Island in the Sun felt like a very different kind of book for Katie Fforde. Although the basic premise is the same (girl meets boy/girl falls in love/girl imagines some kind of problem/girl and boy finally talk to each other), this book seems deeper and more grounded in the real, rather than an ideal, world. Having said that, it's set mainly on two islands, one an idealised Scottish one, somewhere on the West Coast, and one in the Caribbean, Dominica in the immediate aftermath of a hurricane.

If I'm being honest, I feel that the plot doesn't really hang together. Why would a father send his daughter to an island trying to recover from a hurricane? Why hadn't the father done something about the accidentally stolen map sooner? And just why Austin? I can't believe in him and his behaviour at all.

But I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book once I'd decided to overlook its idiosyncrasies. As ever, Katie Fforde conjures about her setting wonderfully well, and her characters are strongly realised. Cassie I can take or leave; in real I'd think she was a bit wet and immature - but maybe that's a sign of me getting old!

Island in the Sun - Katie Fforde

Cass’ father asks her to go to Dominica which has been recently ravaged by a hurricane. He wants Cass to try and take some photos of lost stone carvings for a book his friend Bastian is putting together. Cass' father lends her his beloved old camera to take photos with. When the camera is lost Cass decides to follow her passion and draw the carvings and flowers on the island instead. Cass does not go to Domenica alone but with her fathers friend Ranulph whom she falls madly in love with. She encounters the ruthless Austin on the island who is also after the lost carvings and who will stop at nothing to discredit Bastia and Cass.

Cass shows her mettle whilst on the island helping after the earthquake and when another storm happens. But despite Ranulph showing some signs that he likes her she thinks he feels she is too young. Throw in the arrival of an old flame of Ranulph's Becca and confusion abounds.

I have read every Katie Fforde book from her first and generally love them all. Unfortunately I was not as enamoured of this one as many of her others. For me the story was not detailed enough and Cass came over as childish and immature whereas she should have just whacked Austin over the head (horrid character) to sort him out and had a good conversation with Ranulph about her feelings. But that would not have made a good novel I suppose!

If you are new to Katie Fforde start with her early ones not this one. If you have read many Katie Fforde you will be fine with this as a quick romantic read.

Thanks to Netgalley for an early copy for an honest review.

I can not say anything about Katie Ffordes' writing. It was a okay book, I was not disappoted, but I was not eather blown away.

Okay book for me. 3,5 stars.

It was through sheer will power that I finished this book. I had to check the description to be certain that I hadn't signed up to read a children's book with it's basic plot, pantomime villain, bad decisions, faulty logic, immature characters and insta love....

A nice enough book, but with the big name of Katie Fforde that keeps popping up I expected something a bit more, something smashing.
Instead, this story is about Cass and her insecurities which would have been fine as we all have to deal with those, don't we. But she kept going on and on about having to prove herself, appearing to be grown up. I secretly was hoping for the book to be about being good enough, despite our demanding society and specifically in Cass her situation her patronizing parents.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.

I have read a lot of books by this author and found this one slightly different from the others. Different in a good way- yes. The setting was interesting and the characters believable. Cass needed a good shake at times but I did feel that she acted as a young woman in such situations might have! All in all I would recommend this.

This isn't the usual book I would read, but a friend gifted me Summer of Love by the same author, so when this turned up on netgalley, I put in a request.

It's decently written, if not a bit overwritten for my liking. Run on sentences and excessive use of "and" seem to bother me when reading, but nothing stood out as bad writing.

The characters were fine, with no real flaws (apart from this a**hole called Austin) and therefore maybe a bit too one dimensional. I like my characters more complicated, but each to their own. The instalove wasn't to my taste either, but some readers are okay with that.

The plot was sound enough, but I had to skim read the majority of the book because I had no interest in the characters.

Overall, if you like lighthearted chick lit, go for it. If you want something with a bit more depth, I would say maybe not this.

My rating would be 2.5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC.

This isn't my number one genre, but I do like to pepper my reading list with the occasional romance for all its clicheness, predictability, inevitable happy-ever-after ending and if I'm honest, the cheesiness of it all!

This ticks all those boxes, it's true. We have the girl (Cass), we have the (older) man (Ranulph), a lovely sunny (bit prone to hurricanes) island (Dominica), there's the ex, and then there are the misunderstandings. All the right ingredients and although the dish comes out cooked, it's all a bit bland, lacking in spice.

Cass is annoying to the point you want to slap her and tell her to grow up and get over herself. The rest of the characters are all a bit like cardboard cut-outs with no substance or emotion. The Dominican setting is authentic (which the author explains at the end) and almost makes you want to put the island on your must-see list, so job well done there.

But I did enjoy the author's writing, and I was invested enough to see it through to the end. It's an above-average-edited book, which is refreshing, although the author or the editor got in a bit of pickle with step-siblings and half-siblings…probably best to clarify themselves on that one.

Not a 'wow, amazing' book, but a decent enough read.

I have been reading Katie Fforde’s books for years and did start to find them a little too similar after a while. However I was so pleased to have read this one which was set in the Caribbean and not the English Countryside.
It had a slightly different style which kept me wanting to read the story and find out what would happen.
Although the stories are always quite predictable, they are charming nonetheless, and this one was one of the better ones!

My first Katie Fforde read in a while. A good story with a wonderfully descriptive time spent on Dominica though, unfortunately, this was the best part of this book. The heroine wasn't really, she kept on having to be saved by the man she falls in love with at first sight. There was a one-dimensional villain who should have been told to sling his hook, as no-one could stand him, yet they kept him around; didn't make sense. Sorry, a little too simple and not quite up to standard.

KATE FFORDE – ISLAND IN THE SUN ***

The story is fine. It’s just the pedestrian way it’s told. What should sparkle has no magic. Why use one adverb when ten will do? The heroine is bland. Though she does amazing things (sewing up someone’s leg in the aftermath of a hurricane with no previous experience?) she comes across like a lovesick teenager, not an intelligent young woman. Would any modern-day woman actually think like she supposedly does?

Going back a few decades Mary Stewart created feisty young women thrown into romantic situations in magical far-off places. Her descriptions created images in your mind – the images here are boring. All the more surprising when you read that Kate Fforde has family on the island and has visited many, many times.

Nothing I say will put off the legions of loyal followers who will avidly devour this story. They deserve so much better.

I real feel good read with super descriptions of the places involved. I could really identify with Cass and the fact she couldn’t see what was unfolding in front of her eyes even though most other characters, myself included, were able to.

A great book full of drama, fun and romance! In some ways it would be a fairy tale. Really enjoyed it and would definitely read it again!

A lovely easy romantic read. Great descriptions of both islands and heart breaking descriptions of the devastating effects of a hurricane. I was a bit disappointed by how limp Cass was at times but she grew up a bit as time went on. Kept my attention and had a good pace. Enjoyed it.

An absolutely fabulous read from Katie Fforde which I thoroughly enjoyed especially being a little more meatier than usual. Wonderfully drawn characters especially those on the island of Dominica with a fantastic love-to-hate villain of the piece Austin. I loved hearing about the challenges thrown to a community after an hurricane in Dominica with a real sense of pulling together amongst the locals. and where Cass, the main female character showed her strong side, However I did get more than frustrated with Cass on her lovesick drooling over Ranulph especially in the latter stages where she seem to unable to come to grips with him and her unnecessary imagination taking hold. Definite a book to escape with and relax.

This was not the book that I was expecting to read. I was expecting lovey dovey, happy book.

This was FAR MORE than that - when Cass is asked to go to Dominica, she is doing her father a favour and helping him make up for taking a map that he shouldn't have. Ranulph, the good looking stranger she meets on her way to see her father, comes along, and it takes a while to figure out exactly why.

I felt that the book needed to finish when Austin seems to disappear from the story, but then there is a huge twist. And this is worth waiting for.

This book screams passion - about Cass' relationships, both with the island and with the people in the story; and for being passionate about how you spend your time whether the people or the work, and to go with your gut.

It teaches about what is best for you and is a challenge to the reader. Let alone the fact that you are taught about Dominica's history and peoples.

I love Katie Fforde’s books and I knew I was going to be in for a treat with this one, largely set on the beautiful island of Dominica in the Caribbean.

Cass’ parents are divorced, and her father is living on a remote Scottish Island. When she goes to visit, he asks her to go to Dominica, recently ravaged by a hurricane, and try and photograph some stone carvings on the island for a book his friend Bastian is putting together. Cass’ father is a famous photographer but can’t go himself, so he trusts his daughter with the only copy of the very fragile map to the carvings, and his Leica camera. Not wanting her to go alone, he sends her with his friend and neighbour Ranaulph (Ran) to look after her and help with the aftermath of the hurricane. Cass is soon infatuated with the dashing Ran, but he is much older and she fears he sees her as a child.  There is another visitor on the Island – Austin , who is equally determined to prove that the rock carvings do not exist, and will stop at nothing to discredit Cass and Bastian.

There is mystery, intrigue, romance and danger all set against the beautiful backdrop of Dominica – and I loved it so much I was reading far into the night as I couldn’t put it down. It was even more special when I read the afterward from Katie Fforde and found that she has family on Dominica and several of the characters are based on members of her family. I loved it.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/157591181-island-in-the-sun

I enjoyed this book, I needed something fun and this hit the spot.
I liked Cass although I wanted to shake her sometimes for being a bit wishy washy.
On the whole a nice read though, I needed something light and fun and it did what I needed.

A slightly more unusual setting for this author but it was a pleasant change. This is a nice story about Cassie a young woman who finds herself in a time of turmoil. I will say that I was frustrated with the character at the beginning, but she did develop into an interesting person, although some of her choices didn’t make sense. The descriptive writing was lovely though, both the Scottish scenery and the Caribbean island.
The supporting cast was a delight.

Loved this book as it was like the other Katie Fforde books I’ve read in that it was an easy read and has a happy ending. I particularly liked the setting and lots of information on the 2 islands, 1 in Scotland and the other Dominica. There were a few typos which I presume will be sorted out before publication. Overall I would recommend this book to people who like the ‘chic lit’ genre or just wand an easy read.