Sarah and Amy Sterling are sisters finally living together in London after a traumatic childhood tore them apart. When Amy's syndicate wins the lottery she decides they deserve a holiday somewhere usually out of their reach. Sarah is imagining luxury hotels, white sand, hot sun and evenings beneath the stars and she might have got it if Amy hadn't changed their plans at the last minute. Now the only thing the same are the stars because they are part of a group volunteering on a Caribbean conservation project and there are absolutely no mod cons!

This is such a lovely book, there is a level of self worth and positivity that increases exponentially as the book progresses with, of course, the occasional hiccup all good fiction deserves. Mainly a reader of psychological thrillers I need to experience a far less heartstopping type of novel every now and again and Samantha Tonge is brilliant at providing that. As with her 2019 festive offering The Christmas Calendar Girls, I lost myself in very pleasant circumstances, this time in the the British Virgin islands. As before, a topical life problem was explored with sensitivity and realism which added extra depth to a wonderfully engaging feel good story experience.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Samantha Tonge's novels or wants some pure holiday escapism, this is definitely worth reading wherever they spend the summer.

My first by this author and I'll be seeking out more.
I didn't read the blurb, I just saw the cover and loved it.
I was expecting a fancy beach holiday story and it was, but with a difference.
I loved that I didn't know what was coming.

Two sisters, Sarah and Amy.
They lost their Mum at a young age and Sarah has always looked out for younger sister Amy. She’s felt almost maternal and protective towards Amy, as their Dad always belittled them. As soon as they were able to, they left home and lived together.
Sarah works in a hotel and is always well turned out, hair and make-up done to perfection and smartly dressed.
Amy always wanted to be a vet but Dad said she’d never be able to do it, so she’s enjoying her career as a veterinary nurse. She’s more relaxed about her appearance and is low maintenance.
Amy has a lottery win, £5,000. And as a thank you to Sarah for looking out for her all these years she books a fancy holiday for them both. A month long holiday, all posh and relaxing. Lots of spa days. Amy keeps the exact details a secret. Sarah can’t wait and buys lots of new clothes. She also plans on seeing how a luxury hotel is run, so she can use some ideas at the hotel she works at. Her boss is not one for change, even when Sarah has some good ideas to make their hotel more attractive.
Sarah has a secret. She is sacked the day before the holiday.
When they land in the British Virgin Islands they are rounded up at the airport by Rick. He looks after Seagrass Island. Sarah feels like she’s wearing the wrong outfit compared to everyone else. Amy comes clean on the holiday plans. She didn’t want Sarah to be staying in a hotel, on a busman’s holiday. This holiday is to be totally different. The island is a conservation project after being wrecked by a hurricane. And they are here to work.
What follows is a journey. The girls discover a lot about themselves.
From the insects, food and toilet facilities to much, much more. There’s even a little monkey who you’ll love.
A great cast of characters from all over the world. The camaraderie between them all made it for me.
What a beautiful island.
Thanks to Aria Fiction and NetGalley for the review copy in which I give my honest opinion.

I'm ashamed to admit that I was guilty of breaking a bookworms rule; never judge a book by it's cover. I didn't even read the blurb for this, I requested purely because the cover appealed to me and I thought the book would provide that much needed escapism that I was looking for.

Whilst I really did enjoy this book, I do have mixed feelings about it. At times it was a little slow for me, and after the half way mark I did start to struggle, although this was only for a few chapters. There were also a few formatting and grammar issues which sometimes distracted me from the story as I had to backtrack slightly to work things out. Although I don't think you should be put off by that, because I'm sure all of these issues will be corrected before the book is published, and it was still a lovely story that drew me in from the start.

One of the things I loved most about this book is the way that Sarah changes so much from being sensible and uptight, to being more relaxed and allowing herself to feel free. Sarah and her sister Amy had a difficult childhood, and Sarah has always felt the need to protect Amy, to the point of smothering her at times.

