I have to confess this was not my favourite book by Portia MacIntosh. All that teenage drama was rather boring, especially when the characters are now in their thirties. That being said, this would still be a good pick for your summer reading list.

In her thirties, lost her job moving back with parents and now offered a dream trip paid for by her high school old best friend, what could go wrong? The gang is back together and it is supposed to be the relaxing vacation they have all dreamt of, but can they get past old hurts, old flames, and old/new troubles to enjoy the trip or will it end in chaos? Fun and humorous, this is a great pool or beach side read for the summer with just enough spice to heat it up even if you are inside with the AC blowing.

You haven't seen your old uni friends in fifteen years, so decide to go on the reunion holiday to an Island getaway for a long overdue catch up
What you weren't expecting was for the holiday to be quite as it was...shipwreck excursion anyone? So when they find a hotel they think it's going to be their saving grace, it is but it's just just not the kind of hotel they had in mind, sex swing anyone?

This was a little different for Macintosh, but I really enjoyed it. There are plenty of lol moments and some fantastic characters.

Long Time No Sea is narrated from two different POV, the friends final year in school and then in current day, allowing us to see how they've changed, if at all and to pinpoint where it all went wrong between them.

Highly enjoyable and definitely entertaining.

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was fun and the characters were engaging. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.

I am a big fan of Portia Macintosh. Her writing style is just snarky enough, but still with a cool unfiltered charm. Long Time No Sea fits in her bibliography perfectly. I absolutely fell in love with the premise of this book. A recently unemployed woman takes a trip of a lifetime with her old school friends, who haven't spoken properly to each other in years. They've all got lots of baggage after they parted after finding out their A levels results. The celebration went terribly wrong and their friends house caught on fire. Now they're in Italy 15 years later, ready for the relaxation they all need. Except for the misfit of the group Clarky. He decides to spice the trip up in a way you won't see coming. Two words: swingers suite. It will have you laughing from cover to cover. The book itself flits back and forth between past and present and gives you all the nostalgia of going through high school with all the highs and lows. All of the petty dramas between the group, but there is always that person within the group that sticks with you through it all. I would describe Long Time No Sea as a true Second Chance Romance for everyone in the group. They're all (aside from Clarky) somehow romantically involved. You're truly rooting for each couple throughout to just get together and make up for lost time (or make out :D) This is the perfect beach read, it captures the sun, sand, and sea vacay vibes. If you're stuck in the iron jungle this summer, pick this one up and escape to the hysterical story in Long Time No Sea.

Thank you to @rachelsrandomreaources for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a great book this is! Friends from school decide to finally take the holiday they said they would before uni but never did. The gang get cameras with personalised videos from Maxi inviting them on an all expenses paid villa holiday in Italy, so for they all go.

It doesn’t quite turn out to be the relaxed chilled time she was expecting, as told by Jas our narrator. Two of her ex’s are there and things get a bit tense, but not just between them. It’s difficult to review without giving away spoilers but let’s just say that Clarky’s day out turns into a bit of a nightmare that ends with secrets being revealed after being buried for years.

A really good fun story with unexpected twists and turns, and lots of laughs. Would be good as a series or film, some fab characters that you’ll enjoy all the way through.

This book had it all for me and that was it. I had to read this to see what it was all about. I was not disappointed and enjoyed the content. Enjoyed this book. I want to find more of her books. Love me Portia Macintosh books. all great.

Long Time No Sea is a story of friendship and second chances, both platonic and romantic. I enjoyed the dual timeline with past and present tense. It was all told in 1st person POV but almost in a way like Jas was telling her story to a friend, not just internal monologuing. It was a good, fun summer read, but nothing that will stick with you or make you dig deep.

Long Time No Sea is the story of high school friends who reunite on an all expenses paid once in a lifetime holiday paid for by one of the gang and her husband. It also has a bit of a mystery that happened years ago and is why they all lost touch. This book felt different from Portia MacIntosh other books and I love that she tried something a little different and absolutely nailed it! Once I got to know all the characters and their stories I really liked them all for various reasons. I loved the holiday feel of the Villa and could feel the summer sun heating my skin. The mystery of what happened years ago had me eager to find out what it was that seperated the friends. Now to the twists OMG too say you won't see them coming is a understatement. A brilliant summer read too take on vacation.

What's it about (in a nutshell):
Long Time No Sea is a reflective romantic comedy about second chance romances and adventurous holidays with old friends.

My Reading Experience:
I love the adventurous part of this story. It is hilarious and unexpected. I can't say much more about it, but if you read this story, you are in for a treat.

I love witnessing these old friends reconnect. The reunion felt utterly authentic, with posturing at first and eventually finding their way toward rekindling genuine connections. This aspect of the story is truly heart-warming.

The romance between Jasmine and Cam had just the right amount of push and pull – will they/won't they struggle - to pull me in and fully invest me in their relationship. Their story was unfinished, and I enjoyed watching them get to their happily ever after. I love that it was closed door too.

Lastly, I enjoyed the dual timelines, which enabled me to experience what happened at the end of high school and juxtapose it with the current timeline story. It completes the story by having both timelines explored and told.

Characters:
Jasmine Bartlett left high school with her head high and loads of promise for a successful future.
15 years later, she finds herself a glorified unemployed nanny due to no fault of her own. She jumps at the chance to reunite with her childhood friends, especially since it comes at the perfect time. Through reconnecting with those friends and old dreams, she also is reminded of all that she hoped to accomplish and who she wanted to be.

Narration & Pacing:
The story moves along at a nice consistent clip that makes reading quick and effortless. I enjoyed the first-person narration as done by the main character – Jasmine. It's mostly her story, and she tells it in an entirely relatable way.

Setting:
The setting is two islands off the Italian coast, and I loved my book vacation to at least one of those islands. Considering their idyllic location, the islands are described with all the exquisiteness they are due. The settings were well utilized to develop the story's humor and friendship themes.

Read if you're in the mood for:
• Stories about friends and second chances
• A beautiful Mediterranean setting
• A romantic comedy that is funny, light-hearted, adventurous, and reflective

I absolutely adored this book. Portia MacIntosh has become one of my must read authors. There is always so much heart in her story telling. This book alternates two different time lines, which can be risky if it’s not done well. It was absolutely smashed out of the park. She kept the suspense/mystery going while slowly unwinding the web of truths. I was so frustrated with Clark at first, but man did he bring some good antics and laughs. This group of friends brought the drama, that’s for sure! There were so many laugh out loud moments. And the HUGE bombshell twist had my jaw on the floor. Such a huge secret to have for FIFTEEN years. By the end of the book, I felt like I was one of the group. To be honest, if this book does not get a book two, I will be absolutely gutted. I need to know what happens to *my friends* when the holiday ends!! Please, publishing gods, make this happen!

What a gem of a book! It is a fantastic read and had me hooked from the very first page. Thank you Portia for this great read.

So, this was not a normal Portia MacIntosh book. That's not to say this book wasn't good, it was and I enjoyed it, but I was also not expecting this. Unlike her usual books, this one was less frothy and a bit more serious. It was enjoyable and the format of switching between current and then was easy enough to follow along with. However, I didn't spend get a chance to really connect with any of the characters and it was very surface level. That meant that I couldn't really root for anyone.

