Five former sorority sisters, all in their 50's, undertake the adventure of a lifetime when a mysterious invite reunites them at an exclusive resort set on a private island.
Olivia was the quiet one. Her divorce from her alcoholic husband freed her in many ways but caused a rift with her daughter that seems impossible to heal.
Amanda was the perfect one. Widowed and desperately broke but hiding it, she needs a new start more than anyone can imagine.
Leigh Ann was the cheerleader. Her ongoing divorce is completely amicable, or so she’d like everyone to believe. The truth isn’t quite as rosy.
Grace was the party girl. And she still is, much to the dismay of her husband, who’s struggling to keep their restaurant afloat. Grace hopes her time away will give them both the space she thinks they need.
Katie was the brains. Now she’s incredibly successful but hiding secrets that could change her life if they were to get out.
When their beloved house mother invites them on an all-expenses-paid vacation, then drops a huge surprise on them, the five friends face a major decision. Can they overcome their pasts in order to take advantage of the amazing future being offered?
Take the journey to Compass Key with them and find out.
This was a feel good, uplifting series. Simply had to read the five books straight through. The romance was great, but the friendship between the women was amazing, from the elder Iris, the five women, and the younger women incorporated in. There were many sticky, real life issues to be worked out, from alcoalism, divorce, mother-daughter issues, and generic health issues. This was all done with wisdom & even tongue in cheek comedy. I felt their pain & their joy, their struggle with coming to grips with starting over, facing their insecurities, learning to face their fifties with hope & grace. Excellent & fun reading. Glad there are still 2 more books to read.
The Escape by Maggie Miller Compass Key #5 7h 36m narrated by Vivienne Leheny, Laura Jennings, Allyson Voller, Cindy Kay, Nancy Wu, Sara Morsey, and Suzie Althens, 348 pages
Rating as a movie: PG-13 for adult content and situations
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½🌊🌱🐚
My thoughts: 📱39% 2:58:30 Ch. 17 - These stories are keeping up fast enough for me. It's like they are pausing some of the storylines.
The audiobook needed some help. It was not equal, you could tell it was recorded in different places, Grace had lower quality sound than the others and Leigh Ann sounded like she was in a phone booth. Overall the story was good and it kind of had an ending. I felt things were left unsaid but I had enough information to walk away. The personal money spent to benefit others was so unnecessary and spread out, that it became annoying, I can understand one foolishly generous person, but not everyone. That and the lack of details for the investigation and wedding are why I didn't feel 5 stars. I'll get back to the last 2 books in a few months. The entire series is on KU.
Recommend to others?: Yes. This is an awesome palate cleanser.
Compass Key 1. The Island (2022) 2. The Secret (2022) 3. The Dream (2022) 4. The Promise (2022) 5. The Escape (2022) 6. Christmas on the Island (2022) 7. The Wedding (2022)
The Escape is a delightful return to Compass Key. Finally, things are coming together for the five women who’ve been gifted the opportunity to start over while taking over ownership and the operation of a private island resort. I loved catching up with all of them and have found every visit to Compass Key to be magical and engaging. Wonderful characters, idyllic setting, and a compelling story. What a wonderful escape!
I like all of the compass key characters and the books. They’re very easy read go very quickly. The setting is beautiful. The people are likable however, on my fifth book I’m getting a little tired of all the goody goody. Everything is perfect and everybody’s life stuff. there’s no reality to it. But I’m still reading them all.
I cannot believe I've read the 5 series ; after the first two, I thought the reads were a little banal,but onward I went, wanting to meet the fictional characters again. If you're looking for a simpler book, especially on the beach or at night to help you snooze :) , then you found your next reads.
Another wonderful installment on Compass Key! Hated to see it end, I hope Maggie will continue to enchant us with the stories of all these people, there is still much to tell. Well-written, fun to read, thanks Maggie.
This is the fifth book in the Compass Key series. I can't say enough good things about these books. I fell in love with all the characters from the first book and I still can't wait for the next book to come out. I will be so sad then this series ends.
Omg I loved this series. The characters, their history and the tropical vibe so perfect! These romantic series are good because the development of the relations ships are excellent. Maggie is one of my fav authors!
This series of books are captivating. One gets caught up in the story. In the lives of the characters, one finds themself in the story as well. One cannot wait for the next book. They seamlessly flow together.
As the series goes on I am enjoying it more and more. It makes you feel like you are a part of each one of these ladies story. You can feel the island of Compass Key in your blood. Amazing read.
Through this series I know I have read enough pages to equal "War & Peace" but I enjoyed every book and every page. It was great to spend time in Paradise with characters who seemed real.
This is such an awesome series. The women are all unique and their friendship is top-notch. I totally recommend this series. But I suggest that you start with book one so you can watch the women all grew together. The perfect beach read!
Wow! What a wonderful story. All five of the ladies played an important part in making the wedding come together. Happiness was truly found and Iris knew she had made the right decision giving each a part of the resort.
Book 5 is just like the other four books. An easy read that is full of stories within the story. All of those stories combine to add mystery and enjoyment to the reading.
I like the books because they are easy to listen too. What struck me with this book was that a theme of dieting seems to be more prevalent. Always watching what they are eating and talking about dieting. This was a bit too much in this book. Even for me to put it down for a while.
A great ending to the drama of embezzlement ,painting and divorce/ wedding. Amazing that these women could pull it off . They are not young ,so needed extra energy for all their tasks
I hate waiting on the next book to come out. After getting to know the characters I can't wait to see what happens when Katie's son and his family come to the island.
I love the characters...I wanted more details with the Wedding! Did they like the food? Did they love the cake? What about the music? Oh yes...let me know.....
Compass Key is enchanting and Ms. Miller brings it very effectively to life. Great characters and you feel like part of the family. I need a turquoise shirt!