Anders career as a journalist is not going well. When he is assigned a story on nearby (and practically unheard of) Frick Island, he cannot help by think he did not chase his lifelong dream to write fluff pieces. Never did he expect to stumble upon a whole town who speaks to and interacts with a dead man, but he can't resist turning it into the focus of his podcast. Anders embeds himself into the community, doing odd jobs and growing close to the invisible man's widow, Piper. But as his relationships with the townspeople grow, as do his feelings for Piper...and feelings have a way of complicating things (as if the invisible husband isn't complicated enough).

When I chose this book, I just wanted something light and entertaining. I thought it sounded like a Hallmark movies, so that should fit the requirements. I never expected to sit down and read it in one night, nor did I expect to fall in love with each and every resident of the uniquely charming Frick Island. I could see the characters come to life right off the page and found myself longing to visit and get to know each of these individuals personally. On that note, I truly hope Hallmark (or anyone) options this because I NEED to see it come to life on-screen.

This book wasn’t at all what I had thought it was gonna be. Absolutely a slow burn. It had a slow buildup and a slow let down. It wasn’t really a favorite for me and I felt myself glazing over a lot of the internal monologues. I did enjoy the happy ending. I also think that the part about anders dad in the ER could of been completely removed. Lots of fluff but there was also a lot of good aspects to the book. I enjoyed the small town feel, I enjoyed the love between all of the towns people & I enjoyed the devotion that piper had throughout the entire story.

Oh my, this book! You Were There Too was my first Collen Oakley and one of my favorites of last year, so I didn't think her next book could live up to my love for it. But somehow Colleen created yet another masterpiece, a story with so much heart and personality, I felt like I was there. An eclectic group of neighbors who would do anything for their home and their island family. A beautiful account of the gravity and nuance of grief and new love. An intriguing mystery. I absolutely adored this book. I can't wait for the next Colleen Oakley book!

This book was a breath of fresh air, it was unique and charming!

Frick Island is a tiny island in the Chesapeake Bay. Piper and Tom were childhood sweethearts and the love of each other’s lives. Tragedy happens when Tom’s boat capsizes in the middle of the ocean and he never returns. Piper is saddened with grief and refuses to believe that Tom is dead. She starts to “see” and talk to him as if nothing has happened. The pellicular thing is the townspeople go along with Piper.

Anders is an off-island reporter with the dreams of having an award-winning podcast. He goes to Frick Island on an assignment and is intrigued – no alcohol, no internet, and an entire town interacting with a man that does not exist. Anders is determined to get to the bottom of it and starts a podcast. He starts spending more and more time on the island and with Piper for research. Anders has no idea how much the podcast will change his life as well as the people of Frick Island.

This is the perfect beach read. It’s emotional, full of hope and Frick Island is such an enchanting place. The story is about love, friendship and the loyalty of a community. You will fall in love with Anders, Piper and all the quirky townspeople of the island. If you are a fan of small town reads with an unconventional romance this was is for you.

I highly recommend!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

A heartwarming read • Thank you Berkley for the gifted eARC

“Sometimes all you need is one person to really see you.”

I am a sucker for books that follow a character that has lost a romantic partner. It’s my favorite sub-trope. Don’t ask me why, it just is. So when I read the synopsis for this book I knew I had to get my hands on it.

If you need more convincing TJR (my QUEEEEN) raved about this book in her newsletter soooo…

This book comes out tomorrow!! Perfect for someone looking for a fast read, and for anyone who loves books set in small towns.

Don't look any further for the perfect beach read. This book is charming, emotional, and enchanting! You'll cry tears of sadness and joy all in the same breath. A beautiful story of love and friendships. A beautiful story of humanity at it's best. And to all my friends and family back home reading this review, it's based off of Smith Island, so you just have to pick it up this summer and read it! :)

THE INVISIBLE HUSBAND OF FRICK ISLAND is a charming and heartwarming story about love and community that's unlike anything I've ever read before.

Piper, who lives on Frick Island, a small, remote town in Chesapeake Bay, is a young widow who recently lost her husband, Tom, when his crab boat capsized. After learning the news, Piper doesn't grieve the way most people would. instead, she carries on like Tom is still alive - talking to him, requesting a table for two at the local restaurant and walking him to the dock for work each day. The townspeople know Tom is gone but they love Piper so much that they go along with her delusion.

Enter Anders, a reporter for a small newspaper who's sent to Frick Island to cover their annual cakewalk. Anders is determined to make a name for himself as a journalist and when he learns the town is pretending Tom still exists, he ingratiates himself with the locals and starts a podcast about Piper and her invisible husband. But as Anders gets closer to the townspeople and Piper, his quest for fame comes into conflict with his feelings for the inhabitants of Frick Island.

