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The Island
One island.
Two people. A spider monkey.
Far from the only home they've ever known.
Would you accept your fate?
WARNING: This novel contains strong language, strong sexual content and situations some readers may find disturbing. Intended for 18+ years and above.
Two people. A spider monkey.
Far from the only home they've ever known.
Would you accept your fate?
WARNING: This novel contains strong language, strong sexual content and situations some readers may find disturbing. Intended for 18+ years and above.
533 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 28, 2019
177 people are currently reading
776 people want to read
About the author
Daya Daniels
71 books146 followersLover of words. Poetry glutton. Cynic. Idealist. Art collector. Lip gloss addict. Wife. Mommy. NERD. Madwoman. Music fan. Book whore. Beach bum. Water rat. Wine drinker. Bermudian. Las Vegas resident-wannabe. Hopeless romantic.
Love is what keeps the world spinning! XOXO
Follow me on Instagram: authordayadaniels
Love is what keeps the world spinning! XOXO
Follow me on Instagram: authordayadaniels
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews
January 11, 2021
I sort of loved this and am sad it’s over!
Dude. I freaking loved this book. It’s everything my Blue Lagoon heart has ever desired in a stranded survival romance. There’s a dash of taboo added in as the two people stranded are married to each other’s best friend, but this is also a slow burn romance that I entirely believe and rooted for. I could feel their torment as they slowly fell for each other. It’s wrong, but also right. I mean, the circumstances are far fetched, but just the intensity of this book. So so good. There is some content that could be considered triggering to some and I’ll add those things to my goodreads review since I can add a spoiler tag.
Dude. I freaking loved this book. It’s everything my Blue Lagoon heart has ever desired in a stranded survival romance. There’s a dash of taboo added in as the two people stranded are married to each other’s best friend, but this is also a slow burn romance that I entirely believe and rooted for. I could feel their torment as they slowly fell for each other. It’s wrong, but also right. I mean, the circumstances are far fetched, but just the intensity of this book. So so good. There is some content that could be considered triggering to some and I’ll add those things to my goodreads review since I can add a spoiler tag.
March 15, 2021
DNF @ 22%
I was holding out for the steam but I just can’t do it ... from the irritating writing style, annoying characters, over abundance of food/herbs, miraculous shark escape when land suddenly appeared out of nowhere and a fully kitted out Swiss Family Robinson treehouse with functional toilet 🙄 Not even the cute monkey that should be dead can sway me. Now I’ve read the reviews, I wish I hadn’t gone in blind.
I
Am
Done
BISH BASH BOSH
I was holding out for the steam but I just can’t do it ... from the irritating writing style, annoying characters, over abundance of food/herbs, miraculous shark escape when land suddenly appeared out of nowhere and a fully kitted out Swiss Family Robinson treehouse with functional toilet 🙄 Not even the cute monkey that should be dead can sway me. Now I’ve read the reviews, I wish I hadn’t gone in blind.
I
Am
Done
BISH BASH BOSH
April 20, 2020
Two couples, very much in love are holidaying when their worlds fall apart. Brooks and his best friends wife find themselves stranded cast-away style on a desolate island, striving for survival. As the months go by they find themselves with not much hope of rescue, and some developing feelings towards each other.
I really enjoyed this one! A random recommendation on kindle unlimited (which I just got! OMG what have I been missing!!!??) led me to grab this one without reading too much into it.
At the start I thought maybe it was just going to be some soft porn in a book and thought maybe I would abandon it, but as the storyline progressed and they found themselves stranded on the island I pleasantly discovered there was actually quite a substance to the story. I was enthralled!
The romance was great, the looooong drawn out tension between the characters was palpable. However I think it would probably reach more readers if it wasn't so full of graphic sex scenes. However, I still enjoyed it and I would definitely read more from this author!
There was also a cute monkey, and I loved her!
Would I recommend The Island?
If you are over 18+, enjoy a book full of sexual tension, overtly graphic sex scenes with a darn good gripping substantial storyline base, this may be a book for you! I really enjoyed it.
I read this book using my own subscription to kindle unlimited
For more reviews check out my:
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I really enjoyed this one! A random recommendation on kindle unlimited (which I just got! OMG what have I been missing!!!??) led me to grab this one without reading too much into it.
At the start I thought maybe it was just going to be some soft porn in a book and thought maybe I would abandon it, but as the storyline progressed and they found themselves stranded on the island I pleasantly discovered there was actually quite a substance to the story. I was enthralled!
The romance was great, the looooong drawn out tension between the characters was palpable. However I think it would probably reach more readers if it wasn't so full of graphic sex scenes. However, I still enjoyed it and I would definitely read more from this author!
There was also a cute monkey, and I loved her!
Would I recommend The Island?
If you are over 18+, enjoy a book full of sexual tension, overtly graphic sex scenes with a darn good gripping substantial storyline base, this may be a book for you! I really enjoyed it.
I read this book using my own subscription to kindle unlimited
For more reviews check out my:
Blog
December 14, 2021
** I’m marking this as cheating-ish for my tracking purposes only... I don’t think either set of couples cheated given the circumstances.**
On paper this looked like an angsty smorgasbord… two happily married couples are in an accident resulting in the husband of one couple stranded with the wife of the other… unfortunately (for me) it didn’t totally deliver. My point is that maybe I was expecting too much/the wrong outcome, so keep that in mind.
