GRR Reviews The Island Escape by Kerry Fisher

The Island Escape's slugline "a feel-good romantic comedy", was seriously bad advertising on top of a great novel about two best friends, each going through problems with their own relationships. There's really nothing about feeling good until near the end of the book when the problems are finally resolved, and often not in an expected way, as there isn't really much comedy.

Octavia once had a fling with Xavier, and they had planned their lives together... Travel the world and bring up some free spirited kids, but they drifted apart. Eighteen years later, Octavia was married to the safe and reliable Jonathan (who needed her help to find a job) and had several kids. She's not unhappy, but she doesn't recognize herself anymore. What happened to that free spirited woman? Now she's just a suburban mom, like any other. As Octavia watched her BFF Roberta's marriage fall apart, she helped Roberta pick up the pieces and maybe get back into the dating scene. Octavia can only remember her days with her Xavi... Where is Xavi now? Is he still on Sardinia? Can she go there? Could he still be waiting for her? As they decided on a trip to Sardinia to help Roberta get over things... a chance encounter will send Octavia's own life out of control, and a devastating revelation will follow that made her question everything that she believed in, and if that was the price she had to pay for true love...

The book really had very few "feel good" moments, as most of the book is on "don't rock the boat", and "picking up the pieces", and here's the real question to ponder: stay and be safe (and risk being betrayed), or leave for real love, and risk being turned down? Which way is your heart yearning? There is a bit of a twist near the end, but this book is NOT a comedy. Most of the book is about loss and doubt and what may have been. Do NOT read if you are expecting a funny book. It's about more of an "awwwww, that's... sweet" at the end.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Woman yearns for her free-spirited days and visited her first love's home while helping her best friend get over a breakup

Tropes: reunion, road trip

Overall Rating: 4/5