Mackinac Island—one of my absolute favorite places in Northern Michigan.

Lindsay MacMillan transported me straight there in Summer on Lilac Island. I could practically smell the fresh fudge and lilacs, hear the clatter of horses and the whir of bikes, and feel the charm of the island coming alive through every chapter.

Listening to the audiobook was like taking a mini vacation. The story of Gigi and her mom Eloise had that feel-good, Hallmark-movie magic—with a touch of matchmaking and heart—but what made it even more special was the setting. From the iconic Grand Hotel to the Pink Pony and Arch Rock, the book is a love letter to all the quaint, beloved spots on Mackinac Island.

If you're a Michigander (or just love the charm of Northern Michigan), this is a must-read. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced audiobook copy—this one truly brought the island to life for me.

Summer on Lilac Island is a great beach read. This was a story of difficult family relationships, long lost loves, and long term complicated friendship. The story spans three generations and I really loved reading about all of the stong women in this family.

Gigi was a tough character for me to love right off the bat, but man was I rooting for her by the end. She thought she was going home for her mom, but in reality, she is the one that needed that time to mend her relationships and ground herself

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the audiobook ARC!

Summer on Lilac Island is a romance for three generations. A great romance for Midwesterners, as Lilac Island is really Mackinac Island (home to an island without automobiles, home to horses, bicycles and fudge).

Gigi is on the ferry to return to her childhood home and re-coup and regroup when life isn’t really working out so well for her. She meets an author on the boat ride to the ferry. Once she arrives home, she learns that her mother has set her up on a date with the towns doctor.

So Gigi agrees to go on the date only if her mother agrees to go out with the author.

I loved all the references to the island, like the multiple fudge companies and their offerings. This book brought back great memories of visiting the island with my aunt and uncle and biking around the island. The Grand Hotel really does have the world’s longest porch at 660 feet. (So probably this Michigan girl is rounding up to 5 stars because of the Michigan connection.)

The book was narrated Kira Fixx, who did a great job! (Especially loved how she did the author's voice.)

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Muse Audiobooks for approving my request to listen to the “advance listen” copy of Summer on Lilac Island by Lindsay MacMillan in exchange for an honest review. Approximately 14 hours. Just in time for summer, publication date is July 1, 2025.

I especially loved this line in the book. Roughly, there aren’t any dull stories, only dull story tellers.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperMuse for providing an advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Summer on Lilac Island releases July 1, 2025

<i>“Family saga and romance, set against the backdrop of a characterful island town.”</I>

As an only child who has a close relationship with their mother, I was particularly excited to dive into a “heartwarming” mother-daughter centered novel, but this did not hit the spot.

Perhaps it was the archaic nature of the island, set in their horse-and-buggy ways, or the immediacy of a matchmaking scheme that felt suffocating and controlling.

Multiple character perspectives (8), including those of inanimate objects written in third person, took away from the intimacy of mending a fractured family dynamic of which I was eager to explore, and I struggled to find any of the characters likeable.

There’s also something so unsettling about using the only character of colour’s queer coming out as a plot device for the straight, white, ex-best friend to finally realize that all the running she did in her adult years — from destinations, jobs, and boyfriends — wasn’t actually the freedom that she convinced herself that she needed.

Even though I’m close in age to the main character and have a history of an absentee father that closely mirrors Gigi’s experience, I feel as though I was not the target demographic for this seasonal read.

Summer on Lilac Island was a wonderful read.

Not what I had expected, but oh so good. Gigi was a tough character for me to love right off the bat, but man was I rooting for her by the end!

Gigi heads home to Mackinac Island for the summer to help care for her mother (or so she thinks), yet her mother has other plans. Plans involving James the new local general practitioner.

Gigi doesn’t have the best track record with men, and James isn’t her usual type, but that’s exactly what she needed!

A summer to find herself, heal past wounds, and find love.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the audiobook ARC!

Family drama + a touch of romance + a dreamy Northern Michigan setting? Say no more.

Gigi Jenkins returns to Mackinac Island—broke, reluctant, and determined to make it through just one summer. But this charming lakeside town, full of fudge shops, ferry rides, and unspoken history, has other plans. What I loved most about this book is that it’s so much more than a love story. It’s a rich family saga about broken relationships, the weight of the past, and the power of coming home. Gigi’s journey is layered with old wounds, awkward reunions, and unexpected self-discovery. The characters felt incredibly real—flawed, funny, and ultimately lovable. As a proud Michigander, I loved the setting. Lindsay Macmillan captures the magic of Mackinac Island perfectly—the slower pace, the tight-knit community, the feeling of being stuck in time in the best way. I wouldn’t be surprised if this book inspires a surge in summer getaways to the island. If you’re looking for a heartfelt beach read with emotional depth and a strong sense of place, Summer on Lilac Island is one to pack in your tote bag. Add it to your TBR for a little sunshine and a lot of heart.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Muse Audiobooks for the audiobook ARC to read and review so I could share my honest review!

*Summer on Lilac Island* is the perfect feel-good listen for anyone craving heartfelt laughs, mother-daughter mischief, and a dash of romance. Lindsay MacMillan’s witty storytelling shines, and narrator Kira Fixx brings Gigi and Eloise to life with warmth and charm. Full of quirky small-town antics, surprising twists, and emotional depth, this audiobook is as comforting as a summer breeze and as satisfying as a second chance. At its heart, it’s a beautiful reminder that sometimes the most important love story is the one we rewrite with family.

Sweet story about several generations of women on Mackinac Island. Perfect beach read!

I both read and then listened to the audiobook. My preference is the book as I didn’t love the narration.

