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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
When Charlotte gets on a boat to an isolated island to categorise tortoises, she hopes to find herself and start afresh for a year away from London. What she finds is a tight knit community and isolation far beyond what she expected, but also enchantment from the island.
I thought this would just be a nice little read, but I got so invested in Charlotte and some of the characters from the island. The writing was easy to read, and after 100 or so pages where the scene is very well set, the drama of the island, the romance, the friendships - all of it is so captivating! Part of me is scared to read book two incase it doesn’t go the way I want it to! This was a perfect summertime read which is so magical in many ways
I thought this would just be a nice little read, but I got so invested in Charlotte and some of the characters from the island. The writing was easy to read, and after 100 or so pages where the scene is very well set, the drama of the island, the romance, the friendships - all of it is so captivating! Part of me is scared to read book two incase it doesn’t go the way I want it to! This was a perfect summertime read which is so magical in many ways
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Welcome to glorious Tuga. Blue sea, white sand and yellow sun, the world’s most remote inhabited island is paradise, and a world away from Herpetologist Charlotte Walker’s London home. Charlotte tells everyone she’s come here to study the rare gold coin turtles, but she’s actually searching for something much more personal. And as she searches the island for the truth, she might just find some friends - and herself - along the way.
Escape to a tropical paradise with this funny, emotional and intriguing novel. It's a setting that makes it a perfect read for the summer, as does the story of family, friendship, romance, secrets and self-discovery. Francesca Segal’s writing is evocative, transporting me to Tuga so vividly that I could feel the heat of the sun on my skin and the sand in between my toes, I could smell the cake and taste the coconut water. The story starts slow, a pace that is necessary as Segal builds the world of Tuga and introduces us to Charlotte and residents of the island. But it soon picks up pace and I felt like I was part of the community of this tropical paradise. And that ending was the perfect way to make me excited to dive into book two.
I loved this place; from the donkeys people used to get around to their love of Cliff Richard and their strong community and sense of pride. But it also felt claustrophobic and I wouldn't like everyone knowing my business almost before I did. And Segal has filled the story with a cast of colourful characters. Charlotte, the protagonist, is a likeable character. I loved her passion for preservation and enjoyed her scenes with the animals. The many wonderful characters who inhabit Tuga were a joy to read and I was quickly invested in their lives. I particularly enjoyed the exploits of the ‘demon twins’ and grumpy Grand Mary.
So, grab a cold drink, settle in your favourite reading spot, and escape to paradise this summer with this delightful story.
Escape to a tropical paradise with this funny, emotional and intriguing novel. It's a setting that makes it a perfect read for the summer, as does the story of family, friendship, romance, secrets and self-discovery. Francesca Segal’s writing is evocative, transporting me to Tuga so vividly that I could feel the heat of the sun on my skin and the sand in between my toes, I could smell the cake and taste the coconut water. The story starts slow, a pace that is necessary as Segal builds the world of Tuga and introduces us to Charlotte and residents of the island. But it soon picks up pace and I felt like I was part of the community of this tropical paradise. And that ending was the perfect way to make me excited to dive into book two.
I loved this place; from the donkeys people used to get around to their love of Cliff Richard and their strong community and sense of pride. But it also felt claustrophobic and I wouldn't like everyone knowing my business almost before I did. And Segal has filled the story with a cast of colourful characters. Charlotte, the protagonist, is a likeable character. I loved her passion for preservation and enjoyed her scenes with the animals. The many wonderful characters who inhabit Tuga were a joy to read and I was quickly invested in their lives. I particularly enjoyed the exploits of the ‘demon twins’ and grumpy Grand Mary.
So, grab a cold drink, settle in your favourite reading spot, and escape to paradise this summer with this delightful story.
Double whammy today as the second in the Tuga Trilogy is released today! If you’ve read Welcome to Glorious Tuga, you’ll already know the vibe, sun-drenched but emotionally complex. Island Calling is the second in the series and if you want a little tropical escape that still has some emotional depth then could I interest you in a trip to the fictional island of Tuga de Oro?
The books follow Charlotte Walker, a zoologist from London, who heads to the island for a conservation project. But of course, it was never going to be just about the turtles. It’s about home, belonging, identity, and all the tangled threads we drag with us, no matter how far we run. The second installment also digs a little deeper into mother/daughter relationships and I really loved that.
The picture of Tuga is built so fully in my mind I almost wish I could actually visit! I really liked that Segal doesn’t romanticise it. There’s beauty and heat (duh, it's a tropical island), but there's also discomfort, local politics, and the unease of being an outsider in a tight-knit community. It's definitely easy-reading but the writing is sharp there’s a subtle British humour throughout which I really enjoyed.
Welcome to Glorious Tuga introduces us to the island and its inhabitants very well, there aren't huge plot twists but there is tension between (and within) the characters, and by the end of the book I did feel like I cared about them. Charlotte is complex, intelligent but often uncertain, and super relatable. With Island Calling, Segal expands the emotional landscape and we see even more of her internal push and pull. I was really pleased to be able to revisit her and see where she was headed. Having said that, it would work just as well as a standalone book, there is enough explanation of backstory to fill you in, you just may not have the same emotional connection to the characters.
I also really appreciated that the second book didn’t just retread old ground. It introduces new dynamics, especially with family relationships, and builds on the connections and groundwork laid in book one. The pacing is slow and steady in both books but I didn't hate that...maybe because I was reading it whilst swinging in my hammock it added to the vibe!
If you like lush settings that feel like characters in their own right and stories about women redefining themselves in unexpected places then this is definitely for you. I’ll absolutely be picking up the third book to see how Charlotte’s story ends, and to spend just a little more time in gorgeously sun-drenched Tuga.
The books follow Charlotte Walker, a zoologist from London, who heads to the island for a conservation project. But of course, it was never going to be just about the turtles. It’s about home, belonging, identity, and all the tangled threads we drag with us, no matter how far we run. The second installment also digs a little deeper into mother/daughter relationships and I really loved that.
The picture of Tuga is built so fully in my mind I almost wish I could actually visit! I really liked that Segal doesn’t romanticise it. There’s beauty and heat (duh, it's a tropical island), but there's also discomfort, local politics, and the unease of being an outsider in a tight-knit community. It's definitely easy-reading but the writing is sharp there’s a subtle British humour throughout which I really enjoyed.
Welcome to Glorious Tuga introduces us to the island and its inhabitants very well, there aren't huge plot twists but there is tension between (and within) the characters, and by the end of the book I did feel like I cared about them. Charlotte is complex, intelligent but often uncertain, and super relatable. With Island Calling, Segal expands the emotional landscape and we see even more of her internal push and pull. I was really pleased to be able to revisit her and see where she was headed. Having said that, it would work just as well as a standalone book, there is enough explanation of backstory to fill you in, you just may not have the same emotional connection to the characters.
I also really appreciated that the second book didn’t just retread old ground. It introduces new dynamics, especially with family relationships, and builds on the connections and groundwork laid in book one. The pacing is slow and steady in both books but I didn't hate that...maybe because I was reading it whilst swinging in my hammock it added to the vibe!
If you like lush settings that feel like characters in their own right and stories about women redefining themselves in unexpected places then this is definitely for you. I’ll absolutely be picking up the third book to see how Charlotte’s story ends, and to spend just a little more time in gorgeously sun-drenched Tuga.
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Such a sunny and warm book. It gave me so much joy to read “Welcome to Glorious Tuga”. Filled with the most eccentric and wonderful cast of characters, it was fabulous to read about Tuga and its inhabitants. I’m looking forward to the sequel.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was a warm, sunny escape of a read, with a great sense of place. I could practically feel the heat and hear the goats. The island itself was quirky and charming, and the cast of side characters added plenty of colour.
But as much as I wanted to love this, I felt like it was juggling too many threads. There were a lot of characters, and while they were fun, they sometimes distracted from Charlotte’s main storyline. The mystery around her father and the lightly hinted romance didn’t quite land for me - promising, but underdeveloped.
Overall, it was a nice, easy read with a lot of heart, but I was left wanting a bit more depth and direction. I’ll still check out the next book, but this one didn’t fully hit the mark.
But as much as I wanted to love this, I felt like it was juggling too many threads. There were a lot of characters, and while they were fun, they sometimes distracted from Charlotte’s main storyline. The mystery around her father and the lightly hinted romance didn’t quite land for me - promising, but underdeveloped.
Overall, it was a nice, easy read with a lot of heart, but I was left wanting a bit more depth and direction. I’ll still check out the next book, but this one didn’t fully hit the mark.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated