A good read. When workaholic Lily finds herself suffering from exhaustion her colleague books her in for a vacation at a new retreat where things don't get off to a great start but gradually she wonders what she really wants from life as she starts to interact with the locals and especially Sam who owns the resort. It's a great location with lots of interesting characters and it holds your interest from the beginning.

This was a perfect summer read, it was gorgeous and I couldn't get enough of it! The setting was luxurious and the characters were really loveable.

Two people help each other realise what’s really important in life. Lily has been sent to Stark, a tiny Channel Isle, to recuperate after fainting from overwork. It takes a terrifying experience on the beach to make her realise what is really important in life. Sam, the owner of the barely-finished resort hotel on the island, has also had a rough time, not least getting his new retreat open on time. The beautiful descriptions of the island scenery and its changing weather make you want to visit. A great summer read.

I have never visited the Scilly Isles or even thought about them for more than a moment, and now I would love to visit. I’m aware that the terrain would be a challenge for my reduced mobility, but a girl can dream.
When we meet Lily, we get a clear insight into her controlling and micromanaging nature. Determined to succeed, she has taken on more and more responsibility within her business, all to the detriment of her personal life. Her work has even caused her to neglect her nieces, whom she adores and are the last connection to her sister, who died tragically. Agreeing to a two-week break in a retreat in the Scilly Isles seems like something she can get on board with until she endures the commute and then the underwhelming hospitality of her host.
I think we’ve all met women like Lily, whose focus on success has become all-consuming and impossible to relinquish their hold of. However, Lily doesn’t recognise this flaw in herself and struggles to delegate. Despite her depth of focus, I hoped that she would find her way back to a more balanced life and loosen her grip on her control. Lily’s character was perfectly developed, and with each chapter, I gained a greater understanding of what was driving her forward.
A special mention has to be made to her loyal assistant, who listeners to Radio2 may find familiar.
Sam, on the other hand, is an open book. After stepping in when his brother moved to America, he's been left raising a moody teen. He’s also nursing a broken heart since his girlfriend emigrated to Australia without an invite for him to follow. He certainly deserves better than to deal with Lily’s sharp tongue and spoiled behaviour. I was immediately drawn to him, and he was everything that I would hope for in a romantic lead.
As well as her excellent storytelling and character development, what Phillipa Ashley really excels at is her ability to paint a landscape with her words. I could absolutely imagine the setting and practically feel the wind against my skin whilst tasting the salt in the air. The descriptions of the disaster mentioned in the synopsis had my pulse racing, and I was almost gasping for breath.
An absolutely wonderful book that I can recommend wholly.

A wonderful read. I was totally captivated by the first page. I must admit that I didn’t know that Scilly was in the UK so that was an amazing find and I loved learning about the islands and their history and it’s now firmly on my list of places to visit.

Lily and Sam are a great couple of characters. Both with a haunted past relationship and baggage they think is going to bring them down. However together they feel lighter and open up to each other without realising it. They support and champion each other. Sam helped Lily see what was important to her and reminded her about why she started her craft business and Lily helps Sam see that one man can not be an island and help doesn’t make you weak.

Reading about their adventures and mishaps was really riveting and I couldn’t turn the page quick enough, the descriptions and details made me feel like I was actually there. Superb from start to finish.

4.5 ⭐️
Lily has no time for herself and her business is her life. When she’s forced to have a break away from the business and go practically “off grid” she finds out what is really important to her and what she’s been missing. She meets Sam who is the host of the previously uninhabited island of Stark who is currently building a luxury retreat which is not quite finished.
What follows is a lovely story of her journey from business go-getter to a woman who has fallen in love with Stark, the Isles of Scilly, and the people who live there.
This is a beautiful story, which with its descriptions of the Isles of Scilly has made me want to visit myself.
It’s a romantic feel good story which you know will all work out right in the end. I thoroughly enjoyed this read.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A feel good summer read - makes you think and enjoy the present - a brilliant read from Phillipa and would definitely recommend for the summer

The setting was beautiful and it’s an enjoyable romantic story but I didn’t warm to the characters and found it slightly boring, as much of the book just concentrated on the two main characters. I usually love Phillipa Ashley’s books, and I was excited to read this latest one, but it’s probably my least favourite of her novels. I’d encourage new readers to read some of her previous books as she is an excellent author. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book.

