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Like Sapphire Blue Paperback – April 27, 2022

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 61 ratings

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“Your eyes are amazing. I’ve never seen a blue like that.”

Emma Landry is tough, independent, beautiful, and smart. Being an outcast unable to identify with her classmates, she was willing to do whatever it takes to climb her way out of poverty.

“What color would you say they are?”

Like Sapphire Blue

Having never known a mother’s love, her father “Bear”, raised her on the wrong side of the tracks in a wealthy town.

When success beckons, the woman she’s been in love with is, finally, within her grasp. Life is now worth living and loving.

That is, until a dark family secret is revealed. A secret tied into the very fabric of who she is, and what she spent a lifetime working to overcome.

Faced with a foundation shattering treachery, Emma finds herself at the crossroads. Can she overcome a destiny stronger than death, destitution, and murder, to prove she is more than just her father’s daughter? Or will this new knowledge lead her to destroy the world she’s spent a lifetime building?
"All the Little Raindrops: A Novel" by Mia Sheridan for $10.39
The chilling story of the abduction of two teenagers, their escape, and the dark secrets that, years later, bring them back to the scene of the crime. | Learn more

Editorial Reviews

Review

Review from Marie Joy for Reedsy
Loved it!
Want one of those stories that'll stay in your mind for a while because of how thought-provokingly awesome it is? Read "Like Sapphire Blue"!
Like Sapphire Blue follows the life of protagonist Emma Landry, a forlorn misfit struggling to figure out her place in the world. It should be said upfront that although the premise sounds similar to that of young adult novels, this is very much an adult novel, full of teenage angst, but also deeper themes of generational trauma, family secrets, and homophobia.

The story begins with Emma having dinner with her wife, trying to determine where things went wrong between them. During this dinner, she reminisces about her life growing up as a poor, trailer-dwelling child with no family other than her father and uncle, her mother having run off when she was a baby. She struggles to remain invisible, a loner until she's cruelly bullied in middle school--an event that will, unfortunately, follow her throughout her entire life.

Like Sapphire Blue captures the struggle of many children who just don't quite fit in while growing up, but especially sympathizes with the plight of the LGBTQ+ community--especially in the United States of the 90s and early 2000s, before marriage equality was legalized and more LGBTQ+ voices began to gain traction and people finally began to listen to them. Author Marisa Billions manages to tackle these issues, along with issues of parental abandonment, life-altering family secrets, and overcoming the environment people are raised in with unflinching looks into people's psyches. It's a lot to process, but Billions does it well, never feeling like she's exaggerating things simply for dramatic effect or dumping so many difficult issues into her plot that they end up only partially explored and unresolved. Emma and the supporting characters feel like real people, with real struggles, and real flaws. I couldn't wait to keep reading to see what came next, and boy, was I in for a ride, devouring the last third of the book furiously to find out how Emma would deal with the final major event of the story in which she was entangled.
Nevertheless, this is only Billions' second novel, so I'm looking forward to reading more from her in the future.Marisa Billions'
Like Sapphire Blue is one of those stories that will take up real estate in my mind for a while as I continuously mull over the agony, the pain, and the love explored, and I imagine it will stay with other readers as well.