Colleen Oakley has created a delightfully quirky cast of characters in this book and Frick Island itself is one of them. She paints such a vivid picture of the landscape, the lack of modern conveniences and the camaraderie of the locals that it really makes the island come alive. I liked that the mystery of what happened to Tom and why Piper acts the way she does has some interesting twists and turns and found myself laughing quite a few times as well. The middle was a little slow for me but I couldn't stop reading until I knew how things would end for Anders, Piper and Frick Island - they're fictional characters who totally felt like friends by the time the book was over.

3.5 stars rounded up

Thanks to NetGalley, Berkley and Let's Talk Books Promo for a copy to review.

<b>The Short of It:</b>

This book was everything I wanted and needed in a story.

<b>The Rest of It:</b>

Piper Parrish lives on a tiny island in the Chesapeake Bay. She is well-loved by the island inhabitants and is overall, a very happy person. She works a few jobs and spends her days going back and forth between those obligations. But no matter how she keeps busy, she is constantly reminded of the one morning her husband Tom went out on his crab boat and never returned. The boat capsized, and his body was not found.

Anders Caldwell is a struggling journalist trying to garner a little bit of a following by hosting his own podcast and writing about local events. One such event takes him to Frick island. Frick is small, less than 100 people call the place home and it’s disappearing. Literally disappearing due to climate change and erosion. Anders decides to spend some time on the island to get the scoop but what he finds if much more interesting.

You see, Piper’s husband never returned but in her mind, he’s never left and is still by her side. The entire island goes along with it and Anders decides that this, THIS is his next big story. The story that will take his podcast to new levels and he’s not wrong.

Oh my word, what a book. I loved this book to pieces. It’s a sweet story about love, loss and moving on with your life. I could SEE these characters so clearly. Their quirkiness, their sense of humor but mostly the love they have for Piper. You could call this story a romance, but it’s so much more. It’s about community and loyalty and watching out for the ones you love. Do yourself a favor and get yourself a copy. It comes out this week! I highly recommend it.

For more reviews, visit my blog: <a href="http://bookchatter.net">Book Chatter</a>.

I've been reading quite a few books about loss lately. Even though I believe most of these were written prior to the pandemic, the theme of loss will probably resonate with readers more profoundly now. The Invisible Husband of Frick Island, by Colleen Oakley, deals with a young widow and how she copes with her grief. The book goes for a lighter touch than most books about loss. This is a strength, but also a small detriment. I didn't connect with the characters as much. But overall, this was a lovely book about small towns, loss, and moving on.

What I Liked:

Setting:

I love a book about a small town! The people of Frick island are stubbornly stuck in their ways. With fishermen yielding dwindling catches of fish, and fewer tourists visiting the island, it's easy to imagine that this village may not be around in a few years. But the townspeople refuse to face reality. They fear that a slick real estate agent will swoop in and ruin the island with mega hotel developments.

The fictional island is also just the sort of place where everyone knows you, along with all your successes and failings. When Piper loses her husband, the whole town rallies behind her, so much so that Piper feats she won't mourn enough to satisfy the other islanders. This pressure causes her to do some rather strange things.

Characters:

Anders is a reporter from a small mainland newspaper (do they still have those?) who decides to write a story about how climate change will affect Frick Island. His angle? Get the islanders to tell him about how it will impact their lives. But Anders soon learns that this is such a tight-knit community, no one will speak with him. The townspeople have seen the likes of him before. But, Anders will not be deterred. I liked Anders determination to earn the respect of the locals by spending time on the island. He learns about their fishing industry, tourism, and environmental issues, eventually earning their trust.

I really like Piper. While she is as stubborn as the other townspeople regarding keeping life the same on the island, I can see her motivation. This is a place where she is loved and accepted by the town, while her only relative, her mom, leaves her for a live of adventure in Australia. Of course she would want to keep everything the same. Also, considering she was just twenty years old, she didn't really know how to move on. She thought her life was all settled. Starting over is going to be scary.

Themes:

Besides the obvious theme of bereavement , the novel also shows how people are afraid of change. Anders begins the novel clinging to the idea a old-style journalism. He wants to write long, investigative pieces about important issues. But he also finds that new outlets such as podcasts can be a perfect format to delve deep into a subject. The townspeople are so afraid of change that they refuse to make any changes to modernize their island, to the point that there is no cell phone reception or internet. But cutting themselves off from the rest of the world doesn't stop changes from happening. I like that the book finds a balance to between showing that some of these fears of change are well-founded, but also shows that the characters can shape some changes to better fit with their goals.

What I Was Mixed About:

Anders:

With the whole town pretending that Tom, Piper's husband, is alive, Anders decides this will be the perfect subject for a limited series podcast on grief. He reasons that, since there is no internet on Frick Island, none of the townspeople will ever listen to it. I found this to be quite shady and dishonest. He basically does a whole podcast on Piper's grief, and possible mental breakdown, for entertainment. No thank you.

Tone:

While I like the lighter tone of the book, I also found it harder to connect with the characters. Anders can almost be seen as comic relief as he tries to earn the respect of Piper and the islanders. But, given that Piper is showing signs of a serious mental break from reality, but acting as if her husband is still alive, I wish that Anders would have been more careful with Piper's feelings. He must have known that if Piper found out that people on the mainland were following her story, it could have caused serious harm to her mental health.

This story filled me with hope, laughter, sorrow, and joy.

Piper loses her husband way too soon in their young marriage. I can't even imagine the grief she felt learning to live without him. Then something odd happens, everyone acts as if Tom is there with her, hence the invisible husband. I loved how this small community rallied around Piper and tried to ease her grief in this way. While it wasn't logical, they were doing what they thought was right at the time.

Anders has always wanted to be a journalist and his first job is with a smaller paper. You can imagine his disappointment expecting to work for a big name paper right off the bat. But everyone has to start at the bottom and work their way up. What he doesn't expect is to find this small community on Frick Island and Piper. He is sent to this island to cover their annual cakewalk. It seems odd to have it on a Thursday, but as someone tells him, it has always been on a Thursday. Small communities find change harder than others. While on the island, Anders feels like he is thrown back in time with the lack of technology, a small community with large hearts, and a weird situation with Piper and her invisible husband.

Don't take everything you think to be true at face value. There is the mystery of who sent an email to Anders that he was missing a bigger story? Is Piper insane or having a psychotic break? Is global warming and climate changes affecting the island and what do the citizens think about losing their island? Will Anders' podcast become a success? How will he spin what he is experiencing on Frick Island that will capture everyone's attention?

There are many parts that tickled my funny bone like the islanders thinking that Anders is a Mormon missionary because of what he is wearing that first day. Piper setting Anders up when giving him the island experience, and so many more.

There are some twists in the book that was unexpected and has the reader rethinking their original assumptions. One of these is actually kinda funny but you will have to read the book to discover the truth. There is also a situation where Anders has to face his own fears and past and come to terms with his own life.

We give this book 4 paws up.

Colleen Oakley is an author that I read without reading a synopsis and just dive in. So, a book set on an island not far from where I live and a woman who is grieving the early loss of her husband and a journalist who is in need of that story to lift his career. I wasn't so sure when I started, but I fell in love with the people on this island and the journalist who is waffling between his career and his personal life.

For me, one of the really fun aspects of this book was that while Anders is a traditional journalist working in print, he also does podcasts and I loved reading some of his scripts and watching his subscriptions/downloads go up. It was fun to incorporate that medium in a book and I wonder how it could be done uniquely in the audiobook. Anders was also just a great character himself. The internal struggle of putting your career or your personal life first and how often people have to make decisions on what comes first was enjoyable to read.

Piper Parrish was interesting. I waffled back and forth throughout the book how I felt about her and am still waffling as I write this review a few days later. I wasn't so sure how to react to her response to her tragedy and then was even questioning if she was being real and authentic, so I really debated about her! Thankfully I adored Anders, so he stole the show or book for me!

Maybe not one of my favorite Colleen Oakley books, but I still enjoyed it as she had some fun characters in an interesting premise.

The Invisible Husband of Frick Island by Colleen Oakley is one of my favourite reads so far in 2021.  The story is an honest look at hope, friendship and community and one I’m highly recommending.

I absolutely loved this book.  The story is fascinating and engaging, and is one of hope, love and friendship. The author does a fabulous job at providing a detailed account of the quirkiness of the island and its characters.  My heart broke for Piper with the loss of Tom and I found myself hoping that he was still alive. It was endearing to see the community support her need to include Tom, based on the medical advice of the retired dentist cum island doctor.

Where this book excelled to me was in the character development.  Piper’s character was much more complex then at first look. Well loved and protected by the island’s residents, the author provides insight to her character that were not part of her persona she presented to the rest of the community.  It was also interesting to the change in Anders over the course of the book.  It seemed the things that had been important to him and which fuelled his move out of his comfort zone, eventually became less urgent and desirable.  The discussion regarding his relationships to his father(s) was particularly salient and provided insight into his character.

