Jas and her school friends meet up for an all paid trip to Italy, which has come just at the right time for Jas, although she’s not aware of who else is invited until she’s there. Whilst it seems to be a good start, the holiday does not necessarily go as they’d thought. Following both present time and chapters focusing on when they were at school together.

Overall good general easy read.

I love a Portia MacIntosh book. They are always so inviting, really fun to read and uplifting and this one is no exception. This is another great book and one that I would recommend.

In this book we meet Jasmine who is trying to hide what she thinks of as a disappointing life from her ex best friend sends her messages about visiting her new villa in Italy. I mean talk about gloating about a fabulous rich life. In need of a holiday and a free one at that! jasmine sets off looking forward to a quite time catching up with an old friend. However when she gets there she realises that Maxi has actually invited the whole of their ex friendship group for a massive reunion. This includes Jasmine's old ex boyfriend who she was never really that keen on and a boy who she fancied the pants of.

The book is well paced with snippets of the past and the last fateful year that they spent together as a friendship group and what made them drift apart. It also shows where each of them have ended up and also information about the trip to in current time.

Let's just say there are many laugh out loud moments. It is a great pick me up and I would recommend to all.

I love Portia MacIntosh's books - I have read a lot of them and picked up a few more that I'm working my way through. I'm always excited for her new releases! This was another fantastic addition to her great collection - very unique storyline with a love triangle, secrets and travel.

Jasmine is trying to hide the secret of her disappointing life when her high school best friend Maxi sends an intriguing message about coming to visit at her exciting villa in Italy, where she and rich hubby live. Jas gets there and finds out that it's their entire high school group of friends reuniting, it won't just be the two gals enjoying a week relaxing in the sun... and that group includes the ex boyfriend she was never really "into," and the guy that she totally was but never able to strike up much of a relationship with - because the group was torn apart and sent in different directions when one friend's house burnt down after a fire at an end-of-term house party.

Told with snippets of flashbacks to that fateful past school year, the party and the old relationships, it also dives into their current lives and how they're getting on during the trip, along with a very eventful side-trip the one friend takes them on for reasons I won't mention here (really rather hilarious side-trip to a "remote" island).

Laugh-out-loud book, just like all of hers always are, I highly recommend this for everyone who needs a great pick-me-up! It's a bit more risqué than her books usually are - still clean but talks a lot more about topics due to that crazy side-trip I mentioned that I can't talk more about... you have to read about it... and boy, do you ever want to read this one! If you haven't read her books before, this would be a great one to start with!

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley and Boldwood Books, and this is my honest feedback.

[book:Long Time No Sea] is about a group of friends who haven’t seen one another in 15 years, since going off to uni, who get together for an island getaway. Jas has just been fired as an au pair and is moving home to her parents and has always had a crush on Cam. But her ex, Mikey will be there too… meanwhile, Maxi seems happily married to her billionaire husband, but are her feelings for her high school sweetheart DJ actually in the past? And Clarky, always a bit of a try-hard, has brought along a plus one more than a decade their junior. While at first, they’re having a relaxing and luxurious time, soon, hijinks ensue.

While the friends give Clarky a hard time for being stuck in his adolescence, the trip knocks them all back into childish behaviors. The story is a bit chaotic. When things go sideways, and they really, really do, I find myself wondering why they don’t all find the next boat (and plane) home. I was tempted to bail midway through the trip too.

[book:Long Time No Sea] by [author:Portia MacIntosh]
⭐️ ⭐️ 💫 2.5 stars rounded up
🌶️ Poolside games were more graphic than the actual sex
⛳️ Never gonna think of Minigolf the same way again
🏝️When going on a trip to an uninhabited island, bring more snacks than you think you need
🛀 It’s a shame Jas never got to use that amazing tub

<i>Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.</i>

As much as I loved 'Your Place Or Mine?' and 'Better Wed Off', I feel like this one was a bit of a disappointment. Maybe, I had high expectations after my first two Portia MacIntosh's books. I was so excited for a summer read. The cover, the title and the synopsis were promising.
But I thought some parts of the story, the one at the hotel on the survivalist island, was just too much... Like it was unreal.
Though, I loved the characters, their friendships an the fact that we had two timelines: one in 2008, their last year in high school before graduating and in 2023 when they are reunited. It was a proof that sometimes things never change: DJ & Maxi's relationships, Jas and Cam's feelings for each other, Mike's jealousy or Clarky's behaviour, who was very funny by the way. There are 2 timelines and yet they feel connected, as if there was a parallel with the two.
I just wish that the part on the survivalist island was different... Maybe the actual survival thing was a better idea than finding a hotel on the theme of sex (like what the h**l??). That was so unrealistic.

