An Island Summer by Jenny Hale, a new to me author that I'll be checking out more books by. An enjoyable storyline, likable characters and great dialogue. What I consider a good beach read.

I really enjoy books by Jenny Hale as they are the perfect escapism. This one was no exception and I really enjoyed spending some time with the characters in the beach town on the Outer Banks. I loved the relationship that builds between Meghan & Toby's grandfather when he mistakes her for a film actress he used to know. Are these his memories or are they fantasies? A great plot with lots of mystery & secrets. The perfect beach read.

Meghan Gray is living in New York City working as a waitress. She has dreams of being a chef, but can’t seem to make her dream come true. She is fed up with her job and the city life. So, she quits her job, packs her bags and moves to a small and quaint cottage on Hatteras Island. The cottage is all she has left of her lovely Grandpa. The first night that Meghan is on the island she meets Toby Meyers, a local businessman. Their immediate attraction to each other helps Meghan through the memories she has of her Grandpa while making new memories with Toby. She feels like she is finally home again. Finding her new path in life is exactly what she needs, and easy with Toby by her side.

I enjoyed this story so much. This was a true escape to the beautiful Hatteras Island. The warmth of the summer sun and the sweet cozy romance was very engrossing. I felt like the author completely transported me to the sandy beach, relaxing and listening to the ebb and flow of the ocean. The author's beautifully detailed description of the sights and sounds of the island were phenomenal. This ‘read in one sitting’ book is the perfect beach read! Make sure it is packed inside your beach bag. It captured my heart from the very first page to the last. I absolutely loved it.

Thank you Jenny Hale for such a wonderful and sweet story, you never disappoint. I needed the escape to the beach. I highly recommend this book.

A perfect summer read set in the Outer Banks, full of twists and turns, romance and mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed Jenny Hale's An Island Summer and was left wanting more.

Another gorgeous book set in a beautiful setting.
I love the caring communities that Jenny creates in her lovely books.

I enjoyed this feel good story immensely. After a rejected appeal to cook at the restaurant where she was a waitress, Meghan quits her job and gives up the lease on her apartment in NY city to move to Hatteras Island to the cottage she inherited from her grandfather 10 years ago. Her best friend Tess stands in solidarity with her and goes too.

They experience the summer of a lifetime uncovering family secrets while meeting Toby and his grandfather Rupert. The relationship is complex and revealing as Rupert knew her grandpa and shared stories in the aftermath of a dementia diagnosis.

You're drawn in to the location and lives, investing in the outcome of the secrets revealed. All is not as it seems and in the end Rupert is the key.

I received an ARC from Net Galley and am voluntarily submitting this review.

Heartwarming, filled with summer vibes and self-discovery. It has all the elements I like in a contemporary romance. The writing is very easy to read and suits me just fine, and the hint of mystery in the plot makes the book more intriguing. I like how the book does not wholly focuses on the romance aspects but more towards self-discovery and the connection between families and friends. My favourite character is Tess! She's such a bestie goal and so supportive to Meghan despite the ire situation she faces. Unfortunately I wasn't convinced on the chemistey between Toby and Meghan due to lack of their romantic appearances in the book. I feel like Toby needs to justify himself more as I was convinced that he was acting shady throughout the book. But alas, this book is enjoyable most of the time and Im looking forward to read more of Jenny Hale's books.

An Island Summer, by Jenny Hale, is a sweet, beach-worthy story with a clean, small town romance, a strong, lifelong friendship, and a bit of mystery shrouded in the past.

Meghan Grey makes a long overdue return to Hatteras Island on the Outer Banks to her pappy’s old home, full of fond, but bittersweet memories. She brings along her long-time friend to spend the summer regrouping and possibly realizing her dream of becoming a chef. While there, she meets the enigmatic Toby Meyers and his dementia-riddled grandfather who mistakes her for a movie starlet he presumably used to know. As his delusions become quite detailed and specific, the mystery grows, alongside it a new mystery appears. Meghan finds an envelope from her pappy with a key and a photograph that beg questions of their own. As Toby and Meghan are drawn together, connections of many kinds are discovered.

