An emotional rollercoaster covering 3 generations of women over several decades . Each in their own way are hugely talented only to make life changing decisions that will continue to haunt them throughout the trajectory of future events. Living on an idyllic island attractive to and reputation for, writers, artists and singers the lifestyle is under threat from property developers. Suddenly the past threatens the present, with circumstances overriding their ability to avoid facing up to the tenuous situation they now find themselves in. Memories flood back, tragedy resurfaces and cohesion and actions must be taken if their island paradise is to be saved. A life affirming story of three women who as young girls under threat made difficult decisions then sought the strength to carry on.with mixed often harrowing results.

I have lived in London, and nearby, all my life and I had never heard of Eel Pie Island!?!?
It is located in the middle of the Thames near Twickenham, accessed by a footbridge, and is known for its Bohemian spirit. In the 1960's, it was a music venue where many of the upcoming stars of the time played at the island hotel.
I loved the story, which is based on true incidents but a lovely work of fiction.

Walnut Tree Island stands in the middle of the River Thames, it is a dual timeline story of a love of music and a love affair in the 1960's. The Star family have lived on the island for generations, Teenaged Mary lives with Jo, her Grandmother. On a Friday night, the Walnut Tree Hotel is the place to be and teenagers from across London flock to hear the live bands. Mary sneaks out to join the fun!

Oliver Greenwood inherited the island when his Grandfather, George died. The residents, and houseboat owners, hear that he wants to sell the island to a developer. This puts the lives and homes of the residents in Jeopardy. The residents fight for their homes, secrets from the past are unveiled and new relationships formed.

This is a real summer read with strong characters and a nostalgic twist. The setting is based on Eel Pie Island, in the middle of the Thames on the outskirts of London - who knew? I really enjoyed this book.

If you are looking for a sunshine day read, then look no further!! This is one of those stories that you lose yourself in from the get go, with fabulous dual timeline storyline and characters that you really take to your heart!

It's a story of young love, music and family. Many characters are struggling to deal with things that happened in the past and it really does shade their current view on life. With the dual timeline, we get to travel back to the 1960's where a young band are starting out on a life of huge success, and the impact that had on people left behind. And in the present day, we see a community come together to stave off the threat of their homes and area they love being sold - Jo being at the heart of the fight as she wants to save the legacy her grandmother left behind.

You really do get a great sense of all the family drama, both past and present, and there's a number of threads running throughout that maintain your interest and keep the emotions running high. There's always that theme of things being left unsaid and then festering to make matters way worse, so you just wonder how the wrongs can be righted, and the author does a fabulous job of making you care about the characters! Highly recommended!!

River of Stars is a touching story set on a fictional island in the River Thames (although inspired by real places). It explores how the past shapes the present and how communities deal with change; it is told through two timelines:

The 1960s where the young Mary Star falls in love with a musician, which changes her life forever and the Present day: where Mary now lives on a houseboat with her granddaughter Jo.

I found this to be a gentle read, one perfect for your next summer read.

This is a great novel and a a lovely read, which had me in tears at the end!

The book begins in the 60s with the character of Mary, who is a 16 year old at the time, visiting a nearby London island to go to gigs, drink with friends and flirt. It takes you straight into the world of teenagers trying to scrape together enough money for beer and having little to worry about beyond that.

Mary falls for Ossie, the lead singer of an up and coming band, and gets pregnant. He appears to care for her. But Mary is aware that he is surrounded by women who want him and she would forever be putting up with wondering if he could resist that. She also doesn't want to hold back his career. So she insists that Ossie go ahead with a planned trip to the US, and resigns to bringing up her baby daughter Ruby alone.

The story flips forward from the 60s to present day, where Mary is a grandmother, and focuses a lot on her granddaughter Jo. Jo and Mary are stalwarts of the island and are involved in everything. Jo seems a little out of sorts - she previously painted but gave it up after a former boyfriend convinced her she was no good, and now she's 40 and wondering about whether she should really be partying and getting drunk into the early hours so many mornings.

When the island's owner dies and his son Oliver takes over, the residents are faced with the prospect that their island may be sold, and the land redeveloped. This brings up all sorts of tensions, but for Jo it's also personal because Oliver is the boy she fell in love with as a teenager.

There is so much to this book. The setting is fascinating - a group of diverse characters living on houseboats and riverside homes, the descriptions of the river and nature very vivid. It really conjures up a vivid picture of life on the water.

There's a lot to the characters, too. Sophie for instance, one of Jo's friends, I found to be very cleverly drawn. She's married to Dave, who is desperate to have kids, but Sophie doesn't really want them. She's torn between wanting to hold onto a good man and security and wanting to be brave enough to follow her real dreams, whatever they may turn out to be.

Her feelings of guilt and selfishness, when actually she's only being true to herself, are very convincing. And while Sophie does do some terrible things, she's still a sympathetic character.

Jo is also a very forceful character, and again it's interesting that she was so influenced by a man in terms of her art when she's very strong in many ways. These complexities of characters, and the unapologetic way that the author writes them, makes this novel feel very true to life, as does the realistic dialogue.

There's a complicated and traumatic family history between Jo and Mary, which Oliver's family is also caught up in. The ending isn't all happy. But it's really lovely to read about how Jo and Oliver's relationship starts to develop again, 25 years after first being together.

I highly, highly recommend this book! And thanks to Netgalley for the access.

From the author of The Garnett Girls, River of Stars is a multi-generational novel about the inhabitants of Walnut Tree Island. The island has always attracted artists and has a special atmosphere beloved of its residents. However, it is ultimately owned by the Greenwood family and the present day inhabitants don’t know what its future holds when Oliver Greenwood inherits it. This is a gentle, atmospheric novel which is quietly moving. Potentially dramatic and tension filled moments sometimes, however, feel quite anti-climatic. Despite this, there are some lovely authentic relationships throughout the story which are a joy to read - particularly that between Mary and her granddaughter Jo. A great option for a holiday read.

River Of Stars evokes the wildness of the 1960s and the bohemian lifestyle that epitomises it. It's a dual-timeline story set on a fictional isle on the River Thames, but inspired by an existing one. It tells the story of two families and a community that spans generations. Art and music define the community portrayed as a sanctuary from everyday life, but the freedom, glamour, and love mask dysfunctional relationships and emotional pain. It explores belonging, family, legacy and love through its complex characters that you invest in. The storytelling is engaging and draws you into community life in the 1960s and the present day. It showcases a unique lifestyle and shows the power of love. The perfect immersive read for a Summer day.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Walnut Tree Island is in the middle of the Thames, inspired by real life Eel Pie Island, which was once a focus for art and music in the 50s and 60s, hosting bands and artists some of whom became hugely famous. Eel Pie Island and its legend still live on.

On Walnut Tree Island there are two families: the Greenwoods and the Stars, there have been tensions between the two families over the recent past and the last island owner of the Greenwood family, Jack.

Jo Star has an extremely close bond with her grandmother Mary, a matriarch whom many turn to on the island. Jo is quite an unhappy, tightly wound woman, who long ago lost her confidence and passion for painting. She’s never really left the island and lives a rather insular life.

Handsome Oliver Greenwood has returned to the island after many years away. As the current landowner he is ruffling feathers, as the inhabitants are not sure of his future intentions for the land. He has weighty decisions to make about what he wants from life.

Can the Star and Greenwood families reconcile their differences? Will Jo and Oliver rekindle something of their shared past?

We learn about other inhabitants of the island too, their secrets and dreams.

I enjoyed the island setting; the descriptions of the houseboats, communal garden and spaces. It was the novel setting which made me continue reading, overall I found it a very light read, with rather thinly sketched characters and predictable storylines. It is perfect for summer holiday reading (I read it in West Cornwall.)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

There’s a thriving group of artisans who live in houseboats on the River Thames side by side with Walnut Tree Island. Their living arrangements help to form a tight knit community who guard the place with fierce determination, reluctant for any change to spoil the ambiance of a place locked in time.

