This book was a lot! There was SO many different perspectives and nicknames that it got very confusing. So much was happening once. It was just all over the place and not in a good way. I'm confused by we didnt get more povs of the mc and the love interest? That just throws the whole book off.

This book has a gorgeously cute cover and it immediately drew me to it. Based on the cover, I had this notion that the book was going to be a light rom-com. But it definitely isn’t. It is a novel that does have some humour, however, it begins with a scary natural disaster which strands two families on a remote island in Australia for weeks. Stranded with the families are the caretaker of the island and the bartender/eco tourism company employee who takes care of delivering meal kits and attends to the needs of the family during their vacation.

I loved the setting of this novel, it is an amazing getaway and the author does a fabulous job of taking us to this gorgeous, isolated place that is very exclusive. I enjoyed the addition of the history of the Indigenous Australians and the culture. I also thought the friendship that developed between the two men from each family was so much fun and was well done, as older males sometimes have difficulty forging new friendships, especially with the preconceived idea that they had nothing in common. This novel was also inclusive with representation for the LGBTQ2S+ community. Proceed with caution also as this story is s-p-i-c-y; It is definitely open door and 4/5 chili peppers hot.

Where the novel fell flat for me was the conflicts the various characters experienced were introduced quite early and were ongoing and I felt they went around in circles for too long. Also, in describing an emotion or a feeling, the author resorted twice, to references of needle drug use. I didn’t get why that was necessary and it was so jarring because it just didn’t fit with the context of the story or any of the characters. Unless I didn’t pick up on a subtle inference.

In the end, it was the setting, the crafting of an interesting plots for the characters, and the characters of the two families themselves that earned the novel its three stars. I will read the next novel by Georgia Clark.

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy of Island Time, in exchange for my honest opinion.

Trigger Warnings: Discussion of colonization/land back, cursing, IUI, lying, alcohol, cheating, wild animals, volcano eruption, animal death, divorce, panic attacks, racism, masturbation, sex, removal of Indigenous children from their families, alcoholism, addiction, past death of a parent, injury, miscarriage, weed

Representation: Australian, Chinese, Russian, Lesbian, Non-binary, Bisexual, Black

Island Time is an adult contemporary romance staring two families with little in common. The Lee’s and the Kelly’s travel to an island off the coast of Queensland to celebrate their daughters’ marriage. When a volcano erupts trapping both families for 6 weeks, tensions rise, as do silly moments, love scenes, and run-ins with wild life. Will they last stranded together?

What a perfect summer book! This story was a beautiful, tropical getaway from the current heat wave we are experiencing. The story is very character driven with less events occurring. In the beginning, I was wishing for more action, but the author makes you so invested in the families that you barely notice the lack of plot points. Each “couple” experiences life on the island in their own adventures. I didn’t even realize until I read the acknowledgements that this was the author’s Covid book. Now looking back, it makes sense but its also so far from a lockdown in a pandemic that you don’t feel the trauma of reliving those events.

One critique I have for this story is the transitions between POV/chapters. I think it helped that each chapter started a new character’s POV, but sometimes the final sentence didn’t feel like a chapter ending so there’s just an awkward pause then a new character starts.

Overall, a great read for anyone looking for their next breezy, summer read! Perfect for the beach and your home, as you’re taken away to the beauty of Australia.

I didn't finish this one so I'm not sure if I should write a review.

I went into this intrigued by the premise. However, I feel let down by what I did read. There were too many characters to keep track of, especially ones with nicknames thrown in. I didn't enjoy reading about the same events from multiple perspectives. I also didn't think any of the characters I encountered were very nice or sympathetic.
I can see that this book has some positive reviews so I may attempt this one again, but it's not for me right now.

I did enjoy reading about the gorgeous island setting.

georgia clarke!!!! love her words and her stories that just throw me in the worlds of the characters she so carefully crafts!

This one really didn't do it for me. I had heard great things about the author's previous book, so I was excited to read this one, but at least to me, it felt very all over the place. Too many characters, too many bizarre plot directions. I thought it was going to be a fun story about a family on vacation and it sort of felt like a hot mess. Disappointed, but I'm sure I'll still read her next book!

1.5⭐️ | If I wanted to see a bunch of people bitch on a remote island, I should have just watched an episode of Survivor. I hoped to enjoy this because I usually like stories with ensemble casts and multiple POVs, but this book was just too long. I hated all the characters, and not even in the fun way.

In addition to the generally unlikable cast, ISLAND TIME also included:
- Woody Allen praise in 2022
- Questionable native representation
- A too-personal relationship between one character (a therapist) and one of her patients (a teenager)

This was a big miss for me. The only thing that pushed me to finish was the full cast audiobook.

Content Warnings: Tropical storms, cheating, miscarriage, talk of pregnancy, internalized homophobia, divorce, drowning, wild animal deaths

this was cutie! I loved the blossoming romance story, the family drama, and the summer setting! I thought some of characters lacked some depth. the author gave them lots of feelings, and lots of growth, but some parts felt rushed, or random, even.

while I didn’t absolutely love it, I think this is a great palate cleanser if you’re looking for something fun to read!

as always, thank you to @netgalley & @atriabooks & @georgialouclark for my eARC!

Two families, the Lees and the Kelly’s go on a island vacation, these two families are very different, you can’t call them friends but their daughters are married. After arriving, there is a volcano eruption that causes their vacation to be extended for six weeks.
I was looking for a lgbtq book. I really tried to like this book but it really did not grab my attention.

I will be recommending this to my followers who are obsessed with romance. Suck a fun summer read!!!!

