Anne of a Different Island

by Virginia Kantra

A woman learns to be the heroine of her own life in this heartfelt novel inspired by Anne of Green Gables by New York Times bestselling author Virginia Kantra.

She believed life could follow a plotline—until the story she was living unraveled.

Anne Gallagher has always lived by the book. Anne of Green Gables, that is. Growing up on Mackinac Island, she saw herself as her the same impulsive charm, the same wild imagination, even the same red hair (dyed, but still). She followed in Anne Shirley’s fictional footsteps, chasing dreams of teaching and writing, and falling for her very own storybook hero.

But when a string of real-life plot twists—a failing romance, a fight with the administration, and the sudden death of her beloved father—pulls her back to the island she once couldn’t wait to leave, Anne is forced to face a truth no story ever prepared her for. Sometimes, life doesn’t follow a script.

Back in the house she grew up in, Anne must confront her past and the people she left behind, including Joe Miller, the boy who once called her “The Pest.” It’s time to figure out what she wants and rewrite her story to create her own happy ending. Not the book version. The real one.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Retellings, Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Summer, Adult Fiction

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 20, 2026

About the author

New York Times bestselling author Virginia Kantra is the author of thirty books of women's fiction, contemporary romance, paranormal romance, and romantic suspense.

Kindred spirits and Anne of Green Gables fans, look for Anne of a Different Island , coming January 20, 2026.

Her latest release, The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale , a contemporary reimagining inspired by Dorothy's adventures in Oz, follows Kansas graduate student Dee Gale as she flees personal heartbreak and public humiliation to enroll in the writing program at Trinity College Dublin (the Emerald Isle!).

Meg and Jo , a contemporary novel inspired by the classic story Little Women, received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist and was a People Magazine pick.

Beth and Amy (May 25, 2021) "continues her delightful 21st-century retelling of Little Women...Kantra’s compulsively readable update will attract a whole new group of readers, as well as satisfy Alcott devotees."—Publishers Weekly

Her stories have earned numerous awards including two Romance Writers of America's RITA (R) Awards, ten RITA nominations, and two National Readers' Choice Awards.

Carolina Dreaming, the fifth book in her Dare Island series , won the 2017 RITA (R) Award for Best Contemporary Romance - Midlength and was named one of BookPage's Top Ten Romance Novels of 2016. Her work includes the popular Children of the Sea series and, in e-book format, The MacNeills stories.
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Reviews

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 3 out of 5]

✨3 Stars for a heartfelt retelling that almost had me—just not quite all the way✨

Well, let me start by saying I really wanted to love this book. The idea of a modern Anne of Green Gables retelling? Say less! I was fully in—especially with the cozy Mackinac Island setting and a heroine with literary dreams and dyed red hair to match her namesake. There’s so much here that’s earnest, charming, and thoughtful.

Virginia Kantra’s prose is warm, inviting, and often delightfully observant. The book pays loving tribute to L.M. Montgomery’s classic while weaving in relevant modern themes like banned books, loss, and the complexities of family and finding your place in the world. And R.I.P. to my productivity—because yes, I devoured this book in record time, which is always a good sign.

But.

As much as I appreciated the homage and Kantra’s skilled writing, a few things kept me from fully embracing this retelling as a personal favorite. First off: I struggled with the age gap timeline. A 17-year-old girl being visibly flustered and attached to a guy in his twenties may have a touch of realism in certain small-town dynamics—but in a 2025 contemporary novel, it felt uncomfortable. Especially given how the book frames their early interactions. Even if it doesn’t lead to anything until years later, the dynamic left a weird taste in my mouth. It just didn't feel necessary for building romantic tension or depth.

Another oddity: the Harry Potter references. Listen, I was one of those people who lived and breathed those books. I get it. They were a generational phenomenon. But as someone who can no longer separate the magic from the author's transphobic rhetoric, these references hit wrong. Especially in a story that otherwise tries to be progressive and sensitive. A small detail, maybe, but it took me out of the moment.