Jess isn’t exactly happy with her job but when she finds out her boss was caught naked with her bra and that she’s fired and needs to immediately leave it definitely catches her at loose ends. On her way out her boss gives her her mail and there is a package with an expensive camera in it and on the train she looks at it and realizes it is a video from her brilliant friend Maxi. She has invited Jess and the rest of the gang from high school to go to a private villa in Italy. Since her only options or a private villa or living with her parents she decides to go on the holiday. She is so excited to see her friends from back then who she hasn’t seen in so many years Mickey, DJ, Clarkie and of course the handsome Cameron and their host and benefactor Maxi. They’re all in high spirits and can’t wait for the fun to commence but when they get shipwrecked on an island things will get ugly way before they get back to being fun! I love Porsche McIntosh‘s books and can I just say I absolutely am in love with jesses dad he sounds like so much fun I also love that they hit aspects of romance in the book but it is mainly about friendship and being back with those who know you so well there’s something to be said for unconditional love from a chosen group of people who you have so many memories with I know I hold those friends dear to me and loved seeing it in the storyline. I did love the romance as well though. I highly recommend this book as I do all the authors books. A truly feel good read and a definite five star effort. I want to thank the publisher and Net galley for my free ARC copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Portia MacIntosh never fails to disappoint me! It always blows my mind how quick she's able to put out good quality books!

This book goes back and forth from past to present. It involves 6 friends reuniting on a trip after losing contact for many years, The two different timelines gave me a really good idea of each friends personality and how they fit in the friend group.

Overall this book was a quick, enjoyable read that made me laugh out loud.

Thank you to NetGalley, and Boldwood Books for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Long Time No Sea is Portia MacIntosh’s latest second-chance romantic comedy featuring a group of high school classmates vacationing together in their 30s. The story alternates between 2004, 2008, and present day, and takes place in both England and Italy. There are love triangles and a bit of a mystery.

In 2004 Jasmine was starting the English equivalent of high school, and she and five other students from her small village began riding the bus to a school in another town. Jasmine, Maxine “Maxi”, and the four boys began a close relationship that ended when there was a fire in 2008. As a result the kids were told to stay away from each other and they don’t reunite until 15 years later when Maxi invites them on an all-expenses-paid two-week trip to Italy sponsored by her billionaire husband, Rupert.

Jasmine has been recently let go from her private tutor job due to her employer’s misdeeds, and she moves back to her parents’ home. Jasmine is thrilled to get the invitation for a holiday before she has to look for another position. She’s not sure of who among their friend group will be able to make the trip, but surprisingly, all six show up. Jasmine had dated Mikey but secretly had a crush on Cameron “Cam”.

Maxi seems happy with Rupert but there seems to be unresolved feelings with DJ, her high school boyfriend. Clarky always acted immature and appears to not have passed adolescence. His antics are the biggest source of humor in the story. When the group makes a side trip to another island, things go really sideways.

I really enjoyed this author’s previous books, Better Off Wed and Your Place or Mine. However Long Time No Sea just fell flat for me. Between the back-and-forth in time and the grown-up characters acting like they were still teen-agers; I just couldn’t get engaged with the story.

I received an Advance Review Copy (ARC) from NetGalley and Boldwood Books for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to NetGalley & Boldwood Books for the eARC!

After losing her job due to her creepy boss, Jas has the opportunity to go on a free vacation to Italy with her high school friends (who she hasn’t seen in 15 years).

The story is told through two time periods - the first set in present day where we follow Jas and her friends reconnecting throughout this trip in Italy, and the second set back in 2008, where we follow the group throughout their last year of school and figure out what caused them to fall apart.

The book starts off a bit slow, but once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down. My only wish is that we got a bit more to the ending/an epilogue of sorts! Overall, I really enjoyed reading it and highly recommend it for anyone looking for their next, easy beach read.

Long Time No Sea is a perfect summer read. Second Chance Romance, Friends to Lovers, and the perfect summer setting is just what I needed. As someone in their 30's I really appreciated that the characters were older. I feel like I don't see that enough in romance. This book made me laugh, made me cry, made me angry, and made me swoon. Overall, a good read!

Thank you to Netgalley & Boldwood Books for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A bit hard to get into and stick with. Very predicable as it dragged on. I think I would pass on this one. Too many other good reads out there.

Another great read from Portia. She never fails to disappoint. This one was so enjoyable I read it very quickly. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.