Book Review - The Summer Island Swap by Samantha Tonge

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Title: The Summer Island Swap

Author: Samantha Tonge

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Aria

Publication Date: 7th May 2020

Rating: 5 Stars

Sometimes the best holidays are the ones you least expect...

After a long and turbulent year, Sarah is dreaming of the five-star getaway her sister has booked them on. White sands, cocktails, massages, the Caribbean is calling to them.

But the sisters turn up to tatty beaches, basic wooden shacks, a compost toilet and outdoor cold water showers. It turns out that at the last minute Amy decided a conservation project would be much more fun than a luxury resort.

So now Sarah's battling mosquitos, trying to stomach fish soup and praying for a swift escape. Life on a desert island though isn't all doom and gloom. They're at one with nature, learning about each other and making new friends. And Sarah is distracted by the dishy, yet incredibly moody, island leader she's sure is hiding a secret.

Perfect for fans of Holly Martin, Mandy Baggot and Heidi Swain.

I really really want to cuddle Chatty,  he is just the best monkey ever, so adorable, blind and seems to like bad whistling. 

I'm not quite as keen on all the creepy crawlies, and the compost toilet etc.. that are also part of this unexpected island holiday for Sarah.   For she has been promised ultimate luxury, and then her sister Amy swapped the holiday as a surprise at the last min, and instead they are in an animal lovers dream holiday, at a conservation project, in the British Virgin Islands rainforest.  

To say this isn't Sarah's dream holiday would be understatement, but her love for her sister and determination makes her decide to stay for the full month and to take part.  She also hadn't counted on the sexy Rick, whose island and project this is. 

He is passionate about everything to do with the island, the wildlife, the way of life etc.. and yet struggles to realise not everyone feels quite the same as him.

Amy is a vetinary nurse and has a massive amount of knowledge about the various species on the island, and as the book progresses, her confidence really does grow and develop. 

I really enjoyed getting to know some of the other volunteers on this holiday.  We are treated to detailed descriptions of all sorts of the activities on offer, and I really felt as though I was in this hot humid rainforest, being eaten alive by bug bites, while learning a whole lot about nature.  

Other than Samantha Tonge's fabulous storytelling skills, I wasn't sure what to expect going into this book, especially given my ideal holiday would be what Sarah had been anticipating, and not something so physical, yet I was completely engrossed and couldn't get enough of all the details.  It is just a fabulous way to escape the realities of life at the moment, and be immersed into an experience so different from my own that it was utterly gripping. 

I loved every moment of this exhilarating story and wish it hadn't ended. 

Thank you to Aria and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.