DNF at 49%. Couldn’t get into the plot, didn’t connect with any of the characters. Very disappointing.

I'm sure this is going to be a really great book for some people - for its recognition of Indigenous rights to land and continued existence on the land, for its LGBTQ+ representation, its beautiful island setting, and more. However, this one wasn't really working for me. I was struggling to get invested in the characters and instead of empathizing with them for their flaws, I just felt really frustrated. I was hoping this would be a lighter beach read, but this is a more complex family story. I typically like multiple POV messy family stories but just wasn't loving this.

After getting about a third of the way through this book, I just could not read anymore. This might just not be a book for me, but the amount of suspending of reality I needed to do was just ridiculous. Not having the ability to leave the island or get supplies, yet somehow the internet and electricity still work? That was just too much. Additionally, this one jumps almost frenetically between characters, so much so that I couldn't keep them straight despite reading this portion in one go. But the ones I could keep straight, I didn't like a single thing about them. None of the characters were redeeming in any way. Honestly, maybe this one does get better as time goes on, but I couldn't read any more to find out.

A fun read featuring families stranded on a nearly deserted isle in Queensland, Australia. First and foremost, I found fascinating the descriptions of the island and the information regarding its Indigenous owners and their history, Georgia Clark’s “world building” skills proved expert in that regard. I applaud the diversity of the romances / broad representation featured. And word for word, Ms. Clark writes well. Had this book been edited to half or even 2/3 its length, however, I think the resulting work would have been a much more compelling, interesting and enjoyable tale. Instead, the story meanders and often includes heaps of details that detract from the storytelling. For me, reading the last third of this novel evoked the feeling of trying to extricate yourself from a conversation that was engaging for a time but had well overstayed its welcome. Two and a half stars, rounded up due to the lushly descriptive depiction of the setting and its fictional history. Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria / Emily Bestler Books for the e-ARC. This review reflects my honest opinion.

I liked this book (3 stars is a liked in my book). I will say, it was less of a romcom than I expected and more of a family dramedy. I would compare it more to things like The Nest or other family-centered books.

I loved the unapologetic queerness of the book. As things look bleak in the real world, reading stories like this gives me a lot of joy. I appreciated the two lesbian relationships but also the platonic pairings of Glen and Randall. Bromances forever!

With everyone keeping huge secrets, I knew that with all the hidden angst the third act reckoning would be intense and messy and it delivered. I appreciated many of the HEAs were realistic.

Nature was also a big piece of the book and really mirrored and guided the journeys of each person.

Overall would definitely recommend the book, but would definitely reposition it as less of a romcom.

3.5/5 (rounded up)

After loving Georgia Clark's last novel, It Had to Be You, I was really excited to pick up Island Time and I was hoping the idea of the book would be much the same. Well, it definitely wasn't, and I didn't find this book to be ANYTHING like her last one at all (which she does make note of in the acknowledgments section). There was a ton of steam that I wasn't expecting (and yes, I know it does say "smart and steamy" at the beginning of the synopsis), but that was fine and didn't bother me. The biggest thing that really threw me was the fact this cover screams summer romcom to me and that's not what Island Time is at all. There were definitely the lighter moments that I was expecting and plenty of parts that made me giggle, but it was more of a steamy romance/family drama than a romcom. That being said, I thought it was off to a great and riveting start with the volcano erupting and leaving them stranded on the island, and I was hooked immediately.

There are quite a few viewpoint changes, so I really appreciated that the audiobook has a full cast of narrators! They are Mae Martin, Mirai, Corinne Davies, Cat Gould, David Linski, Katherine Littrell & Allyson Ryan, but don’t ask me to tell you who was which character because I definitely couldn’t tell you. This is no reflection on any of their narrations though because each one of them seemed to fit their character perfectly, and it was SO helpful having a different voice for each of the many characters in this book. I think the audio is really the way to go, and I didn’t have any issues keeping up with who was who.

This was also a super informative story, as I didn’t know anything about this area or the Indigenous culture there. Even though this isn’t a real island, Clark did base it on a real one, and you can tell she really did her homework. There was also some incredible queer representation which makes this a great pick for Pride Month or any other time. Coincidence this was released in June? I think not. There is a lighthearted feel to the story, but it also goes really deep, so prepare yourself beforehand that Island Time is no fluffy romcom. The negatives for me were just that it was too long, and it felt like it got bogged down with so many characters and so much going on. It could have been more concise and about 100 pages shorter, and I would have preferred it wasn’t marketed as a romcom since it really wasn’t. Other than that, I really did enjoy this one, and I will continue to read whatever Clark writes.

Thank you to the publishers for my advanced listening and reader copies of this book. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

DNF at about 35%.

I’m bummed because I really liked the author’s previous book, and was looking forward to this one. But this book is well north of 400 pages, and while I usually enjoy multiple POVs, this was too many. It meant that it took a long time to get back to any one character’s story, so I forgot the details and just didn’t really care about any of them even after about 150 pages. I also struggled with the fact that there was a natural disaster so intense, it cuts them off from travel but somehow the Wi-Fi still works? It just didn’t work for me,

Thanks to Atria and NetGalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

This book opened with interesting family dynamics, followed by an unexpected natural disaster. What a way to start off a story! It caught my attention immediately.

Reading further, however, I was disappointed. I appreciated the LGBTQ+ representation, but not much else worked for me. There were too many perspectives to feel invested, and the writing was overly detailed. Most importantly, I found many of the jokes to be tasteless (and some outright offensive).