Although there's only a four year age gap between them, Sarah feels very maternal towards her little sister which could often come across as patronising, with Amy feeling like Sarah doesn't trust her. As the two sisters start to find their own paths on the island, Sarah begins to realise that Amy isn't a child anymore, and is capable of making her own decisions in life.

I also loved seeing the change in Amy as she starts to gain more confidence in herself. During her childhood, she was made to believe that she wasn't good enough to follow her dreams of becoming a vet, but as she spends more time caring for the wildlife on the island, she's made to feel needed and capable.

Although this trip isn't what Sarah was expecting, and it certainly wasn't the break she was hoping for, it turns out to be the best thing she's ever done. At home, Sarah always made sure she was dressed smartly, had perfect make up and hair, and didn't let her guard down. After spending a few days on the island, she loosens up and stops worrying about trivial things like appearances, as she learns that life is too short. I loved watching her just let go and enjoy her time on the island, pushing herself to limits she didn't believe possible.

Another aspect I enjoyed with this book was the wildlife on the island, especially the turtles. I can only imagine how wonderful it must be to see these animals in their natural habitat and to care for and rehabilitate them. The setting for this book was just amazing, and it really made me crave a holiday to somewhere warm with golden sands. It certainly gave me the escapism I was looking for.

Of course no Romance novel is complete without the love interest. Rick is the leader of the island, and whilst he's moody, and patronising at times, Sarah's thoughts often drift to him. He's exactly the sort of man she usually avoids, believing that falling in love with such a handsome man can only lead to heartbreak.

She's also fiercely independent and fears relying on other people, especially a man. Through spending more time with him she understands just how much he loves the island and the wildlife that call it their home; perceiving the caring nature underneath the grumpy exterior.

Overall, although I struggled in the middle of the book I really did enjoy the story. I'm glad I persevered because the story did pick up again for me and I grew quite attached to a certain cheeky little character! I wouldn't hesitate to read more by Samantha Tonge, as I felt like I was being whisked away to sunnier climes. The story was interesting, funny, romantic, and uplifting. Exactly what I was looking for.

I loved the unexpected aspects of this fabulous book!
Like Sarah I had not expected that type of holiday and loved watching her make the best of it to keep her beloved little sister happy. I found their sisterly connection very inspiring and formed an important part of the story. It was interesting seeing Sarah come to terms with her situation, both on holiday and with things that had occurred back home. You really felt like you took the emotional journey along side her.
Absolutely adored the character of Rick, his hidden depths were intriguing to read and I was equally smitten with his fabulous side kick Chatty!
The beautiful descriptions of the islands easily transported you to the faraway destination in this wildlife filled story.
So much more than a typical beach based story, this book touched my heart too with the theme of family comes first spread throughout the enchanting story.
If you enjoy books about sun, travel and exotic destinations, add in a side order of inspirational characters and emotional moments, then this book is certainly the right one for you! ☀️🏝🏖

As the cover my imply, there is a beach setting, but this is no ordinary beach and most certainly no ordinary beach holiday. The story follows two sisters, one of them on winning some money decides to treat her hard working sister to a much needed extended beach holiday. Whilst in the arranging of said holiday, do the plans change on their final destination, but only one sister is aware of the changes.

Having read two other books by Samantha T onge and thoroughly enjoyed them...it looks like this will unfortunately be an exception. Written in a juvenile way with short "stating the obvious" sentences and simple plot lines and no depth of feeling which Samantha Tinge really excels. The author could have really run with this great idea for a story...but it fell short and felt rushed.

DNF at 10%. The pacing is so slow and the back and forth between present day and past is disjointed and awkward.

This book swept me away and I absolutely LOVED it! Samantha Tonge is a wonderful storyteller and I'm always anxious for her next release and this one didn't disappoint! It's sweet, charming, and absolutely breathtaking! I highly recommend it!

I totally enjoyed this book by Samantha Tonge. I like the plot and her writing style. Will definitely be checking out other books written by her in the future.

