A relaxing summer vacation between two covers. A nice, light read that deals with some heavy issues (grief) with a gentle hand and humor.

I had such great hopes for this plot, but unfortunately I never connected with this (but I seem to be in the minority here). I loved the idea of a quirky, funny, but emotionally endearing story of a community coming together to help one of their own, even if it means daily grand gestures of pretending. Something in the line of A Man Called Ove or Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. Instead I felt like this book tried to be three things and didn't do any one of them as well as it could have. The romance was interesting but would have been better if it was the focus. We were distracted from the romance by the mystery of Tom's death (was it a murder? is he dead?). It could have been an interesting locked-room mystery set in an interesting community of weird characters. And then we miss out on the chance to travel with Piper on her journey of self discovery and healing if it was the focus of the story instead of being distracted by the other side plots.

Sort of sweet, sort of heartbreaking. The Invisible Husband of Frick Island made me want to reach out and hug the main character! Its amazing how grief manifests so differently in each person and this story was the perfect example of just that.

Collen Oakley's The Invisible Husband of Frick Island is another gem from this writer of heartwarming books. I've read several of her stories, and she's become an auto-buy author for me.

In this book, readers are whisked away to imaginary Frick Island (based on real Smith Island) off the coast of Maryland. (And, now a bucket list location for me.)

We find a quirky cast of characters on the island, including Piper Parrish and her dead husband Tom, who everyone is pretending is alive.

And, as the only constant is change, the way of life on the island is being threatened by ecological deterioration, a cell phone tower, and a reporter from over there who wants to create a podcast that will go viral, What the Frick!

It's a story of grief and second chances and finding what you need. And, I'd definitely add it to any summer reading list.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

The Invisible Husband of Frick Island by Colleen Oakley was a delightful read from start to finish.

This book takes place on the fictional Frick Island, miles off the coast of Maryland that is home to a few more than 90 people. Anders, a journalist and podcaster first visits the island to cover the famous cake walk. But soon after he is back at home, he is alerted by one of the islanders that he missed the biggest story there. Intrigued, Anders returns to the island and finds his story, a young woman named Piper believes her deceased husband is still alive and walking around town with her. Even crazier, the entire island is going along with her delusion and Anders is determined to find out why.

While I liked Anders, my favorite character in the novel was Piper. She knows what she stands for. I was impressed by her growth throughout the novel. And I was very happy for her at the end of the book.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. Even though the story centers around a grieving widow, I still felt it was a light-hearted read. There were also many comical moments throughout the novel that made me laugh out loud and I loved every second of it. This is definitely a book I’d recommend to put on your summer 2021 reading list!

I feel like I’m all over the place with my thoughts/review of this one!! There were 5 star moments and 3 star moments and ultimately I landed somewhere in the middle.

I think it’s important to see this book as a really endearing work of fiction because I think if you go in looking for a traditional romance (like I did), you won’t find it here. It is a very unique story of love, and ultimately for me it was the characters love of the charming Frick Island that was the most special. Oakley’s writing is lovely and thoughtful throughout and I can’t wait to read more from her.

The book centers on a tragic death and the grief process, so be aware of those triggers.

Loved the authors note at the end - it definitely had me googling the island that inspired the book!!

Just wrapped up another great summer read!
Frick Island is the most charming town.
We have Piper, whose husband disappeared , presumed dead. Though she carries on talking to him as if he’s alive and so do the rest of the residents on Frick Island. Anders is sent to Frick Island to cover a story and decides to find out what happened to Tom and why is everyone carrying on as if they see Tom.
This endearing story really keeps you guessing, it can go so many ways. It’s a mystery, rom com, drama and full of quirky characters definitely worth checking out.

Heartfelt emotions and endearing characters populate Ms. Oakley's brand new novel, THE INVISIBLE HUSBAND OF FRICK ISLAND. Life on the island is laid back, moves at a slow tempo, and risks being called antiquated. This is the rich tapestry that weaves a beautiful story of caring townsfolk, magnificent scenery, with smells of ocean air and more. Piper Parrish, a pretty lady who is grieving for her husband who died too young, charms the towns inhabitants who all look out for one another. She is dealing with life and all its setbacks, but is determined to carry on like nothing ever happened. Thus, Piper talks as if her husband Tom is still alive. The whole town indulges her and acts as if Tom is really there with her.

