Charlotte’s ex just gate-crashed her vacation. The Island Escape Series: Book 1Celebrity blogger Charlotte Jones is having a bad year. She’s been trampled in a riot, her therapist has told her to take a break from work, and she’s developed a crushing case of anxiety. If she can just make it to her holiday hotel in Oahu, everything will be okay … or not! When she boards her plane, she finds … everything will be okay … or not! When she boards her plane, she finds herself strapped into a seat next to the man who sold her out nine years ago.
Hotel executive Jack Diamond is having a bad year. He’s used to pressure: running the global family business, supporting his widowed mother, and trying (and failing) to make his little sister understand why her grungy boyfriend is bad news, are problems he can cope with. But the police just called to tell him his general manager might be a crook, his mother’s had a stroke, and his latest business deal is going bad. If he can just make it back to the family hotel in Oahu, everything will be okay … or not! He boards his plane and finds himself strapped into a seat next to the woman who ripped a hole in his heart nine years ago.
Jack and Charlotte are in for some turbulence as old hurts and rekindled passion gate-crash their plans. And just when it seems they may finally overcome their past, a tropic storm threatens to wipe out their chance of a future.
Here’s what readers think …
Fleur says:
I can’t wait to read more of this series!!!
“This was a great read with characters you will love and want to throttle at same time as lordy they do love to conclusions lol. If you love second chance romances then this is the book for you, Charlotte decides to take a couple of weeks off on a tropical island to decompress and relax after a horrible event that left her with panic attacks, unfortunately for her things go wrong before she even gets on the plane and that is where we begin our adventure of tormented love, attraction, deception, laughs, frustrations and the chance at being happy. This is a fantastic start to this series and I can not wait the next book to see what happens with Sabrina!”
Carmen says:
Loved this!!
By Carmen
“I don’t always love second chance romances but I adored this one. This book is full of heart! You can feel their pain and their chemistry is out of this world. I got sucked in so fast. I can’t wait for more!!”
The Island Escape Series
Book 1: Tropic Storm (Charlotte & Jack)
Book 2: Stowaway (Sabrina & Ben)
Book 3: Island Fling (Antonia & Tyler)
Christmas Novella: Catching Snow (Ryan & Lisa)
“Exactly what I love to read – Jack and Charlotte are interesting characters with a past – that’s always a winner, in my mind. Good job!”
“This was a read that I couldn’t put down.”
“This author has a real grip on romance writing … I didn’t want the story to finish.”
Stella Quinn brings you the first three of her award-winning Island Escape Series. Tropic Storm won the RWA Emerald Pro Award in 2019, Stowaway came second in the RWA Emerald Award in 2018, and Island Fling won the Valerie Parv Award in 2018.
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Jack was the heartbreak that pushed her ahead to writing her successful blog about finding your happy. In her heart and her memory, he left her for family money. His memory was that family obligations called him home, and she moved on
Ghosts of family heartaches shaped both their perceptions
When they stumble on each other again, is his heart iced closed? Hers too bruised from recent traumatic events?
Thunderous and stormy romance
I’m not always a fan of second chance romances, but the author did a great job making the story believable. They were young when their romance fizzled due to misunderstandings and assumptions, and now nine years later they are unexpectedly reunited. And its always fun when stories take place on tropical islands. It was a nicely paced read, and would recommend it to others. I’ll have to pick up the next one in the series.
This is an excellent fast-paced read that took me away to a tropical paradise. It’s very well written with characters I fell for and I was desperate to see them reach their happy ever after. Pure romantic escapism.
This was a great read with characters you will love and want to throttle at same time as lordy they do love to conclusions lol. If you love second chance romances then this is the book for you, Charlotte decides to take a couple of weeks off on a tropical island to decompress and relax after a horrible event that left her with panic attacks, unfortunately for her things go wrong before she even gets on the plane and that is where we begin our adventure of tormented love, attraction, deception, laughs, frustrations and the chance at being happy. This is a fantastic start to this series and I can not wait the next book to see what happens with Sabrina!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Tropic Storm was an entertaining read that I really enjoyed. Nice story concept that was well written.
