What Brenda Novak has planned is a look at lives crumbling right before our eyes when long-held truths are uncovered as impossible lies. When trust has been irreparably broken. Hearts are bruised, relationships are damaged and friendships are questioned. There are many levels of intrigue in SUMMER ON THE ISLAND which on face value is a lovely summer story with hints of romance. What Brenda Novak delivers is a remarkable novel about people who successfully managed to project the ideal image. Once those images are tarnished, can they ever return to their original luster? People are very resilient. SUMMER ON THE ISLAND is masterfully directed by the genius of Brenda Novak.

An island escape for a month or three
Just a dream maybe for you and me
But Marlow and her two friends are off to stay
Helping her Mum after her Dad passed away.

The holiday home she's stayed there for years
With many memories and a few tears.
She didn't anticipate just what they'd discover
About themselves and one another.

A moving story of friendship and trust
With changing relationships, love - and lust!
But there are secrets that could drive them apart
And leave some with a broken heart.

Get ready for family drama and more
As they consider how to move on from what happened before.
Are second chances something to occur
Or are clean breaks what you'd prefer?

There's action a plenty and surprises, too
As they consider friendships and what they value.
A time for contemplation, revelations and more,
As forgiveness and revenge are options to explore.

A heartwarming read after some moving events
With danger and hurricanes making things tense.
With choices and decisions needing to be made
And games of chess and tennis to be played!

For my complementary copy of this book, I say thank you,
A gorgeous read and this is my honest review.

~~~ I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ~~~

Brenda Novak is one of my favor authors, I adore her book characters and look forward to her annual summer and Christmas releases. Summer on the Island is another "beachy" read to add to this collection. I enjoyed this book, however, not as much as I have other books by Novak. For some reason, I just didn't find myself as connected to these characters as I normally do. This is a story about 3 women who spend their summer in Florida with the goal to overcome the recent relationship or life disasters they've recently encountered.. The book follows the developing friendship between the women as they heal. This book is full of all the goodies: family drama, secrets, lies, affairs, romance, etc... Overall, this book is worth the read and makes a great summer beach read!

Thank you #Netgalley

As always, Novak has provided us with another great summer beach read. This time following Marlow on her summer back home on the island. This time she is visiting as an adult after her father passed away, and she brings along two newer friends who have an interesting background connection. We watch as Marlow gets reacquainted with the island, the house dynamics and connections with old friends.

This is the perfect book to bring with you to the pool or beach! A true women's fiction novel where the characters are believable. Just a great book!

Wow, I totally missed reading this book when I received it on Net Galley. Super nice to read a small town beach novel on a cold Winter day. Brenda Novak is a favorite for this type of story. Light, quick read.

DNF @ 32%

Summer on the Island feels like it was written in the style of Elin Hildebrand, and not as Novak's style. Maybe I just miss her romantic suspense books. I did not find the characters endearingly predictable or fresh, with the "senator father" storyline, I was ready to call it DNF.

***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through Edelweiss/NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***

This was my first book by Brenda Novak and I can't wait to read more from her! I recommend adding this to your collection.

I really love Brenda and her books, this was a beautiful small town read, thank you for allowing me to read an advanced copy.

Summer on the Island by Brenda Novak

I absolutely loved this one! It was a perfect summer read. It had romance, grief, friendship, drama, and a twist that I was not expecting! If you love second chance romance with a little mystery, make sure to pick this book up for your next vacation beach read!

Sadly this was a DNF for me. I just couldn't get into it. I gave it about 40 pages and just really couldn't get on board with the characters and the story line. I have loved several Brenda Novak titles in the past, so it could absolutely be a case of right book, wrong time. At any rate, I will definitely still be reading whatever she releases next!

Three friends arrive on the island of Teach in Florida for three momths of summer. And before the summer is out things will change, some paths will be taken and some won't. As well for Marlow daughter of the senator the past will catch up and things long kept secret will be revealed.

There are wounds to be explored and lived with, and decisions to be made about how once secrets are revealed what is the best way to go on with life.

I really liked the friendship of the three women, and while things were not easy they were worked through. For two of the women it was a most unusual start to their friendship. For Marlow a new chance is given for love and romance. Each of the women face challenges that stretch them and they grow. For Marlow's mother, Eileen - perhaps the biggest challenge of all.

People make mistakes, some deal with them and grow, some don't. The story invites compassion and understanding for those who are in need of it and deserve it.  Readers who are triggered by unfaithfulness may find this story not for them. On the other hand it could be just right for them.

I loved this one! I loved the story of Marlow, and how she develops relationships with people from her past. I loved how she overcame the bad and looked for the good with her family situation. I love how she was open to fixing past wrongs. The secondary characters were good as well, really added to the story. The setting was beautiful, and this is a highly recommended summer beach read!

SUMMER ON THE ISLAND
By Brenda Novak

Brenda Novak writes the best women’s fiction and this one was fantastic with an incredible surprise twist!
There is nothing leisurely about Summer On The Island – this book packs a punch and oh so addictive. The characters are incredibly well written and with complex family dynamics.

This is definitely a great read, and don’t forget to pack this book along with you for vacation, or beach read.

If you are ever looking for a good beach read you can’t go wrong with Brenda Novak. There is so much to love about this book an interesting friendship and a big secret I never saw coming. Do yourself a favor and run to get this book.

I was so excited to finally dive into this one and just loved it. I love how her books are so much more than just your typical Hallmark story, don’t get me wrong I love those too, but Novak just writes with a lot more depth.

If you are ready to start your summer reading and want something that is about friendship, love, laughter, and a huge secret this is it. A story about healing and finding happiness was just what I needed!

Rating: 4.5 Stars

A captivating tale of love, friendship and healing, the fabulous Brenda Novak is at her addictive best with her latest novel, Summer on the Island.

When Marlow Madsen’s senator father dies, she heads to a small island off the coast of Florida to help her mother settle the family estate. Marlow hopes that returning back to the island where she spent most of her childhood summers will help her to feel grounded again and bring her and her mother closer. This escape is just what Marlow is looking for in order to figure out what she will be doing next with her life – and luckily for her, her friends Aida and Claire have agreed to come along for the ride as well. Marlow’s two close friends are also looking to recharge their batteries and start over and they hope that this trip will help them to hit reset on their lives and forge forward into the future.

However, Marlow is in for a shock when her father’s will reveals a shocking family secret that ends up shaking the foundations of her entire existence. Marlow has always been so sure of who she is and where she belongs, but was her whole life built on a tissue of lies and deceit? The more she discovers about her father’s secrets, the more Marlow realizes that she didn’t know him at all. During this most trying of times, Marlow is going to need her friends more than ever and as Aida and Claire rally around her, she realizes that she can get through this difficult period in her life with the support of her two best friends – not to mention a most unlikely love interest making her feel things she had long given up on!

With the right people by her side, Marlow can conquer the world because happiness can be within reach – but only if she has the courage to take a leap of faith and a chance on herself.

Brenda Novak always delivers emotional, uplifting and immensely enjoyable page-turners that never fail to hit all the right notes and she has done it again with Summer on the Island. A wonderfully written women’s fiction novel that celebrates women’s friendship, the ties that bind us together and the strength and courage that see us through difficult times, Summer on the Island is the latest fabulous and feel-good tale from Brenda Novak’s very talented pen.

What a great book to start my summer reading! I loved the setting and reading about the beaches and atmosphere on the island. I also liked the idea of friends spending the summer together on the island.

I wish there would have been more of a conclusion, which seemed rushed toward the end of the book. I wish I could've had some insight into what Claire and Aida's lives looked like after leaving the island but maybe there will be another book that continues their stories. They would be fun characters to learn more about and hear a whole story from their perspectives.

Things change when you least expect it. You can go home again. Be sure to bring friends for a summer on the beach. Lots of secrets and tension. Some romance as well.

This book was an absolute pleasure to read. Anything by Brenda Novak is actually. I highly recommend this book.