Full review available on my blog May 25/21. I’ve rated this 4.5 stars.

This was a book I needed that was full of love, tradition, bonds and the lengths you go to, to help the ones you love. (In this case it’s the entire Island that goes to any length to help the mental well being of a recent young widow.) I really liked the portrayal of a close knit town although they may not always agree with one another. The relationship building was solid and the character content strong. The storyline wasn’t what I expected which made me fall in love with the Island and it’s people all the more. I would love to just read a series on these characters because they feel like home; like family. The Author creates enduring hero’s out of just your normal everyday people and that is refreshing. Please bring us back to Frick Island.
******
Piper Parrish marries her high school sweetheart, Tom whom she has spent all the years with since moving to Frick Island all those years ago. They were the Island sweetheart’s and Piper would walk Tom to the docks each day where he began his day as his daddy did before he passed. Then one tragic day Tom doesn’t come back with the other men, his crab boat goes missing.

Piper does something that surprises them all, she carries on everyday as if Tom were still alive, including walking him each morning and seeing him off at the dock. Soon the Island folk begin to greet Tom as if he is with Piper and serve him a meal while serving Piper. It’s as if this dead man is really alive and they are doing it all for Piper’s sake. Then they recover Tom’s boat, some say there may have been some tampering with the boat and it could possibly be murder.

Meanwhile, back on land a young man named, Anders is beginning his journalism career at a small paper when he gets sent to Frick Island to cover the Annual Cake Walk. He is not thrilled about going and boats make him sick but he has to start somewhere to rise to the top. While he’s there he gets more than he bargains for and the story he uncovers and shares via his podcast becomes a hit. Though the islanders have no Internet and have no idea that the trust they slowly gave to him was being used in more ways than one. And Anders ends up loving the Island and it’s people more than he ever could have imagined and wishes he never started the podcast or said anything about the Island of Frick at all.

This book is so sweet! A hopeful and heartwarming tale of love, loss, healing, and the powerful of community made me wish I could hop on the ferry to Frick Island and meet this wonderfully quirky cast of characters.

I loved the dynamic between Piper and Anders (as well as Anders and all of the Frick Island residents), and I thought the podcast element added interesting stakes for their relationship. Colleen Oakley has a gift for writing warm, believable, eccentric characters that you want to sit down and spend a cozy afternoon with. Also, this book has a great twist at the end that genuinely surprised me! For me, this one dragged a bit in the middle, but otherwise I really enjoyed it and found it to be a quick, immersive read.

Pick this up if you like charming small-town stories, unconventional romances, and character-driven contemporary fiction. Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for the eARC!

Frick Island is a remote island, proudly Internet-free, with a quaint group of residents. Men become watermen & women work in crabbing or other domestic roles. The island is known for its annual Cake Walk & that draws reporter Anders Caldwell to the island. When he arrives he finds so much more. A mysterious death, climate troubles, and of course a woman, keep him returning. Will Anders uncover the secrets of Frick Island? Will the residents open up to him? If they find out the real reason he keeps returning, will he be off the island forever?
Thanks to #BerkleyPublishing and #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Sometimes all you need is one person to really see you.

Piper Parrish's life on Frick Island—a tiny, remote town smack in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay—is nearly perfect. Well, aside from one pesky detail: Her darling husband, Tom, is dead. When Tom's crab boat capsized and his body wasn't recovered, Piper, rocked to the core, did a most peculiar thing: carried on as if her husband was not only still alive, but right there beside her, cooking him breakfast, walking him to the docks each morning, meeting him for their standard Friday night dinner date at the One-Eyed Crab. And what were the townspeople to do but go along with their beloved widowed Piper?
Anders Caldwell’s career is not going well. A young ambitious journalist, he’d rather hoped he’d be a national award-winning podcaster by now, rather than writing fluff pieces for a small town newspaper. But when he gets an assignment to travel to the remote Frick Island and cover their boring annual Cake Walk fundraiser, he stumbles upon a much more fascinating tale: an entire town pretending to see and interact with a man who does not actually exist. Determined it’s the career-making story he’s been needing for his podcast, Anders returns to the island to begin covert research and spend more time with the enigmatic Piper—but he has no idea out of all the lives he’s about to upend, it’s his that will change the most.

Charming, adorable and heart warming!
An unconventional love story and utterly beautiful tale about second chances, set in the most enchanting place, full of quirky characters that will make you laugh and cry!
I loved every part of it!