James and Tenley are married and best couple buds with James’s BFF business partner, Brooks and her BFF and business partner, Joy. Tenley and Brooks become stranded on a desolate island together, and spend the majority of the book surviving, growing closer, and raising a spider monkey.
Potential Issues
＞︿＜ The writing style is different from what I remember of her other books. It’s a smidge choppy with short sentences/paragraphs and lots of spaces.
＞︿＜ The book takes a while to get going and I found my mind wandering a lot. If you can hang in there, things pick up about halfway through.
＞︿＜ You need to accept a lot of convenient things going on… from the deserted island that comes with shelter, food, amenities, and an instructional guide/diary… a very advanced monkey that can spell and communicate … to the super tidy HEA.
Bottom Line- Not bad, but not great. The ingredients were there, but everything was handled on a surface level, so I never really felt any deep feels. I needed more time/development spent after the rescue which felt very rushed. Especially (trying to be vague) when they were committed to a plan, but changed their minds because of circumstances. I needed at least a discussion so I could feel that their love was the catalyst, not the circumstance.
On paper this looked like an angsty smorgasbord… two happily married couples are in an accident resulting in the husband of one couple stranded with the wife of the other… unfortunately (for me) it didn’t totally deliver. My point is that maybe I was expecting too much/the wrong outcome, so keep that in mind.
James and Tenley are married and best couple buds with James’s BFF business partner, Brooks and her BFF and business partner, Joy. Tenley and Brooks become stranded on a desolate island together, and spend the majority of the book surviving, growing closer, and raising a spider monkey.
Potential Issues
＞︿＜ The writing style is different from what I remember of her other books. It’s a smidge choppy with short sentences/paragraphs and lots of spaces.
＞︿＜ The book takes a while to get going and I found my mind wandering a lot. If you can hang in there, things pick up about halfway through.
＞︿＜ You need to accept a lot of convenient things going on… from the deserted island that comes with shelter, food, amenities, and an instructional guide/diary… a very advanced monkey that can spell and communicate … to the super tidy HEA.
Bottom Line- Not bad, but not great. The ingredients were there, but everything was handled on a surface level, so I never really felt any deep feels. I needed more time/development spent after the rescue which felt very rushed. Especially (trying to be vague) when they were committed to a plan, but changed their minds because of circumstances. I needed at least a discussion so I could feel that their love was the catalyst, not the circumstance.
February 20, 2023
A rare, for me, “Hxh cheating on ow/om in forced proximity” scenario. I was sucked out of RL and into this read like I haven’t been for a long while now.
Nts neaten review esp tenses
Nts neaten review esp tenses
June 22, 2020
I'm becoming a little obsessed about deserted island romances. This one was really good and I got so into it, feeling frustrated or sad at times and smiling at others.
But what was with all the random exclamation points? I would be so deep into a part of the book and then seemingly normal sentences would end with an exclamation point and kinda take me out of it.
Something that also bothered me, though this is minor and really dumb, is
I just wish there was a better ending. It was way too rushed and I needed something more after getting so invested on their time on the island. But all in all, I really enjoyed this book.
But what was with all the random exclamation points? I would be so deep into a part of the book and then seemingly normal sentences would end with an exclamation point and kinda take me out of it.
Something that also bothered me, though this is minor and really dumb, is
I just wish there was a better ending. It was way too rushed and I needed something more after getting so invested on their time on the island. But all in all, I really enjoyed this book.
August 7, 2020
“WITHOUT LOVE, LIFE IS NOTHING”
DNF @ 33% (Updated at end of review)
Wish I’d gotten an inkling of this touching sentiment -- or any emotional connections for that matter -- but anything remotely resembling intimacy was still MIA at 33%, which is when I threw in the towel. Normally, castaway romance on an island paradise fraught with the constant struggle for survival and unlikelihood of rescue is like candy to a baby for me. Case in point: Shay Savage’s SURVIVING RAIN Book 1 (*hearts in my eyes over this one*) and Pepper Winters’ UNSEEN MESSAGES. Both books easily come to mind as compelling stories with riveting situations that take a reader through an emotional and physical wringer in the struggle for survival and love. This one? Only 29 Amazon reviews in a year and a half should have been a tip-off, but I was so certain the romantic adventure would be an as-yet-undiscovered diamond in the rough, ripe for my picking.
Rarely have I been SO WRONG, and this book even exceeded the crushing disappointment of Tracey Garvis Graves’s over-hyped On The Island. From now on, I’ll be much more selective about castaway romances. All this book has going for it is an inviting cover.
The story is very much mired in internal thoughts, which was very insightful AT FIRST. Two couples with seemingly perfect lives and marriages, too busy with careers and success to really notice the cracks in the foundations of their relationships. Cracks wide enough for an 18-wheeler. The men want kids … the wives don’t. Overworked and under-nurtured marriages lead to self-denial about what, if anything, is wrong. Money and success only add to the delusion because they all believe they love each other and their mates. Is the love they feel true love? Four MIT post-grads that have been friends since college, but don’t truly know each other. For exceptionally brainy people, they were all dumb as dirt. All so passive with their feelings that they skirt around issues, and never express true feelings or dig for answers. It was an unconventional approach of learning about characters solely through their thoughts about themselves and each other, and such a contrast to the dialogue. Very much a low-key tactic as they vacation uneasily near Bali.
