Island in the Sea: A Majorca Love Story

Available: April 12, 2016

Thank you to NetGalley.com and to the publisher for the ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Better. This book was definitely better than her last 2 (Rome in Love and French Coast) but still not as great as her books with plots based in the US (Market Street and Monarch Bay). The formula from past novels is still present (girl overseas makes friends with locals, etc, etc) but at least in this version the new friend is not some billionaire like others. It’s a little deceiving to call this a love story as it seems like the romance is more of an afterthought to the plot and only develops over the last few chapters. I still don’t quite understand when/how/why they fell in love.

What I loved: The brand name dropping from past novels was not as apparent in this outing and for that I am forever grateful. Gabriella’s grandmother, Lydia, is a terrifically written character – full of spunk, loyalty and love.

What I didn’t love: Who packs nothing but linen and chiffon dresses to travel overseas???? Dress after dress after dress is described always with a different pair of sandals. She was only supposed to be in Majorca for a few days – why so many dresses? Wouldn’t a blouse and a skirt take up less room and give you many more options? And why so many clothes but only 1 ceramic hair clip? And why is this ceramic hair clip mentioned EVERY SINGLE TIME? And the other women in the story – can they wear something other than a navy dress and beige pumps? This exact same outfit was described at least 3 times in the novel – I’d personally pair it with some red sandals.

What I learned: Never to pack anything but dresses and sandals when I travel overseas. If they’re linen or another crushable fabric – all the better.

Overall Grade: B-