I chose to read Island Time, by Georgia Clark, based on the quirky cover and brief description, thinking it was going to be a light romantic comedy. This was not the case. I got bogged down in trying to keep up with all of the characters presented in the story and found myself checking to see how much further until I finished. For me, it was just an ok read. Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for an ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

This book surprised me. Looking at the cover, you might think it’s a lighthearted romcom set on a beautiful island. You’d be wrong. The story is about a family/extended family of 7 who go to a remote island off of Australia to meet the boyfriend of one of the daughters. That’s fine, until…..

A volcano erupts on a nearby island, causing a tsunami and trapping the 7 family members and 2 island caretakers for 6 weeks. It’s a great forced proximity premise, but 9 POVs is a lot to keep track of. Plus, 8 of them are having some sort of personal life-altering crisis.
The book has several LGBTQ+ characters. One couple is struggling with the decision to have a baby, and the other one is in the initial stages of their relationship when all they want is to be together.

The descriptions of the island are lovely, and I especially enjoyed the stories and rituals of the native aborigines. The book is fairly long, and along with the multiple POVs, it’s not a quick read. It’s very well written and I did want to see how the characters ended up.
By the way, I was amazed that they never lose power or internet after a significant natural disaster and they always have plenty of food! 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

Synopsis:
Love is in the salty sea air in this smart and steamy ensemble romantic comedy set in a tropical paradise, from the author of the “sparkly and entertaining” (Oprah Daily) It Had to Be You. This is one island you won’t want to be rescued from.

The Kellys are messy, loud, loving Australians. The Lees are sophisticated, aloof, buttoned-up Americans. They have nothing in common…except for the fact that their daughters are married. When a nearby volcano erupts during their short vacation to a remote tropical island off the coast of Queensland, the two families find themselves stranded together for six weeks.

With only two island employees making up the rest of their party, everyone is forced to question what—or who—they really want. Island Time is a sumptuous summer read that dives deep into queer romance, family secrets, ambition, parenthood, and a bird-chasing bromance. This sexy, sun-soaked paradise of white sandy beaches, crystal-clear waters, and lush rainforest will show you it’s never too late to change your destiny.

The writing style in this one was interesting and took me some getting used to. I’m having a hard describing it beyond saying that the writing was very … in depth? Descriptive and articulate.

Upon starting this book I was worried about how so many distinct personalities were going to fit together. The book is told in third person from the point of view of pretty much every character. While definitely an interesting way to give the reader glimpses into the different characters’ motivations, I found that the jumping around didn’t necessarily allow for extensive development for all of the individuals — almost like there wasn’t really room for them to do so. All of the characters l seemed to experience a lot, but it didn’t really feel as if they developed.

What was interesting about this book is that while I didn’t necessarily like any of the characters very much (except maybe Liss), I still felt a lot of sympathy for them.

Rather than a romance novel, I would classify this as a book about navigating relationships while trying to find a sense of self.

{2.5 ☆} Island Time, a novel written by Georgia Clark is a book with diverse characters, tons of drama, chaos.

I found the book to be a little too much for me given the fact that there were just so many different perspectives, characters and NICKAMES. SO MANY NICKNAMES.

So many things were happening and being talked about at once and that made it really hard to understand what was going on at that very moment.

I would’ve preferred it if the povs were limited to the mc and her love interest but unfortunately, that was not the case. And now, if you were to ask me about a character in this book it would probably take me a good minute before I provided you with a concrete answer since things were just all over the place.

I feel that the beginning of the book was extremely confusing. More and more characters kept getting introduced to the story which made it very hard to keep track of who is who. The nicknames, which I will never get over, made everything worse since they were thrown in there without any context and you had to connect the dots to figure out who that person was addressing.

Thankfully, things started to pick up after the volcano erupted (around chapter 7 or 8 I think). If it were for that I would have most likely dnf’ed the book.

On a happier note, I actually really loved the LGBTQIA+ and Indigenous aspect of this novel. It’s a combination that I’ve only seen in one book prior to this one (I would love to see something like this again).

If you’re thinking of reading this book all I have to say is: be patient and don’t give up. The chapters may feel a little long and unnecessary (pretty sure one of the chapters was about a toilet. Like the entire chapter…) but bare with it, it gets better (kind of).

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this arc!

Overall I enjoyed this book. Fantastic setting with wonderful descriptions so it felt like you were there, aboriginal history, lots of family drama, romance and multiple journeys of self discovery. It was a little hard to keep track of all the point of views and it dragged some.

This book follows two families and island inhabitants as they are stranded while they are vacationing in Australia. There are 9 different point of views and over 70 chapters.

What I liked: This was my first Georgia Clark book and I liked her writing style. She did a fantastic job describing Australia, the landscape, animals, and indigenous clans that live there. I also liked some of the character development and the romance between a few of the characters.