Naturally the two most unlikely of the couples end up stranded together in a twist of fate, and land on an uninhabited island with a surprising number of attributes for their survival. Anyone else would feel lucky in that situation. You’d never know it by the spoiled brats' glum reactions. They both fall apart on day one and keep whining about what they miss at home . Tenley is the only rich one by birth of the group, and dismissed by them as inconsequential for doing nothing with her degree. The misunderstood, passive, free spirit who wants to make her mark, not as an MIT grad, but as an entrepreneur of a home line of natural products. She’s now stuck with Brooks, a mastermind engineer in business with Tenley’s hubby and her father-in-law. Ever the sleek and sophisticated product of his success, Brooks never stops working and has barely even given Tenley the time of day all these years. Now they have all the time in the world to contemplate their fate, each other, and survive. Do they bridge the gap and fight for survival, while keeping their hopes up? Nope. They fold.
This story goes nowhere fast. The dire situation begins with a monkey, an island, and a couple, and doesn’t progress meaningfully. The lack of situational awareness in the first place put them in this situation and is their own fault. I hate using stupid behavior as an excuse. There are time-jumps all over place. We arrive at endpoints over and over, without the process of getting there – all tell, no show. A day on the island morphs into two weeks, then six months, then a year --- but their relationship barely changes. They seldom speak, go off on their own, and don’t bond in expected ways for such an intimate, life-threatening situation. He’s building a boat I guess, and she’s busy mothering the monkey. For a brilliant MIT guy obsessed with "the survival of the fittest" philosophy of Charles Darwinism and a copy of his book "The Origin of the Species" in his back pocket, Brooks is surprisingly clueless about survival and ingenuity. This book is his bible and no one even asks him about it.
Lady luck is on their side with the convenient contrivance of providing them with what they need. Extreme eyeball roll. And then, there was his smoking. He starts out on the island with 27 cigarettes that he wants to last as long as possible -- he has several left at two weeks, and still has several left a year later, although he always seems to be smoking. Not saying how it happens, but they find a bed after 2 weeks on the island, and Tenley primly lets Brooks sleep miserably on the floor for a year, rather than be adults and share it, and he just chivalrously goes along with it. That fried my brain. What earthshaking event -- besides horniess -- can possibly thaw the ice between them, suddenly make them interesting to read about, and develop a real connection and romance? I’m all for a sneak attack by the sharks surrounding the island to put an end to their misery, and mine. Neither one deserves to be rescued and any realistic romance probably drowned before reaching the island. Don’t get me started on the grammar and proofreading issues. Authors: stop making adults (especially MIT grads) say “anyways” like it’s a real word and not slang. The word—the ONLY word – is ANYWAY. Look it up. I’m done.
[Updated 8/7/2020: After writing this review I actually finished the book because I had to know how it played out. While it improved toward the end regarding their relationship and ended the way I liked (surprisingly), despite things that seemed impossible, all of my original comments above still stand. Given the years they were stranded on the island with no hope of rescue -- the ups and downs, setbacks and disappointments -- it took far too long for this couple to connect, let down their hair, and be comfortable with each other. In reality, intimacy -- both personal and sexual -- would have happened by necessity long before it did. They only have each other for survival. I couldn't imagine the formal, standoffish way they treated each other and almost lived separate lives under the same roof. Brooks especially was so boorish and rigid, trying to be so civilized in uncivilized circumstances. That aspect is especially laughable considering how everything turns out on the island and afterwards. So much hurt, loneliness, and wasted time. A shocking turn of events pierced my heart and I wish the rest of the book was as compelling as the latter part (4 stars). It just wasn't believable to drag out the evolution of their relationship so long. I felt really sad for Tenley always playing off Brooks' cold shoulder with a stiff upper lip. Geez, sometimes a girl just needs a hug when her whole damn life has imploded and everything keeps going wrong, regardless of doing everything right!]
DNF @ 33% (Updated at end of review)
Wish I’d gotten an inkling of this touching sentiment -- or any emotional connections for that matter -- but anything remotely resembling intimacy was still MIA at 33%, which is when I threw in the towel. Normally, castaway romance on an island paradise fraught with the constant struggle for survival and unlikelihood of rescue is like candy to a baby for me. Case in point: Shay Savage’s SURVIVING RAIN Book 1 (*hearts in my eyes over this one*) and Pepper Winters’ UNSEEN MESSAGES. Both books easily come to mind as compelling stories with riveting situations that take a reader through an emotional and physical wringer in the struggle for survival and love. This one? Only 29 Amazon reviews in a year and a half should have been a tip-off, but I was so certain the romantic adventure would be an as-yet-undiscovered diamond in the rough, ripe for my picking.
Rarely have I been SO WRONG, and this book even exceeded the crushing disappointment of Tracey Garvis Graves’s over-hyped On The Island. From now on, I’ll be much more selective about castaway romances. All this book has going for it is an inviting cover.
The story is very much mired in internal thoughts, which was very insightful AT FIRST. Two couples with seemingly perfect lives and marriages, too busy with careers and success to really notice the cracks in the foundations of their relationships. Cracks wide enough for an 18-wheeler. The men want kids … the wives don’t. Overworked and under-nurtured marriages lead to self-denial about what, if anything, is wrong. Money and success only add to the delusion because they all believe they love each other and their mates. Is the love they feel true love? Four MIT post-grads that have been friends since college, but don’t truly know each other. For exceptionally brainy people, they were all dumb as dirt. All so passive with their feelings that they skirt around issues, and never express true feelings or dig for answers. It was an unconventional approach of learning about characters solely through their thoughts about themselves and each other, and such a contrast to the dialogue. Very much a low-key tactic as they vacation uneasily near Bali.
