Maria Leventi runs a successful cookery school in the village of Petalidi, Greece, and despite it being her home town, a group of locals don't like her and think she's weird. Maria has always been a bit of an outsider, someone is sending her nasty text messages, leaving odd displays by her beehives and Maria is worried.

Kayla Moss is an English food journalist and television host. Prior to leaving for Greece on a work assignment, Kayla uncovers her husband has been keeping a devastating secret from her, and she’s not sure if she can forgive him? Alessandra Rossi is a Roman jewellery designer, she’s just received some bad personal news and she hopes a week in Greece will take her mind off her problems and recharge her batteries.

Maria has built her cooking school on her deceased fathers land, she grows her own produce and keeps bees. Maria takes Kayla and Alessandra through the steps to recreate her delicious dishes, the women chat as they cook, at first Kayla doesn’t approve of Alessandra and her free spirited ways. As the days pass, Maria, Kayla and Alessandra share information about their family's dynamics, all three women have experienced pain and loss, and an unlikely friendship and bond forms.

I received a copy of The House in the Olive Grove by Emma Cowell from NetGalley and Avon Books UK in exchange for an honest review. In her latest narrative, the author skillfully describes in detail the sights, sounds, traditions and delicious food Greece is renowned for. The characters of Maria, Kayla and Alessandra are all very different, you become emotionally invested in their struggles, tragedies, relationships and triumphs. A story about the joy of cooking, sharing food, friendship, kindness, self-reflection, forgiveness, second chances and the sweetness of honey. Four stars from me, I enjoyed both The House in the Olive Grove and Ms. Cowell's previous book, One Last Letter from Greece. I wish I could jump on a plane, fly to Greece and eat moussaka and baklava.

Three women from very different walks of life meet at an elite cooking school in a small village in Greece. Each woman finds themselves at a crossroads, and each hides a secret that, when discovered will change the course of their life.

Maria is a chef with an almost magical ability to combine ingredients creating unique, flavorful dishes. She harvests her own fresh vegetables, herbs and spices, and honey from the beehives she proudly keeps. She runs Maria’s Kitchen, sharing her passion and her ideas with the students she welcomes into her home.

Kayla is a food writer, anxious to begin her journey and write about the unique cooking school. The trip also offers her the chance to break away and find space to come to terms with her failing marriage.

Jewelry designer Alessandra has always been happy just being herself, no matter what other people think. She looks forward to the opportunity and adventure of attending Maria’s Kitchen.

The women are slow to warm to each other, but as they spend time cooking and creating, getting better acquainted, they begin to form a bond. In many ways, they are more alike then they are different. Searching for answers, they find the aromas, the flavors and the scenery of the small Greek village engaging and enlightening and lead them to unexpected revelations.

Ms. Cowell skillfully blends themes of love, loss, fear, friendship and self discovery, adding a magical quality using interludes of Maria's bees speculating on the narrative.. They open the readers'’ mind to new and varied ways of viewing the events of the story. The reflections become an allegory for the inner thoughts and feelings of the women.

Ms. Cowell weaves a beautiful, moving story of love and friendship. Her eloquent prose brings to life the feel of the breeze off the ocean, the enticing aroma drifting from Maria’s kitchen and the sweetness of the bees’ honey. Most important there is a soulful quality to her words that urges the reader to immerse themselves in the emotions of the story. This is a deeply moving, somewhat bittersweet story that is not to be missed.

Light your favourite candle, pour yourself a glass of ouzo, play Leonard Cohen’s ‘Bird on a Wire,’ and let author Emma Cowell transport you to Petalidi, Greece.

“It was exhausting, pointlessly regretting an impossibility. And that acceptance transformed me. So, instead, I focus on what makes me happy.”

Great advice for us all.

You’ll come to love this main character, a food guru, who dispenses wisdom and deliciousness. Guaranteed.

A chef who runs a cooking school in Greece, a food journalist whose marriage in on the rocks, and a bohemian jewellery maker who’s just received shocking news all meet in the olive grove for one week. Sure, they’re there to cook, but friendships and self-reflection mixed with a little magic of Petalidi take precedence…making this an unputdownable book!

The inner foodie was inspired with every page, I was continually in awe of the vivid descriptions and I was kept spellbound by the author’s writing style. I don’t know how she does it, but Emma Cowell continues to write winners! She writes what and how I like to read and I’ve been telling everyone I saw this weekend to pre-order this book because it’s creating some BUZZ!

Thanks to Maddie, the marketing manager at Avon Books, who made sure I got an early copy!

I was gifted this copy by Avon Books and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

I really enjoyed the author’s first novel so was keen to read this. Set in the beautiful Greek village of Petalidi, we meet Maria who runs her own cooking school and welcomes guests Kayla and Alessandra. It’s an emotional novel as each woman seems to be hiding secrets. However at the house in the olive grove, friendship blossoms as all three women embark on a path to self discovery. Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books UK and the author for the chance to review.

Maria returns from New York to her native Greece to open a cookery school after the breakdown of her marriage. The local people have always been wary of her due to her ability to see spirits, and as such, she is quite a recluse. Can Maria resolve the past and be accepted for who she is?

Cookery writer and reviewer Kayla is booked in to attend the school, but can she use the time to work out what she wants from her life?

Also attending the school is Italian Alessandra. Is she everything she appears to be?

Beautiful descriptions of Greece and the food, it made me want to be there. I enjoyed following the women as their relationships evolved, even though I found the storyline quite predictable.

Took a few pages to get into this story but when I did it turned out to be a very good read. 4 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

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.