This is not the first sapphic cruise wreck book I have read. I don’t know why I read them – I quite like cruises and I am sure I would not enjoy being cruise wrecked.
My first thought about this story was why would Scarlet dye her hair before a cruise?! I can clearly remember being at reception when a woman pushed past me sobbing as her freshly dyed hair had turned green in the pool! The remedy for that by the way is to rub tomato ketchup into it – it does something to the chemical imbalance that caused the green reaction.

My second thought was why would you gift someone a single ticket to a couple’s cruise. Surely that would just be depressing.
I also noticed that some of the couples were character’s from Cara’s other books. I always like to see a guest appearance.

There is of course a storm and the ship hits rocks and they have to abandon ship, using the 2 lifeboats. That seems a very small cruise ship.
They wash up on an island – they were heading for the Galapagos Islands so it must be one of those.

There is discussion amongst the women about Castaway, Lord of the Flies, The Beach and Gilligan’s Island – all other stories set on a deserted island. Hilariously they christen it Gillian’s Island – after Gillian Anderson’s Scully.
I didn’t understand why, with all those other literature ‘comparisons’ and the cast of lesbians in the story, there wasn’t a comparison made to Girl Island? So I went and read that to see if I could see a reason. And I couldn’t. There appears to be a cross section of ages of women on this cruise – especially in the Scarlet Begonias. And I have seen books where other sapphic lit is referenced. Anyway. On with the story.
I forgot to tell you about the characters. Scarlet is the lead singer of the Scarlet Begonias who performed for the sail away party. She is the one with the newly dyed hair. She meets Robin, a single woman gifted the ticket for the couple’s cruise. 50 women including the band and staff mean there are not a lot of couples on this couple’s cruise.

Anyway. They wash up on an deserted island. They do their best to survive while hoping to be rescued. As with all group situations there are some disagreements and the group splits into 2.
Shortly after they are rescued.

Epilogue –
This a year later and provides an update on how everybody is getting on with their lives.

This is quite a good story – action packed and interesting. The cruise ship oddities are accepted as ‘poetic licence’.