The House in the Olive Grove is a beautifully written story that captures the magic of new beginnings and the healing power of nature. Emma Cowell’s writing is warm and inviting, painting vivid scenes that really bring the setting to life. The characters are well-drawn and their journeys feel heartfelt and genuine. It’s a comforting read with a gentle pace. A lovely book to get lost in!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
The idea of the 3 women meeting and developing a close friendship whilst discovering more about themselves against a backdrop of a beautiful setting and lovely food appealed to me. I thought the author created the atmosphere well, and used the bees to illustrate and observe details albeit with a degree of poetic licence. However I thought much of the content was reminiscent of 'Chocolat' by Joanne Harris with the cook / chef, hints of 'magic', discrimination and hatred with threat, the timing close to Easter and the actions suffered by Maria.
I thought the story dragged far too slowly so that by the time I got 65% through and Maria reacts to Leonidas' appearance in such a superstitious way I was too uninterested to read any more.

I listened to this on audio and the narrator was fantastic. She switched between the 3 different characters and their accents faultlessly.
The chapters alternate between Kayla, Maria and Alessandra following each of their stories and they intertwine nicely. The setting is described beautifully by Emma and gives you a real sense of being in that location. This was a lovely easy summers read.

Thank you Netgalley for the RC. I loved this book, every page took me took me back to Greece. Relatable characters and a page turning storyline.

what can you say about this book it made me cry smile hungry and filled me with joy a story of three ladies with different backgrounds meeting in greece to a cooking school each getting to know one another and telling there stories there is ups and downs along the way but with the help of bees and delicious food all is at hand a joy to read

Chef Maria is running a successful cookery school in her home village of Petalidi, Greece – but she is also running from the secrets of her past.

Food journalist Kayla thought this was going to be just another work trip. But right before she leaves for Greece, she discovers that her whole life is built on a lie.

Jewellery-maker Alessandra has always lived according to her own rules – despite what it has cost her to do so. But she has just had some devastating news.

As these three very different women come together at the house in the olive grove, unlikely friendships blossom and a season of self-discovery begins. Will the sumptuous flavours, sapphire waters and golden sands of Greece give each of them the answers they so desperately seek?

Beautifully written from the characters to the settings.
I couldn't put this down and was gutted when it ended.
A really brilliant and warming read!

A lovely heartwarming story set in Greece with great descriptions of the local food.

Three friends visit a little village, each has their own turmoil and worries. A book about self discovery but also a love letter to the Greek culture. A wonderful immersive summer read.

Set in Greece. Maria, Kayla and Alexandra’s story is centred around Food and cooking.
Maria has established a successful cookery school, and Kayla and Alessandra attend as pupils,
This is a magical story, locations come alive to the reader and the story is beautiful
Highly Recommended
Thank you to Netgalley, Avon Books and Emma Cowell for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

Three women, all facing their own demons. Maria has been running her cooking school in Greece for ten years, having come back from New York with both physical and emotional scars. However, the village she grew up in is not very keen to have her back. Kayla is a celebrity chef who has come to Greece to interview Maria. However, secrets and past trauma threatens to bring her perfect life down around her. Alessandra is bold and doesn’t hold back but behind the bravado lies heartbreak. The book's background was Greece...I couldn't ask for a better place for a novel. Recommended.

This book was very cosy and wholesome. I absolutely loved the MC. I also admire the authors writing style. It was mesmerising and spellbinding.

It's rare to find a book that is both heartwarming and mouthwatering! Delightful story of friendships in an idyllic setting. Highly recommended.

This book took me a couple of attempts to get in to it as I found the 3 different people and timescales at the beginning very confusing and offputting. I perservered with it and was really glad I did.
Maria's story is a slow-burner but along with Kayla and Alessandra's story, the book sets a gentle pace and makes for a relaxed read in-line with it's greek setting.
Enjoyable!

This is a story of friendship, forgiveness and above all FOOD. I loved Emma Cowell's first novel and this one has not disappointed either. She perfectly depicts the Greek country, culture and culinary delights. The perfect summer read. I almost think it's a testament to a book when you don't want to leave the characters behind and long to know what happens to them next and I definitely feel this, especially for some of the side characters like Zoe, Athena and Arianna. Highly recommend

This book features three women who are very different from each other, but all share one thing, they have secrets that they are trying to escape from. I loved reading about their lives and what they were trying to hide from.
This is a well written book, it did take a while to get to know the three women, but I soon became engrossed.
I loved the setting and the food descriptions. I really wanted to visit a Greek restaurant after reading this book. This us a heartwarming and interesting read.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

The download date was unfortunately missed, I would be happy to re-review if it became available again. I have awarded stars for the book cover and description as they both appeal to me. I would be more than happy to re-read and review if a download becomes available. If you would like me to re-review please feel free to contact me at thesecretbookreview@gmail.com or via social media The_secret_bookreview (Instagram) or Secret_bookblog (Twitter). Thank you.

The perfect summer read, three women meet at a cookery school in a small village in mainland Greece, Petalidis. The author gently uncovers their pasts in this gorgeous setting, where their relationships with each other and acceptance of their differences start to develop.

This book is full of warmth, friendship and gorgeous Greek food! It was pure escapism as I felt I was there as soon as I read a few pages, with the descriptions of the bees, Maria’s cooking school and the beach.

This one gets all the stars from me and I’m off to buy Emma Cowell’s other book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A sweet book about three women coming together. This was a fairly long book but very well written. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Wow, I loved this book from start to finish and did not want it to end. The setting is so well described, the characters complex and interesting the plot a page turner. Loved every minute of reading this novel.

This was a super sweet book about finding oneself and friendship. I enjoyed the three main characters and love when a book has a touch of magical realism. Great book for summer!

The perfect summer read!

I loved this book, feeling a bit sad now I have to say goodbye to some wonderful characters.

After a successful career running her own restaurant in New York, Maria has returned to her idyllic hometown in Greece and now runs a cookery school from her childhood home that she shares with her mother Eleni.

Despite putting the village on the international map, the local villagers are quite hostile towards her and have never really welcomed her back into their fold.

In the run up to Easter, she hosts a week of tuition for Kayla, a good writer from London and Alessandra, a dancer from Rome.

All three women in the kitchen have secrets and turmoil, they are all very different, but over the course of the week and over some amazing food, they become unlikely friends and their lives change as they help each other deal with adversity.

A wonderful story, with many twists and turns, set in the beautiful Greece mainland.

Let this book transport you to Greece and join the girls on their journey.

A must read for the summer.