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jenbsbooks 's review for:

Beyond the Moonlit Sea by Julianne MacLean
4.0

I liked this a lot - I've read two by this author, and will look into her other books. 

I'm not totally sure what I was expecting, I'd skimmed the blurb, read something about a disappearance and the Bermuda Triangle, so I was prepared for a little paranormal, but there wasn't really any.

Included in Kindle Unlimited, with text and audio, I went with the audio edition but had the text there for reference. I did double check the Table of Contents with the time/POV (&narrator) switched. Sometimes I just need that quick visual reference ... "ok, there are going to be three different POVs, they are NOT switching every-other  chapter, Melanie is 1986, so some years before Olivia's POV in 1990 ...). The POV was listed in the TOC in the Kindle ... not in Audible (boo!), the dates were not listed (boo!) I was glad I had the Kindle copy to double check as I got just a bit confused at the switch up (it is there, but in audio,  it can be such a quick statement, hard to register the date sometimes).  I don't have a physical copy to see if it even has a TOC (I've noticed 90% of print copies don't). 

So as mentioned, we had a couple chapters from Olivia's POV in 1990 setting up the story outlined in the blurb. Then shift in POV and time, back to 1986 and another narrator (all 1st person/past tense) Melanie. We bop between the two women ... Dean seems to be a connection, but it was a bit confusing because in Olivia's timeline he's a pilot, whereas he's Melanie's therapist. That seems a rather large switch ... is this the same Dean? Is there some paranormal/parallel universe? Yes and no.   Chapter 11 had Dean taking a turn and telling the story (male narrator) and then it just moves between him and Melanie for a while, and when Olivia's POV comes in again ... it's back in time in 1986 also.  It actually wasn't that hard to follow (I just like a TOC reference at a glance). And yes, honestly, I guess I can see how a TOC with POV/Date COULD be a spoiler ...

There were some "Questions for Discussion" which I really appreciate. It's like having a mini-bookclub in my mind. Bringing up some things perhaps I'd missed. Making me delve a little deeper. Ponder some points. I think this WOULD be a good bookclub book.  

There were some times with Melanie that were a little uncomfortable - the dependence, self-worth issues (personally rather than being demanding, I just check out, the only gift I can give is my absence). Things to think about with Olivia - when a death isn't absolutely certain, how do you move on. Even if it is, how hard is a second relationship after a death (I've been watching one, a super in love family/tragic loss, now he's in a new relationship, the "if the 1st love walked in right now, who would you choose" question, the "what ifs") ... the discussion questions brought up what ifs ...

Content: No proFanity, some sex but nothing explicit.