Thank you Let’s Talk Book Promo , Berkley Romance , Berkley Publishing Group , Colleen Oakley and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx/

The Invisible Husband of Frick Island was a cleaver, heartwarming, character driven novel.

Piper Parrish life on Frick Island is pretty perfect except for one detail- her darling husband, Tom, is dead. When he is lost at sea, Piper carried on as if her husband was still alive. She makes his breakfast, walks him to the dock each morning, and even goes on date nights to the local diner. Ambitious journalist Anders Caldwell visits Frick Island to cover their annual Cake Walk fundraiser and stumbles upon a fascinating tale- an entire town pretending to see and interact with a man who does not exist. Determined to launch his podcast into fame, Anders begins to research the town and Piper.

My favorite part of this entire book was probably Frick Island. Remote, quaint and stuck in the past, Frick Island is totally a place I’d like to visit for a few days.

I enjoyed reading about Anders and Piper’s interactions with each other. This book was both heart breaking and heartwarming all at once. It’s unique, cleaver and memorable.

Four stars! I really enjoyed this book!

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for allowing me to read an ARC of this wonderful story. The Invisible Husband of Frick Island publishes May 25th. #TheInvisibleHusbandofFrickIsland #NetGalley

This not-quite-a-mystery, not quote-a-romance novel takes place on a tiny island in f Chesapeake Bay, which is slowly eroding before the relentless rise of the seas. A young, restless-to-do-great-things journalist comes to the island looking for quirky human interest stories and stumbles on a young, appealing widow who seems to think her husband is invisible, and goes on living as if he’s right there with her.

What’s more, the people of the town go right along with it. Delusion or real? Anders befriends Piper and spends more and more time with her, hiding the fact that he’s mining the town for quirky stories, which in turn begin to build him the audience he craves . . ..

The story builds slowly, with a lot of flashbacking. I settled in for the ride because I kept guessing wrong about where the story was going. At one point it seemed to have thriller vibes, so vivid that I stopped reading it at night, and at others it seemed to be a thoughtful, atmospheric romance, and then it seemed to be about the things our minds can do to us in various forms of grief.

I found myself gradually more involved and though I’d read in bits and starts at first, I zoomed through the last third in one go. Definitely unpredictable, with great atmosphere, and I really liked the way the quirkiness of the town was painted with compassion rather than with the superior eye of satire.

Thank you Berkley for the gifted copy.

What a great summer read. I wasn't sure which direction it was going to go with Tom - was he really dead? Was he alive? Did he kill himself, or fake his death? Did Piper know something more than she was letting on? So many questions, and this book kept me guessing but wrapped it all up by the end.

I am disappointed that Frick Island is fictional. Oakley paints it so perfectly that I was so sure it was a real place and I want to visit!

Anders took some getting used to. I think he needed a little more development, but I'm glad he wasn't; the picture perfect hot guy reporter. He's nerdy, gangly, dresses like a Mormon, and is afraid of bugs...and screams like a girl. I wasn't sure what to make of him, and I still don't love him, but he grew on me as the book went on.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. The characters were all fun and I loved the story.

I love everything about this book, and reading it was pure joy!! Heartwrenching and heartwarming at the same time, these characters and Frick Island as well, will take up residence in both your heart and mind. Absolutely one of the best books I've read this year.

Frick Island, off the coast of Maryland, is accessible only by ferry. Less than one hundred people live on the island so they all know each other well. When young Tom Parrish doesn't return after being caught in a bad storm while crabbing, the town is devastated. When his sunken boat is found days later but Tom is not, they all grieve, but none more than his young wife Piper. She and Tom had a special marriage, a strong bond; Tom was Piper's life. Lost in her grief, the townspeople watch over her and hope, in time, she can accept her loss. Imagine their surprise when Piper returns to work one day as happy as a lark. She is convinced Tom has returned, though no one but Piper can see him. She walks through the town, talking to Tom as if he is right beside her. Soon the townspeople begin to talk to Tom as well.

Anders Caldwell has dreamt of being a famous reporter (just like Clark Kent) since he was five years old. He wishes he was further along in making that dream come true, but instead he finds himself working for a small town newspaper covering stupid stories like Frick Island's annual cake walk. He's hoping that the podcast he's trying to get started on the side takes off and moves him towards his dream. When he visits the island, he is taken aback by the beauiful Piper, and finds himself finding reasons to return so he can see her again. When he realizes that she is a widow, and that the whole town is supporting her delusion that her husband is still alive, he knows he's found a story that could change both his career and his life.

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for allowing me to read an ARC of this wonderful story!! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.