I feared this was going to be a saccharine read, however, the story of the way two people meet, the love two people share and their mutual passion for the natural world is delicately and tenderly told, while also standing as an eloquent piece of advocacy for the right to choose when to die.

This book was a different read for me, and not one I would have picked myself. I read it for book club, and I ended up liking the book as a whole. I will say there are a few love scenes in it that made me blush, or I felt like I was interrupting something, but other than that it's a good romance. It took me to some interesting geographical places in my mind that I really enjoyed; and I loved the outdoorsy feel of the book with all of the camping, kayaking, etc. I think it's a great summer read, and I came to really enjoy (and now miss) the characters.

A light, easy read. I enjoyed the crow and turtle stories. My biggest complaint was that she was a little too perfect.

I gave it three stars because it was an easy and mostly entertaining read. There really wasn't much to it though and the author's take on love and relationships seems a bit rose-colored. I enjoyed the bits about turtles and crows, though. That made the book worthwhile for me.

I thought when I read the jacket I would be reading a story about a couple's love for the outdoors and how it formed their relationship. Unfortunately, I could not finish this book. It starts off with the death of Mary and then goes into Mary and Cobb meeting and falling in love.

100 pages in, it is three days from when they first met, and I'm dreading picking up the book to read more. Love at first sight might happen, but I don't believes it does. Relationships between couples have to grow and develop before finding deep, everlasting love.

The book has gotten very good reviews in GoodReads, so I won't go on about why I didn't like this book.

I would say if you like love stories, fairy tales, believe in love at first site, then you will enjoy "Eternal on the Water."

What a beautiful love story. If only we could all be loved as much as Cobb and Mary loved each other. Glorious journey!

I found this book very hard to finish. Monninger is a wonderful writer. He creates honest, intriguing characters but the interactions between these characters I found very disingenuous. The plot felt forced and ultimately I could never get enveloped in what probably could have been a heart-wrenching story.

This is a book for fans of backpacking and travel (Yosemite, Indonesia, Maine), and Nicholas Sparks-esque love stories. The love story of Mary and Cobb will stay with you for a very long time. Joseph Monninger renders a powerful story that captures the beauty of nature and human relationships, while also considering a number of powerful political/moral issues. He is a master of imagery and knows how to bring you into a setting. I really loved Monninger's focus on animals and myth; it has inspired me to learn more about the folklore surrounding my favorite animals like bears and otters.

The middle of the book was a bit stifled by overwrought and redundant scenes of kissing and sex; I'm just so thankful that there wasn't any real baby talk. Also, I am not sure that I liked the ending of the book being spoiled in the first few pages either, because it really affected how I processed the story overall.

It is an emotional ride; I recommend to those who like a good tug on the heartstrings.

Loved this book... one of my top 5 books of all time.

This book depicts Love in its rawest form. Passionate, honest and bold right from the start. I wonder how many of us would be brave enough to pursue this love knowing from the start that it would end in tragedy. I wonder how many of us would be able to let go at the end in the way that Cobb did. We could all learn so much from this special couple. We should all be living our lives to the fullest every single day. We aren’t promised tomorrow and not one of us is immune to death. Love hard, be true to yourself and enjoy every moment!