My enormous thanks to author Georgina Moore for ensuring I received an early copy of River of Stars, and to Becky Mansell and/or Philippa Cotton for sending me a finished copy. I so loved Georgina’s debut The Garnett Girls (reviewed here) that I was thrilled to receive River of Stars and am delighted to share my review today.
River of Stars was published by HQ on 3rd July 2025 and is available for purchase through the links here.
River of Stars
Jo hasn’t seen Oliver since that magical, life-changing summer when their idyllic island paradise was shattered. Growing up on Walnut Tree Island, they were everything to each other, defying a feud that fractured their families decades before. If first love runs deep, Jo and Oliver’s ran like the river itself, fast and true.
On Walnut Tree Island, love affairs and secrets come and go like the tides. Once the pulse of a flourishing 1960s music scene, it’s where Mary Star fell in love with a young musician about to hit the big time, only to be left with a baby and a broken heart. Mary has made the island a haven for two generations of Star women, raising her daughter and her granddaughter, surrounded by the river, supported by a bohemian, artistic community.
But Oliver’s return to the island after years away throws everyone into a frenzy. The threat of change is coming to paradise. And for Jo, Oliver’s return opens the wounds of a love she thought she had lost for ever…
Beautifully written, featuring a cast of magnetic characters, River of Stars is the captivating new novel from Sunday Times bestselling author Georgina Moore.
My Review of River of Stars
Life for all on Walnut Tree Island is about to change.
Oh yes. This. This is exactly my kind of read. River of Stars is an absolute triumph and I adored it.
I’m not usually a great fan of dual timelines, but the history surrounding the past on the island, Mary’s youth and Jo’s present simply could not work without both eras being presented so effectively and so affectingly. The desperate sadness of how we are controlled by others, how easy it is to lose sight of ourselves and our dreams, and how the past ripples through the years to shape and mould our present is depicted achingly beautifully. I was deeply moved as well as entertained by River of Stars.
The quality of Georgina Moore’s prose is stunning. It’s intense, beautifully written and steeped with longing, passion and emotion. Descriptions thrum with clarity and realism and yet create a magical, almost dreamlike texture, that underpins the story. The sense of place is intoxicating, putting the reader so firmly at the heart of Walnut Tree Island it is as if they are living there amongst the other inhabitants.
I thought Jo was a fantastic character. She is arrogant, bossy and confrontational whilst equally being vulnerable, broken and, despite her partying and popularity, essentially lonely, so that she is relatable for any reader. Her relationship with Oliver feels authentic and simultaneously desperately sad and yet imbued with uplifting possibility. Their deep connection feels as if it is possibly one of the most romantic relationships I’ve read, despite their years apart and their seeming animosity.
What works so well in River of Stars is the underlying truth of flawed humanity. It feels like a narrative written by an author who understands the very essence of who we are. There are no cliched or idealised people here, but rather real individuals who make mistakes and face the challenges of life in their own unique ways. Walnut Tree Island is a microcosm of the wider world.
And it is those challenges the characters face that make River of Stars so mesmerising and compelling. Georgina Moore looks at how we are shaped by our past, how family and duty impact our lives, and how we can lose sight of what really matters. Jo’s abandonment of her painting following her experiences in Florence, for example, made me yearn for life to improve for her.
I thought River of Stars was simply glorious. It explores all facets of family, community and love to perfection. Personal reasons meant I have been unable to read recently, but this superb, sensitive and enthralling narrative drew me in completely and restored my joy in reading. It’s one of my books of the year.
About Georgina Moore
Georgina Moore grew up in London and lives on a houseboat on the River Thames with her partner, two children and Bomber, the Border Terrier. The Garnett Girls was her debut novel and is set on the Isle of Wight, where Georgina and her family have a holiday houseboat called Sturdy. Georgina’s new novel River of Stars was published on 3rd July and is inspired by the legendary Eel Pie Island and its colourful history as a rock and roll haven in the 1960s, and by her own life on the river.
For further information, follow Georgina on Twitter/X @PublicityBooks or find her on Instagram and Bluesky.
English (US) · 