From the author of The Ingredients of Us comes a moving story about true love and heartbreak, mistakes and redemption, forgiveness and second chances.
Five years ago, marine biologist Abby Fisher made a mistake that cost her everything. Rather than face the consequences, she fled home to start anew—and built the career she’d always dreamed of. But when her research program runs out of funding, … program runs out of funding, she’s adrift once again and decides to return to the safe harbor of her family and friends.
Except nothing at home is how she remembered.
Her friendships are strained, her normally affectionate parents seem distant, and her once-great love story is now just a painful memory. What’s worse, she keeps running into the people she hurt years ago—and they aren’t ready to forgive her.
Abby is determined to atone for her mistakes, but she can’t seem to move beyond her guilt for a chance of future happiness. Can Abby learn to sail through the storm, or will she remain lost at sea?
Poignant and heartfelt, Keep Me Afloat asks the question: How can you expect forgiveness from others if you can’t even forgive yourself?
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Gold delivers a beautiful story about life, relationships and forgiveness. Wonderful characters and strong narrative drive this story. I highly recommend this book to fans of the genre.
This well told story provides an in-depth look at relationships. A look at how they begin, the hardships they face and how relationships evolve over time. The main character,Abby, is a marine biologist, who returns home after having fled four years earlier. As she tries to find peace with her return home the reader learns about why she left. The way the story is told is from the present with flashes back to the past. This story held my interest throughout and I enjoyed the satisfying conclusion. Thank you to the author and NetGalley for an advance reader copy of this story. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This was just an amazing book. I think my favorite part was after Abby moved back home and realized her parents weren’t the people she had always thought she knew. Yes, parents make mistakes and Abby realized that they were struggling just like she was to find their place. I thought after Abby discovered that she was finally ready to learn to forgive herself and like her parents, take a step in moving forward.
The book told the story of young Abby and the life and mistakes she had made and I didn’t realize until later how rough it was. It also told the story of Abby as an adult after the research job she had run out of funding and she decided to move back on to clean up the mess she had made before she left. Her parents helped her find a place to rent and she did find a job with a whale watching company. She finally started making friends and enjoying life once again. I don’t want to give to much of the book away but it was an eye-opener all that she had gone through, all that she was dealing with and finally finding the courage to make peace with everything.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and it was a book that had so much feeling, emotions, and I could feel her pain that is how good the writing was. This is for sure a book you want to put on your list of books to read.
Jennifer Gold’s Keep Me Afloat is fantastic! At its very basic this is a story about learning to forgive yourself, but it’s so much more than that.
There are whales and lots of other marine life that I learned quite a bit about, wonderful descriptions and characters that make you want to be their friend. Of course there are one or two I’d like to shake, but such is life…..
Abby is a sweet, but flawed character who tries hard to be everything that others need, even when it isn’t a good choice for her life. When she returns home, nothing is as remembered and her journey of discovery was one I greatly enjoyed. Abby’s finding of herself while still trying to stay true to her passion is heartbreaking yet sweet and inspiring.
If you like women’s fiction, small town settings and just sinking into a beautiful story, Keep Me Afloat is the read for you.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an ARC at my request. My thoughts on this are my own and happily given because I love this story!
“Let go of the past.” “If you waste all your time worrying about what’s over and done, you’ll never enjoy the time you have left.”
Abby is a marine biologist who longs for the ocean and sea life, especially the whales.
Her career is important to her.
She falls in love, but that gets in the way of life and off she runs in an attempt to forget.
She comes home a few years later to confront her past, but nothing is the same.
Will she be able to forgive herself for the mistakes of years gone by and begin to move forward?
I truly enjoyed this book and the ocean views, the lessons about the whales, and also the reminder that “life is short”.
Truly descriptive and well done!
I was captivated by this book after the first page. It was told in alternating time lines which was easy to follow. After reading this book, I kinda want to go whale watching.
I loved the story! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy
What a stunning, achingly beautiful novel about love, redemption, and whales.
Nothing is quite as it seems when marine biologist Abby Fisher returns home after a five-year absence. Jobless and broke, she brings with her a half empty U-haul and a trailer of guilt. As she struggles to find a new job on the ocean and face those she hurt, her true journey becomes solitary. Only by turning inward can Abby discover forgiveness and a second chance at love.
The ocean scenes are breathtaking–whales in the wild, people!–and the characters are rich. I especially love that KEEP ME ALOAT offers a new slant on something most of us struggle with: Can a woman successfully balance career and family? And if she puts family first, can she still honor the passion that defines her? Perfect book club fiction.