Reviewed by Amy Lignor for Reader Views (05/2022)
I first "met up" with Marisa Billions' amazing talent when reading her novel, "This Too Shall Pass." An amazing book with memorable characters, that debut was extremely difficult to put down. So, when I was told that a second book had arrived, I was more than excited. What I wasn't ready for, however, was an even better book that offered me romance, mystery, suspense, incredible characters, and emotions that ran so deep the story actually changed my thoughts on some aspects of life, while strengthening my own beliefs regarding others. It was as if Ms. Billions knew exactly what her characters had to present in order to make a perfect read, and then completely succeeded in her task.
In "Like Sapphire Blue," readers get to feel like they're sitting in a cinema watching the path of the main character, Emma Landry, play out before their eyes. At first sight, we spot a ritzy dining room with an elegant meal laid out on a stunning table. We see the crown moldings decorating the wealthy dining area, and two women sitting in complete silence. It's an awkward stillness; it is a scene showing the irreparable damage existing between a married couple, once madly in love, now trying to just get through a meal.
Emma has a brain running non-stop while wishing her wife would at least look up and acknowledge her in some way. Emma is hurt, and she is going over the pictures and events of her past, attempting to wrap her head around the moment in time where the once loving relationship she had with her wife turned into this emotional upheaval that just doesn't feel like it works anymore. She's desperate to understand when the glitter faded from the rose.
While trying to find answers, Emma goes back in time, unveiling her early life to us all. We feel for her while watching Emma grow up being raised by men. Her mother had disappeared into the night, so to speak, when she was only a baby, leaving Emma with a father, an uncle, and a life of mediocrity. Calling a trailer "home," Emma lives in meager, deprived circumstances on the "other side of the tracks" in a wealthy town. All she wants is to crawl into a hole and stay there. Call her what you will—a rebel, a loner—Emma is alone in her world and wants to keep it that way. Unfortunately, the path of a bully crosses Emma's path when she's only a pre-teen and adds a darkness to her life that makes loneliness seem like a goal she'd like to achieve again...but the nightmarish realities of the world will not just let her be.
We follow Emma as she opens the doors to the courageous yet harsh world that LGBTQ individuals must deal with daily; we see the inequality and bullying they experience from the small minds and even smaller hearts of those who think their morals and beliefs are the only ones that matter. And although this ridiculous "punishment" continues in this world against all creeds, colors, and sexual preferences today, we also see the positives that have come from legalized marriages and a new generation standing up, coming out, and voicing their love for one another no matter what the small-minded still choose to preach.
When Emma uncovers mysteries—secrets buried within her own family tree—and her world once again hits emotional turmoil, the story grows even more intense. And when the finale comes along, readers, you will quite literally gasp at what the writer brings together to culminate in one of the most memorable endings ever written.
I will never forget Emma, her father "Bear," and the wealth of supporting characters in this one. The wealthy town, the wrong side of the tracks - all of it reminded me of various aspects of my own life - and the independence, intelligence, and all out strength of Emma will inspire me for a long, long time to come. I can't wait for Marisa's next story!

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Mirador Publishing (April 27, 2022)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 302 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1914965574
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1914965579
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.76 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 61 ratings

About the author

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Marisa Billions
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Marisa Billions is a high school English teacher in Southern California. She holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Criminology. She is the author of the fiction novels, This Too Shall Pass and Like Sapphire Blue, Into the Blue Again, and Till Death Do You Part. She is working on her upcoming fifth novel. Like Sapphire Blue and Into the Blue Again both were awarded 5 Star Editorial Review Awards with Reader Views. Like Sapphire Blue also won grand prize for best literary fiction in the 2023 Reader Views contest and Book Fest Awards. She lives in Southern California with her wife, Stephanie and son Alexander and three dogs, Max, Bonnie, and Tinsley.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
61 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book entertaining and well-written. They appreciate the intriguing story with unexpected plot twists that keep them hooked from start to finish. The characters are well-developed with memorable personalities and a villain they root for. Readers praise the pacing and writing quality as excellent, making it an enjoyable read from beginning to end.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

12 customers mention "Readability"12 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well-written and entertaining. They say it's a great book for sapphics and worth their time. The characters are memorable and fully developed.

"...Emma is beautiful, a brilliant student, a top-notch athlete, and a passionate lover. She’s also a flawed character...." Read more

"...Every character is completely developed, and Billions makes them unforgettable...." Read more

"I bought this book with out read the back and WOW what a book. As you go through Emma's life you see she is raised dirt poor...." Read more

"...Excellent writing and a lot of reading pleasure are guaranteed." Read more

11 customers mention "Twists"11 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the twists in the story. They find the book captivating from the beginning with its mystery and drama. The plot turns are amazing and grip their attention throughout.

"...It’s a love story, a success story, a story about overcoming prejudice and bullying, and it’s a tragedy in the Shakespearean sense...." Read more

"This story captivated me from the beginning. There's an aura of mystery from the start, as we find the main character trying to get answers from her..." Read more

"...Until the meet the third time. A wonderful story and unexpected turns, you will go through all the emotions. You cheer Emma on you want to help her...." Read more

"...From the very beginning, I felt a kind of sense of mystery, surprised at times, and twists that grabbed my attention and fascinated me throughout..." Read more

6 customers mention "Character development"6 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the character development. They find Emma an intriguing character who they root for to the end. The author paints a villain in Rhys, and the real hero of the story is Emma.

