3.5 stars

In Anita Hughes’ latest release, Island in the Sea, readers are whisked away to an idyllic island setting when music exec Juliet Lyman travels to Majorca, Spain to convince songwriter Lionel Harding to fulfill the terms of his contract.

Juliet is passionate about her career and although she works long hours and spends a lot of time on the road, she loves working in the music industry. With her job on the line, she is determined to convince Lionel to either pay back his advance or turn in the songs he was contracted to write. When he insists on telling her a story that explains his lack of progress, she extends her visit by two weeks, becomes friends with locals Gabriella and Lydia and begins dating tennis player Henry Adler. With her departure date looming, Juliet unexpectedly finds love but will a surprising discovery ruin her chance at happiness?

Juliet does not have much time for a private life and while fulfilled her in professional life, she is taken off guard when she feels a little lonely after her long days come to a close. At loose ends while waiting for Lionel to finish his story and turn in his songs, she explores Majorca, gets to know Gabriella and Lydia and enjoys extravagant dates with Henry. When Henry surprises her with a declaration of love, Juliet is confused by her own feelings and when he begins planning his future around their budding relationship, she is shocked by her reaction.

Lionel is self-indulgent, whiny and somewhat shallow. The story of his rise to fame is initially interesting but as he falls victim to the trappings of success, he becomes just another overspending jerk who loses sight of what is truly important in life. Easily convinced to go on the road despite his promises to his girlfriend (and muse), a misunderstanding and behind the scenes maneuvering leads to the demise of their relationship. Despite his continued success, Lionel really never got over his first love and when he finds out the truth about the real reason their romance failed, he becomes morose and petulant. He also makes a somewhat passive aggressive decision to not fulfill the terms of his contract.

While the descriptions of Majorca bring the setting vibrantly to live, the rest of the storyline falls a little flat. Lionel’s past is revealed through a series of flashbacks which detail a lovely romance that ultimately falters under the weight of his career aspirations. The transitions between past and present are a little abrupt and not always clearly marked. Juliet is a likable character but she comes across as much younger than her actual age. The romance aspect of the plot has a bit of an insta-love quality and the reasons for the behind the scenes manipulations seem a little heavy handed and arrogant.

Despite a few issues with some of the plot, Island in the Sea by Anita Hughes is a lovely, light read with an exotic and relaxing setting. Overall, an angst free romance with a unique storyline that fans of contemporary romances will enjoy. ( )

This advanced reading copy of given to me for free by the Goodreads FirstReads program.

I started this yesterday and finished it today. I enjoyed it while recognizing that it's not very well written. Some of the description repeats. The characters were more cardboard puppets then believable people. None the less, I enjoyed it enough to want to keep reading, and didn't even mind the rather contrived ending.

All in all, a fun read. It's worth a shot if you're up for something light and you can easily suspend your disbelief. ( )