What I didn't like: The book was long winded and also a bit confusing as to which POV the book was on since there are no chapter indicators as to who is talking. Some of the characters were a bit unlikeable as well.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for an advanced e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Georgia Clark writes ensemble casts with so much heart and drama. I really liked IT HAD TO BE YOU, so I was excited for ISLAND TIME. This book takes place in Australia, where a volcano erupts during two families— the Kellys’ and Lees’—vacation. The families are forced together for six weeks, and the only reason they are even together is because their daughters are married. Clark is great at weaving together multiple POVs and storylines to create a compelling novel.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own.

I really love Georgia Clark's characters and stories! Island Time has a large but intimate cast that we know so well by the end of the story. 9 characters on the island and the reader learns all their motivations and faults. You find that Boobook, Glen!! Full character arcs for all! Well, maybe not Jarrah but he was pretty awesome from the start. Part family story and part coming into your own with a whhhoooolllle lot of steam! If you aren't sure what an open door romance is, you'll understand when reading Island Time! It's more steamy scenes than I tend to want, but I am still all in on a Georgia Clark story. I can always skip a page or two if needed. The characters getting stuck on the island give a unique look at quarantining, the author's love for her home, and even indigenous people of the area. A couple things that surprised me about this romance was the rich and easy to visualize setting and the subtle nature writing scattered in it. Bravo to another great book by Georgia Clark!

Island Time releases Tuesday, June 14th!! Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for my e-arc!

I wasn’t expecting how much growth this book would show with not just one character but many. It was a great representation of queer stories, although I did struggle at times when it felt like let’s make all of the characters super human and three dimensional landed more as let’s make everyone self centered and frustrating. I did feel this book was a little too long but I get that there was a lot of story to tell.

I found this book to be OK. A little slow to get into, and then it rounded out with some good family drama. Interesting characters with interesting dynamics. I wasn’t expecting any queer representation so that was a nice addition. I haven’t read many books based out of Australia so it was nice to get to explore a different part of the world and to be on an island.

I think if you are a fan of Georgia Clarks writing (lots of characters, and changing povs) you should check this one out.

Island time comes out on June 14th! Thank you Netgalley and Atria for e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Two families with almost nothing in common vacation together on a remote island paradise, only to end up stuck together for six weeks after a devastating nearby volcano erupts. The loud, emotional, Australian Kelly family and the pragmatic, quiet, American Lee family have only met once, at their daughters’ wedding, but now the two families and two island employees have over a month to live and know each other while they wait for rescue. This summer read dives into topics of parenthood, friendship, ambition, and love, all with a backdrop of a lush island paradise.

Georgia Clark creates another exceptional ensemble cast! I appreciate how Clark doesn’t shy away from addressing race, sexuality, and gender identity, in a loving but messy family dynamic. The author takes great care to describe the colonization of Australia, and while the themes resonated with my own understanding of American colonization, it was not a topic I was familiar with. Storylines of queer romance, identity, family secrets, and unfulfilled ambition spill into each corner of this beautiful novel, reminding us that small living quarters and a nearly deserted island can bring out the best and worst in all of us!

Island Time is a multiple POV story about a family stranded on a remote Australian Island for 6 weeks after a volcano eruption. The family is messy, with not only drama with each other, but each person going through their own challenges.

First off, this book made me want to go on a vacation to Australia ASAP. I loved the setting and I really appreciated all the history woven in about Aboringinal Australians. I appreciated the diversity of the characters, and the family drama! There are a few queer romance story lines, but this felt more like general fiction than a romance book. It could have been a bit shorter, but overall, it was an enjoyable read.

Thanks to Atria Books for the advance copy.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story follows the Kelly family who is on vacation and a volcano explodes causing them to be stuck in the island trying to survive. They have to individually get through each of their problems and secrets to make the most out of their vacation.

The book has multiple POVs, it keep jumping between different family members to tell the story. It is a fun read, just wasn't grabbing my attention as quickly as I wanted it to.

This is a family drama as well as a love story. The characters are diverse and offer interesting points of view. When they plan a family vacation that gets disrupted by a natural disaster, it shines a spotlight on all the fissures in their relationship. Some of the couples grow closer together while others split apart. One thing that arises is that the family bonds are strong and true. The relationships may have changed but they will always have each other.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance reader's copy of this book.

