I’m pleased to say that this is another wonderful book from Libby Page. Lorna and Alice are related as sister-in-law’s but have never met each other because Lorna left the island at the age of 18. However after the death of both her parents, Lorna travels back to see her brother and attend the funeral.

Libby shares the story between Lorna and Alice, each taking an alternate chapter. We start to find out why Lorna left suddenly, and why she felt she couldn’t return to visit the friends and her brother that she left behind. We also find out why Alice feels so strongly for the island that has become her home, and why she is worried that island life could change adversely if the local school has to shut.

This is book full of great characters who need to work together to face up to the past and look forward to the future. The story covers some difficult issues in family life, and is a reminder to anyone working with children that we need to act if we think that something isn’t quite right at home, to help our young people.

I loved how the friendship between Lorna and Alice developed, and how Lorna rediscovered how the community worked to look after each other. This is a non spoiler review so I don’t want to give away the story. This is an uplifting read, with friendship and community at the centre of the story.

I’m happy to recommend this book to readers of my book review blog, if you enjoyed The Lido, then I believe you will love this book too.

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The book is told in two first person accounts but introduces a whole cast of characters> The author has captured the emotions of the MCs and the sense of time and place in two very diverse settings. It is very predictable I foresaw almost all of the events but this does not seem to detract from the reading. The pace is just right enough holding off revelation as revelation itself. I would love to see a second book i really want to know what happens in the lives of these people

This book was amazing, a beautiful heartwarming read.
It was written from two perspectives, Lorna and her sister in law Alice.
Set on the fictional island of Kip, Lorna returns with her young daughter to attend the funeral of her parents . Kip was an island which Lorna ran from in her teens leaving her brother and best friend
This story is beautifully written, difficult issues being addressed sensitively .The reader is drawn in from the start and real life is put on hold . Locations become real to the reader and the sense of community on the island is well portrayed as well as the diversity needed for the island community to survive.
A gem of a book, You will laugh and cry highly Recommend
Thank you to Netgalley, Orion Publishing and Libby Page for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

Just lovely! An uplifting story of family, loss and finding your home again. The characters were well written and the story unfolds at a pace that keeps the reader gripped and builds to an ending that moved me to tears at times but ultimately left my with a big smile.

I love Libby Page’s writing and this book was every bit as lovely as her previous novels! The Island Home follows two characters in alternating chapters – Lorna who left the island of Kip under a cloud when she was a teenager and has never been back; and Alice who is Lorna’s sister-in-law but the two women have never met. The two women have daughters the same age who have been chatting online and now Lorna is going back to Kip. This is a gorgeous novels that really explores family dynamics, female friendship and found family in an honest and believable way. Kip has a wonderful community and all the characters in this novel felt like real people and I now want to go there and meet them! This book has it’s darker moments but on the whole it’s a feel-good novel that really pulls at your heartstrings. I loved it and definitely recommend it!

What a beautiful story. I thought this one would take a while to read because it was a chunkster at just under 500 pages but I flew through it as I was so absorbed in the story.

The author really knows how to describe characters and emotions that resonate. On more than one occasion I was reaching for the tissues (for anyone who has read it, that yoga scene 😭😭😭)

I loved the remote island setting, the sense of community and the challenges that we see the islanders face. Lorna and Alice will stay with me for a long time.

This is definitely my favourite Libby Page book so far and I definitely recommend grabbing a copy if you enjoy complex family dynamics and uplit.

A beautiful summer read just made for lazy afternoons in the sun. Lorna has to leave her life in London after 20 years to move back to her childhood home, a remote Scottish island, with her teenage daughter. The story of her arriving back home and reconnecting with people she hasn't seen for years, and they in turn reconnecting with one another, is full of joy and emotion, I really enjoyed reading The Lido, and this is another page turner from Libby Page

Libby Page has done it again with her latest novel The Island Home. If you’re after a book that is heartwarming with great characters and an insight into life on a small Hebridean island then this book is for you. From the first page I was drawn into Lorna’s story, returning to the small island of Kip with her daughter Ella. It’s somewhere she never thought she’d return after leaving twenty years ago and whilst Ella is excited to meet her cousin, Aunt and Uncle, Lorna is making the journey with a sense of trepidation. As the nice unfolds, you find yourself becoming engrained in island life along with Lorna and all the trials and tribulations that follow.

A most enjoyable book that I can highly recommend. Thank you to NetGalley, Orion Publishing Group and the author for the chance to review.

I loved this tale of coming to terms with your past.

When Lorna’s parents pass away, she visits the small Scottish island she grew up in for the funeral. But Lorna hasn’t been back to the island since she ran away as a teenager and must confront her fears about returning and learn to build bridges with the brother she left behind.

This is a charming story with a strong sense of community, family and recognising who you are. I loved it from start to finish and felt fully invested in the central characters. I would definitely recommend. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A heartwarming and tear inducing read! The story is skillfully told from the viewpoint of two of the main characters. The author's use of language paints wonderfully clear and atmospheric pictures of the island. You become fully involved with all the characters and immersed in their lives.