Naturally the two most unlikely of the couples end up stranded together in a twist of fate, and land on an uninhabited island with a surprising number of attributes for their survival. Anyone else would feel lucky in that situation. You’d never know it by the spoiled brats' glum reactions. They both fall apart on day one and keep whining about what they miss at home . Tenley is the only rich one by birth of the group, and dismissed by them as inconsequential for doing nothing with her degree. The misunderstood, passive, free spirit who wants to make her mark, not as an MIT grad, but as an entrepreneur of a home line of natural products. She’s now stuck with Brooks, a mastermind engineer in business with Tenley’s hubby and her father-in-law. Ever the sleek and sophisticated product of his success, Brooks never stops working and has barely even given Tenley the time of day all these years. Now they have all the time in the world to contemplate their fate, each other, and survive. Do they bridge the gap and fight for survival, while keeping their hopes up? Nope. They fold.
This story goes nowhere fast. The dire situation begins with a monkey, an island, and a couple, and doesn’t progress meaningfully. The lack of situational awareness in the first place put them in this situation and is their own fault. I hate using stupid behavior as an excuse. There are time-jumps all over place. We arrive at endpoints over and over, without the process of getting there – all tell, no show. A day on the island morphs into two weeks, then six months, then a year --- but their relationship barely changes. They seldom speak, go off on their own, and don’t bond in expected ways for such an intimate, life-threatening situation. He’s building a boat I guess, and she’s busy mothering the monkey. For a brilliant MIT guy obsessed with "the survival of the fittest" philosophy of Charles Darwinism and a copy of his book "The Origin of the Species" in his back pocket, Brooks is surprisingly clueless about survival and ingenuity. This book is his bible and no one even asks him about it.
Lady luck is on their side with the convenient contrivance of providing them with what they need. Extreme eyeball roll. And then, there was his smoking. He starts out on the island with 27 cigarettes that he wants to last as long as possible -- he has several left at two weeks, and still has several left a year later, although he always seems to be smoking. Not saying how it happens, but they find a bed after 2 weeks on the island, and Tenley primly lets Brooks sleep miserably on the floor for a year, rather than be adults and share it, and he just chivalrously goes along with it. That fried my brain. What earthshaking event -- besides horniess -- can possibly thaw the ice between them, suddenly make them interesting to read about, and develop a real connection and romance? I’m all for a sneak attack by the sharks surrounding the island to put an end to their misery, and mine. Neither one deserves to be rescued and any realistic romance probably drowned before reaching the island. Don’t get me started on the grammar and proofreading issues. Authors: stop making adults (especially MIT grads) say “anyways” like it’s a real word and not slang. The word—the ONLY word – is ANYWAY. Look it up. I’m done.
[Updated 8/7/2020: After writing this review I actually finished the book because I had to know how it played out. While it improved toward the end regarding their relationship and ended the way I liked (surprisingly), despite things that seemed impossible, all of my original comments above still stand. Given the years they were stranded on the island with no hope of rescue -- the ups and downs, setbacks and disappointments -- it took far too long for this couple to connect, let down their hair, and be comfortable with each other. In reality, intimacy -- both personal and sexual -- would have happened by necessity long before it did. They only have each other for survival. I couldn't imagine the formal, standoffish way they treated each other and almost lived separate lives under the same roof. Brooks especially was so boorish and rigid, trying to be so civilized in uncivilized circumstances. That aspect is especially laughable considering how everything turns out on the island and afterwards. So much hurt, loneliness, and wasted time. A shocking turn of events pierced my heart and I wish the rest of the book was as compelling as the latter part (4 stars). It just wasn't believable to drag out the evolution of their relationship so long. I felt really sad for Tenley always playing off Brooks' cold shoulder with a stiff upper lip. Geez, sometimes a girl just needs a hug when her whole damn life has imploded and everything keeps going wrong, regardless of doing everything right!]
September 27, 2019
I am not sure how to rate this one. I didn’t particularly enjoy the beginning or ending. The married couples seemed mismatched as described but they were so in love. As we got into the real story on the Island, the story was much better as it focused Tenley and Brooks and their struggle to survive and not give up hope. I enjoyed this part of the book best and you connect with their emotions. It was a slooooooww buildup (almost too slow as it took up the bulk of the book) and I wouldn’t particularly say it was romance. It felt like just like survivor partners keeping each other alive and sane. And not a strong friendship for a long while. I think this is why I had an issue with the telling of this story - I didn’t get the sense that even after years on the Island their connection was a stronger, more connected bond with a deep love. I didn’t feeel the emotional connection that way, more of a settlement. I didn’t like the ending. It’s pretty abrupt without much explanation. It was basically H and h were left with the empty bag and just decided to settle. I did however enjoy the story and felt for them as people stuck on the island. This just underdelivered.
June 12, 2020
It was meh.
I didn’t feel any chemistry between the H and h. Also it was too slow burning.
H and h were married to there respective partners. There was no marital discords going in any of there marriages. Both the couples were vacationing together and having fun. H loved his wife. He was praising her. The h was also happy with her husband.
I didn’t feel any chemistry between the H and h. Also it was too slow burning.
H and h were married to there respective partners. There was no marital discords going in any of there marriages. Both the couples were vacationing together and having fun. H loved his wife. He was praising her. The h was also happy with her husband.
April 16, 2023
This book had me glued from the start, I didn't want to stop reading and when I did I kept thinking I wonder what will happen next, this book isn't perfect, there are probably many things people could pick holes at but I really enjoyed it, up until 70% and then I was just heartbroken, I wished the story hadn't gone in that direction! Then I wasn't 100% happy with the ending it felt rushed and I would have happily carried on reading more but nope it was over, I'm still giving this 5 stars mainly because I couldn't put it down and I would read it again
Second read April 2023
Honestly my feelings are pretty much the same as the first time I read it, the book was so good up until 70% in and then from there it felt like the last 30% had been rushed and thrown together to make it to the ending, I still enjoyed it but still disappointed in the rushed ending
Second read April 2023
Honestly my feelings are pretty much the same as the first time I read it, the book was so good up until 70% in and then from there it felt like the last 30% had been rushed and thrown together to make it to the ending, I still enjoyed it but still disappointed in the rushed ending
October 4, 2019
I just finished reading: THE ISLAND by Daya Daniels. It was the first book I've read by this author. I was hooked from the first page to the last page. It is not a love triangle but a love square. The two husbands are best-friends who have started a business together. It has grown into a multi-billionaire success. Their wives are also the best of friends. They are all friends! But one couple gets stranded on an island & they are not the couple that are married to each other.
As soon as I read the last page, I went straight to finding other books by this author. I now have another author that will be a must read. I was a mess while reading this book. The characters of Brooks and Tenley are just heartbreaking. And Peni, the spider monkey, is more human than many people I know. Read this book! I highly recommend!
As soon as I read the last page, I went straight to finding other books by this author. I now have another author that will be a must read. I was a mess while reading this book. The characters of Brooks and Tenley are just heartbreaking. And Peni, the spider monkey, is more human than many people I know. Read this book! I highly recommend!
January 13, 2021
Overall: 1.5 stars. A deserted island/survival romance with a lot of angst and a writing style I just did not care for.
Going to be honest here: I didn’t really enjoy any of this. The only reason I finished it is because I’ve been abandoning a lot of Kindle Unlimited reads lately and felt obligated to see it through.
For efficiency’s sake, here’s a laundry list of my dislikes:
1. This is a deserted island/survival romance, but a lot of the survival elements are glossed over and time fast-forwards rapidly. All of a sudden, our characters - hero Brooks and heroine Tenley - go from half-starving to death to having built a cute little Swiss Family Robinson wooden cottage and having a tame pet monkey and lots of food. Uhm, okay, so with the survival struggle element removed, why is this a survival plot to begin with?
2. The romance elements are also glossed over. There’s a lot of inner monologuing and angsting about why the characters shouldn’t fall for each other, but we don’t really ever seem them bonding and are just told that they have after the fast-forwards have taken place. It’s a bit “tell” instead of “show.”
3. There’s a lot of drama with this one that I felt was unnecessary, but YMMV. For instance, Brooks is constantly monologuing about how he wants a kid but his wife won’t give him one (which, ew?), but then after he gets Tenley pregnant on the island, her baby is stillborn. There’s a lot of emotional turmoil over this in the one chapter in which it occurs, but it’s not really brought up again, so I guess everyone just magically got over that trauma just fine? Something that horrific just seems like drama-fodder when the characters don’t emotionally grapple with it later: it has no long-term impact on them and seems like the angsty equivalent of “torture porn.”
4. The writing style is very, very....interesting. I suppose some people may find it compelling, but I just found it distracting and like it was trying too hard to be unconventional. Everything is stream-of-consciousness, and there’s a lot of italics, all-caps, and one line or one word paragraphs. For example, it was difficult to take a sex scene seriously or find it romantic or erotic when it’s written exactly like this with all-caps, ellipses, and line breaks as follows:
I will say that this is one of the more unique romance novels I’ve read. You might find its style interesting: this just did not work for me at all.
Content Warning: Cheating (sort of? They think their spouses are dead); lots of pregnancy talk; death of an infant
Going to be honest here: I didn’t really enjoy any of this. The only reason I finished it is because I’ve been abandoning a lot of Kindle Unlimited reads lately and felt obligated to see it through.
For efficiency’s sake, here’s a laundry list of my dislikes:
1. This is a deserted island/survival romance, but a lot of the survival elements are glossed over and time fast-forwards rapidly. All of a sudden, our characters - hero Brooks and heroine Tenley - go from half-starving to death to having built a cute little Swiss Family Robinson wooden cottage and having a tame pet monkey and lots of food. Uhm, okay, so with the survival struggle element removed, why is this a survival plot to begin with?
2. The romance elements are also glossed over. There’s a lot of inner monologuing and angsting about why the characters shouldn’t fall for each other, but we don’t really ever seem them bonding and are just told that they have after the fast-forwards have taken place. It’s a bit “tell” instead of “show.”
