When you need to refocus, an escape to Greece is the answer

Synopsis

Can a Greek escape be the start of something special?

Xanthe Fox has it all: a famous, drop-dead gorgeous boyfriend, a dream career and bright future – until heartbreak sends her life into a tailspin.

So when Xanthe’s Greek godmother unexpectedly leaves her a villa on the sumptuous island of Kefalonia, Xanthe jumps at the chance to put her life in London on hold and escape to the island hideaway to rethink her future.

The break allows Xanthe the time to explore her passions, sift through her feelings and discover more about her estranged Greek family while renovating her godmother’s enchanting Villa Aster.

But not everyone is happy to see her. Unfazed by her hostile neighbours and after making a mortifying mistake with a sexy builder, Xanthe is equally charmed by Kefalonia and a handsome, brooding gardener.

Chasing dreams, taking chances and saying ‘yes’ has the potential to turn Xanthe’s life upside down, but will a summer escape allow her to sparkle once more?

My review

Xanthe Fox has worked hard to get her acting career at the point it’s now. But how things ended with her famous boyfriend, turned her world upside down.
So when she inherits her Greek godmother’s house in Kefalonia, for Xanthe it’s the perfect opportunity to get away from everything and everyone to rethink about her future.
And of course it helps that now she has the chance to learn more about her own family, as that topic is off – limits for her own mother.
Yet this summer Xanthe is spending in Kefalonia, will be one full with surprises, pleasant ones and  not so pleasant ones. However, it will be for sure one that Xanthe will never forget.

Another book from this author that I just devoured… what a dream – worthy setting, what amazing yet also complicated characters, what a story!

I loved to see how Xanthe has finally the career she always dreamed about. Of course, standing on stage would be just terrifying for me, but I could easily Xanthe standing there, capturing her audience.
She worked hard to get where she is now, and her hard word absolutely paid off. But her personal life isn’t all that glitter and glam. And her heart got broken in a terrible way. It angered me to see how that despicable ex of her even managed to turn that into his advantage while Xanthe is still hurt from his behaviour.

It was amazing to discover Kefalonia together with Xanthe, while she herself was getting reacquainted with the place that she used to visit as a child.
Initially it was a bit weird reading how she inherited Villa Aster from her godmother. But learning about the letters she and Agatha wrote to each other over the years, show us the real bond between these two people.
And even if over time the letters diminished, the love Agathe had for Xanthe and the other way around was still very obvious.

And even if Agatha is no longer here, it’s clear how important she was. Not only in Xanthe’s life, but also for the people on the island. She truly cared about the people in her life, even if things weren’t always easy for her, and she also had her heart broken a few times…

Staying in Villa Aster is a way for Xanthe to reconnect with her godmother, and to understand better the dynamics between Agatha and her mother.
It was a bit sad to read how Xanthe slowly regrets getting out of touch with the woman that clearly loved her so much.

Obviously her stay in Kefalonia isn’t always a walk in the park, as she has to face prejudice of some people, she even has to face the wrath of some. And one bad decision makes her even feel ashamed of her actions.
But there is also the good of people, as she is welcomed with open arms by lovely people, she even makes new friends and slowly she starts to feel at home.

There is some romance in this book, of course there is. Yet it’s one that starts off not that greatly, with some misunderstandings but we also see how gatecrashing can be the start of something unexpected. And of course, having that kind of neighbour does help the romance bits 😊

I loved reading how at ease Xanthe starts to feel in a place that holds her own roots. And how we can clearly see how getting away from her busy life is the perfect medicine for Xanthe to regroup her thoughts.
On this journey, Xanthe has to make decisions that affect her future. And as they consist of different kind of dreams, it was not an easy choice to make.

But that’s life, a journey filled with choices we have to make every day. Perhaps not all choices are as complicated as Xanthe’s during her summer on Kefalonia, but they affect our lives one way or another.
And with making choices, it’s also a way to understand yourself better, to understand what makes your heart beat a little bit faster.

This was a wonderful book, set in a marvellous place, with great people, showing us that sometimes a time out can be the best thing we can have, to only have a bigger understanding of what we dream for our own future. It can also bring us closure over things happened in the past. But also that perhaps we should be more precious about the people we care about and that care about us, because we may never know that the day may come that it’s too late…