I struggled to connect with this book; compared to my other reads from Barker, this was not my favourite.

Jaelee decides to upsticks from Miami and take time out in Bali. Barker does not take long to transport readers to the Indonesian paradise and before we know it, we are being introduced to others who are staying at this retreat for ‘digital nomads’. (Yes, I have looked this up and it is actually a thing – remote working from anywhere in the world.) In this paradise, one nomad stands out above the rest: gorgeous Alistair, who is compared to Chris Hemsworth. For me, that ticked a box straight away!

However, I never was really convinced by the blossoming relationship between Jaelee and Alistair. I didn’t get swept away by the romantic magic of their connection and instead felt it moving too quickly. Indeed, in my opinion, I don’t believe the writer developed the characters enough in this story. Not only did I not get a sense of the chemistry in this romance, I thought the supporting characters were quite bland and easily confusable. This lessened my enjoyment of the story.

It was the delightful descriptions of the settings that really captured my imagination. It is clear that the writer knows this area very well (as referenced in the acknowledgements at the end of the book) and I felt transported to the hot and humid climes of Bali. It was so vividly described that I could imagine walking around with Jaelee and I loved the escapism this provided. When the story moves to juxtaposing Edinburgh, I was also entranced by the setting. It might have helped that I have recently visited this beautiful capital but, just like Bali, the descriptions were spot-on and incredibly enticing.

Over the course of the story, I don’t think too much really happened. Jaelee experiences a kind of “rest” whilst in Bali: reassessing what she feels is most important to her and taking stock of her career. There’s a lot of chat between characters but I didn’t think it really contributed much to the story, finding instead that I was a bit bored by some of the scenes in the story. Whilst Jaelee’s relationship with Alistair develops quickly, everything else seemed slow and prolonged, especially the ending. I would have preferred some more energy in the story, but I guess the nature of the plot reflects the relaxing time the characters are experiencing in Bali.

By far, it was the backdrop to the story that made this the most enjoyable. I loved the descriptions and I think it has whetted my appetite to visit what seems to be a very beautiful part of the world. Unfortunately, not gelling with the characters and remaining unconvinced by the romance did lessen my enjoyment of this escapism fiction.

With thanks to Harper Collins, One More Chapter and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A fun sweet read! Highly recommend.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my ARC.

A cute read for the beach! Barker hits the nail on the head with these holiday romances - beautiful setting, easy to read, steamy romance and a steady but still moving plot.
It may not be the most complex of plots and be very predictable but Barker has the skill of keeping you invested through her characters and excellent (but cutesy) dialogue. I enjoyed this one a lot!

A brilliant read and one I really enjoyed. A heartwarming, relaxing read. The characters are loveable and varied, the plot is one that is engaging and medium paced. I found myself completely drawn into the story and enjoyed the writing style.

Sandy Bakers A Sunrise Over Bali is a sweet and easy read, perfect for vacation. The Bali setting is stunning and Sandys writing makes you feel like you have been transported to the beach. She does a wonderful job setting the scene and paints a very detailed picture of island life. Bali has long been on my bucket list of travel destinations and this book has me excited to not just see the beautiful scenery but for the cuisine as well.

Jaelee is in her mid thirties and has worked hard to get to where she is in her career, practically checking off every box on her moms list of what she should do with her life. There is just one problem – she is miserable. Even though she has recently been given a promotion at work, a job she loves, she realizes being successful is not the only thing that matters. When she unexpectedly bumps into her ex at her best friends birthday party her world turns upside down and on a whim she decides to take a 2 month sabbatical. She hopes 2 months at a co-living space in Bali will allow her some time to think and figure out what comes next.

This book was an easy and light read, I was drawn in by the stunning cover and the premise sounded very promising. While I did enjoy the book it fell a bit short for me. I really didn’t connect with the main character and found her to be quite unlikeable for the majority of the first half of the book. I guess she was going through a bit of life crisis and realizing she had put most of her eggs in the career basket in trying to please her mother when perhaps on a personal level she needed to have prioritized relationship more. I did love that she took a chance on herself and took the trip to Bali to refocus and think about what is truly important to her but her behaviour towards others at times was quite off putting. I strongly considered DNFing this book about half way through but kept going and I am glad I did. The later half of the book was much better and finally started to get past the surface level. We started to see her relationships with some of the other female characters develop, I love women supporting other women so that representation was great. While I never really bought into her romantic relationship it was great to see how she stepped up to be there for him. I found the relationship a bit rushed and would have liked to see more of a build up, I just didn’t feel the chemistry between them.

All in all I enjoyed this book and would gladly read another book by this author in the future.

A beautiful rom-com that transports you to the shores of Bali. A great beach or weekend read with no dull moments and feels a lot like watching a Hallmark movie

I loved the story line and the beautiful writing of this one. it was a little slow at first but it kept me interested. I never wanted it to end.

This is a great book about escaping the daily grind and getting your heart where it needs to be to be fully happy.

There was a lot to like about this book -- first of all, Sandy Barker writes setting really well and I really enjoyed the scene-setting of Bali. It took a while for the main character to grow on me, for quite a lot of the book she seemed naive and lacking in a unique voice. But she got stronger as the book went on.

While it was enjoyable overall, there was something off about the pacing of the plot -- it felt like there wasn't enough lead-up and tension before Jaelee and the love interest (I don't want to spoil anything) get together for the first time.

Lovely feel good book to read. It was a joy to read. Lovely characters. Great plot. Perfect idyllic location to get lost in. The book was charming. Very well written. I’d definitely recommend this book

If escapism is what you're looking for in a romance novel, this one is for you. This was a quick read, and just gave me the cute/happy feels at the end of it. I love a good holiday romance!

I received an ARC in exchange for my review.

A fun, romantic holiday read that really makes Bali come to life. I chose this book as I’d been to Bali before and wanted to relive the dream and I wasn’t disappointed!

A beautiful setting and a beautiful read. I loved the romance and I loved the Bali setting. A fantastic holiday read. A mixture of heartbreak, love, friendship and forgiveness of yourself and others. I really enjoyed it.

This novel was so much fun! I have not been able to travel much lately and this book’s atmosphere was ::chef’s kiss:: perfect for a staycation with my head in Bali. Jaelee goes on Sabatical to Bali, leaving behind her professional PR job and making the rest of us feel jealous as she makes friends and enjoys life out there until her boss demands it be cut short. Not cool! So Jaelee does what any of us would do and quits on the spot to stay in Bali! She meets the gorgeous (my mind has a great version of him in my head) and the rest is her story of love, friendship and finding yourself and your own happiness. Wonderful beach read!

Sorry but I couldn’t get into this book. The setting sounded great but I wasn’t enjoying reading about the characters.

If you're looking for an easy read ready for summer then this one definitely fits the bill.

I loved the Bali setting, and then off to a couple of other places briefly towards the end of the book. There were loads of detail about where the book is set, including things like local drinks etc.

Sadly, I never really loved the main character Jaelee which was a real shame. She was quite annoying at times and a bit self-absorbed. The romance aspect of the book also felt a little rushed, with not enough detail or interaction between the two characters for me.

A good book but I didn't love it.

A sweet tale perfect for the weekend or a summer beach day. It’s an easy and light read with some cute romance. It’s reminiscent of Eat, Pray, Love. So fans of the book and movie will enjoy this.

After a bad breakup, Jae takes a two month sabbatical in Bali. But her original plan goes to hell when she quits her job and meets a very hunky Scot.

It’s a good book, not totally outstanding but cute enough and I love books set in other countries. Worth a read.

A sweet romantic read that kept my interest. Loved the characters! Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book

I really wanted to LOVE this book; I did really like it though. Bali is on my bucket list so i adored the setting and all of the little details. The main character was sort of a dud for me though. But overall, I enjoyed following along the story. It would make a cute beach/vacation read. Thank you net galley for the ARC.

Gold-plated romantic escapism does not get any better than Sandy Barker’s latest charmer, A Sunrise Over Bali.

Jaelee Tan is in desperate need of a break. Her high-flying job in Miami barely gives her time to catch her breath as she lurches from one crisis to another trying to avert disaster while keeping her very demanding clients happy. A sabbatical in Bali is just what the doctor ordered. After the stressful grind of her job, Jae can just relax and take some time to unwind. Unfortunately, her boss seems to have other ideas and when she is asked to cut short her holiday and return back to the office on the next flight home, Jae decides that enough is enough and she resigns effective immediately. Jae is finally free from the pressures of the rat-race. But what on earth is she going to do now? With nowhere to go and no demands on her time, Jae decides that the best place to figure out her next step is the paradise she will be calling home for the foreseeable future: Bali.

Jae has been in Bali for the last two months and she is convinced that leaving Miami behind was the right choice for her. Not only is the scenery spectacular, but the sun shines all day long and she has made new friends and settled into her new life. Life is as close to perfect as it is possible to get for Jae – and meeting sexy Scot Alistair makes her wonder whether she might have found another reason to stick around in Bali. A sunrise in Bali has changed the course of Jae’s entire life, but will she find the courage to go after the man who has come to mean everything to her? Or will she let Alistair slip through her fingers?

Sandy Barker writes with great flair and gusto about fascinating characters that immediately come to life and her sense of place is so rich and evocative that readers feel as if they are experiencing the beautiful countries she writes about alongside her characters and this is certainly true of A Sunrise Over Bali, a gloriously enjoyable and wonderfully romantic tale readers will want to read in a single sitting.

A dazzling tale of second chances, friendship and unexpected romance, A Sunrise Over Bali is another superb page-turner by Sandy Barker.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.