3. There’s a lot of drama with this one that I felt was unnecessary, but YMMV. For instance, Brooks is constantly monologuing about how he wants a kid but his wife won’t give him one (which, ew?), but then after he gets Tenley pregnant on the island, her baby is stillborn. There’s a lot of emotional turmoil over this in the one chapter in which it occurs, but it’s not really brought up again, so I guess everyone just magically got over that trauma just fine? Something that horrific just seems like drama-fodder when the characters don’t emotionally grapple with it later: it has no long-term impact on them and seems like the angsty equivalent of “torture porn.”
4. The writing style is very, very....interesting. I suppose some people may find it compelling, but I just found it distracting and like it was trying too hard to be unconventional. Everything is stream-of-consciousness, and there’s a lot of italics, all-caps, and one line or one word paragraphs. For example, it was difficult to take a sex scene seriously or find it romantic or erotic when it’s written exactly like this with all-caps, ellipses, and line breaks as follows:
I
FUCK
HER…
WARMTH. Comfort. Everything.
I will say that this is one of the more unique romance novels I’ve read. You might find its style interesting: this just did not work for me at all.
Content Warning: Cheating (sort of? They think their spouses are dead); lots of pregnancy talk; death of an infant
October 19, 2025
Very interesting concept. And the cutest monkey🥰
I don't necessarily agree with the ending: it felt like an easy way out of a difficult situation and hard decision-making. But due to the unique TO ME plot, I did like the book a lot!
I don't necessarily agree with the ending: it felt like an easy way out of a difficult situation and hard decision-making. But due to the unique TO ME plot, I did like the book a lot!
October 12, 2020
This was good up until that ending. That ending annoyed me.
It was just rushed and felt like everything was wrapped up too perfectly.
I would of rather seen Brooks choose Tenley on their way home. But instead he makes it seem like shes second best to his wife and was what, just planing on going back to her like everything that happened on the island didn't?
Tenley says she loves him first and he says it too but its not enough.
And then they find out both their spouses are married now and have twins that they named after them. That's weird. Honestly not sure how they can be friends after everything...
And now he's free to be with Tenley *que eyeroll*
It was just rushed and felt like everything was wrapped up too perfectly.
I would of rather seen Brooks choose Tenley on their way home. But instead he makes it seem like shes second best to his wife and was what, just planing on going back to her like everything that happened on the island didn't?
Tenley says she loves him first and he says it too but its not enough.
And then they find out both their spouses are married now and have twins that they named after them. That's weird. Honestly not sure how they can be friends after everything...
And now he's free to be with Tenley *que eyeroll*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 18, 2021
Love a good stranded on a deserted island story and this one kept me intrigued and I couldn’t put it down. Easy to read.
September 9, 2023
2.8- The ending was so rushed I feel like the author was just done with it and wrapped it up quickly. Everyone was too okay with the situation like I want a little of what they were smoking cause wth. Also that specific death was unnecessary imo.
March 7, 2021
Actually 3.5 stars
When their inter-island water taxi sinks in a storm, homegoods designer Tenley is stranded on a deserted island with serious Brooks, who is both her best friend's husband and her husband's best friend. They find a tropical fruit, and a tree house made by a previous castaway -- and skeptical Brooks likes Tenley's home stuff a lot more when her sample crate washes ashore, leaving them with pillows, blankets, and candles (among other things).
This book is good. A lot of it is predictable, but the characters are interesting and their pet spider monkey is adorable. They spend over three years on the island, which is necessary to be long enough to get them to give up their previous relationships and fall for each other. They have chemistry, more than they do with their original spouses (in their original troubles marriages).
When their inter-island water taxi sinks in a storm, homegoods designer Tenley is stranded on a deserted island with serious Brooks, who is both her best friend's husband and her husband's best friend. They find a tropical fruit, and a tree house made by a previous castaway -- and skeptical Brooks likes Tenley's home stuff a lot more when her sample crate washes ashore, leaving them with pillows, blankets, and candles (among other things).
This book is good. A lot of it is predictable, but the characters are interesting and their pet spider monkey is adorable. They spend over three years on the island, which is necessary to be long enough to get them to give up their previous relationships and fall for each other. They have chemistry, more than they do with their original spouses (in their original troubles marriages).
April 22, 2020
This book is a poorly written and much more boring version of the book On The Island. The writing was choppy and jumped around without showing any character growth, both characters were flat and didn't seem to really care about anything or anyone, and the plot was a train wreck. For being stuck on a random island it sure had everything needed to survive very comfortably including a complete house with running water, a bathroom, bed, stove, sheets, soap, pillows, extra clothes, towels, candles, a fresh water lagoon, a compass, a flair gun, books, a journal that warns of everything that will happen, a monkey that can do everything for you, and all the food you could want. I usually try to find the best in a book but this book has no redeeming qualities except for the fact that my roommate and I got a good laugh at some of the truly awful lines. I can't believe all the five star reviews this book has. Please go read On the Island by Tracey Garvis Graves if this book sounds interesting because it is so much better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 2, 2019
This was a very thought provoking story and it made me put myself in their shoes. Two couples go on vacation and get separated and nothing will ever be the same again. There were lots of interesting elements in this story. I found the juxtaposition between the couples and how they handled their respective separations with the other person's spouse --fascinating.
This author writes across all genres, all genders, and all racial and gender identities. Read her books.
This author writes across all genres, all genders, and all racial and gender identities. Read her books.
