This is the first book by Libby Page that I've read. It tells the tale of Lorna returning to the island she grew up on for the first time in more than 20 years. A place that she ran away from due to her difficult family life.

It was an enjoyable read, if a little predictable. It was somewhat obvious where parts of the plot were heading. I was also slightly confused about how Lorna's parents had seemingly died within two days of each other - which the book basically explained away in one sentence. But, surely it is somewhat unusual. However, it was still a very pleasant read and rather touching in places.

It was a book about the past and belonging and ultimately a story of hope and friendship.

I read The Lido last year with @bethsbookclub and absolutely adored the characters and storyline so I went into this read with high expectations. Libby Page did not disappoint.

Lorna is living a relatively solitary life in London with her teenage daughter Ella. Via Ella she discovers that her estranged parents, who live on the Isle of Kip in the Scottish Highlands, have passed away. So begins their trip back to the Island Lorna has escaped as a teenager...

Told through the eyes of Lorna and Alice, the sister-in-law Lorna has never met, we experience Lorna’s time on the island as she works on old broken relationships, begins new friendships, and comes to terms with her past.

Is it predictable? A little bit. But I honestly don’t care! It was a charming read, the Island really comes to life, as do the characters that are far from perfect. There are some lovely relationships that are nurtured, some drama to keep you gripped, and of course some swimming involved.

I was fully engaged and committed and have left the book feeling happy and joyful. You can’t ask for more than that!!

This was a very emotion and poignant read. I really enjoyed this book and I read it in a single sitting one wet afternoon. It was well written, well-paced and characters were likeable and well developed. I’m a big fan of Libby Page’s other books, so I knew I’d enjoy this one too. Would definitely recommend.

This story begins in London where Lorna lives with teenage daughter Ella about to board a train to Kip in Scotland for her parent's funeral.

I really enjoyed this tale of facing your past I was so eager to find out why Lorna had left so kept racing though the pages.

I felt for her brother Jack not understanding the reasons why when he was just fourteen years old.

Libby has done a fab job of creating a beautiful setting, her way with words and tact with sensitive issues.

I love when stories are told through the alternating chapters perspectives in this one Lorna and sister in law Alice.

A beautiful read of re connecting, friendships, love, moving in.

Highly recommended a perfect summer read.

This is an emotional and uplifting story which really resonated with me as a born and raised islander with a dodgy relationship with my younger brother. I did think that it was overly repetitive in places but overall it was a good read with a satisfyingly uncloying ending. With thanks to the author, the publishers and NetGalley for the e-ARC review copy.

Two nervous siblings, one on the island and one in London. Lorna is anxiously awaiting the sleeper train to take her and daughter Ella from Euston to Fort William, then onward to the ferry port to take her back to the Hebridean island of Kip. Why hasn’t been back for twenty two years? Meanwhile on Kip, Jack’s nerves have made him quiet, introspective and angry which makes his wife Alice and daughter Molly full of anxiety too. Can the siblings find a way to reconnect and put the past behind them?

I like the way that Libby Page writes and this is a lovely story about self knowledge, accepting and acknowledging the past and finding the place and the people to whom you really belong. The strained relationship between Jack and Lorna is well done and a bit at a time we learn what lies at the root of their issues which shows a dark, manipulative and cruel heart lay at the centre of their family. This part of the story is well done with emotions being well conveyed with feelings of anger, pain, guilt, sadness and regret coming across clearly. The characters are good and likeable and the close, tight knit community and camaraderie of the islanders is wonderful. There are some lovely, magical descriptions of the island which make me want to book a CalMac ferry to basically any Hebridean island! The story is set in summer however and I doubt island life is much fun in winter so I guess it’s a bit rose tinted spectacles but you do get the sense of all weathers in a day, sorry, hour!! I daresay the storyline is a bit predictable but at the end of the day it’s how a book makes you feel and I like the warmth of the storytelling here in the company of lovely people.

Overall, this is an enjoyable read which transports you for a few hours to a little island in the Atlantic and distracts you from the everyday humdrum! I really like the book cover too!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Orion for the arc in return for an honest review.

This was an eagerly anticipated read for me and it did not disappoint. The story was absolutely beautiful and totally uplifting and I was drawn in from the very first page!!! I loved it

The Island Home is such a beautiful and moving story with characters I deeply cared about and was invested in right from the outset.

The story is told through the alternating chapter perspectives of Lorna and Alice in the first person which I really enjoyed. We meet Lorna as she and her thirteen year old daughter Ella are waiting in Euston station to begin their long, overnight journey to the tiny and remote Isle of Kip in Scotland. An island where Lorna grew up, but one she hasn’t been back to in 22 years. Alice lives on the Isle of Kip with her husband Jack and their teenage daughter Molly. She loves the community on the island and her yoga classes draw women of all ages together; a group who have become the closest of friends. Now Alice is getting her home ready for her sister in law and niece’s arrival. A family she has never spoken to or seen before...

Libby really brought the fictional Isle of Kip to life through all of the detailed and beautiful descriptions; it was so picturesque! I could hear the waves crashing against the beach and see the towering mountain, the lighthouse in the distance, the forest, the harbour, the heather...it was such a magical setting!

I was immediately intrigued to learn why Lorna hadn’t spoken to her parents in 14 years too and how she hadn’t spoken to her brother Jack for 22 years. He was only 14 years old when Lorna, then 18, left the island behind for a new life in London. I really liked how details were slowly revealed throughout the story about Lorna’s past, her parents and the experiences she and Jack had as children growing up. There were so many moving scenes, especially the conversations Lorna had with her brother Jack.

