River Of Stars evokes the wildness of the 1960s and the bohemian lifestyle that epitomises it. It's a dual-timeline story set on a fictional isle on the River Thames, but inspired by an existing one. It tells the story of two families and a community that spans generations. Art and music define the community portrayed as a sanctuary from everyday life, but the freedom, glamour, and love mask dysfunctional relationships and emotional pain. It explores belonging, family, legacy and love through its complex characters that you invest in. The storytelling is engaging and draws you into community life in the 1960s and the present day. It showcases a unique lifestyle and shows the power of love. The perfect immersive read for a Summer day.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Walnut Tree Island is in the middle of the Thames, inspired by real life Eel Pie Island, which was once a focus for art and music in the 50s and 60s, hosting bands and artists some of whom became hugely famous. Eel Pie Island and its legend still live on.

On Walnut Tree Island there are two families: the Greenwoods and the Stars, there have been tensions between the two families over the recent past and the last island owner of the Greenwood family, Jack.

Jo Star has an extremely close bond with her grandmother Mary, a matriarch whom many turn to on the island. Jo is quite an unhappy, tightly wound woman, who long ago lost her confidence and passion for painting. She’s never really left the island and lives a rather insular life.

Handsome Oliver Greenwood has returned to the island after many years away. As the current landowner he is ruffling feathers, as the inhabitants are not sure of his future intentions for the land. He has weighty decisions to make about what he wants from life.

Can the Star and Greenwood families reconcile their differences? Will Jo and Oliver rekindle something of their shared past?

We learn about other inhabitants of the island too, their secrets and dreams.

I enjoyed the island setting; the descriptions of the houseboats, communal garden and spaces. It was the novel setting which made me continue reading, overall I found it a very light read, with rather thinly sketched characters and predictable storylines. It is perfect for summer holiday reading (I read it in West Cornwall.)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

There’s a thriving group of artisans who live in houseboats on the River Thames side by side with Walnut Tree Island. Their living arrangements help to form a tight knit community who guard the place with fierce determination, reluctant for any change to spoil the ambiance of a place locked in time.

Back in the 1960s Walnut Tree Island was home to a thriving music scene and sixteen year old Mary Star was very much part of this world however, when we meet her, in the present day, she is old lady with her only her memories of times gone by and a fierce protective instinct towards her fiery granddaughter, Jo. Inevitably, with a new landlord, change must come to the island and for Mary and Jo Star old memories will be stirred and emotions, long buried, will have to be faced.

The novel is slow and steady, exploring the tangled relationships between the boat dwellers, the minutiae of their lives and their desire to keep Walnut Island safe from any changes which might destroy their bohemian way of life. The island, is beautifully described and is so much a character in its own right, that the whole place comes alive, from its heyday in the 1960s, to its rundown modern day appearance. However, as we move forwards and backwards in time so we come to realise the importance of this beautiful place not just to Mary, Jo and the boat dwellers but also to Oliver Greenwood, the new landlord, who has his own emotional connection to Walnut Tree Island.

With its quirky characters and beautiful setting, River of Stars captured my imagination in a lovely story about love, loss and the value of friendship.

Three generations of Greenwood men, George, jack and Oliver.
Three generations of Star women, Mary, Ruby and Jo.
Their lives intertwined, their actions impacted upon each other on Walnut Island. The Greenwood’s , landlords, controlling, the Stars, questioning authority but secure in their position on the island.
The book is full of characters, some of which I would have liked to know better, especially Golibe .
..a real page turner and one to savour.
J

!