April 8, 2020
I don’t normally write reviews but I LOVED this story. I was literally on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. I’m going to recommend this one to all my book-loving friends because it was an emotionally amazing page turner.
October 1, 2019
Although a few things stretched credulity, overall a well-written and engrossing story about surviving - physically AND emotionally. Will look for more from this author!
October 3, 2019
Romantic
This was a very profound story of loss and survival. I absolutely loved the characters. I fell in love with the story and I’m so glad I read it.
This was a very profound story of loss and survival. I absolutely loved the characters. I fell in love with the story and I’m so glad I read it.
July 19, 2020
Very convenient that they had everything they needed to survive on that island. And the tears man, enough with the tears.
September 13, 2022
This started off weird. The dialogue from Brooks character in the first chapter gave me the impression he was gay/secretly in love with his best friend. But only that first chapter…it was strange.
We immediately jump into the story and characters. Just dove right in telling us their history and current situation. It was really quite boring and I almost quit. Then we get to the island and the story actually starts. There were still parts that were boring and I skimmed through some monologues that just didn’t need to be there but over all it was good.
I will say the one thing that bothered me most were the ages, I feel this story would’ve been better and wouldn’t need to change if the characters were 5 years younger. For health reasons mostly. Also there wasn’t any mention of aging ever. While everything else was detailed, no grey hairs or wrinkles were mentioned
which would definitely happen in this scenario. Instead Brooks becomes more muscular, instead of how his muscles would actually begin to break down in his 40’s esp with out proper nutrition, now if he were 30-35 that would’ve made sense.
Also having babies in your late 30’s and 40’s is known for numerous issues, that’s why it’s called a geriatric pregnancy.
And while she loses Lola in birth I never got the feeling it had anything to do with her age. ESP when she proceeds to have two successful pregnancies years later. Which definitely happens but isn’t as common.
If the characters were 30 when the story started instead of 35 it just would’ve made more sense, to me.
We immediately jump into the story and characters. Just dove right in telling us their history and current situation. It was really quite boring and I almost quit. Then we get to the island and the story actually starts. There were still parts that were boring and I skimmed through some monologues that just didn’t need to be there but over all it was good.
I will say the one thing that bothered me most were the ages, I feel this story would’ve been better and wouldn’t need to change if the characters were 5 years younger. For health reasons mostly. Also there wasn’t any mention of aging ever. While everything else was detailed, no grey hairs or wrinkles were mentioned
which would definitely happen in this scenario. Instead Brooks becomes more muscular, instead of how his muscles would actually begin to break down in his 40’s esp with out proper nutrition, now if he were 30-35 that would’ve made sense.
Also having babies in your late 30’s and 40’s is known for numerous issues, that’s why it’s called a geriatric pregnancy.
And while she loses Lola in birth I never got the feeling it had anything to do with her age. ESP when she proceeds to have two successful pregnancies years later. Which definitely happens but isn’t as common.
If the characters were 30 when the story started instead of 35 it just would’ve made more sense, to me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 15, 2022
To enjoy this book you kinda need to have a huge suspension of disbelief and leave your brain at the door.... I did it and liked it but I can’t say it’s very good. The writing was choppy and the story needed an editor for both style and trimming; I almost balked out because 80% of the inner monologues ended with a ! and it was weird how huge lengths of time passed on without nothing really happening. The characters didn’t seem very smart or communicated efficiently which is weird since they’re supposed to be geniuses. And so many unbelievable stuff happens on the island that’s basically magic. It looks like I hated it, but despite the flaws I enjoyed it while it lasted.
TW: check them because something triggering happens near the end. It doesn’t add anything to the plot and it looked like torture porn to me... but rest assured, the pet monkey doesn’t die.
Steam: 3.75 out of 5.
TW: check them because something triggering happens near the end. It doesn’t add anything to the plot and it looked like torture porn to me... but rest assured, the pet monkey doesn’t die.
Steam: 3.75 out of 5.
March 2, 2023
Absolutely clueless about the rating or how I like it. I like how they are on the island but it's all so unnatural. They are on a remote island with very very limited access to outside world but everything they need they get?! Foam packed accessories, a pristine fully equipped tree house, a monkey for all their foraging needs, a villain when they need em?! And a flawless severance. Yeah, sounds credible.
November 5, 2019
4 "I am changed" stars
This is the slowest of all slow burns but I regret not one minute spent on that island with Brooks, Tenley, and the cutest spider monkey that ever did spider monkey. Actually, my only regret is the abrupt ending. I miss Brooks, Tenley, and Peni something awful. I want more!
This is the slowest of all slow burns but I regret not one minute spent on that island with Brooks, Tenley, and the cutest spider monkey that ever did spider monkey. Actually, my only regret is the abrupt ending. I miss Brooks, Tenley, and Peni something awful. I want more!
March 13, 2021
I read this with my GF. For this type storyline and genre, I think this is among the better books. The GF and I agreed the monkey part was over the top (stick with a dog IOHO) but it still was an easy story to ‘get in to’. The couple switch was a good twist along with the previous stranded couple+people providing the story within the story (and a home with primitive running water and kitchenware).
Sometimes it’s good to have a satisfactory amount of hygiene products and other implements to keep the couple relatively clean and groomed, though it’s likely unrealistic. Getting into the story/the escape sometimes is best done with some unlikely elements that allow you to bring a minimum of ‘comforts’ we expected every day.