I also loved the strong friendships the women have on the Island and how close the community is. It was really heart warming to see how close Ella and Molly became too and also Alice and Lorna in such a short space of time. The trip to the Island turned out to be so important for Lorna in so many ways. Not only in terms of getting to know her family, but unexpectedly having the chance to reconnect with close friends from her childhood who she had lost all contact with and also rediscovering elements of herself she thought were lost forever. There were so many great surprises along the way too, and events which had me racing through the pages to see what would happen next for these incredible characters!

I have enjoyed this story so much and didn’t want to have to leave the Isle of Kip behind or its wonderful community (even though the ending was beautiful and everything I was hoping it would be and more)! I would absolutely love a short story or novella sequel in the future to be able to read about these amazing characters again!

This is the third Libby Page novel I have read. The Lido will always be my favourite of hers, this was another great read. Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.

Thank you to @netgalley and @orionbooks for the ARC of The Island Home in return for an honest review.

This book was wholesome and heartbreaking in equal measure which is typical of a Libby Page book. She always finds the right balance of being a book that can hug you one moment and then slap you with reality the next. There are parts of this book that are difficult to read, subject wise, but it almost feels like you need to suffer the bad to truly appreciate the good. Just like Lorna. I loved Malachy and Lorna's development but I also love how that didn't detract from Lorna's relationship with her brother, which was the main focus of the book.

This book is out on June 24th 2021 and is such a treat.

I've had Libby Page's other book, The Lido, on my to read list for quite some time now. So when I saw that she had released a new book I was keen to give it a read.
Given how many people have raved about The Lido I went into this expecting a lot.
This was well written but it lacked that something special that I was expecting.
It was pleasant and made me feel emotional at times but at other points it dragged and was rather predictable.
For me, it was pretty average, which is why I had to give it 3 stars.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third Libby Page novel I have read. And while I think The Lido will always be my favourite of hers, this was another lovely read. I really liked the way the book switched between Lorna and Alice’s point of view and I loved the sense of community on the island. This was a bit predictable though, and at times I feel that let the book down. All in all, good for when you want a light easy escapist read.

The story was enjoyable but a little predictable with a neat ending. However it does put life into perspective and make you realise to enjoy the simple things in life.

I'm a huge fan of Libby's other books so I was really looking forward to reading this book and reader, I loved it! So much - if I'm honest I thought nothing would beat The Lido but The Island Home made me cry at least 8 times and I stayed up til 2am to finish it in one sitting!

Don't be put off by my crying - it is a wonderful story of love and family and friends and finding yourself and where you belong. It is a beautiful story and I cannot recommend it enough; you will not be disappointed!

What a beautiful book. I've read all of Libby Page's earlier books and I have to say that although The Lido is a close second, this is now my favourite. I genuinely could not put it down.
In some ways it reminds me a little of Jenny Colgan's Island series, but it has so much heart and depth, it can only be a Libby Page book.
We are introduced to Lorna, a teacher, who is forced to return to the island of Kip after her estranged parents' deaths. It is naturally going to be a difficult journey and yet it is life changing for Lorna and her lovely teenage daughter. Along the way we are introduced to a whole cast of warm-hearted characters and it really draws you into the world of the island. There are some difficult issues like gas lighting discussed but it was sensitively handled.
Honestly it was a pure joy and just what I needed to give me a lift today. I would recommend it to everyone.

I really enjoy Libby Pages writing. The Lido is one of my favourite books. The Island Home is well written but for me lacks something her previous books had. At times it seemed slow and a bit far fetched. It's a good read though and it made me feel emotional at times.
Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this book!

Lorna grew up on a small island off the Scottish coast but due to family estrangement and feeling unwelcome on the island she moved to London and had her daughter, Ella. As a teenager, Ella is asking more and more questions about her family and has contacted her cousin through Facebook and wants to meet her. They decide to go for a short break back to the island and Lorna has to confront the reasons she left. This was a pleasant enough read but not overly gripping. It's not a long book but it took me a few days to get through it. If you really enjoyed Libby Page's other books then I'd recommend it.

What a truly beautiful read this was - thoughtful, perceptive, heartfelt and heartwarming. Told from the viewpoints of two strong and caring women, in some ways opposites and in other ways very similar Lorna and Alice are both mothers of teens, both unsure of the other but both trying to mend and heal. Lorna fled the small island of Kip in her teens and tentatively attempted to maintain a relationship with her brother but with him not responding to her letters they became estranged, years later she returned with her daughter. Alice came to the island before she was due university and fell in love with the community and in particular Lorna’s brother Jack. The women both lead very different lives with different levels of satisfaction and this so well reflected their personalities, worries and emotions. There’s a huge range of emotions but this is a very positive book and the island itself sounds harsh in ways but blissful and much needed escapism.

Lorna and her brother were raised by emotionally abusive parents on a remote Scottish Island. She left as soon as she could without saying goodbye, but he didn't. Twenty years later she returns with her daughter for their parents' funeral, having not spoken to her brother since she left. Although her return is undertaken with great reluctance and trepidation, she is shown such care and understanding that her childhood hurts begin to heal. A really heartwarming story.

I had previously read The Lido by Libby Page and absolutely adored it. I was delighted to get the opportunity to review her newest book The Island Home. I adored it from start to finish, the story was an avsolute rollercoaster of emotions! I have a feeling that I will be reading books from the extremely talented Libby Page for a long time to come.