Escape to Greece in 2025 with this joyful new novel about friendship, lost love and hidden stories!
Bestselling author Jessica Rose needs to escape from a terrible secret that’s robbed her of her creativity. Could leading a retreat on a gorgeous Greek island be just what she needs?
Coming home to Santorini was never in Zina’s plans, but now she’s determined to make her new business a success.
And then there’s Karmela, who just wants to write her book and make her mother proud.
In the heat of their Greek island paradise, these new friends find the courage to shape their own stories, and write endings they can all be proud of…
My Review
The Santorini Writing Retreat is the story of three women. They are all at a point in their lives where they are embracing change, or at least trying to.
Jo has published a book under the name Jessica Rose. It was a huge success and she is now mentoring a writing retreat in Santorini. But she carries a devastating secret that could blow her life apart and the lives of a number of others including her own mother.
Zina has returned to Santorini leaving behind a thriving career in Athens, because her husband needed to get away from the pressure of living and working in the city. Zina has created a wonderful retreat, but living with her recently widowed mother and giving up everything she loved is taking its toll.
And Karmela? Well she was my favourite character in The Dubrovnik Book Club, so I was delighted to discover she was one of the main characters in The Santorini Writing Retreat. See what I wrote in my review:
“Karmela is a refugee, whose father escaped with his family from Sarajevo during the war in the 1990s, while others stayed to fight, and she still feels guilty. I loved Karmela – I think I would go so far as saying she is my favourite character (apart from Mis the cat of course).”
No Mis here, but we do have a greyhound called Sybil, and lots of goats.
Karmela’s fear of rejection has always stood in the way of her forming a meaningful relationship, but is she now ready for love?
This was such a lovely book, perfect as a holiday read, but it does cover some serious subjects, and is at times very emotional. I still love Karmela, and Jo of course – Zina could be very annoying. There are lots of other beautifully written characters like Zina’s husband Lambros, the other members of the writing group, and of course Iain.
Many thanks to the author and to NetGalley for a review copy.
About the Author in her own words
“I love to write emotional women’s fiction inspired by beautiful places and the stories they hide. My passion is to travel (when possible, of course), but luckily I find inspiration can strike just as well at home or abroad.
“My last holiday before lockdown was a trip to Croatia, and the country’s haunting histories and gorgeous scenery have proved fertile ground, driven by my friendship with a tour guide I met there. His wartime story provided the inspiration for The Olive Grove and his help in creating a realistic portrayal of Croatian life has proved invaluable. My second and third novels set in the country, An Island of Secrets and The Collaborator’s Daughter are dual timelines looking back to World War 2. My books are published by One More Chapter, a division of Harper Collins.
“I am also inspired by the work of my own favourite authors, who include Victoria Hislop, Rosanna Ley, Angela Petch, Jenny Ashcroft and Elizabeth Buchan.
“Although I am Welsh I am now happily settled in Cornwall, and I’m lucky enough to have been married to the love of my life for more than twenty-five years. I also write as Jane Cable.”
