I regret to say that I found this story somewhat unconvincing. I looked forward to reading it as I have spent some time in Morocco and know sone of the places visited by the characters in the book. I enjoyed the descriptions of these places but sadly that was the limit of my enjoyment.

I thought this was a good story. I felt like Addy’s character was very complicated and wasn’t sure really what she wanted & I kept changing my mind about Omar. One moment I thought he might be a good fit but the closer they got, the more controlling he tried to be. He was very jealous & kept a lot of secrets so I didn’t really trust him.

I loved Fatima’s character & really hoped that she would get her happy ending that wasn’t linked to ‘duty’ or ‘honour’.

The last part of the book made me wonder if there is to be a sequel as i would love to see what happens to Amine.

To be honest i struggled with this book. I cant put my finger on it exactly. It was not the usual light hearted style of book i usually love to read..

When Addy, who is recovering from cancer, finds out that she might have a sibling in Morocco, she travels there to try to discover whether it is true or not.

I found this book very slow and hard to get into, I didn’t warm to any of the characters and the ending felt rushed. This is one of those books you get a few chapters into and hope it gets better only to be disappointed. This definitely wasn’t for me.

A complicated story of daddy going to Morocco for 3 months. Her father recently died and she has found part of a letter and a photo suggestion he had a wife and child in Morocco.

Great read. Kept me interested and gripped from the very first page. I enjoyed the storyline and the characters and felt drawn into the story itself. Great

What a wonderful book, beautifully written, felt like I was in Morocco. Would definitely recommend it

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This is a not nice feel good book about Addy who overcame cancer and her half sister. Good read, but does not set the world alight

Historical fiction isn’t usually what I pick to read but the wonderful folks at Avon sent this over with a couple of other books and I was very intrigued. I’ve always wanted to visit Morocco and I do so even more after reading this amazing, evocative read.

The plot was fantastic, I love dual timelines and the characters felt so incredibly real to me. This was a wonderful novel and I enjoyed it immensely.

The author does an amazing job of describing life in Morocco on a daily basis. She is so descriptive that I felt like I was there.
I enjoyed the story but I felt the book ended rather abruptly and without a proper ending. A disappointing finish to an ok book.

A story of many layers. Addy, a Canadian woman finds a letter and photos from her father who has recently died. A photo of him and a Moroccan woman and a letter which is only half complete. Cue a desire to head to Morocco and find out the truth. I love novels like this and you just know there is going to be something juicy or complex in the discovery.

It's a journey of many emotions - Addy has cancer and her boyfruend has been unfaithful so this journey to Morocco gives her a challenge and a distraction. She is also a professional photographer and hopes to create a travel book whilst travelling around this fascinating landscape. And what a landscape it is - many cities, mosques, medinas....with all the colour, spice and aromas you might imagine.

There's also a lot of cultural references too when she meets Omar, an Amazigh (Berber) man about 10 years younger than her. The culture of Amazigh is not considered very high up on the social scale in Morocco. People in the mountain villages have to survive as best they can. They work several jobs and are looked down up by others in the country.

Whilst looking for her father, there is  a lot of visiting tourist attractions with Omar. He however seems to have a dark side as he often lies to her and I found him a disappointing character when it comes to Addy. As if she didn't already have a man of mystery and secrets in her life I thought! He kept saying that Addy was  'destined for him by Allah' which made me wonder if he was being honest with his feelings early on. This was, however, a good way to learn about the culture and potential pitfalls between a Moroccan and a Canadian. As the author delves a bit into the prejudices and problems that plaque Moroccan society, the story develops and fleshes out the plot.

The story faltered for me at the end as I didn't feel there was a resolution to the story and the questions I had in my mind. Was Omar the man Addy wanted him to be? Not sure. The mystery of the letter and who her father really was however, was a nice if not sad discovery.

Interesting descriptions of Morocco, mountains, villages and people. The heat and the colour really came through.
But Addy and Omar just didn't seem real to me. The family situations that they found themselves in didn't ring true, and seemed to be quite repetitive. The ending was completely pointless and it seemed that the writer was throwing a cliff hanger at us, or maybe had run out of steam.
I will give it three stars mainly because of the exotic and attractive descriptions of Morocco.
Thank you to NetGalley for a review copy.

This is a story about Addy, a Canadian woman who has overcome cancer and her boyfriend's infidelity during her chemotherapy treatments. Her half sister Philippa gives her an envelope of items from their estranged father, who recently passed away. In the envelope, she finds Polaroid photos of her father with an unknown Moroccan woman and a partially finished letter. Restless with her life and intrigued by the mysteries behind the letter, Addy heads to the small mountain town of Zitoune in Morocco to retrace her father's steps, hoping to learn more him. She is a professional photographer and hopes to create a travel book with the photos she takes while in Morocco. .

In the town, she meets Omar, an Amazigh (Berber) man about 10 years younger than her. He offers to act as her guide to the Zitoune waterfalls and to the other places where she would like to visit. The two feel an instant attraction to each other and Omar soon states that it is fate that they meet. (He is a big believer in fate and destiny.)

The book delves into Addy's discovery of herself as she learns to navigate the exotic and complicated culture of Morocco, She becomes involved with Omar's family and friends, and learns how difficult life can be especially for women in Moroccan society, but she also learns to appreciate the beauty of nature around them and the simpler things.

What I loved about the book: the author, Ms. Chinn, does a wonderful job of describing day-to-day life for many people in Morocco, who have to hustle with several jobs (like Omar does) to make a living. Her descriptions of the colors, sounds and smells of the souk (marketplace), the homes, and nature are wonderful. I felt like I was there.

Omar is Amazigh, which appears to be less advantageous than being Arab in Morocco. She delves a bit into the prejudices and problems that plaque Moroccan society.

I also liked the fact that she allowed Addy and Omar's relationship to develop through shared experiences and conversations where they learned about each other. Omar was 100 percent confident that Addy was destined for him by Allah. In our cynical world, this might seem naive, but his sincerity and innocence was refreshing. Addy, of course, knew both worlds, and struggled with how he might fit into her life in Canada or London (where she lived before she came to Morocco).

What I did not like: the cliffhanger at the end. I was really starting to care about these characters, and then the story ended abruptly without a resolution to the main dilemma presented in the story (whether Addy and Omar could make a life together). I only gave it 3 stars because of this. I read an ARC of this book (thank you to Netgalley and Avon/HarperCollins Publishing!) I hope that in the final edit, we find out what happens with Addy and Omar and whether they are able to overcome their cultural differences. I would definitely read the book again if this was added!

I couldn't really get immersed into thus story. I found it was a little slow paced and some of the characters were a little aggravating. I did however enjoy the exotic location the book was set in.

I was provided an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Though I have not been to Morocco, I have traveled to places where language is often a barrier to communication and where tour guides like to flirt with the white women. The way the author depicted this was nearly spot on. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the antics that Addy and Omar got up to or rather the situations that Omar got Addy into. I liked Addy for most of the book but didn't like how she acted around her sister, how her attitude and personality seemed to change. I also struggled a bit with the ease at how Omar seemed to lie about things to Addy. I wanted to rate this book a 4 star, but the ending stopped me. After the whole mystery, I wasn't happy with the cliffhanger and the author left too many loose ends in general.

A lovely story that drew me right in.From London to Morocco an exotic setting.Secrets kept characters that come alive. An intriguing story that kept me turning the pages. #netgalley #avonuk

I picked this up because i am Moroccan and this story both made me feel at home and made me feel homesick.
Very sweet story.