Thank you to Quercus Books for the opportunity to read a digital proof copy of Lucy Diamond’s new book, The Island Getaway. Lucy is one of my go to authors and you can read my last review here: https://mentoringmumof2bookreviews.home.blog/2024/02/01/i-remember-paris-by-lucy-diamond/ The book is published today.

I enjoyed my virtual visit to the Greek island of Kefalonia. It has been a cold and stormy January in Wiltshire so a story written by Lucy, set in a sunny holiday resort brightened up my week.

The book features female characters who find themselves reassessing their life choices. My favourite characters were Evelyn and Claudia. Evelyn was my grandmother’s name but this Evelyn has lived a very different life. I loved her sense of humour and how she bonded with the other characters, despite a large age gap. Claudia is a member of the hotel team rather than a visitor but is recovering from the trauma of leaving a toxic relationship.

The book looks at how we may make mistakes, but we can learn from them and move forwards.

The Ionian Escape hotel on the island of Kefalonia is welcoming the new arrivals . Some are there for a holiday but some are escaping from trials and tribulations back home.
Miranda has fallen out with her best friend and her sister and her life has been spread all over the tabloids.
Evelyn is dying but hoping to carry out her partners last wishes.
Leonora is there with her husband who has just been exposed in the papers but she is also returning to somewhere where she met the love of her life.
Will they find happiness and fulfilment on the island and how many other lives will they touch?

I just adore Lucy Diamond books. Her storytelling is magical and uplifting and gives me such a happy feeling.

The Island Getaway takes us to beautiful Kefalonia, and introduces us to a diverse cast of characters, each floundering in one way or another.

Nelly was once fearless and independent but as she finds out the truth about her husband Frank, she realises she's allowed him to subsume her life. And being back in a place where she was once blissfully happy, albeit briefly, she begins to search for a lost love.

Evelyn has come to the island to scatter the remaining ashes of her true love, Rose. An unlikely friendship develops between her and Miranda, a disgraced soap star also staying at the hotel.

Claudia, office manager fled to Kefalonia to escape an abusive marriage. But she finally feels ready to open her heart again, if she can find the courage to tell her boss how she feels.

Wonderfully warm and uplifting, The Island Getaway reminds us that life is short, and we must hold on to the moments of joy that come our way. It also encourages us to go for what we want and to run towards adventure.

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

I really enjoyed this story, it had a few storylines, which were easy to follow. The setting was a hotel on an island in Greece.

There are different reasons why guests staying are there, hiding from a scandal, someone is there for a personal reason and the staff have their own stories.

It was well written, the story kept you engrossed.

I highly recommend this book.

I really enjoyed this story, with multiple storylines but all very easy to keep track of, set in a beautiful sounding hotel on a lovely Greek island.

There are a couple of people staying there escaping from celebrity scandals, along with someone scattering the ashes of her partner with secrets of her own, and that's just the guests, the staff have stories of their own too.

Very well written, lots to keep your interest, be it happy or sad, and some characters you may not like much at the beginning but you'll probably end up liking by the end of the book. Real escapism and a joy to read!

Book Review: The Island Getaway by Lucy Diamond

Lucy Diamond delivers another heartwarming, sun-drenched escape in The Island Getaway, a novel that celebrates second chances, unexpected friendships, and the power of renewal. Set against the breathtaking backdrop of Kefalonia, this story expertly intertwines the lives of a cast of vivid, flawed, and utterly relatable characters who come to The Ionian Escape hotel searching for solace, clarity, and redemption.

The novel introduces us to Miranda Vallance, a disgraced TV star grappling with the fallout of her career and strained family relationships. Her journey to make amends is poignant and layered, offering a realistic portrayal of the struggle to rebuild after public humiliation. Miranda’s emotional growth is one of the book's highlights, as readers root for her to find her footing again.

Evelyn Chambers, an elderly woman fulfilling a bittersweet promise to her lost love, brings an emotional depth and quiet wisdom to the story. Her storyline is deeply moving, reminding readers of the enduring nature of love and the courage it takes to let go.

Adding a splash of intrigue and drama is celebrity chef Frank Neale and his wife, Leonora, whose marriage appears picture-perfect to the outside world but harbors deeper tensions. Their arc offers a compelling exploration of fame, identity, and personal sacrifice.

Lucy Diamond excels at creating characters who feel like friends, and her evocative descriptions of Kefalonia make the island itself a vital part of the narrative. From sun-soaked beaches to charming local spots, the setting provides a sense of escapism while also reflecting the characters' emotional journeys.

At its heart, The Island Getaway is about finding hope in the face of adversity and the transformative power of human connection. Diamond’s writing is warm and empathetic, balancing moments of humor and heartbreak with ease.

Fans of feel-good fiction with emotional resonance will adore this book. It’s a celebration of life’s unexpected twists and turns, reminding us that it’s never too late to heal, grow, and embrace new beginnings.

Rating: 4.5/5
A beautifully told story that will leave readers uplifted, reflective, and dreaming of their own island getaway.

Set on the beautiful Island of Kefalonia, Greece the Ionian Escape Hotel is the perfect place to forget your worries and relax, but for many it is the place to discover love, friendship and lost loves to also reflect and discover life is for living.

A beautifully written book which I thoroughly enjoyed with laughs out loud and a tear or two!

The Island Getaway was an absolute delight, though tissues were required.

Like any hotel, there's a lot of coming and going, and this book has a lot of different points of view. At first I was a bit lost with all the different characters, but as I grew to know them, I couldnt wait to find out more. By the time I turned the last page I felt a tad bereft that i wouldn't be spending more time with them.

A gorgeous setting, delightful stories featuring characters of all ages, beautifully written.

This book is set on the Greek island of Kefalonia and gives us an insight in to a whole host of characters who are either working or staying in the beautiful 5-star hotel. All of them have baggage and a story to share.
I felt a little overwhelmed at first with the sheer amount of characters but when I settled in to the book, and understood how the author was setting things up, I relaxed and enjoyed the ride.

This is such an immersive, comfortable read and I found myself warming and understanding the characters in the way that I always do when reading a Lucy Diamond book.
It was a rather predictable "safe" ending but I don't read this authors books because I want to be up all night raging at the character.s.

Beautiful setting, great characters and a fantastic intertwining storyline. I highly recommend this lovely book!

What an enchanting amazing book, I absolutely loved it! I laughed, cried and fell in love with all the characters. I spent the whole night dreaming of Greek islands. I love when you get a book that makes you feel like you are actually on the island with them. This book had it all!

The Island Getaway whisks us away to the lovely Kefalonia. I enjoyed the descriptions of the hotel and surrounding area and islands, it was well written & I was able to picture the surroundings.

There were a lot of characters in this book however it was easy to keep up, for me my favourite relationship was Miranda & Evelyn and their short but sweet adventure.

I did feel like this book dragged a bit, not my favourite Lucy Diamond book but I am still a huge fan!

A great little tie up at the end of the story which was lovely.

This was a lovely read. I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly I felt attached to the characters, and I especially liked the jumps back to tell us Nelly’s story, how it starts as a diary entry and then we learn Nelly is Leonora visiting with her famous husband who is in hiding. The fighting spirit that we see in the diary entries from Nelly returns when she realises how bad things have gotten in her life and she stands up for herself.

Miranda was interesting and it was eye opening to see that what persona we might project for people to see isn’t always who we are, we all have insecurities and feel inadequate at times. Her budding friendship with Evelyn was touching, as was Evelyn’s story, a real trail blazer who fought hard to be with the person she loved.

The whole book was wonderful, I loved learning about the characters, both major and minor, they were all important and played a part. The setting of the Greek island was beautiful and when sailing on the boat I felt peaceful and calm. A great escapism read.

A dream holiday, an island getaway and a group of people who all have their own problems and secrets. What could possible go wrong!? This is a book that will have you reading, thinking, laughing, crying and so much more. It is a book that will lift your soul and make you smile. Easy to read, well written and a book that flows from one page to the next with ease. I love it and highly recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley and Quercus Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

The Ionian Escape Hotel is something to a lot of people. Some don't realise how much until they leave.
Actress in trouble, Miranda arrives in a bad temper.
Evelyn full of kindness and on a mission.
Leonara comes with her soon to be disgraced husband.

All of them are in a much better place when they leave. The hotel has worked it's magic on them.

Another lovely unputdownable book from this author. It's hard to sum up without giving spoilers, hence the briefness of this review.
Do read it.

Lucy Diamond's latest book is set at a luxury hotel on the island of Kefalonia. There is a cast of guests and staff, all interesting characters and with their own story to tell.
I absolutely loved this book, possibly my favourite ever Lucy Diamond!
The setting was perfect and the intertwined stories were compelling.
A must read!

I absolutely loved this novel set in Kefolonia. It features numerous narrators, both staff and guests of a luxury hotel, who are someways or other seeking to ‘getaway’ from their lives or problems. Each major character undergoes a transformative journey that results in them making different choices on their return to normal life. By far my favourite character was Evelyn and her growing friendship with Miranda was lovely. I’m not ashamed to say I cried at times and more importantly I lost Saturday as I devoured this in one sitting.

Lucy does it again with this incredible beach read!! Everything you could look for in a fun and easy book
. She is never one to disappoint.

Lucy Diamond has a way with words that pulls you into every story. This one is set on the beautiful Greek Island Kefalonia at a fabulous hotel called The Ionian Escape. Had this been a real hotel I may have just booked a holiday there.

The story centres around various characters who are guests at the hotel or work there. What is wonderful is you are told the back story to the characters and it becomes a book you are completely invested in. There is happiness, joy, sorrow, friendship and laughter throughout the book and I thoroughly enjoyed it

The Ionian Escape hotel on Kefalonia is somewhere people can go to escape and relax in beautiful surroundings. The latest group of guests have more reason than most to need that escape and relaxation right now.
Miranda Vallance has suddenly found her TV career on the line and her beloved siter is refusing to speak to her.
Evelyn Chambers has come to Kefalonia to keep a promise she made to her wife Rose.
And Frank Neal and his wife Leonora are seemingly on holiday, but Frank is hiding something, and it doesn’t take long for Leonora to discover what.
It’s not only the guests who have their secrets though and as the summer nears its end some of the staff may find their lives taking unexpected turns.
This is a story of unlikely friendships, bonds broken and formed and love in all its intricate, sometimes messy, forms. The characters are engaging and surprising, the setting is beautiful.
I love a book that can pull you in and keep you enchanted until the very end and this book did just that. Wonderful.