Once again Phillipa has written another good book. I would say she gets better with each book. This one I just could not put down, I kept sneaking off to read it, housework went out the window. I highly recommend this book.

i didn’t dislike it. i liked the concept, just sweet and fluffy, and about letting your walls down. i just found myself not really caring that much about the characters, i was just indifferent; not rooting for them or hoping the story went a certain way. wasn’t a massive fan of the writing style either but it was still a sweet book.

Gorgeous read, lovely story. Very descriptive of the Scilly Isles, now on my visit list.
First read by Phillipa Ashley but not my last
Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC

If you are looking for a feel good summer romance then look no further. After a sudden medical episode workaholic Lily is sent to the Isles of Scilly to a retreat to rest and recuperate. On arriving the retreat isn’t finished but she meets a local, Sam, who owns the retreat. Then we come to the warm and cuddly romance of the story. Boy meets girl, throw in a moody teenage niece, a widowed brother in law, and the turbulent weather of an island.

A wonderful book about enjoying where you are not where you think you should be.
Leaving her business behind after a health scare and switching off.
Helping others and finding yourself at the same time.

Lily runs her own business selling crafted items on a global scale but has hit burnout, particularly since her sister died. When she passes out at her desk, her PA decides enough is enough and calls in the cavalry of her doctor brother in law, who prescribes a long break. Sam owns an island in Scilly that he’s developing into a luxury retreat and Lily becomes his first guest. Will he be able to convince her to leave a good review (she’s known on social media for her scathing ones!) and make her fall in love with Scilly?

A lovely romcom with a likeable cast and scenery that makes you want to go to Scilly yourself. Thanks to NetGalley for a free arc in return for an honest review. 4.5/5

I really enjoyed this book and was grateful to have been given the chance to read this.

Scilly is somewhere I have wanted to go to for ages, and loved reading a story about it.

Lily is an over-worked CEO, and founder of her own business, on the brink of a breakdown and being trolled on social media. She is sent on a break by her PA to a new retreat on the island of Stark. What meets her in totally unexpected, a half finished hotel and a hotelier (Sam) who is equally unprepared to welcome her as a guest. She is isolated on an island by herself with no wifi, which leads to many surprises.

This is a tale where she realises who she really is, what she really Loves, and what she wants to do, She makes (re) discoveries about herself, and the island of Stark. After a traumatic experience, develops a deeper relationship with Sam (and his family) that changes the way she looks at things at herself.

Phillipa Ashley's books are always lovely, and I am looking forward to the next one.

I just loved this book. I read it at the right time; when the weather was cold and wet, work was busy, and life admin was piling up.
It felt like a little escape; reading it, and imagining the life that Lily was leading and how she was able to turn things around.
I found it an easy read and wanted to keep coming back to it when I had some free time, I had a great image of the characters and I liked all their personalities and quirks.
I will certainly be following the author and hoping it could be a series with the next adventures of Lily!

Another fab book by Phillippa who is a must read author. I'll be looking out for her next book as they are always filled with likeable characters, gorgeous settings and make you want to come back for more.

I always love a contemporary romance as a pallet cleanser and this did the job! Location, characters, and story were great. I would definitely recommend this to others.

this book follows lily - who is a bit of a workaholic after her sister died and after collapsing at work. she allows her PA to book her a holiday away to rest. she meets the resort owner and their summer romance was so sweet to read about! i enjoyed this book a lot. it was fun and sweet and a lovely read for the beach or lounging by the pool!!

I really liked this novel set on the Isles of Scilly (which I now want to visit!).

Lily Harper is forced to take a break from her flourishing business, and is booked on a last minute break to a retreat on the Isles of Scilly. There she meets Sam and a host of other characters (charming and otherwise!) as she has to come to terms with events in her life and discover what she really wants.

I loved this book, really easy to get into and very descriptive.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exhange for my honest review.