I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I love books by author Sarah Morgan. She just has a way of drawing you into her stories and wanting to befriend the characters. I loved this story of travel and forgiveness and love.

This one took me a bit to get into, a bit of a slow start, which I think is unusual for a Sarah Morgan book. But I pressed on since I usually love her books, and was rewarded with a good read. The best part for me was watching the relationship between the sisters Adeline and Cassy being mended. There was a lot of trauma to get through in this one, but the relationships grew and strengthened by the end. There was a great setting and a little romance as well. Overall I really enjoyed!

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

What a great beach red The Island villa is- It as everything a beach read needs: Greek Island, romance, drama, family secrets ... This book takes place on Corfu and follows a broken family consisting of two sisters, Adeline and Cassie, and their famous author mother- Catherine Swift. Some major events have come between the women over the years but Catherine is getting married- again! and the wedding throws them all together, forcing them to come to terms with deep family secrets that divided them. If you're headed on vacation or to the beach, don't forget to grab a copy of The Island Villa!

This is a good book. The three main characters are Catherine, the mother, Adeline, the oldest daughter, and Cassie , the youngest daughter. The daughters are coming to Corfu because their mother is getting married again. The daughters do not know who is the groom. When they get there, the groom is Adeline’s father, her mother’s first husband. This story is about how the history of the family. How every thing that happens affects the different parts of the family. This is about people falling in love.

Best selling romance author Catherine Swift hasn’t been successful in the romance department. She is getting ready for wedding #4 and has invited her two daughters, Adeline and Cassie. It is going to be a small wedding on Corfu, where Catherine has lived for years, but she has not revealed who the groom is to her children. Adeline has a lot of baggage where her mother is concerned. She is still unhappy about her parents divorce, but when her mother sent her to live with her father in the US she felt abandoned and betrayed. She has never forgiven her mother for that. Cassie, her half sister, has the opposite reaction and is thrilled by the news. She loves her mother and wants her to be happy. She is also looking forward to seeing Adeline and hoping to mend the rift running through the family. This is a family with secrets, a lot of them. Will this wedding bring them together or pull them apart forever?

I eagerly await Sarah Morgan's summer story each year. She is the queen of family dramas with great characters, settings and plots. There is redemption, forgiveness, honesty and love in the stories, and I love the way she brings her stories together. I didn't know what had transpired in the past with this family and I wasn't sure who to trust. It seemed that something was not right with Catherine and she had some issues to deal with where her children were concerned, and I wasn't sure how it would all play out. There were a lot of emotional moments as the secrets were revealed and it had my emotions all over the place. There were some serious issues in the story including abuse and fraud, showing that you never know someone as well as you think. I did enjoy how everything came together and I closed the book with a satisfied smile. Once again, Sarah Morgan has penned a well written, family drama that is sure to entertain and please her fans.

This one was cutie and is what I'd consider a perfect beach/pool/summer read. It has a little of everything — beautiful setting, complicated relationships, romance, and even some intrigue. Definitely recommend for a vacay read!

I had a hard time getting into this book, told through three different points of view, a mother and her two daughters from different fathers, and honestly none of them very likeable for the majority of the book. That said, while I predicted who the mother was marrying and the “secret” she’d been keeping for years, I was invested enough to see this book through.

Set in Corfu, Greece, the author made me want to visit there which was a plus. Romance novelist Catherine Swift bought her villa when her career took off, it was also the time she had an affair, left her husband, and married the man who fathered the baby she was carrying. Now getting married for the fourth time, she has summoned her daughters to come to Corfu. Her oldest daughter from her first marriage, Adeline is a trained psychiatrist who writes and advice column. Adeline has never quite forgiven her mother for sending her to live with her father when she was 10 years old severing the close bond she had with her much younger sister. She doesn’t want to attend the wedding but her father asked her to go and for her father who raised her she will do anything. Cassie is excited for her mother who she loves so much especially after her father’s tragic death when she was 2. She is nervous about seeing her sister again even though she really wants to repair their relationship. Just graduated for college, Cassie has written a romance novel based on her parent’s love story, and has recently sent it to an agent. She hasn’t told anyone other than her best friend and roommate Oliver about her dreams of writing and currently works in a coffee shop.

This book got off to a very slow start and once “the groom” was introduced which as I stated was not much of a surprise for me, the book got a bit more interesting. Both Adeline and Cassie struggle with the announcement for different reasons and because of this their bond strengthens and I enjoyed watching them learn more about each other, seeing their big separation from different perspectives, and genuinely finding common ground with one another. While I did feel some sympathy for their mother Catherine I never did truly love her character and felt she was a bit narcissistic. She had YEARS to try and repair her relationship with Adeline and all it would have taken was one very frank conversation, but didn’t want to rock her relationship with Cassie so she let it fester.

I loved seeing the change in Adeline as she was reunited with her childhood friend who has turned into a man she can’t help but notice and be attracted to. I loved that Cassie got news that would set her on a career path and she also realized that Oliver was more than just a friend.

The best part of The Island Villa was watching sisters repair and build on their relationship and find love, but for me the rest of the story was lacking.

