Of course you want to make the people around you happy, but does it make you happy ...?

The author does not only take us on a beautiful trip through Sri Lanka, but also on a life changing one for every character in the book.

It certainly is about love. For some it's as simple as finally meeting the right person. For others it's a lot more complicated. It's about putting yourself first and not going on pretending. It's about being honest with yourself and the people around you.
If you love someone, you want to keep them close. But there is close and suffocating. Sometimes you need to loosen up on the reins just a little.

It's not a light-hearted and sunny holiday read. It's a story that makes you realize that sometimes a happy life is about making a u-turn, even if you have to hurt someone in the process.

A fluently written and emotional story.

Thank you, Isabelle Broom, Penguin and Netgalley

This book held me from start to finish and I read it in onè sitting.
For their 30th birthday, three friends decide to travel to Sri Lanka to celebrate this significant milestone.
The main character Alice; who's in a steady relationship with Richard. They live a predictable life. Steph and Maureen are looking for love.
On arrival in Sri Lanka they meet two British men Max and Jamal. Friendships were established and memories created but the holiday gave Alice time to take a good look at her life choices.
A story that deals with current issues; a love story with a difference.

Alice and her two friends head off to Sri Lanka for a joint 30th birthday holiday. Alice is a reserved young lady working a boring job, in a boring relationship and wants to break free from the boredom. Whilst away she meets Max who rocks her world and opens her eyes to the possibility out there she can do what she wants when she wants and with whomever she wants!

Isabelle’s books are filled with such love and happiness they are a pleasure and a joy to read. The descriptive writing makes you feel like you are there in the setting amongst the words. Truly a beautiful gift to have as an author and one I really enjoy! Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review:

*Book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Alice and Max are both on holiday in Sri Lanka when their paths cross. Alice is there with her two best friends Maureen and Steph. Max and his friend Jamal are also traveling together. The connection between Alice and Max is there from the starts, their chemistry is undeniable, Alice is in a relationship though and her boyfriend Richard desperately wants to set a date fort he wedding. She just isn’t feeling it anymore. Max has been through a lot in his past and is still dealing with the consequences. Plus, there is Maureen, who is always around him.

Sri Lanka is just what Alice needed. The traveling allows her to be free and really do what she wants, she discovers the real „ME“ again and her life is changing. Max is a big part of that journey and I just really loved the special moments they shared.

Sri Lanka sounds like such a great place and it really feels like actually traveling with the characters and discovering everything through their eyes.

When Isabelle Broom writes a book, she puts a lot of thought and research into it. Like that the locations and settings come to life and her words just create this unique atmosphere. Also the characters are deep and very well lined out. Their personality really comes across and that is really important.

This book is absolutely gorgeous and stunning!! It tells the journey of self discovery, travel, friendship, love and romance. It’s the perfect mixture and you can dive right into the story and I guarantee you never want to leave again. It’s very moving and yes I had to cry. The way Isabelle Broom plays around with words is fabulous, a very talented author indeed.

This was a delightful story. So easy to identify with the characters and the descriptive writing made me feel as though I was part of the story. Sri Lanka came over as a lovely place to visit. Tears were streaming down my face towards the end and the conclusion left me feeling complete. A very satisfying and enjoyable story.

I always love stories that transport you to far flung tropical places and Isabelle Broom does just that. I have read one of her books before, so i jumped at the chance to read this before publication.

I love the way Isabelle broom uses imagery to transport you to Sri Lanka, the sounds, the taste of things and the images. I have always wanted to go there but now Im desperate to. All in all the story is an adventure, it is greatly researched, the setting is beautiful, it has believable rounded characters and the plot it immensely enjoyable, i would definitely recommend this book.

One Thousand Stars and You is a perfect holiday read . It is a beautifully written story about love,loss and discovery . Set in Sri Lanka the vivid descriptions of colours ,sights and sounds made me actually feel I was there .Max and Alice are the main characters ,Alice is about to get engaged to her long term boyfriend Richard who is back in the UK and is on a holiday with her two friends planning to spend their 30th Birthdays together on a special holiday .They meet up with Max and his friend Jarma and everything changes .The story races along ,it is very hard to put down (which is always a good sign !) had me holding my breath sometimes and reaching for the tissues as well ! Brilliant loved it a lot .Many thanks to The Publisher ,the Author and NetGalley for my preview copy in return for an honest review .

This is just my second Isabelle Broom book, but, after reading it, I am determined to catch up on the others I have missed if they can match up to this one in any way. I admit that I was not instantly drawn into this story, but once it hooked me I was lost in the world of its strong and interesting cast.



