Can a return heal what needs fixing?

Synopsis

Now her children have moved out, Edie has begun to feel lonely in the home she shares with her husband. She hopes returning to Crete, where she and Ralph spent their honeymoon, will help heal the growing rift between them.

And when Edie stumbles upon the website for the Villa Ariadne, with its breathtaking views and peaceful surroundings, it feels like the perfect place to spend a week together, along with their closest friends Mac and Hannah. But then, Edie invites a fifth guest: her feisty, independent colleague Jessica, with unexpected consequences.

It’s clear from the moment they arrive that the villa is special, and under the golden Greek sun, Edie hopes to rekindle the relationship she’s felt slipping away from her. But when conflict arises between two of her fellow guests, will Edie be prepared for revelations that could change her life forever?

My review

After her children moving out, Edie feels more alone and lonely than ever. It’s not that she has an unhappy marriage, but that passion and alliance that there once was, is now missing. Hoping to rekindle their relationship, Edie plans a holiday to Crete, where Edie and Ralph had their honeymoon many years ago. And when Edie stumbles on her online searches upon Villa Ariadne, she is sure she has found the perfect place to stay. Together with their befriended married couple, Hannah and Mack, and invited at the last moment, Jessica, the five head off to a holiday that will not go as expected at all… Not only because Jessica has a strong mind of her own, but also as nothing is what it seems…

I can imagine that in a married couple, there comes a time that sparks aren’t that sparkly anymore. And that when the children leave home, there is a sudden void. And the above circumstances are exactly where Edie finds herself in. It’s obvious to anyone that she isn’t in a bad marriage, that Ralph isn’t a bad guy at all. But it is just that things become stagnant, there is no excitement anymore.

So I liked it how Edie, instead of throwing the towel in the ring, decides to give it her all and tries to fix what is not actually broken, but needs something.

Villa Ariadne is not a complete surprise for me, as I know the setting from another story of this great author. So I knew how not only the Villa itself, but also the community of Crete, would have an affect and effect on the group of fresh arrivals. But do not worry, if you haven’t visited the Villa before, this will be a great first encounter, and you won’t be feeling that you are missing something that happened previously.

While I understand the perks of being a group on a holiday, sharing the costs etcetera, I was a bit surprised to see that not only their friends Hannah and Mack are tagging along, as this is an attempt to bring Edie and Ralph back closer together. But I was a bit shocked to read how Jessica suddenly was part of the group too. Yes, it was done out of kindness, but still, I didn’t truly understand, nor liked it…

In a different setting it makes sense that we see different sides of people who we think to know the best. And there is of course also the fact that you can get along with colleagues at work, but in your free time you just don’t gel…

It was lovely to see how quickly Edie is accustomed to Crete, how she easily befriends the locals and how of course the locals welcome her. Edie is also the kind of person that isn’t scared or bewildered by the strangest of statements or locals 😊.

I have to admit, at first I thought that the complete focus would be on Edie and Ralph. How would this lovely couple find a way back together? And would the friends would be an actual help or would they make things a little bit worse? Of course all the above is present in the book, but it felt mainly that the focus would be on the fact that nothing, nowhere is what it seems…

Obviously I am not going to tell you anything about all that is taking place during this holiday. But let me assure you, there were moments that my own radar started to go off, without any proof, and that I was just shocked by the behaviour of, well, I will say it, just one particular character. And that shows us that we never know what happens behind closed doors, no matter how good we think to know someone, and that unfortunately, there is no limit to selfishness…

Now, it isn’t all worry and gloom, because no matter what happens around them, Edie and Ralph are truly attempting to get closer to each other. Of course this doesn’t happen just overnight, but it was lovely to see how they are both doing their best to not only save their love, but also showing it towards each other.

Even if the story wasn’t exactly going where I thought it would go, I enjoyed reading it. We are faced with the fact that we just do not always know what happens behind closed doors. What we see, isn’t always the reality. But we also see that in fact, we cannot let anyone else direct our own relationships. We know what we truly feel in our hearts, and only we know if that relationship is worth the fight or not.  

Let me finish by saying that after reaching the end of the book, there is a lot to think about, a lot to reflect about. And the author managed to put even difficult subjects to paper, but not making it too heavy, by letting the main characters being surrounded by not only wonderful people, but also a wonderful, special and even in a way magical, setting.