A captivating story of love and friendship with a touch of sadness and grief. Set in what sounded like a most beautiful part of Greece Agistri the description of which made you feel you wanted yo be there. Kat was a great character and it was wonderful following her story arriving in Greece following a sad episode in her life. A gripping story which was beautifully written and a real page turner. I loved it.

When Kat inherits a house from her uncle on the Greek island of Agistri everything changes. Falling in love with her surroundings gives Kat the encouragement to face the recent loss of her twin and while renovating the house she discovers a family secret that rocks her world. As she confronts her own fears she finds peace and happiness. An adorable read that I couldn’t put down.

Move over Victoria Hislop, Under The Lemon Tree seals Emma Cowell’s place as mistress of the Greek romantic novel. Even the deepest, darkest and most difficult of emotions felt real and the author’s love for and understanding of Greek culture shine through.

Kat is devastated by the loss of her twin brother, never more so than when she inherits a house on the island of Agistri from an uncle she never knew. The house should have been for them both, but recognising her life needs to change, she heads to Greece intent on renovation – and to escape from the well-intentioned meddling of her family and friends.

This book has all the elements for a best-selling summer romance; a hot film star love interest, a gorgeous setting, secrets which tumble out to ensnare Kat at every turn. The descriptions of the house and the island are immersive, the food mouth-watering, the stray cat suitably independent. All in all, a great holiday read.

I really enjoyed this book - the Greek setting was lovely and the writing and characters felt very authentic. The romance was an integral part of the story but this was also a story about grief and this was explored really well. I would recommend this and look forward to reading more from this author.

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from Netgalley. This was a lovely read. I was utterly immersed in the story, the beautiful setting and the engaging characters. While the level of interfering from the supporting characters was frustrating, and I didn't really understand why they'd been hiding things from Kat for so long, the cast was richly written. An entertaining, emotive, enjoyable read. I am keen to read more by this author.

Kat is British of Greek heritage and inherits a house in Greece. Deciding to take a break from work after a difficult time she moves there to renovate the house. Her next door neighbour just happens to be Mr Gorgeous! I loved how the book weaves stories from the Greek myths of Artemis and Apollo into the chapters, reflecting the lives of Kat and Nic. The book is also a brilliant study of grief, one of the best, most moving ones I’ve read. I wasn’t expecting that. I was expecting a lovely sun drenched romance but the writings on grief absolutely floored me. They meant a lot.
It’s a delicious romantic summer story, with wonderful sounding food and a feisty interesting heroine and relatable family dynamics. I loved it.

I guarantee you’ll want to hop on a ferry to Agistri and order a slice of Lemonopita, or at the very least, plan on Greek food for dinner!

I can always count on Emma Cowell to give me an emotional narrative rich with authentic Greek island life. This time she transported me to a scenic island near Athens and showed me that “life is really a beautiful collision of circumstances that none of us are able to predict. Who we love, where we go, who we meet” …. they’re all ingredients that randomly combine over time to make us who we are.

You’ll have plenty to ponder, especially if you’ve been reading recent news headlines. Perhaps we aren’t as tolerant of anything ‘different’ as we thought we were. Maybe this is our reminder that everyone needs and is deserving of love and respect.

I was wrapped up in a story highlighting characters who:
💙felt a need to right a past wrong
💙challenged the definition of ‘home’
💙were flawed and relied on second chances
💙learned the freedom in forgiving
💙discovered that love comes when we least expect it

My takeaway: Grief is “love that is missing its target.”

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