A grieving mother. Secrets at the heart of the family. A love affair that could destroy everything… blonde Patrick, with the most piercing blue eyes Alicia has ever seen. When Patrick confides in Alicia about the near loss of his daughter and the breakdown of his marriage, Alicia is surprised to feel an affinity with the Swedish reporter. He’s the only person who understands her.
But secrets held by people close to Alicia give her life another surprising turn and she finds there is a new reason to live – and love – again.
The Island Affair is perfect for fans of the Neapolitan novels by Elena Ferrante, Everything We Keep by Kerry Lonsdale, and Me Before You by Jojo Moyes.
Read The Island Affair, a family drama chock-full of mystery and passion, set in one of the most captivating holiday islands in Scandinavia, today!
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The Island Affair by Helena Halme
Green Gables Book Reviews thoughts:
The Island Affair by Helena Halme is a great book to curl up with when you want to read a book with a bit of romance that also has a few questions waiting to be answered. The book is a quick read, well written, and the best news is that it is the first in a series of three books!
About the book-The Island Affair by Helena Halme
Distraught by the worse event of their lives, husband and wife, Alicia, a journalist, and Liam, a doctor, go for their usual holiday to see Alicia’s mother and step-father. They still live where Alicia grew up, in the Nordic Islands.
The grief Alicia feels over the death of their teenage son is a feeling that never leaves her, a weight she will always carry. His memories are everywhere, even here, because of the many holidays through the years here. Alicia longs to feel his energy, to hold him again. The grief is so heavy to carry.
Liam is not excited about this trip. He never is, but goes, nonetheless. He does not care for the sauna routine or the cold swims. This time, though, he has another reason he wishes he had stayed home. He knows it’s wrong, but he was so vulnerable after Stefan died. He needed comfort, and he found someone to comfort him.
Liam and Alicia end up arguing because of information Alicia found before they left. She is hurt and angry. When she suggests an idea to help repair their marriage, Liam firmly disagrees with her. He makes plans to go back home.
Alicia is not that upset about Liam leaving. It gives her a chance to think. Every message he sends, she deletes. In her mind, their marriage is likely over.
Alicia met Patrick and Mia early in the stay. And, it’s odd, but now Patrick seems to be so many places that she goes. They develop a bit of a … friendship, but beneath that friendship, Alicia is feeling something. It is like a bit of a jolt, a longing, a wondering. But, he is married to Mia.
When Alicia, and her parents (she has always thought of her step-father as nothing other than her father), go to the Midsummer bash that Mia and Patrick are hosting, her mother feels like it is the most exciting thing to happen. She has even chosen a new dress for Alicia from her shop. Alicia has to admit that she is looking forward to seeing Patrick.
Alicia is surprised by some choices she makes. One of them is applying for a job on a whim, the other is Patrick and her draw to him, and the other is finding out about a secret she would never have believed possible.
But, what about Liam?
I was given this book to read and review. Thank you!
Look for more books on Author Helena Halme’s website!
This is basically a romance novel. If you’re looking for a super light-weight read that doesn’t require any brain power and you like romance, then this is a decent choice. The fact that it’s set in a different country makes it a bit more interesting than a standard romance novel. But if you’re looking for something more weighty or intellectual, look elsewhere.
Took a chance on this one as the description provides the premise. A beloved child dies, the mother can’t let go, and the husband pulls away. Almost gave up at chapter 20 since there was little advancement past these facts. The plot did finally move along, but I read more because I wondered where the author would go rather than enjoying the story. In the end, there is some resolution. Do not plan to read more in this series.
My favorite part of the book was a look at the islands between Sweden and Finland, and the “carping” between those ethnic groups. As a second generation American, I love to get glimpses of my heritage through reading…
And it was a sweet, sad life story featuring death, love, attraction and birth. It runs the gamut. I am starting the next book in the series.
I’m always a fan of a good Scandinavian book.
I very seldom read ‘romance’ novels, but this one was very well-written and thanks to the beautiful descriptions of nature on the Åland Islands I kept on reading.
The main character Alicia gets very little sympathy from me with her whimsical behaviour. Her story might have been more interesting if we got to know more about her life before the death of her son.
But fans of romance novels will be delighted with this book.
I read The Day We Met (the prologue) immediately before reading this book, and it really helped to set the scene for this book, so I would definitely recommend reading that first. This is an easy-to-read book that surrounds the topic of infidelity following the loss of a child. Personally, I don’t really like books that focus on infidelity (and the forgiving of such an act) but with a HEA like this and the twists and turns involved you can’t help but forgive the characters for their actions and the consequences they bring. This is a sweet story about appreciating the support of family in times of grief. It’s a good read.
I received a review copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Alicia and her husband Liam came from London to visit her mother and her stepfather but when they get their her husband is complaining and acting like he could be doing something more entertaining, his father-in-law didn’t like him because they could not seem to understand each other. Alicia was so close to her son that when he died she lost it and Liam being a doctor took care of her but at the same time they should have been grieving together but that didn’t happen, Alicia was a mess and Liam took his issues with his son’s death out in a different fashion, Liam was convinced that he didn’t love his wife and she wanted something from him that he was not willing to give her when he decided to leave and go back home. She decides to stay and gets a job and into a little trouble. This is a look into their lives and how they found something and someone to hold on too and find each other again. I was given a copy as a gift from the author without obligations. I am providing an honest review.
This story sends you through multiple emotions. I loved the story and the characters.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review
It was a pleasure to read this book, the setting in the islands is gorgeous and so well described by Helena that you can almost see yourself there. The sunrise and sunsets are also beautiful. The story evolves around Alicia, Liam, Patrick and Mia plus their children. Broken marriages and broken relationships are extremelly difficult to be mended and the special circumstances that these two couples have make it almost impossible to have a reconciliation. But there was hope and the ending is unexpected and happy. What remains to be seen in the next book is if that happiness will persist in their lives.
I downloaded a free copy of this book from the author/Bookfunnel in exchange for an honest review.
Summer drama in the Baltic
More than a love story, this was a tale of tragedy and the long and often destructive road to recovery. It took a good while for me to get into the rhythm of this story; I felt the second half was much better than the first half. Maybe because of the heroine’s attempts to deaden her emotions to hold back her grief, the first week or so of the story seemed a bit stiff and I did not feel very sympathetic to the heroine.
Alicia returns to her roots after months of mourning and remaining emotionally remote from her husband. She finds ways to distract her from her teenage son’s death, including an attractive though married Swede, but her grief is never far below the surface. Sad, moving, and realistic as she and her British husband grow apart after the anchor that was their son is gone. But the ending is hopeful and I think Alicia makes the right decision for her future.
The main plot was good, but I did feel that the story contained a lot of daily minutiae and not enough information about Alicia’s marriage and relationship with husband Liam before their son’s death.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
This book left many story lines hanging in the end. Not worth the slow read to only get to not many conclusions. Dissappointing
Enjoyed the story and setting.