Oh wow! This is a great book! Jo and Mary both stole me heart away! Seriously strong characters and I felt everyone of their emotions. This is a book about island communities and relationships at its best.
I’d throughly recommend this book.

This is a love story about Walnut Tree Island loosely based on Eel Pie Island.. There are stories of unrequited love for Isle residents Maggie and her granddaughter Jo. The imminent arrival of Oliver the young inherited new owner of the island unsettles the residents Jo and Oliver have a past relationship and they circle each other making you wonder if they will eventually reconnect.

I was asked by NetGalley to review this really good read.

This is set on a fictional island within the Thames.

The people who live there are arty, boat builders and interesting characters. This encompasses several decades and generations within this interesting community.

A former resident returns and things get difficult with plenty of secrets to tell and life will never be the same in Walnut Tree Island.

A really good read and due for publication July 3rd 2025.

River of Stars is a beautifully atmospheric and emotionally rich book that draws you into the world of Walnut Tree Island, a fictional sanctuary nestled in the Thames. This is a story that balances intimacy and intrigue, blending complex relationships with a strong sense of place to create a reading experience that feels both immersive and quietly moving.

Georgina Moore has a remarkable talent for crafting settings that feel like characters in their own right. Just as she did in The Garnett Girls, she conjures a world that is easy to sink into. Walnut Tree Island is dreamy and bohemian, filled with artists, dreamers and misfits, where the pace of life is slow and communal. The islanders gather for wine on houseboats and share their lives in ways that are both endearing and fragile.

When a long-absent former resident returns as the new landlord, the close-knit island is disrupted, and old wounds are stirred. For Jo, a reclusive artist, his return forces her to confront a love she believed was long buried. The emotional weight of their shared past unfolds with subtlety and grace, revealing how time changes people, and how some scars never quite heal.

One of the great strengths of this book is how it explores the many forms of family—found, fractured and chosen. Georgina Moore writes relationships with a deft hand, capturing the messiness, warmth and heartbreak of human connection. Her characters feel fully realised, and even those who flit briefly into the story leave an impact.

The prose is elegant and evocative, with moments of quiet beauty that linger. There is a contemplative quality to the storytelling, yet it never drags. Instead, it pulls you along gently, much like the river itself.

River of Stars is a gorgeous, character-driven book filled with secrets, second chances and emotional honesty. It is a story about coming home in more ways than one, about how we rebuild after loss, and about the enduring power of community. I finished it with a deep sense of satisfaction and a yearning to drift away on a houseboat of my own.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

Having been intriguing by the description for this Georgina Moore book, a previously unknown author for me, I was excited to be approved for ARC thanks to NetGalley. I am so glad I had the opportunity and wish Georgina well once this book comes to publication as it was a very accomplished compelling read filled with love, hope and compassion.
A community living in houseboats on the Thames Walnut Island finds 3 generations of the Stars family, Mary , Ruby and Jo. Their lives are heading to uncertain times in present day when Oliver Greenwood takes ownership of the island upon the death of his Father
Mary Star had dreams of becoming a singer found herself pregnant at 16 but her boyfriend leaves her alone fortunately George Greenwood steps in and fate interjects. Fast forward to present day Oliver Greenwood being the owner and watch the story reveal itself.
A truly beautiful story which I devoured in a short space of time unable to walk away from it this it fast became a memorable read which I feel will stick with me for sometime.

This book was a treasure trove of emotion, raw energy, love lost, hope gone, trying to be someone else, and how things were in the past.

It was beautiful. Incredibly well crafted. Just enough emotion, hope, drama, missed opportunities to keep you interested and excited to read more.

I loved this tale based on a magical island so near to where I live.

I got totally lost in this book and only put it down when I had to. It started strong and finished stronger. I would love to read more by this author.

Oh wow what a book! i’ve just finished River of Stars and I’m full of emotions , this book really touched me and made me appreciate my childhood and the love that was shown to me by my family.

The story begins in the 60s where the Star and Greenwood family are linked through time on Thames Walnut Island . Mary Star is just 16, full of dreams and hopes of becoming a famous singer at the local Treeland venue, when fate interjects and she finds herself in love and expecting a baby. Her boyfriend is also an aspiring singer and leaves Mary behind to fulfil his dream. The owner of Treeland , George Greenwood steps in, looking after heart broken, Mary and her newborn daughter.

In the present day, Mary is now a grandmother to Jo. She has brought her up on the island which is now under threat from Oliver Greenwood, George’s grandson who has inherited it but is unsure of its future. Jo and Oliver were first loves but circumstances have gotten in the way of their chance of happiness. Can they find their way back to happiness or has too many things ruined that happening?

This book felt so personal to me , my own grandmother (also called Mary) brought up my two cousins, having lost both their parents. Along with my own parents we lived together, and the unselfish love myself , my sister and cousins had was something we took for granted at the time but now feels such a blessing. Feeling loved and protected as a child is so paramount in your life, those who do not have it have many more obstacles to overcome.

