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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
hopeful
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Death of parent
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Title: The Island Villa
Author: Sarah Morgan
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3.50
Pub Date: May 2, 2023
T H R E E • W O R D S
Dreamy • Relaxing • Complicated
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Celebrated romance author Catherine Swift has topped the bestseller lists for decades, though her personal story hasn't been quite so successful. Three failed marriages have left her relationship with her daughters strained, but that's about to be rectified. Engaged yet again, Catherine is counting on this wedding to be what finally brings them together as a family, and she'll do whatever it takes to make that happen.
Adeline doesn't know what's worse--that her mother is getting married a fourth time, or that she's being guilted into witnessing the train wreck at Catherine's luxury villa in Corfu. It brings back the pain of her parents' split, of her mother's infidelity and the baby that was the result. Not that she blames her half sister, Cassie, but then she's never made an effort to know her, either.
Cassie, on the other hand, is thrilled by her mother's news and admires Catherine's resilience. She's equally excited about meeting the mystery groom, and at the prospect of spending her summer in Corfu, where she can process a secret of her own she's been keeping from everyone.
As Cassie and Adeline arrive on the island, they each have very different expectations of what this week will bring--they haven't been entirely honest with their mother about their lives, either--but in the lead-up to the wedding, all will be revealed, for better or worse.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I've read Sarah Morgan's Christmas books in the past, so when I stumbled upon The Island Villa in a Little Free Library last summer, I decided to pick it up. And it just happened to be the perfect book to jumpstart my summer reading, transporting to me the island of Corfu.
Told in alternating chapters from Catherine, Adeline and Cassie's perspectives, it's evident quite early on that each of the women is holding onto their own secret. As the narrative unfolds, slowly details are revealed. Neither of the 'big' reveals were all that shocking, in fact, to me they were quite predictable, yet it was still an enjoyable read. It is the relationships between the women that is the focus, and the romance doesn't really come into play until the final quarter.
I absolutely loved being transported to the idyllic Corfu setting. All of the descriptions - the sea, the flowers, the view, the sunshine - had me researching vacations. It all made this the perfect summer escape to read on vacation.
It could have easily been shorten by 50 pages. There were parts when I just wanted to get to the point and the lack of communication seemed to drag on and on. Despite this, I was definitely rooting for each of the women to find forgiveness and a happily-ever-after.
The Island Villa was an enjoyable read that set the tone for my summer reading. It would definitely make a good romantic comedy on the big screen. I will continue to seek out Sarah's book when I am in need of something lighter, but that doesn't necessarily focus solely on the romance. I believe she recently published another summer one with a similar cover.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• a summer escape
• messy families
⚠️ CW: domestic abuse, physical abuse, abandonment, death, death of parent, mental illness, alcoholism, cursing, infidelity, pregnancy, divorce, toxic relationship, panic attacks/disorders
Author: Sarah Morgan
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3.50
Pub Date: May 2, 2023
T H R E E • W O R D S
Dreamy • Relaxing • Complicated
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Celebrated romance author Catherine Swift has topped the bestseller lists for decades, though her personal story hasn't been quite so successful. Three failed marriages have left her relationship with her daughters strained, but that's about to be rectified. Engaged yet again, Catherine is counting on this wedding to be what finally brings them together as a family, and she'll do whatever it takes to make that happen.
Adeline doesn't know what's worse--that her mother is getting married a fourth time, or that she's being guilted into witnessing the train wreck at Catherine's luxury villa in Corfu. It brings back the pain of her parents' split, of her mother's infidelity and the baby that was the result. Not that she blames her half sister, Cassie, but then she's never made an effort to know her, either.
Cassie, on the other hand, is thrilled by her mother's news and admires Catherine's resilience. She's equally excited about meeting the mystery groom, and at the prospect of spending her summer in Corfu, where she can process a secret of her own she's been keeping from everyone.
As Cassie and Adeline arrive on the island, they each have very different expectations of what this week will bring--they haven't been entirely honest with their mother about their lives, either--but in the lead-up to the wedding, all will be revealed, for better or worse.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I've read Sarah Morgan's Christmas books in the past, so when I stumbled upon The Island Villa in a Little Free Library last summer, I decided to pick it up. And it just happened to be the perfect book to jumpstart my summer reading, transporting to me the island of Corfu.
Told in alternating chapters from Catherine, Adeline and Cassie's perspectives, it's evident quite early on that each of the women is holding onto their own secret. As the narrative unfolds, slowly details are revealed. Neither of the 'big' reveals were all that shocking, in fact, to me they were quite predictable, yet it was still an enjoyable read. It is the relationships between the women that is the focus, and the romance doesn't really come into play until the final quarter.
I absolutely loved being transported to the idyllic Corfu setting. All of the descriptions - the sea, the flowers, the view, the sunshine - had me researching vacations. It all made this the perfect summer escape to read on vacation.
It could have easily been shorten by 50 pages. There were parts when I just wanted to get to the point and the lack of communication seemed to drag on and on. Despite this, I was definitely rooting for each of the women to find forgiveness and a happily-ever-after.
The Island Villa was an enjoyable read that set the tone for my summer reading. It would definitely make a good romantic comedy on the big screen. I will continue to seek out Sarah's book when I am in need of something lighter, but that doesn't necessarily focus solely on the romance. I believe she recently published another summer one with a similar cover.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• a summer escape
• messy families
⚠️ CW: domestic abuse, physical abuse, abandonment, death, death of parent, mental illness, alcoholism, cursing, infidelity, pregnancy, divorce, toxic relationship, panic attacks/disorders
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Abandonment
Minor: Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Pregnancy
divorce
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don't know. I struggled with this one for a bit. It's a story on how NOT to deal with trauma and when honest discussions were finally held, everything seemed to be resolved just a little too easily. Catherine was just so, so awful until the final chapters that it almost ruined the whole book for me. I liked how Adeline and Cassie's relationship grew, though, and I liked both of their love interests. Overall, everything that happened was very predictable and I just never grew to love any of the characters. I've really enjoyed several of this author's Christmas themed books, so it was interesting to read about a new season, but it didn't really live up to my expectations.
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
challenging
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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:
Yes