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hsecen's review
3.5
I'm going back and forth on this rating. The writing was well done, and the description of the location was great but the characters themselves just confused the heck out of me. Like there were things that both endeared me to them and also annoyed me and made me want to shake some sense into them. I don't know if that's because they're human and everyone is layered and complex (in which case well done on putting that all to words and in the entire cast of characters), or if these were just slightly annoying characters (in which case, please give me characters I can really root for). It was hard to feel attached to all the characters at first but I did find myself kinda rooting for them at the end. Overall, just unsure about my feelings towards this book. Maybe it'll confuse you too
jgorkaya15's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
readingonmountains's review
4.0
When Amelia Kelly plans a weekend getaway on idyllic Mun'dai (Lady Lushington Island) for her extended family she gets more than she bargains for! The family is vacationing on an isolated eco-aboriginal island in Queensland together celebrating Matty & her wife Parker's move back home to Australia. The couple is looking forward to being closer to the Kellys as they start their family together. When a nearby volcano erupts, the family is left stranded together with their island host Liss & Jarrah, their island guide for six weeks.
This is when the dynamics between the family members get interesting! Relationships break apart, secrets are unveiled and new relationships are formed. Pretty much what you would expect with a small group of 9 people stranded together for an extended period of time. We also get a lot of steam & romance!
I loved the descriptions of the natural world, the birds, plants native to Australia. I loved the traditional stories and ceremonies we learn from Jarrah. Most of all I really enjoyed the underlying & unconditional love in this story between the characters.
I really enjoyed this story and how it wrapped up in the end.
Thank you Netgalley, Atria/Emily Bestier Books for the advanced copy & Georgia Clark for an entertaining read.
This is when the dynamics between the family members get interesting! Relationships break apart, secrets are unveiled and new relationships are formed. Pretty much what you would expect with a small group of 9 people stranded together for an extended period of time. We also get a lot of steam & romance!
I loved the descriptions of the natural world, the birds, plants native to Australia. I loved the traditional stories and ceremonies we learn from Jarrah. Most of all I really enjoyed the underlying & unconditional love in this story between the characters.
I really enjoyed this story and how it wrapped up in the end.
Thank you Netgalley, Atria/Emily Bestier Books for the advanced copy & Georgia Clark for an entertaining read.
evarano's review
1.0
DNF
I skimmed this but wasn’t interested in the first 10%. I loved the authors last book, It Had To Be You, but this was such a letdown. Too much going on, too many POVs but mostly just boring, unlikeable characters and storylines. How is there a major disaster but they still have internet and everything? Also, this was so slow and long, way too long. I was uninterested in everything and the characters nicknames were so cringey. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free preview in exchange for an honest review.
I skimmed this but wasn’t interested in the first 10%. I loved the authors last book, It Had To Be You, but this was such a letdown. Too much going on, too many POVs but mostly just boring, unlikeable characters and storylines. How is there a major disaster but they still have internet and everything? Also, this was so slow and long, way too long. I was uninterested in everything and the characters nicknames were so cringey. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free preview in exchange for an honest review.
cobaltbookshelf's review against another edition
3.0
Island Time was just all around FUN! From the setting to the characters, family dynamic was keeping the story moving at even the slow parts. If you are looking for a book to escape with for a while, pick this one up!
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
crousecm's review against another edition
3.0
This book was messy and I didn’t love any of the characters.
jlinvill1's review
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
There were over 7 pov in this book so it was hard to keep track of who’s who and to dive fully into any characters emotional journey. They tried to tackle a lot of topics - but didn’t give any enough time to fully do it right.
rainbowbookworm's review
3.0
2.5 stars rounded up.
There was way too much family drama and way to many couples with their own issues for this to feel like a romantic comedy. The romance is one of a handful of plot lines and it feels as if they all had equal billing. I also struggled with the island's geography and biodiversity.
I appreciate that the publisher gave me access to a digital ARC; I ended up also listening to the audiobook once it was published and my opinion did not change.
There was way too much family drama and way to many couples with their own issues for this to feel like a romantic comedy. The romance is one of a handful of plot lines and it feels as if they all had equal billing. I also struggled with the island's geography and biodiversity.
I appreciate that the publisher gave me access to a digital ARC; I ended up also listening to the audiobook once it was published and my opinion did not change.
girlpant44's review
3.0
This was not at all what I had been expecting to read. When I read the synopsis I thought it was going to be a typical cute romance with a little bump in the road and then they keep going. This book way very heavy with almost every single character having a life crisis of some kind (except Randall who was just living his best life; good for him). Not a bad book at all, fun, funny and definitely some real world problems. Not what I expected, but not bad either!