I requested this book on NetGalley on a whim because it’s the “summer of cartoon cover books” and the plot sounded interesting. This is super different than most romcoms I’ve read lately because it’s much more a family drama than it is a romance but I really enjoyed it! The many many povs and so many characters who all are referred to as both their regular names plus nicknames made parts super confusing, especially at the beginning, but it ultimately became a non issue. I ended up liking all of the 47 different storylines and liked the journey that each character went on and felt the internal change within every one of them was pretty great and relatively for their 6 weeks on the island. And speaking of the island, I loved that setting. Plus, I really loved so much my to representation.
Def a great summer read, but pick it up when you want alllll the drama and not just an easy breezy romance.

Thank you to NetGalley, Georgia Clark, and the Publishers for an advanced copy of this novel.

Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This was an enjoyable book.

This book was not my favorite, I felt like there was no real meat to the story. Throughout the book, these crazy events would happen, i.e. getting chased by a crocodile & then they would just gloss over it, felt like that happened a couple of times. I thought it was a nice change of pace to read about couples who aren't represented in books often/ever. Loved the setting of this book & unique to be "stuck" on the island for an extended period of time. Thank you for the approval to read this book, will look for more books by Georgia Clark

This one screams summer and I love that! It’s not your typical romance book and more of a find yourself kind of read but still enjoyable! A bit on the long side though.

I received an ARC of Island Time in exchange for an honest review. I really tried to like this one, but ultimately I couldn’t get into it. I love multiple POVs, but I think this one just had too many for me. I felt like I kept confusing the characters and it was hard to keep up with whose POV it was. I decided to DNF. I do appreciate the queer rep in this book and I think many others will really enjoy it, but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me…

This book was a joy to read from the very beginning!

Island Time is about two families who get stuck on their vacation on a tropical island due to a volcano eruption. These families know each other, the two daughters Maddy and Parker are married, but at the same time don't know each other at all. As they are stranded for 6 weeks, with two members of the staff, the families are forced to finally get to know each other, deal with their issues, and maybe even learn something about themselves.

This book is so special because it doesn't follow a typical romance formula. Yes, there is definitely love and some pretty steamy scenes, but it feels like the crux of the story focuses on the characters as individuals and their own personal journeys. The multiple POVs also allows for you to get on an intimate level with the characters and discover and grow alongside them. And we also get a wonderful bromance with the dads, honestly that was my favorite part!

I loved the setting of the story! The descriptions of the lush tropical island and of all of the plants and animal species made me feel like I was there myself. I was also moved by the history of the island (even though its not real) and its connection to Australia and the Aborigine people. I also loved the fact that one of the moms was Russian. I felt like the author did a very good job with her character, but she did feel like a stereotype from time to time (not every Russian woman does ballet). I liked the fact that she used Russian language throughout the book that was applicable to the situation.

The main love story followed the insta-love trope which is not a particular favorite of mine, but I feel like it was done quite well. Overall I thought it was a fun read with multiple different forms of love stories forming out of a natural disaster on vacation.

This eARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

tw: alcoholism, animal death, infidelity, miscarriage, panic attacks, natural disasters

Dnfed this book :((

Really want to love this but the pace is not for me. This is the first book i've read with multiple POVs but i didn't really liked it, I felt like there's too much going on.

Anyone who loves multiple povs, family drama, lgbtq+ romance, this is the a summer read you might enjoy!

Loved it! Loved the characters and getting to explore each of the relationships (romantic, friendships, and family). The escape to the island and the powerful, yet light-hearted aspects of the story make this a great summer read.

After marinating with this story, it became a silent stealer of my mind. At first, I thought the plot line of having a family stranded on an island due to a tsunami was a bit far-fetched, which soured my outlook on the rest of the story. Yet, three weeks later, I can't stop thinking about these characters! Georgia Clark has done it again, and has invaded my mind with such likeable, lovable, and relatable characters. Each character had a strong sense of self only to be re-molded by the onset of a crisis and how a family reacts in times of high stress. The author wrote this during the the onset of COVID, so it is not a surprise that a family in crisis is the front-and-center plot line. We have all been hit with a pseudo-tsunami over the past two years, and our lives and relationships are forever changed. I think Georgia Clark did a wonderful job reflecting this while also providing a bit of entertainment (unicorn heads at a beach bar, anyone??). This book made me laugh, cry (a bit), and reflect. "Island Time" is definitely a summer read that everyone will be talking about this year!

Island time is a family drama that follows the Lees and Kellys who have nothing in common other than the fact that their two daughters are married. When the families unite on a remote Australian island and then find themselves stranded due to a volcano eruption, along with two island employees, everyone finds themselves questioning what they want as family secrets start to come out.

I think I (quite wrongly) assumed based on the cover of this book that this was a romance and while there is a romance within it, this is much more of a family drama. It started off pretty slow for me as well but after about 60% it got a bit more interesting. I ended up liking it in the end but wish I had done better research since family dramas are not really my favorite. I did love the queer representation and complexities within each relationship.

I do think this book could have done with fewer POVs - though it was always pretty obvious which POV was speaking I think there were...8? different POVs which felt a bit excessive.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the eARC in exchange for a review.

Queerly Beloved is a great beach read for the summer! Georgia Clark provided a witty, sensual, ensemble cast that left me thorough enjoyment.

The multi POV provided an inclusive cast of characters that varied between, race, sexual orientation and age. The diversity added to the richly created story, also the lush descriptions of the Australian landscape greatly added to the tale.

