her books are a bit too sweet for me. But this cover and this setting had me intrigued. And yes, this story is a bit on the sweet side but I enjoyed it! I loved this remote island and these characters!

1995: Mourning the death of her beloved grandmother, Joanna Griffin is shocked to learn that her grandfather once loved a young woman named Emma, but lies, betrayals, and catastrophic events separated them forever. As Joanna crosses an ocean to solve the secrets of her grandfather’s past, she learns that love is a powerful force, even mightier than the passage of time…

Emma and Oliver are definitely star crossed! But oh how I wanted this to change. This story will break your heart and keep you intrigued until the end! There is a lot that happens in these pages and you do not want to miss it!

Need an epic story of lost love…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel for a honest review.

All Our Beautiful Goodbyes was a bit hit or miss for me.
Positives
-Beautiful Sable Island
-Wild Horses
-Strong Lead character
-promising tender love story
Negatives:
-too many dramatic occurrences, it became unbelievable
-not enough couple time together to develop that tender love story
I liked All Our Beautiful Goodbyes well enough, but I think it would have been better served if maybe the ending began the book and was developed more and then the flashbacks came in to show how these two were definitely star crossed lovers. Just a thought. Maybe it would have benefited from stronger editing so we don't put both main characters through every obstacle you could throw at them.
Thanks to #NetGalley and #Lake Union Publishing for the ARC.

Julianne MacLean never disappoints as an author and this sweeping tale of love lost and found, and the ensuing saga is not only heart wrenching but beautiful. A good reminder of what’s important in life.

All Our Beautiful Goodbyes by Julianne MacLean was a wonderful tale of lost love and fallen dreams.
This was a great read that had me hooked right from the start.
MacLean creates wonderful, fleshed out characters. The descriptions were so vivid that I felt like I was with the characters.
MacLean is a master storyteller and I just adore her writing style.

One of Ms MacLean's best! A Must Read!

I love Julianne MacLean's books and All our Beautiful Goodbyes is one of her best. As a Nova Scotian, I loved learning a little about the history of Sable Island, it's scenery and, of course, its wild horses. The plot is very interesting and the characters engaging, but, of course, life interferes! Highly recommended!

Thank you to the publisher who lent me a time-limited e-arc via Netgalley with no obligation. This review is optional and my own opinion.

Sable Island, Nova Scotia, is known for its many shipwrecks and served as a rescue station for surviving sailors, along with its wild horses. In 1946, Emma lives with her widowed father, but dreams of leaving the small island and going to college. She meets a British sea captain and falls instantly in love. 1995, Joanne has a special bond with her grandfather. She learns of a love her grandfather shared with a young woman.

Beautifully written historical fiction romance. Dual timeline. Emma faced so much in this book..love, lost dreams, betrayal and always hope. I enjoyed watching her grow from an unsure girl to a woman overcoming everything life has thrown at her. All characters are well developed. While fairly predictable, the story comes together nicely. It will transport you to this small, remote island where few live and many are saved. You can’t help but hope there is a happy ending for all involved.

I’ve read many of Ms. Maclean’s books, and while this isn’t my favorite, I found it enjoyable and highly recommend. Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.

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 heart and 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.

What a story set in a very interesting setting! I felt all the emotions when reading this book. Emma was a fantastic character. She's a mix of confident strong woman and shelter insecure child. I really enjoyed her character throughout the entire book. The story spans decades and had a lot of ups and downs. The thought that any one event can change the direction of your life. The story was well written. The setting was so well described that it felt like I could see it in pictures. I've liked a number of books by this author, but this one is absolutely one of the best. I received an advance copy and am voluntarily leaving a review.

All Our Beautiful Goodbyes by Julianne MacLean is a beautifully written story of one woman’s life and the people she has loved. For the most part true love evaded her. While she had a once in a lifetime love it never seems to work out at the time. There is much in this life that is uncontrollable which shows strongly with Emma. It is how one reacts and makes the best of life in spite of those uncontrollable events that matter. Looking back on this story Emma’s life was not bad just very, very different from what she had planned. Lesson to be learned from her.

The final events in Emma’s life show that it is never too late. I did so like how Joanna’s and Garrett’s is implied at the conclusion of the book. Still, who knows anything could happen. All Our Beautiful Goodbyes has unforgettable characters who face life with its goodbyes bravely.
4.5 Stars

I received an ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

This was a story that spanned over decades and historical in nature. Emma was a sheltered daughter of the superintendent of Sable Island who had big dreams. Her life however took some twists and turns.

