“Family isn’t just the flesh and blood people we’re related to – family is also the people we choose to love.”

This for me sums up A Sunrise Over Bali. It’s a marvelous read - travel, exotic location, friends, mutual attraction, a love story, laughter, (and from me a few tears) – and I immersed myself and felt sad when I finished.

The main character, Jaelee Tan, leaves her high-powered job in Miami and sets off for a sabbatical in Bali. When her boss orders her to return almost before she has unpacked, she just quits her job. A momentous and impulsive decision which leaves her somewhat adrift.

What she doesn’t bargain for is the other people she meets at her resort. She finds instant attraction to a gorgeous Scotsman, Alistair, but also makes personal connection to fellow escapees Peta and, eventually, Helena.

On the surface, Jaelee is the typical brash and confident American, a go-getter, tough as nails. Underneath, as the novel progresses, she develops and deepens to become a real person, warts and all, but much more likeable. As she says, “Layers, Jaelee, people have layers”. Her personality has been shaped by mother Tina who promoted the ideal of independence, both emotional and financial. Jaelee works hard to free herself of her mother’s harmful edicts and manages, not without struggle, to reset herself.

The cast of characters is just enough to add interest but not so many as to confuse. The main four, Jaelee, Alistair, Peta and Helena are so well drawn that their friendship rings true. Jaelee’s progression is best seen in her growing relationships with them. Jaelee also get to show her softer side with her confidante, Kermit the gecko, and Lu, the resident dog, adorable side notes to the story.

Bali is lovingly depicted and as Sandy Barker reveals, she has spent time there and loved it and it really shows in her writing. All the senses are engaged when describing life and I think she should be employed by the Balinese Tourist Office as she does a brilliant job enticing you to go. The description of Jaelee’s morning runs, with the fabulous scenery and the healthful sensation running brings makes me want to run again (almost!).

Barker’s novel deals with some big themes: how to be kind to yourself, how to be kind to others, how to receive kindness from others. The romantic journey is perfect, capturing the first rapture, the infatuation, the doubt, a resolution. I felt that the end should be ‘And they all lived happily ever after’.

Many thanks to #NetGalley, #HarperCollins UK and #OneMoreChapter for the eARC.

Thankyou for giving me the chance to read in advance. Really enjoyed it and Bali…..what a lush setting. Highly recommend this for all

For context: I'm in freezing, dark Norway, and this book lifted my mood so much. Sandy Barkers books never disappoint. This time, I've enjoyed travelling to Bali with the lovely Jaelee and following her journey of … well, that would be spoiling the story. Needless to say, it's beautifully written, Bali is a character in it's own right, and the characters surrounding Jaelee are quirky and lovable. In other words, a perfect holiday read to get you in holiday mood.

Thanks to netgalley for this ARC. It is the first book I've read by Sandy Barker.
Unfortunately this book seemed to drag and hold my attention. I did finish the book and I will read another one of Sandy's books before deciding to continue reading her stuff.
1) Jaelee seemed very immature and snobby.
2) Urop was never really explained what it was about.
3) Book was more about drinking and sex.

This book was a delight to read. I love a romance that whisks me away to another place (especially during Covid when I can’t travel), and so far Sandy Barker has been the only one to do that for me. In this book we get to visit Bali with Jae, who I loved. She felt authentic and real to me in a way few characters have. (I loved hunky Alistair too). If you have a chance to read the other books in the series, do! Jae is a supporting character in That Night in Paris. You don’t have to read that book to understand this one, however, since they are totally different books. Finding out Jae was the main character in this book was like meeting up with an old friend. Sandy Barker’s books will do that to you. Highly recommend!

Pros: the beautiful locale of Bali; the friendships Jae builds while on the island; her hot Scot Alistair and their relationship, and Jae's growth.
Cons: I really found Jae hard to connect with. She seemed immature for her age and job and more than a bit spoiled. She does mature a bit during the story, so that's good.

All in all, it is a fun, quick read, escape to a tropical island with lots of cold drinks and hot bodies. Good holiday/vacation read.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review, my opinions are my own.

2.5 rounded up

This book grew on me as it went on. In the beginning Jae was not my favorite character, from the way she acted when she got to Bali to her inner monologue about it, she annoyed me. Thankfully, as the book went on and she got introduced to the culture around her, she was less ignorant in the way she talked about her surroundings, but it still bothered me in the remaining portion of the book hence why the rating is so low. It was a cute romance, if one only looked at the romance aspect of this book, and the ending was cute, but i felt as if the chemistry was a little lacking throughout. All in all it was a cute read for a quick summer getaway.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I previously read The Dating Game and enjoyed it immensely. So, when I saw another Barker book, I had to read it.

A Sunrise Over Bali is so good in so many ways. Here are my top 7 reasons for loving it!

1. Wonderful character with logical actions based on their back history. Also a diverse cast in age and race.
2. Who isn't a sucker for a Bali? Loved the setting!
3. Friendship! I love it when women can be friends in books.
4. Personal growth! Yay! I love how Jae changes with others and herself.
5. The food! Yes, I'm including food because I want books to make me hungry.
6. I love how everyone has their own life and goals.
7. A Hot Scot! Whew! I want the love interest to be charming and wonderful. Check! She got it right!

This book is for adults—there are very steamy scenes. (Which surprised me because The Dating Game left things at kissing if I remember correctly.)

I chose to read this as I fancied a bit more romance and have heard that Sandy Barker writes a great one so thought I would start off with her newest book.

This book provided some excellent escapism which was just what I wanted, to travel somewhere different for a couple of days! Mostly set in Bali where Jaelee Tan has taken a two-month sabbatical for a much-needed break, six months after gaining the promotion of her career. Unfortunately, on the first day, after what she deems a completely unreasonable request she quits! Newly unemployed for the first time in her life she decides to enjoy the break, work out what she wants from life and plan for after her return. When her circumstances change again though she isn’t so sure she wants to go home again.

I really enjoyed the idea of two months away, in the sunshine, making new friends and just enjoying life. The scenery was beautifully described, though I’m not quite sure I would want to travel to Bali myself given the dirt, rubbish and grime in places and the unruly, wild roads!

I really enjoyed the large range of characters from all over the world and all kinds of different backgrounds, each travelling for a different reason but mostly wanting to work through their issues and work out who they are or where their life is heading. This made for a nice group of people together in unique circumstances, who may never have met otherwise.

The ending had the predictable happily ever after which was beautifully written and the perfect ending for Jaelee and Alistair.

This was brilliantly written and kept a good pace throughout, with many sub adventures and interesting characters. A lovely book to savour, even better as a summer read or when you want that summer feeling.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I absolutely loved this book. The setting was beautiful and glorious, and all the food descriptions made my mouth water.

The story follows Jaelee who’s excelled in her job back in Miami, her mother doesn’t show her emotions for anything that Jaelee has done well in, but expects her to continue to do her best in her field.

After attending her best friends party, at which she also sees her ex, she takes a two month leave and goes to Bali, to UROP, a place for working people known as ‘digital nomads’. She hopes to ground herself and find out what she wants from life.

Jae absolutely loves her surroundings, the way of living and she also makes new friends and begins to get new ideas what to do for work and grow her career.

She also meets a hunky Scot, Alistair. Falling for him, but it’s not without hurdles and exes, families with their own issues. Soon she’s leaving Bali, for Scotland…..

The book has everything romance, laughter, heartache and friendship.

It was a feel-good, easy read book. The characters were well developed and relatable.

Highly recommend this book.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐💫(3.5)
Steam Level: 🔥🔥🔥(mildly descriptive sex scenes)
Trigger Warning: heart attack

Jaelee Tan is ready for a change in her life. This means taking a two month long trip to Bali to live as a digital nomad. There she can get over her ex-boyfriend and take a break from her demanding PR job. But when Jaelee decides to quit her job on her first day in Bali, and then meets a Hot Scot named Alistair, she realizes this trip will be much more than she had originally thought. Can she save her career and find true love while in paradise?

I would categorize this book as women's fiction rather than romance, since the majority of the book was about Jaelee figuring out life in her mid-thirties. I really enjoyed the premise of the story and seeing what it was like for Jaelee to become a digital nomad, and the other community members were interesting to read about and were great friends to her. I also loved the descriptions of Bali, including the cultural differences. The only problem is that Jaelee was very judgmental of others throughout the book, and this made it hard to really cheer her on as a reader. Her romance with Alistair also fell flat for me until the last few chapters. I just felt like the author told me, rather than showed me, that these two should be together, so I had a hard time really feeling any chemistry. I was glad to see that it all worked out for Jaelee in the end, though, and it was definitely an interesting journey of self-discovery.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for providing me with an ARC of this book!

It's always good to be able to curl up with one of Sandy Barker's holiday romance series, and this was no exception.

And we get to escape to Bali in this journey of self discovery for Jaelee. Well she may not think that is why she has taken a two month sabbatical the other side of the world, but it's certainly one of the effects of the trip.

There were many things I really loved about this book -

- the links to That Night in Paris, I didn't realise or quite twig before I started reading but Jaelee was on the coach trip in that book, there were assorted references to it, especially her close friendship with Cat, so i was delighted to see how Cat was getting on now too.
- the setting - well I do love an exotic setting and Bali is so well described that I felt as though I was there in the heat alongside Jaelee
- the idea of digital nomads, and places like UROP existing, thus being able to stay there for two months making good use of the way tourist visas can work in Indonesia.
- the group of friends that Jaelee makes, including the hot scot with the man bun, Lulu, Kermit, Peta and Helena (and not all of those are human!)

It's just a really enjoyable story that then had some surprises in store for me, that made the last quarter rather addictive to read as I needed to know what would happen next!

Another great book from the always talented Sandy Barker.

Thank you to One More Chapter and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

I’ve read one of Sandy Barker’s novels before and loved it so I knew I had to read this one! It was such a cute holiday romance, and made me want to immediately take a trip to Bali!