Overall, it was a miss for me.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was happy to start reading this book I enjoyed the multiple POVs I thought that was really cool. I don't think I was in the right mind-set to read this writing style, it was told in third-person. This book is family drama and I enjoyed some aspects of it definitely will try to re-read later this month and hopefully enjoy it a lot more. I thought the idea that it was in an island setting was a wonderful touch to the story it really put a stress-test on some characters. Overall, a decent read and will be revisiting in the near-future.

It was far too detailed, except for the parts where it referenced Indigenous art. I would have liked more description of those pieces. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an e-ARC in exchange for my review.

Island Time

“Figuring out how to make myself happy, her happy, and us happy as a couple, which is actually three completely different things.”

Georgia Clarke wove yet another magical journey. Following two families as they have a tropical weekend getaway turned Island stay, the characters bring in all types and ways people love. Full of personal growth, dynamic characters and beautiful language, this is a book worth savoring.

Check this one out if you are looking for:
🌿 A tropical island adventure
🌿 Multiple POVs and storylines
🌿 Queer love representation
🌿 Thought provoking lines like, “You are the weaver of your own story… What story are you going to create?”

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria for this ARC! Island Time is on shelves now!

3.5 stars

I'd say this book is best described as a regular fiction read. I hesitate to call it a family drama as the story has a lighter feel to it plus not every character featured is part the family. And while romance is a key storyline for some characters I think it's a stretch to place it in that genre. Instead it just has a bit of everything to offer the reader.

I really grew to appreciate the novel the more I read. I didn't love the characters but I did enjoy being part of their world for a bit. There's a charming quality to the story and a lot of that is due to the premise. When you are stuck on an island, you have time to reflect and I like how the characters were given the opportunity to figure exactly what they wanted out of life. I only wish that every storyline would have gotten equal treatment in the development department.

At 400+ pages it probably should have been trimmed down in length but with so many characters to follow the pacing somehow manages to be decent.

Georgia Clark has definite talent. I enjoyed many aspects of this book that turned it into a "like" for me, but not "love." Island Time is sort of like one of those movies where an entire extended family goes on a vacation together and you get to see a large cast of interconnected characters and all their story lines. What results in this book, is a group of fully-formed people with a very in-depth story that probably could have read shorter.

Part romance, part family drama, part adventure, and part self-discovery, this book covers it all. The Kellys and the Lees head to an island off the Australian coast for what is meant to be a half-week getaway but quickly end up stranded there for a month and a half. As time goes by, secrets come out and various decisions are made. There is fantastic LGTBQIA representation that I adored. This is so much more than a romance book. One couple goes through various conversations around starting a family and how that works with their careers. Another is experiencing the end of their marriage and what that will look like. There is love, loss, and laughter throughout. There are wonderful nods to the indigenous peoples of Australia and their way of life. And while all of this is great, my favorite parts of the book might be the bromance between the two dads on the island and the love of all things nature. The respect for the natural world is shown throughout the book.

If you are able to be patient with a slower-paced story and keep track of all the characters's story arcs, I do believe you will find a ton of enjoyment in this book. It very much felt like a true getaway and that you were right there on the island with these two families. I really appreciated the writing and look forward to reading more by Clark in the future.

Thank you Atria and NetGalley for the eARC! All opinions expressed are my own.

☆ Overall

Was excited for queer representation, was horrified with almost everything else. I wanted to DNF so many times, and quite frankly I wish I had. There are other reviews here on Goodreads that go more in depth with the issues seen in this book, but I do not have the capacity to detail those here.

I strongly recommend reading reviews and content warnings before reading this book.

(Also - 9 POVs??? I cannot keep up.)

DNF - Super cute cover and interesting premise, but not quite what I expected. I expected more cute romance on an island, but got a more drawn-out family drama story. It was just a little too slow moving for me!

Thank you to Atria for the copy of this ARC!

I was super excited to read Georgia Clark's new book since I absolutely LOVED It Had To Be You. Unfortunately, this was not what I expected. I thought it would be more of a typical romance. Instead it was more about the two families. Exceedingly well written though. And I would still give it four stars. It's just not what I was hoping for.

I struggled so much with this book. I really wanted to love it because the premise had me thinking it was going to be a fun summer read. Although it is perfect to read this season, I struggled so much with the story itself.

This book does have some great lgbtq+ rep, which I really enjoyed. However, I didn’t care enough for these characters. They felt very dull IMO. Also, there was a lot of drama and chaos in this book.

My biggest concern with the characters was that there were way too many of them. I kept getting confused with the different POVs and nd nicknames they had. With there being too many, the story just lacks that connection to these characters. Therefore, I couldn’t really “click” with them.

Another concern was the story dragged way too much. I personally felt like it could’ve been a bit shorter - just to keep the reader invested more.

I did really enjoy the lgbtq+ representation and the short chapters. If this is on your radar then I still encourage you to read it and take my review with a grain of salt.

This book screams of disaster (I mean, a volcano did erupt...). Force two families who are completely different together and throw in 2 referees and you'll have Island Time. Somehow, I felt stranded along with them. I could feel the sun warm on my face (or maybe that was the actual sun?). I think this is the perfect Beach read!

This story had a lot going on in it and it was hard to keep everything straight. It was also too long, in my opinion. I was not able to enjoy this story.

I didn’t enjoy this book like I thought I would. It was cute and I found the characters charming but overall it was just okay.