A great story set in a beautiful backdrop. Both sisters have hidden secrets that they need to confront and so the book is quite emotional but also one that I couldn't put down. Perfect beach read

The Island Love Song is set on the gorgeous Greek Island of Hydra but it holds secrets for sisters Ella and Georgia.
Their Mother has passed and Georgia is insisting that they obey her wishes of her ashes to be scattered on the Island where she owned a home. The girls spent their childhood there. Ella however, is reluctant to go back and after delaying the event for as long as possible, they return along with Georgia’s daughter not only to scatter their Mothers ashes but also to confront their past. I loved this book.

I frequently say that tragedies make the best stories and this novel has plenty of tragedies. Like the precious Emma Cowell books this reads like a love letter to Greece. You can feel the love she has for the country. I didn't love the 2 female leads in this book: both were selfish, immature and slightly irritating. Both it's got a decent storyline. Plenty of twists and turns to keep it interesting. But the real winner of this book is Greece.

Set on the beautiful Greek island of Hydra, full of family secrets and romance.
Sisters Ella and Georgia must confront their past when they return to scatter their mother’s ashes
“Maybe on Hydra, I will find a way back to me and the island will release me from my secrets”
The perfect holiday read and the Greek island of Hydra is so inviting
It’s a well crafted plot that builds with intensity
Would make an excellent Book Group choice as covers difficult themes that would generate discussion
Thanks @emmalloydcowell @avonbooksuk & @netgalley for the fab summer read

This was my first Emma Cowell book and definitely won't be my last as I absolutely loved it. Far from being a run of the mill romance, this novel was so much deeper than that, with family drama and so much beautiful, heartfelt writing around parenthood, as well as the vividly conjured Hydra which I could picture so clearly. Gorgeous characters. Really good.

Wow, what a beautiful book. The descriptions were fantastic and the story just made you want to visit Greece. I got lost in this book and throughly enjoyed it. I finished it very quickly. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review

A good sitting in the sun with an nice cool glass of wine book.

I was desperate for El to forgive Harri and live happily after but ?? I hope there is a sequel for us to follow the rest of their lives, all the clan ... el, Georgia, Phoenix, Harri and the Greek family.

I couldn't switch off until I had finished it and will try .one of Emma's books.

Thank you netgalley.

As children, the sister were close. As adults, though, their relationship is built on secrets and lies. Ella, still reeling from a broken heart, has never been able to settle. She wanders the globe in her job as a photographer, searching for something to fill the hole in her soul. Georgia is the control freak. She had a perfect plan for her life and she is determined to make sure she gets it, even if it means keeping everyone around her in line no matter how much pain it causes them all. Caught in between her mother and her Aunt Ella is Phoenix who often finds herself playing peacekeeper and referee. She joined Ella and Georgia on the Greek Island of Hydra, the home of Ella and Georgia's youth, to return the ashes of their recently deceased mother to the home she loved. Only the island is no longer willing to keep the secrets and cover the lies.

The island becomes is a central character of the story, lording over the people who live there who speak of it as a being, absorbing the emotions and the actions of everyday life. And playing with it all. Interspersed every few chapters are the thoughts of the island itself. The island speaks in a darker, much more sinister and forbidding manner. It takes glee in the pain and upheaval it causes as it plays chess with peoples' lives.

I picked up the author's first book because I was intrigued by both the setting and the premises. I was instantly enthralled. Her stories deal with complicated issues. Her characters are well developed; they are real people dealing with difficult problems that have no easy answers. She communicates their feelings, their emotions, their relationship with lyrical, poetic language that brings it all to life and draws the reader deeply into the story. She paints the surrounding scenery with her words so beautifully that you can feel the wind in your hair, see the brilliant colors of a sunset over the beaches of Greece;

Liker her previous books, this is hard to read. It deals with the intricacies of sisterhood, of motherhood and of relationships. Yet I was enthralled from the first chapter and refused to let go. It's thought provoking and will certainly remain with me for a long while, just as that first book is still with me two years later.

I absolutely loved this book from start to finish. I thought it really had everything - brilliant characters, gripping storyline and a wonderful setting.
I have previously read other books by Emma Cowell and while I thought they were lovely, this one is her best yet.
I found the characters compelling and believable and loved how they all interacted and developed as the story unfolded.
The storyline took the reader on an rollercoaster journey of emotions as the truth revealed itself and the characters unravelled. It was brilliantly constructed and gripping throughout.
It really is a fantastic read and one of those books that stays with you - a definite five star and one to add to your holiday bag.

This was a beautiful book, I couldn't put it down.
I love the way this author writes and gets the story across.
I was swept up in this story and it was so thoughtful.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! What can I say about The Island Love Song which would do it the justice it deserves!?
I could talk about it for hours to be honest with you, but I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone who hasn’t read it yet.
First, as I’ve said before, I’ve never been to Greece, but I honestly felt like I was in Greece whilst reading this novel. I felt the same when reading Emma Cowell’s previous novels. I would really, really love to go to Greece now and experience the beauty of the country Emma portrays so enticingly. The food sounds amazing also! I love that food plays its part throughout the story. I think I actually drooled at times. lol!
Anyway, this story is about sisters Ella and Georgia. They lost their Mum and are returning to Hydra to scatter her ashes in the sea. They have a rich history of happy memories with their mother there. As if that isn’t heart-wrenching enough, there has also been heartbreak for Ella and guilt for Georgia over secrets she’s carried for years.
The sisters are like chalk and cheese. Ella is very much a free spirit. Tied to nothing and no-one following an extremely traumatic experience. Georgia is the organised, dependable one, who’s life she has dedicated to her husband and bringing up their daughter, Phoenix. Neither of them is particularly happy though, nor have they had a close relationship, so coming together for two weeks on the Island of Hydra was never going to be straight forward.
I couldn’t wait to find out where their story would take me, and I was completely invested in the emotional journey I was taken on.
I liked Ella immediately and my heart broke for her as I learned what she had been through.
Georgia isn’t as easy to like, but I came to understand her more as the story progressed, and I did really feel for her in the end.
Phoenix is a beautiful character. Oh, to be so young and self-assured!
Harrison is a fascinating character and one I warmed to quickly despite his history with Ella.
There are other beautiful characters in this book too, all who add their own little something special.
This is a compelling tale about grieving sisters, the devastation secrets and lies can cause, the power of true love, and the true meaning of family.
I absolutely LOVED it! It’s just beautiful!

** A big thank you to the author and publisher for my review copy of The Island Love Song via NetGalley **

This is a lovely story, albeit very intense throughout. Georgia and Ella are sisters, as different as chalk and cheese. Georgia is wealthy, married to a property developer who has long since lost interest in her, all that keeps them together is their almost eighteen year old daughter Phoenix. She is just about to go to university to study music. Ella is the opposite, she travels the world as a professional photographer, for which she has become well-known, never settling anywhere. She has an apartment in Camden as a base, but has never really unpacked her belongings, never making it a home. Whenever they meet the sisters the bicker and fall out, they are both keeping unbearable secrets.

Now they are forced to spend time together. Their mother died and requested that her ashes are scattered in Hydra, the small Greek island where they were brought up. Georgia sorts it all out, and tries to make it a lovely holiday for them so that maybe the can resolve their differences. She has booked them into a luxury spa hotel, and planned an itinerary for the two weeks they are there. Her plans go wrong almost immediately, the sisters, as usual, fall out.

There is almost another story being told between each chapter, bringing in the ancient gods who watch over the island, manipulating the actions of the islanders in malicious ways. Secrets begin to be told, causing the sisters more pain. Ella goes off, in the main town she meets an old lady, who invites her in for a cup of coffee, and writes a note in Greek, which Ella has to ask someone to translate for her. She is mystified, she does not understand the message.

She notices that the door to the garden of the hose where she used to live is open, and decides to go and ask if she can look round. She knocks on the door, and the person who answers is the biggest shock of all. The gods are laughing as they ensure their wishes are carried out! After that the secrets are found out painfully fast, but necessary for the sisters to find peace together. Other people are involved as well, they find out secrets kept by their mother, and others.

All comes good in the end, but with the ancient gods involved there is always a sting in the tail! I found this a most absorbing story, difficult to put down. A lovely read.

This was a really good book with heartache and family healing all wrapped into one.
Ella and Georgia along with her teen daughter return to Hydra to release their mother's ashes at her request. She wanted to be put to rest in her home even thought they haven't lived there for year. Ella hears the island calling to her and is constantly thinking of her boyfriend that left her standing at the train station all those years ago. She thinks of what her life is like now and can't wait to get as far away from the island as possible but has a secret.. Georgia pretends her marriage, daughter and life are what dreams are made of and makes sure everyone knows it. She is keeping multiple secrets. Through the course of the book the secrets unfurl, old and new friends & lovers appear and they are welcomed back to Hydra which has been calling them because even the island wants to share a secret.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy.

Sisters Ella and Georgia are opposites in looks and temperament: Ella is an olive-skinned, free-spirited photographer, while Georgia is a fair-skinned, conventional stay-at-home mother. Despite their differences and friction, they are bound by their love for their mother and Georgia's daughter, Phoenix. After their mother's death, they embark on a journey to scatter her ashes on Hydra, a Greek island laden with painful memories—Ella's heartbreak over a lost lover and Georgia's guilty past. On Hydra, they confront their secrets and strained relationship, with the narrative exploring themes of family, loss, love, and fate. This is a beautifully woven tale of reconciliation and emotional depth, enriched by the island's mythical ambiance and poignant use of music.

I was interested to read this book mainly because it is set on Hydra where Leonard Cohen spent a lot of time. I think it was a very emotional novel about two sisters and it certainly had my allegiances and emotions all over the place! Georgia, the older sister, has arranged for her daughter (Phoenix) and her sister Ella to travel to Hydra to scatter their Mum Annie's ashes. The two sisters are so very different and certainly rub each up the other way. In between this relationship is Phoenix who is about to turn 18. There are family secrets and surprises along the way - which I won't mention as it will spoil the readers' enjoyment! Suffice to say the journey is very emotional and quite often I find myself asking what would I have done? I really became involved with the characters and thoroughly enjoy this book. Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review this.

For fans of Alex Michaelides and Victoria Hislop- this book is set on a Greek Island and the sense of place absolutely sizzled with realism which I loved. It made it a perfect beach read and would evoke memories of summer whenever and wherever you read it. I didn’t love the characters, though. I found the lost love storyline unrealistic (she’d been so young- for me there needed to have been more for why she couldn’t let Harrison go) and I didn’t enjoy Ella and Georgia’s relationship . I wasn’t surprised by the twist about the additional adoption. I did like that it was wrapped up nicely at the end. Perfect to buy to take on holiday!

Let me start by saying I love this book cover and the beautiful colours. Just seeing it made me long for some Greek sunshine. And is definitely the perfect beach read.

Two sisters Georgia and Ella travel to Hydra in Athens, Greece to scatter the mother's ashes. The sister are very different. Georgia the perfect Wife who stays at home and looks after her husband and daughter and Ella who is very much her own person and a bit of a free spirit. Like all families there are rifts and differences but the sisters must come together for their Mum. This is a beautifully written book and I really enjoyed the character development and the flow of the writing. I felt Like I was in Greece. I also could connect to the characters as I am the youngest sister of three and totally feel that age gap and the vast difference between our lifestyles and beliefs.

It is the first book I have read by the author but I would definitely look out for her other books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Such a descriptive book that made me feel I was on the Greek Island of Hydra. Beautifully written.
Georgia & Ella return to the Island to scatter their mum's ashes, & the trip results in the sisters sharing past secrets about relationships & family.
Georgia has been holding onto a secret that she has always felt would destroy her family. Will they be able to come to terms with the past.
Lovely summer read.

4.5 stars
This was a very enjoyable read, a bit heartbreaking at times. The two sisters, Ella and Georgia were completely different characters. Georgia was quite bossy and liked to be in control. Ella was more free and more spontaneous.Then there is Georgia’s daughter, Phoenix, who seems to be vey sensible and grown up for her age. There are a number of secrets that are revealed, I was glad that I didn’t have to wait until the end to find out all of them. The setting was on an idyllic Greek island and the characters certainly stayed with me for some time. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Absolutely loved this book!

Had this on my wish list so was happy to be able to read it early. Really enjoying it.