Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

A really fun and charming read with an enjoyable premise and gorgeous characters. I would highly recommend.

I received this book for free for an honest unbiased review from Netgalley.

I wish more books were this well written. Characters were witty and the setting fantastic.

I enjoyed reading this book by author Emily O'Beirne. It's actually my first book from her. It is a different setting from all the books I've read and is refreshing to learn about Australia as well. The MCs Samira and Alex have great chemistry, and they learn about each other, but it's cut short. However, next summer they find themselves working together again and realize what they want. I highly recommend.

I have to say, the original setting is what made me request this book. A sapphic summer romance set in Tasmania? It's not something you hear everyday, and especially not when it comes to sapphic books. I truly enjoyed the topic mentioned in this story, they were pretty well developed as well as was the romance which I also enjoyed a lot. Samira and Alex weren't opposite but definitely had obvious differences which in a way complemented each other so well. I just loved them both and their romance, it had a certain "je ne sais quoi" as we say lmao. Totally recommend, 4.5 stars

Loved this story so much.

I’ve been staying away from YA fiction but this drew me and captured my interest.

cute story with fun characters and great story!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and netgalley for this review copy.

In Big Island we follow Samira and Alex when they meet taking a summer course in journalism. They are both from different economic backgrounds but both have issues with their families. While they start off on the wrong foot they soon find each other before Samira has to leave and they don’t see eachother for a year.


This book has an interesting perspective as it takes place right before Samira and Alex have to take a step into adulthood and leave home. I thought the romance was sweet, but the falling out was unnecessary. The book took place during two summers but thematically it would have only needed one. Overall a good beach read.

I really enjoyed this book and I appreciated how the journalism theme was not treated as afterthought. I identified most with Alex and her discomfort (at times) with speaking to people. I think her connection with Samira helped her open up and become more socially active. There were some topics I felt the author should’ve spent a bit more time on (e.g Alex’s coming out and the resolution to those feels) but overall I enjoyed the writing style.

Thank you NetGalley for the review copy!

Really cute queer book for younger readers. Perfect read for pride month.

First let me say that I don’t generally gravitate towards YA, but I had heard good things about this author so I decided to give this book a go and I’m glad I did!

This story very much resonated with me and reminded me of my teenage years growing up in the Florida keys. The author deftly explores the pressures of being a teenager; choosing a college/career, heartbreak and family dynamics in a way I found extremely relatable and made me fall in love with both Samira and Alex.

O’Beirne writes with a mature voice and a cadence that pulls you from the beginning, while still keeping the dialogue and character arcs believable for teens. This book was very well done and I will be keeping my eye out for more of her work in the future.

Pick this up if you’re looking for an engrossing and highly enjoyable YA summer read! 4.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Ylva Publishing for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Being a crazy lover of queer novels, I was able to read only one book this month. Nevertheless, I loved it.

Yes, this lesfic is a story of two teens Samira and Alex, and their family, bonding, friendship, and love dynamics. All the more, it is more about making it big in the field of journalism.

Samira is from Queensland. She goes to Tasmania to attend a short summer journalism course, recommended by her only uncle Micah — brother of her dead mother.

In the two-week programme, Samira makes friends with her batch mates, and attracted towards awkward Alex, a local girl from the island, who is skilled and talented in what she does best — investigative journalism.

During those two weeks, they slowly get to know each other. While Samira has come out to her family, Alex is still a closeted queer girl. Both get intimate and make out and kiss — Alex's first — but eventually they part away due to some unavoidable, bitter circumstances.

The story then travels a year later when Samira is back to the island — this time for a full-fledged summer journalism internship. Now Alex is a political editor, while Samira works in a different department as a reporter.

This time the summer starts on a sticky wicket as the power dynamics had shifted, and they're not anymore equals. However, gradually, the old flames are rekindled and both Samira and Alex cannot avoid each other, both professionally and personally.

As the days progress, they share more freely their future plans and about their funny richy family in case of Samira and a middle-class sentimental family in case of Alex.

However, both hold some secrets to themselves for the fear of losing each other. Will they two achieve what they have dreamt of? Will they have a successful college life? Read it to know it.

Apart from Samira and Alex, I loved the politician father of Samira with his antics and her weird granny. In Alex's case, her brother Sam was very likeable and her father is good emotional man. However, I just loved her mother's character, an unemotional, silent woman who knows her child is not like others but distances herself from her due to her noncommittal approach, which we can relate to many Indian moms.

What will I tell about their friend's circle — matured and responsible yet raucous and go-getters.

Overall, it is a smooth ride of a novel, even though I felt it is too lengthy for this light-hearted premises. Give it a try, and you won't be let down.

An opposites attract, second chance sapphic romance set in Tasmania.

Big Island follows our two main characters, Samira, a young girl from Queensland who travels to Tasmania for a summer journalism course to escape her conservative and political father and Alex, a headstrong girl from country Tasmania who is trying to deal with her distant family.

I love reading books that are set in Australia especially places that I live or have visited before so I was excited to pick up this one. The pacing was quite slow but focused primarily on the development and growth of the characters which I think served the story well.

Overall, Big Island was an easy read and I enjoyed watching the characters grow over the two summers they spend together.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ylva Publishing for providing me with copy of this e-ARC.

Rep: Lesbian, Sapphic Relationship

Content Warnings: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Outing, Abortion (mentioned)

Extremely wholesome Sapphic YA story that makes me wanna visit Australia/Tasmania as soon as I can.

