For this week’s Thursday Themes, I’m thrilled to welcome Kimberly Webb to my blog as part of her book tour for Jillian’s Island. I can’t wait to read this book myself!
Thank you also to Bittersweet Book Tours for inviting me to take part.
Theme of Jillian’s Island
Sometimes it takes getting lost to find yourself.
At its heart, Jillian’s Island is about the often painful, always necessary process of growth—especially when it means letting go of what you thought would work. Jillian has spent years working as the head stewardess on her grandfather’s yacht. It’s a job she enjoys, a life that feels steady, and a role she’s proud of. But beneath the surface, she’s constantly trying to earn something that can’t be forced: a deeper, more authentic connection with Grandpa Skippy. She believes that if she just tries hard enough—works harder, smiles sweeter, carries the load longer—their relationship will fix itself. But that’s not how healing works.
One of the hardest things Jillian has to face is this: sometimes the change we crave can’t come from us alone. We can do everything “right” and still end up feeling unseen or unloved. And when that happens, we’re faced with a powerful question: What next?
That question echoes throughout the book. Jillian’s journey takes a sharp turn when she ends up stranded on an island with a handful of strangers—including Carter Buckley, a quietly guarded man with his own share of emotional baggage. In that disorienting, unfamiliar space, Jillian is forced to re-evaluate everything she thought she knew about control, connection, and self-worth.
There are moments in the story when she could give up. She could walk away from her strained relationship with her grandfather. She could distance herself from the other castaways and simply wait for rescue. She could ignore the growing bond she feels with Carter. But time and again, Jillian chooses to keep moving. She leans into hope, into effort, into rebuilding—even when she doesn’t know what the outcome will be. That “What next?” becomes her quiet rallying cry.
Carter, too, faces his own reckoning. Years after a failed marriage, he’s chosen the safer path: burying himself in work, living a life that’s “fine,” and convincing himself that it’s enough. He hasn’t been seeking growth or healing—just stability. But the island doesn’t allow him to stay still. His storyline is less about actively seeking change and more about learning to accept it when it arrives uninvited. His growth is quiet but profound: opening up, taking emotional risks, and realizing that “fine” might not be good enough anymore.
Together, Jillian and Carter’s arcs explore the idea that getting lost—emotionally, relationally, or even literally—can be the very thing that brings us closer to who we’re meant to be. Whether we’ve been striving for too long or standing still for too long, change has a way of finding us. And when it does, we get to choose: give up or grow forward.
Jillian’s Island is about love, yes—but also about letting go, showing up, and finding your footing even when the map is gone. It’s about the hope that comes after heartbreak, the strength it takes to keep trying, and the magic that can appear when you least expect it.
About the book:
Stranded in paradise. Seven strangers. One unforgettable adventure.
Jillian knows how to keep her cool. She’s spent years smoothing over chaos as a yacht stewardess, but nothing could prepare her for the real storm: when her grandfather’s yacht is shipwrecked on a remote Bahamian island.
With Grandpa Skippy and five other castaways stranded alongside her, Jillian must navigate more than just survival. Mysterious ruins, unexpected dangers, and the island’s secrets test their limits. And then there’s Dr. Carter Buckley, a marine biology professor who’s far too distracting for this deserted-island scenario.
As friendships form and romance stirs under swaying palms, Jillian realizes getting off the island might not be the only adventure fate has in store.
For fans of clean romance, charming banter, and unexpected detours into paradise, Jillian’s Island is your next feel-good escape.
Jillian’s Island, is an island survivor story of an unlikely cast of castaways, surprise romance, and plenty of laughter. This feel-good fiction will make readers smile, melt, and rediscover their faith in love. If you’re into strong female leads, happy endings, and romance with a sunny side, this is the next book for you!
About the Author:
Kimberly Webb has loved books and writing stories since she was 14, falling in love again and again with fictional heroes. She earned an English degree from BYU-Idaho, but her true education came from the countless books that swept her away on grand adventures.
When she’s not writing, Kimberly can be found jogging, getting lost in a good book, or chasing a bit of everyday magic with her husband and three children. She still believes in the wonder of Disneyland, the thrill of a well-told tale, and the idea that the best adventures often begin with a single, unexpected detour.
https://www.amazon.com/Jillians-Island-Kimberly-Webb-ebook/dp/B0FDHX2CY1
Instagram and Facebook: @author.kimberly.webb
website: www.authorkimberlywebb.com