I'm so sorry but this book was not the one for me. I was not able to connect with the characters, and the story didn't catch my interest.
I wish the author the best, and hope other readers find in this story what I couldn't.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Julie runs a gift shop which I loved. I loved that bro her daughter quit her job to find herself and help out her mom. I liked Trevor but hated that he thought Julie was frumpy at first.

Ciara Knight's novel, Summer Island Book Club, was a quick summer read that was perfect for a rainy Monday! It's not so much about actual book club activities, but more about the love of family, friends, and the lasting bond of a group of high school friends that are the sole members of the summer island book club. While the romance part of the book seemed a bit rushed for me, I still enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it as an addition to your pool bag!

This is a nice, quick summer read. There were some Mamma Mia vibes with the whole ‘daughter inviting friends that her mom hasn’t seen in years to a party’ going on but I don’t mind. What I wasn’t really into was the romance between the two MCs. It was very quick to be believable and kind of fell flat to me. Not for me, but still a good story! I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.

Julie is trying to adapt to her new life as a widow. After losing her husband of 25 years she thought she was doing well adapting until her daughter shows up for her 50th birthday and surprises her with a reunion of her oldest, successful and somewhat meddlesome friends. When they turn Julie's life upside down and help her find love again will Julie finally be ready to find herself again?

Oh boy, I had a hard time with this one. I was hoping for a fun, light summer read and this turned into a "force myself to finish it" book. I had a hard time connecting with the main characters Julie and Trevor. I was never really convinced of their romance as it felt really forced and rushed. My other seriously dumb hang up was the fact that the book was called the "Summer Island Book Club" and there was never, not one single time, any mention of books or a book club in the actual story. I don't get it. I don't understand how that even got in the title. It just made no sense at all to me and only turned this into a book I had to force myself to open and read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for my review and honest opinion.

Great book and author. Looking forward to the next book in the series. I highly recommend this book and author to read

Julie is not looking for love, nor is Trevor. But situations will bring them together. Will their love bloom? Good story.

Julie is turning 50 and has been in a rut since her husband died 3 years ago. As a surprise her daughter contacts her 3 high school besties to come back to Florida to help her celebrate. It's been years but they click again and its as if time stood still.

Trevor has escaped Seattle for sunny Florida to start over after a divorce from a manipulative and conniving model.. He's bought a run down motel and marina hoping to run charter and sightseeing cruises. While overhauling a marine motor, an adventurous ferret steaks one of the screws he needs to put the motor back together. That's how Trevor and Julie meet, but can they overcome their pasts to follow the sparks and forge ahead in new relationship territory.

It's a cute, funny, and quick read that I enjoyed. Perfect for reading at the beach or poolside.

I received a free ARC eBook from Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinions.

Julie’s daughter Bri returns home to help her mom celebrate her 50th birthday and encourage her to move on with her life after the death of her husband. To help with this she’s invited along some extra guests, Julie’s high school best friends.

I really liked the premise of this book and I loved the characters and the setting and I’m not normally someone to say this but I felt this book could have been longer. The romance element felt a little rushed with barely any build up and I think I’d have enjoyed it more if the relationship had had longer to develop.

The name of the book confused me a little too as there is barely any mention of a bookclub (other than the daughter choosing a book to gain admission to the “club”) and I’m not sure if there were aspects of the story relating to this that were removed during editing but I wish there had been more correlation to this as it felt a little like there was something missing because of this.

A quick, sweet, light beach read that transports you to a beautiful little beach town and introduces you to a host of lovable characters, i just wanted a little more from them.
3.5 stars rounded up

It was a Quick and light read. What I liked about this book. I liked that the Main characters were of a mature age. In most books they twnd to be younger. I liked that It was about a strong female friendship and being there for each other. I liked that It was about loss, but being avle to continue to live. I would have liked more mest ON the bone in some chapters. Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest opinion

This book is the perfect summer read and great to take with you to the beach or pool. The author paints pictures with words and makes you feel like you are in the book with the vivid scenergy, emotions, and amazing characters.

Summer Island Book Club
By Ciara Knight

Julie is trying to adapt to life as a single women, she still hasn’t gotten over the death of her husband three years before. He daughter see’s how unhappy her mother is so she decides to throw her a 50th birthday party inviting her best high school friends.
They call themselves The Summer Island Book Club.

While her friends are arriving she meets Trevor when her pet ferret steals a tool from him. He is getting over a divorce and came to Floria to start to rebuild his life and get a charter service going.

I loved this book because of the friendships, there always there when you need them even if they aren’t close by in distance they are always in your heart. And it’s never to late to start over even if tragedy happens.

I received this temp e-book from NetGalley and the publisher for my honest opinion.

I would highly recommend this book for anyone who is in the mood for a book about great friendships and love. I loved the characters they where fun to get to know, and sometimes life does have happy endings.

This is a perfect book to slip into your beach or pool bag. It has some humor, awesome characters and a fun story line. There are wonderful relationships to follow - mother/daughter, friendships, and romance. It has all I want in a romance - strong women, good men and very little steam.

The ending is exactly what you expect and want. This is my first Ciara Knight book, so I will be adding some to my list to read and looking forward to her next one.

Another great beach book. A quick read, but delightful. Friends, birthday celebrations, new beginnings. I really enjoyed this book!

Summer Island Book Club is a misnomer for a delightful story of a thirty years’ plus reunion of former high school best friends. Filled with doubts these four women would have anything in common, the main character, a widow, who remained in their small hometown feels inadequate tonite with her successful worldly friends. But just a new man enters the picture, she quickly discovers the familiarity of fun when “the girls are back in town.” Three decades may have passed, but these women realize their youthful bonds unite them as “forever friends.” As such, it is only fitting that their latest plot is to help the heroine see that life and love can begin anew as the best 50th birthday gift!

After losing her husband of over twenty five years, Julie is trying to adapt to her new life alone. Three years in, shes still missing her husband and having difficulty even getting rid of his things. Her daughter sounds the alarm to her high school girlfriends who called themselves the Summer Island Book Club. While running her store she meets Travis, who awakens feelings inside her she hasn't felt in years.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get into this book for a few reasons. First off, the romance felt rushed and without much heart. Second, no books were ever discussed. While its obvious all four women are friends, why they're called a book club doesn't make sense. While it was nice to read about a woman turning fifty in a romance, the fact that she "looked and felt" her age was made clear while Travis was only two years younger yet described as ripped and fit and sexy. For me, this was three stars.

⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to NetGalley, Ciara Knight, and Author Collective 20 for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Romance and the return of your three best friends for your surprise 50th birthday. The friends personalities are so amusing and the romance is so sweet. A wonderful book to read when you are looking for friends, fun, and romance!

Summer Island Book Club
by: Ciara Knight
Publisher: Author Collective 20
publication date: 6/8/21
reviewed by: Jennifer Smith
As her milestone fiftieth birthday approaches, coastal Florida resident Julie Boone's past, present, and future are aligned to merge. Author Ciara Knight makes those connections through her sweet, gentle, and funny writing with focus on preserving treasured friendships, healing from lost love, and readiness for acceptance of new love.
The past - Julie is a widow of three years, having lost her beloved husband Joe. She also is a member of her beloved Summer Island Book Club from her high school years, although her friendships with members Wind, Trevor and Kat have faded like old photographs over the years.
The present - She is the content mom of thirty-one-year-old daughter Bri, pet mom to Houdini, a ferret with personality plus, owner of Summer Island Gift Shop, and an artist at heart.
The future - Is love on the horizon? Kind, handsome, and witty Trevor Ashford, a recent divorcee, has just moved to Summer Island from Seattle for a fresh start as a charter boat company owner and guide. Can faded friendships become vibrant again? Bri has invited the members of the Summer Island Book Club to return to their childhood town to help Julie celebrate her birthday and keep the legacy of the club going.
Knight's story is as warm as the Florida sun and as breezy as the ocean winds, with special surprises surrounding the club's secret meeting place, Friendship Island. This book is for all who believe in the enduring power of lifelong female friendships and the exciting possibility of second chances at love. Celebrate with Julie, her friends, family and community on the occasion of her fiftieth birthday in Knight's romantic, funny and tender Summer Island story.
Thank you to Net Galley and Author Collective Twenty for the Advanced Reader's Copy and the opportunity to review this book. My review is sent to Net Galley on June 7, 2021 and to Goodreads, Book Bub, Barnes and Noble, and Facebook Groups on June 8, 2021.
 #SummerIslandBookClub #NetGalley

Summer Island Book Club is a woman’s fiction story of new beginnings by letting go off old insecurities first. It is listed as a Friendship Beach Novel but I don’t know if it is the first of the series by Ciara Knight.

I think many compare themselves to others but often find that they had no need to do that. Julie Boone is a widow who talk means well giving her a special birthday visit from her high school best friends,. Often things go different than we plan which is the case this time. Sometimes the shakeup is exactly what is needed. Lots of drama, advice but also a new love interest too. This is a sweet fun read reminding us to live every day fully.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I wanted to like this book. I mean… a summer book club with 4 reunited besties and a handsome new guy around too, it sounds great. Unfortunatly it left me unfulfilled. There wasn’t really much of a bookclub at all… just brief mentions of maybe doing one again… and the love story was just too quick for me. They met and were on a date talking about how serious they were for each other right away and they are professing love within days. It all just seemed unrealistically fast and serious for me. I also wanted to know more about the characters - more of the ladies backstories. If you’re in the mood for a very wholesome, clean, small town read then you may enjoy this.