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. I very much enjoyed this story, set on an island in the river Thames. Treeland has a history of supporting new musicians make their name. The islands owner George had been a good landlord who supported the island community, particularly Mary Star. The past history is briefly retold at the beginning, but most of the book looks at life in the present day. George's grandson,Oliver has inherited the island after his father's death. Will he keep the island, will he repair the infrastructure and community that his father ignored? All the main characters are well written with realistic background stories and characteristics. I loved Mary, and her story is central too much of this book. Her granddaughter Jo, is a bit of a mystery. Sophie, a northerner who is married to Dave is a very different character & I felt her to be an outsider. The book is compelling. It has it's highs and low points. All felt very real. Ican recommend this book to all reader s

Set on an island in the Thames, the book follows the story of Mary, now an elderly woman, coming of age in the 60s, and of her granddaugther Jo, born and raised on the island. Their lives have always been inextricably linked with the Greenwoods, owners of the island. Now Oliver Greenwood is back to reclaim his inheritance. What will his return mean for the islanders? And for Jo?
This was a slow burning read, depending as much on character development and background atmosphere as it does on plot. It took me some time to get to know and empaphise fully with the characters, but once I did, I was wholly engaged with the story, and keen to know how things would end for all of them.
I particularly liked Mary, and Jo's friend Sophie, a newcomer to the island who is perhaps more clear-sighted than the others in realising that island life isn't always the sanctuary it's made out to be.
Despite the islanders' determination to party like the old ldays, when the island had a thriving music scene, there's a lot of melancholy sadness in the story. But there is also a lovely sense of nostalgia running through the narrative. That, along with the beautifully descriptive prose, makes this story a warm and ultimately happy read.

Another wonderful read by this author - she definitely knows how to pull on those heart strings and does it excellently in this book - bravo!

An enchanting, beautiful tale which will capture you from beginning to end!

I loved the cover of this book so much it enticed me and the content did not disappoint!
Definitely well worth a read!

I loved Georgina Moore's debut, The Garnett Girls, so I was eager to see how she would follow it up. It is a character driven novel, and I loved the depth with which the characters were developed and how easily I was able to get to know them. It's clear from the beginning that many of the characters are still coming to terms with issues from their pasts, and Georgina Moore really captures the emotions involved in this. It's subtle and it happens gradually, but by the last part of the novel, I found that the emotions of the difficult situations encountered by the characters really impacted me.

The narrative alternates between the past and present, and this is a really effective technique, as it helped me to understand what had happened before and led the characters to act in the way they did. I enjoyed meeting the characters who had passed away in the present day.

River Of Stars is set on Walnut Tree Island, a fictional island based on Eel Pie Island in the River Thames. I was unaware of this island prior to reading this novel, but I love how Georgina Moore has portrayed Island life and the community living on it. I was immersed straight away in this setting and really enjoyed learning about it.

The characters in River Of Stars will stay with me for a long time to come.

I absolutely loved the author’s debut The Garnett Girls so was excited to read River of Stars.
It’s set on the fictional Walnut Tree Island on the Thames and moves between two timelines in the 1960s and the present day.
I found it difficult to get into the novel initially as there were too many characters introduced at the start and I found it hard to differentiate between them. I loved the setting which was atmospheric and perfect for summer reading. I found most of the characters unlikeable and difficult to relate to. I found the writing uneven, there are some well written sections but at times the writing didn’t flow and was hindered by unnecessary sub plots and became too meandering.
Overall this was a disappointing novel where perhaps the plot got lost to the author’s love of the island.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

This was a fantastic read that I enjoyed immensely. Moore’s debut novel caught my attention and I saw it everywhere when it was released. Despite not having (yet!) read it, this second book from Moore makes me think that this will be just as good a success.

Moore’s storytelling and writing style reminded me of Taylor Jenkins Reid. With the lazy summer, the rich descriptions and the artistry referenced, this is a drama that spans the decades, inspired by the real Eel Pie Island that was frequented by rock ‘n’ roll gods, artists and, quite simply, provided the escape from the toils of city life.

Spanning decades, this book explores the history of Walnut Tree Island through Mary and her granddaughter. Both are residents on Walnut Tree Island but the new owner of the island, landlord Oliver, has stirred the locals, fearing that they are going to be moved on from their beloved home. Oliver’s grandfather, Mary’s rescuer, was at the heart of the community back in the sixties but this did not transpire over the generations. Today, Mary is one of the few originals from Walnut Tree Island’s hey day, and with her, her fiercely protective granddaughter. Jo will do anything to protect the island, even if she does have a history with Oliver.

I loved how the story moved from past to present. We don’t learn too much about Mary’s history but this helps provide insight into the current timeline. Readers learn about the island’s glory days and how this evolved over the years. Presently, Jo is portrayed as lost in life; her close friend has just married and Jo feels like the world has moved on without her. Having turned her back on her own art, Jo is floundering in life, with just the island to defend. Yet, Oliver’s return provokes memories she thought she had long since buried, leading Jo to question exactly what she wants to do with her future.

I sympathised with Jo, especially as more of Mary’s history is revealed. Furthermore, I don’t think Sophie is a particularly good friend to Jo and I felt that Sophie’s fate was justified. I loved the heady atmosphere that Moore vividly creates on the island and, regardless of the time period, it feels like life really does stop here. There is definite escapism which I certainly found when reading the book.

This drama with historical twists was a delight to read. The three generations of the Star family are all linked by the island. Whereas Mary is firmly rooted in it, her daughter was desperate to leave and Jo is like a culmination of both generations. Indeed, the cyclical nature of the plot meant that the ending was like the island going through its own cycles, and I finished the book feeling full of content, despite the poignant implications about Mary.

Although I haven’t read Moore’s first book, this read has certainly inspired me to do so in the near future! This was a great story and I was captured by it from the first scenes of music and love in the sixties. The island represents love, artistry and freedom and it is interesting to see how the three generations of Star women respond to this.

With thanks to HQ and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn’t sure about this at the start but I became engrossed in the lives of those on Walnut Island and the relationship between the Stars and the Greenwood’s..

A captivating, magical story set on a fictional island on the Thames. It’s based on Eel Pie Island and reflects the musical heritage of the 1960s. Told from a dual POV of Mary and her granddaughter Jo, the stories of friendship and community are balanced by darker themes of power and control. I would like to have had more about Ruby and Ossie but maybe that’s the sequel. Beautifully written I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I found the characters of this story to be varied and as delightful as the location, a small island on the river Thames. The islanders lives are laid back and slow paced with community central.
The chapters are divided between main character Jo and her Grandmother, along with timelines from past and present. The close knit residents lives are thrown into turmoil when Landlord Oliver returns from USA with the intention of selling Walnut Tree Island. Jo is especially nervous about his arrival as she recalls their secret past and the hurt when Oliver was forced to leave with his family.
My thanks to Net Galley and publishers HQ for the advanced copy of this book.

A slow burning type of saga telling the story in two timeframes . There were a lot of plot lines to follow and keep the characters in perspective. The idea I found good but it did not keep me enthralled

Back in its '60s heyday, Walnut Tree Island was the place to be for musicians, singers and music lovers. Now it's home to a strong artistic community including Mary, a beloved Walnut Tree performer, and her granddaughter, Jo. When the new landlord, Oliver Greenwood, returns to the island with the aim of selling it, the islanders are rightly worried. But that isn't all Jo is concerned about because Oliver is also Jo's first love, the one love she never got over.

Oh, this book! I haven't read anything this immersive and beautiful in a long time. I really looked forward to picking it up and getting transported back to Walnut Tree. I completely fell in love with the island, as well as the sometimes flawed but relatable characters.

Stories of Mary's turbulent teenage years on the island are skillfully intertwined with modern-day island life and the threat surrounding Oliver's return. Mary, now in her seventies, is facing a diagnosis that is jeopardising her cherished memories. Jo is struggling in her career as an artist and Oliver is forced to confront more that he planned to now he's back on Walnut Tree.

There are historical family feuds, secrets, enemies-to-lovers romance and strong female relationships. Even though some of the book was set in winter, it all felt like the last sultry, lazy, hazy days of summer. I know that this book and the enchanting characters will stay with me for a very long time.