Very cute read! I couldn’t put this book down, I read it in a day! Seriously the perfect summer time read!

We meet for #BigBookNerdBuddyReads to discuss this wonderful read in one week! I can’t wait to chat with Georgia!

🏝 REVIEW: ISLAND TIME 🏝

By Georgia Clark

📖 SUMMARY: The Kellys and the Lees don’t really get along… but they’re all willing to play nice while on a tropical getaway to celebrate the marriage of their daughters. Unfortunately for the two families, what started as a few days on a beautiful island soon turns into a bit of a nightmare, thanks to a nearby volcanic eruption. It doesn’t help that they’ve all got things they’re hiding from each other — an impending divorce, a new romance, and a spouse’s REAL feelings on having children, to name a few — and now they’re all stranded together on the island for six weeks. What could go wrong!?

💭 THOUGHTS: What a fun book! Beautiful setting, family drama, romance, LGBTQ+ rep, it’s got it all! Obviously the premise sucked me in, but it was the realistic depictions of relationships, both romantic and familial, that kept me intrigued. What’s better than watching a romance bloom on a beautiful island? Though my favorite part was probably the birdwatching bromance between the two dads, which was amazing. I also appreciated the discussion around Native people and how to respect their land. Overall a great read!

✨ RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🥰 YOU’LL ENJOY IF: you like books by Emma Lord or Jasmine Guillory

There was something about the premise of Island Time (two families stranded on an island) that caught me at the right time. Maybe I need a vacation? Regardless, I was really feeling the dynamics of this book. All the characters (or maybe a better way of putting it - personalities) stuck together for a longer than anticipated time. There were awkward moments, cringey moments, funny moments, heartfelt moments, heartbreaking moments.
Georgia Clark did a masterful job of making me feel connected to all of the characters in some way. It’s a reminder that you don’t have to “like” everyone, but you can probably find some common ground.
Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC! I really enjoyed this one and have already bought a physical copy for my shelves and to share.

I appreciated all of the different issues each couple was dealing with, but I sort of felt like there was too much happening to where it detracted from other stories. I also felt like I didn’t get closure on Parker’s story as it pertained to her work.

Definitely less focused on romance and more of a family drama. It took me a little while to keep all of the characters separate.

Island Time is such a cute cover, but I am conflicted about it. There are too many characters and storylines to keep up with. I found this one difficult to read and it was not my favorite. I enjoy Georgia Clark's books, but this one was not my favorite.

I really liked the premise of this one and it starts out really strong. The Kelly family and Lee family are vacationing together on an island off the coast of Australia when a volcano erupts, stranding them there together (along with two resort employees) for six weeks. The only thing these families have in common is the fact that their daughters are married and it’s going to be challenging for them to all spend so much time together.

I liked the fact that each person on the island was given a chance to explore what they really wanted out of life while they were there. Some storylines were given more attention than others, but I still enjoyed that part of it. I found the author’s writing style to be charming and I liked the tropical setting. Things are pretty exciting in the aftermath of the volcano, but then things slow way down and the story starts to drag. The story is told through nine POV’s that jump around without warning and the effect is pretty jarring. It’s difficult to keep track of who is talking and I feel like it could have been shorter and would have had the same impact.

I like family dramas when I can empathize with the characters and understand their motivations. In this instance it was hard to connect with any of the characters because there were so many and they were all unlikable.

Overall, this one wasn’t my favorite. I think the author has a great voice and I will definitely check out her other releases. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an ARC to read and review.

Island Time follows two families as they are stranded on an Island in Austrailia after a natural disaster. This is a story about identity, family, and the overall importance of being true to yourself, even when it's scary.

I enjoyed the premise of this book very much and I was incredibly excited to read my copy. I was immediately drawn into the story and was rooting for the romance from the moment we met our two lovebirds. I loved the fun banter between Liss and Amelia...and, to be honest, the entire case of characters. There is no doubt that Georgia Clark knows how to write wit.

All of that being said, this book was a lot to take in. I think it could've been broken down into several different books in a larger series (with each of the side characters really being given their chance to shine) and it would've been amazing. When you have nine major characters to keep track of and they're all working through incredibly difficult life situations (marital conflict, starting a family, work/life balance, heartbreak)...it's really hard to keep track of everything!

I would have loved to spend more time with each character during their different experiences of their time on the Island and I think this could've been done in a really cool way. But the way it was delivered overall, I wasn't quite sure that I connected with every person the way I really could've.

It was very slow. The characters were intriguing but I just couldn’t handle the pacing. I wanted so much to love it. But I DNF’d at 34%

Drama, drama and then some more drama in this read. The Kellys and Lees could not be more different. In fact, the only thing they have in common is the fact that there daughters are married.
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They figured they can get through a short vacation together but when a volcano erupts they are stuck on this island together for six weeks, and that is a lot of family time. These six weeks with only those two families and two island employees changes everything for these people. A lot can happen in a little time on the island.
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Thank you #Atria and #NetGalley for An advanced copy in exchange for an honest review .

I like-almost-loved this book! The characters are all deeply flawed - lots of other reviewers are saying unlikeable, but aren't we all in some ways? - and display growth throughout the story. They each felt like real people, and all had fully developed stories throughout the book. That also meant there were A LOT of POVs throughout, which can be a pro or con depending on your view. I enjoyed hearing from each character, but at times it was quick switching between each person. The big event at the beginning certainly added an interesting twist - I didn't see that coming at all.

Like some others have mentioned, this doesn't feel like strictly a romance or a family drama, as it has a little bit of everything. Overall, I enjoyed it a lot and finished it over two days.