Alice is settling down but she is about to go on an adventure to Sri Lanka with two of her closest friends. She decides to pursue this even though her boyfriend and mother don't approve and think she is taking a risk.

Alice has been wary of being a burden since she had an accident as a child. She meets Max in Sri Lanka and they both teach one another things.

But will Alice pay attention to what she has learned and use this knowledge or will she revert back to her 'safe' life in her council job and return to her boyfriend as it is what will make her family happy.

This is a gorgeous book. As always, Isabelle Broom’s imagery is fantastic and her characters are so real.

I’ve never had a particular interest in visiting Sri Lanka, but after reading this book, I would certainly change my mind.

I liked both of the central characters, Alice and Max. We get wonderful insight into both of their personalities and it’s easy to see from the start how well suited they are.

The pace of the story moves perfectly, with the wonderfully evocative imagery, and the build up of relationships.

A beautiful and enjoyable book that will stay with me for a long time. Highly recommended

Such a fantastic book! This follows the story of 3 friends who turn 30 in the same week and go on a trip of a lifetime to Sri Lanka. The main character Alice sees this as an opportunity to re-asses her life, she meets Max and has very strong feelings for him which she wasn't expecting... It is a lovely romantic and feel good story. Perfect to read in the sunshine - the descriptions of Sri Lanka are fantastic and has made me want to visit! I have read a couple of Isabelles books and they never fail to keep me enthralled. Another fantastic book!

Loved this book!
The central characters are so likeable and you really get drawn in to the story. It was an emotional read, especially when you find out more about Max's story. I read this all in one day as I needed to find out what happened in the end!

Totally loved this book - Isabelle has a way of writing that allows the reader to feel and appreciate the surroundings, senses & feelings that her characters are feeling. This story is one of love, family, anxiety, sadness and exploration. Meet 3 girls off to celebrate their 30th birthdays on an awesome trip that will change the paths that they are currently on.

The characters all have depth and love how Isabelle introduced Max and discussed his injury.

This book left me wanting to know more about Max and Alice and their futures

This is one of the best novels I have read this year. The characters are believable, and the plot moves at a pace which is just right. I found myself rationing the last quarter of the book, as I didn't want to say goodbye to the characters.
Alice has a large scar on her face, from a fall through a plate glass roof, in her childhood. Her mother has tried hard to supervise everything she does ever since, and gets upset if she suggests doing anything which is not seen as safe. When Alice decides to go to Sri Lanka with two of her girlfriends for their 30th birthday, her mother is horrified, and so is her long-standing boyfriend Richard, who is slightly boring, and not adventurous at all.
When they get to Si Lanka, they meet Max, a soldier who lost a leg in Afghanistan, and his friend Jamal, who is also a physiotherapist, and tries to help Max stay focused in his recovery.
Alice eventually finds herself falling in love with Max, much to the chagrin of one of her girlfriends, who also fancies her chances with him.She is so enamoured, she takes on a tandem sky-dive at the same time as Max, not realising that he is in pain and should b e resting.
I was soooo glad this book had a happy ending, or I would have been very disappointed, although there were a few hitches along the way.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for allowing me to read this.

Words are failing me, this was amazing, it was beautifully written, and it is without a doubt Isabelle Broom's best book.

From the first pages I found myself enchanted by the story being told and just wanted to read it in one sitting but alas real life intervened.

Alice and Max are both on holiday in Sri Lanka when their paths cross. There is an instant connection between them but Alice is in a long term relationship, and Max isn't looking for women. In fact they are both trying to discover more about themselves after events in the past have re-defined their characters.

It is a story of self discovery in one respect but also if like me you are a fan of travel, it is a glorious trip through Sri Lanka taking in many different aspects of the country. It is clear the author must have enjoyed her research for the country and everything is described so vividly.

There is wildlife to be admired, sites to be explored, friendly owners of homestays to meet, there are the tuktuk journeys and other trips on public transport. There is the incredible descriptions of a sunrise from a stunning location and a whole lot more besides. For a country I've never really thought about there is more than enough detail to really feel as though you were there - especially when as I did reading this during a heatwave - I could even feel the heat and humidity.

I loved all the different characters in this, with the focus shifting occasionally from Alice to Max and getting to know him more intimately was great. I don't want to say too much about either of them but will say they are well rounded, full of depth and both are incredibly easy to love.

This is an absolutely stunning book that I can't do justice to, so will stop here and leave you with this. If you want a fabulous story to read, and possibly one of the best books of the year, then give this a try, and if you have read the author before stop thinking, and just purchase it and start reading. You will love this!

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Wonderful. Set in Sri Lanka , with beautiful descriptions of the scenery and way of life, it tells how 2 people help each other to overcome their fears . Provides an insight how victims cope with life changing injuries, ptsd and the effect of them on friends and family, and how professionals help them overcome their disability.

Once again Isabelle Broom takes the reader on a journey. This time to Sri Lanka. A beautifully written book that weaves description with love and relationships. Each character explores not only a vibrant country, but their inner selves. It has left me wanting more and wondering where we will go next.

This book is not just a great read but a look at people's attitudes to people who have been n war torn countries. I loved the holiday to Sri Lanka with its different places and how the people of Sri Lanka reacted to tourists with great hospitality.
This book is mainly about Alice (who tried to please her mother and her boyfriend Richard) and Max who was still coming to terms with his injuries after being in the army in Afghanistan. The threads of family, friends and both Alice and Max make this book a great Summer read. I would highly recommend it.

This was my first read by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Beautiful, heartwarming story about being true to yourself and what makes you happy, set in amazing Sri Lanka. I loved the descriptions of the country, the sights, the food... it was all wonderful.

