Christmas Under a Starlit Sky (Juniper Island, #2)

by Holly Martin

• ASIN: B01KW4Z3F0
• Publish Date: 2016 (first published 19 October 2016)
• Publish Status: Unknown
• Format: eBook (Kindle)
• Pages: 304
• Language: English

Reviews

[Emma (SCR)]

This review was originally posted on Star Crossed Reviews I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Thank you to Holly for asking me to be part of this tour. I am a huge fan of Holly’s work and there’s nothing more exciting for me than a Christmas book by Holly.

This is the second book set on Juniper Island but both books can be read as a standalone.

This book is centred on Neve and Oakley but also includes the stories of Adam, Ivy, Luke and Audrey.

Neve and Oakley recently broke up before he went to Hollywood to shoot his dream movie. Neve thought that she was holding him back and decided that she should let him go. Oakely arrives on Juniper Island with the plan of winning her back. It is clear to the outsider that these two are made for each other. Neve is a fiery, no nonsense kinda girl. She doesn’t take any crap from anyone. Oakely is a big shot actor who only has eyes for one.

Adam had agreed to a 3 month secondment to Stardust Hotel on Juniper Island. After working his way up at a top London Hotel, Adam has been assistant manager for many years. The move to Juniper was exactly what he needed, but there was much more going on than he expected. After a busy morning on his first few days Ivy Storm goes missing. It’s the last thing Adam needs with everything else he needs to be getting on with.

Luke and Audrey have been mooning over each other for months and the whole island is waiting for them to get together but can Luke trust Audrey after everything he’s been through?

This book has everything you need for the perfect Christmas read. It’s got the drama, it’s got lots of festive spirit and most importantly it’s got the romance.

[Leah]

Christmas Under A Starlit Sky is Holly Martin’s second novel set on the FANTASTIC island of Christmas, where I want to go and live immediately. It picks up right where Christmas Under A Cranberry Sky ends, with Oakley Rey finally making his appearance, and this story is all about Oakley and Neve. Unfortunately for me, it’s vastly different to the first book where, in the first book, truth was the watchword. Everyone was honest, there was no pandering, no lies, no frustrating break ups for break ups sake. In book two? That’s ALL there is, and it just made me sigh, because what Neve says to Oakley is unforgivable.

All things considered, I liked this book, but this book will be tainted for me, just a little bit, because Neve’s confession to Oakley. There’s no reason in the world to ever say that, and what made it worse was her absolute inability to put things right. There was always an excuse, and it tainted my like of Neve. Maybe I’m being harsh, but that’s just my opinion.

What I did love about the book was the story between Adam and Ivy. That was the kind of romance I wanted for Oakley and Neve, and it was lovely. I loved how they simply clicked, right from the off, when Adam found her stuck under a pony, and from there it just escalated and it was lovely to see two people who were clearly scared of love give love a chance. I loved them both and they were just so cute.

It was a shame that I wasn’t a fan of the way Neve and Oakley’s romance went, it was all a bit calamitous and could have been avoided so, so easily. Funnily enough, it Neve had just been honest (properly honest) in the beginning, absolutely none of the following issues would have occurred, and it’s strange to me that someone so feisty and capable suddenly become a wobbly mess, unable to own her truths. However, Adam and Ivy saved the book. It’s not even that I didn’t like Neve or Oakley, Oakley was fantastic, going above and beyond to win Neve back, I just can’t get past what Neve said and did. Otherwise this was another warm, delightful read.