"...That said, Emma is an intriguing character who we root for to the end...." Read more

"...She especially paints a villain in Rhys, and you hope that he will not be Emma's undoing throughout the novel...." Read more

"...The secondary characters are also fascinating in their own way. Excellent writing and a lot of reading pleasure are guaranteed." Read more

"...the power of the emotionally rich and detailed character development takes over completely...." Read more

3 customers mention "Pacing"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging from start to finish. They describe it as a vibrant story that draws them in from the cover and takes them by surprise. The story is described as deeply moving and fascinating, a love story.

"This is a deeply moving and darkly fascinating story, a love story that proceeds with foreboding and the sense that the next thing that happens will..." Read more

"...Brilliantly written and addictive! A vibrant story that draws you in from the cover and takes you by surprise...." Read more

"What can I say but READ THIS BOOK! I was drawn in from beginning to end...." Read more

3 customers mention "Writing quality"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the writing quality. They say it's excellent and provides reading pleasure.

"...That’s the sign of an excellent writer. Marisa Billions's prose grabbed me from the first page and held me all the way...." Read more

"...Excellent writing and a lot of reading pleasure are guaranteed." Read more

"As the story unfolded, I never imagined the possibilities. Brilliantly written and addictive!..." Read more

I was very invested at the end
5 out of 5 stars
I was very invested at the end
What I wanted to happen didn’t happen, but I guess I can’t always get what I want. It took me some time to get invested in this book, but around the 60-70% mark I was very very very invested. Overall, I was super entertained.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2022
    Let me just say at the outset, Like Sapphire Blue is a terrific read. Emma Landry’s story is captivating, full of highs and lows, and it keeps you glued to the page. It’s a love story, a success story, a story about overcoming prejudice and bullying, and it’s a tragedy in the Shakespearean sense.

    Emma is beautiful, a brilliant student, a top-notch athlete, and a passionate lover. She’s also a flawed character. Her temper sometimes gets her through some tough spots, and it causes her to make poor choices that come back to haunt her. That said, Emma is an intriguing character who we root for to the end.

    I have no real-life experience that matches hers, but I felt her plight deeply. That’s the sign of an excellent writer. Marisa Billions's prose grabbed me from the first page and held me all the way. Emma and her trials stayed with me even when life intervened, and I was forced to put down the book.

    We encounter many characters here you want to hug, and a few you want to punch in the face. I could feel Emma’s rage, anxiety, and happiness right along with her. And those feelings stayed with me well after I turned the last page. Warning, although I wasn’t personally affected by them, there are some major triggers to deal with in Like Sapphire Blue. Just like real life.

    Billions adroitly manages the constant shifts between the present and the past allowing us to see what drives Emma and to understand her hopes and fears. The novel is full of surprises, twists, disappointments, and triumphs. I must admit to feeling trepidation whenever things seemed to be going too well for Emma as I waited for something awful to happen to disrupt her life.

    The point is, while I suppose Like Sapphire Blue is not your standard beach read, it is definitely a must-read. I recommend it highly.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2022
    This story captivated me from the beginning. There's an aura of mystery from the start, as we find the main character trying to get answers from her wife and not getting them. You know there's something really deep going on, right from the start.

    The author expertly goes from the present to the past where we get the protagonist, Emma's, back story. Her life growing up is also shrouded in mystery, but it's also not a happy one. I found myself not only immersed in this compelling character, but also sympathetic toward the life she led.

    Every character is completely developed, and Billions makes them unforgettable. From Emma to Bailey to Rhys, each has their own incredible story and their personalities fill the pages. She especially paints a villain in Rhys, and you hope that he will not be Emma's undoing throughout the novel.

    Finally, this book has a complete twist that left me gasping. No spoilers here, but it took me by utter surprise and also tied up so many loose ends.