Still, there's plenty of emotional pull here. I felt for Anne—her grief, her confusion, her constant push and pull between the life she imagined and the one she finds herself living. And Joe? While I didn’t swoon, I did appreciate that he’s flawed, grounded, and far from a cliché romcom hero. The book felt more like women's fiction than straight romance, and I think it worked better that way.

Would I read more from Virginia Kantra? Absolutely. She’s clearly got the heart, skill, and vision to keep evolving. This one just wasn’t a perfect fit for me—but I’ll be volunteering for her next book all the same.

💫 Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this retelling’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts. I truly appreciated the chance to read it. 💫

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[Dab · Rating 4 out of 5]

🎉Happy Release!🎉

4.5 stars

A heartwarming and comforting retelling. Exactly what I was hoping for.

I would classify this book more as women’s fiction than romance. There is a romance, but it’s not exactly the main focus. And probably not for die-hard “safety readers.”

Anne has a teaching job that she enjoys and a handsome boyfriend who also happens to be a successful pediatric oncologist — basically a modern-day Gilbert. Except that the boyfriend turns out to be a self-important prick who treats Anne like an accessory, and the job is not that dreamy either.

When Anne’s beloved father dies, she’s devastated, lost, and alone, so she returns to Mackinac, the small island she grew up on.

I really enjoyed that this book was slow-paced and focused on Anne finding her peace and her place in the world, rather than on her romance with Joe. The author’s take on the story felt very modern and resonated with me, even though no words could ever describe my love for the original series and for Gilbert, just to be clear.

The original worked very well for the ten-year-old me. Now that I’m old and jaded, I appreciate that the author made the hero less perfect. Joe is very realistic, and Anne is not his first love (thank goodness for that, he’s six years older and they’ve known each other forever). They’ve both been through a lot, and I loved the way they found each other.

I enjoyed all the AoGG references (it was awesome when she told her perfect-on-paper doctor boyfriend that he was Roy Gardner), but I also appreciated that this was clearly a modern story — pandemic and all.

Highly recommended for AoGG lovers. I will definitely read more from this author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you Penguin Random House and Edelweiss for the arc.

[Tina Loves To Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Romance. I got pulled into this story right away, and I enjoyed reading this book. This is a slow burn romance, and both main characters are moving on. I found this book to be heart warming and I love the Anne of Green Gables and the book stuff. This was a really good read. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.

[Marie]

Well that looks like a dream come true.. ✨🥹😍

[Susan Z (webreakforbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I have never read Anne of Green Gables, so I didn't have a comparison, I really enjoyed this one.

I loved the Midwest representation, especially the quaint Mackinac Island. Although I've never been there, I felt transported to this amazing island.

There was an amazing cast of characters, and I loved how Anne seemed to make an impact on the lives of those in her circle.

Although a romance, it was more of a character study of Anne, you really got to know her so well. I will definitely miss spending time with her. She was a complex likable FMC.

I also liked the MMC Joe. He was a bit older so when they knew each other years ago, Anne was practically a kid crushing on him, and her advances were rebuffed, which obviously didn't make he feel great. This bad blood started the story out a bit like enemies to lovers and then transitiones to friends to lovers.

This is a feel good story, although it does have the backdrop of grief, set in a quaint locale. I enjoyed every minute and will definitely read more by this author!

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

After delighting in Virginia Kantra’s take on Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, I was all a-gasp when she released a tribute to Anne of Green Gables and set on the divinest place in Michigan, Mackinac Island.

Anne of Another Island is full of the wonder and precocity of the original Anne, but is firmly settled in a ‘real life’ women’s fiction world where a woman must figure out what she really wants while also learning to look on her past without the ‘Anne of Green Gables’ tinted glasses on. Told with dual timeline as well as dual point of view narration, one gets a wonderful, emotional immersion into Anne Gallagher and her Mackinac Island world.

