Book Review - The Island of Hopes and Dreams by Kate Frost

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Title: The Island of Hopes and Dreams

Author: Kate Frost

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 16th June 2025

Rating: 5 Stars

Escape to a beautiful Italian island this summer...

When the beginning of the end is just the start…

Newly single Lola Wild has had her fill of well-intentioned matchmaking friends. Her best friend Mirabel’s hen weekend highlights all that’s wrong with Lola’s life and she knows something has to change.

With Mirabel’s luxurious wedding in Sardinia fast approaching, Lola is looking forward to switching off, spending time with her friends and keeping her non-existent love life off everyone’s agenda.

Meanwhile, fellow wedding guest Rhys Strickland has his own problems. So when a chance encounter brings Rhys and Lola together they decide to help each other out.

With the idyllic backdrop of white sand beaches and azure bays, they bond over shared heartache, and friendship blossoms as they attempt to navigate the hurt and hard truths of past relationships.

Opening up their hearts and embracing change might be the last thing they expected, but what if a holiday of make-believe can turn into something real?

A heart-warming and uplifting story of vulnerability, self-renewal and finding love when you least expect to.

I believe this may be the first book I've read set on the island of Sardinia, and that automatically made me extra keen to read it, as I do love discovering new locations. 

And Kate Frost has made Sardinia sound totally stunning and a wonderful sounding holiday destination. I think I will need to add it to my list of places to look at for holidays in the future. 

As a big lover of fake dating, I was delighted to see some of that in this novel too where Lola and Rhys are both trying to avoid the glare of their friends meddling, in the lead up to the wedding they are all in Sardinia to celebrate. 

Rhys is an absolute doll of a man, he's down to earth and all around lovely. Not the most obvious man to go for out of the group that includes some Italian hunks but there is something about him that I couldn't help but fall for.  He's also dealing with the fact that his ex-love of his life is now dating another of his friends, and they are all at this wedding. 

Lola though has an even more problematic recent dating record. The specific incident that is keeping her friends entertained was rather embarrassing, and before that her previous ex was a total and utter nightmare. And one she is trying her hardest not to reveal to everyone. 

Lola's storyline in particular adds a lot of depth to this novel, which balances out the lightness of the wedding and its lead up. 

I loved seeing the two groups of friends start to get to know each other, as well as seeing Mirabel and Fabs get ready for their pending nuptials. 

There is a fabulous cast of characters, gorgeous setting and all around highly enjoyable and entertaining story. 

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