When in Benidorm…

Synopsis

She never expected to find herself in Benidorm. But when life gives you lemons, add a shot of tequila…

Connie’s singing career isn’t exactly going to plan. On a final warning from her agent and failing every big audition, she’s desperate for a fresh start. So when she lands a last-minute gig in Benidorm (of all places) she jumps at the chance – despite knowing she’s completely out of her depth.

Thrown into the wild world of the Dollz, a cocktail-fuelled girl group who love glitter as much as they love drama, Connie struggles to fit in. Then there’s Matteo – the brooding, annoyingly attractive local who seems to be everywhere she turns, throwing her further off course.

As she stumbles through a week of sun, surprises and absolute chaos, Connie has to decide: is this rock bottom, or can she find her own way to shine?

Previously published as Benidorm, Actually

My review

Not only has Connie failed to follow into her mother’s footsteps, but also her own agent has given her a final warning. Because Connie may have a great voice, but ever since losing her mother, she has also lost her mojo and the will to sing happy songs. Now she has been given one last chance, a last – minute gig in Benidorm, where she falls in the world of a girl – cover – band called The Dollz. And their world couldn’t be more different than Connie’s as they live on drama, glitter, parties and lemons. Connie finds it not easy to follow this excentric group in all their antics and chaos. And then there is Matteo, Mr. Window Seat, with whom Connie flew over and didn’t have the best trip. Yet Matteo seems to appears everywhere Connie is… Connie doesn’t know what to think or to feel, but what she does know is that this week in Benidorm will be life – changing, whether it is for the better or for the worse, that is still to be decided…

I am always up to read stories where the main character takes off abroad, in the hope that life will take a change for the better finally. Even if I am a tiny prejudiced towards Benidorm (heard too many stories that I think you know what those may be about 😊), I was ready to give this place a shot to change my mind or at least show me a different side of it.

It isn’t so strange that right from the start of the book, all my sympathy went out to Connie. Her big dream ended in failure and on itself that is already a difficult thing to process, but the fact that her failing was caused by grief, made me truly feel for her.

And it is so typical in life, that all bad things happen at the same time… She lost her mother, she didn’t succeed to get accepted, and now she is on a last warning, bringing her singing career even more at risk.

When Connie takes off to Benidorm, her last chance, it is obvious that this trip will change her life. Although it is not clear how exactly… And saying that the trip to Benidorm itself starts with a positive note, would be a lie. Because on the plane, despite all her good intentions, Connie manages to make a real mess out of it, and yes, you can take it literally… That for sure sounds promising, doesn’t it…

As an extroverted introvert myself, I could understand how out of depth Connie is feeling when she is with the Dollz. They for sure a force of nature, and to be honest, not always in the most positive ways… They are loud, present, into the moment, and yes, even inappropriate at moments. They love life, and are the life of the many parties. They do whatever they like, whenever they like, not paying much attention to made agreements, or even taking Connie’s opinion in account. They even manage to forget about her at all!

Now, they aren’t truly that bad, but I think I can say with a conscious heart that I don’t know if I would pick them as my friends.

But them being so different from Connie, is exactly what Connie needs. Because she needs to get out of her downward spiral, she needs to get out of her shell, she needs to step outside her comfort zone. And who better is up to that task than that bunch of crazy, yet kind – hearted lunatics.

And slowly, Connie start to get out of that dark shell, she starts to see and understand that grief isn’t the end station. Grief hurts, no one will deny that, but you cannot let grief rule the rest of your life. And in an unlikely way, together with the Dollz, Connie opens up more, sees the potential life can give her.

Potential that may or may not bring love in the equation too… Because no matter how badly things started with Matteo, with Connie keeping bumping into him, even that awkward relationship starts to shift. Seeing that change, that evolution, even with the many hiccups that there are between them, was just lovely to read.

This is a story that perhaps has many side characters that are a special kind of taste, but that in the end have their hearts at the right place. Side characters that understand Connie better than Connie herself would imagine they could.

Though several laughs and eyebrow raisings from my side, many awkward situations for the characters, we see that perhaps stepping outside what we know may be the best thing that could happen to us!