A review by eleanormharte
Island Time by Georgia Clark

4.0

The cover for this makes it look like a cute sapphic beach romcom, and while there are sapphic relationships that take place on a beach, nothing about this book is a romcom. Instead it's more like an exploration of family and trauma with a romantic angle. Matty and her wife Parker have rented a house on a remote island in Australia and invited their families to come. Matty's loud, brash Australian parents couldn't be more different than Parker's parents, both immigrants to the US. It's supposed to be just a few days, but a volcano erupts, destroying the island, and they're stranded for six weeks.

I liked the family relationships between the characters, and I loved the Matty and Parker arc. It was clear the characters had changed by the end of the book, which is important! There was a ton of Australian history and a LOT of info on birds and wildlife. There was a lot going on and it felt like it took me forever to read because it dragged at times, but overall I was satisfied.

If you're into deeper family stories with a romance on the surface, this book is for you, just don't be fooled by the cover.

Thank you to the publisher Atria Books and Net Galley for the free e-arc.