Back in the 1960s Walnut Tree Island was home to a thriving music scene and sixteen year old Mary Star was very much part of this world however, when we meet her, in the present day, she is old lady with her only her memories of times gone by and a fierce protective instinct towards her fiery granddaughter, Jo. Inevitably, with a new landlord, change must come to the island and for Mary and Jo Star old memories will be stirred and emotions, long buried, will have to be faced.

The novel is slow and steady, exploring the tangled relationships between the boat dwellers, the minutiae of their lives and their desire to keep Walnut Island safe from any changes which might destroy their bohemian way of life. The island, is beautifully described and is so much a character in its own right, that the whole place comes alive, from its heyday in the 1960s, to its rundown modern day appearance. However, as we move forwards and backwards in time so we come to realise the importance of this beautiful place not just to Mary, Jo and the boat dwellers but also to Oliver Greenwood, the new landlord, who has his own emotional connection to Walnut Tree Island.

With its quirky characters and beautiful setting, River of Stars captured my imagination in a lovely story about love, loss and the value of friendship.

Three generations of Greenwood men, George, jack and Oliver.
Three generations of Star women, Mary, Ruby and Jo.
Their lives intertwined, their actions impacted upon each other on Walnut Island. The Greenwood’s , landlords, controlling, the Stars, questioning authority but secure in their position on the island.
The book is full of characters, some of which I would have liked to know better, especially Golibe .
..a real page turner and one to savour.
J

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Thank you for allowing me to review this book. I very much enjoyed this story, set on an island in the river Thames. Treeland has a history of supporting new musicians make their name. The islands owner George had been a good landlord who supported the island community, particularly Mary Star. The past history is briefly retold at the beginning, but most of the book looks at life in the present day. George's grandson,Oliver has inherited the island after his father's death. Will he keep the island, will he repair the infrastructure and community that his father ignored? All the main characters are well written with realistic background stories and characteristics. I loved Mary, and her story is central too much of this book. Her granddaughter Jo, is a bit of a mystery. Sophie, a northerner who is married to Dave is a very different character & I felt her to be an outsider. The book is compelling. It has it's highs and low points. All felt very real. Ican recommend this book to all reader s

Set on an island in the Thames, the book follows the story of Mary, now an elderly woman, coming of age in the 60s, and of her granddaugther Jo, born and raised on the island. Their lives have always been inextricably linked with the Greenwoods, owners of the island. Now Oliver Greenwood is back to reclaim his inheritance. What will his return mean for the islanders? And for Jo?
This was a slow burning read, depending as much on character development and background atmosphere as it does on plot. It took me some time to get to know and empaphise fully with the characters, but once I did, I was wholly engaged with the story, and keen to know how things would end for all of them.
I particularly liked Mary, and Jo's friend Sophie, a newcomer to the island who is perhaps more clear-sighted than the others in realising that island life isn't always the sanctuary it's made out to be.
Despite the islanders' determination to party like the old ldays, when the island had a thriving music scene, there's a lot of melancholy sadness in the story. But there is also a lovely sense of nostalgia running through the narrative. That, along with the beautifully descriptive prose, makes this story a warm and ultimately happy read.

Another wonderful read by this author - she definitely knows how to pull on those heart strings and does it excellently in this book - bravo!

An enchanting, beautiful tale which will capture you from beginning to end!

I loved the cover of this book so much it enticed me and the content did not disappoint!
Definitely well worth a read!

I loved Georgina Moore's debut, The Garnett Girls, so I was eager to see how she would follow it up. It is a character driven novel, and I loved the depth with which the characters were developed and how easily I was able to get to know them. It's clear from the beginning that many of the characters are still coming to terms with issues from their pasts, and Georgina Moore really captures the emotions involved in this. It's subtle and it happens gradually, but by the last part of the novel, I found that the emotions of the difficult situations encountered by the characters really impacted me.

The narrative alternates between the past and present, and this is a really effective technique, as it helped me to understand what had happened before and led the characters to act in the way they did. I enjoyed meeting the characters who had passed away in the present day.

