The first thing I want to say about this book is just how much I love the relationship between the two sisters, Sarah and Amy. Even though they are very different people, they have such a close, caring bond. It was formed after their mother died, when Sarah took over bringing up her sister until she left home at 18. Both sisters had a horrible childhood, with a verbally abusive father, and they have a lot of problems that they have to overcome brought on by their childhood trauma that give this book a lot of depth and make the characters seem real. 

When Amy wins a lottery she decides to take Sarah on holiday, but not to a 5 star destination like Sarah works with every day (she’s an assistant manager in a hotel), but to a conservation project in hopes to save her sister from working while she was meant to be enjoying herself. This type of camping would have been my worst nightmare so I could sympathise with Sarah, but I really loved the conservation undercurrent to the story, and I loved how they worked to rebuild the island and help it’s wildlife. There was even a monkey side character called Chatty who was really cute. 

My favourite part of the story was the way the island came together to rebuild and I loved the moments of wildlife conservation such as saving the turtle eggs. And I loved the romance in this book too, between Sarah and Rick and side-characters Benedict and Jonas. Amy’s friendship with Jackie was great to read about too.

All in all, this was a feel good, emotional, romantic story. It’s a bit of a tear jerker, but it’s all about family which I loved. It only took me a couple of days to read this book and I loved it.

A great summer/beach read!

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A fab little read that’s addictive from start to finish. Gorgeous descriptions and a story that is funny, relatable and charming about a relationship between two sisters. The Summer Island Swap is such a fun and easy read that had me laughing out loud     Reminded my very much of my relationship with my Sister.  A very enjoyable read

All you need for a summer escapist read, it is full of energy and sunshine and characters that you can believe in

This was such a lovely feel good summer read.
Sarah is looking forward to a 5* luxury holiday on a Caribbean island. She'd looked after her sister my since they lost their mum , and Amy wanted to spoil her big sister when she had a small win.
They arrive to a holiday completely out of Sarah's comfort zone and the opposite of the 5* luxury she had been dreaming about. Amy had swapped it for a conservation project.
She'd done it with the best of intentions and Sarah didn't want to hurt her feelings, but she's not feeling the love!
It sounded an absolutely fascinating holiday- hard work , but so rewarding. But no cocktails by the pool and luxury spa treatments. Things aren't running quite as smoothly under the surface as they could be. 
I absolutely loved this book, getting drawn into the activities, Amy's love of helping with the animals, Sarah putting her skills to use in unexpected ways. The sense of camaraderie with the others working on the project , the draw of romance in the air and the skype calls with the nan were amusing. There are parts of that holiday that I would have loved- if they had been excursions from the luxury island!

I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to get to this book. It certainly is a book that you won’t want to put down. I loved all the characters and where this book took me. A lovely read.

I love it when you've been saving a book and it's even better than you were hoping it would be! I knew as soon as I read the blurb I would enjoy it but once I'd picked it up I literally didn't put it back down again.

Sarah and Amy are sisters who have always stuck together after a difficult childhood. When Amy has a lottery win and offers to treat Sarah to the trip of a lifetime, Sarah can't wait to go but it isn't the trip she was expecting!

I loved the stunning location and the animal conservation element. This is a story with a really current topic about the environment and I loved how it was woven together with so many wonderful facts and details to keep you wanting to know more.

I expected to enjoy this book but I loved it, it totally captured my heart. I have already recommended it to my friends as I'm sure they will also love it! 

A wonderful and memorable 5* read with fantastic characters and animals alike that I wish I could read all over again.

This was an easy breezy Summer read. I give it a solid 3.stars. I really enjoyed reading about the location and the description of the conservation area. Made me feel like I was there. However I just couldn’t connect with the characters as much as I wanted to. I also felt that the romance was a bit weak.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Sarah has been working and taking care of her sister for years. When her sister wins some money in the lottery, she plans and books a holiday for the two of them. One month on an island with five star service. Working in the hospitality industry, Sarah is excited to stay in a five star resort, and plans to gather as much information as she can to further her career. At the last minute, Amy switched islands. She didn't want Sarah to feel like she was at work, but wanted to treat her to something different, well, different it was. They end up on a working vacation for a conservation effort, with no indoor toilets, huts they share and physical labour that Sarah has not done in years, if ever.

This was a fun story dealing with dreams, new beginnings, family (specifically siblings), environmental issues, endangered species, friendship, acceptance, honesty and romance. That seems like a lot of issues but Samantha Tonge writes a story that naturally includes them all and weaves them together into an interesting and enjoyable story. Her characters were wonderful with enough development to get this reader caring about them and what would happen next. I loved learning about the island and the issues it deals with. The concerns about development are real and the importance of that is included in a way that got the message across, but as part of the overall wonderful story. I do recommend this story to readers of romance and families, but with some other meatier issues such as siblings who look after each other and discovering more about yourself, your abilities and your dreams. The characters move out of their comfort zone, but find out what they are made of and what they really want out of life. It has been awhile since I read a book by Samantha Tonge, but I will go back and read some of the ones I have missed.

This was a fun and easy story to listen to, loved getting to know the sisters Sarah and Amy along with all of the other characters.  I especially loved the inclusion of the little blind monkey, who has his very own role to play in the story, so adorable.  I thought the story was well written and brilliant character development throughout which is no surprise when written by author Samantha Tonge who sure knows how to write an engaging story from start to finish.

I have to say if I was in Sarah position and my sister had changed our holidays as drastically as she did, I’m not sure I’d have been as understanding as I’d definitely not be able to cope in those conditions that they had to on the island, don’t get me wrong, the working on the conservation project would have been fine, it would have been the spiders and other creepy crawling that I struggled with lol. 

If you haven’t discovered Samantha books already, then I can highly recommend her books as they are always such fun and entertaining reads.

If the film The Holiday was set in the Caribbean, the Summer Island Swap would be the result. Fun beach read!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

A fun beach read that I very much enjoyed! I recommend to anyone who loves a good chick lit novel! Fun and flirty with witty characters.

Beach read that I found hard to get into, I was probably too old for the audience the author was going for.  It wasn't horrible but it failed to resonate.

Samantha Tonge is back with a fun, feel-good, poignant and irresistible page-turner that will bring a smile to readers’ faces and lift their spirits: The Summer Island Swap. As brilliantly written as ever, The Summer Island Swap is a gripping page-turner I simply could not stop reading.

Sarah has had a long and difficult year that has been fraught with all manner of problems and challenges. The only thing keeping her going is the thought of a luxury Caribbean getaway which her sister has booked for the two of them. Sarah cannot wait for sandy beaches, delicious cocktails and balmy summer sunshine. She longs for some much-needed relaxation and does not plan on doing much at all during her holiday except topping up her tan and lounging on her sunbed. Unfortunately for her, her sister Amy had a brainwave and at the last minute had thought that a sojourn in a conservation project would be more fun. Forget about five star luxury and fine dining, this holiday is all about going back to basics, so so long power showers and room service because it’s time to get used to dilapidated beaches, compost toilets and wooden shacks being held up by glue and hope.

Sarah does not know what possessed Amy to book them on the holiday from hell. She wants the first flight out of this nightmare she has found herself trapped in and a decent shower, but when she begins to let go of the negatives and starts looking at the positives, she realises that maybe this holiday was what she needed. As the relationship between the two sisters strengthens, Sarah begins to commune with nature and even starts to make new friends and begins to trust her heart thanks to the handsome island leader whom she is increasingly finding herself distracted by…

This holiday might not be what Sarah initially wanted, but it might just provide with just what she has been looking for all along…

Samantha Tonge is on sparkling form with The Summer Island Swap, a witty, warm-hearted and emotional tale about taking chances, the ties that bind and letting go the past that is as delicious as a chilled glass of your favourite cocktail.

A zesty-paced page-turner that makes for perfect summer reading, The Summer Island Swap is another winner by Samantha Tonge.

The relationship between the sisters is central to this story. You guess from the beginning that the holiday is not going to be run of the mill but Sarah’s initial reaction is quite amusing. There are some interesting issues in the background around tourism and the environment. There are some lively characters and plenty of humour in this lovely summer read.

Thanks to netgalley for a copy of the book

I just love this author. Your always guaranteed a lovely summer read. Great location. Wishing you were there. Nice easy to read book. Great plot. To lose yourself in

The Summer Island Swap. This is the perfect read for summer. Fantastic story line with great characters. Definitely a must read. Five stars

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.

ohhhhh girl gimme all the romances this summer! i want to be on this island and live there forever. take me back to the places you will come from!

. It was such a wonderful little read. Perfect beach read  I found the love story a perfect combination of sweet with a few problems and misunderstandings thrown in for good measure. It was a perfect little 4.5 star read for me. I really did enjoy it.