This story revolves around family and community. How our past defines our future and how staying true to ourselves, and having the courage to change and not bury our feelings is so important. I can’t recommend this book enough . It’s wonderful characters, beautiful setting and exploration of relationships and families resounded with me. Finishing it with a huge lump in my throat, I loved getting to know the Greenwood and Star families and how their density will evolve and continue for years to come.

A brilliant story, dual timeline set in the 1960's. I enjoyed this one immensely. The story just flowed along and before I knew it I'd finished it. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

River of Stars is a beautifully written love story that captivates you from the outset and pulls you into the lives and the dramas of a group of people who live in an island community. The plot interweaves the lives of three strong women from the same family and examines how the past informs their lives and impacts on their relationships . Jo the youngest of these women is at the heart of the story and you find yourself frustrated by her and sympathetic to her in equal parts . It is clear she has history with Oliver who arrives as a threat to the idyllic lifestyles of the Islanders and their relationship is explored brilliantly through a seies of present day and historical events and through their interactions with friends and family.
The characters in the book are so well developed and the scenes so vividly described you are pulled from the heady world of rock music in the 60s to the modern day chaos of the London social scene to a thriving riverside community with ease .
This is a story you can truly lose yourself in and allow you just for a short time to become part of a truly magical Island home. A thoroughly enjoyable read I fully recommend.

Absolutely loved it! Sort of reminded me of 'Daisy Jones and the Six' a little...

An island with a history. Three generations of Star women and how their lives are intertwined with the Greenwood men. A story of family, relationships and loss. But it is also a story about getting to know yourself, to go after what you want and ultimately: hope.

Interesting characters and an engaging plot.

Looking forward to the Waterstones event with Georgina Moore and Fran Littlrwood at the end of April too.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

River of Stars by Georgina Moore

Three generations of Star women - Mary, Ruby and Jo - have lived on Walnut Tree Island, a community of houseboats on the River Thames and home to artists and in the 1960s a wild music scene. But times change and the island is now owned by Oliver Greenwood, following the death of his father. What this means for the island and his one-time love Jo is uncertain.

What a brilliant book, I absolutely loved it! Fantastic stories in all timelines - Mary in the 1960s/present day and Jo in the 2000s/present day - and fantastic characters. Also a wonderful setting - I can't be alone in Googling houseboats and islands on the Thames! I loved the author's previous book and this one is every bit as brilliant - I can't wait to read what she writes next. Very VERY highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

Brilliant escapism & beautifully written, transporting you to Walnut Tree island, a unique and intriguing world. Set against the atmospheric backdrop of an island in the Thames, which serves as a character in itself.

The novel delves into the lives and secrets of its eclectic residents, inspired by the legendary Eel Pie Island and its colourful history.

The descriptions evoke a sense of a unique and close-knit community, where artists, dreamers, and lovers reside.

The story explores themes of love, loss, secrets, and the complexities of community. It delves into the impact of the past on the present, and the ways in which old relationships can resurface.

A captivating and immersive read, which draws you in and keeps you hooked until the very end, I loved it!

Incredibly beautiful writing and a slowly unfolding story with a few different strands but mostly centred on the Star family: Mary, Ruby and Jo. The parts describing Mary's early experiences of the island during its era as a famous rock venue were the most enjoyable and the past really came alive. The characters of the tightly-knit island community are well-developed and really draw the reader in.

A thoroughly enjoyable book. I previously read the Garnett Girls by this author, which I loved. So I was happy to see she had written another book.

This one is just as good, maybe even slightly better than her first one.

Some of the characters are quite unlikeable, but that totally adds to the story. I felt there are so many openings in this book for it to go on and be a series of books. I would love to read more from some of their other perspectives. Especially Sophie as I did actually feel a bit sorry for her. She clearly had some issues. Also it would be good to read about Ruby too.

Jo and Oliver had a lovely woven tale that started decades before. As for Mary - what a lovely person she was.

I loved the idea of them all living in houseboats, as does the author. I'm sure it's not the same as that now!

Thank you very much for allowing me to read this book.

A beautiful story.Growing up on Walnut tree island was a magical time for Mary where music and love were everything to her but when she is left with a baby by a young musician about to make the big time she makes the heartbreaking decision to stay and raise he daughter and subsequently her Granddaughter Jo. Its a story of two generations of of women who found and lost love on the island but is it to late for Jo when Oliver her first love returns as the new owner. Some fantastic characters,beautiful settings and fantastic writing that will make you feel like you are living the dream and it's also very emotional I loved it

A deeply emotional, moving, romantic and hopeful read. The history between the characters was so compelling and twisty..I particularly enjoyed the friendship between Sophie and Jo, Jo’s relationship with her grandmother Mary, and the exploration of the past. Jo and Oliver were also fantastic. Five stars.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC.