Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea Lib/E

Leah O'Connor is torn between the life she's currently living and the allure of a phantom life that can no longer be hers. Swept off her feet by the gentle charm of Lucas O'Connor, Leah's unexpected pregnancy changes the course of her carefree and nomadic existence. Over a decade and three children later, Leah is unraveling. She resents the world in which her artistic aspirations have been sidelined by the overwhelming demands of motherhood, and the ever-present rift between herself and her mother-in-law, Christine, is best dulled by increasingly fuller glasses of wine. Christine represents a model of selfless motherhood that Leah can neither achieve nor accept. To heighten the strain, Lucas's business venture, a trendy restaurant that honors his mother, has taken all his attention, which places the domestic demands squarely on Leah's shoulders. Seeking an ally in her sweet sister-in-law Amy, Leah shares a secret that, if made known to the wider family, could disrupt the curated ecosystems that keep the O'Connors connected. As Leah dances with the devil while descending further into darkness, her behavior becomes more erratic and further alienates her from both Lucas and the wider family. Leah's drinking threatens the welfare of her family, prompting Amy to turn to Christine for support. A duel for loyalty ensues. When the inevitable waves come crashing down, it's the O'Connor women who give Leah a lifeline: the truth of what they've all endured. But Leah alone must uncover the villain of her own story, learn how to ask for help, and decide if the family she has rejected will be her salvation or ultimate undoing. This masterful blend of book club and literary women's fiction offers a frank rebuttal to Wine Mom culture and is perfect for fans of Celeste Ng and Liane Moriarty. "This powerful debut is sure to resonate with readers who like complex family stories." --Library Journal

About the Author :
Originally from the Bay Area, Jessica Guerrieri lives in Davis, California, with her husband and three young daughters. Jessica has a background teaching special education but left the field to pursue a career in writing. Her debut novel, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, won the Maurice Prize for Fiction from her alma mater, UC Davis. With over a decade of sobriety, Jessica is a fierce advocate for addiction recovery. Connect with her online at jessicaguerrieri.net; Instagram: jessicaguerrieriauthor; X: @witandspitup; TikTok: @jessstayssober Mia Hutchinson-Shaw is a queer actor and voice artist based in NYC. She came to narration with a background in classical and period-drama theater and trained in the UK at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. When not performing, she is thrifting for her next outrageous, colorful clothing item, getting on her soap box about low-waste living, or hunting handmade jewelers for a new item for her collection of giant earrings.

Review :
A powerfully written page turner about impossible choices, motherhood and creativity, and the devastating results of using alcohol to fill the void. I read it in a single day, riveted to Leah's inexorable descent into addiction. A delicate and unblinking study of addiction and recovery, but most of all, an intense portrayal of the ways we lose ourselves to motherhood and how to find the impossible balance. A beautiful book! Every once in a while, a novel comes along that so completely encapsulates a piece of the human experience. Jessica Guerrieri's debut novel, BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA, does exactly that for both motherhood and alcoholism in a breathtaking story about the bonds and trauma of family, the struggle to retain a sense of self while parenting tiny humans, and the difficulties of marrying into a family with different values than the ones you were raised with. With a cast of characters so real that you'll swear you know them, this is the perfect read for fans of Celeste Ng and Liane Moriarty. Mothers of all ages will relate to Leah's desire to remember who she was before having children, as well as her perceived inability to live up to the standards of seemingly Stepford-perfect moms. Motherhood isn't necessarily every woman's dream. BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA tells the important story of a woman whose decision to marry and become a mother has been more complicated than she bargained for, leading her to feelings of self-doubt and guilt and addiction as escapism. This engaging and introspective tale expertly peels away the mysteries of addiction, painting a riveting portrait of how quietly it can start, persist, and destroy. A compelling story of vulnerability, family resentment, and second chances told in beautiful prose reminiscent of Ann Napolitano, Guerrieri's debut is not to be missed! This powerful debut is sure to resonate with readers who like complex family stories.