If you're looking for a book you can really escape in, River of Stars is it!!

Thank you to HQ and Netgalley for the ARC.

I enjoyed this book about life in a fictional island community in the Thames. Walnut Tree Island is based on Eel Pie Island and its history as a place for making music in the 60s. Mary Star is an older lady who was once a singer, who got pregnant with a rock singer on the rise to fame. She lives on the island with her granddaughter, Jo, and they work to retain the community spirit and artistic vibe of the island. Back into their lives, comes Oliver, grandson of one of Mary’s oldest friends, who now owns the island. Its fate, and that of the families, rests in Oliver’s hands. And he and Jo have some unfinished romantic history.
Well-written and evocative, this has made me want to buy a houseboat and make some art. A lovely summer read. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I was captivated by this beautiful story.

River of Stars is set on the fictional Walnut Tree Island, it has a history of musical legends and a community of artists.

The story is told across multiple timelines, starting in the 1960’s where we meet Mary Star and George Greenwood. Mary finds herself pregnant by musical star Ossie, who is about to go on tour. George (landlord) looks out for Mary, offering her work, safety and accommodation on the island.

We arrive in the present, where Mary and granddaughter Jo still live on the island. However, Oliver, George’s grandson is now the landlord and there is speculation he wants to sell…

The story is just beautiful. There is a real sense of community on the island. I loved how close knit the islanders were. I also enjoyed seeing how the story unfolded. There was a clear history between the Stars and the Greenwood’s, that over time had become twisted.

I loved seeing Jo change as the story unfolded. Rediscovering her love of painting, and taking chances, and finding love.

The pace of the story is quite slow, but it fits with the story and I just didn’t want it to end!

Thank you so much to the author, HQ publishers and Netgalley for the advanced read. Opinions expressed here are my own.

Jo Star has lived on Walnut Tree Island with her grandmother Mary her whole life. A former artist, Jo stopped painting or drawing when her work was put down by someone important to her. But the arrival of Oliver, a childhood friend, and new landlord of the island throws Jo’s life into chaos and brings back many memories she has long suppressed. Mary is also a lifelong islander from back in the day when it was a hub for up and coming musicians. Oliver’s grandfather, George, owned the island then and looked after Mary when she most needed it. So Oliver’s reemergence has consequences for her too, not least on whether she’ll be able to continue to live on her beloved island.

I really wanted to love this book. The description sounded right up my street and it started promisingly. But I never really connected with the characters or the story. I think there were too many perspectives and some of the relationships just didn’t feel genuine or believable, But there were some positives. The descriptions of the island made it sound so magical and I would love to visit somewhere like it! I also thought the way that something to do with Mary was handled throughout the book but particularly towards the end was done accurately and sympathetically but I can’t say what or it would give some of the story away.

While I did like the book, I just didn’t love it as much as I had hoped. Other reviewers seem to have made positive reviews so I’m sure readers will enjoy it if they choose it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

I live a few miles from Eel Pie Island which inspired Walnut Tree Island in River of Stars. I've never visited though I've passed on a boat - it looks magical and this book makes me determined to go there one day.
It's a love letter to the island now and it's amazing musical history, Georgina Moore makes the island as important as the characters which is only right as it shapes them, their relationships and their hopes and fears.
I love a multigenerational story and as we follow the Stars and the Greenwoods from the 1960s to the present day there is a real sense of time moving on yet the island anchoring the Star women in a world that bears little resemblance to the Greenwoods. The music aspect is brilliant wrought and you can almost smell the sweaty mouldy hotel ballroom as the rock stars of tomorrow perform. I also loved the artists colony, what a fascinating place.
The central love story is clever, Jo and Oliver are older and neither is perfect - it's wonderful to follow them as they finally recognise what they need to change for themselves before they can be happy together.
All in all another hit for Georgina Moore, I predict it will be on all the Summer must read lists. And I will be going to the next Artist's Open Day on Eel Pie Island!