After running into her ex and his new wife at her best friends party, Jaelee books a flight to Bali intending on staying for two months. Feeling betrayed by her friend, and shocked that she still isn’t over her ex, she fully intends to make the most of this sabbatical. Jaelee is an overachiever and has a very high up job in PR, but something is lacking in her life. On her first day in Bali, her boss calls and tells her she is needed back in the office, in a whirlwind, Jaelee quits her job and decides to focus on her self and her priorities.

This wasn’t just a romance, there was a lot of soul searching in this book, as Jaelee discovers who she is and what she wants to do with the rest of her life. Her accommodation in Bali is a communal hostel-type area for digital nomdads. This gives her many opportunities to connect with people in a similar field to her. Throughout this book she rediscovers her love for her job and working with people and companies to make their dream happen. Jaelee has never been good at expressing her feelings, which she gets from her mother. She has never told anyone she loves them, including her parents and friends. Whilst in Bali, she works on herself and tries to bring up the courage to truly express her feelings.

‘For who he is, for how he sees me, and for the future that seems all the brighter because I know, without a doubt, that he will be in it.’

The love interest in this book was a gorgeous Scots man, Alistair. After their first meeting, they quickly realise they’re both attracted to each other. However, their romance isn’t as straightforward as it first seems. Alistair recently broke up with his long-term girlfriend and Jae and Ali keep forgetting to have the talk about what they are. This wasn’t a slow burn romance, but it was slow for the characters to figure out what they were to each other. The scenes between these two were cute and I found myself wanting more.

Jaelee makes some important friendships throughout this book, and each new person teaches her something different about herself and encourages her to be better. I enjoyed this romance and will definitely be reading more of Sandy Barker’s books.

Gorgeous cover! Loved the premise of the book and the characters were so fin. I did find the book dragged quite a bit, and unfortunately found Jae to be a tad snobby at times. But it was easy to get past that and enjoy the setting and overall storyline. Not my favourite of Sandy Barkers books but still worth the read.

😎A sabbatical in paradise with great food, good friends and a hot Scot😉

3.5-4.0 🌟 stars
This story had a lot packed in: career decisions, personal dilemmas, romance, and cultivating new friendships all built on an almost idyllic setting on the tropical island of Bali. The author really gets into the sightseeing and sporty side of lead female character Jae's escape from her high-pressure, executive PR job in Miami to a laid back lifestyle in Bali.

It's an odyssey that finds Jae confronting her own frailties (like dealing with her intimidating mother and being unable to say I love you); letting down barriers to establish new friendships; and testing out some new ideas for the next step in her career. Oh, and there's some disappointment in the romantic arena pre-travel to examine and recover from. Scottish Alistair is a new romantic interest who spices things up and helps ease the way to a fantastic adventure.

The secondary characters play important roles (I have a feeling some may return in another Sandy Barker novel!) and make Jae a more sympathetic character as she makes the effort to get to know them, encourage their interests and support their own life decisions.

I found the novel a bit too drawn out. It's not my favorite of Barker's books that I've read but if you are an armchair traveler with a sporty side and an insatiable desire to experience foreign lands vicariously, this book provides plenty of opportunity, from Bali and the smaller nearby islands to London and Edinburgh.

Thanks to Harper Collins UK/One More Chapter and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Jaelee has done her best and worked her hardest and now she's stepping back to try to find some balance in Bali. And she finds something else- Alastair, the "hot Scot" with an unfortunate man bun but a big heart. Jaelee is great character you will root for (especially when she talks to her mother) . Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Can these two who come from such different places make a life together, especially when the scene shifts to Scotland? No spoilers from me but this one is a good read for a snowy day.

This sunny story of the perfect getaway to Bali will have you smiling as you flip through the pages. I couldn't get enough of Jae and her love of life. Quitting your job is big step as it is but then starting a biz and building new friendships makes everything super scary (at least for me). The reward is those bonds and in this case a new romance.

A Sunrise Over Bali had me wanting to get on an airplane and head to Bali for my own adventure. Jae was very relatable.

I loved every moment spent in fabulous Bali!

The author's descriptions were so detailed and beautiful I feel like I've just had a holiday there. Those views, that water, the sunrises...

The main character, Jaelee, was so sassy and refreshing, and it was such fun to hang out with her and be part of her journey.

Adorable characters, from the Hot Scot to Kermit to Lu the dog. I'm missing them all already. Take me back!

You just can't beat a Sandy Barker holiday romance. So so brilliant.

A Sunrise Over Bali was a great romance novel. I loved the romantic connections, the setting was great and it had enough actual romance to satiate, without it becoming a smutfest.
There are a few things that could make this a brilliant book.

1. It's too long. It dragged, and then the final 20% flew by.
2. There's something that doesn't sit right with me about the setting, as lovely as it is. A well paid Western travels to Bali, falls in love, and then jets around for a bit? The passages about the rubbish in the sides of the road were snobbily written and missed the mark. There was ample opportunity for an education in why that happens, but instead it was used as a division between those at UROP (was that on purpose also?) and the locals. A bit weird and a bit off to me.