After her previous novels’ settings of a much-loved London lido and a 24 hour café, both in urban London settings, Libby Page attempts something completely different in her latest novel by moving the plot to a fictional Scottish island by the name of Kip. The narrative thread follows two women, Lorna and Alice, who are both parents to teenagers and who are both dealing with unresolved trauma. They are united through the relationships they cherish: firstly, Lorna, who left the island as a young woman and had become estranged from her family, has decided to return daughter. Meanwhile, Alice moved onto the island as a young woman, mainly to be near Jack who happens to be Lorna’s brother. The unique island setting plays a big role in the novel, of course, but the main themes revolve around the power of friendship, coming-of-age and surviving trauma. Warmly recommended, this novel deserves a growing band of readers.

I great read. Suspense and hidden stories of Lorna’s upbringing but also the warm welcome of a small island community. I loved hearing about each islander as well and Lorna facing her demons

A really lovely book. The story is full of warmth and charm and really well written. There are plenty of great characters I connected with too. Highly recommended.

Beautiful, just beautiful. Libby Page is an author whose writing just draws you in. It doesn't take long to become truly acquainted with the characters & their lives. This tale of Lorna & the island of Kip where she grew up & later in life returns to for a family funeral will have you hooked from the start, it will make you teary in parts, but most of all it will make you smile & like me make you long to join her on the wonderful Isle of Kip with it's wonderful sense of community - enjoy

A lovely read . The characterisations and descriptions of feelings and landscapes were very well done. As a reader, you feel part of life on the island. The story is, on the whole, believable and gave me a feeling of well being . I have not read anything else by Libby Page, but will look out for more now .
Thank you to Net Galley for a great read in exchange for an honest review

I found this book to be an enjoyable story of Island life and family secrets, (spoiler follows) there are hints early on about emotional abuse by Lorna and Jacks' parents and this unfolded as the story progressed, thankfully Jack has been helped to heal by his wonderful wife Alice, and on reluctantly returning to Kip she also helps Lorna do do the same.
The scene setting is beautiful and the story is a gentle, warm and slightly predictable one, although enjoyable I did find at times my mind wandered and I had to re read the page, a lovely book but just not exceptional for me.

Really really enjoyable read

This is my 2nd Libby Page book, and I have loved both. She writes easily accessible books, that are up lifting but do also have some really big subjects covered.

In the Island Home, Lorna is returning to her home island in Scotland (fictional Island of Kip). She left years ago, and hasn't been back since. However her 14 daughter has made contact with her cousin on the island, and Lorna's parents died. So they return for a few weeks to attend the funeral.

The story is told form the point of view of Lorna, and also Lorna's sister in law Alice. I liked that the 2 views were women, and also that the narrative was only from 2. This kept it on track, and not too confusing.

During the return Lorna deals with some demons, tackles the relationship with the brother she left behind, and as a secondary plot finds a love interest.

Not quite 5 stars for me as it all seemed to happen very quickly. 2 or 3 weeks is not enough to change your life - if it had taken place over the whole summer holiday's, that would have made more sense to me. Also the situation on the smaller uninhabited island seemed over the top to me. However this is me picking, and it is a really solid 4 star book that I would recommend.

Because of the setting, I want to make comparisons to Jenny Colgan's Mure Island series. If you liked that, you should also enjoy this.

Thanks to Net Galley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Libby Page's "The Lido" so I was delighted for the opportunity to read The Island Home.

Set in the Hebrides, the fictional island of Kip in this novel sounded like an idyllic place, and somewhere I would love to visit if it were real. Although this story of homecoming, acceptance, belonging, hope and regret was a little predictable, it did not detract from my immense enjoyment of the comforting tale. The characters were fantastically drawn and I enjoyed my travels with them, even though I had an idea I how things would all end up. The Island Home was a feel-good novel that also heavily tugged at my heartstrings. An enchanting read of family and friendship that I highly recommend.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Orion Publishing via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

I had great memories of reading Libby Page’s previous novel “The Lido” so was really looking forward to “The Island Home“.

One of my all-time favourite settings for a novel is the Hebrides, and islands in general have always held a fascination for me. The fictional island of Kip in this novel is an almost idyllic place – a place I would love to live.

If I had to say anything negative about this lovely novel is that it was very predictable. However, in this case, I found that I didn’t care. It’s predictability made it comforting and the characters were all so wonderful that I enjoyed the journey with them, despite the fact that very early on I knew how it would all pan out.

This is a book with themes of homecoming, regret, forgiveness, hope, belonging, and community. It expounds on how strongly people can be linked to a ‘place’.

If you are looking for a feel good novel that also tugs at your heart strings, then this is the book for you. A lovely read that I can highly recommend.

This is the first book Iv read by Libby Page and I very much enjoyed it. I loved the description of Island life and getting to know the story of Lorna and her Brother. Brought up in an abusive home, and then parting with Jack, this story tells of loneliness, bringing up a child all on her own and hardship with no family to turn to.
Then facing the Island again and trying to build relationships, it’s about forgiveness and truths and love. The setting and characters make this a very enjoyable read and il def be looking at Libby’s other books. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.