Not my favourite Kate Fforde book.

I was really looking forward to reading this as I do enjoy Kate’s books but this one felt very different.

We’re thrown into the story as Cass gets off the ferry on the remote Scottish island her dad lives on. She’s fallen hook, line and sinker for a guy on the crossing, who happens to know her dad and gives her a lift to his house. We know nothing about this man apart from the fact he has white, or grey, hair.

We don’t really know what Cass found so attractive or compelling about him.

Shortly after arriving to see her dad, he decides to send her off to Dominica to photograph a petroglyph and carry a fragile map with which to locate it. Cass is to meet a friend of her dad’s.

Then there is a hurricane on Dominica and Cass wonders whether travelling there at this point would be wise. Luckily though, the object of her unfathomable affections, Ranulph, he of the white or grey hair, is going to go too.

We don’t know why really. We don’t know what the point of the whole trip to the Scottish island was - the story could quite easily have started at the airport with Ran hand delivering the map to Cass.

I don’t know what purpose the hurricane had either.

The lack of detail in the book really jarred with me. I had no sense of purpose or place. Most of the characters were only very superficially described and Cass’s ‘love’ for Ran is largely inexplicable. At one point he’s chatting with another woman and Cass can’t even bear to look at him for fear of seeing love for this woman in his eyes.

There’s a thoroughly unlikeable character called Austin introduced. He’s just awful. And no one takes this fact up with him.

I also learned very little about Dominica other than repeat explanations of the petroglyph and what it might mean for various books being written and what it meant for indigenous and immigrant people.

I kept hoping the story would get better and I would find some of the usual Kate Fforde charm but sadly I didn’t.

Is this just an off day for Kate? Let’s hope so.

Much of the blame could be laid at the editor’s feet though. The plot needed tightening and the characters really fleshing out.

Disappointing.

I love Katie Fford books. This seemed different,maybe a bit more Danielle Street.
Having said that I did enjoy it. Cas was an engaging character. Ranulph was a very typical male lead but the path of true love did not run true to form
Good read

Be whisked off to the beautiful island of Dominica and fall in love with the stunning island and the heroine, Cass.
Cass is asked by her dad to take on a photography project, on the island of Dominica, in the Caribbean
Cass is travelling with Ranulph, who is searching for the rare stone carvings her dad wants her to photograph.
The project leads her down a path of self discovery and she is soon falling for Ranulph - but does he feel the same?
A light easy read, although personally for me, not a page turner.
Cass was a likeable and easy to connect with character, but found her frustrating - afraid to tell her dad she doesn’t want to follow him into photography and unsure of her future.
Loved the dimension that Ranulph brought, with him being 10 years older, the older maturer man might be just what Cass needs. It made the connection super cute.
A perfect holiday read, chasing away the winter blues and dreaming of sunshine.
Thanks @ffordekatie @penguinbooksuk & @netgalley for the beautiful holiday read

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Island in the Sun - set in Scotland....... and Dominica. I enjoyed the story.

A nice book with a bit of adventure to it.

Cass has been asked by her Father to fulfil a wish to go to Dominica to find these rare stone carvings to help a friend’s son to prove they are there. Ranulph goes with her who is a friend of her Father. Dominica have been hit by a hurricane so they also go to help the people.

The book was a nice romantic book and it is a case of Will it be a nice ending.

It was a light hearted book and would be a good book to take on holiday.

Katie Fforde delivers another of her heartwarming closed door romances, this one partly set on the island of Dominica in the Caribbean. As always, it’s meticulously researched and evocative, especially the vivid Dominican scenes. Cassie, our heroine, is totally smitten with Ranulph. She’s an aspiring artist, a little bit lost, very young, and trying to find her way in the shadow of her very famous photographer father. She falls hard for Ranulph, and we are reminded often of how young she is - her focus on Facebook as the truth serum for example.

Ranulph is a journalist and neighbour of her father, he’s a little bit mysterious and a little bit paternal but treats Cassie beautifully.

It’s all in Cassie’s POV so we don’t know what Ranulph is thinking, There's lots of characters and some intrigue, with hurricanes, a potential other woman, time in London and the Scottish isles. Will they end up together when they resolve her tensions and insecurities? What about the petroglyph? It’s all good fun in typical Katie style, and if you love a spot of travel with your easy afternoon read this is a great option!

Thank you NetGalley, Katie Fforde and the publisher for the ARC.

Another lovely read from Katie FForde, we are taken to two extremes, the wild islands of Scotland and then the warmth of the Caribbean. Cass has a wonderful and empowering adventure in which she discovers her talents and starts to feel in control of her life without being brought down by the expectations of her parents and siblings, and now she knows that she can have a career to please her and not them.
The story also has a mystery vein which has to be solved for Bastian which Cass helps with.
With Katie's love of the island of Dominica showing, we were also able to have intertwined in the story the devastation that hurricanes leave behind and how islanders cope with this before and after the event, this was very atmospheric. Lets get out the rum punch!

Whenever I pick up one of Katie's books I find myself settling down into my chair in anticipation of a wonderful story and this one didn't disappoint. The main characters, Cass and Ranaulf had a wonderful story woven around them with the backdrop of a gorgeous Caribbean Island, I eagerly look forward to another wonderful story from Katie

A tale of two Islands. From a remote Scottish island to Dominica in the Caribbean. This is a real love story to the islands. I wasn’t surprised to read in the acknowledgments that the author has connections to Dominica and I learned a lot about the Island and its people.

The main love story feels a little rushed in parts and some of the characters are a little flat, but it was a fun read and I now really want to go to Dominica!

Than you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the review copy of this novel.

I wanted to enjoy this book. I have read many Katie Forde books previously. I tried to get I. To the story line. And failed. The story felt very dated and implausible. Cass, only biological child of a renowned photographer is invited to visit her father on a remote Scottish island. He wants her to go and find some ancient rock painting in Dominica. Just before she goes a hurricane hits Dominica. Causing all kinds of problems. So being the stellar father h3 is, he still wants Cass to go. This is where I started to roll my eyes…. So of she goes with a hottie in tow called Ranulph. I got a third of the way through the book and decided to stop reading. So again I say, I tried and failed to enjoy the story or the characters.

Thank you to @netgalley for the opportunity of reviewing @ffordekatie ARC of 'Island in the Sun'.

This book features Cass, the daughter of a renowned photographer who needs her to take some photographs of a petroglyph in Dominica. Her family look down on her love of drawing and painting (strangely, as photography is also art!) The plot had so much going on and so many characters, I did get a bit confused but I enjoyed the ending and descriptions of the natural world (in Scotland and Dominica. One character I particularly despised was Austin. He almost put me off reading further, especially further on into the book. I wanted Cass to become less shy, communicate better and not be swayed so much by the male characters. The woman clearly had skills and I wanted her to be stronger and more decisive.

I'm glad the ending was good (despite wondering how Cass could fall in love so quickly with someone she didn't spend much time with?) So I will be giving this book ⭐⭐⭐

I’ve read and enjoyed almost all of Katie Fforde’s books and was greatly looking forward to this one. Whilst the descriptions of the settings were beautiful, the characters seemed very underdeveloped. The story seemed to take huge leaps in places then grind on at glacier speed with no discernible progression in others. Not my favourite but if this is your first Katie Fforde book do try some of her earlier work.

This book made me want to be in both the Caribbean and on a far flung Scottish island. I loved the idea of what was basically a treasure hunt in amongst the backdrop of an island recovering from a hurricane and what this meant to everyday life and only having the basics - which obviously included rum!

I was willing there to be a happy ending and for the girl to get her guy and with the twists along the ways to see if fate would bring them together.

A great holiday read and one to enjoy.

Yet another wonderful book from Katie, with beautiful descriptions that keeps you continually reading the book to the end. Thank you for the ARC.

Island in the Sun is a big departure from Katie Fforde's usual settings in the quaint English countryside, but the book is all the better for it. Initially I was sceptical about how main character Cass' trip to Dominica would play out, but in fact it's a triumph. Cass is asked by her famous photographer father to hand deliver an old map to his friend's son on the island. All seems pretty straightforward until you through a hurricane into the mix. Without electricity or internet, Cass in thrown into helping both author Bastian complete his work and the local community recover. All this whilst dealing with an unrequited crush, an academic rival and an existential crisis!

Island in the Sun is an excellent departure from your typical romantic novel, with plenty of twists and turns for Cass and the other characters to navigate. Part romance, part adventure, it is a must read for 2024.

This is a light romance set in Scotland and Dominica and I was interested in seeing Cass rise to the challenges she had to face. The settings were depicted vividly and there was a villain to add a touch of intrigue. Cass seems very young and Ranulph seems more mature than his years so there is a large gap in emotional maturity between them. Can their relationship flourish into a believable romance? That’s why I read to the end.

Cass goes to Dominica, because her father asks her to find something h can't. But just before she leaves the remote island has severe hurricane and Cass ends up travelling with Ranulph to help with the recovery of the island. There is subterfuge and exploration and self discovery for Cass. She finds what she loves and who she loves

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I enjoyed reading this book.

We meet Cass, she’s meant to be starting teacher training come September. But she doesn’t really want to, her family want her to find a “proper job”. But what they don’t know is that she has a secret, and that is that she loves drawing and wants to be an artist.

Visiting her father in Scotland, she’s asked to travel to Dominica in order to return a map to the son of an old friend. But the island has just had a hurricane hit it.

Ranulph, who is her father’s neighbour travels with Cass to the island. Will Cass be able to help the islanders in any way and find out what she really wants to do with her future.

I recommend this book.

This is an enjoyable light read by the lovely Katie Fforde. Our heroine (Cass) is a good-hearted young woman, somewhat naive for her age I felt, but not entirely sure when it was set (people were more trusting in the past I think!). Her artistic talents are put to good use when her father asks her to travel to Domenica on a mission to deliver a map and attempt to photograph a lost relic ...

The settings are very well described, and include a Scottish island, London, and Domenica - and the author's love for the latter shines through (I understand she has family ties). The action is sometimes quite dramatic - hurricanes make for adventurous times! There are some lovely characters - I understand that some are based on real people known to the author, which adds to the authenticity.

Add a rather good "baddie", a touch of romance or two, and you have the perfect novel to enjoy on a winter's day - or on holiday on an island in the sun!

My thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for an ARC. All opinions my own.

Cass is asked by her father to undertake an unusual expedition on Dominica. Unfortunately it has just been hit by a hurricane and there is a lot of work to be done when she gets there.
She is looking for rare stone carvings with the help of Ranulph, who she is soon in love with.
Will he feel the same?