The one item that I couldn’t make jive was their lack of awareness of what would be happening off the island. They never considered their significant others would unquestionably Believe them dead and have moved on? Also, lol, did they not know how a woman becoming pregnant happens?
Sometimes it’s good to have a satisfactory amount of hygiene products and other implements to keep the couple relatively clean and groomed, though it’s likely unrealistic. Getting into the story/the escape sometimes is best done with some unlikely elements that allow you to bring a minimum of ‘comforts’ we expected every day.
The one item that I couldn’t make jive was their lack of awareness of what would be happening off the island. They never considered their significant others would unquestionably Believe them dead and have moved on? Also, lol, did they not know how a woman becoming pregnant happens?
August 1, 2021
Surviving
I wasn't sure what kind of review to leave for this book even though I knew or guessed how it would end, I did enjoy the story. People may think that life has to be a certain way but when you really learn to open up and be who you know you can be and let go, you will find that you can be happy. I'm not sure how I would deal with being stranded on an island with someone who you believe doesn't like you and then try to survive and get home, if you can but at least either characters weren't alone which may have been harder. This could have been a scary if things went differently but I think it worked out well.
I wasn't sure what kind of review to leave for this book even though I knew or guessed how it would end, I did enjoy the story. People may think that life has to be a certain way but when you really learn to open up and be who you know you can be and let go, you will find that you can be happy. I'm not sure how I would deal with being stranded on an island with someone who you believe doesn't like you and then try to survive and get home, if you can but at least either characters weren't alone which may have been harder. This could have been a scary if things went differently but I think it worked out well.
March 31, 2020
I don't care how predictable this book is. It is a great story that is well written.
Brooks and Tenley get shipwrecked and end up on an isolated island. No they are not strangers to each other. Brooks is happily married to Tenley's best friend Joy and Tenley is married to Brooks best friend James. Both couples have been happily married for at least 10 years. Brooks and James are successful partners in a business called Bona Fide.
After years of waiting to be saved, Brooks and Tenley have moved into survival mode. Although they both desperately miss their old life and their spouses they have to rely on each other for survival. They adapt and learn to adjust to the environment that is their new life on the island. The island feeds them and provides their shelter and they are thankful. But what is missing? Intimacy, touching, feeling, loving is missing. It has been years since either of them have experienced any of that. Brooks feels he cannot take what is not his. What is his best friends. So instead he satisfies himself. But he is finding it harder and harder to resist Tenley who is so beautiful. He needs her so badly.
To Tenley Brooks looks so different now. He is tanned, lean and muscular with a man bun. Nothing like the stuffy Brooks she used to know. She loves watching his abds flex as he works. Tenley wants him and needs him so badly. When they are forced to separate, Brooks has to physically fight for his life to get back to Tenley while Tenley must face the threat of loneliness. This is a life changing incident that propelled their lives on to a different path. They evolve from Brooks husband to Joy and Tenley wife to James into two different people who only have each other to comfort and rely on. Their past lives before the island have become a vague memory with faces and places fading away.
This book is written to help us remember that under dire circumstances people change, adapt and evolve to survive (see Darwin). If you've lived this life you know that it's possible to fall in love with someone when you are already in love with someone else but Daya gives us this story to back that up.
I loved all the characters but my favorite is Peni the spider monkey who was one of the keys to their survival. Even though we meet them through his diary Captain Alcott and his feisty wife Peighton were great supporters. I enjoyed this book and so did my husband who usually leaves the room when I start talking about one of my books. I will look for other books written by Daya.
Brooks and Tenley get shipwrecked and end up on an isolated island. No they are not strangers to each other. Brooks is happily married to Tenley's best friend Joy and Tenley is married to Brooks best friend James. Both couples have been happily married for at least 10 years. Brooks and James are successful partners in a business called Bona Fide.
After years of waiting to be saved, Brooks and Tenley have moved into survival mode. Although they both desperately miss their old life and their spouses they have to rely on each other for survival. They adapt and learn to adjust to the environment that is their new life on the island. The island feeds them and provides their shelter and they are thankful. But what is missing? Intimacy, touching, feeling, loving is missing. It has been years since either of them have experienced any of that. Brooks feels he cannot take what is not his. What is his best friends. So instead he satisfies himself. But he is finding it harder and harder to resist Tenley who is so beautiful. He needs her so badly.
To Tenley Brooks looks so different now. He is tanned, lean and muscular with a man bun. Nothing like the stuffy Brooks she used to know. She loves watching his abds flex as he works. Tenley wants him and needs him so badly. When they are forced to separate, Brooks has to physically fight for his life to get back to Tenley while Tenley must face the threat of loneliness. This is a life changing incident that propelled their lives on to a different path. They evolve from Brooks husband to Joy and Tenley wife to James into two different people who only have each other to comfort and rely on. Their past lives before the island have become a vague memory with faces and places fading away.
This book is written to help us remember that under dire circumstances people change, adapt and evolve to survive (see Darwin). If you've lived this life you know that it's possible to fall in love with someone when you are already in love with someone else but Daya gives us this story to back that up.
I loved all the characters but my favorite is Peni the spider monkey who was one of the keys to their survival. Even though we meet them through his diary Captain Alcott and his feisty wife Peighton were great supporters. I enjoyed this book and so did my husband who usually leaves the room when I start talking about one of my books. I will look for other books written by Daya.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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