Member Reviews
This was a cute beachy read (great to escape the cold temperatures right now) unfortunately it came up short for me.
With the amount of characters and POVs it was hard to be invested in any character or storyline. It felt like a lot going on at once and I didn’t really get into it. Individually, I thought the storylines were great. Together, I thought it was too much at once. I think the saying “less is more” would have made me enjoy this book more.
Thank you to NetGallery and Atria Books for this ARC - This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was drawn by this cover and excited to dive in. In practice, though, I struggled with the writing style, as the story or chemistry felt forced and unrealistic. Despite a few attempts I did not finish the book. Thank you for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
Two families come together on a vacation on a remote island off the coast of Australia. The only thing they have in common is the fact that their daughters are married. What they don’t expect is the volcano eruption that changes all of their plans. Now they are stuck on this island for six weeks.
This book was not what I expected… it was better! Island Time has the romance I expected, but it also has the stories of other relationships that were just as great. Glen and Randall stole the show!! The island background was beautifully described and the author did a great job of depicting its importance to the indigenous Australians. I couldn’t stand Matty and the book would be easier to follow with some time stamps. But, these are very small issues in an overall great book!
Island Time comes out in June, I strongly suggest grabbing it! I was provided the book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I absolutely loved the island setting of this book during the dreary, rainy days of March. Georgia Clark always spins a wonderful story and the character development really took this story to a wonderful place. At points it felt like the plot pivoted quickly without enough development but I still enjoyed watching the story unfold.
This book was FUN to read! I loved reading how the characters developed and how they interacted. I really liked that it had LGBTQ representation! I felt like sometimes the book was slow for me but it always picked back up!
I picked up this book solely because of how much I enjoyed Clark's previous book. The synopsis is a bit misleading. It is about two very different families stranded together but doesn't focus on them finding common ground. One of the families is not even really in the spotlight all that much. One of the things that I liked so much about Clark's last book was how well she wrote an ensemble cast. This book was a bit less successful there, It felt overly long and I got to the point that I wanted people to just get over themselves already. Lovely setting and some sparkly moments but overall this was just so-so.
I received a coy of this book in exchange for an honest review,
Island Time by Georgia Clark
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, Australia, 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.
————————————
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Island Time. This book was just an okay from me. What I enjoyed was the stories of indigenous peoples in Queensland and their reverence for wild life. I liked Glen Kelly as a Dad, but by the end of the book, I couldn’t stand a lot of the characters because they felt too selfish. So- just okay!
3⭐️
Island Time by Georgia Clark was a book I couldn’t put down! Can you imagine being stranded on a paradise island with your whole family and sisters in laws without your boyfriend for weeks on end? I thought this one might be a beach read based on the cover. While this book does take place on a beach it has much more grit than I was expecting. It made me think and has already lead to some interesting conversations. This book would be a great read for book groups to sink their teeth into.
Out June 14, 2022 [Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!]
Rating: 5/5 stars
ISLAND TIME is an ensemble romance about the Kelly-Lee family, who get much more than they bargain for when a natural disaster strands them on a remote Australian island during what is supposed to be a weekend vacation. Faced with tough choices and secrets coming to light, everyone must figure out what they really want for themselves, their lives, and their relationships.
I absolutely loved this book from the very first chapter and I don’t think I’m going to stop talking about it any time soon! ISLAND TIME has a bit of everything—adorable romance, heart pounding action sequences, a lush beach setting, and characters so well-defined they feel like they could step off the page as real people. It also offers LGBTQ and mental health rep, and poignant character arcs about self-discovery and self-love that made me tear up more than once.
There were a couple plot points I wish had gotten wrapped up a bit more or a bit differently (which I won’t name here because spoilers) but they weren’t significant enough to affect my rating. Overall this was an absolute masterpiece, and will be the perfect summer read when it releases in June!
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: ensemble romance; LGBTQ stories; family drama with a lot of heart.
CW: Spiders; some animal death; brief mentions of addiction, pregnancy loss, and infidelity; natural disasters; panic attacks.
My one sentence description of Island Time: The Real World Australia: Extended Family Edition!
This was such a fun story! I went in completely blind and LOVED the characters, they were so unique and quirky but also familiar and loveable. I really enjoyed the Australian setting and sapphic representation.
Island Time follows 2 families vacationing on an island in Australia. An unforeseen volcano eruption leaves them stranded for 6 weeks as they each navigate their own personal challenges and family dynamics. I was pleasantly surprised with a funny, heartwarming, entertaining book!
Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC!
i had a hard time getting into this one. i just don't think this authors writing style is for me. i think it has a great concept and others might still like though
Fun, insightful read! I enjoyed this book for many reasons. I thought it was a very real look at life, relationships, and love and it showed a very real representation of falling in and out of love. The author did a great job of making the island a very real place and it felt like we were there!
I haven't read a book by Georgia Clark before and I was thoroughly happy about it. I actually started it and read it in one day because I had to know what happened.
Island Time is about a remote island that a family is visiting but a volcano nearby erupts and they are stranded for six weeks. It has friends to lovers, amazing character growth and hilarious quips. I loved that Georgia obviously did a ton of research for this book and I felt like I was sitting on the island with the family!
Not your typical island romance. It gives you queer romance, falling in love, life changes, and multiple perspectives. The author did an amazing job with her vivid description of the island and its surroundings. The diverse cast allowed the reader to connect with at least one of the characters and the struggle or challenges they were going through (jealously, marriage, parenthood, etc.).
My only call out is that I wish the multiple perspectives would’ve been labeled more clearly. As the story progresses, it was easier to navigate; however, in the beginning I felt that it was a little bit of a struggle to keep up.
This was so playful and cute! The perfect summer romance read! I'd highly recommend to romance lovers!
I just loved this book so much. I will admit it took me a little while to get into because sometimes I find it hard to connect with multiple characters (even though I love multiple points of view). It was also my first time reading a Georgia Clark book, so I also have to get used to a new author sometimes. But once I got acquainted with all of the characters and Clark's writing, I was definitely invested and found myself thinking about these characters throughout my day and wanting to find out what would happen next. This book had many storylines to follow, all of which were all complex in their own rights. I was expecting this to be a light and fun read, which it was, don't get me wrong, but it also had a lot of depth and character development, which I really admired and made me love it all the more. I'm such a fan of forced proximity as well, and being stranded on an island.... well, that's definitely forced proximity. This book made me giggle out loud, tear up at times, and giggle some more. I love that Clark was able to add plenty of wit and humor, while still tackling some tough subjects. I ended this book with a smile and a sigh and looked at my hubby and said "that was good," which I think sums it all up very nicely. It was very good and very much enjoyed and I look forward to reading more of Clark's work!
I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this book. From the quirky family, to the beautiful imagery, to the fascinating Australian Aboriginal history, I could not put this book down.
Each character seemed to be dealing with their own individual life crises, and Georgia Clark did such a good job of allowing the readers to see into each individual mind. Normally, when plots jump from one characters point of view to another, and are constantly back and forth, I get extremely confused and deterred from completing the story. But Georgia Clark organized each chapter beautifully, with a new perspective and amazing detail of the Australian Island.
I thoroughly enjoyed the drama, the heartbreak, and the comedy. I think Georgia Clark did a fantastic job with the queer romance. It was very refreshing to have actual queer characters and a real queer romance.
I fell in love with every single character, felt a connection to each character, and I felt hurt when they felt hurt. This book is absolutely a major page-turner. I couldn’t put this down and just wanted to know what happened next. Bravo, Georgia Clark.
*Thank you NetGalley for early access to this ARC in exchange for my honest review.*
Island Time by Georgia Clark is a sapphic, sexy, salty, and soapy read 🏝
The Kellys and Lees travel to a beautiful Australian island for a family vacation. 🏝What they don’t count on is being stranded on the island with the two employees for 6 weeks after a volcano erupts. Questions of love and life start to surface and causes our cast of characters to dive deep into answering those questions 🏝
I loved Georgia Clark’s It Had to Be You, and Island Time didn’t disappoint. While the two were uniquely different, what remained constant was Clark’s keen ability to write multiple POVs with subplots and still connect them seamlessly is so well done. 🙌🏼
A huge thank you to @atriabooks and @netgalley for the digital ARC!
I read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I believe that here, it's a case of, 'It's me, not you.' I really wanted to like this book, with it's ideal location and love for the ecosystem. It even dealt with same sex relationships and having kids.
I just couldn't get into it. I found it difficult to work out whose perspective I was reading again. Maybe it was bad timing and I needed something lighter.
2.5 stars (Won't be posting this review online).
I’m so sorry, I need to read the summary better for books, the topics in this book is unfortunately not something I feel comfortable reading. The review will be solely based on the cover, the cover is what grabbed my attention. It’s so cold in Chicago, and the setting looks so dreamy.