I picked this book to read purely on the cover, it's so eye catching and pretty. That makes me a bit superficial, especially as romance isn't usually my genre, but I have to admit, I work in travel, so the promise of a book set in Bali also appealed, especially right now as we can't travel there!
I delved right in on a cold January night and boy was this an absolutely perfect choice to warm me up!
The descriptions of the setting made me feel like I was there, which makes me confident the author was drawing on her own holiday experience, that's just something that can't be faked. Nothing worse than reading a book and knowing a certain detail about a place is wrong, so that got me more invested in the storyline.
I enjoyed Jaelee's friendships, (even though i found Ali annoying), and the descriptions of the people she met. Her storyline was lovely to read as well, turning something like a career break, which is very daunting and uncertain, into something very positive was quite inspiring and uplifting too.
I've looked into the author's other books and they seem like a similar vibe so count me in as a new fan!

this could've been much more enjoyable but i just didn't like the main character's approach to a different place and culture and that just made it very difficult for me to fully enjoy the story, i did like the romance part though, so i think other people will probably like this book even more than i did.

I really wanted to like this book but I really struggled getting into it. The pacing was faster than I would have liked and I didn’t love the characters. I did really like the premise and the setting, but overall it just wasn’t for me.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

“We heal when we’re not paying attention and then, one day, we realise the thing that once tore us in two no longer has that power.”

Jaelee Tan is all the things her mother wanted her to be, yet she’s miserable. So miserable, in fact, that she is leaving her job and heading off on sabbatical to Bali, the magical land of introspection, for two months.

I absolutely loved this holiday romance! That’s saying something, as you probably notice, I don’t read romance. Barker, a seasoned romance writer, knows how to develop characters and their backstory, how to cultivate a believable romance and how to balance humour with life’s more serious challenges.

Jaelee Tan is now one of my favourite characters. I didn’t read ‘That Night In Paris,’ but I understand she was a supporting character. Regardless, I love how honest she is and how she recognizes her vulnerability. It’s also refreshing to read of a feisty and independent female lead who doesn’t come across as hard, uncaring or brash. This bold and flawed character with Korean heritage is a mass of contradictions and readers see her peeling away the layers she’s built up to protect herself. I’d love to sip an espresso martini with her and catch up on life.

I’m like Jaelee and don’t care for man buns either, but somehow (gasp) I fell for Alistair. I watched him through her eyes as he progressed from Mr Man Bun to the ‘verra, verra, sexy’ Hot Scot. I giggled reading Barker’s description of him as ‘Hemsworthy.’ He’s flawed and trying to live his true life, but he’s so in tune with his emotions and his passion and I honestly felt that the two were really meant to be together. The blossoming chemistry, with its tension and flirting, felt real.

I think the book's success is due to the author allowing Jaelee to walk in her footsteps. Barker also enjoyed two months in Ubud, Bali at the ROAM co-living space for digital nomads! The lovable dog, Lu, is real, too, and was at ROAM during her stay. The zen feeling, authenticity and the natural flow in the narrative is a result of the author knowing the setting with her eyes closed. I appreciated the threads of (1) ‘your past influences your future’ and (2) compassion, for yourself and others, is a necessary ingredient for moving on with one’s life.

I’ve only read The Christmas Swap by this author, but I will gladly go back and read about the Parsons sisters in books 1-3. I’m looking forward to book 5, Wedding in Tuscany, in June 2022, the Christmas sequel, The May Ladies Christmas, in October 2022, and her new crime-thriller adventure with author Fiona Leitch sometime this year.

I was gifted this advance copy by Sandy Barker, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

when it comes to romance books i usually know if im gonna like them right away or not and unfortunately this book was not it for me. i really tried giving it a chance but it just wasn’t clicking with me at the moment. maybe i will give it snother chance and finish it in the future when i am in a different headspace!
who knows, it may become a favorite.

A fantastic “escape from reality” book. Get ready to want to take a vacation as soon as possible. a very cute story that was well executed and makes me want to read the other books by this author asap!

jaelee’s on sabbatical, honey!

it took me a bit to warm up to the book but i did enjoy seeing jae’s growth and the friendships developed between the characters as the story progressed. sometimes, we might find ourselves in a position where we realize that our personal and/or professional goals are not what they once were. “a sunrise over bali” reminds us that in the midst of this uncertainty, there is no one way of doing things and sometimes we just need to take a step back and rediscover what excite us!

“Who would have thought I would ever get to this point? But I suppose that’s what we do, isn’t it? We heal when we’re not paying attention and then, one day, we realise the thing that once tore us in two no longer has that power.”

Special thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for this ARC to read and review.

Ever wake up one day and have an intense desire to abandon your monotonous job, hike it to your closest airport with your suitcase full of "resort wear" and book a ticket to Bali? This was me this morning, 50 percent through A Sunrise Over Bali, Google Mapping my way to Miami International Airport.

