Thank you Atria Books, #partner for the advanced copy of Habits of the Sea in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Atria Books
Published: July 7, 2026
Summary:
The second adult novel from New York Times bestselling author Shea Ernshaw, in which a woman rediscovers the mythical island she stumbled upon as a child—and the man she once met who apparently hasn’t aged—and must choose between the life she’s built and a love that defies the laws of time and nature.
The night Clay Lockhart’s wife dies, a violent storm tears their home—and the eight hectares of land beneath it—away from the Scottish coast, sending it adrift into the Atlantic. Thirty years later, twelve-year-old Ellie Mills discovers the fabled floating island off the coast of Nova Scotia and finds Clay still living in the weatherworn farmhouse perched on its highest hill.
When the island vanishes overnight, Ellie is left questioning whether it ever existed at all. But decades later, now in her thirties, the island resurfaces—and Ellie returns, determined to uncover the truth. What she finds is even Clay hasn’t aged a single day.
Faced with the impossible, Ellie learns that some mysteries aren’t meant to be solved—and that a life shaped by wonder may hold more promise than one bound by certainty.
Spanning centuries and coastlines, Habits of the Sea is a haunting, romantic journey through time, memory, and the invisible tides that pull us home.
My thoughts:
At this point, I think it’s pretty safe to say, if Shea Ernshaw writes adult fiction, I’m absolutely reading it. I loved her last adult book, A History of Wild Places, and this one will absolutely go down as a favorite, too!!
From the opening section, I knew this was going to be a special book…and boy did this book deliver! I was entranced the entire time I was reading this, completely swept away by the pull of this island, the folklore the author weaves in, as well as the ecological themes and magical realism.
This book is equal parts moody, atmospheric and haunting, with an immersive story that spans centuries and coastlines. I am still in awe of how the time travel worked…yet I couldn’t have loved it more and am already thinking about when I’m going to read this again, because I definitely know I will, many times!
I cannot recommend this one enough. It just might be my favorite book of the year…so far!!
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