Thank you to Literally PR Ltd., Ylva Publishing, and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for a honest review.

Lately I have loveeed a good sapphic read. But i havent read a YA one before so thought why not give this one a try? Although I am totally realizing lately i am aging outof the YA phase, i still wanted to read this book and I am not going to let that take away from my rating. With that, this is such a cute summer read. Totally puppy love, big hug type of read. I think the author did an amazing job with character development. Which is huge for a YA book because Samira and Alex are literally trying to figure themselves out. Especially at that age, there is so much to figure out. The author did them both justice here and i really loved that.

When I first picked up this book, I was so excited to see my state, Tasmania, being featured. But the first few instances it's mentioned, really downgrades it. It reads as though the author hasn't been here, doesn't understand that there really isn't as big of a divide between 'country' and 'city' as they are depicting. The island isn't big enough for that. It really dampened my vigour for reading on.

That being said, this is a sweet Sapphic novel readers on the younger side of YA will enjoy.
Easy to read, simple language.

A great coming of age story with a sort of second chance romance between two girls with completely different family background. This one is focused more on character growth and depth so don't expect a big plot or fast paced reading. Yet it's a tender love story of 2 girls connecting while on the brink of moving to college and it certainly brought me back a few years. The insecurities of love, future choices, finding your place within your family without losing yourself. Great read!

***Thank you Netgalley for giving me the chance to read and review this book***

I got this book for free, in exchange for my honest opinion via NetGalley.

Samira and Alex couldn't come from more different families. Samira's father is a politician with controversial beliefs. Alex's father works away and her mother is distance.

However, the girls get off to a rocky start when they find themselves in the same summer journalism class. Flash forward to a year later, and they once again find themselves working side-by-side at a University paper for the summer. Working this closely the realise their attraction to one another still remains.

It's such a wonderful adventure with two characters coming from different backgrounds and seeing them coming into their own and how they simply fit into each other's lives.

There were parts that seemed dragged out, and a little on the slow side to develop. But it worked, you just have to push past it. I noticed in this book, that a couple of different times, the author calls a character by the wrong name.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It was a wonderful summer read.

Read For:
Idiots in Love
Family Drama
Happy Ending
Second Chance
Good Friendships

Such a good summer read. The characters were all amazing, the romance was a great mix of ‘idiots in love’ and a ‘slow burn’ that worked so well for Alex and Samira. The setting was lovely and gave off the perfect summer vibes.

Alex worked through finding out who she is and gaining genuine confidence in herself. Learning how to use her words. I really related to her in that way, she often said something a little too bluntly or just didn’t understand why people didn’t always see her point. She didn’t mean things to come off as rude but it just kinda happened.

Samira worked on standing up for herself. Breaking away from the demands of her family (her dad mostly) and doing what she wanted and believed in. She learned a lot of independence and good life skills like being able to cook for herself and even do her own laundry while she stayed with her uncle.

Basically, this book had great character development with both of the main characters.

I loved the wholesome moments Samira had with Micah. He was so sweet and I really enjoyed reading how he was constantly there for his favorite niece and how he was able to show genuine interest and support with what she was doing in her life. Especially when her dad showed no interest unless it helped with his image.

I really enjoyed this book. Thanks to NetGalley and the author/publisher for this e-book copy in exchange for an honest review.

(Switching, Third Person POV)
Spice: 🌶️ (mentioned)

Rep: Lesbian MCs

⚠️ Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, and Homophobia
Moderate: Lesbophobia, Outing, Cursing, Classism, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Death of parent, Abortion, Sexual content, and Grief

This story follows Samira and Alex, two girls who couldn't possibly be less alike, two girls whose paths wouldn't cross, not ordinarily. But during a journalism camp, and an assignment that forces them to work together, something changes. It becomes apparent just how true the saying 'opposites attract' really is.

But with fiery starts, often come fiery endings, and now it's been a full year. A year of heartache and healing from the burnt out, fast paced love affair that they shared that one summer.

A lot can change in a year...but a lot can also remain the same. In their time apart, the expectations placed upon them by their family and their friends still loom overhead, and they will do almost anything to make sure that they don't let their loved ones down.

When they both walk into the same internship for the same university paper, old wounds begin to reopen and, suddenly, the everything that they'd do to keep their loved ones happy might be too much.

How can they work together when the wounds they caused on another the year before have yet to even scar? More importantly, how can they keep it all professional - for the good of their work, and their hearts - when those same burning, passionate feelings come back to life with a force to be reckoned with?

Big Island is my first read of Emily O'Beirne's books, and so I went in relatively blind. All I really knew was that the main story was sapphic, and that was far more than enough for me.

Despite not knowing what exactly it was that I was expecting writing style or story wise, I can safely say that any subconscious expectations were passed without a doubt.

O'Beirne's writing is impeccable - the way that the characters felt so personable, so real, almost like they were a friend of yours rather than just words on a page is a magical quality that not many writers manage to achieve.

The storylines never felt contrived or too over the top, instead they felt real, but not to the point where it felt like you couldn't escape reality within the story.

Overall, this was a wonderful story with beautiful characters and development, realism built into every facet and a certain feel to the writing that made it almost impossible not to enjoy every second of the reading experience.

It would be remiss of me to give Big Island anything less than a 4/5 stars! ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, Emily O'Beirne and the publishers for this e-ARC. I can't wait to read more of O'Beirne's work.