This was a heartwarming story about second chances, redemption, and the power of friendship. I loved the characters and their development and growth. The plot was well-paced and captivating. I highly recommend this fun read. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

This was an easy, enjoyable read with really relatable characters. I appreciated how each person was distinct enough that I never got confused about who was who, which can be tricky sometimes. Each character had a specific storyline and challenge they were going through - cheating, death of a spouse, children leaving the nest, helicopter parenting. I wish the author had made more distinct chapters with each character as a headline, but I could follow along regardless.

That said, Gemma’s character was a bit harder for me to like—she constantly mentions her weight, pokes fun at herself, and often cracks jokes in moments that felt like they needed seriousness. Reading her section made me pinpoint exactly what type of person she was.

One thing that surprised me was how much religion and references to God were woven into the story. It’s definitely more faith-forward than I expected, though given that it’s based in Georgia, I probably should’ve seen that coming.

Overall, it was a decent read with strong characters and a relatable story/group of friends, just with a little more faith focused and one character that was a little hard to like.

Book Review

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Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for this early release, due to be published in December 2025!

This read to me like a familiar Elin Hilderbrand, whom I adore. A story about friendship, grief, addiction, body image, religion, and more. Four friends come together, all with reservations. As the weekend progresses they realize just how much they need to lean on each other to make it through their individual struggles.

I gave this four books because it was heavy with religion in the last part of the story.

#allysonisland

Moira invites her friends out for her birthday and as they all loosen up they air their problems and help each other heal.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

A WEEKEND ON ALLYSON ISLAND by SUSANNAH B LEWIS is the poignant story of five friends who get together to celebrate the wealthy widow, Moira’s, fiftieth birthday. To me it is a picture of true friendship and Christian fellowship, once each woman’s struggles come to light.
I cannot recommend this beautifully written and inspirational novel highly enough¡
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Thomas Nelson. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

As her 50th birthday approaches, Moira Allyson invites four of her closest friends to join her at her opulent waterfront mansion in Savannah, Georgia. Still grieving the sudden loss of her beloved husband, Jeffrey—who passed away three years ago—Moira finds herself confronting deep loneliness. Her two sons are away at college, and she hasn’t been able to part with Jeffrey’s belongings, not even his toothbrush, which remains untouched on the bathroom counter.
To make her milestone birthday unforgettable, Moira plans a luxurious weekend for her guests, complete with a private chef, engaging activities, and even a dinner cruise on the water. Each friend arrives expecting laughter, bonding, and the kind of soul-nourishing joy that only long-standing friendships can offer.
But as the weekend unfolds, not everything goes according to plan. Beneath the cheerful surface, each woman carries her own emotional burdens and unresolved struggles. What begins as a celebratory gathering soon becomes a poignant exploration of grief, growth, and the quiet resilience that anchors true friendship.
The five women at the heart of this story are vivid, endearing, and wholly relatable. The author beautifully captures the complexities of real life—love, loss, and renewal—with sincerity and heart. This is a touching and emotionally resonant tale that stayed with me long after I turned the final page.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All comments and opinions are my own.

A beautiful, heartwarming story by new to me author Susannah B. Lewis published by Thomas Nelson Fiction.
I read the blurb and was intrigued. I read A Weekend on Allyson Island and I was in love with characters, storyline and the beautiful writing.
Moira is widowed with her sons away in college. To celebrate her 50th birthday she invited 4 of her best friends.
Soon it seems, every single one of them carries secrets that are about to come to light. Can their friendship persevere?
Beautiful - I know for the third time, but still the truth, well worth reading, 5 stars.

A Weekend on Allyson Island is such a beautiful story about friendship, grief, growing older, and finding yourself again, even when life doesn’t look the way you thought it would. Moira throws the ultimate 50th birthday getaway in her dreamy Savannah mansion, but the real heart of the book is what happens between the parties. Each woman comes carrying her own baggage, and watching them slowly open up to each other felt super honest and relatable. The characters were funny, vulnerable, messy, and strong. It reminded me that everyone’s going through something, no matter how perfect things seem from the outside. It’s part uplifting escape and part emotional gut punch. Highly recommend if you love heartfelt stories with a cozy southern setting and lots of soul searching!

A beautiful story of friendship, love and secrets that all unfold.
I loved this story from the beginning until end.
I snickered throughout the book in some parts and sometimes I could picture them in my mind which made it even funnier.
I think Erin is my favorite character. She's shy and unsure of herself at first. I loved watching her "grow"
I didn't like the other two women at all so I can understand Erin's discomfort at first wanting to fit in and all.
Moira is quite the lady. An interesting one for sure.
I just couldn't put this book down! Its a page turner for sure.
Eventually these women became like family. I didn't want to say goodbye at all! This was such a fun read.
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.
This book will show you what true friendship is about.
I also enjoyed the setting of Savannah Georgia. Its a place that I've been through but didn't get to enjoy. This book allowed me to.
This will be added to my list of favorites.
5 stars from me for a job well done!! I enjoyed every minute of it. I highly recommend
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I can’t even begin to describe how relatable this book is. I’m not the same age as the characters but close enough that it really resonated with me. A group of friends come together and the struggles they tried to keep private come to light and they end up relying on each other to help ensure and heal. Many of us try to keep our lives to ourselves when it comes to hardships but this book is a great reminder that we always need our support system to make it all better. The issues were relatable, the friendships beautifully written out between the characters, and the actual characters themselves are people I find I relate to in bits and pieces. I laughed, I frowned, I clutched this book to my chest. Not to mention, the setting was a beautiful escape as a reader.

This novel had the potential to be a thoughtful exploration of female friendship, grief, and reinvention but ultimately fell flat. While there were fleeting moments of insight and tenderness, particularly in its depiction of long-term female bonds, these were overshadowed by a heavy-handed and simplistic narrative arc that leaned too heavily on religious resolution.

The central message seemed to boil down to: find Jesus, and everything will be fine. For some, particularly an American evangelical audience, this might feel comforting. But as a British reader, I found it cloying and reductive. Real emotional complexity was often bypassed in favour of neat, spiritually tied-up endings that didn’t reflect the genuine messiness of midlife or grief.

The characters though painted with some charm often veered into caricature, and the plot relied too much on surface-level conflicts and tidy resolutions. What could have been a rich, textured story about women navigating identity and reinvention ended up feeling more like a sermon than a novel.

If you’re looking for nuanced, character-driven fiction that tackles midlife and female friendship with emotional depth and realism, there are far more satisfying reads out there.

This was a book that was different than what I thought it was going to be but in a good way . Friends get together for the weekend but hide secrets . Will they come out ? The book pulls you in and I couldn’t stop reading it to find out what happened next . Thank you to net galley and publishers for picking me to read this book.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and Netgalley. I was given a copy to read before full publication. This review is my own. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a page turner and involved 5 ladies who sped the weekend together celebrating one of the lady's birthday. They all hold secrets from one another; and they all come to light. The beauty of friendship and the love of God is displayed throughout this well written book.