This was not my favorite book. The characters were all over the place and I could not get into what the author was trying to accomplish.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. This book was a great summer read with all the beachy things you want in it. A little beach time, a crazy animal, romance and growth among sisters. This was a great quick read that helped me forget about what's happening in the world today.

booklover BEV 

After a big win fall on the lottery, sister's Amy and Sarah Sterling both in their twenties, Amy plans a four week dream holiday for them both its a surprise. After their mothers death they become best friend living together after their father remarried this holiday is going to be perfect. So what is ahead for them? Such a good pick me up read right through. Giving you a feel good feeling, the girls get a real eye opener to this holiday. Wildlife and authentic foods at Cecao House on Seagrass Island has opened their eyes and changed them both. I just loved everything about this heartwarming book right to the end. Loved it.

I loved this book. And I defy anyone to not love Chatty. Everyone needs a Chatty in their life. But enough about monkeys, the human characters are an interesting bunch too. From the cover I was expecting a light romantic read, and although romance does feature, it's not the focus of this story, in fact the key relationship in this story is the one between sisters, Sarah and Amy. It's not such a light read either - some big issues are explored. I enjoyed learning about the conservation side of things, as well as seeing how both Sarah and Amy matured. I was intrigued about the plans for the island. I think there's scope for a sequel if Tonge should ever want to go back ... With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Samantha’s last Christmas book so when she announced a summer book I just had to add it to my to be read list!
Sarah and Amy are sisters who decide to take the trip of a lifetime but when Amy changes the destination at the last minute Sarah gets a shock to the system when they end up on Seagrass Island at a wildfire conservation. Seeing both their journeys on the island was interesting as I didn’t know whether they would sink or swim. I loved the setting of the story it just sounds interesting and so idyllic. I especially loved Chatty the monkey, along with the other guests on the island.

Samantha’s narrative is free flowing and very detailed. I felt like I was on Seagrass Island with Sarah and the gang and I was sad when it ended as I didn’t want it to end. She explores themes which are very hard to read about but gave the main characters some depth.

‘The Summer Island Swap’ is about taking chances and believing in yourself. I certainly took some life lessons away from it ❤️ I highly recommend you curl up with this book as even if it’s a grey day it will brighten it up! I give ‘The Summer Island Swap’ a dazzling 5*/5* 😊

Thank you to Aria Fiction for an advanced copy of this book via Netgalley.

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Sarah thinks her sister Amy has booked a five star luxury holiday after winning some money in the lottery. However, when they arrive she realises it’s actually a holiday roughing it in a conservation project on an island with wooden shacks, compost toilet just like I’m a celebrity get me out of here.
Sarah finds it hard to adjust to the basic living arrangements praying for a quick escape. As Sarah continues to battle with the simple lifestyle she comes up with some ideas to develop some of the island into a luxury relaxing hotel. Will Rick the island leader go for the ideas or will Sarah decide to leave the island early.

An absolute brilliant read from Samantha can’t wait for her next book.

Perfect summertime reading.
Thoroughly enjoyed reading about the exploits of sisters, Sarah & Amy as they head off to the British Virgin Islands on the holiday of a lifetime. A book full of comical turns of events featuring composting toilets, tarantulas and fish soup to name but a few.
The plot was somewhat too unbelievable, but that didn’t detract from what was an enjoyable read.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This was a feel good read in these difficult times. I liked the location, I liked the characters and basically liked the storyline.

This is a quirky summer read set in the British Virgin Islands and offers a real change from a traditional holiday story. It has some very strong female characters especially the main character Sarah who built a life for herself and her younger sister away from their difficult father. This is a very relaxing read but with some thought provoking messages which really add to the overall emotion.

This was my bank holiday read, sat in the sun this book was easy to read with some little twist but a great holiday read. I found the factual part of the book really interesting and will definitely be looking out for more books by Samantha Tonge .

The first book I am reading of this author! Loved how both the sisters are different in every way but have a beautiful relationship! With the cover I was thinking it would be typical beach read however it was different and loved it. A good read for something a bit different.