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Escape to the Sun
352 pages, Paperback
Expected publication August 17, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is a perfect read for Summer or Christmas!
Set aboard a cruise ship, Hannah has just left her fiancée and plans to spend the entirety of her "honeymoon" locked up in her cabin. But she gets curious when she receives an invitation from the Captain of the ship to view the bridge. There she meets Captain King, who offends her greatly and she leaves as quick as possible!
Hannah forms a relationship with the Herring family, and this story covers their excursions around the Caribbean, Christmas and whether she meets Captain King again!
It was a joy to read, really heart-warming. I loved the fact this was not a typical romance, just boy and girl, but involved a friendship forming with an entire family, and their romances too!
I enjoyed that it was quite tame on the spice.
The only negatives for myself, is I do not enjoy the trope of get together, fall out near the end so they can make up again. I feel this is common of a romance novel and I want something different!
This did not take away with how glorious of a read this book is, and I enjoyed it immensely.
Set aboard a cruise ship, Hannah has just left her fiancée and plans to spend the entirety of her "honeymoon" locked up in her cabin. But she gets curious when she receives an invitation from the Captain of the ship to view the bridge. There she meets Captain King, who offends her greatly and she leaves as quick as possible!
Hannah forms a relationship with the Herring family, and this story covers their excursions around the Caribbean, Christmas and whether she meets Captain King again!
It was a joy to read, really heart-warming. I loved the fact this was not a typical romance, just boy and girl, but involved a friendship forming with an entire family, and their romances too!
I enjoyed that it was quite tame on the spice.
The only negatives for myself, is I do not enjoy the trope of get together, fall out near the end so they can make up again. I feel this is common of a romance novel and I want something different!
This did not take away with how glorious of a read this book is, and I enjoyed it immensely.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Escape to the Sun is a great Christmas vacation romance book. It had a little spice without getting too graphic. It is a book about finding love when you would least expect it, second chances, and also about the one who got away. This book will remind you to balance your work and personal life. There are many relatable topics such as loss, divorce, strained family relationships, infedelity, and unrealistic parental expectations. I love the friendship that is made between the two female main characters of the story even though there is an age gap. It will remind you to follow your dreams and to try to have fun even during your hardest days.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
With Escape to the Sun, Rachel Barnett has solidified herself as an author I will keep returning to when I need escapist fiction with some depth. This book will be published on August 17, 2026 and although it is set around the holiday season, it is perfect to read any time of year.
This novel takes place mainly on a cruise ship during the holiday season where each character is either trying to get away from something back home or prove that they belong. This is Louis's first cruise as captain and he feels like he has a lot to prove. Hannah is a jilted bride who takes her honeymoon cruise solo, and Ruth is a divorced Mom who is trying to give her two kids a good Christmas. Each character has some difficult things to deal with and new discoveries to make.
I found that this book had interesting characters and a very unique setting. The cruise ship had a lot of potential and Rachel Barnett didn't waste it. I was very partial to the cruise cat named Portus, who also turned out to be pretty important to the plot. I really like it when authors include a scene stealing animal.
While I found some of the situations that arose to be quite unrealistic, as an escapist book that gave both summer and holiday vibes, this one really worked. I recommend it to anyone who likes a (sometimes unrealistic) vacation love story with a side of friendship.
Thank you very much to Boldwood Books for allowing me to read and review this book early via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
This novel takes place mainly on a cruise ship during the holiday season where each character is either trying to get away from something back home or prove that they belong. This is Louis's first cruise as captain and he feels like he has a lot to prove. Hannah is a jilted bride who takes her honeymoon cruise solo, and Ruth is a divorced Mom who is trying to give her two kids a good Christmas. Each character has some difficult things to deal with and new discoveries to make.
I found that this book had interesting characters and a very unique setting. The cruise ship had a lot of potential and Rachel Barnett didn't waste it. I was very partial to the cruise cat named Portus, who also turned out to be pretty important to the plot. I really like it when authors include a scene stealing animal.
While I found some of the situations that arose to be quite unrealistic, as an escapist book that gave both summer and holiday vibes, this one really worked. I recommend it to anyone who likes a (sometimes unrealistic) vacation love story with a side of friendship.
Thank you very much to Boldwood Books for allowing me to read and review this book early via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was a fun, light read with fantastic vacation vibes and gorgeous beaches. Perfect for a vacation read or if you want to travel to exotic places without leaving home 🙃😉
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews