Effective public engagement in the marine environmental sciences depends on the ability to communicate clearly and meaningfully with audiences beyond disciplinary boundaries. However, many scientists receive little training in writing for general or cross-disciplinary readerships, creating challenges in making complex ideas clear and engaging. Here, I explore book reviews as an accessible entry point for developing science communication skills that support broader public engagement. Drawing on my experience as Editor of the Limnology and Oceanography Bulletin, I use writing book reviews as a case study to illustrate how researchers can learn to distil key messages, evaluate relevance, structure content for readability, and connect specialised topics to wider themes. Importantly, I also reflect on common pitfalls encountered, and how they can be addressed. These pitfalls include overly descriptive and summary-driven writing that lacks insight, the use of technical language that excludes non-specialist readers, and difficulties in articulating why a topic matters beyond a narrow field. By sharing both effective strategies and less successful outcomes, these reflections contribute to ongoing conversations about improving science communication practices. The development of writing skills by engaging with accessible formats such as book reviews supports more effective, reflective, and inclusive public engagement in marine sciences.