It’s summer time, so that means at least some time set aside for travelling vicariously to exotic, warm, beautiful and, above all, romantic locations via the pages of a novel and dreamily inserting myself into the shoes of whatever lucky heroine is falling head over heels for a bronzed Adonis between its covers. Love on the Island is a book designed specifically to fulfil this need and it does so absolutely brilliantly.

This book, in particular, allowed me to really identify with its main protagonist, India, as I could see a lot of my qualities in her (overbearing, eldest child, Type A personality, control freak, anyone?) so she immediately had my sympathy. Ambitious over planner who hates it when things don’t work out according to the script? That’s me… I feel for you, Indi! What is the best thing that could possibly take your mind off the fact your sister is making life choices that are the exact opposite of the ones you would make? Meeting a sexy, bronzed Greek god of a man on an exclusive, sun-drenched island, obviously. Not dissing my own, foreign-born beloved (albeit it slightly more palely Irish than bronzed, but still hunky) but I really enjoyed falling in love (and lust) with Mikhos alongside Indi and praying that she would make the right choices, which aren’t always the sensible ones, obviously!

I really enjoyed this book, particularly because the author doesn’t make Indi completely change her personality in order to get what she wants and deserves from life. Too often, romantic heroines have to shed their entire previous character in order to find love, realise they’ve been living their whole lives wrong and throw caution to the winds. This may make for fun reading but, not only is it unrealistic, it is impossible for people like me to fully imagine ourselves in those shoes and be really swept away because we know that we simply could not do it. So, this book really worked for me in blending the escapist romance I crave with a story that is actually believable. That is proper escapism as far as I’m concerned.

Alongside this, there are gorgeous locations, a delightful exploration of sisterhood and family that really spoke to me and a gentle story that swept me away in an undemanding way that was just what I needed in the moment, having had an intense weekend and just having come out of a particularly complex and demanding read. This book was like relaxing back onto a towel under a warm sun with san between your toes and the sound of lapping waves in your ears and feeling ever muscle in your body just melt free of tension when you can’t actually get yourself into that situation in reality. A perfect summer book.

Rating 3.5/5

I feel like there should be a warning at the start of this book because all I want to do now is pack up my life and move to a luxurious villa on a Mediterranean island, alas I shall just have to live vicariously through the characters of Love on the Island. I was kind of expecting a sweet light-hearted romance with a few misunderstandings along the way but actually got a lot more than I bargained for.

Whilst there is romance in the air, the story is also about two sisters and how their relationship changes as they both discover more about themselves, I really loved that especially as it was a dual POV and we got to read from both of their perspectives. Both Indi and Jade are imperfect characters but even when they are frustrated with each other and convinced that the other is wrong, they understand each other, and it was great to see them both grow throughout the story.

Indi was not the easiest to warm to initially because she is so focused, we eventually discover the reasons why and I found that the more I read the more I could relate to her. I liked that she brought out a lot of feelings at one moment I was cheering her on for doing something bold and unexpected but then I was also rolling my eyes at her not being able to help herself and getting involved in Jade’s job or finding her very infuriating because she can’t let go a little.

Jade is kind of the opposite of Indi, she doesn’t have a life plan set out and seems more willing to go with the flow. She has a few hurdles to overcome in the book which isn’t helped by a lack of confidence in herself but thankfully that gets better the further we get into the book.

I did enjoy the romance, I liked that there was more than one to focus on, all the more to daydream about. It did mean that separately they weren’t explored as deeply as the relationship between Indi and Jade, but they were fun to read. There were some tropes that I heartily enjoyed and some more apparent miscommunications for a bit of drama, but that is what I am looking for in a romance and a setting that can only add to the romantic atmosphere.

This is an enjoyable read and great for some easy-going escapism.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW


Review for 'Love On The Island' by Jessica Gilmore.


Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Jessica Gilmore, Orion and Rachel's Random resources Tours


Publication date 4th July 2023.


HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY JESSICA!!!

This is the first book I have read by this author but it definitely won't be my last! .

This novel consists of 30 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!


This book is beautifully written and completely absorbs you in the stunning atmosphere of Greece and really sucks you in with the vivid descriptions leaving you feel the warmth of the the sun and smell of the sea. The synopsis and cover suits the storyline perfectly.

