ABOUT THE BOOK

A dream job, two handsome men, one destructive act. Will Freya’s opportunity of a lifetime end in tears?

When Freya leaves her publishing job in London to be a barefoot bookseller in the Maldives, it’s the push she needs to move on from her sadness and reignite her passion for life.

While resort owner Zander is charming, it’s handsome dive instructor Aaron who befriends her when she needs it most. But all is not what it seems and there’s trouble brewing in paradise.

Taking a chance on happiness is harder than she imagined. Can Freya let go of her heartache and allow herself to fall in love again?

MY REVIEW

It’s a no-brainer. Stay in the crowded and hectic city of London where she can’t move on emotionally from the loss of her best friend or escape to a beautiful island in the Maldives and follow her dream to manage a barefoot bookshop. With a passion for books and a need to get away, Freya is chosen from thousands of applicants as she starts a new chapter in her life to find peace and solitude.

As Freya adjusts to her decadent life as the new barefoot bookseller of Love Island she realizes it would be hard to go back to London after her nine-month contract. She has made new friends with the island staff, particularly her warm and gregarious roommate Drew, and the handsome and charming dive instructor, Aaron who she is developing feelings for. And then there is her handsome boss, Zander Cohen, the infamous multi-millionaire former boy band member, and resort mogul. Her original perception of Zander was of a wealthy arrogant womanizer who the media wanted her to see, but as she spent more time with him to get the bookshop up and running she discovered his passion for books and his lonely existence that equaled hers.  

The relationship between Freya and Aaron develops fairly quickly which didn’t seem credible to me. Especially, when he takes her to meet his mother after just a few weeks. And, that meeting does not go well at all because Aaron keeps a secret from her that changes everything. If that isn’t enough, her beloved bookshop is burned down by an unexpected arsonist which brings her to the brink of her sorrow. She has lost so much including her friend, Amber, her ex-Owen who did not understand her grief, her relationship with Aaron who lied to her, the bookshop, and now possibly her job.  But Zander helps her through her grief and listens to her story as he opens up to her about his rise to fame and fortune while dealing with loss and friendlessness. In addition, he sets up a makeshift bookshop for her to manage while the original one is rebuilt. Their relationship blossoms as they find comfort in each other’s company while dispelling the loneliness they endured in the past.

I love the idea of having a cozy bookshop on a beautiful island with book-themed cocktail events. It’s a book lover’s dream. 

I recommend this lovely novel to book lovers who enjoy beautiful places and uplifting stories.

Thank you to Ms. Frost for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

BUY THE BOOK

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kate Frost is the author of best-selling romantic escape novels (The Baobab Beach Retreat, A Starlit Summer, The Greek Heart, and The Amsterdam Affair), character-driven women’s fiction (The Butterfly Storm series and Beneath the Apple Blossom), and Time Shifters, a time travel adventure trilogy for children. She has a MA in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University, where she also taught lifewriting to creative writing undergraduates.

Kate lives in Bristol with her husband, young son, and their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Frodo. As well as writing novels, she’s also the Director of Storytale Festival, a new city-wide children’s book festival that she co-founded in Bristol in 2019 with the ethos of making books accessible to all and encouraging children and teens to read, write and be creative. Kate feels incredibly lucky to spend her days writing and being immersed in books.

Follow Kate on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and website.

FOLLOW THE BLOG TOUR

BLOG TOUR ORGANIZED BY: