A second enjoyable instalment in the trilogy. Island Calling has a romcom wrapper but its main focus is on motherhood in all its forms. At its heart is Charlotte's relationship with her ghastly mother, Lucinda, who shows up on the island determined to reassert control over her daughter.

I had a couple of qualms. Lucinda's behaviour seems to go beyond insensitive into cruel and even abusive, which I found hard to take in an ostensibly light-hearted read, and makes their evolving understanding of each other less credible. I also felt that some of the transitions in the book were quite abrupt. In particular, a secondary character faces a life-changing medical dilemma in one chapter, but it's all happily resolved in the next, with no sense of the steps it took to get there.

What I do love is the insights into Charlotte's professional life and her knowledge of the animals on the island, particularly her beloved turtles. Overall, a great escape.

Joyful, joyful, jouyful!

I read Francesca’s first book in this series and loved it. I had high hopes and expectations for this book and I was not disappointed.

I think this book may even be better than the first. The characters come even more fully to life especially Charlotte and Lucinda who were both perfectly imperfect.

The author has an incredible talent for making the reader feel like we too are living on Tuga Di Oro and taking part in the story. I have a very vivid picture in my mind of how this beautiful island looks and smells!

I devoured this book in 2 days and can’t wait for the third book.

Just perfect!

This series would make a wonderful TV series.

Wishing the author much deserved success.

I absolutely loved the first book in this series so I was really excited to read the second. I read an eARC of this book on Net Galley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

I find this such a wonderfully compelling world. This is an island in the south Atlantic that’s incredibly hard to get to. During hurricane season the island is completely closed off leading to no one being able to leave or arrive at the island for weeks. We explore how the island residents deal with their isolation, the creative ways they have to get by and what they miss out on, along with the deep sense of community held by those who live there. In the second book we spend time with some familiar characters from the first book whilst seeing new perspectives.

I was totally engrossed, this one follows Charlotte our vet and turtle researcher more solidly than the first book and we see her torn between two worlds. I was a bit disappointed with the romantic storyline this time, I thought there was some callousness there that made it hard for me to root for. That’s my only small issue with an otherwise wonderfully enjoyable book.

This is a unique, character study centred around community and sense of belonging. The island itself is incredible and gorgeous and such an immersive setting with the gold coin tortoises.

This is a series I’d definitely carry on with, read again and recommend to others.

A trip to Tuga was just the escape I needed and book 2 about this lovely island came just at the right time. Francesca Segal's imagination is amazing. In Island Calling she takes us back to Tuga and re-introduces the islanders and the FFA's during Island Close. A peaceful time usually for the islanders but not this time! There is a whole range of upsets and change happening. To Charlotte the vet, the children, Katie the physio who arrived in the last book and several others all have traumas to deal with. This book was a joy to read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would recommend anyone who hasn't visited Tuga de Oro to start with the first book, Welcome to Glorious Tuga, immediately then they will enjoy this book all the more. Me? I'm looking forward to book 3!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

I loved the first book in this series and was so pleased to receive the second book on NetGalley. It was lovely to return to these characters and the island of Tuga.

Charlotte has been happily living and working on the island with love interest Levi until her mother makes an extremely unexpected arrival during island close.

Another charming novel and would highly recommend it, but do read the first book before this one.

We revisit Tuga, the island where Charlotte has been the visiting vet for the last 12 months. She had gone there to study the Gold Coin Tortoise, but her time on the island is coming to an end. When the first boat is able to land she will be leaving but first she receives a surprise visit from her mother.
How will her Barrister mother adapt to life on the island and will it make Charlotte question whether she should leave.
Another enjoyable read from Francesca Segal.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7555136305

Loved this as much as the first in the series. Pure escapism and just what is needed is needed in a real world which can at times feel pretty grim. A hug in book form. I'd like to spend as much time on Tuga as possible!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

After reading the first book in the trilogy about the island of Tuga, I was looking forward to the second in the series and was not disappointed. I enjoyed reading about Charlotte’s life on the island as the vet and having her mother arrive, adds a layer of spice. The island life, despite the upheaval of a tropical storm, is delightful. Looking forward to the last in the series.

I absolutely adored this book and devoured it over a couple of days! It has easily been one of my favourite books of the year and I can’t wait to read more from the author in the future.

If you’re looking for a warm, witty, and utterly charming escape, Island Calling by Francesca Segal delivers in all the best ways. This is the second book in the Glorious Tuga series, and it picks up the story of Charlotte Walker, a London vet who’s traded the stress of city life for a quieter, more colorful existence on the fictional island of Tuga de Oro.

Charlotte’s life seems to be finally settling into a calm rhythm. She’s helping animals, enjoying the sunshine, and building a new home for herself. But that peace is put to the test when her glamorous, opinionated mother, Lucinda, shows up unexpectedly, trying to pull Charlotte back to London and her old life. What follows is a heartfelt and often funny exploration of mother-daughter dynamics, personal growth, and what it really means to find your place in the world.

Segal has a real gift for creating vivid characters and places you want to spend time with. Tuga feels like a real place—lush, quirky and full of life. Charlotte’s journey is both relatable and uplifting. It’s the kind of book that makes you want to book a holiday.

You don’t need to have read the first book to enjoy this one, but once you’re done, you’ll probably want to go back and read it too. Perfect for fans of heartfelt fiction with a strong sense of place, a bit of humour, and lots of heart. I loved it. Huge thanks to NetGalley for an early copy.

Another fascinating installment of the saga on the Island of Tuga. An island with it's own particular culture and peculiarities, many due to it's remoteness and enforced isolation periods. I loved the interactions between the islanders and visitors and the inventiveness.

LOVED LOVED THIS BOOK!!!What a fabulous return to the wonderful Island of Tuga. I adore all the characters, even Charlotte’s annoying mother!!

5* can’t recommend it highly enough!

And excited to see it’s part of a trilogy - can’t wait for book 3!

I loved Welcome To Glorious Tuga when I read it last year, so was thrilled the discover this sequel (and the fact that it’s the second in a planned trilogy was even better news). My only slight gripe with the first was that I felt some loose ends had not been tied up: with this second book, it became obvious why that was. I don’t feel it would work particularly well as a standalone, but I would encourage any lover of gently humorous, warm-natured books to seek out the first and then read this. Very highly recommended, the perfect summer holiday read.

4.5 stars rounded up.

This is the second book in a series, the first one being ‘Welcome to Glorious Tuga’, which I read last year. I don’t think you would enjoy it or indeed understand life on the island or the myriad characters if you hadn’t done so, I don’t think this is a stand alone book. There’s were a number of loose ends at the end of the first book so it’s quite satisfying to read what happens next. However, for me, although the idea was a new, interesting one I wasn’t as gripped by this second book which I thought was mainly more of the same. I’m sure there are plenty fans who will disagree, but for me it wasn’t a favourite so I can only give if 4 stars. Still good and worth a read.

The moment I started reading, the previous story came flooding back. Another thoroughly enjoyable read with a group of people, who take life as it comes. on a remote island. They have their own beliefs and celebrations with the knowledge that help is at hand when needed.