I have absolutely loved this stunning book by the amazing Jessica!! Honestly if you are ever in need of a break and fancy the gorgeous Greece then grab this stunner and prepare to be whisked away on a beautiful holiday!!! The storyline is authentic and realistic as well as easy to read and heartwarming. There was plenty of events going on throughout and it kept me hooked from start to end, I read it in one sitting while mainly sitting in the garden with the sun warming my legs at the same time Indi and Jade were being warmed by the sun in Greece making it feel like I was there even more than Jessica's evocative storytelling did. The storyline was filled with a range of emotions and was heartwarming and had love, relationships, family, friendship and much more all going on in this beautiful atmosphere. It felt like a lovely break away from Wales!! I loved how the story ended and I would love to read more about the life in the gorgeous island of Greece. I was absolutely devastated when I came to the end of this book as I was truly whisked away to Greece feeling the sand on my feet and looking at the stunning views. I absolutely loved the gorgeous atmosphere and am hoping to return in another of Jessica's books. This storyline was so heartwarming and it was such an easy and relaxing read that I just could not put it down and know you won't be able to either!! It ended absolutely perfectly and I would love to see more of the amazing characters soon!! Hint, hint Jessica 😉!!! The characters were all unique with their own realistic traits, strengths and weaknesses. It was intriguing to watch their friendships and relationships grow, develop and change throughout the the storyline. Jessica's amazing evocative writing skills brought them to life as much as possible and they all leapt out of the pages as well as the stunning atmosphere and the rest of the characters!!! Anyway, I best not say anymore as don't want to give anything else away for future readers!! It's just so easy talking about this fantastic book and so much I want to tell you all about but i really need to control myself!!! Needless to say I absolutely adored the majority of characters each for a different reason. All characters worked perfectly with the storyline and I would love to meet them again!!!



Well done Jessica on an absolutely gorgeous book!!! I will definitely be looking for your books any time I need to be swept off to another country!!! Welcome to my favourite author club and here's to your next success 🥂!!!



Overall an absolutely perfect light hearted, stunning unputdownable romance that will sweep you off your feet and land you in Greece.



290 pages.

This book is just £2.99 to purchase on kindle, free with kindle unlimited and £7.91 in paperback via Amazon or free on kindle unlimited which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5/5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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Indi Drewe is at a crossroads in her life and with her thirtieth birthday looming she decides, on the spur of the moment, to visit her younger sister, Jade, who is working on a privately owned Greek island. Worried that Jade is about to make a huge mistake by becoming engaged to her Greek boyfriend, Indi goes into 'big sister' mode in the hope of saving Jade from rushing into marriage. However, on Agios Iohannis, with its postcard perfect setting and with the warm Greek sunshine and gently lapping sea, Indi discovers that this idyllic Greek island, with its peace and tranquility, may be about to lead her own life in a whole new direction.

Love on the Island is a wonderful staycation read so that even if you’re not travelling to an idyllic Greek island this summer you can still experience all the sights, sounds and summery tastes of this wonderfully romantic story. The Greek setting is just so beautifully described that it makes you feel like you are there, sipping mocktails, with Indi and Jade in the beautiful island bar. The author has done a great job of bringing the story to life and I especially enjoyed the alternate chapters from both Indi and Jade’s perspective but it is in the burgeoning relationship between Indi and, island owner, Mikhos, where the hot summer romance really starts to sizzle.

Love on the Island is the perfect pick me up for a rainy British summer or better still on a Greek island soaking up the sunshine.

Indi is about to turn thirty and knows exactly where her life needs to be at this point in time, but when her boyfriend breaks up with her instead of proposing things are not going to plan.

But finding out her sister is engaged to a man she has only known for a few weeks, surely something must be wrong.

Wanting to make sure her sister doesn’t make a mistake Indi flies to Greece only to maybe find a love of her own.

This novel is told from a dual point of view of the sisters allowing the reader to see both sides of the narrative. I love how these two sisters interact as they have a strong bond.

This narrative has a great summer, family and feel-good vibes that I would highly recommend for a great summer read.

In this story, we meet two sisters, Indi and Jade, which the story is told through them both. Indi, the older sister, is ready to get engaged and settled down, and her younger sister, who should be living up her life, finds herself pregnant and engaged. Wrong way round, right? This is a story that shows how unimportant life steps are at certain ages. it's different for everyone. This is a perfect summer read. Plenty of romance. Funny in parts. A holiday for your mind. WARNING! Contains hot men. Really enjoyed this. A well-deserved four stars from me.