This is a book about second chances. Hearts were broken, feelings hurt, actions misunderstood causing heartache and despair for these individuals. Charlotte and Jack parted 10 years ago, and fate throws them together on a flight to Hawaii. Grudges are still held 10 years later, each blaming the other for their heartbreak. Misunderstandings keep occurring between them while in Hawaii causing more heartache and despair. They try so hard to fight the love they have for each other.
Nice story line. Great characters that I really enjoyed. I never could grow an emotional attachment to them, but I did enjoy their story. Nice dialogue and great visual description of details.
All in all, a good read.
Would I recommend this book? Yes
Would I read more from this author? Yes
Sassy Beta Reading and Review
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This book was absolutely amazing. I loved the characters and the storyline was well written. I’m looking forward to reading more of the series.
Heat – 2.5
This book is set on the island of Oahu so if you’re still trying to cling to those #beachvibes this is a good book for you. The story is a second chance romance between Charlotte and Jack, two young lovers that were separated nine years ago due to circumstances and misunderstandings.
Charlotte gets seated next to Jack on a flight from LA to Hawaii and the tensions between them are still high. Both of these people think they’re the wronged party so there’s plenty of attitude thrown back and forth in the first few chapters. To be honest, I am not a fan of second chance romances where the first breakup is due to a misunderstanding. I also am not a fan when that misunderstanding is carried on through the book and could easily be cleared up with an open and honest conversation. These two are adults and successful in their fields, but they act like children for their first meeting.
After the bumpy start, we do get some fun in the tropics and a little bit of a mystery. It’s been over twenty years since I’ve been to Oahu so it was fun to read about the island and engage in a little vicarious travel. This was a nice escape from my dreary quarantine life, and I really enjoyed the author’s world-building.
As for our couple, I liked Jack’s dedication to his family. His struggle with family responsibilities is a relatable one for a lot of people. I liked how involved he was trying to be with his younger sister. I also like that our heroine, Charlotte has dedicated her work to finding happiness and blogging about it. But she’s recently had trauma and it’s still causing some PTSD symptoms. Honestly, the addition of this trauma felt too dark for an otherwise fairly light read and I didn’t care for how much time was spent on it.
Overall, this is a pretty good time and it’s got that beachy vibe if you’re still in the mood. There’s a little bit of a mystery which gets wrapped up pretty quickly and the steam’s a little low for my personal taste. But there are some good bits to enjoy in this book and it was a nice and quick read. This title is currently free on Amazon and the first in a series, so go check it out now.
Stella Quinn, ‘Tropic Storm’.
The Island Escape Series, book 1.
As a Hidden Gems ARC reader I received a free copy and promised an honest review. Here it is.
Rating: 3,5 (of 5 stars).
In general: A second chance love with a lot of misunderstanding.
Main characters:
– Charlotte Jones.
She lives in London and is a successful journalist and blogger working for Bella Magazine.
– Jack Diamond.
CEO of the Jewel Resort Group a chain of vacation resorts all over the world, owned by his family.
Charlotte and Jack met for the first time nine years ago in London. And had a stormy love affair. She was very young (19) and idealistic and admired Jack, then a talented, ambitious guitar player. She had broken with her parents, who had a nasty divorce due to thinking that much money was the most important thing in life. So she was devastated that Jack suddenly left London when his father, owner of a big vacation resorts chain, asked him to return to his Hawaï home to help him save the family company. She thought that Jack was as materialistic as her her parents and they had a big fight when he left.
Jack’s dad died shortly after his return and for years he was very busy as the CEO of the growing family company. Charlotte stayed in London to become a famous journalist and blogger. But both couldn’t forget their love.
The author, Stalla Quinn, starts the novel when Charlotte has a break down, being the victim of a hooligan riot in England. She needs a vacation. She chooses Hawaï. And – very accidentally (??!) – meets Jack at the departure gate of her flight, is placed in the seat next to him in the plane and turns out to have booked in Jack’s family resort. Then the author describes how Jack and Charlotte first maintain their misunderstanding about the reasons for their former break-up, but gradually start to understand that a lot of their mistrust was due to youth and prejudices.
Fortunately at the end – after a lot of complications – they find their HEA. Most of those complications could have been avoided if the main characters earlier had told what they really thought, but the author created a lot of events to prevent that. For me it made the story not always very credible.
But all in all, the book was for this reader an easy to read page turner with interesting characters and a plot in an exotic, enjoyable environment.
R. Huiszoon.