River Of Stars is set on Walnut Tree Island, a fictional island based on Eel Pie Island in the River Thames. I was unaware of this island prior to reading this novel, but I love how Georgina Moore has portrayed Island life and the community living on it. I was immersed straight away in this setting and really enjoyed learning about it.

The characters in River Of Stars will stay with me for a long time to come.

I absolutely loved the author’s debut The Garnett Girls so was excited to read River of Stars.
It’s set on the fictional Walnut Tree Island on the Thames and moves between two timelines in the 1960s and the present day.
I found it difficult to get into the novel initially as there were too many characters introduced at the start and I found it hard to differentiate between them. I loved the setting which was atmospheric and perfect for summer reading. I found most of the characters unlikeable and difficult to relate to. I found the writing uneven, there are some well written sections but at times the writing didn’t flow and was hindered by unnecessary sub plots and became too meandering.
Overall this was a disappointing novel where perhaps the plot got lost to the author’s love of the island.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

This was a fantastic read that I enjoyed immensely. Moore’s debut novel caught my attention and I saw it everywhere when it was released. Despite not having (yet!) read it, this second book from Moore makes me think that this will be just as good a success.

Moore’s storytelling and writing style reminded me of Taylor Jenkins Reid. With the lazy summer, the rich descriptions and the artistry referenced, this is a drama that spans the decades, inspired by the real Eel Pie Island that was frequented by rock ‘n’ roll gods, artists and, quite simply, provided the escape from the toils of city life.

Spanning decades, this book explores the history of Walnut Tree Island through Mary and her granddaughter. Both are residents on Walnut Tree Island but the new owner of the island, landlord Oliver, has stirred the locals, fearing that they are going to be moved on from their beloved home. Oliver’s grandfather, Mary’s rescuer, was at the heart of the community back in the sixties but this did not transpire over the generations. Today, Mary is one of the few originals from Walnut Tree Island’s hey day, and with her, her fiercely protective granddaughter. Jo will do anything to protect the island, even if she does have a history with Oliver.

I loved how the story moved from past to present. We don’t learn too much about Mary’s history but this helps provide insight into the current timeline. Readers learn about the island’s glory days and how this evolved over the years. Presently, Jo is portrayed as lost in life; her close friend has just married and Jo feels like the world has moved on without her. Having turned her back on her own art, Jo is floundering in life, with just the island to defend. Yet, Oliver’s return provokes memories she thought she had long since buried, leading Jo to question exactly what she wants to do with her future.

I sympathised with Jo, especially as more of Mary’s history is revealed. Furthermore, I don’t think Sophie is a particularly good friend to Jo and I felt that Sophie’s fate was justified. I loved the heady atmosphere that Moore vividly creates on the island and, regardless of the time period, it feels like life really does stop here. There is definite escapism which I certainly found when reading the book.

This drama with historical twists was a delight to read. The three generations of the Star family are all linked by the island. Whereas Mary is firmly rooted in it, her daughter was desperate to leave and Jo is like a culmination of both generations. Indeed, the cyclical nature of the plot meant that the ending was like the island going through its own cycles, and I finished the book feeling full of content, despite the poignant implications about Mary.

Although I haven’t read Moore’s first book, this read has certainly inspired me to do so in the near future! This was a great story and I was captured by it from the first scenes of music and love in the sixties. The island represents love, artistry and freedom and it is interesting to see how the three generations of Star women respond to this.

With thanks to HQ and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn’t sure about this at the start but I became engrossed in the lives of those on Walnut Island and the relationship between the Stars and the Greenwood’s..

A captivating, magical story set on a fictional island on the Thames. It’s based on Eel Pie Island and reflects the musical heritage of the 1960s. Told from a dual POV of Mary and her granddaughter Jo, the stories of friendship and community are balanced by darker themes of power and control. I would like to have had more about Ruby and Ossie but maybe that’s the sequel. Beautifully written I thoroughly enjoyed it.