I was lucky to receive a copy of ‘The Island Escape’, published on 21st May 2015, through @AvonBooksUK on Twitter.

Octavia and Roberta have been unlikely friends since their school days, when Octavia was the rebel that conservative Roberta would have liked to be. Now grown up, married and with children of their own, life is about to show them that we can’t always take our situation for granted and that happiness may not be where we’re looking.

I absolutely adored ‘The Island Escape’ and having tried hard to be objective and find fault, the only aspect that disappointed was the fact I couldn’t be in Corsica to read it! I read it in a day because it appealed so much.

Kerry Fisher understands and conveys perfectly what it is to be a woman. As the first person narrative switches between Roberta and Octavia in each chapter, the reader feels as if they are simply catching up with old friends because they are so realistic. One of the elements that contributed to this realism was the ease and naturalness of direct speech. I could hear Scott’s temper and Roberta’s haughtiness.

Some aspects of the narrative made me wonder if Kerry Fisher had been reading my mind as she laid out what often felt like my own thoughts. I found myself cheering out loud, laughing, shouting ‘Oh no!’ and even shedding a tear as I read. There is true emotional warmth in both characters and narrative.

The style is witty, thoroughly engaging and uplifting without being sugary or contrived. Indeed, there are some serious issues underlying the romantic prose, with loyalty, adultery, underage sex and grief subtly explored so that there is a richness to the writing that I found hugely satisfying.

Kerry Fisher’s ‘The Island Escape’ is undoubtedly the perfect summer read.