Loved the synopsis - the book, itself, not so much. The plot and characters were so poorly developed that I found the book a chore to complete

What a fabulous book. loved the story and characters, subject was close to my heart as I'm also a chef and would love a cookery school. Fabulous setting and didn't want the book to end.

I felt the story took a little while to get going but a few chapters in and I was hooked. It is a lovely story about friendship, loss and love and the descriptions of Greece and the food are glorious!

The House in the Olive Grove is a well written book. I throughly enjoyed the plot and the well developed characters. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.

Having read Emma Cowell's debut novel last year and falling in love with it, I was so excited when I received her new book.

I loved this novel - it was the perfect escapist summer read. Unravelling the stories of 3 strong women who bond over a love of food, I was transported to the beautiful setting of Greece and was hooked from the first page.

Absolutely loved this book. Set in Greece it made me want to sit at a bar in a taverna and soak up the sun! Maria, a chef, runs a cookery school and we learn how she fled New York for her home village and came home to live with her often acerbic mother. Kayla is a TV chef who is staying at the cookery school as is Alessandra who freely lives her life in an open marriage. All of these women have secrets, problems and insecurities which gradually unfold as does the relationship between the women. I really could not put this down as old rivalries, old loves and family relationships weave a really engaging story in a most beautiful of settings. Daren't say any more as I don't want to spoil it for anyone!

Good read set in Greece about three women. Tradition and superstition is alive and well in Greek villages. Story of friendship and love and the beauty of Greece. Reading this will make you want to visit

Having never read a book by this author before I didn't know what to expect but I was intrigued by the blurb. I am so glad I tried it - I love her style of writing - very similar to Sue Moorcroft who is a big favourite of mine.Tge descriptions of Greece made me want to pack up and go there immediately.

Maria grew up in Greece, but was treated with suspicion in her home village, and was not popular. Her dream was to open a successful restaurant, which she does in New York, but after a terrible accident she returns to her home town in Greece and opens a very successful cooking school - with people coming from all over the world. Unfortunately someone closer to home seems to be unhappy with her and she is being threatened, as well as ostracised by most of the village.

As the story begins Maria has two guests to her cooking school, a celebrity food writer and TV hostess from the UK called Kayla, and an Italian lady called Alessandra who is an ex dancer and makes jewellery. Both have their secrets, and are very different characters causing initial friction, but such is the magic of Maria's gift for cooking the three become firm friends and each help each other on their journey.

The characterisations are spot on, the descriptions poetic, the inclusion of the bees is magical and very interesting, and the descriptions of the food were mouth watering. I did find the plot twist very predictable, and had worked it out from the beginning, but it didn't detract from the story too much.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/edit/119089652

So enjoyed this wonderful story of friendship, food & Greece, I’m ready to book my flight! Well told with believable characters. Looking forward to this author’s next book

A very enjoyable read fabulous setting in Greece gorgeous food and a tale of 3 strong women can recommend.

I usually enjoy books centered around food and cooking…this one exceeded my expectations as a deeply satisfying story of love, loss, and friendship, all served up with a touch of magical realism.

Maria felt like an outsider growing up in the small village of Petalidi in Greece. When the fulfillment of her dream as chef/owner of a successful New York City restaurant abruptly ends, she returns home to the family farm. Once, again, she is plagued by the superstition and hostility of the villagers - even after the establishment of her successful cooking school, Maria’s Kitchen. Despite these challenges, Maria classes are well-known not only for her cooking skills, but also for the transformed lives touched by her lovingkindness and wisdom.

The story unfolds as two students arrive for a weeklong class coinciding with the village Easter celebration.
Kayla is a London-based celebrity food writer and host of the popular television show, the Home-Grown Chef.
Alessandra, a former dancer turned jewelry maker is an outspoken Italian from Rome. After a rocky start, they forge a bond of friendship that transcends their personality differences and, with Maria’s support, embark on a journey of self-discovery.

The lyrical prose drew me into the story and kept me engaged until the end. The descriptions of the Greek village and countryside were so evocative that they had me wanting to pack a bag and experience it for myself. The characters are wonderfully complex and well-developed. Overall, this was one of the most enjoyable books I have read in a while and I will definitely revisit it in the future for another read.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

This book is food for the soul....
I had just finished reading a gruesome murder mystery (as they sometimes go) and really needed something nice and clean. The House in the Olive Grove is simply magic. It will wrap you in this beautiful world set in an idyllic seaside village in Greece.
WARNING: you will have an amazing urge to go and visit the place for yourself... you have been warned ;)
The perfect mix of culinary delights, beautiful friendships and love is enough to lift anyone up.
This book is a true gift and I wish Emma Cowell many more years of writing and using her extraordinary talent ;)

I took me a little while to get into this book it once I did I could not put it down. The storyline and characters were so good I was obsessed. A perfect summer read and one I will be sure to pick back up in the summertime.
3.5 stars!

Set in Greece in the present time. Maria runs a cooking school in her mother’s home in a small seaside village in Greece. Maria’s family have lived in Petaldi for many generations, yet Maria feels an outcast and longs to be accepted.
Alessandra and Kayla attend the cooking school over Easter. Alessandra and Kayla both have secrets and are deeply troubled by their past. They have trouble relating to each over, Kayla resents Alessandra’s lifestyle and dislikes the way Alessandra constantly asks questions about her life.
I loved the way Maria shared her love of cooking with Alessandra and Kayla and how they gradually shared some of their secrets.
This was about cooking and relationships. I loved the descriptions of village life. The descriptions of the food they cooked made me want to try some of the recipes.

"The House in the Olive Grove" is the story of two very different women who enroll on a cookery course at Maria's Kitchen, and of their teacher. It is a bit of a "suspend belief" novel, in the vein of Joanne Harris, with magic seeming to happen via food. At it's heart though, the book is about the 3 women coming to terms with changes in their lives and, en route, forming a strong bond of friendship.

The setting in the Peloponnese area of Greece is a real place, which sounds idyllic and not too spoilt by tourism. It was interesting to learn that, for certain species of honey bee, it is possible to have hives from which you can tap the honey direct, rather than having to use the lengthy extraction process we have in this country. Presumably though these hives are a lot more expensive.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.

This is the epitome of a great summer read. even if you are not going away it will transport you to a wonderful summer in Greece.
It is the story of three strong women who come to a cookery school in Greece, but each have hidden secrets that they need to come to terms before they can have a fulfilling life.
Each of these women have encountered heartbreak and love in different ways and set out on a journey in which they discover an understanding of how to be happy against all the odds that life throws at them.

A wonderful story with engaging characters set in beautiful Greece.
A story of secrets and how friendships can be made when least expected. A good paced storyline which kept me hooked right to the end. Absolutely wonderful.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for a honest review.

Enjoyed this story and the different sub threads running through. Family, friendships, health, communities, all are played out in a great book!

I enjoyed reading The House in the Olive Grove. It is the story of three women from different walks of life who come together at a cooking school.
It is set in Greece and each of the three women have very different problems in their life. It shows how very different people can come together and change each others out looks on life.
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

The House in the Olive Grove is Emma’s second novel and it is packed with beautiful characters that are very relatable. Set in a gorgeous Greek village by the sea Petalidi woke my memories of many visits to various Greek island holidays over the years, leaving me yearning to go back.
The three main characters are Maria, Kayla and Alessandra all of whom are strong yet vulnerable in their own way. Each of them have their secrets to bear but by coming together at Maria’s Kitchen a cookery school, they become firm friends and there the magic happens.
Maria and her bees have a powerful gift that seems to seep into her students and with it gives both healing and inspiration which leads them on a journey of self-discovery. Maria is selfless and gives so much to others yet she denies love and romance into her own life. She battles with the pain of a broken heart from Leonides her childhood friend and is determined to continue with the life she has become accustomed to, ignoring what her heart wants.
I am full of praise for this uplifting story that stirred personal memories of Greece and its mouth-watering cuisine. My thanks to Net Galley and publishers Avon for the ARC of this lovely book.