On The Island by Tracy Garvis-Graves

A little bit of castaway blended with survivor, On The Island delivers adventure and sweet romance.  I shied away from this story at first because being a former teacher, the thought of a teacher in a romance with a much younger student is something that frankly turned me off.  However, the romance isn't immediate and builds slowly through extreme circumstances.  It truly isn't like the scandalous news stories.  The characters are real and although there is an age gap, Anna and TJ grow together over time.  Anna is at a completely different time in her life than TJ.  She has been with her boyfriend for years and takes this tutoring assignment for the summer as a way to distance herself from a man that just will not commit to her.  TJ has just survived cancer and is looking forward to actually getting on with living and being around his friends while not being sick.  After the place goes down, Anna and TJ struggle to survive through dehydration, storms, hunger, and loneliness.  Anna keeps a professional distance despite watching TJ growing into a man right before her eyes.  Their time on the island spans about three years.  The story continues as they struggle to adjust back into society and even their own families.  This story will grip you from the start and not let you go.  I laugh and cried right along with Anna and TJ.  This is one for my keeper shelf.