My Review of Keep Me Afloat by Jennifer Gold; published by Lake Union Publishing
I’m speechless! Keep Me Afloat by Jennifer Gold is an exceptional story of life, love, sacrifice, and the power of forgiveness. Abby, the protagonist, is a middle-aged woman questioning where she should be in her life. I was able to understand Abby’s insecurities all too well as I was in my thirties before graduating from college, marrying, and having my children. So much of this story touched my heart in countless ways. Jennifer masterfully created a story full of love and compassion for life. Intertwining the lives of whales into the story as a whole was brilliant. It worked! The beauty of the seas and the whale families will leave you breathless. I highly recommend Keep Me Afloat by Jennifer Gold.
#lakeunionpublishing
#jennifergold
Wonderful novel! I enjoyed the whole story. This was an emotional story about Abby and her husband Dennis. It explores the intricacies of their relationship. They have a safe and secure relationship but things begin to change for Abby over the years. I enjoyed the way that Abby’s life was depicted, including her relationships with her parents and her closest friends. I was engrossed by this whole story and surprised at times along the way.
Another great discovery
Rochelle B. Weinstein recommended this book. Since I love her writing, I got Keep Me Afloat through KU. At first I was a little confused and almost lost my patience and gave up. However, I stuck with it and got more into Abby’s world and then got to the part with the whales. How wonderful! My husband and I saw a whale as we drove on Highway 1 through Big Sur. Such beautiful and majestic animals, it was a humbling experience.
So, thank you, Jennifer Gold, for this wonderful book. And we will visit Port Townsend on day, soon I hope.
Jennifer Gold, author of The Ingredient of Us has written another winner. Keep Me Afloat. This title fits so well.
This is my second book by this author and I enjoyed it very much. There was parts that the synopsis talked about that I never truly saw.. Like friends and family not being the same toward her. To me her parents, while having problems of their own, were great to her. Her best friends were right there for her too. The only one that was indifferent toward her was a guy friend she fled from and in my opinion he had no right to be judging considering he was married as was Abby. Abby is the main character in this book and I did like her a lot. Her best friends, Chrissy and Nick, who were married to each other, opened their home to her when she needed them. Not that she lived with them mind you, but when she needed their moral support they were right there. I liked them both also.
Abby married the love of her life, Dennis, but to me it seemed he became somewhat of a jerk about her career. Though there too if she would have sit him down and really opened up to him about her feelings I believe he would have understood and be way more supportive. He was in the beginning and possibly would have been later after they married. But she didn’t and thus things happened.
Eli was a friend who Abby had many lunches with and even lied to Dennis about one night. They didn’t have a sexual affair but she sure did have a mental one and he would have if she would have. Eli was married with a child so I didn’t like him at all for wanting something besides what he already had. I do not believe in affairs so that made me dislike him because of his actions. He already had a very adventurous life so in my mind I kept wondering how many other women was he actually seeing in other countries. He was a professional photographer and did extensive travel whether his wife liked it or not. She was way more understanding than I would have been… Just saying.
This book had great characters. Great plot. Great emotions. Scenery descriptions. The job Abby had game much insight to the life of whales and in some places got very emotional. I learned some things that I had no idea about. There was one totally unexpected shock that made me have some very ugly tears. That and the part about the mother whale. No one abused them by the way, it was just a sad part of life. The descriptions in this book were done so well. It makes you feel like you are on the water, in the coffee shop or on the farm. It was just a very good book from start to finish.
Thank you to #NetGalley, #Lake Union and #Jennifer Gold for the ARC of this book. This is my own true review.
I gave it 4 stars and a high recommendation.
I was given this ARC in exchange for a honest review.
Jennifer Gold has written a beautiful book. It’s a story about love,loss,friendship and forgiveness,it is set mainly on the coast of the Pacific Northwest. The time line in this book alternates between two time lines, before and after. This normally annoys me but in this story it really does work. works.
I predict this will be a 2020 must read on a lot of lists.
Keep Me Afloat By Jennifer Gold
“We all have baggage,” he goes on. “Haven’t you realized that’s what the coffee is for? It facilitates conversation. It gives us the energy to unpack.”
Unpack and grab an extra cup of coffee because when you pick up Jennifer Gold’s Keep Me Afloat, you are going to want to stay awhile! Her fallible characters will warm your heart on this soul searching journey of love, loss, and healing! Life is messy and complicated and sometimes the baggage we carry around just gets too heavy to keep packed up.
Abby Fisher is lost and no matter how far she runs, she can’t seem to let go of the past. When the research study she is working on loses further funding, she knows it’s time to return home. She needs her family, her friends, but most of all she needs to close the wounds that after more than 4 years are still so raw.
Jennifer Gold’s engaging writing style, the smooth transition from past to present keeps her stories flowing easily. Her characters are broken but repairable, their story familiar yet original. Abby’s story could be anyone’s and that is what makes it so relatable. This is her second novel and as a HUGE fan of her first, The Ingredients of Us, I can’t be more excited to share Keep Me Afloat. It is every bit as extraordinary! She is easily one of my favorite new authors!
This book grabbed my attention from the beginning with the mysterious references to Abby’s past that prompted her to flee to California and away from her friends and family. The story starts with Abby returning home when the research program that she’s part of ends. As the story unfolds, we get glimpses of Abby’s past while following her on her struggle to rebuild her life in a place that holds painful memories. I really liked how the author wrote in a way that made the reader really feel Abby’s emotions (especially her angst while working at the bank and her elation when she was doing anything related to marine biology). Overall, I really enjoyed this book!
Very well written story about searching for forgiveness. Loved the marine biology aspect. Loved the characters. Good plot
4 stars. Will be looking into other books by this author.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own
Even though it took me a while to warm up and understand Abby, I ultimately enjoyed experiencing her journey. I thought the message of the importance of looking forward instead of backward was unmistakable, but not in an annoying or preachy manner. I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions of whale watching and felt Abby come alive when she talked about her passion. I also appreciated the emphasis on the importance of marine conservation. I am so glad to have found this author; her characters are real and relatable. For a full review, please visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union for a pre-release digital ARC of the book. All thoughts are my own.
This is a story that pulls at your heart strings! We know that something life altering happened in Abby Fisher’s life five years ago, but we don’t know what and that’s what kept me reading. I will say every guess I had about what happened was wrong.
This book alternates between 2008 to 2018. Abby follows her dreams to Alaska where she has a once in a lifetime research opportunity. Before she left, Abby had started a relationship with Dennis, a boy she knew from high school. One night while in Alaska she gets a phone call that Dennis is in the hospital and needs heart surgery. Thus the spiraling of Abby’s career begins. She never went back to Alaska.
I felt bad for Abby because she wanted to be in Alaska, but also with Dennis. She chose Dennis and ends up working at a bank. A job she never thought she would be doing. Then she meets Eli. I don’t want to spoil anything so I’ll leave it there!
This is a new to me author, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next.
Grab your copy on today! Happy Pub Day!
Abby Fisher has spent the past five years pursuing a career that she loves, but distancing herself from everyone, including those who love her. When the research program is shut down, Abby packs all her belongings and heads home, realizing that she needs to reconnect with her family and friends and deal with the mess she left behind before she can move forward in her life. When she arrives home, she finds that everyone she loves has changed and things aren’t as quite the way she remembered. The only constant is that her parents and her best friends love and support her, no matter what she decides.
Abby is a 35, but has no job, money, or prospects, but a ton of guilt. She knows she needs to move forward and find her path, but first she needs to deal with the consequences of her choices in the past, both the people she hurt and the guilt she carries. Her journey is a tough one, told in a dual timeline that explores her present, as well as the past that brought her to this point. As Abby makes new friends and embarks on a new career, she begins to make amends with those she hurt, and, just maybe, forgive herself.
KEEP ME AFLOAT is a story of second chances, love, family, and most of all, redemption…and whales. Jennifer Gold has written a wonderful story that has you rooting for Abby, a character who is well-developed that you feel all the emotions with her and I loved witnessing her growth. Her love of whales and pursuit of a career that focused on them, added another dimension to the novel. Gold’s love for the subject is clear. Abby and her story will stick with me for a long time to come.
#LakeUnionPublishing #NetGalley #KeepMeAfloat
Keep Me Afloat is a beautifully written story of love, loss and finding ones self. There was a plot twist that I didn’t see coming and it brought tears to my eyes. I also enjoyed how the author weaved in Pacific Northwest sea life.
Keep Me Afloat by Jennifer Gold
“How can you expect forgiveness from others if you can’t even forgive yourself”.
Keep me afloat is a heartfelt, complex and emotional story that takes place on the beautiful Olympic Peninsula in Port Townsend, Washington. Through this gorgeous backdrop, we meet our protagonist, Abby Fisher, a marine biologist who has become a shadow of herself, hiding behind her past and her mistakes, unable to move forward and move on, with this dark cloud of guilt constantly looming above her. The story moves through her process of self discovery, forgiveness and second chances.
The story is deep and complex that covers issues that was definitely relatable and realistic. It touches upon topics on forgiveness of self and others, marriage and fidelity, balancing family and career, reconnecting with the past and ideals of coming back home, and parent/child relationship to name a few.
Gold’s writing style is as easy as the ocean breeze – flows well, is addicting, full of memorable characters, well thought out plots and sub-plots, and is a story that will stay with you long after you have finished reading.
Jennifer Gold is a new author to me but certainly now will be an auto buy author and one to watch for.