The death of Anne Gallagher’s dad is the catalyst she needs to really look hard at where she’s at in life -just going through the motions while working in a Chicago High School where she gets no support or fulfillment, dating a pediatric oncologist and having to always come second and always change to fit his world.
She left her island home after high school and never went back so she has memories that are those of a child. Coming home was hard on Anne and she had some tough moments as her notions about her mother, island life, and especially Joe had to really get an upheaval before she could start a new, happier path.

Mackinac Island is like a main character in its own right. Island life is depicted so vividly. The Anne of Green Gables’ tribute is strong though I was appreciative of the author’s ability to balance this with contemporary issues and modern characters. Joe was a divorced specialty carpenter, grieving his friend and former mentor (Anne’s dad) and has the wary, emotional scars to prove it. I loved seeing Anne reunite with her best friend, but also spend that time with her Marilla-like mother who may be a kindred spirit, after all.

Anne of Another Island is classified as Contemporary Romance, but I felt that it fit more of a Women’s Fiction because the central element in the book is Anne accepting herself, dealing with her past and forming reunion relationships in the present that include a romance. Definitely for all the Anne-girls out there, but also for the women’s fic and contemporary romance fans who would enjoy an island girl coming home story.

I rec'd an eARC via NetGalley to read in exchange for an honest review.


My full review will post at The Quill Ink 1.13.26.

[Riley (runtobooks) · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was so incredibly mid. our main character was pretty insufferable the entire book, and the author just couldn’t pull off the ‘anne of green gables’ vibe to make it work. disappointing, this was such a highly anticipated read for me!

pre-read review: the canadiana this is giving!!! foaming at the mouth for this one omg
UPDATE: ARC SECURED! WE HAVE SECURED THE BAG

[Britt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably my most favorite Anne of Green Gables inspired story ever. True to the books, this is a story about love: for yourself, your home, friends, family and of course with a partner. The author did an incredible job of blending the originals with a modern time and I especially enjoyed the ADHD rep.

[itsallaboutbooksandmacarons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anne’s return to the island after her father’s death threw her into a whirlwind of emotions she wasn’t ready for. She’s so genuine—talkative, struggling with her teaching job, and trying to make sense of everything that’s falling apart inside her. That honesty grabbed me from the start.
Her fiancé looks solid on the surface—the dependable type—but I could tell Anne was longing for something deeper. Their relationship isn’t full of loud drama, but there’s this quiet tension that feels heavy in the spaces between them.

Then there’s the man who’s been connected to Anne’s life for years in a way that she can’t brush aside anymore. He’s not just someone new; his presence stirs things up beneath the surface, adding complexity and a kind of steady weight that made the story richer.

The references to Anne Gable’s books scattered through the story were a nice surprise. I hadn’t read her before, but those moments made me curious to explore her work.

Anne’s summer wasn’t simple or smooth—it was tangled with grief, complicated feelings, and uncertainty about the future. The story doesn’t pretend life is straightforward, and that made every moment feel real and honest. I found myself caught up in Anne’s world, feeling every twist and turn alongside her.

[Susan]

DNF at 12%. Why is a 19 year old man asking a 12 year old girl spying on him and his GF if she was trying to learn something. Excuse me?? I am ASTONISHED. This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2026 and I was so excited tu get an advanced readers copy. But no.

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

A solid five stars for me. Virginia Kantra really captured the spirit of Anne of Green Gables. I began with cautious hope that this would not be a bad copy cat or try to replicate the classic, and it certainly did not. The tension of Anne and Gilbert’s relationship and building romance is captured perfectly. The spirit of the OG Anne is captured beautifully in this modern Anne. I really loved everything about this book.

[Di · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of Anne (with an E) who grew up on Mackinac Island. Now she is an English teacher in Chicago but seems to be at a crossroads in her life. While she wanted to be like the famous Anne of Green Gables, she always felt she wasn’t “enough”. A young woman lacking self-confidence, always questioning herself about how she appeared to other people.