An Island Summer is a charming story about pursuing your dreams, despite the naysaying voices of others. It’s about taking the time and making the effort to truly get to know someone, not just listening to the rumors about them. And it’s a story demonstrating the heights you can reach and lengths you can go with a faithful friend by your side. This story is easy-to-read, feel-good and perfect for the lazy days of summer.

This was a fantastic book, I fell in love with it from the first page and just couldn’t put it down. A perfect summer read. I do enjoy Jenny Hale’s books so much. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Wow! Simply amazing! This story just built and built. I was intrigued from the very start about Meghan trying to find her calm and a fresh start, but each new chapter brought something else to keep to reeled in. I really loved her instant connection to Rupert and how fate seemed to step in and bring them altogether so he could finally get some closure too from his past. Learning about her grandparents we really interesting, all the pieces had been there all along she just hadn’t known to put them together. Toby was wonderful too, seeing him learn to love life again thanks to Meghan and then seeing them build their lives together.
This was just beautiful from start to finish, so easy to read and flowed seamlessly through the different time frames.

Clutching the manilla envelope her grandfather left for her, Meghan Gray returns to the cottage he left for her. When she meets Toby Meyers she feels an instant attraction. When she opens the envelope, she finds a photo of someone she doesn’t recognize. Meghan begins a search to find out the secret behind the photo and the connection it has to Toby and his family.


Thanks to Jenny Hale and Bookouture for the book!

Awww, An Island Summer is such a lovely read. I’m a sucker for ‘a girl who leaves a busy life/boyfriend behind and moves to the coast’ sort of story. Usually, it’s set in the UK though, so to read one based in the US is a change for me.

Meghan returns to Hatteras Island with her best friend, Tess, moving into her Pappy’s old cottage that he left to her when he passed away. Meghan is set on creating a new life for herself away from NYC, and Tess, well, Tess has come along to support Meghan and have a bit of fun at the same time.

Jenny Hale deals delicately with dementia issues and how they can affect family and friends. I felt for Toby as he was trying to come to terms with his past and move ahead with his future. Tess is absolutely the best friend that anyone could wish for and absolutely always has Meghan’s back and only wants what is best for her.

I loved all of it, from the descriptions of the Atlantic Ocean, the little fishing cottage that Meghan slowly brings back to life to the Hollywood-esque history of an old movie star. An Island Summer is an ideal book to disappear into the sunshine with and retreat into someone else’s life for a while.

I am lucky enough to be a part of Books on Tour for this, so thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of An Island Summer by Jenny Hale.

I have to admit, I was drawn in by the cover of this book. I have never heard of Jenny Hale, but I needed a new summery read, so why not. However, I was amazed by this book. There was a slight mystery to the whole plot which kept me reading well into the night to see what happened next. It turned into one of those books I picked up every free moment until I finished it. Great book….and I’ll be keeping my eye out for more Jenny Hale books!

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this summery beach read. Despite having heavy theme of loss and grief, this really was a bright, feel-good filled with strong family ties and unexpected Hollywood glam.

While I enjoyed the story, there were several details I would have liked to see more fleshed out. Some parts of the book made it seem like Meghan was only with her Pappy for the summer, and others made it clear he raised her for most of her life. Other questions were left unanswered… where did Meaghan go after her Pappy died at 16? How much money of Hester’s did Toby really use?

Despite some unanswered questions, the ending left me satisfied and there were some great nuggets of wisdom throughout. Would definitely recommend this summer read.

This is the first time I'm reading a book by Jenny hale and I really like her writing style!

A tragic past love story and family secrets that connected both main characters as well as gorgeous writing style which will make you fall in love with Hatteras Island!

I really love the friendship between Meghan and Tess-her best friend, Meghan close relationship with her grandfather as well as Meghan with Toby's grandfather who is in his early stage in dementia who mistakenly thinks Meghan is a famous actress called Hester Quinn.

While I love most of the things from this story, I have to say I don't feel the chemistry or any sparks between the main characters romantic relationship.

The pacing also can turn slow but picks up again after a while, even then I keep flipping the pages to know the answer to the secrets about Toby's grandfather and Hester Quinn.

Overall, this is a heart warming light small town romance summer book that you can read in one sitting, because I certainly did!
I'm looking forward to read more books from this author!

Thank you to Netgalley, Jenny Hale and Bookouture for granting me this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!<

An Island Summer is a heart warming story focused on Meghan who returns to her Pappy’s fishing cottage on the Outer Banks after being disillusioned with her life in New York City. This was so much more than just an enjoyable summer beach read. Hale touched on themes of grief and loss, the importance of family and friends and new beginnings in addition to some romance and a fun mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

"Take any step as long as it's the first one. And then take another one after that." - Rupert

"Your dreams are just your future stretching out in front of you. It's up to you to act on them." - John (aka: Pappy)

This is a perfect summer read. It's a quick read, it's heartwarming, it's a little heartbreaking at times, and it will for sure give you all those seaside vibes and who knows you may just end up with a muffin craving.

Toby is looking after his grandpa Rupert that has alzheimers, Meghan and Tess have both quit their jobs in New York to have a summer in Outer Banks while Meghan goes on a quest at her Pappy's old place by the ocean to figure out what she wants to do with her life. Charlie is the perfect canine companion and is meant for the salt life. Rupert starts seeing and believing he's talking to an old actress friend Hester Quinn, while Toby and Meghan try to figure out if it's a fantasy or true memory from his past life.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Another good summer read for this year.

This story is basically about Meghan who came back to her hometown after leaving her job in New York to clear her mind and to find her true passion in life.

Im giving this book a 4 star.
I love the mystery in the story that made me kept on reading to find the connections between all the characters but the last few chapters I felt were very rushed. I was like the romance between Meghan and Toby were slow burn and I dont really mind a slow burn in a romance novel. The build up of the romance between them was very lacking IMHO. But then, i still recommend this book.

Thank you Netgalley and to the publisher for letting me read this book in exchange of an honest review.

In this book we meet best friends Meghan and Tess, who have been friends for years, they decide to make some changes to their lives and head off on a trip to Meghan’s past.

I absolutely adore beach reads, they are definitely up there with my favourite genre, in fact my other favourite would be small towns so this book was the perfect read for me.

This book was such an easy quick fun read, though it had some twists and turns that I was not expecting to happen. It was a real heartwarming story and it really had some special moments in there.

We meet Rupert in the book and I have to say I adored this man so much, I had a very close relationship with my grandfather before he passed so this resonated with me deeply and I just thought he was a wonderful character. I loved how sweet Meghan was with him, she really cared a lot for him.

We also meet Toby, Rupert’s grandson and honestly I wasn’t sure how I felt about him at certain parts of the book, but that is how we were supposed to feel so the author did her job well.

Loved the setting and could envisage Pappys house as if I was there, I’d give anything to go back to my grandparents house and just take it all in ❤️

I loved the epilogue and thought it was the perfect ending to this lovely story ❤️

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

I love reading

Meghan’s dream was to become a professional chef in New York. Now, after waitressing for ten years, knowing that she can do so much better, quits her job, and with her friend Tess goes back to Hatteras Island.

She has an envelope that was given to her, holding items left to her when Pappy passed away, which she’s not opened as yet. Meghan is hoping that Tess and herself will find employment whilst they live in the cottage and plan what they wish to do long term.

Soon she meets Toby with his grandfather, as they are out having something to eat and is a left wondering why he calls her Hester and is so upset. Meghan learns that Rupert, is suffering from Dementia and thinks that she is his friend from years gone by.

The story was lovely as both the last abc present was joined together.

Highly recommend this book.