Title: Anne of a Different Island
Author: Virginia Kantra             
Genre: Fiction  
Rating: 4 out of 5

She believed life could follow a plotline—until the story she was living unraveled.

Anne Gallagher has always lived by the book. Anne of Green Gables, that is. Growing up on Mackinac Island, she saw herself as her namesake: the same impulsive charm, the same fiery imagination, even the same red hair (dyed, but still). She followed in Anne Shirley’s fictional footsteps, chasing dreams of teaching and writing, and falling for her very own storybook hero.

But when a string of real-life plot twists—a failing romance, a fight with the administration, and the sudden death of her beloved father—pulls her back to the island she once couldn’t wait to leave, Anne is forced to face a truth no story ever prepared her for. Sometimes, life doesn’t follow a script.

Back in the house she grew up in, Anne must confront her past and the people she left behind, including Joe Miller, the boy who once called her “The Pest.” It’s time to figure out what she wants and rewrite her story to create her own happy ending. Not the book version. The real one.

This was a cute read. It actually felt as bit like a comfort read: I knew Anne and Joe would end up together, I just didn’t know all the twists and turns. All the similarities and callbacks to Anne of Green Gables were fun, too, especially Anne introducing a new generation to her favorite books. This was a solid read.

Virginia Kantra is a bestselling author. Anne of a Different Island is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley in exchange for an honest review.)