I’m not sure if the intent of the author was to retell Anne of Green Gables in a different era and setting, or if she was trying to write a romance novel. As a
retelling, the story fell flat, though there were a few similarities. As a romance, it was too cheesy for me.

I didn’t hate it, it was a quick read and entertaining most times. Sometimes it got a little too silly. And, a few times I was just frustrated with the main characters. They kept getting their own way. In general, I kept getting distracted as I was reading it so it didn’t totally hold my attention.

There is a good lesson in the book: sometimes the thing you’ve spent time looking for is right in front of you.

If I were to recommend it, I’d say it would be fine to read on the beach or an airplane……where there’s always something going on around you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Reader's Copy.

[Karyl · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was a kid, I read way too many books for my parents to keep up with, so in between library visits, when I would finally get some new books to read, I contented myself with re-reading my favorites. The Anne of Green Gables series was one of those favorites, and I read and re-read all eight novels, plus the Chronicles of Avonlea books as well. Avonlea was my happy place, my escape from my reality, the home of my heart.

I really like what Virginia Kantra has done with this book. It’s not a re-telling at all, but there are familiar characters. Instead, Anne in this book is her own person (though she does color her hair red) with her own career and her own life. And now the island in question, instead of Prince Edward Island, is Mackinac Island in Michigan (a place dear to my heart, though I’ve never been there, because my parents honeymooned there). While I myself am not ADHD, I appreciated the representation, and how especially women and girls with ADHD aren’t diagnosed as early as boys because it presents totally differently. I think it’s important to have that kind of representation.

I found myself absolutely captivated by this story, and for me, Joe was such a lovely MMC. I loved how aspects of Anne and Joe’s “situationship” ended up in various romance novel tropes. Kantra’s writing and pacing were wonderful, and I found myself lost in the story.

The one thing that didn’t set well with me, and something that I feel wasn’t necessary at all, was the age difference between Anne and Joe. The interaction they have on Anne’s prom night, where she kisses him because she’s got a crush on him, felt so very icky to me because Anne is only 17 and Joe is 24. I am glad he rebuffed her, but he does admit in his POV chapters that he couldn’t help but notice his boss’s kid as she grew into young womanhood. I feel like Kantra could have made Joe maybe 19 at the time, which feels a bit less icky.

[the.bookish.mama.lion · Rating 5 out of 5]

◇ Thoughts ◇
4.75 stars. Contemporary Romance.

If you're a fan of Anne of Green Gables in any way, this is a must read!

The story of Green Gables ran, deliberately, through every inch if this story, making it automatically feel like a beloved story you already know and love. This book felt like a warm hug from an old friend who just got a small makeover.

I loved Anne (this Anne) and her loud, messy ways. I loved watching her try to figure things out, while relating everything back to her precious books.

I loved the setting of Mackinac Island - I visited there once years ago and have really fond memories, so "being there" again was really fun!

Joe's pining was on point, and I loved seeing him work through his dreams and heartbreaks too.

Did the ending come together very neatly with a nice bow? Sure. But sometimes you just want that perfectly happy ending, and this book delivered.

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkeley, and Virginia Kantra for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Diane Spell · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It's not wrong to believe in happy endings". My soul needed this one. Absolutely loved.

[Wendy Gerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This hit home in so many ways! For all my teacher friends, this is a must read.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anne of a Different Island is Virginia Kantra’s tribute to Anne of Green Gables. Not a retelling, but more a modern day, older Anne who loves the literary Anne and is trying to find her way after the death of her beloved father.

People aren’t making it easy on her. Her boyfriend likes her best when she’s less than herself and when it’s convenient for him, and her mother is prickly and not good at expressing herself. Her mentor won’t stand up for her at the prestigious academy where Anne teaches, and her childhood nemesis Joe is giving her all kinds of conflicting feelings.