I haven’t read a lot of comedy books so this book has set the bar high for the rest to come!
The story is about six friends reuniting for a trip they were set to do many year back. Before doing the trip the friends have lost contact for many years and the story is told from two perspectives, the past and the present. The past is telling the story leading up to the event that made the friends lose contact. Through the two timelines it felt like I got a really good connection to the character and I liked them all in their own ways. The book was never boring, just when you thought that it was going to be calm and chill there was a new adventure! It was so fun and I became really engaged in the story.
I didn’t know about Portia MacIntosh before but I will check out more of her books now!

Thank you Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book!!

I’ve received a copy of this novel from NetGalley as an advanced reader review copy and exchange for an honest review. This is a cute beach read about friendship and love. Read if you love travel and want something light for the summer!

For a book that seemed lost for the first 70 pages, I became addicted. Like an adict, I was eagerly turning each page waiting for the next peice of information, past or present, to be revealed.

I formed a connection to Jas and Cam and was desperate to know if their will-they-wont-they worked out; childhood friends to strangers to ....., it certainly had me hooked.

A perfect summer read, including lots of relaxation, sun and fun!

I've read a few of Portia's books and instantly fell in love with her writing style. However, this one was so hard to get into. I thought maybe this was a romcom much like her other books, but it's border line mystery, mixed with some love here and there. I had a hard time relating to the characters - the 30 somethings acting like they were still teenagers just rubbed me the wrong way. Idk, this one just didn't work for me which I am bummed about because I absolutely love Portia's books!

I discovered Portia MacIntosh a little over a year ago and quickly became a huge fan. I love her writing style and her ability to create characters that you not only like but that you would want to be friends with in real life. In Long Time No Sea she also creates an entire cast of characters that I wish I knew - even Clarky. I wasn't sure at first if I would like having the flashback chapters because sometimes they can feel like an interruption to the story, but here they only helped to bring more context to everyone's relationships and it was nice to see what they were like as teens - and it certainly showed how quickly they all reverted to their teenage selves. I am not sure I could go with the flow quite the way this group does after they find the hotel, but it certainly made for some amusing moments. The big reveal about Maxi was not really that big of a surprise (I had a suspicion as to what was going on with her pretty much right from the start). The end of the first chapter was a surprise though, I was completely fooled as to what was going on. One thing I have come to appreciate about Portia MacIntosh's is that they do not tend to end on the happily ever after note and instead just end on the possibility of that. Everyone is about to start out on their new relationships as adults and things might work out but it's not guaranteed (or at least put in print).

Portia Macintosh is the queen of current chick lit, you know when you pick up one of her books that you are guaranteed a feel good read and this is no exception

This book was a bit of a struggle to get through. I had a hard time connecting to the characters. The plot seemed a little all over the place. It seemed like there was some potential, but there needs to be a more cohesiveness.

Jas has just been fired and is moving back home with her parents until she can figure out what is next. Out of the blue, she gets a call from her old BF Maxi. Maxi is now married to a billionaire and seems to just be living her best life. She has made a video for the old high school crew to see if they all want to holiday in Italy together. They were a crew of 6 back in the day and lost touch after an accident happened that changed the trajectory of the future for most of them.

Jas decides to go. We learn that she was in a love triangle of sorts with two of the boys, Mike and Cam who happened to be best friends. Mike liked her, but she liked Cam. The whole gang meets at the private jet to fly to the villa they will be staying at, and Jas doesn't see Cam. BUT he then shows up at the villa and Jas finds herself questioning if they could pick up where they left off.

This plot line seemed fine to me until one of the friend (Clarky) who I found very annoying decides to book them a trip for the day. He tells his friends it is a day boat cruise to a deserted island but later reveals it is actually a survivor situation where they are left on the island for several days and have to fend for themselves. First plot fail. Then a day or two goes by and then end up finding this hotel that turns into a sex resort of sorts where they end up staying until the boat comes. The author lost me here. The reconnecting relationships seemed to happen a little too fast for me. There really wasn't a lot of character growth from when they were younger, and then all of these revelations happened at the end that just left me feeling empty.

I am sorry to say this was a hard read to get through for me, but I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

First, I would like to thank Boldwood Books and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I enjoyed this book but I wasn’t overly thrilled with it. A big part of this may be because I assumed this was a contemporary romance and it bordered more on a low stakes mystery. I wanted to be invested in this but I couldn’t really relate or make myself feel for the characters and sometimes their dynamic was truly frustrating. However, this book did get a few chuckles out of me and I liked it enough to finish it which says something!

Thank you to Portia McIntosh, Boldwood Books and NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

If I had to rank the books written by Portia McIntosh in order of preference, this would be the last. The plot is interesting, there's even a touch of mystery, but I wouldn't categorize this book as a romance as the interactions between Jas and Cam are so minimal in my eyes. Rather, it's the story of a teenage friendship that continues - after 15 years without seeing each other - into adult life.

I had such a hard time liking Jas. And I think I still don't. In fact, to be honest, I didn't like any of the characters except Cam, despite his short words here and there. The other characters, I couldn't empathize with less. They all have huge flaws, they're all idiots, and at their advanced age it's hard to understand their teenage reactions. You expect better when you're dealing with adults in their thirties.

I'm not giving it less than 3 stars because I think many people will be able to enjoy this story, after all there are a few smile-inducing moments, but I'm pretty indifferent. After reading some very good novels lately, I find it hard to put a rating other than this one. It wasn't bad, it wasn't good either. Better off wed was so much more enjoyable to read. I hope my next book by Portia will be on the same level !

I'm between 2 and 3 stars, so I'll give it 2.5 and round it up. I'm always thrilled to get to read anything by Portia MacIntosh. She's definitely one of my favorite feel-good authors. However, I am heartbroken to report that this one just didn't work for me. There's something about 30-something year olds acting like teenagers that doesn't sit well with me. There characters were immature, overly dramatic and overall unlikable. The plot started out good, but then it took a turn where it was not only unbelievable but also ridiculous. And it was SO repetitive. This one didn't have me laughing or reaching for it like most of her other books. Thanks to the author, NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have read a few Portia Macintosh’s books now and she has never lets me down. This is a perfect beach read with friends, romance and travel what more do you need?. When Jas loses her job and has to move back with her parents she decides to call her old friends and get together with them. They soon whisk away on a vacation and what happens next Author Portia Macintosh writes and weaves the plot into a interesting take on friends meeting up together again. Thank You @netgalley

This is a cute quick read that follows high school friends on vacation years later after not keeping in touch.

It follows a now and then plot line but does just enough then to make the now make sense. I found the characters a little unlikeable at times but overall a cute read.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

Another fabulous book by Portia MacIntosh book.

When she was younger, Jas never thought she’d be working as a live-in Nanny and teaching English to children. But, that’s exactly what she’s now doing, or was, until she was let go and homeless.

Without no other option, Jas has to move back in with her parents. But, maybe, there’s another option, she a package from her old friend, Maxi,

She’s then invited to an all expenses paid holiday with Maxi and her old gang of friends, they’ve not seen each other in 15 years.

The story alternates between their lives now and 15 years ago, making you laugh and cry.

I highly recommend this book.

This was a really cute summer read! A humorous contemporary fiction about some friends who finally take a summer holiday together after 15 years of not seeing each other. These friends of such good banter and Clarky is for sure my favorite. He is so innocently naive even though he is the oldest. Our narrator, Jas has been secretly crushing on Cam forever. Everyone seems to be keeping some kind of innocent secret from the others. Who wouldn’t enjoy an all expense paid vacation to a gorgeous private island in Italy?! Also when they get “shipwrecked” (obviously Clarky’s doing) and they stumble upon a new resort, I literally laughed out loud.

I really enjoyed this fast paced read. It definitely had me giggling. I thought it was refreshing since it wasn’t really a romance but it had some romantic elements but it wasn’t a suspense even though there was one question you had the whole time that was finally revealed in the last 15% of the book. I will be picking up more of Portia’s book because I think they are the perfect summer read and great pallet cleansers between my thriller addiction and tear-jerker romance novels.

An entertaining rom-com despite the fact that the majority of the characters are not very likable and behave more like children than adults.

I got this arc in exchange for an honest review.