There was a lot to like about this book -- the island setting, the descriptions of nature, the queer representation -- but unfortunately it ultimately left me disappointed. Most importantly, the book is far too long and could easily have been shortened by at least 100 pages. I found myself wanting to skim many passages. I felt like I was supposed to see Amelia and Liss as the main storyline, but I found their romance less interesting than some of the other characters' stories. I would have preferred to know more about Ludmila, for example, who had made sacrifices in her life that were barely touched on. I would have liked more of a love story between Matty and Parker and more about seeing how they would make their lives together work with different life goals. I especially would have enjoyed more about Jules and Jarrah. Amelia was probably my least favorite character, because it felt as though her beauty and her desire for a soul mate were the only things that defined her, and by the end of the book it honestly didn't seem like her character had grown. I might recommend this book for someone looking for a queer romance, but I would temper that recommendation with a warning that this all feels pretty shallow.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for sending me an ARC of the novel, Island Time, written by Georgia Clark!

This book tells the story of a family spending time on an Australian island. When a tsunami hits and the area is deemed as a natural disaster zone, the inhabitants are stranded for 6 weeks with limited supplies and rations. Everyone in the family is going through some pretty intense situations of their own individual accord. There was a lot going on in this book, but it was highly entertaining.

Overall, I rate this book as a 3-star read. I have some mixed feelings about this book. While I enjoyed reading the majority of it, I also feel like it's not one that I would particularly pick up and read a second time.

Some parts of it were amazing - the spice between Amelia and Liss, the tsunami and crocodile scenes were extremely powerful, and I enjoyed learning a little bit more about the Australian outback as a whole. However, other parts were a bit too cheesy or unsettling for me - such as Randall and Glen's bromance bird-watching obsession and Amelia's tendency towards insta-love with any of her romantic interests that were mentioned in the book.

A cute read. What I liked best was the cover. I also loved the descriptive settings of the island life, ocean waves, and the beaches. This is a great advertisement for a make believe island, but others that are real are sure to be found similar to this one. I didn’t really connect with any of the characters and found some were hard to like.
It’s a Beachy read with serious undertones which can offer an escape to readers.

ISLAND TIME was my first book by @georgialouclark and I enjoyed it! Thank you to @netgalley and @atriabooks for my e-arc in exchange for an honest review. This one publishes next Tuesday, June 14!

I was pleasantly surprised when I started reading this one and realized it was a perfect book to read for #pridemonth ! This book is a great sapphic summer romance, while also delving deep into family drama/relationships!

This book is set in a fictional island down under in Australia, and now I want to go visit this place that does not exist 😆 there’s a lot that goes on in this book between the two families: identity, ambition, resentment, life-altering decisions/secrets, near death experiences (I will always be on the look out for crocodiles!!), as well as very steamy!

I also really appreciated the inclusion of aboriginal stories, and a native character (who is also a love interest!). There was so much information regarding the culture of the native people and the land, you could really tell the author did her research!

All the characters were quirky in their own way. Everyone was dealing with something “big” I think my favourite was Amelia’s dad (he’s a fellow introvert!).

I did think this book was a little too long, and that some of the stuff that did happen, was a little extreme, soils not have happened in any other situation, but I think that also plays into the whole “trapped on a deserted island” experience. Anything can happen right?!

Overall, a great book that I recommend for queer lovers stories, and a great escape read!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for gifting me a digital copy of Georgia Clark's new book, Island Time - 3.5 stars.

The Kelly family are loud, messy Australians and the Lee family are more sophisticated, aloof Americans. But their daughters are married and the other Kelly daughter, Amelia, brought them together for a family vacation to an island off Queensland to meet her boyfriend. Then a tsunami hit and their long weekend turned into being stranded for six weeks.

I loved the setting, the history, even the bird info in this book. I also loved the character progression, as each character learns more about themselves, how to relate to each other, and how to fulfill and understand their dreams. What I didn't like so much was the fact that there were so many different points of view in the third person that it was confusing. There was also a lot of gay sex - so much that it felt pornographic instead of romantic. I love dark humor but there were quite a few tone deaf jokes. I'm probably too old and straight to be the target audience for this book so please read other reviews!

Amelia's blown out her bank account to gather her family- her sister, her sister-in-law, her sister-in-law's parents, and her own parents-for a very expensive week on an isolated island off the coast of Australia so that they can meet James, the man she believes she's going to marry. James doesn't make it the first day and then a volcano blows nearby, bringing with it a tsunami and everyone is stuck, stuck for 6 weeks at least. Everyone has to recalibrate their expectations, especially Amelia (known as Animal to her family). who learns that James (no surprise) is not the gem she thought. Less, who is managing the island, becomes, well, more important in her life. There's a fair amount of family drama here, with Matty and her wife Parker, and so on. My problem- how on earth did they have not only power -power to make ice cubes, power to light things- and the internet (!) ? And no ash? Zoom meetings? This was a pretty lush way to be stuck on an island after natural disaster. I wanted to like this so much- the set up, the characters were terrific- but I couldn't get the incongruity out of my head. I know this is meant to be light and fun and that the real conditions they would have experienced might have been a downer but it would likely have made for a more interesting read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.