I LOVE this genre. It’s not often that I read it, but when I do I feel happy and full of that delicious fuzziness that comes with having read something that just fills your heart with joy and love. As you may know, I’m currently trying to work my way through some of the Booker Prize list this summer, but sometimes I need a break from intense literary fiction and need something warmer, easier to digest, and something that will allow my brain to fully escape.
Enter these two gorgeous novels, by two authors whose books I always devour! They are my favourites within this genre, and I have read and loved most of their novels.
The Secret Cove in Croatia – Julie Caplin
Title: The Secret Cove in Croatia
Author: Julie Caplin
Genre: Romance holiday fiction
Format: ebook (Kindle) (bought)
My rating: 5/5 🌟
About the book:
(From Goodreads)
When no-nonsense, down-to-earth Maddie Wilcox is offered the chance to work on a luxury yacht for the summer, she can’t say no. Yes she’ll be waiting on the posh guests… But island-hopping around the Adriatic sea will more than make up for it – especially when Nick, her best friend Nina’s brother, is one of them.
Sparks fly when they meet on board and Maddie can’t believe self-entitled jerk Nick is really related to Nina. But in a secret, picture-perfect cove, away from the real world, Maddie and Nick discover they might have more in common than they realise…
My mini thoughts:
Firstly, this is the fifth book in the Romantic Escapes series. I have read two others in this series and adored them, and instantly the setting in Croatia drew me in! I knew I had to read it, as I enjoy being swept away to new places in a book!
What a gorgeous setting it was! Sailing around the Dalmatian islands with Maddie as she crews on the yacht that has been chartered by a group of entitled rich people. I loved visiting the cute town ports with her, and could almost see the shimmering blue sea that they were sailing upon. Couple that with the delicious foods and I felt a desperate desire to be away on holiday myself!
Maddie herself is a gem of a lead character. I liked her immediately! Determined, hardworking, and one of five siblings, she takes no s*** from anyone, and takes all the drama on board the boat in her stride. She’s one of those adorable women characters that have you routing for her from the first chapter. Nick meanwhile took longer to warm towards. At first he appears shallow and uncaring, but as he and Maddie get to know one another I liked him almost as much as Maddie!
I flew through this book, and loved every page. The drama from the models on board the boat kept me entertained (as well as frustrated at times!), and Maddie’s teasing and joking with Nick made me smile. It’s a happy book, mostly, though there are some twists and turns in it too! I also learnt a thing or two about Croatia, like that pasta isn’t just an Italian specialty.
If you’re looking for pure escapism from the realities of life, then this really is the perfect read. Go sail away with Maddie, and engross yourself in the dramas of the Posh People and the Models. Coupled with down-to-earth Maddie, it makes for entertaining reading, and is just bursting with sunshine and joy!
My Lemon Grove Summer
Title: My Lemon Grove Summer
Author: Jo Thomas
Genre: Romance holiday fiction
Format: ebook (Kindle)(bought)
My rating: 5/5 🌟
About the book:
(From Goodreads)
When life hands you lemons … is it ever too late for a second chance?
Zelda’s impulsive nature has got her precisely nowhere up until now. A fresh start in a beautiful hilltop town in Sicily looking for new residents, together with her best friend Lennie, could be just what she needs. And who better to settle down with than the person who knows her best?
But the sun-filled skies and sparkling seas can’t hide the shadow hanging over Citta d’Ora, which means not everyone is pleased to see their arrival. The dreams Zelda and her fellow new residents had of setting up a new life might be slipping away. But a friendship with restauranteur Luca could be about to unlock the possibilities that lie in the local lemon groves. And there’s a wedding on the horizon that might be just what the town needs to turn it around…
Could a summer in Sicily help Zelda learn to trust her instinct and follow her heart?
My mini thoughts:
“Because nobody ever became a lemon farmer for anything other than love.”
Another author whose books I have read and adored! Jo Thomas is always my go-to when I need an escapist novel, full of sunshine, cooking, and a lovely set of characters.
This novel is no different! Zelda and Lennie are two of the sweetest people in Book Land! Zelda is impulsive and rarely thinks about the consequences of her actions until after it’s already done, but that’s exactly what leads her to the gorgeous, though rather dilapidated, Citta d’Ora in Sicily! A pact made as teenagers brings newly engaged Lennie and Zelda to the village at the foot of Mt Etna, whose smoking top implies unhappiness. The town needs a wedding every ten years to keep Etna happy, and luckily that’s just what Zelda and Lennie plan to do! But as they fight to be accepted amongst the locals, and to build their new home, Zelda finds herself spending more and more with the rather delectable Luca, whose family just so happens to be trying to push them out of town…
What I love about Jo Thomas’ novels is that they don’t just sweep you away to a gorgeous location and fill you up on love and happiness and incredible food. She also adds in a mystery for us to solve. I enjoy this aspect, and in this case it’s the mysterious way that the town is declining, and the lemon groves aren’t producing lemons anymore. Trying to figure out the mysterious goings-on is just as fun as watching the romance blossoming in the lemon groves!
The characters are delightful too. Zelda and Lennie aren’t the only ones to have relocated to Citta d’Ora, and the people they find themselves with are a joyfully interesting bunch!
Basically, this is a warm novel full of summer and a citrus tang, with strange goings-on, a wedding that Zelda is 100% invested in (or is she?), and gorgeous host of characters. If you want to escape this summer, then visit the Lemon Grove with Zelda, and sip on luscious limoncello!
Bookish Wanders 