Welcome to The House on the Hill by Chris Penhall. It was published by Ruby Fiction on June 28th.
Layla is calm, in control and is definitely not about to
lose her serenity for the man next door!
Surely it can’t be hard to stay peaceful at one of the
oldest yoga and mindfulness retreats in the Algarve, surrounded by sea, sun and
serenity? Mostly, owner Layla Garcia manages it – with the help of meditation
and plenty of camomile tea, of course.
But keeping her grandparents’ legacy alive is stressful, and
Layla has become so shackled to the work that, for her, The House on the Hill
is fast becoming ‘The Fortress on the Hill’.
Then writer Luke Mackie moves to the villa next door,
bringing with him a healthy dose of chaos to disrupt Layla’s plans, plus a
painful reminder of a time when she was less-than-serene. But could his
influence be just what Layla needs to ‘dance like no-one’s watching’ and have
the fun she’s been missing?
My Thoughts
Layla is an interesting character who has her own vulnerabilities and insecurities. Her relationship with her family since she was a young girl has affected how she lives her life quite profoundly and you are aware that her search for some calm in her life is a work in progress. The House on the Hill where she lives and works has become a fortress against the outside world and she has resisted change.
When Luke moves next door, issues from the past are dredged up whether Layla wants them to be or not. He has his own issues to work through. Both Layla and Luke are likeable characters who you can feel sympathy for. The gorgeous setting in Portugal makes this a delightful summer read. Friendship and having the confidence to move forward and make changes are major themes in the story and the people you meet who are drawn to the yoga retreat add interest as well.
In short: new possibilities in the sun
About the Author
Chris Penhall won the 2019 Choc-Lit Search for a Star
competition, sponsored by Your Cat Magazine, for her debut novel, The House
That Alice Built. The sequel, New Beginnings at the Little House in the Sun was
published in August 2020. Both are available in paperback, e-book and audio and
are part of the Portuguese Paradise series. Finding Summer Happiness, which is
set in Pembrokeshire in South West Wales is available in e-book, audio and
paperback, and The House on the Hill - A Summer in the Algarve, the third novel
in the Portuguese Paradise series, is published in e-book on 28th June 2022.
Chris is an author and freelance radio producer for BBC
Local Radio.
She also has her own podcast - The Talking to My Friends
About Book Podcast in which she chats to her friends about books. Good title!
Born in Neath in South Wales, she has also lived in London and
in Portugal, which is where The House That Alice Built is set. It was whilst
living in Cascais near Lisbon that she began to dabble in writing fiction, but
it was many years later that she was confident enough to start writing her
first novel, and many years after that she finally finished it!
A lover of books, music and cats, she is also an
enthusiastic salsa dancer, a keen cook, and loves to travel. She is never
happier than when she is gazing at the sea..
You can read my review of The House that Alice built here. and Finding Summer Happiness here
Thanks to Chris Penhall, Ruby Fiction and Rachel of
Rachel's Random Resources for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.
Catch up with the rest of the tour
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