Sunlounger 2 – Book Review

Sunlounger 2 - a book review

Although I don’t read as much as I used to, I usually like to find a bit of time to chill out with a good book while on holiday. My latest read was Sunlounger 2 – a collection of short stories “from some of the hottest names in women’s fiction”. As the title suggests, the book features many sun-drenched, wanderlust-inducing stories ideal for getting lost in whilst lounging on a beach.

Sunlounger 2 - book review
Background via unsplash

While adventure and romance are the main themes of this book, I did find that it started to become quite predictable. The following plotline could sum up half of the stories in the book: heartbroken girl travels overseas to get over her ex, girl meets sexy foreign stranger, stranger woos girl with either food or by becoming her personal tour guide, girl and sexy stranger fall in love and live happily ever after. So I would say this book is best enjoyed in small chunks rather than devouring it in a couple of days.

That said, there were a couple of stories I found quite creepy and disturbing, kind of the antithesis of a happy summer tale. And a couple of the stories were also heartbreaking and sad but still beautifully written.

Not every tale was to my taste and there were a few that I found a bit rushed or pointless. Of course this is all subjective but I have decided to highlight a few of the more memorable stories in my very own…

* drumroll *

SUNLOUNGER AWARDS!

Funniest Story: Summer Secrets and Surprises By Molly Hopkins (Destination:Corfu)
– I genuinely LOL’ed on my sunlounger.

Biggest Tearjerker: Dreams of Pushkar By Alexandra Potter (Destination: India)
– Although The First Last Dive By Ruth Saberton comes a close second.

Most Inspiring: A Blood Lily from Moses By Roisin Meaney (Destination: Africa)
– Quitting my job and moving to Africa to live with the giraffes now ‘kay bye!

My Heart Wants More: How to have your Best Summer Ever! By Lisa Dickenson (Destination: Australia)
– I could be besties with the main characters in this one, reminded me of being a teenager.

The Ideal Short Story: The Party Boat By Jo Carnegie (Destination: Croatia)
– Perfect length, felt complete.

Most Unique: We Found Love By Ilana Fox (Destination: The Future)
– Set between 2014 London and 2075 Havana. Really thought provoking especially as I live just outside London and was reading this while in Cuba.

My Verdict
Sunlounger 2 is great if you wish to discover more authors so I will be checking out some new books for my kindle in the near future!


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5 Comments

  1. I like the idea of this compilation as I can never get my head around a full sized novel on holiday. Plus, as you say it’s a good introduction to writers you may not have come across before.

    1. quirkylittleplanet

      Absolutely! It’s great for dipping in and out of between dipping in and out of the pool! (Haha I know they should quote me on the cover!)

  2. This sounds like a fab book, perfect for picking up intermittently whilst on holiday. I sometimes find I get really engrossed in a book and so a collection of short stories would be great.

    Sally @ Life Loving
    #LifeLovingLinkie

    1. quirkylittleplanet

      I’m the same! 🙂

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