The characters felt real and relatable and I specially loved Max. He was amazing.

All in all a great book. I highly recommend it.

(I’m giving it 4 stars instead of 5 only because it’s written in third person and it always takes me a bit longer to get into the story than when books are written in first person)

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book had me hooked from start to finish. The travel descriptions of Sri Lanka made me want to go there.

Alice lives with her long term boyfriend and is perhaps a little bored, but events from her childhood have persuaded her from seeking adventure. However, she decides to go to Sri Lanka with 2 friends to celebrate their forthcoming 30th birthdays. Of course, they meet some young men, Max and Jamal, which puts the cat amongst the pigeons. I was drawn to this book as I was thinking about a trip to Sri Lanka, so thoroughly enjoyed the descriptive writing. There are some revelations along the way, a decent read.

Wow. This is a brilliant read. I laughed and cried my way through this book. I didn't want this book to end. The descriptions of the scenery are beautiful and I felt that I really got to know the 5 main characters. I hardly noticed the world around me as I sat and read this book. This is a beautiful story. Everyone needs to be brave in life and this book captures that wonderfully. Isabelle Broom is incredible at capturing people's emotions. I hope there are many more books to come.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Books for an ARC of this novel in return for an honest review. I was particularly exited to receive this as I’ve become a great fan of Isabelle Broom’s work.. Each new book takes her reader’s to a wonderful holiday destination. This time it’s Sri Lanka. Not somewhere I’ve ever wanted to go but I was ready to have my eyes opened.

We follow three friends, Alice, Steph and Maureen, who have been close since school days, as they travel to Sri Lanka to celebrate their thirtieth birthdays which by coincidence, fall on consecutive days. When they arrive at their first hotel they meet two other travellers, Max and Jamel, who are doing roughly the same journey. At this point I was afraid that it was going to be a straight forward chic lit of boy meets girl and I don’t do chick lit. It wasn‘t boding well.. But because of the author I luckily stuck with it. Alice has a boy friend back home that she’s been with since eighteen and regards as her life partner. We see a gradual attraction building up between herself and Max who with his prosthetic leg he calls Mr Tee has his own physical problems which have caused physiological issues as well. His friend Jamal is his support. The characters of Max and Alice are finely and beautifully drawn. The author has gone deep into their beings and really understands them . We see them working through so many issues that will eventually change the paths that they both thought their lives were on and which could never have been anticipated at the start of their holiday. And all this against the amazingly beautiful backdrop of Sri Lanka. Isabelle Broom must have had such fun researching this book taking her characters on their journey and feeling their story develop along the way.

Unlike her previous destinations, she has not inspired me to want to follow in her footsteps. A lot of trekking and back packing and getting up in the middle of the night to see the sun rise. Very much a young persons adventure. But Lake Como is, thanks to her, still high on my list. As far as I’m concerned, Isabelle Bloom has done it again. Definitely ten stars.

I tried very hard to like this book but sadly I just couldn't love it. This story follows Alice, Maureen (who is called that these days?) and Steph who go on a holiday of a life time to Sri Lanka to celebrate their 30th birthdays. So far so good - cue the two cute guys that catch the girls eyes and soon they are travelling as a pack. Steph and Jamal are soon an item and that leaves Alice and Maureen vying for Max's attention - even though Alice has a fiancee back home waiting for her return. From here it kind of slides towards it's inevitable end like the sun setting at the end of the day - always going to happen but still kind of beautiful when it happens.

I am not going to sit here and bash the whole story - it is very well written and Sri Lanka is described in such breathtaking beauty I almost feel like I have been! Isabelle is excellent at describing landscape so that you really could almost retrace their steps and know you will see what they saw. I also enjoyed the inspirational 'never give up' message that comes with the book - specially portrayed through the actions of Max who is an amputee war veteran.

If you are looking for a no stress summer read then this is the book for you, if you want something with a bit more depth it might be wise to keep looking.

Many Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the preview copy in exchange for an honest review.

I did enjoy this. It's not a book I would normally read, but because of the descriptions of Sri Lanka it kept me going. The star crossed couple are chalk and cheese really, I loved the way it was written when he spoke, but not so much when she did, which is weird. Good characters never the less, and funny in places due to the relationship between the two men. Fairly predictable, but enjoyable none-the-less

Another enjoyable novel from Isabelle, set in Sri Lanka which is not somewhere I know much about so it was nice for that reason alone. A nice easy-to-follow storyline , good for taking on holiday . The main character, Alice was a nice girl who you could identify with as she lives her life trying to please everyone. I think that we can all relate to that. A good read with a happy ending.

I love Isabelle Broom's books. Each one is set in a foreign country and they are beautifully written, extremely evocative and always make me want to book a holiday after I've read them. This one is no exception. Set in Sri Lanka, it tells the story of sensible Alice who meets swoony Max - sparks fly, despite the fact that Alice has a boyfriend back home in England. Both have wonderfully rich backstories, explaining why they connect so well. You root for these characters as soon as you meet them and I galloped through this book in no time.

This was slightly stand-out to Broom's other books, in my opinion, in that it tackled slightly more serious themes. They were tactfully and sensitively dealt with, and I loved how she incorporated the themes into the story. You always know that Broom's books are well-researched and reading these novels are almost like going on holiday or reading a lovely holiday guide. Always full of humour, poignant moments and beautiful writing, she has created yet another fantastic novel I will be recommending to everyone once it is released in August.

Thank you to Michael Joseph for allowing me to read on NetGalley.

This book was like a massive big bear hug, I love books like this, where you are taken on a journey with two wonderful characters. Highly recommend this