The two main characters in the story are Alice and Max. Alice has begun to feel smothered by her over protective mother and even her long-term boyfriend, Richard. There is a girl inside who is longing for adventure and excitement, both of which are missing from her life. Much to the disapproval of others, she embarks on the holiday of a lifetime to Sri Lanka with friends Maureen and Steph to celebrate all of their 30th birthdays. Early in their trip, they encounter Max and his friend Jamal. One-time soldier Max was disabled while serving in Afghanistan, but has now recovered sufficiently to be seeking the same adventure from life as Alice. The two parties naturally join forces and we watch as friendships develop.



This is a really wonderful story, expertly told. The way in which Isabelle Broom describes the sights and sounds of Sri Lanka has the reader transported there. It has obviously been really thoroughly researched. We are taken up mountains, travel on all sorts of modes of transport, stay in lovely Sri Lankan houses with friendly natives, eat local dishes and finally rest by the ocean. There is even an encounter with elephants. If you had no inclination to visit Sri Lanka before, you certainly will after reading this book. Of course it isn't just a travel guide; there are the interactions between the characters. I really enjoyed watching as the relationship between Max and Alice developed and Alice began to appreciate how her life could change. Be warned though - it's not all fun and laughter; tissue box at the ready!

I enjoyed Isabelle's previous books and this one didn't disappoint. The journey all the characters went on was one of self discovery and has made me want to visit Sri Lanka!

Looking forward to reading more.

Alice is settling down. It might not be the adventurous life she once imagined for herself but she wants to ensure everyone is happy, her steady boyfriend and her over-protective mother, even if it means that a part of Alice is always unhappy. Max is shaking things up. After a traumatic injury, he is determined to prove himself and spread his wings. A trip to Sri Lanka is Alice's last hurrah, her chance to throw herself into the heat and chaos. It is also where she meets Max. Alice does not know it yet but her whole life is about to change. Max does not know it yet but he is the one who is going to change it.

This is an easy, enjoyable read but is in no way my favourite read from Broom. The plot, although as I have said it is enjoyable, it is incredibly obvious, perhaps a little too obvious and it could have benefited from some form of twist. Unfortunately I was not overly fond of the character of Alice either. At times, she is very irritating, bordering on pathetic and I just could not warm to her. As the read progresses, there are more moments where I could endear myself to her but to me, she is not that realistic a character and I was not massively supporting her. 

This aside, I have to say it was easy to lose myself in this book. The setting of Sri Lanka helped with this, I was transported to a far away country, enjoying the heat and the many different sensations that Alice and her friends experience. Along with the highly enjoyable setting, the character of Max is superb as well. He has a highly emotional backstory, one that was very emotional to discover and I could connect to him and envisage him as a person. Max is a realistic character and I was rooting for him throughout, in a way Max is the shining star of this book. 

'One Thousand Stars and You' is a lovely book to read. One that will have you discovering far flung environments and leave you feeling happy. Disappointingly this suffers from a lack of exciting plot and a main character that I did not enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin UK for an advance copy.

Very good. Isabelle Broom has done it again, a wonderful story, wonderful characters and beautiful scenery. This is such a beautiful story meaning not just the scenery but the characters as they enter your heart and make a home and you don't want them to leave. Highly recommend.

Beautifully described characters. Quite moving in places.. a must read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would like to see a sequel!

I have to say this is a comfortable place from whence to be writing about a new book from Isabelle Broom. I have enjoyed every one of her previous books and as a recent convert have had the pleasure of travelling around Europe with her and her many Heroes and Heroines this past year or so.

A Thousand Stars is in some ways more of what we expect, the deft eye for local detail, the sights sounds and cuisines are all before the reader for their particular delectation, but for me this seems a slightly more ambitious book.

Previous books have been rooted in one glorious spot and love has taken root. This is much wider in it's sweep and suits this arm chair traveller down to the ground. The places are rich with legend, majestic or rustic and inform the plot much more than in previous books and often are characters in their own right and the cast of locals warmed my very heart, not one stereotype or trope in sight ( and if this book does not boost tourism in Sri Lanka, I will eat a day old Roti!!)

Like the geographical sweep, the plot does not flinch away, from examining some serious social issues. two slightly dented souls meet by chance thanks to a girls weekend and a quest for independence, both seeking escape, one from a cloying family responsibility and safe but dull relationship , the other attempting to prove he is down but not out to pasture after a horrific event, both fall into the kind of ease of companionship and total openness they have found lacking in others.

I do not want to reveal too much, but I can safely say that I am most impressed with the way the issues of Trauma and it's ripple effects was handled. one particular scene brought into strong relief the horror that Post Traumatic Syndrome might wreak on those in it's throes. This stark representation is subtly reflected through the experiences of other characters too which really elevates this sweet and satisfying love story to heights comparable to the peaks of that lush and verdant country.

If you like Romance then this is the book for you, pour yourself some papaya juice and then maybe toss it ! and dig in, you will not be disappointed

Really enjoyable story about living your ilfe as you want, and not worrying about what other people think you should be doing, because in the end we only have one life so enjoy it and be happy.