All dreaming aside, this Romantic Comedy by Sandy Barker was the perfect pick me up to keep me excited about going home and finishing it after work. The vivid details about Bali, Gili, London, and Edinburgh spoke to my inner peripatetic. This book rounded the corner at a solid 4/5 stars.

Picture this, Jaelee Tan, big-wig PR from Miami, runs into her happily married ex, who she is still madly in love with, at a party unexpectedly, propelling her desire to take a sabbatical to Bali. After she arrives at her co-living space, UROP "You Are Our People" the smell of frangipani, the sight of pool loungers, and a full 60 day Visa leaves her wondering if she has made the right choice. The urgent SOS to return to the states from her boss, and her resignation leaves her in absolute turmoil. Through UROP she meets many friends, one of the first being a "Hemsworthy" man named Alistair. Is Jaelee ready to move on?

This book and writing style so spoke to my inner bibliophile who needed a light and fun read after two heavy novels. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Escaping her normal everyday life is just what Jaelee Tan needs. So a two month sabbatical to Bali is on the cards. With a new group of friends she is relishing her new found freedom and if a little bit of romance appears over the horizon, who is she to complain?

A fun easy read which was enjoyable and entertaining.

This is a sweet book - I love how easy it was to read and how well Sandy Barker uses her characters to help tell the story. Even the secondary characters have depth and add to the storyline. This would be a good "beach read" or holiday read. It is laid back and you travel right alongside Jaelee as she takes her sabbatical and follows all her dreams. The book ends as you might expect, but getting there is a wonderful journey through Bali and her journey to happiness and love. The arc of Jaelee's character is amazing - a journey I wish I could complete in my own life.

I really enjoyed reading about a strong, independent female main character.

We had a fun story line in an exotic location with a MC on a mission to serve herself! I loved it.

Cute, lighthearted, happy, not picture perfect - great read!

I really enjoyed this witty, easy read! The setting is fantastic and perfect to read in the middle of winter. I like Jaelee and her journey of self-discovery. The connection between her and Alistair was good and I loved seeing their relationship develop throughout the story. Jaelee’s friends and her relationship with them were the epitome of “found family”. This would be a great beach read too!

Thank you NetGalley and One More Chapter for an advanced copy!

This is my first book by Sandy Barker. I loved every second of it! A huge thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC.
First of all. I love the MCs in this book. Jaelee is a strong and independent woman, she decides to take her life in her own hands, enjoyed that she made risky
choices (no spoilers here) throughout the book.
I also loved the fact that it wasn't all butterflies and rainbows not everything was a perfect paradise and she learned to adapt.


Shared on Instagram and Goodreads

Book Review
4/5 for A Sunrise over Bali by @sandybarkerauthor

Jaelee Tan has it all, a condo in Florida, a Junior VP job in one of the biggest PR agencies in the state, and a vast collection of designer clothes. But, she craves adventure and decides to travel to a sabbatical on the other side of the planet, Bali. Unfortunately, she is called back, in the spur-of-the-moment though...she quits.

Now in a foreign country for two months, unemployed might I add, Jaelee navigates through not only finding herself, but a budding romance with Alistair (Scottish *wink wink*)

Warning: This book is long and slow. It has a faced pace romance, with a slow paced plot. I quite enjoyed this because it really describes every single detail (and I mean every). In other plots this may be boring, but I think that it was a necessity with this one given that Jaelee has so much going on in her life. I have seen the author has written many other romance novels, so I will check them out soon!

a fine story, i just didn’t really feel a connection to any of the characters, especially jaelee.

#netgalley

I blitzed through this book over the weekend as I just could not get enough. Light and witty I enjoyed every second. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A Sunrise Over Bali is the latest book from Sandy Barker following Jaelee as she embarks on a two month sabbatical in Bali not expecting it to become permanent. Over the course of her stay, she meets some great new friends and a particularly handsome Scot. This novel feature friendship, romance and laughter and is a joy to read. Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins One More Chapter and the author for the chance to review.

WHat a wonderful story. Jaelee, the protagonist, has the best idea ever in heading off to Bali, a beautiful and exotic location to rid herself of the negativity of an awful betrayal. I loved JaeLee’s transformation and character growth in the beautiful setting that is Bali, where she could surround herself with loving people and gorgeous memories. Meeting others helped her to unload all her insecurities and hinted at one point of a future love interest. Where her story will take us next whet my appetite for more of this amazing woman. Things are never just left behind in Sandy Barker’s books. There is always a hint that there is more to the story and I look forward to her next rendition of this and other stories. What wonderful books Sandy writes, always leaving me wanting more.

I have never read anything from Sandy Baker, so this book was my first.

A nice, quick, easy travel read. The Bali scenery was great to read, only intensifying my want to follow Jae there.

Also, loved the cover.

Well clearly I need to follow in Jaelee’s footsteps and take a sabbatical in Bali! The setting for this story was magnificent and I loved all the tidbits of Bali food and culture. A Sunrise Over Bali was a cute, quick, easy to read, feel-good romance novel. I wanted a little more chemistry between the main characters, but the character development was well done. Good fun summer read!

Thank you to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley for granting me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!