If you love the idea of adventuring in the wilderness, but could never make it, this is for you! Not because our characters are very good at it, but precisely the opposite! This felt cathartic, hilarious, and swoony all at once. Keep reading this book review of The Jewel of the Isle for my full thoughts.
Summary
If Emily Edwards knows one thing, it’s that you don’t go to a remote island by yourself. Ever the type A personality, Emily doesn’t want to hike around an unfamiliar island, but she’s determined to fulfill her late father’s national park bucket list, starting with Isle Royale National Park—home to wolves, bears, and hundred-year-old shipwrecks. She has no choice but to hire a tour guide, and there is only one that isn’t booked solid.
Ryder Fleet, co-owner of Fleet Outdoor Adventures, wouldn’t call himself a wilderness expert, and he definitely doesn’t know how to find true north. But when his dormant adventure guide business suddenly finds life again after a random inquiry, Ryder somehow finds himself on a ferry to Isle Royale with a very beautiful, no-nonsense woman. What this woman doesn’t know is that his brother Caleb, who died two years ago, was the outdoorsman of their business, while Ryder just did the marketing. But how hard could it be to hike up a few mountains?
Pretty difficult, actually, when murder is involved. Emily’s perfectly planned trek turns disastrous when she and Ryder witness a brutal crime and are suddenly forced to evade a group of archaeologists on the hunt for a jewel. As they spend nights together too close for comfort, they realize their shoddily built fire isn’t the only thing that’s kindling, and that they must trust each other if they want to escape the island with their lives—and hearts—intact.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Have you ever wanted to watch two ill-equipped adventurers try to escape and survive on an island? All the while these two opposites are falling in love while also trying not to fall off a cliff. The Jewel of the Isle made me laugh aloud numerous times. It’s hilarious, entertaining, and heart warming all at once. The Jewel of the Isle is certainly about the adventure and the heart pounding action. But it’s also about characters who are experiencing grief, who are reeling from loss and unsure what to do next. They’re faced with a world that wants them to process it – past tense – and are struggling with how to do that.
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The Jewel of the Isle has something for everyone. There’s a heavy dose of opposite personalities, dual perspective, and forced proximity because they need to survive. It’s about loving whole heartedly. And it’s a story that honors love and loss. It realizes that there isn’t any going past grief, it’s just something you love with and move forward with. The Jewel of the Isle hits all the right emotional beats toeing the line between external and internal terrors. Find The Jewel of the Isle on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop.org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.