This is a lovely feel good book which I am sure will be a big hit, particularly with summer holiday season around the corner.

The main character is Lily who runs her own business. She’s over worked herself to make it a success but also to escape the grief of losing her elder and much beloved sister. Her PA and her brother in law insist she take a break and she ends up on a retreat in the Scilly Isles. It’s run by the gruff Sam, it’s in the middle of nowhere, the retreat isn’t even finished, and there’s no wifi or phone signal. Lily immediately wants to head back home to London. But an incident shortly after she arrives makes her reassess her life and whether she has her priorities all wrong. And can the gruff Sam (who is suffering his own grief), his family and the community on the islands help Lily to find herself again.

The story is as predictable as you might expect and it moves along incredibly quickly, particularly at the beginning - the characters change much more in two days than would happen in normal life. But normal life isn’t what most readers would want from this type of book. It is escapist and the images Philippa Ashley conjures of that part of the world make me want to travel there immediately!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Wow! What an amazing setting. I really enjoyed the detail and getting some sense of what it's like to live in such a remote place. I liked Lily and Sam and all the supporting characters. Perhaps there could have been more in the way of romance, but otherwise, a good read. I enjoyed Lily's personal journey. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve read several books by this author and all of them are great. This transported me to a place I've never been but which has always been on my wishlist. Highly ecommended

actually it was a sweet book that dealing with grief, trauma and mcs' flaws but i was expecting a bit more romance than this, i dnf at 56% and still they're go in and out abt their business more maybe slowly falling for each other but im too lazy to find out how it ends.

As with other Phillipa Ashley books, I found this to be an enjoyable romance perfect for reading by the pool or beach.

We follow Lily who is an overstimulated workaholic as she arrives a a remote retreat on the Scilly Isles and has to adjust to a newer, slower pace of life.

I initially struggled with Lily - I found her technology obsessed, workaholic ways just a bit annoying but as the book went on, I enjoyed seeing her character develop and she became a character I enjoyed reading about.

The author does a fantastic job at really painting the scene and there are beautiful descriptions of the location which helped me to really picture myself there.

This book is enjoyable, sweet and easy to read with great characters.

A self-made driven business woman Lily is persuaded to take a much needed rest and recuperation break. She lands on a remote island in the Isles of Scilly where she meets Sam . Not all initially goes to plan but both main characters find eventual solace in each other. Beautiful setting and the ruggedness and remoteness of the location comes shining through
An excellent summer read

Another enjoyable book by Phillipa. A stunning location (when not foggy), great characters, and people looking at what they need to do differently to make them happy. Loved curling up with the book for an escape to the islands.

Another entertaining story from Phillipa Ashley. A great cast of characters, all so believable and in the beautiful settings of the Isles of Scilly. I loved the way the tension was maintained right to the end.

Escapism at its best as told by the wonderful Phillipa Ashley. Love her books and this one didn’t disappoint.
Liz finds herself on a remote retreat in scilly isles , but slowing down isn’t her she’s chomping to get back to reality and her business, until she meets Sam.
Great story great location all in all a great read.

I’ve read and enjoyed Phillipa Ashley’s books and this one is no exception. Set in the beautiful Isles of Scilly, the story of Lily and Sam is, in many ways, a meeting of opposites. Lily is a driven executive suffering from burnout and stress. Sam, who has different problems, has a half built retreat where Lily has been sent to recover. A perfect summer read.

Great book, really loved the characters and the setting. Reading this made me feel I was there with them, the description of the island was brilliant. Definitely recommend this book for an easy summer romance read.

Lily Harper runs her own company selling arts and crafts. She's burning out working nonstop, so she heads to the island of Stark for two weeks' rest. She is the first guest as the cottages are being renovated for the summer holidays.
Sam is getting the island ready for the holiday makers. His brother Nate is in America but has left his daughter, Morven, in Sam's care.
Things get off to a shaky start for Lily and Sam, but it's not long before there is an attraction.
The location sounds idyllic. I would love to go to Tresco.
This is a perfect summer read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Uk for the ARC in return for an honest review.

