I love Colleen Oakley and the premise of this book sounded so intriguing! (Yes, it does borrow a little from 'Lars and the Real Girl', the quirky 2007 indie movie starring Ryan Gosling.) A young, beloved woman named Piper has lost her husband Tom to a boating accident. But she acts as though he is still present, and the small village of Frick Island goes along with her.

If you are looking for a whimsical, rather breezy read, then you will like this book. The author deftly works in discussions of grief and throws in quirky characters so the whole story has somewhat of a magical feel.

Anders, the journalist sent to cover the annual Frick Island Cake Walk, is at first puzzled by Frick Island, its remoteness, Piper, the townspeople...he just doesn't get the appeal of the remote island. He is intrigued by Piper and their initial encounters are very sweet and add a rom-com vibe to the book. For me the plot took a little too long to develop and sweet, cozy stories just don't hold my interest right now.

I enjoyed the narrator Sara Sheckells, and her voice gave just the right amount of whimsy and wonderment to the characters. I also loved the description of life on the fictional Frick Island, and felt like it was actually a real place instead of a fictional creation. This book is just the ticket if you are looking for a fictional escape with a guaranteed happy ending and a cast of quirky, loving supporting characters. All in all, a captivating read if you are intrigued by the premise of this book.

Piper Parrish lost her husband in a tragic boat accident. But...she doesn't seem to realize it. When Anders Caldwell is sent to Frick Island for their annual Cake Walk, he thinks it's a boring bit of reporting. That is, until he discovers that the entire town is pretending that Tom Parrish is still alive. I have to say that this book did not turn out the way I expected it to and I'm so glad. It could easily have been corny or macabre, but it was lovely and sweet. This was my first Colleen Oakley book and it won't be my last.

Enjoyed how the main character learned and grew. Didn't love the story line, it dragged a bit. Setting was very interesting.

The Invisible Husband of Frick Island by Colleen Oakley has likeable characters and a fun premise. The island itself is a step back in time that will give you goosebumps and warm your heart. This is a story of loss, but it has a theme of hope that keeps the story upbeat.

Piper is a young widow who lost her husband to a boating accident, yet she seems to be in complete denial of his death. As Anders quickly discovers, the whole town appears to be supporting the idea that Piper’s husband is still very much alive as well. It is really sweet how this very small community of about 100 people are so tight knit and loving of one another.

❀ A SWEET ROMANCE

Anders is a reporter who winds up on the island to cover an event, but gets swept up into discovering what happened to Piper’s husband. He is baffled as to why the whole island is acting as though the man is still alive. What starts out as some sleuthing turns into a sweet romance and an understanding about the importance of community.

❀ ULTIMATE BEACH BAG BOOK

If you enjoy books about small towns and big hearts, The Invisible Husband of Frick Island by Colleen Oakley is a perfect book for your list. The characters are enjoyable and the story has a unique small island setting. It is the ultimate book for your beach bag this summer.

Who doesn't get excited when Colleen comes out with a new book and this one is sooo good!! You will love the main character Piper in all of her quirkiness -- but don't we always love Colleen's main characters!!

This book makes you feel everything good and you can just cuddle up to it whenever you feel the need to escape!!

This is one heck of a story! I suggest you go into this book as blind as possible. Colleen Oakley is a great writer and she knows how to spin a yarn, I had no idea where this book was heading, all I knew was I really, really liked it. If a book keeps my attention the whole way through, that's a winner for me. With so many books, and so little time, for a book to make me want to keep reading, it's done it's job. Recommended

Best-selling author Colleen Oakley proves that appearances can be deceiving in her latest novel, "The Invisible Husband of Frick Island." It's a contemporary tale of finding romance in the unlikeliest of places.

Piper Parrish lives on Frick Island, a remote village more than a town, in the Chesapeake Bay. When her husband Tom fails to return from a crabbing voyage, everyone assumes he drowned. Everyone, but Piper. As she carries on as if he still walks beside her, the townsfolk do the same. This especially takes Anders Caldwell by surprise. He's a small-town reporter with big-city ideas assigned to cover the annual Frick Island Cake Walk. He turns the story of Piper and her invisible husband into a podcast in hopes of making a career change.

What changes, though, are the hearts and minds of both Piper, Anders and the reclusive residents. They all learn that faith overpowers facts when it comes to love. After all, the heart wants what the heart wants - even on Frick Island.

This is such a beautiful book full of hope.
When a woman loses her husband in a boating accident she refuses to believe he is gone. She continues to live her life as if he’s still alive and her neighbors and townspeople go along with it. Everything comes crashing down when a reporter forces her to face the light and take a look at what’s really going on.

This book is so well written. You will love it and tell all your friends to read it also.

This is the first book I’ve read by Colleen Oakley and it didn’t disappoint! ⁣
⁣
I loved the writing style how it was light and fun but also deep in some ways too-a perfect balance ⁣
⁣
The characters in the book were so heartwarming and the community aspect was so enjoyable to read about ⁣
⁣
This is a great one to read on vacay

This was my first book by Colleen Oakley and I loved it - devoured it in one sitting. Highly recommend as a way to get out of a reading rut!

This book captivated me so much I read it in less than 24 hours.
In actuality I just could not put it down.
A young woman Piper Parrish loves living on Frick Island—a tiny, remote town smack in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay. population 93.
There is one small problem though her husband is dead.
His crab boat capsized and his body was never recovered so she carries on as if he is till alive, talking to him and doing daily activities with him as if her were still here.
She expect's the island's other inhabitants to do the same and amazingly they do.
When outsider journalist Anders Caldwell looking to boost his skills and career comes to the island for a very boring assignment learns of the strange but fascinating way and entire town speaks to and interacts with a man that is not there he believes he's got a hot scoop.
The more time he spends with Piper the more he find himself falling for her.
This one is different from what I have read before but it has captivated me.

Pub Date 25 May 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

This book was insane in the best way possible. As a reader, you fell in love with Frick Island and all of the hard-working characters. I loved watching the character development of Anders and how each person on Frick Island slowly started opening up to him. This book discusses the hardship a small town and community goes through and how hard it is to let other “big companies” come in. This book was filled with love and laughter! It truly made me think how far I go along with something for someone I love.

I couldn’t stop listening to The Invisible Husband of Frick Island - I finished in it a day. Colleen Oakley can tell a story! Piper lives on a tiny island in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay. When her husband gets lost at sea, Piper (and the rest of the town) carries on as if he is still alive. Anders is a journalist and aspiring podcaster who gets sent to Frick Island to cover their cake walk. While on the island, Anders learns that the townspeople are pretending to see Piper’s dead husband. He believes he has stumble into an idea for the next big podcast. The mystery of Frick Island unravels throughout the book - and I totally did not see the twist coming!

Thanks to @NetGalley and Berkley for my ARC!

The Invisible Husband of Frick Island by Colleen Oakley is a genuine and delightful novel. I need to visit Smith Island, which loosely inspired this book. Colleen Oakley created the best cast of characters, including the main character Piper. She marries her high school sweetheart Tom. However, he disappears into the ocean during a fishing trip. It was interesting to see how the whole town protected Piper after Tom vanished into the sea. This was a great change of pace from the books I've been reading. I recommend this book as a perfect summer read.

Thank you, Berkley, for this complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.

Colleen Oakley's books always have a quirky cast of characters paired with a heartwarming story that has some bumps along the way. In Frick Island, the small-town rallies around Piper and her grief over her husband who was lost at sea. When she is seen talking to him (even though he's not truly there) they just go along with it and start to talk to him too. A bit odd, especially if you're an outsider to the small island, and something an outsider who just happens to be a journalist would want to podcast about.

While this wasn't my favorite of hers, I did enjoy my time reading it and the characters stuck with me for awhile after. A good summer read if you're looking for something a little different but with a good story.

3.5/5⭐️

An enjoyable read about a small village dealing with the world’s changes affecting their island. Also how one copes with grief and learns to carry on. The islanders were a hoot.

I so, so, so wanted to love this but unfortunately, I was unable to suspend belief to the degreethat I could enjoy this. I loved the idea and at many times, I loved the author's writing. But overall, this was just not for me.

This is a fun book with a great premise. I loved the idea of this book, it felt like a Gilmore Girls type town with a bittersweet story. I liked this book a lot but didn't love it.

THE INVISIBLE HUSBAND OF FRICK ISLAND by Colleen Oakley was a LibraryReads selection for May and while a bit slow to start, it morphed into an interesting character study with plenty to say about grief, about rural, isolated communities, and, most of all, about honesty. Piper Parrish has lost the love of her life, husband Tom, in a boating accident, but she still sees and talk to him. The other residents of Frick Island (in the Chesapeake Bay) perpetuate her beliefs and Anders, a reporter from the mainland, is first shocked and then also a party to this ruse. Anders wants to be a star reporter like Clark Kent and he thinks crafting a podcast might be the way to achieve his goal. His original intent is to write about climate change and its impact on Frick Island, but he begins to share his observations about Piper's actions and his podcast's following grows. So, too, does the mystery of what’s happening on the island (illegal activities? arson?) and also the attraction between Piper and Anders. A fun, light read with very likeable characters who develop as the novel progresses. THE INVISIBLE HUSBAND OF FRICK ISLAND received a starred review from Library Journal.

I don’t think author Colleen Oakley gets the praise she deserves. I’ve read three out of her four releases now, each one a unique standout in its genre.

This story takes us to the make believe Frick Island (loosely based on the real Smith Island), off the coast of Maryland. Frick Island is the quintessential small town where everyone knows your (sing it with me) name and there’s one of everything including a restaurant, a doctor, and a computer to get on to the internet. 😂

As a child, Piper Parrish moved to the island with her mom for research about the island’s doomed fate. Although she has long since moved away, Piper stayed, always finding peace in the quaint town. It also helps that she found love with her fisherman husband, Tom.

Very early in the story Tom goes missing, his boat capsizing during a storm. A search is started, but it’s decided Tom perished. Grief takes a hold of the island’s residents, but it places a particularly strong grip on the newly widowed, Piper. They say that grief can manifest itself in different ways. In Piper’s case it surfaces as denial as shortly after his death, Piper carries on as if he didn’t die at all.

The town’s residents don’t know what to do, so they go along with the charade, doing things like greeting Tom as if he was really there and asking how he’s doing. Then reporter Anders Caldwell comes to town in search of a story. But when he meets Piper, the story, and life as he knows it, begins to change.

The Invisible Husband of Frick Island is literature’s equivalent to charming. It’s a quirky story that’s simple and special at the same time. What it’s not, however, is predictable. This is one that keeps you guessing, and even laughing, the whole way through.

Thanks to @netgalley, @berkleypub and author Colleen Oakley for allowing me the pleasure of taking this enjoyable trip as a reader!