Expecting a typical romance novel, the book is much more than that. Catherine is a romance writer, planning to remarry after two failed marriages. Her daughter, Adeline, is not close to her mother or her half sister, Cassie, and struggles with spontaneity and feelings. Cassie has her own secrets, but is more open with her emotions. When both girls arrive in Corfu for the wedding, they are shocked to find out who Catherine is marrying. Slowly the past and its secrets are unpacked; I really enjoyed this one and read it in one day. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Catherine Swift, a bestselling author with a secret, plans her fourth wedding while dealing with family complexities. Adeline, distant from her mother, finds solace in therapy and her career. Cassie, hopeful for a great love, cherishes her parents' story. The women reunite on Corfu to heal past wounds and rebuild their family. While a fan of Sarah Morgan, this latest release didn't match her usual brilliance, feeling slightly off in pacing and detail. Still, it remained an engaging adventure, falling short of the author's luxurious standards.

I really enjoyed The Island Villa from Sarah Morgan. Until now, I'd only read Sarah's Christmas books which I've always really enjoyed. When I saw this title, I got excited and it turns out, it was a good choice!

Sarah had a great way of writing descriptive settings that transport the reader. I loved the beautiful descriptions of Greece. I also love that her books always have romance but explore deeper topics as well and often include family relationships. The mother/daughter/sister relationships in this story were great and I liked the way they evolved throughout the story. I'll definitely be checking out more of her non-holiday stories. This was a quick and entertaining read!

Trigger warnings include: brief mention of panic attacks, physical abuse from a partner, estranged family, divorce.

The Island Villa weaves the story of Catherine Swift and her two daughters. A famous romance author (something Morgan knows nothing about 😉), Catherine is marrying for the 4th time. Her first marriage to Adeline’s father did not survive her rise to fame, her second marriage to Cassie’s father ended in his death, her third marriage was a disaster, but this time, it’s going to be right.

Adeline can’t believe she’s witnessing her mother getting married again. Love seems to be a revolving door for her mother and she would rather settle for mutual values and life priorities rather than passion and romance. She begrudgingly flies to Corfu to meet her mothers new fiancé, to get a shock of her life. One that questions everything she knew.

Cassie is beyond excited for her mom. Her parents had the greatest love story that tragically ended too soon. But their love for one another is everything Cassie wants for herself. It’s too bad that she’s so nervous about being with her sister, who has everything together and is intimidating. Everything Cassie is not.

The women find truth, understanding acceptance, and love in this book. As has been the case with Sarah Morgan’s books of late, it’s more womens fiction than romance,

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC.

Morgan is one of my go-to authors for big summer beach reads and this is no exception; if anything I would buy this for the gorgeous cover alone. The three POVs keep the story moving, but make the secrets easier to divine as you are reading. Perfect for fans of Susan Mallery and Michelle Major.
4.5 stars

Corfu is the setting for reckoning between two sisters and their mother.
I liked the closeness that developed between Adeline and Cassie since it was long overdue.
I thought Catherine was clueless and dense when her little matrimonial surprise failed to elicit the redaction she craved. What was she thinking?
I figured out the ugliness she was hiding from her past.
Adeline lived a stale life but she could be cured by sand, sun and Stefanos. My heart went kerplop at him.
Cassie has love waiting for her if she’d just get her head out of the clouds to notice.
A good beach read.

Sarah Morgan has the GPS to my heart! Her multi-perspective seasonal women's fic novels are always a winner and The Island Villa, which publishes 5/2, is no different.

This story follows the POVs of Catherine, a romance novelist, and her two adult daughters, Adeline, a psychologist in London, from whom she's fairly estranged, and Cassie, who's recently graduated from Oxford. Catherine is getting married (for the fourth time) at the family's villa in Corfu, Greece and insists both of her daughters are present for her marriage, although she won't tell them who she's marrying, and that's just the beginning of the secrets unearthed during the two weeks leading up to the wedding.

What I loved -
First, this cover! Isn't it gorgeous? And it just sets the tone and setting for the novel perfectly and it's so different from anything else out there right now. I could stare at it all day and daydream about being the woman in the drawing.

The setting - Corfu. Gosh, this setting was painted so well and my wanderlust is now pointing straight to a Greek beach villa. Also the food.... greek food is my absolute kryponite. I'm obsessed with feta and oregano and lemon and baklava, my mouth watered throughout this book.

*Three, THREE, HEAs!

*While some of this was very predictable, it still managed to surprise me with HOW that predictability came through.

*As the family matriarch is a romance novelist and one of the daughters is an aspiring writer, there's lots of fun romance book tid-bits and insights. It really made me think about the challenges of writers, romance writers in particular, and of aspiring authors.

Overall thoughts -
This is a lovely read. There were times I wanted it to trend more into romance, dig into the romantic relationships and heroes' characters more deeply, but that was not the story Sarah was telling. The story here is about each of the women and their relationships with each other and while there are romances, they are very much secondary. Morgan beautifully describes a mother's love, the secrets we tell ourselves and each other to protect, how we see ourselves and how others see us, forgiveness and grace, second chances, and the healing power of family, salty air and a swim in the ocean.

Another winner for Sarah Morgan!

Thank you to NetGalley and Canary Street Press for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

A wonderful look at a family who are sadly estranged and trying to put it back together.
A sad tale of abuse and it's aftermath.
Deeply touching, romantic and complicated. I couldn't put it down.
Absolutely lovely.

THE ISLAND VILLA – Sarah Morgan
Canary Street Press
ISBN: 978-1-335-63095-7
May 4, 2023
Contemporary Fiction

Island of Corfu, Greece – Present Day

Bestselling romance author Catherine Swift is getting married and sends written letters to her two daughters, Adeline and Cassie, inviting them to the wedding ceremony at her home on the island of Corfu. Neither daughter was even aware that their mother was seeing someone, and Catherine didn’t mention the groom’s name in her letters to them. Adeline has been estranged from her mother since childhood after she was sent to live with her father. It doesn’t help that her parents divorced because Catherine had an adulterous affair which resulted in Cassie’s birth. Cassie wishes she could be closer to her sister, but Adeline has made no attempt to be friendly.

Adeline has just split from her long-time boyfriend and arrives on the island with more of a curiosity as to whom her thrice-married mother is now marrying. Cassie picks her up and the two sisters talk. It is decided to drop the animosity between them for now because both are curious why Catherine has decided to marry a man neither has met. Cassie has a secret of her own that she is excited to share with her mother and sister. She has written a romance novel loosely based on her parents’ romance and marriage. She has a romanticized history of Catherine falling for the handsome stranger. Sadly, the marriage ended when he died in an accident.

Shortly after arriving at their mother’s estate, Adeline and Cassie are introduced to Catherine’s fiancé. It is the first of many shocks that the sisters discover in THE ISLAND VILLA. As they each decipher what they’ve learned, they go on a journey of discovery about themselves. Even Catherine is dealing with something. She has been at the top of the bestselling charts and number one with her publisher, but now her popularity has fallen, and her editor is talking about reducing her visibility. What her editor doesn’t know is that Catherine has veered off into another genre where there is not a happily-ever-after. Will her publisher want her newest manuscript, or is she destined to always remain that popular romance author?

THE ISLAND VILLA is that perfect beach read and is filled with enough angst and twists to keep readers entranced. Along the way, Adeline rekindles a friendship from her long-ago time in Corfu. Will it lead to a romance? Will she forgive her mother for sending her away to live with her father, a man who was deeply hurt by his wife’s betrayal in cheating on him? Meanwhile, Cassie can’t stop thinking about the man she left behind…her male roommate Oliver. They are just best friends, but Cassie begins to think about him as more than just friends. When she is hit with a shock, she wishes he was there to console her. Catherine is happy with the man she has chosen to marry as it’s a chance to spend the rest of her life with the man she truly loves. But her choice has thrown her relationship with her daughters into disarray.

There is lots of emotion and drama in THE ISLAND VILLA and readers will find it hard to put down. There is a thread that ties the women together, but it might be broken if they can’t get the past resolved in order to look toward the future. With all the drama, handwringing, and trying to do the right thing, THE ISLAND VILLA will keep readers entertained.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviiews Today

This is a perfect summer novel - and exactly what I needed right now! It's a character-driven family story that deals with many themes - how people and situations are not always as they seem, love and trust, freeing ourselves from the ideas we have of how we are, and much much more. All of these emotions and stories are wrapped in the beautiful Greek island of Corfu, with gorgeous beaches and scenery and a cozy place to find oneself. I'm ready to pack my things and go! Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin/Canary Street Press for the advance digital copy.

I don't want to give too many of the details away because going into this as blindly as possible will help you enjoy the story as it unfolds.  Once halfway through this book I had a hard time putting it down.  I could visualize the vibrant bluewater and beautiful gardens in Corfu where the Villa was.

I have enjoyed the book the character development, family dynamics, the suspense and mystery all combined into one read.  This book covers so many different genres and it's done very well.  If you haven't added this book to your reading list I would highly recommend that you do so for this summer as it's going to be one of the books that you will remember for the Summer of 2023.

I finished reading an ARC of this book around 2:00 this morning (couldn't put it down!) and absolutely loved it. Family drama, reunion romance, sisters, and secrets, all set on the gorgeous Greek island of Corfu and brought to life via Sarah Morgan's superb storytelling.. What's not to love? I enthusiastically recommend THE ISLAND VILLA for everyone's summer reading list.

*ARC received from Publisher via NetGalley.
*Fair and unbiased review

Get ready for your sun-soaked summer vacation to the Greek Isles! This book will take you there: right to author Catherine Swift's Corfu villa. Catherine is an extremely successful romance writer who is about to get married for the 4th time. When she invites her two adult daughters to the wedding, they don't know the man or anything about him...yet. I love how Morgan made the characters flawed and relatable. Catherine's relationships with her daughters couldn't be more different, and I liked seeing how everything played out. The past is dredged up and things aren't how they seemed. There is growth for the characters, a hot Greek love interest, and a gorgeous island setting. A wonderful summer read!