Summer on Lilac Island by Lindsay MacMillan ~ an Audiobook Review

by Donna Huber

When Gigi Jenkins finds herself broke, unemployed, and out of options, she has no choice but to return to Mackinac Island, the horse-and-buggy hometown she swore she'd left behind forever.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free audiobook was provided for an honest review.

July 2025; Harper Muse; 9781400348091
audio (14h 30m), ebook, print; women's fiction

I haven't read many books this summer that would be your typical "beach read." I usually read books set in Nantucket, Cape Cod, or Martha's Vineyard, but I've been branching out, so I picked up this book. I think I forgot that it was set in Mackinac Island since the title said Lilac Island.

I spent much of the novel confused by the title, but it finally clicked just before the characters spelled it out. I didn't know anything about Mackinac Island - I had heard of it, but couldn't tell you where it was or anything. Now, I'm kind of intrigued by it.

I'm kind of on the fence with this novel. I enjoyed the plot and the theme of mothers and daughters. It had just enough romance to be a light beach read, but it wasn't the main focus, as this is solidly women's fiction and not a romance novel.

I struggled with the characters. They weren't too likable. Partly, I think that was on purpose so that the character growth is obvious. I thought Gigi was self-centered and played the victim too much. A lot of people grew up without a father and are children of divorce. But she made it seem like it was so much worse for her. She could have still had character growth without being so annoying. But her selfishness is inherited. Both her mother and grandmother are the same way. The ending did redeem them all a bit.

Another problem I had with the novel was that it felt overly long. I still had over 2 hours left in the audiobook, and I was ready to be done with the story. It was just drawn out too much. I think the story could have been tightened a little bit to trim it down. 

Kira Fixx is great as the narrator. I had no problem distinguishing the various characters, and there are quite a few characters in this book. 

The story is difficult to follow so if you have the daily grind to do but wish you were on vacation, then this audiobook would be great for that. Likewise, if you are on the beach and the sun is too bright to read, it would be a fun book to just lie back and listen to.

Buy Summer on Lilac Island at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.

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