Sunday 7 June 2020

The Summer Island Swap by Samantha Tonge



Today I am pleased to share with you my review, and take part in the Blog Tour for this sunshine filled new release from Samantha Tonge. Thank you to Aria Fiction for inviting me to join the tour, and for copy of the ebook in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. 




Book Description

Sometimes the best holidays are the ones you least expect...

After a long and turbulent year, Sarah is dreaming of the five-star getaway her sister has booked them on. White sands, cocktails, massages, the Caribbean is calling to them. But the sisters turn up to tatty beaches, basic wooden shacks, a compost toilet and outdoor cold water showers. It turns out that at the last minute Amy decided a conservation project would be much more fun than a luxury resort. So now Sarah's battling mosquitos, trying to stomach fish soup and praying for a swift escape. Life on a desert island though isn't all doom and gloom. They're at one with nature, learning about each other and making new friends. And Sarah is distracted by the dishy, yet incredibly moody, island leader she's sure is hiding a secret.
Perfect for fans of Holly Martin, Mandy Baggot and Heidi Swain.



My Review
This is a brilliant and sunshine filled read that I loved from beginning to end. 
Sarah is excited to find out that her beloved sister Amy has booked them both a luxurious break away in the Virgin Islands. Sarah has been working long hours and is really looking forward to some five star luxury. She is already planning her wardrobe for her holiday and is dreaming of all the features that a luxury resort will have. 
Amy is keeping all of the details of the holiday a secret from Sarah so this is making Sarah even more excited. What Sarah does not know is that the original plan has changed and the resort they are heading to is nothing like the resort that Sarah has been imaging. Amy has decided to head to a conservation project instead of a luxurious resort instead. She thinks it will be more fun, and she is sure that Sarah will love it. 
Once they finally arrive on the island Sarah is sure that Amy is just joking with her and that they will shortly be heading to luxury. It soon dawns on Sarah though that Amy isn't joking and the five star resort with all of the opulent facilities will not be happening and that they will be staying in a wooden shack and working on the conservation for a month. 
Sarah is horrified at the situation but is determined not to let Amy see this so she does her best to get involved. Sarah is not happy with being bitten by the insects, getting blisters and ruining her perfectly planned holiday wardrobe but she is a hard worker and not a quitter so is doing her best to get involved. 
What also helps with this is the handsome but serious manager of the project Rick. She finds herself drawn to him. Maybe this holiday is the one she needed after all. 
Samantha Tonge has done it again. This is such a wonderful read, and one I could not put down.
The writing style of this book is delightful and the setting of the island sounds simply beautiful.
I enjoyed getting to know Sarah. She is a tough character who adores her sister Amy , and has always done her best to try and protect her. This has made Sarah work hard to provide for them both. The more you read of the book the more you understand the reasons why Sarah feels so protective of Amy, and why Sarah feels she needs to be perfect. This also gives her a reason not to let men into her life. 
Amy always had big dreams of becoming a vet, but with problems in her childhood that affected her confidence she became a veterinary  nurse instead. It is great to see her confidence grow as she spends more time caring for some of the animals on the island. 
Rick is a worrier. He has worked hard to build up the conservation project for the last few years and is determined to make it bigger and more successful, but as difficulties come up could it all be at risk. 
There is a great cast of characters within the book who are also taking part in the conservation project, and also an adorable and cheeky monkey who will really capture your heart. 
This is the perfect read to transport you to a tropical paradise full of adventure and sunny skies. 





Published by Aria on 7th May 2020



Purchase Links


Google Play - https://bit.ly/2IuyI1q




About the Author

Samantha Tonge lives in Manchester UK with her husband and children. She studied German and French at university and has worked abroad, including a stint at Disneyland Paris. She has travelled widely.
When not writing she passes her days cycling, baking and drinking coffee. Samantha has sold many dozens of short stories to women's magazines. 
She is represented by the Darley Anderson literary agency. In 2013, she landed a publishing deal for romantic comedy fiction with HQDigital at HarperCollins and in 2014, her bestselling debut, Doubting Abbey, was shortlisted for the Festival of Romantic Fiction best Ebook award. In 2015 her summer novel, Game of Scones, hit #5 in the UK Kindle chart and won the Love Stories Awards Best Romantic Ebook category. In 2018 Forgive Me Not, heralded a new direction into darker women's fiction with publisher Canelo. In 2019 she was shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists' Association romantic comedy award.




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Thank you for taking the time to visit my Blog today, and I hope you enjoyed my review. 











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