    I recommend this book to everyone!!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2024
    I couldn’t put it down! Looking forward to read the next book.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2023
    I bought this book with out read the back and WOW what a book. As you go through Emma's life you see she is raised dirt poor. She wants to make a better life for herself so she works hard on her grades. But live is not always that easy there is always speed bumps. Junior high it starts and stay with her whole life. Don't want to give the story away. Bailey is the love of her life. But she learns to let it go. Until the meet the third time. A wonderful story and unexpected turns, you will go through all the emotions. You cheer Emma on you want to help her. A feeling of being a real person. This is an awesome story can't wait to read the next book.
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2022
    This story captivated me right from the cover. It was hard to put the book down. From the very beginning, I felt a kind of sense of mystery, surprised at times, and twists that grabbed my attention and fascinated me throughout the book.

    The real hero of the story is Emma. A complex character of a brilliant, beautiful, and outcast person. Her life is shrouded in mystery, her decisions are not always right. The secondary characters are also fascinating in their own way.

    Excellent writing and a lot of reading pleasure are guaranteed.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2024
    I understand why there was (so much) backstory. I wasn't sure if Billions wanted the reader to understand what was happening in the present time right away, but it didn't take but about two scenes into the present for me to realize it. (Maybe chalk that up to watching WAY TOO MANY cop, forensic pathology, and detective shows!) However, the book was engaging enough for me to finish...mainly because I wanted to see how it unfolded. And so psychological thriller is an appropriate characterization. It seemed somewhat unrealistic that one of the MCs maintained a bond with her cruel ex. (And cruel doesn't begin to cover it.) Bottom line: I'm going to read the next book (sequel) to this one.
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2022
    This is a deeply moving and darkly fascinating story, a love story that proceeds with foreboding and the sense that the next thing that happens will be bad. I wasn't drawn into it the way you usually are by such a story, but that was merely a technical thing. The first few times the author establishes the setting, there are just too many details to winnow through to easily get to the good parts. Settings should be painted more like a quickly dashed-off watercolor than an intricately detailed oil painting. But once you are through the oil paintings, the power of the emotionally rich and detailed character development takes over completely. Emma, especially, but also Baily and the villainous Rhys are layered and complex characters that ring true even though the reader has most likely never encountered such people in real life. They are authentic as if they are based on real people the author knows personally. This is a compelling love story that reminds one of The Great Gatsby and other similar tragic tales that have become classics. I strongly recommend this book.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2024
    Unsure what to expect from an author I found on TikTok but pleasantly surprised by this well written book. Would recommend.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Karen Inkle
    5.0 out of 5 stars A must read!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 17, 2022
    Emma was raised by her dad, the subject of her mother taboo and never discussed. Her curiosity grew and she was determined to find out more about her mother and why she abandoned her. The revelation of a dark secret impacted her life in more ways than one!
    This is one of those books that you know could develop into a great series as the story can continue along so many paths. A fantastic piece of writing that captivates you from the start, jumping between past and present that takes you full circle giving a great insight into Emma's life, her upbringing and an understanding for her behaviour. Emma journeys through times of darkness and light, experiencing the polar opposites of blissful joy and utter misery, deceipt and finally tradegy. A moving story that stirs the emotions, with plenty of twists and turns where intrigue drives you on to read the next chapter. Very well written, can't wait for the next, great job by a talented author!
  • josephine huet
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another good read !
    Reviewed in France on July 20, 2022
    This is the author’s second book— This too Shall Pass being her first.
    Once I got used to the short passages where the reader is brought suddenly into the present for only a few paragraphs, I enjoyed the story.
    The characters were believable, and I kept turning those pages, eager to see how the book ended. The more I read, the more I felt I knew where the story was going—as we never had any conversation between the two main characters.
    It’s cleverly written and perfect for a good afternoon read.
  • S E J
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wow not what i expected
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 24, 2022
    This story blew my mind!
    Hooked from the first page, we follow Emma as she sits and tries to talk to her wife over dinner. We learn about her life through a series of flashbacks. You're drawn into Emma life as she tries to understand why she is different and where she comes from and follow her as she finds herself.
    What i thought was going to be a coming of age story turns into something a lot deeper. I'm so glad i picked this book up. The authors writing engages you so deeply that you dont want to put the book down. The way she makes you connect with Emma and feel what she feels is refreshing. Well written and definitely worth the read. I'll definitely reas more from this author. Recommend.