A wonderful book and a great advert for the Isles of Scilly! You can't help but fall in love with both the people and the islands. Beautifully written and a delight to read.

This book is set in the most glorious setting, it has a lovely storyline and, although a little predictable, it was a wonderful read!

I'm now researching trips to the Isle of Scilly!

What a glorious summer read, loved the characters with the modern twist of the terrors of social media. Loved the descriptions of Scilly Isles and the rugged coastline. 5 stars from me
Thank you netgalley for the advance copy

A good read. When workaholic Lily finds herself suffering from exhaustion her colleague books her in for a vacation at a new retreat where things don't get off to a great start but gradually she wonders what she really wants from life as she starts to interact with the locals and especially Sam who owns the resort. It's a great location with lots of interesting characters and it holds your interest from the beginning.

This was a perfect summer read, it was gorgeous and I couldn't get enough of it! The setting was luxurious and the characters were really loveable.

Two people help each other realise what’s really important in life. Lily has been sent to Stark, a tiny Channel Isle, to recuperate after fainting from overwork. It takes a terrifying experience on the beach to make her realise what is really important in life. Sam, the owner of the barely-finished resort hotel on the island, has also had a rough time, not least getting his new retreat open on time. The beautiful descriptions of the island scenery and its changing weather make you want to visit. A great summer read.

I have never visited the Scilly Isles or even thought about them for more than a moment, and now I would love to visit. I’m aware that the terrain would be a challenge for my reduced mobility, but a girl can dream.
When we meet Lily, we get a clear insight into her controlling and micromanaging nature. Determined to succeed, she has taken on more and more responsibility within her business, all to the detriment of her personal life. Her work has even caused her to neglect her nieces, whom she adores and are the last connection to her sister, who died tragically. Agreeing to a two-week break in a retreat in the Scilly Isles seems like something she can get on board with until she endures the commute and then the underwhelming hospitality of her host.
I think we’ve all met women like Lily, whose focus on success has become all-consuming and impossible to relinquish their hold of. However, Lily doesn’t recognise this flaw in herself and struggles to delegate. Despite her depth of focus, I hoped that she would find her way back to a more balanced life and loosen her grip on her control. Lily’s character was perfectly developed, and with each chapter, I gained a greater understanding of what was driving her forward.
A special mention has to be made to her loyal assistant, who listeners to Radio2 may find familiar.
Sam, on the other hand, is an open book. After stepping in when his brother moved to America, he's been left raising a moody teen. He’s also nursing a broken heart since his girlfriend emigrated to Australia without an invite for him to follow. He certainly deserves better than to deal with Lily’s sharp tongue and spoiled behaviour. I was immediately drawn to him, and he was everything that I would hope for in a romantic lead.
As well as her excellent storytelling and character development, what Phillipa Ashley really excels at is her ability to paint a landscape with her words. I could absolutely imagine the setting and practically feel the wind against my skin whilst tasting the salt in the air. The descriptions of the disaster mentioned in the synopsis had my pulse racing, and I was almost gasping for breath.
An absolutely wonderful book that I can recommend wholly.

A wonderful read. I was totally captivated by the first page. I must admit that I didn’t know that Scilly was in the UK so that was an amazing find and I loved learning about the islands and their history and it’s now firmly on my list of places to visit.

Lily and Sam are a great couple of characters. Both with a haunted past relationship and baggage they think is going to bring them down. However together they feel lighter and open up to each other without realising it. They support and champion each other. Sam helped Lily see what was important to her and reminded her about why she started her craft business and Lily helps Sam see that one man can not be an island and help doesn’t make you weak.

Reading about their adventures and mishaps was really riveting and I couldn’t turn the page quick enough, the descriptions and details made me feel like I was actually there. Superb from start to finish.