Cute, entertaining story- perfect to read while relaxing by the beach or pool! The characters and scenery were really well-developed so I got a good sense of what it would actually be like to summer on Mackinac Island.

I received an audiobook ARC of this story.

Of the story itself, it’s a woman’s fiction story following three generations of women, Alice, the grandmother, Eloise, the mother, and Gigi and Rebecca, the adult daughters spending a summer on Mackinac Island. It was a sweet story where all the women had significant growth over the summer. Although, while sweet, I didn’t completely connect with the characters. 3.5 stars for the story.

For the audiobook narrator, she did a good job, especially when she was simply telling the story. But when she did the voices of the characters, the voices were nasally and sometimes whiny. Not my favorite narrator but 3 stars for the audio.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Gigi returns to her hometown, Mackinac Island, to live with her Mom, Eloise, when she finds herself unemployed and out of money. Gigi has always been something of a free spirit. Living with her mother brings up feelings from the past- specifically that she has never been enough and a chronic underachiever. Adding to this feeling is that Gigi's younger sister Rebecca is seemingly in the perfect marriage.

Gigi doesn’t want to stay on the island long, but agrees to go on a date with the town doctor, whom Eloise has chosen in return for setting up her long divorced Mom. As the summer drags on, Gigi and Eloise work on repairing their relationship as well as finding their true authentic selves.

I enjoyed this book. It very much had Elin Hilderbrand vibes. I did feel like sometimes the author would go off on tangents about secondary characters, that I found I did not care much about. I did enjoy the inter-generational trauma and drama shared between Eloise and Gigi. Overall, this was a quick and fun beach read that I would recommend!

I love Mackinac Island. It is a beautiful place and one that most Michiganders are very proud of. This book did not show this love. It presented the Fudgies only as people that wreaked havoc on the island. The citizens of the island were only fanatics of the island or hated it. No one seemed to just love living there, even if it issues with the island during winer. Every emotion was big.
I also had trouble with the narrator, I know this is a personal taste, but I felt that every character had a bit of a whine to their voice.
I am sad I had so much trouble with this book. I really really wanted to like it.

This book was a sweet summer read, with an emphasis on mother daughter relationships instead of romantic ones. I love that some of the story was told from the island's point of view.
I did think the story was about 50 pages too long.

I thoroughly enjoyed this summertime read about Gigi Jenkins' return to her hometown on Macinac Island after leaving it for dust years earlier. With POVs from many of the characters, including the Grand Hotel and the island itself, all the storylines interweaved nicely, and I never felt like I was losing track of what was happening.
This was a great read!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Harper Muse and Netgalley.

A fun Summer read. Yes, you can always return home. Family struggles and secrets come to light throughout the story but how they handle them is refreshing. Learning all about the nuances of Mackinac Island make it truly a delightful quick read. Thank you Net Galley for the advanced copy of this audiobook.

Sweet tale about family, forgiveness, love. Gigi Jenkins returns home to Macinack Island, the hometown she grew an away from ten years before. She plans to just be there for the summer but finds her mother setting her up with the town’s summer doctor. In exchange, she sets her mother, Eloise, up with the Scottish author she meets on the ferry. As the summer unfolds, Gigi, her sister Rebecca, Eloise, and Grandmother Alice learn about life and love, acceptance and grace. Beautifully narrated from multiple points of view. Can’t wait to hear what’s next from both the author and narrator.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #HarperMuse for an advance listening copy of SummeronLilacIsland. A nice cozy romance featuring many intertwined characters. 3 stars.

Being from Michigan this review feels a bit biased, but I just loved this story. The writing created a beautiful picture of the magic that is Mackinac island. The plot was cute and I appreciated the development of the various characters. This is a perfect spring/summer read that I definitely will recommend to my friends!

As a kid my husband spent his summers in the UP of Michigan, so I was so excited thee first time he took me to Mackinac Island. I was a Southerner, and honestly the only thing I knew about the Island was the Grand Hotel from the movie Somewhere In Time, but once there I fell in love with the area, especially the fact that their was no cars traveling about the streets, it gave everything the most quaint feel I had probably ever experienced.

Summer On Lilac Island takes place on Mackinac, so it became a sure read for me. ( Lilac Island is Mackinac's nickname due to the amount of Lilac bushes that are on the island, they also have a Lilac Festival there every June )

The story is about Gigi, who moves back home to live with her mom, as you can imagine, it is an emotional time for her, no one wants to have to go home to their parents once living on their own.. Right off the bat, her mother tries to fix her up with the towns single doctor ( makes me, a Jewish woman, wonder if Gigi has a Jewish mother hahaha ) but Gigi will not agree until her mother also agrees to a date with a man Gigi met on the Ferry on the way to the island. Throughout the book you will see each to the two women grow from the place they started at the beginning of the book.

The book does have several perspectives of the story, five to be exact. This is usually a sore spot with me because I sometimes get confused on who is who, but Macmillan's writing was smooth and coherent and I had no trouble keeping up with the amount, The entire book is light and charming and the Island even felt like an additional character.

Publishing in July, this is a perfect summer read. Everything about the book is summery and you feel the warmth as you read. There is light romance, it doesn't rule the story, the story is the woman and their lives.

Pick up Summer on Lilac Island this July, and escape to Mackinac, no matter where you are, it is so easy to do with Macmillan's vivid descriptions and imaginative world building!

Summer on Lilac Island by Lindsay Macmillan, narrated by Kira Fixx. Great beach read. Gigi returns to Mackinac Island to live with her mother Eloise. Matchmaking, healing old hurts, coming to terms with family issues, get ready to read layers in this book. Thank you to #NetGalley and # Harper Muse Auto books for this arc. This is my honest review.