A Challenge Too Far....?
When hard up Kimberley King signs up for the huge, hit smash slow that is ‘LoveWrecked’ following a seemingly random social media pick of contestants she is blissfully unaware of the horrors that will follow. With a likeable protagonist and a well drawn, colourful cast of supporting characters this quickly became an addictive, one sitting read. The plot is somewhat addictive and the twist is satisfying and even though the reader may well see it coming it’s really none the worse for that. Wholly entertaining and some perfect escapism.

This was a fun read. Kim King is scouted to join LoveWrecked (think love island) and when she loses her job the same day as meeting the agent she says yes.

From here I don’t want to give any spoilers, but things get dark! The show is definitely not what anyone was expecting.

Granted this book is quite far from the realms of reality but it was so fun and a really enjoyable read. 

Recommended highly, especially if you need a book for a palette cleanser after a heavy book as I did.

#TheIslanders #NetGalley 
Kimberley King has spent the last five years trying to outrun the reason she left the police force. Her life is a mess and she’s desperate for change. So when she is randomly selected for the new series of the hit show LoveWrecked, she can’t pass up the chance to win the £100,000 prize. All Kimberley needs to do is couple up with one of her fellow contestants, win the infamous LoveWrecked challenges, and she will have enough cash for a fresh start.But the island isn’t the paradise she was promised and within hours, one of the contestants is dead. Then the announcement comes: one of the islanders is a murderer and Kimberley must find out who, live on television. For every hour it takes her, one more person will die. 
Thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for giving me an advanced copy.

Such fun! I absolutely loved this book. It was Cluedo meets Love Island in The best possible way. I didn’t guess the twists at all, but I was delighted with the pace. Just the ticket for a rainy January.

I have a weak spot for a good locked room mystery and there was just something about the blurb of The Islanders that caught my eye immediately. The sound of a TV show with a twist, a murder and an investigation while the clock is literally ticking... Oh yes, I had a feeling in my bones that this debut and me would get along. Thankfully my instincts turned out to be absolutely right, as I ended up having a fantastic time with this story! I found myself to be literally glued to the pages and entertained until the very last chapter... 100% recommended if you enjoy the genre!

The first thing that stands out is the tropical setting. I always love it when a story manages to take me to different places, and the setting on an (unknown) Greek island definitely added a little something extra. The set up of the LoveWrecked TV show with the mansion and all the cameras capturing everything that happens on the Greek island make for some very entertaining reading, especially since the contestants are supposedly chosen at random and you wonder what their motives for joining the show would be.

I personally loved the plot. I'm a big sucker for the locked room trope, and we have the ultimate locked room mystery here on an isolated Greek island, with the added pressure of the hourly deadline to solve the crime. The pace of the story never slows down and this story will keep you on your toes as well as entertained the whole time. I simply couldn't stop reading, wondering who was behind it all! You will find lots of suspense and plot twists to keep you busy too, and The Islanders without doubt ends with a bang and a final twist I most definitely didn't see coming.

The story is told from the POV of Kimberley King, who is an interesting enough character with her own secrets and past. The fact that she used to be a police officer is perfect for the plot of course, as she is forced to investigate the murder of one of the LoveWrecked contestants... The rest of the cast makes for an interesting mix of personalities, and while they might not be exactly likeable, they do all add to the story and their development felt realistic.

Kimberley's POV is interrupted with emails to the mysterious owner of JustDeserts and entries on the Spyland.co.uk website, which both added a little something extra to the plot as well as dropping hints about twists and revealing more information. The writing itself is engaging and flows easily; combined with the fast pace it transforms The Islander into a real pageturner that is absolutely worth the read.

In short, if you love a good locked room mystery that will keep you on your toes as well as entertained until the very last page, I can highly recommend this debut. I will definitely be hoping to see more of her work in the future!

This book was an exciting read! I was immediately drawn in by the premise: essentially modern take on And Then There Were None, a locked room mystery where the characters have been brought to a Greek island to be contestants on a reality dating show. The book took off and moved quickly, and was a page-turner. The characters were not especially likable and all suspect, but I liked the main character and was rooting for her to solve the case. There was probably enough information to figure out who was guilty and towards the end, information was intentionally shared in a way that you started to understand how it all came together before the big reveal, but I was generally satisfied with the conclusion and wrap-up. The book may not be re-inventing the genre, but I really enjoyed it and finished it in one day!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love books based on reality shows.  This is sort of a claustrophobic mystery set an a Bacheloresque universe.  I love this delicious plot and the characters were charismatic.  I highly recommend.