Anders, a young journalist, is floundering at his job. He needs that big break, that will push him into the big leagues. He has a small podcast on the side, that is viewed by a handful of people. What he wouldn't give for that star story, that would draw people in to watch his podcast.

One day Anders goes over by ferry to cover the annual cake walk festival at Frick Island. Only, he finds that the people are standoffish and rude to him. Then, he receives an odd email from an unknown sender asking him to cover the real story of the island. He wonders about the strange email. What is the real mystery behind Frick Island? He pulls up his big boy pants, braves the inhabitants strange behavior and secretly investigates and interviews the people and events, revealing a cover-up so big it's mind boggling. What does he find out?

THE INVISIBLE HUSBAND OF FRICK ISLAND will cast a spell on you with its unique plot, quirky characters, emotional issues and its earthy location by the sea. I was completely captivated by Piper's tale and Anders quest to find out more behind the history of the island and the diverse townspeople, especially Piper. Anders develops feelings for her as he pokes and prods into her life.

Will Ander’s podcast help the people of Frick Island and bring closure for Piper? Also, does Anders's capture that elusive big story? I was moved to tears, so keep Kleenex nearby. Anders and Piper's relationship is special, not overly romantic but sweet. The author expertly reveals slowly the mystery, reeling me in with effortless charm and seafaring anecdotes. I absolutely adored this story! THE INVISIBLE HUSBAND OF FRICK ISLAND will snare the reader with its lush setting and captivating characters.

Piper Parrish loses her husband in an accident and cannot accept that he is dead. She continues her daily routine as if he is still there, talking to him and about him to her friends. The small community on Frick Island surprisingly go along with it. A reporter from the mainland, Anders, comes to the island to report on the annual cake walk and learns of Piper's story. Pretending to be researching climate change Anders, befriends the townspeople and Piper to get the scoop on why they are perpetuating her denial. This story can give his career the boost he has been dreaming of but at what cost?
This is a cute story. I enjoyed it but it didn't wow me. Lots of quirky characters and a lot of heart.

An enjoyable read full of quirky characters, set on a beautiful Island in the Chesapeake Bay. A little drama, some intrigue, friendship, love and a bit of insanity! Sounds like a recipe for fun.

**I received an electronic ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

3.5 stars | What a sweet and unique read! In this story, we are taken to Frick Island, a small island off the coast of Maryland in the Chesapeake Bay. A small number of people live on the island, largely stuck in the past and relying on a short tourist season to support them through the year. Piper is one of these locals. Her husband, Tom, has died in a boating accident but Piper acts as if he's still alive. The entire island has decided to go along with her delusion. When Anders, a local journalist, arrives on the island he gets wind of this story and decides to cover it on his podcast. Piper and Anders begin spending a lot of time together and develop a very sweet relationship.

I thought this one was unique and fun. And I loved learning about Smith Island (the real island that Frick Island is based on!). Definitely a cute one to add to your summer reading - perfect as a book to while away a long summer afternoon.

What the Frick? What a fun summer read! The real star of this book was Frick Island itself. The book was charming and entertaining. While I didn't love it, I certainly enjoyed it and would absolutely recommend it if you are a fan of Colleen Oakley!

The unique title and the oh-so-intriguing synopsis had me excited to try this latest release from Colleen Oakley. A remote island setting, a young widow who carries on as if her husband is still by her side, and a village of people who play right along? Yes please! Unfortunately, The Invisible Husband didn't deliver quite the story I wanted or expected.

Before starting the book (and not being familiar with Oakley's work), I thought this might be a whimsical tale with quirky characters. Or, on the flipside, a solemn story of loss and the rippling effects of grief. What I got was a little of both but not enough of either to make much of an impact.