“𝑻𝒘𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒚-𝒇𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒆𝒙𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆. 𝑰 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏'𝒕 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒅𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒆, 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒚. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒎 𝒔𝒐 𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒚. 𝑰 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒅.”

'𝑰𝒕 𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒎𝒆,' 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒅𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒅. '𝑰'𝒎 𝒂 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒓. 𝑰 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅, 𝒕𝒓𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒈𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒎𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒐𝒄𝒄𝒖𝒓, 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔”


When life doesn’t go as planned, you end up experiencing even more beautiful things than you were hoping for.
Indi, the definition of a person who has to have everything planned ahead is thrown off when instead of a proposal for her birthday, she and her boyfriend break up. She goes to visit her sister -Jade, who lives in Greece with her boyfriend, for the summer where she meets Mikhos.
Because of the dual POV, we get to see both of them mature a bit and the relationship between the two sisters from both perspectives.
Even if I’m not usually a fan of the surprise pregnancy trope, in this book , it helped getting the sisters and their mother closer.
The Pride and Prejudice reference made me like this even more.
Thank you to Orion and Netgalley for this copy .

When you have one of those stressful days, when things are happening over which you have very little control, the only thing to do is reach for a book, one written by an author you love, who will transport you into a place where there may be problems, but they aren't yours and you can sit back and let them unravel and then resolve themselves into a the perfect ending.
Jessica Gilmore does that for me. Her writing sizzles with romance, wit and charm and yesterday I curled up in my armchair with her latest, "Love on the Island" and let her soothe my soul. This is a gem of beach read that will leave you longing to lie in the shade (can't do sun) with a delicious cocktail to hand while you're swept away to an island paradise.

Love on the Island - Jessica Gilmore 🏖️

⭐⭐⭐

Indi Drewe is just about to turn thirty and she is expecting to be proposed to by her long-term boyfriend Will. Unfortunately things don't go as Indi planned and she ends up on a Greek island visiting her sister Jade whom she has taken under wing since their father passed away.

Jade is living on the Greek island with her boyfriend Nico and working for his cousin Mikhos. She has a few secrets that she has been keeping from Indi and her mother and is determined to prove them wrong before they even know what the secrets are.

This book has a really wholesome family vibe, where you get to explore a few different relationships.

Indi and Jade have a really close sister bond where Indi has taken on a motherly role and never wants to see Jade struggle. It is nice to hear about and interesting to see what challenges they both encounter.

Also included in this book are 2 absolute hunks of Greek men! The characters and setting is described so well that it actually feels like you are there in the sun.

This was a really good summer read and would definitely recommend reading this for a nice getaway.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Orion for sending me this book in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own*

#NetGalley #LoveontheIsland

What a fulfilling book!
Indi is all about scheduled, spreadsheets, and organization. Her sister, not so much. Indi rushes to Greece to ensure her sister doesn’t jeopardize her future, but will Indi’s future change?
I liked how both Jade and Indi narrate each chapter. Nico amd Mikhos are swoon worthy.
I laughed when Mikhos said spreadsheets were sexy. Opposites attract but it’s also nice to have commonalities with a partner.
The ending was perfect. Indi might just make her life schedule work!

This was a sweet, fairly predictable romance, would be a perfect book for the beach or by the pool on holiday.
I liked having the perspective of the sisters, and reading their different journeys and how their relationship evolved throughout the book.

What a stunning setting this story has on the Greek Island on Naxos and a smaller nearby island.

This radiated warmth, Greek hospitality and made me feel very summery indeed.

I loved the resort that Jade was helping to launch with new fiancé Nico.

However sister Indi's life isn't going according to her plan, and when is dumped, she decides to visit Greece.

Indi is so rigid to begin with that it is really hard to connect with her. She appears to be overly controlling of her sister's life (although has some good reasons for it), and it took for her being in Greece for a while and her catching the eye of Nico's cousin, for me to start to warm to her at all.

I found the book quite slow going but that could just be because I was reading it while so busy with real life that I just couldn't sit and read for long enough at any point, to really get into it. I am positive it's a really good book and at any other time I'd be raving about it.

The final third I absolutely loved, and I really enjoyed seeing how everything turned out for our characters. It's certainly an enjoyable read.

Thank you to Orion and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

"This might not be how she had seen her life as she turned thirty, but right now she wouldn't change it for a million engagement rings and a tick on every one of those unachieved goals."

Love on the Island is more than just a romance novel, it's about the bond between sisters, about letting go of preconceived plans of how the future will pan out and about letting people you care about do what they think is right for themselves instead of what you think is best for them. Indi and Jade had an unconventional upbringing as kids. When she was just a teenager Indi had to step up and fulfill the role of primary parent to Jade after an untimely accident, planning every milestone of her life to the 't' to gain control of the chaos. When things start unraveling in her carefully laid plan she has to decide what is most important to her and learn to let loose every now and again. Jade's life has always felt out of her control, her health issues meant she couldn't grow up as other teenagers got to and now she finally has a chance to live the life she wants to live, with a man who loves her, but it's not the life her sister would approve of. She has one shot at proving to everyone around her that she knows what she's doing and isn't a making a mistake.

This was a very sweet novel, the real star of this show was the bond and connection between Indi and Jade - Indi's fierce protectiveness of her younger sister was palpable and the sacrifices she's made to get to where they are now were saddening but also touching. Jade's insecurities and worries are so genuine and, while not completely relatable to most people, any young woman would understand why she feels the way she does, both about her body and about her sister. They both gave up their teenage years in different ways and now have to balance a fine line between being controlling and careful of their futures, and also being spontaneous and allowing themselves to enjoy their lives. At times I wanted to throttle Indi and other times I wanted to give her a big hug, it's tough to find the middle ground between worrying about the ones you love and being overbearing, it was great to watch her character develop to be more carefree and actually do something for her own enjoyment rather than to meet self imposed expectations. Same with Jade, it was great to see her grow and mature a bit, plus realize the reasons for how she reacted in certain circumstances. Plus the setting of this novel was absolutely stunning, it made me want to pack up more bags and flee to a remote Greek island resort and forget about all my worries.

Unfortunately, I did feel like this book lacked a little bit of deeper meaning. I think this book could've been a real stand out if a bit more time had been put into really delving into the emotional roller-coasters and upheaval of their lives that many of the characters were going through and a bit more focus spent on building the tension between the romantic love interests. Sadly, the romance felt a little bit one dimensional and superficial, I didn't really feel any tangible connection in their relationship. I think the key thing that was missing from this was the angst, many of the issues that needed to be resolved between the characters were resolved off page or treated a bit flippantly, so we didn't get to ride that emotional wave alongside them. I wished we'd seen just a little bit more confrontation between the characters.

Overall, this was a fun read and I plowed through it really fast, this is a great book to pick up when you're wanting something atmospheric and heartwarming, a great summer, beside the pool read. I think with a little bit more refining and a heavier hand with editing this would be an even more amazing book. At only 290 or so pages it is a quick read, but with the topics being discussed I do think pushing this up another 100 pages would've actually helped the story, it needed that extra depth of content to push it over that edge a little further. Regardless this was still beautifully done and I loved the resolution of this story. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Such a unique book, I loved the plot, and oh my god the characters were so amazing!! I definitely will be recommending it!!

I was rooting for Indi from pretty much the word go. Having put everyone else before her for most of her life, when she gets treated so badly I felt quite defensive of her, wanting to shake her a bit (metaphorically) to put herself first. When she does, and ends up going out to her sister, I felt relieved. I think this is all a good sign in terms of the quality of writing. The relationships between the four main characters were interesting and the setting was described really well, to draw out an evocative feeling of sunshine and sand. A great read.

I thought that this was an enjoyable read

I thought that the book had a good storyline with excellent attention to detail

The story has a big focus on true love finding a way, whether that is on your doorstep or 2000 miles away - it was a pleasure to read

Best laid plans don’t always work out as India found out

It is 4 stars from me for this one – highly recommended!

Loved this book. It is so much more than a classic rom com. The characters have so much depth. Definitely would recommend to a friend as a not-your-average summer romance read.

I really hoped I’d love this - the angst and possibility was there but the read just fell flat for me.
Indi and Mikhos just didn’t gel for me as main characters and Indi’a sisters tale of an emergency wedding just seemed a bit far fetched.

So sorry to not have enjoyed but I’m thrilled to have had the chance for an Arc. Thank you

What you think on the surface of it this book is about finding and having a summer of live. However it is really about the bonds of sisters, the love they have for each other and the summer and adventures that they have together.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Love on the island is an easy, enjoyable read which at the heart is really about two sisters and their love for each other. Be brave and enjoy the adventures!