Alice is a bit of a thrill-seeking sort of character, but after falling from a roof when she was younger and cutting her face open, leaving a large scar, she has tried to rein in those tendencies so her family and friends don't worry about her so much - even though she still does adventurous things on the odd occasion without them knowing about it.

Max used to be in the army, but got caught in an explosion and was badly injured, so again is trying to do everything he 'should' do so his family don't worry any more for him as he feels he's put them through enough.

Both of them are denying their real personalities through trying to keep everyone around them happy, even though they aren't entirely happy themselves.

Alice and a couple of her friends, Steph and Maureen, are all turning 30 within 3 days of each other and so decide on a holiday together to Sri Lanka, getting away to do their own thing and, in Alice's situation, getting to do things without her Mother and partner, Richard, worrying about her every two seconds. Once there they meet Max and his best friend Jamal, who are also getting away from it all on a tour around Sri Lanka, Max trying to do things he used to do much more easily.

They didn't start off knowing each other but once they met, and Jamal and Steph especially hit it off, they met up around Sri Lanka at various places. Alice and Max got on so well with each other, but Alice had a partner at home and so they were just friends, even though Alice was feeling a bit stifled in her relationship with Rich, and I can't say I blame her, I found him very annoying and over-protective/boring too.

Eventually though they worked through their feelings and what they really wanted out of life, and Alice especially made some big changes which were long overdue and started to make herself happier instead of just going with the flow and trying to keep everyone around her happy, albeit with a few hurdles along the way. Enjoyable, though-provoking book, with some great descriptions of Sri Lanka, which sounded such a friendly and lovely place to visit.

This is a story about Love, life and loss and totally heartwarming., Alice and Richard have been dating for a decent amount of time and their life is predictable and safe. Alce has some scars from an accident when she was younger and she can deed on Richard,. Richard wants the marriage but Alice doesn't.
Alice friends go to sri lanka on a abday trip and they find love, Alice out the sparks of life back into the eyes of a new friendship Max. Its a bittersweet stry, sad yet true to life.
Always a pleasure to read books by this author.
Thank you to net galley

I was so hooked on this. I wasnt quite sure how I felt about Alice at the start, but I eventually did warm to her. I'm glad that Max was shown as more than just his injury. Wasnt a great fan or Richard, or Alice's parents.

3.5 Stars

I’m so conflicted with this, I really did enjoy the aspect of the book. Three friends travelling to Sri Lanka for their 30th Birthdays, and while they are there they meet two men and from there the story plays out.

The story is told in two different perspectives; Alice and Max who are both dealing with something. Alice is afraid to be who she wants to be due to an accident when she was young that left her with a scar, and Max who is an amputee who has become his “true self” but doesn’t like to admit when he is in pain.

Now I can 100000% the last half of the book was more gripping for me, it’s a very slow burn and you can see the building of the relationships progress. My issue with this though is that I KNOW I was rooting for Max and Alice, but at the same time even though Richard wasn’t the best person I didn’t like how Alice handled situations, forever trying to please other people, and this was my thought for 80% of the book. What I did enjoy was her coming to the realisation that she was unhappy and she shouldn’t do things to please other people.

Another slight problem I had with the book was Maur, the jealousy and how she behaved drive me insane, but once again after they’d had their chat and everything came to light I really appreciated what she did and managed to talk to Alice about her feelings.

What I liked?
- The travelling aspect was really well done and it made me want to hop on a plane to Sri Lanka and start my own journey.
- The naming of his leg as Mister Tee (The opposite to legless)
- How open Max was about his leg, especially with his Niece and 1. She stole his leg, put it in a pashmina and renamed it Cynthia. 2. She took him to a show and tell!
- Max teaching Alice to drive with “one leg”
- SKYDIVING!

Overall I DID enjoy this, and like I said, I am slightly conflicted, but I loved the meaning behind this. Just be happy and true to yourself.

I love reading Isabelle's books, so was extremely excited to read her latest novel. It certainly didn't disappoint and left me feeling warm inside afterwards. I have a full review up on my Goodreads profile!

I worried I wouldn't be able to finish this because of my reading mood in July, but thankfully I did. I think it even helped get me back into reading after struggling all month.
Although I didn't love it as much as The Place We Met I did enjoy it. It is a perfect lazy day read.
I did struggle to connect with the characters at first but towards the end I became more interested in them.

Another beautifully told story from Isabelle Broom. As with her previous books, the setting of the story has almost been turned into a character in itself. The descriptions of Sri Lanka are so very vivid, with mentions of sights, sounds, smells and feelings, I feel as though I’ve been there myself. It’s definitely on my travel wishlist after this book!
The characters are incredibly relatable, flawed but likeable, and the story is told between the two main characters to get every angle of the story. I’ve read all of this author’s books and I genuinely feel that this is her finest work to date. The story has drama, beauty, romance, humour, family, friendship and sadness, and the result is an unputdownable and evocative read.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advance copy in return for an honest review.