Retreat to the Summer Sun by Jo Thomas #Review

 

I was delighted to get a place on the tour to celebrate the publication of Jo Thomas' latest summer novel, Retreat to the Spanish Sun.
The paperback is published on 23rd June by Transworld.The digital version is already available.

Eliza has a full house! When her three children grew up and moved out, she downsized to a smaller property... but now they're all back. Every room in the house is taken and Eliza finds herself sharing her bed with her eldest daughter and her daughter's pug. Combined with the online course she's trying to finish, plus her job to fit in, there just isn't the peace and quiet that Eliza needs.

So when an ad pops up on her laptop saying 'house-sitters wanted', Eliza can't resist the chance to escape. She ends up moving to a rural finca in southern Spain, looking after the owner's Iberico pigs, learning about secret gastronomic societies... and finding a new zest for life and love along the way.

 My Thoughts

Eliza's overcrowded flat turns her to despair that she will be able to finish her college work. She needs time and space to get her thoughts together, to plan her future now her children have grown up. They are happy to return home with all their problems and to rely on Eliza to solve all their domestic issues. Seeing the chance to house sit in Spain, Eliza grabs the opportunity and heads for the sun. Whether she finds the calm she is looking for is debatable. What she finds lead her to make friendships with a lively group of people and also a local mystery to sort out.

    Eliza is a likeable and relatable character, with plenty of common sense and kind regard for the people she meets. There is humour to be found and a touch of slow burn romance in the background but the most dominant feature for me is the celebration of its setting. All the sights and sounds of the area are vividly described and throughout, we are treated to a feast of local food and recipes. It is a gorgeous read for the Summer.

In short: a feast for the eyes

About the Author

JO THOMAS worked for many years as a reporter and producer, including time at Radio 4's Woman's Hour and Radio 2's The Steve Wright Show. Jo's debut novel,The Oyster Catcher, was a runaway bestseller and won both the RNA Joan Hessayon Award and the Festival of Romance Best eBook Award. Her recent book Escape to the French Farmhouse was a #1 bestselling eBook and in every one of her novels Jo loves to explore new countries and discover the food produced there, both of which she thoroughly enjoys researching.  

Jo lives in Pembrokeshire with her husband and three children, where cooking and gathering around the kitchen table are a hugely important and fun part of their family life.

You can read my review of Jo's The Honey Farm on the Hill here 

Coming Home to Winter Island here  Escape to the French Farmhouse here and Finding Love at the Christmas Market here, Celebrations at the Chateau  here

  

You can follow Jo here:  Twitter   |  Website   |  Facebook

Book link: Amazon UK

 

Thanks to Jo Thomas, Transworld and Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for a copy of the book and a place on the tour. 

Check out the rest of the tour!