The Island Affair by Helena Halme

Green Gables Book Reviews thoughts:

The Island Affair by Helena Halme is a great book to curl up with when you want to read a book with a bit of romance that also has a few questions waiting to be answered. The book is a quick read, well written, and the best news is that it is the first in a series of three books!

About the book-The Island Affair by Helena Halme

Distraught by the worse event of their lives, husband and wife, Alicia, a journalist, and Liam, a doctor, go for their usual holiday to see Alicia’s mother and step-father. They still live where Alicia grew up, in the Nordic Islands.

The grief Alicia feels over the death of their teenage son is a feeling that never leaves her, a weight she will always carry. His memories are everywhere, even here, because of the many holidays through the years here. Alicia longs to feel his energy, to hold him again. The grief is so heavy to carry.

Liam is not excited about this trip. He never is, but goes, nonetheless. He does not care for the sauna routine or the cold swims. This time, though, he has another reason he wishes he had stayed home. He knows it’s wrong, but he was so vulnerable after Stefan died. He needed comfort, and he found someone to comfort him.

Liam and Alicia end up arguing because of information Alicia found before they left. She is hurt and angry. When she suggests an idea to help repair their marriage, Liam firmly disagrees with her. He makes plans to go back home.

Alicia is not that upset about Liam leaving. It gives her a chance to think. Every message he sends, she deletes. In her mind, their marriage is likely over.

Alicia met Patrick and Mia early in the stay. And, it’s odd, but now Patrick seems to be so many places that she goes. They develop a bit of a … friendship, but beneath that friendship, Alicia is feeling something. It is like a bit of a jolt, a longing, a wondering. But, he is married to Mia.

When Alicia, and her parents (she has always thought of her step-father as nothing other than her father), go to the Midsummer bash that Mia and Patrick are hosting, her mother feels like it is the most exciting thing to happen. She has even chosen a new dress for Alicia from her shop. Alicia has to admit that she is looking forward to seeing Patrick.

Alicia is surprised by some choices she makes. One of them is applying for a job on a whim, the other is Patrick and her draw to him, and the other is finding out about a secret she would never have believed possible.

But, what about Liam?

I was given this book to read and review. Thank you!

Look for more books on Author Helena Halme’s website!

The Island Affair was a book that I came across and was hopefully that it would give pause to my thoughts. And by golly did it! I absolutely loved the characters and their interactions.

The circumstances within this storyline was fantastic and made the story come alive like I was seeing this as a movie as I read it. I love nothing more than reading a book and having that happen.

It really puts everything into perspective and you are able to be up close and personal with each character as they wind their way through their individual journey.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and Netgalley for the gifted review copy. All opinions are my own.

This was an enjoyable read. It is about love, loss, and grief. It is very atmospheric and that is important to the story. I related to the characters and would enjoy reading more about them.
Many thanks to Kobo Writing Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I seem to have an innate love of all things Scandi and this book was no exception. Alicia and her British husband Liam are struggling after the loss of their 17 year old son. On a visit to their usual holiday destination of Åland - a Nordic island - their rift grows ever wider. Whereas Alicia grew up on the islands and feels instantly at home with quirky charms that Liam finds ‘twee’. Small differences seem like massive fault lines in the marriage. People grieve in different ways and it is hard to find common ground.
Alicia is trying to distract herself from her grief and while on the island meets an attractive and intriguing Swedish man called Patrick. They have an instant attraction to each other, and despite the fact that he is also married, Alicia becomes focused on understanding and unearthing his secrets. As he divulges his secrets and the trust builds between them, an intense love builds too. It becomes clear that Alicia and Liam are not the only ones holding loss and heartache deep within. How to recover when your heart has been broken by loss is explored beautifully here. The pace is slow, but I needed that to fully understand the characters and the depths of their inner lives. I also loved the descriptions of the island itself, a stunning backdrop which is a haven for Alicia and hopefully space for her heart to heal. Will Liam and Alicia find a way back to each other or will her relationship with Patrick show her a different path?
A thoughtful, deep and emotional novel with rich characters and a very relatable situation of dealing with the aftermath of a huge loss. I look forward to reading more of the authors work.

Nice feel good book. It flowed very well. was easy to read. Nice characters. Good storyline. What’s not to love.

A story of loss, love, grief and betrayal
I loved the setting of this book. It was just perfect
This book has a rare interesting plot.
This is a sensational novel with some exciting twists

I received a copy of The Island Affair by Helena Halme from Kobo Writing Life and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

I give The Island Affair by Helena Halme 2 stars. I wanted to like this book but it just didn't happen for me. I even put it down and came back to it a few different times, thinking maybe my attitude would change about it. Nope. I found it was slow moving and felt it had somewhat of an identity crisis. Maybe this story will hit home for others, but it fell short for me.

This is a story about how people deal with grief and betrayal in different manners. I loved the Nordic setting, it’s made me want to visit the places mentioned and try all the food described, as the descriptions were so good. It’s quite a slow-paced book, so maybe not for everyone, but I quite enjoyed it. I didn’t agree with Alicia’s final decisions, as I felt that she was better suited with the other person but overall the story was okay. The details about the Russians just felt unnecessary as they didn’t particularly add anything to the story, but I am aware that this book is a part of a series, so maybe it’s more relevant to the other books?
I would’ve given this four stars but I just felt that ending wasn’t for me.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Alicia and Liam are miles apart as husband and wife after the loss of their son, and this book introduces you to their grief as it does to how they drift apart.
I found such depth in Alicia's mom, Hilda, and wished she had more coverage in the story. I did not connect emotionally or empathize with Alicia whilst reading this book, however, I am certain a lot more people would have different feelings towards her personality and how she copes with her grief.
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC. I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone who has a inkling for family drama, they'd enjoy this read.