Anders is an ambitious reporter working for a small newspaper. When he's sent to Frick Island to cover an annual fundraising event, he discovers the whole town (all 94 residents) pretending that Tom Parrish, a fisherman who died in an accident several months previously, is alive and well. Determined to discover why they would take part in such a charade, Anders returns to Frick Island each weekend, stays at the lone bed and breakfast, and tries to understand the people who live on the tiny island.

There was no lack of quirky characters on Frick Island: from BobDan who ran the ferry, to Lady Judy who was so secretive about the packages she carried to and from her home, to Piper Parrish, the young woman who apparently still considered her deceased husband very much alive and well. Unfortunately, the slow pace kept me from fully engaging with the story or the characters and it took me a solid week to make my way through the 368 pages. Anders' trips to the island began to feel repetitive and the snippets of information he gathered felt too small and too infrequent for the story to gain any real momentum.

Despite my issues with the pace of the story, I was interested in the character's motivations, and the slight mystery aspect and the few red herrings had me curious and wanting to see the outcome. I have no doubt that The Invisible Husband of Frick Island will find its audience and I do believe this is a case of it's not you, it's me. It's likely my expectations kept me from fully appreciating what this one had to offer.

I was intrigued by the premise of this book and thought I would give it a shot. I'm glad I did. This was a cute story with quirky characters. There could have been a little bit more to them and I would have liked it even more. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced readers copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Who else likes a quirky read? 🙋🏻‍♀️ I’ve found myself more drawn to odd little reads more than usual lately and this one totally fits the bill. The premise is so great, Piper lives on Frick Island where they take care of their own. So when her husband Tom is lost at sea and she keeps on pretending he’s still alive the entire town plays along. Enter Anders, a reporter looking for his big break and when he discovers what the town is doing for their beloved Piper he’s thinks this may finally be it.

So while the premise won me over alone you also have this amazing setting, Frick Island is a place like no other with people like no other as well. There’s no internet, no cell towers, it’s like a time warp but damn was it charming. Add in a truly emotional and heartwarming read about grief and loss, a strong sense of community and amazing lead characters and I was so smitten, I loved this one!

Colleen Oakley’s new novel The Invisible Husband of Frick Island is an emotional story about love, loss, and grief and the lengths people will go to in order to help those they love. The story centers on Piper Parrish, a young woman who lives on Frick Island, a tiny island located in the Chesapeake Bay and only accessible by ferry. The Frick Island community, cut off as they are from the mainland, are a tightknit group who look out for each other. When Piper’s husband Tom is lost at sea when his boat capsizes during a terrible storm, the community rallies together to help Piper cope with the loss. It’s the method in which they choose to rally that brings a bit of a whimsical element to the story. When they realize that Piper is hallucinating that Tom is still alive and by her side, the community decides to play along with it and pretend he’s still alive as well. When Anders Caldwell, an aspiring journalist, is sent to the island on assignment, he witnesses Piper and her hallucinations as well as the community going along with it, he can’t believe what he is seeing and decides he needs to investigate it further. He thinks this is a story that could make his career but has no idea how truly life changing it will end up being.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story. I especially loved the smalltown island setting and how they’re all practically one big family. I also loved all the quirky characters who live on the island. They were fun and I immediately liked them all just by virtue of what they were willing to do to keep from breaking Piper’s heart. Piper herself is of course an incredibly sympathetic character because of the loss she has suffered and it’s easy to see why her community loves her so much. I very much enjoyed watching her interact with Anders as he tried to piece together what was motivating the community to go along with Piper’s hallucinations rather than set her straight about Tom’s death. There were times when I wanted to shake him for using Piper’s tragedy to further his career, but he shows tremendous growth in this area as he and Piper grew closer and he starts to realize his own mistakes.

My only real issue with The Invisible Husband of Frick Island is that it felt a little slow at times. As much as I enjoyed it, I felt like the story got a little bogged down by Anders’ repetitive ferry rides back and forth to the island. I think I would have preferred either fewer trips or maybe less description of them each time.

If you enjoy small town settings, quirky characters, and reading about the things we do for love, you’ll want to check out The Invisible Husband of Frick Island.

I really like the idea that an entire community came together to support a widow (because they all loved her that much) by pretending that her husband was still alive to help her process his death.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! This book kept me engaged and entertained, I kept picking it back up to find out what was going to happen next. There were a couple of red herrings in this book that had me wondering if maybe it was going to turn into a mystery, well done Colleen. I love that Colleen managed to work in climate change and the premise of the dying community.

Highly recommend this book.

This book was so sweet! I genuinely enjoyed the characters and feel like I’ve just spent time on Frick Island with all of the quirky, interesting islanders. The mystery surrounding the invisible husband was intriguing and unique with a resolution that felt so natural it just wrapped up the human existence is a little bow - how everything in life just comes down to love.

It was also fun to follow the podcast element of the story. It just made our journey and experience of Frick Island all the more real.

I was eager to read Colleen Oakley's latest after I read her book You Were There Too last year. While this book didn't have as much magical realism charm as YWTT, I enjoyed it!

I liked how we got to learn more about Frick Island and it's quirks through Anders, an outsider like us, someone who is also really quizzical about the happenings of this place. I also love when books have a podcast element, just wished that this one was fleshed out more.

It's hard to pinpoint what I didn't really love about it, while the characters were quirky and enjoyable I just didn't love them. I almost wish there was more mystery and magical realism in the book.

I sound like a broken record, but work has been really busy lately so the fact that this book held my attention says something. I just wanted to know what happened!

It's a really cute, long weekend kind of book.

This book published on May 25, 2021. Thanks so much Berkley and Netgalley for my early copy!

Welcome to the world today, Frick Island! I’m excited for everyone else to experience this fictional vacation destination and all of its quirky residents.
Lost in grief after her husband Tom’s apparent drowning, Piper wakes up one day and Tom is looking back at her. No one else can see Tom, but for Piper’s sake, they still greet him when they see her out.
It’s inventive and funny and completely entertaining. I adored this one.
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3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley publishing for allowing me to read this book early! I really enjoyed it! This book is about Piper. One day her husband, a fisherman, goes missing while he's at sea. His boat is eventually found, but his body never is so he is assumed dead. However, Piper thinks she sees him reappear days later and continues on as if life were normal. She talks to Tom and lives according to his schedule as always. Frick Island is a TINY community with no technology so she's really able to live in her bubble and everyone goes along with her. I really wanted to follow Piper and find out what happened to her husband, what was going on mentally with her and why, etc. but thats not really what this story is. The other portion (more than half) is from Anders perspective. Anders is a young reporter that works for a small newspaper on the mainland and he always gets fluff pieces. He was sent to Frick Island to cover their annual cake walk. He writes his piece and also puts it on his tiny little podcast and someone anonymously comments that he went to Frick Island and missed the biggest story he could've gotten. He doesn't know what that means, so he goes back to investigate. Due to rising sea levels, Frick Island is in danger of going under water in the next 100 years so he says thats why he's there, but he's trying to dig deeper. He finds out about Piper's story and tries to find out more. They had met at the local bar and grill when he was there for the cake walk so they already had a friendship growing but now he's got intentions (though they never feel malicious to me). He's so intrigued, as we all are, about what happened and why everyone's encouraging Piper to believe her invisible husband is actually there. His podcast grows immensely as he covers the story and he's finally getting the acknowledgement and opportunities he craved, but is it worth it? He starts to question it all as he falls for Piper. I really liked Anders story. He's got a sister and an absentee dad and a wonderful step dad and while that was introduced, it wasn't fully explored and I wish it would've. When we finally found out what all happened it was interesting, but I sort of expected more. I loved the writing style though and will definitely pick up more from Colleen Oakley.

SPOILERS AHEAD:
It was all a misunderstanding. After Tom had disappeared, she got a cat named Tom and people were confused and then she just went with it because it was kind of comforting, even though it was all pretend. She wasn't actually having any sort of hallucinations or psychotic break. Anders and she end up happy for now and I LOVE books that end that way. She leaves Frick Island to go to school and as of now he hasn't made a move but they're ready for what the future brings together.