So much like her namesake, Anne begins to dive in to figuring out what she wants and what she doesn’t. She definitely doesn’t want a school telling her what books she can share with her students, or a boyfriend who doesn’t accept her for who she is and wants to make decisions for her. But she does want to rebuild the relationships she has with the people she left behind on Mackinac Island, and form new ones.

I can see the fingerprints of L.M. Montgomery all over the characters in this book. And Kantra adds a unique touch but integrating the possibility that her Anne has ADHD, a diagnosis that may not have been surprising for Anne Shirley.

But there’s something about the way that Montgomery writes that captures the charm and irrepressibility of her Anne that is incredibly difficult to replicate and Kantra doesn’t quite pull it off in my opinion. Very few authors seem to have this capability, and while her Anne is an enjoyable character, I don’t connect with her on the same level.

I also didn’t feel the same connection to the secondary characters. Maddie is very much like Marilla, and Joe and Daanis are clearly intended to be stand-ins for Gilbert and Diana, but again, I’m missing those just right touches that make me connect with the characters.

There are moments in the book where Anne stands up for herself and what she wants (or doesn’t want) and they hint at moments that could be powerful, and Kantra moves it along too quickly, almost diminishing how challenging a choice she’s making. Maybe she’s trying to convey that it ends up not being that hard of a choice for Anne to make, but it feels like the book loses something by moving on too fast.

The book is fine if you have no context to what it pays homage to, but you lose something by not being familiar with the original, creating the subsequent challenge that the tribute can’t live up to the original.

A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Grace Ball · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up. o my heart this was just so sweet. very grief heavy at the beginning. I loved the setting of Mackinac island. this one is definitely for the book girlies.

[Lyon.Brit.andthebookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Report: Anne of a Different Island by Virginia Kantra

Anne Gallagher always believed life could follow a plot line…preferably one straight out of her beloved Anne of Green Gables. But after a breakup…trouble at work and the sudden loss of her father…she’s pulled back to Mackinac Island the place she once dreamed of leaving behind. There…she’s faced with old memories…old friendships (hi, Joe Miller 👀) and the realization that real life rarely sticks to the script. Anne has to figure out who she is now and what kind of happy ending she wants to write for herself.

This was such a fun and heartfelt read 💕 I’ve loved Virginia’s novels Meg & Jo and Beth & Amy…so I was pleasantly surprised to see her take on our girl Anne. And in the most serendipitous twist…I had just watched a documentary about Mackinac Island…an island I hadn’t even heard of before…only to end up picking up this inspired novel set right there. Talk about perfect timing ✨

I loved the literary nods to the beloved classic…the cozy island atmosphere and the thoughtful conversations around grief and learning to live the life you have…not just the one you imagined. There was something that felt slightly off for me… though I can’t quite put my finger on it 🤷‍♀️📖 But Kantra’s storytelling is clever and warm and I’ll absolutely be circling back to her backlist… The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale…you’re next! 🌪️💫

Thank you Berkley for the free ecopy!

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Lyon.brit.A...

[Kristen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I need to learn to DNF a book.

[BookRecsbyRosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved that this story was inspired by Anne of Green Gables 🥰

I loved Anne's whimsical personality, her light and the way she would become so enthusiastic about things (really resonated with the way I am). I was sad that she wasn't respected or appreciated but when that happens it shows us that those people shouldn't have access to all that light. I'm so glad she made changes to her life that were better for her and that brought her more peace and joy.

Throughout the story, I saw the growth in her relationships. With her Mom, her childhood best friend Daanis and with Joe 🥰

I really enjoyed this story, it helped me realize that we don't need to have the future figured out and that our life might not look like what we thought it would but it will be better than we could imagine.

I liked that there was a bit of mental health rep as well but that it wasn't the core of the story. Sometimes the mental health rep becomes the identity of the person and I don't agree that people should identify as something they struggle with. They are who they are and their struggle doesn't define them.

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I LOVE Anne of Green Gables. I so wanted to love this retelling.

There was a lot to love here, to be fair. Mackinac Island, Anne also being a fan of "Anne" and weaving that throughout the story. The return to home and all that entails. The relationship with Anne's best friend Daanis from childhood and their coming back together as best friends. Anne's struggle to find her way in her career. I LOVED these parts of the book.

I just could not get past the pieces where we were supposed to read sexual tension between a VERY young Anne and a twenty-something Joe. The part where the man in his twenties was attracted to a young teenager, even though he didn't act on it until they were both adults? I found that to be icky, and I could not get past it for the life of me.

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hm. I wanted this to land! It’s a RomCom, which I just don’t get. I think I know why, it just is so unfathomable that life could be like that. It’s too much of a stretch. I loved the parallels to Anne of Green Gables. I hated all the nuance: covid, lesbian, jerk boyfriend trope, banned books. It was too much and because of the type of book Anne of Green Gables is: it felt much too progressive. It was a decent try.

[Christine P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely adorbs. For girlies who grew up on Anne of Green Gables ✨💛🌸🌊

[Jeannine]

DNF @ 20%

Ooof, I love Anne of Green Gables and the author's other books, so this is disappointing. The main character is too naive and the narrator isn't helping.

[Erica Gouse Bledsoe]

This was just terrible. There are so many things I can complain about here but as someone who LOVES Anne it was not an ode to her. (But the references were good.)

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspired by the beloved classic Anne of Green Gables books, ANNE OF A DIFFERENT ISLAND was a novel with heart, whimsy, and three-dimensional characters who will have you feeling all the feels.

‘Maybe, if I went home, I’d find a different story to tell.’

ANNE OF A DIFFERENT ISLAND is a nod to the Anne of Green Gables series I loved in my tweens and still think of fondly today. Author Virginia Kantra used them as a loose framework for our heroine Anne Gallagher and was mentioned frequently. But this was a wholly modern book told from both Anne’s and our hero Joe Miller’s POVs–and it was set on Mackinac Island instead of Prince Edward Island. It did still have that sense of close-knit island community life... Read More

[Alyssa · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.25
I'm so grateful I didn't end up buying this

[Andrea · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wanted to love - the heartfelt Anne of Green Gables references felt so cancelled out Anne and Joe’s really cringe backstory. Got reader whiplash with a story about such a strong female character that also had the gross, and frankly outdated, underage girl “off-limits” trope.

[Stefani · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so cute, very Hallmark.

Anne is from Mackinac Island, Michigan, and grew up with big dreams of leaving the island of only about 600 permanent residents and moving to a city, traveling, being a writer, etc.

However, she’s found herself just sort of molding into her boyfriend’s life. He’s a doctor, they’ve been dating for two years, but he doesn’t seem to want to move forward, always holding her at arms length. The novel talks a lot about Covid and the impact it had on their lives, and eventually her boyfriend gets a residency in Atlanta and just expects her to move with him without asking. Anne has just been sort of suspended from her job for giving her students banned books, and decides instead of going to Atlanta, to go home and help her mom at their family business after her dad recently died. She’s trying to find herself and instead, don’t you know it, finds Joe, the guy she had a crush on when she was a teen, who has taken over her dad’s carpentry business, and is wearing plaid.

Because they always wear plaid 😂.

Everything goes as you would expect. His wife left him, his dad left him, he’s taking care of his mom and his sister, and he totally thinks Anne is pretty now.

Anne is back making fudge and trying to find herself again.

I grew up in Michigan and I LOVE Mackinac Island so I was living the vibes of this book. Mackinac Island fudge ice cream is my faaaave.

Overall, this was cute, a little predictable, very Hallmark, a quick read, but a good time.

Thank you @netgalley and @berkleyromance for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.