Highly recommended for a medium paced story that you won’t be able to put down until you’ve reached the conclusion.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

5 stars for this atmospheric, steamy, LGBTQ-inclusive, worlds-colliding summer beach romance!

This was the absolute perfect read for the vacation I just took - the atmosphere really gave me "Outer Banks" vibes in the best way!

There was romance, there were laughs, and there was a lot of drama and suspense as well. I loved the hilarity, chaos and happy accidents throughout. It read kind of like a suspense novel at first, then more into a drama-filled rom-com. A great beach read!

Thanks again to NetGalley and Atria Books for the digital ARC! :)

Two families converge in paradise for a tropical vacation. Shortly after their arrival, mother nature unleashes a volcano that destroys their luxurious accommodations and makes travel off the island impossible. For six weeks, the families are forced to live in close quarters, mostly cut off from the outside world, with no one to engage with but each other and a couple of island natives. Removed from outside distraction, we witness Georgia Clark's characters wrestle with their relationships with each other, and the hard decisions they are each confronting in their own lives.

Island Time is a multiple POV story containing a diverse cast of characters that vary in age, race, and sexual orientation. I appreciated this diversity and found myself relating to some of the characters that were similar in age to me. The issues they were struggling with such as balancing work and family life were topics I could relate to, and I enjoyed reading their perspectives. Because of the diversity in this book, I imagine most people can find at least one character they can relate to in some way.

In addition to the large ensemble cast and their unique stories, there were moments where Georgia Clark spent a lot of time describing the rich history of the island. While these descriptions were beautifully written, there was so much happening in the book that there were times I simply just wanted the plot to advance. For this reason, the middle felt slow and was hard to get through. However, readers do get a great ending that ties up all loose ends in a way that is satisfying and does justice to the long journey we go on with these families. Georgia Clark's writing was thoughtful, and I would definitely read more of her books.

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this digital ARC.

Georgia Clark is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors! She consistently produces novels with detailed storylines, wit, romance and satisfaction. Island Time is Clark’s latest hit. Set in a tropical paradise on a remote island, two families find themselves stranded after a nearby volcano erupts. There are the newlyweds Matty and Parker and their respective families. Matty’s parents have recently split, but haven’t revealed their secret yet. And Matty’s sister, Amelia, plans the vacation with the intention of introducing the family to her new beau, who doesn’t quite make it in time. Parker’s parents are both there, desperate to keep their businesses afloat from the island and avoid the other family as long as possible. Add in one island native and one island employee and suddenly there’s a lot more drama happening on a small speck of land. Admittedly, I occasionally got a little lost in all the characters and their complicated stories. Amelia stuck out to me and I enjoyed her parts that most. However, I think the issues and growing pains that all the various couples were forced to examine and navigate are realistic and handled appropriately and accurately. Clark has mastered witty banter for a rom-com and I thoroughly enjoy reading her work!

A sincere thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Instead of being stuck in your apartment in a pandemic, why not be stuck on a tropical island due to volcanic activity close by? This was a different "twist" to the quarantine and being isolated with others. Georgia Clark's previous book It Had To Be You was a very enjoyable read for me last year. Island Time is written in a very similar style, and for me it didn't quite work. I think there were too many voices here and I wish the story had maybe focused more on Liss and Amelia, maybe with a smidge more on Parker and Matty. I think it would have been more enjoyable to really get to know those 2 or even 4 on a deeper level. This book was surprisingly spicy, which I have no problems with at all. I think Amelia and Liss are good for each other and I loved the IVF/IUI talk with Parker and Matty. Again I just wish I knew them better because some decision seemed so rash and out of character for what I did know. I think the parents stories weaved in just didn't do it for me. It also made the book quite long with all the POVs and all the imagery of the island. I think some of the description was just a little long and I found myself skimming it.

I don’t think I have read an ensemble romance before but I really loved it! This was the perfect entertaining beach read! Two families come together for vacation on a tropical island when a volcano erupts forcing them to stay together due to a 6 week travel ban. The story was told in multiple POVs which was a bit confusing at first but I ultimately loved. I also loved all of the descriptions of the wildlife and Australian scenery. Many of the characters really evaluate their life choices and discover parts of themselves they forgot and I really enjoyed that!

A fun summer read–3.5 Stars!

I think this book has a lot of potential, and there were elements I enjoyed. However for me, there was a bit too much going on. It’s very much ensemble-led, with the cast of characters quite large and intertwined. There are a lot of little plots happening within each character, and then weaving with the others. For this reason it felt like the book could have easily been…2-4 books. There were glimpses of what I would have wanted more exploration (Matty and Parker specifically I think) but because there was so much crammed into the story it ended up feeling like a bit of a slog. Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really wanted to Iike this book, especially because I liked Georgia Clark’s previous book so much. But the characters in this book were just so hard to keep straight. There were too many and they were all mostly kind of similar. Not to mention a couple of them were just straight up unlikeable.

The setting was also a little too confusing. I appreciated the history to the island and I liked the descriptions, but overall the book was a little overwhelming and I had a hard time getting invested in both the plot and the characters.

I tried to love this book, but I just couldn't. I ended up adding it to my very short "DNF" list on Goodreads, as I only made it about 50% of the way through before giving up. I think that the story has potential, but there are too many character perspectives and just too much going on.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. I really wanted to love this one because it had a lot going for it plot and character-wise, but I just found it too slow and it didn't keep me interested even with all the different POVs.

I think others will enjoy this and I always will give a book a shot that has LGBTQ+ rep because it's so important. But this wasn't for me.