A ship, a Captain, life choices, tragedy, and misunderstandings took Emma and Oliver on different paths but will they meet again?

5-star read of love, loss and resilience that I could not put down.

Thank you Netgalley for the honor to read and review this book!!!

All Our Beautiful Goodbyes by Julianne MacLean is a piece of historical fiction as well as a love story. Emma has lived on Sable her entire life. Sable is a small, crescent -shaped island off the coast of New Foundland and the small community that lives there is solely for the purpose of warning and rescuing ships that get caught in the reefs. Emma has just broken to her father that she has been accepted to a college on the mainland and he is heartbroken. Emma’s mother had died giving birth to her. It would be difficult to leave, but she wanted to learn. She wanted to become a psychiatrist. The last ship, as it turns out, to ever sink near Sable was the Belvedere, captained by Oliver Harris, who didn’t want to leave his ship until he found a missing man. The villagers forced him off. The story of this ship alone was enough. Emma fell in love. But, Harris was a married man and an honorable one, so when he left several days later, it was to be for good. Life got complicated for both of them and what happened made for a terrific story. Emma married and had a son; her husband got dragged off to jail, leaving Emma and Robert to fend for themselves. Oliver returned one time and promised to sort out his life and return with a ring, leaving her with a child in her womb.

Very sympathetic characters, even the bad guy. Written with the mastery of Julianne MacLean who holds good people close, and believes in love. The people involved all had good lives, but were in for some surprises, it seemed. The employees on the island were eventually laid off as new technology made them redundant. The overall plot was good. The story-telling was excellent. The history was fascinating and told well. If Sable did not really exist, places like it did. It was a wonderful book to read, full of surprises for these very likable people.

I was invited to read All Our Beautiful Goodbyes by Lake Union Publishing. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #LakeUnionPublishing #JulianneMacLean #AllOurBeautifulGoodbyes

I love historical fiction so I was thankful to receive an ARC of All Our Beautiful Goodbyes as I've never read anything by Julianne MacLean.

This is a well written book and MacLean's imagery of Sable Island has the reader feeling as though she is right there in the thick of the story. For me, MacLean's portrayal of Sable Island, is probably the best part of the book.

As for the characters, I just could not connect with them. I wanted so badly to fall in love with Emma, but I just could not. I had to keep reminding myself that Emma lived a very sheltered life, and her decisions were made because of her desire to leave the island and also because she lost her mom so young. I felt bad for her because her father didn't really support her dreams. He wanted her to remain on Sable Island, a remote island off the coast of Nova Scotia.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing via NetGalley for the ARC.

ALL OUR BEAUTIFUL GOODBYES by Julianne Maclean is an historical woman’s fiction story line focusing on two time periods (1946-55, and 1995) in the life of Emma Clarkson-Baxter.

Told from several omniscient third person perspectives including Emma Clarkson and Joanna Griffin, ALL OUR BEAUTIFUL GOODBYES begins in 1946, one year after the end of WWII, when a ship wreck near the shores of Sable Island, near Nova Scotia Canada would place Emma Clarkson on a journey towards her future, a future that diverges along numerous paths. Meeting Captain Oliver Harris stirred something in the then twenty-one year old Emma’s heart but Captain Oliver Harris was married, twelve years her senior, and a man whose lived his life circumventing the world. A new man would bounce into our heroine’s life but a man whose secrets are about to destroy all of Emma’s happiness for the future.

Fast forward to 1995, a young woman name Joanna Griffin would begin a search into her grandfather’s history, a history that brings her face to face with Emma Clarkson-Baxter, and the secrets our heroine has kept close to her heart.

ALL OUR BEAUTIFUL GOODBYES is a slow building story focusing on several heart breaks and betrayals, not only for Emma but for the man she once loved. Secrets and lies would pull our couple apart, neither knowing of the other’s life changes, changes that would remain hidden for close to forty years. From birth to death, family and relationships, forgiveness and acceptance, ALL OUR BEAUTIFUL GOODBYES follows one woman through the heartbreak of betrayal, lost love and lies, in the face of renewed hope and revelations.



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