Gillian’s Island

Read Time: 3 Minutes

I went into Gillian’s Island expecting a light tropical escape, something easy on the brain with a bit of flirtation and a bit of adventure. A sapphic cruise heading for the Galapagos sounded perfect, especially with a title that winks at a very different kind of island story.

Scarlet Day, the lavender haired lead singer of The Scarlet Begonias, is fully absorbed in getting her band off the ground and not exactly cruising for romance. Robin is her opposite in temperament, a shy professor who has been nudged onto this trip by people hoping she might finally meet someone.

Their first spark is basically love at first sight. Scarlet spots Robin at the bar mid performance, Robin gets caught up in watching her on stage, and the attraction is instant. The book does not pretend otherwise, and it gives their early interactions a fun, fizzy energy.

Before things go south, the cruise sections have a nice, relaxed rhythm. Shore excursions in the Galapagos, lingering conversations, the sense of being on borrowed holiday time. It makes the later shift into survival feel sharper. The storm that hits the ship is rough and kicks them all into the real adventure as they barely make it to the lifeboats.

Once the cast washes up on the island the whole tone changes again. The romance is still there, but it slides into the background while everyone figures out food, water, and shelter. There are a few mildly spicy moments as they find some alone time, but mostly it is the kind of low-level survival grind where tempers fray and small problems feel bigger than they are.

Zoe, the cruise director, deserves a special mention as one of the easiest characters to dislike that I have run into this year. Every choice she makes is selfish, lazy, or downright awful. Stealing food, contributing nothing, complaining constantly. She fits into the story almost too well because every group under pressure ends up with someone who drags the whole mood downhill. Rooting against her became part of the entertainment.

The group dynamic slowly shifts into a soft Lord of the Flies pattern. Nothing extreme, nothing violent, no murdering people for a conch and their glasses… just factions forming and patience wearing thin. Some parts feel believable, others a little less so, but it works well enough for what the story is doing.

Nym Kingsley’s narration is pleasant throughout. She has a soft, breathy tone that suits the romantic sections nicely. The tradeoff is that there is not much variation between characters, and the tense moments sometimes come through with the same calm cadence as everything else. It is easy listening, but not always dramatic listening.

At just over six hours the story moves quickly. It gave me exactly the mix of romance, danger, and easy escapism I was after. Nothing too heavy, nothing too overwrought, just a fun island adventure with a couple worth spending time with.

---

Note: These are affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you decide to sign up. It doesn't cost you anything extra, and it helps support our site! ♥