Book 8 of my summer reading challenge and one that has me desperate to go on another holiday.
Love on the Island
Jessica Gilmore
One week. Two couples. A holiday they’ll never forget…
Indi Drewe is turning thirty and is exactly where she wants to be: she’s on the cusp of a promotion, lives in her gorgeous London flat and is sure her perfect-on-paper boyfriend, Will, is about to propose…
Only, on the night she’d hoped Will would present her with a sparkling diamond ring, she finds out that her younger sister Jade is getting married to a man she’s known only for a few weeks!
Worried her sister is about to make a terrible mistake, she immediately flies out to visit her sister in Greece – and is shocked to discover she’s sharing her villa with a far-too-handsome (and perpetually shirtless) stranger, Mikhos.
Indi and Mikhos might be each other’s worst nightmare, but together, they only have days to stop the wedding before it’s too late! Yet with so much love in the air on this paradise island, will they be able to resist falling for each other, too?
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I feel like there should be a warning at the start of this book because all I want to do now is pack up my life and move to a luxurious villa on a Mediterranean island, alas I shall just have to live vicariously through the characters of Love on the Island. I was kind of expecting a sweet light-hearted romance with a few misunderstandings along the way but actually got a lot more than I bargained for.
Whilst there is romance in the air, the story is also about two sisters and how their relationship changes as they both discover more about themselves, I really loved that especially as it was a dual POV and we got to read from both of their perspectives. Both Indi and Jade are imperfect characters but even when they are frustrated with each other and convinced that the other is wrong, they understand each other, and it was great to see them both grow throughout the story.
Indi was not the easiest to warm to initially because she is so focused, we eventually discover the reasons why and I found that the more I read the more I could relate to her. I liked that she brought out a lot of feelings at one moment I was cheering her on for doing something bold and unexpected but then I was also rolling my eyes at her not being able to help herself and getting involved in Jade’s job or finding her very infuriating because she can’t let go a little.
Jade is kind of the opposite of Indi, she doesn’t have a life plan set out and seems more willing to go with the flow. She has a few hurdles to overcome in the book which isn’t helped by a lack of confidence in herself but thankfully that gets better the further we get into the book.
I did enjoy the romance, I liked that there was more than one to focus on, all the more to daydream about. It did mean that separately they weren’t explored as deeply as the relationship between Indi and Jade, but they were fun to read. There were some tropes that I heartily enjoyed and some more apparent miscommunications for a bit of drama, but that is what I am looking for in a romance and a setting that can only add to the romantic atmosphere.
This is an enjoyable read and great for some easy-going escapism.
After several very happy years as a bookseller, Jessica Gilmore moved into the charity sector and now works in the Arts, living out her Noel Streatfeild dreams by walking through the Stage Door every morning. Married with one daughter, two dogs and two dog-loathing cats, she lives in the beautiful Chilterns where she can usually be found with her nose in a book. A lover of a happy-ever-after, Jessica loves to write emotional romance with a hint of humour and a splash of sunshine.
Reviews of other books by Jessica Gilmore
Love at First Sight
everywhere-and-nowhere.com 
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