Thank you for the ARC in exchange for this honest review--that I won't be posting on any media sites out of respect for the author.

I didn't enjoy this book and I wasn't able to finish it. I read about a third of the book and I felt as though it was going through an identity crisis and it didn't know what it was supposed to be. Is it a romance? Is it a survival story? Is it a story about families? Yes and no to all these questions.

I felt as though there were too many characters, too many voices, too many things happening and yet none of the characters or situations seemed to pique my interest and so I quit.

Absolutely devoured this book. Georgia Clark’s best to date, without question. Loved the multiple narrators, well developed environment, and that there was more than one queer storyline. An absolutely must read.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book at 65%. I think this novel did not know what it wanted to be. The tone was silly and light while the plot is filled with drama and really tough topics. Together, I had a very hard time connecting to this story and these characters.

There was a lot of detail in a writing style that I did not enjoy very much. The characters all seemed like caricatures. On top of this, there were soooo many POV switches. I was honestly super into the daughters’ stories and would have loved to read just about them. The jumping definitely contributed to my inability to connect here.

I really wanted to finish this, and I love the queer discussions and rep, but I just could not do it.

Sadly, this book was not for me. While the writing was very good, the plot was lacking. It wasn’t very clear what the point of the story was. One minute they’re all taking cover from a massive tsunami and I was excited to find out how they would survive this natural disaster. But in the next minute they’re using Wifi and working on their computers, basically carrying on as if the volcano eruption and tsunami hadn’t destroyed the island. It was all too unrealistic. It was clear from the beginning that Amelia, was falling for the island caretaker Liss but it wasn’t enough of a story to keep me interested. I needed more than the plot offered.

Thank you to Atria Books for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The cover for this makes it look like a cute sapphic beach romcom, and while there are sapphic relationships that take place on a beach, nothing about this book is a romcom. Instead it's more like an exploration of family and trauma with a romantic angle. Matty and her wife Parker have rented a house on a remote island in Australia and invited their families to come. Matty's loud, brash Australian parents couldn't be more different than Parker's parents, both immigrants to the US. It's supposed to be just a few days, but a volcano erupts, destroying the island, and they're stranded for six weeks.

I liked the family relationships between the characters, and I loved the Matty and Parker arc. It was clear the characters had changed by the end of the book, which is important! There was a ton of Australian history and a LOT of info on birds and wildlife. There was a lot going on and it felt like it took me forever to read because it dragged at times, but overall I was satisfied.

If you're into deeper family stories with a romance on the surface, this book is for you, just don't be fooled by the cover.

Thank you to the publisher Atria Books and Net Galley for the free e-arc.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

Amazing. Loved it. Read it.

Fun, quick read!

Description
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.

I hadn't read anything by this author before but was excited to give Island Time a shot! I was expecting a beach read based on the cover and description, but this book was deeper than that. It was not a bad book by any means, but was definitely a slog! I did love some of the descriptions about the island and its wildlife, but there were a lot of flowy, repetitive details that were unnecessary. The two families stranded on the island with its caretakers were unique and had some funny interactions, but there were just far too many POVs included and I truly did not like any of the Kelly women. However, the friendship between Randall and Glen (and Glen's overall growth!) was by far my favorite part of the book! Overall, this was okay and I'd love to see what the author does next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this one early!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to in exchange for my thoughts. I was drawn in by the author, her previous work and the cover. I stayed for the unique storyline and great writing. What was lost on my was the number of characters and story lines. I find this can be hard to read if not done well, and I felt it made the story go slow and hard to follow. I’d still read more from this author!

Well, I did think this was going to be a rom-com... and it is definitely not. But it IS a complex story of generational trauma, the social pressures around aging, queer parenthood, and self loathing... so I was definitely hooked. So happy to have this story out in the world.

Island Time by Georgia Clark offers a more complex story than a traditional rom-com. While the premise of an extended family being trapped on an isolated island by a volcano has all of the makings of a light and quick read, Clark worked to make her characters as complicated and conflicted as reality.
While I really enjoyed most of the characters, with some exceptions (Matty - ha!), I did struggle with this story, as I didn't feel a strong driving force moving the plot forward. Any intensity in their situation quickly dissipated as there wasn't an issue with survival, just with enduring sharing an island together.
I feel like there was some lost opportunity in creating a faster-moving storyline and some more depth in the story beyond some mostly trivial conflicts. I did, however, love the bromance. It was easily one of my favorite parts of the book!

Two and a half stars rounded up. This wasn't a bad book but it was a bit of a slog. it feels like it could have used at least one more round of edits. It could be at least 50 pages shorter, there's a lot of detail and some of it is repetitive.

With that being said, it's a fun story. A large family takes a vacation together and get stranded on the island for six weeks. There are a lot of characters and they each have a story arc, this isn't a traditional straight forward romance, it's an ensemble story.

I loved the vivid descriptions fo the Australian scenery and animals. I also enjoyed how all the characters interacted with each other. There's some good humor throughout.

I'd recommend this one for readers of ensemble rom-coms, some may enjoy it more than I did.

In Island Time, we meet a colorful collection of characters who end up stranded on a remote Australian island after a natural disaster. As they wait weeks to be reconnected with the outside world, each of them reconsiders their life.

Unfortunately I didn't love this book as much as Georgia's previous novel! The two families were unique in their own ways, but I just couldn't connect with them as a whole. It felt like I was constantly jumping around from person to person, without spending enough time with any one.

I think it, It Had To Be You, the smaller collection made it easier to get invested in each individual.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy of this book.
The cover of Island Time indicates some chick-lit vibe, such as a vacation with a cocktail in hand. The Island Time is about two families combining, both with their own secrets, heartbreak, and hope. Although some characters were hard to connect with, I thought the two dads in the book were sweet, funny, and kind.
The book kept my interest, but personally, I found Georgia Clark's other work more engaging.

my first NetGalley book 📖

Island Time follows a family who - after a volcano erupts- finds themselves stranded on an island for six weeks🌴

I thought this was such a good read and it had a lot more substance than I was expecting for a romantic comedy😍

This book had beautiful imagery, the right amount of *spice* (for me), and a fantastic ensemble of fleshed out characters with storylines of their own that tied in beautifully to the main plot.

I highly recommend checking out this book when it comes out on June 14th!

4 out of 5 🌟

Now if only I could’ve read this book on a beach somewhere instead of a cold theatre 😉

Island Time is a refreshing read that turned out to be so very different from what I had imagined it would be. Of course, knowing that the story is about a lesbian romance, the first thought is that it will focus mainly on the mentioned relationship of Matty and Parker. The addition of the other LGBTQ characters and relationships in the novel were pleasantly surprising.

While classified as a romance novel, it is so much more. Clark captured the real complexities and intense feelings and internal conflicts of families, mothers and daughters, and spouses. She captured the ways that these relationships change and the drama that comes along with them, as well as the very real emotions surrounding fertility and marriage.

Throughout the time that the extended family is stranded on the island during the storms, they face multiple near-death experiences, find out undiscussed and previously undiscovered truths, disappoint one another and also create new bonds that likely would not have formed otherwise.

Island Time is part fun, lighthearted romance novel with all the cheesy character traits--ahem Amelia--that make one chuckle while reading, and part drama and self-reflection. As you read the stories of these characters, at varying stages of life, you will find yourself thinking about your own life, the choices you have made, and all the choices left ahead.

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

*Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review*

Starting off, if the cover and synopsis didn’t lead and tell you to believe it was a rom-com- I probably would’ve enjoyed it more. While the representation of queer characters is nice, Clark plays a bit too hard into the “U-haul lesbian” stereotype (which is even joked about in the book). Amelia is completely unhinged going from dating a guy who “has dark secrets” that is pretty obvious of what it’ll be to rebounding with a woman and immediately talking marriage, babies, and “can’t live life without you”.

The entire cast of characters read as a drama filled, bad reality television show and they just are not likable. Each might have one or two redeeming qualities but in general are just really awful to themselves and everyone else. This book was a dragged out and never ending swamp of drama. Had it been marketed as queer drama and reality show like, I could’ve gotten into this more but the rom-com marketing is just not right and lead me to being so bummed and feeling like I’m dragging through the book.

ADORED!!!! Georgia really knows how to write a large cast of characters. Despite there being so many, you feel like you get to know each one, deeply. The setting was amazing. Pure escapism, I just loved it!

Island Time was such a fun read! It was a slow start but once I got to know the characters, I fell in love with each of their stories. This book has a great mix of love, friendship, heartbreak, and family dynamic. It was written in multiple point of views and easy to follow along. Don’t be deceived by the cover; this is much more than a romance novel! Each storyline was well developed and authentic. All around, a good read.

This is a perfect summer or vacation read.

This is a transformative story where everything and everyone discovers new thing about themselves. From the beginning there is a lot of assumption of what's going on in the other persons life, but a Tsunami that strands the group of people on a tropical island, they are confronted with what they truly want. The straight forward family loosen up and learn to enjoy some leisure activities that make them more open to other feeling. The family that seems to be more open have a lot of secrets that they have to confront and deal with and it seems they fight what they need to do a lot. My favorite character is Jarrah who is not only the caretaker of the island but also is a teacher to those around him and makes those around him appreciate the beauty and elements of the island without taking anything with them but memories.

I found the story more an adventure then a comedy since it has to do more with feelings of the heart then it has to do with funny moments. This is truly a story about owning up to who you are and what you want out of life and not hiding from it. I found some parts of the story should definitely be view with an open minded and kind hearts.

I want to thank Atria Books, Atria/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for the advance copy of this novel.