Summer On the Island

Summer on the Island by Brenda Novak has Marlow Madsen along with two of her friends spending the summer on Teach Island at her family summer home, Seaclusion. Aria is recently divorced and is looking for a fresh start. She found out her husband had been cheating on her. Claire lost her home to California forest fires and her yoga studio to the pandemic. She has also broken up with her boyfriend who happened to be Aria's ex-husband. Marlow lost her father a month ago. She has been feeling overwhelmed by the negativity of her family law practice due to the number of contentious divorces. Marlow has yet to tell her mother, but she has sold her condo in Los Angeles and closed her law practice. Eileen, Marlow's mother, has multiple sclerosis which has taken a sharp decline since the death of her husband. She has been relying on her housekeeper, Rosemary for extra assistance. While on the island, Marlow learns a devastating secret about her father. Marlow will need the support of her friends as well as that of her new love interest to get through this challenging time. Summer on the Island takes us to the tropical Teach Island off the coast of Florida. I enjoyed the beautiful descriptions of this tropical locale. I thought the book contained good writing with steady pacing. The characters were realistic and relatable. Summer on the Island is an emotional story. It contains some scary and heart wrenching situations. There is family drama, romance, a touch of mystery, and secrets. Families and friendships will be tested. I could have done with less repetition. Certain details get repeated throughout the book. I also felt that that the epilogue was incomplete. I want to let you know that the story does contain foul language and intimate situations. You need to tuck Summer on the Island in your beach bag as it is a great book to read at the beach or while lounging by the pool. Summer on the Island is an emotional story about female friendships, surprising secrets, a second chance romance, a family calamity, a scary storm, fresh start at the sea, helpful healing, and offering forgiveness.