Once you start reading this book, you'll want to keep reading it! you'll instantly be transported to the Spanish island with scents of rosemary and orange, and cool sea breezes, where life is easy and all stress seems to flee. Charlotte could be you, or your best friend. With a college age daughter, she is an older heroine, who is struggling to find her way after the death of her husband. With his unexpected post-death gift, she finds not only herself, but her family, and her family's lost culture, and finds a second chance at a life she didn't know could exist. It's chick lit, but it's chick lit for moms with older kids, who need a book to take them away from the Summer craziness. My only complaint was that I wanted more of the more recent family history, as graham does such a great job of taking the reader back and forth in time! But it's a book you won't be able to put down until you finish it! Be sure to add this one to your Summer reading list!

Solid chick lit…doesn’t take itself too seriously! You’ll laugh, cry, and say “Oh! No!” Definitely a fun weekend read :c)

I didn't enjoy this one. I found it hard to get into and realised very quickly this just wasn't the read for me.

I had the great privilege of reading “The Island Villa” by Lily Graham recently. It was vivid, charming, engaging. It isn’t often that I lose myself in a book, so when I started reading this one I wasn’t expecting I would be so completely transported to a sunny island. It was just the sort of armchair holiday I needed.

In “The Island Villa” forty-five year old Charlotte loses her husband to cancer. Soon after he passes away Charlotte discovers he bought the house her grandmother grew up in; a house named Marisal on the tiny island, Formentera, off the coast of Spain. Charlotte follows her husband’s wishes and returns to her roots. She discovers a great-aunt she never knew existed and a group of friends who help her find joy again. As Charlotte begins to heal from her loss and learns to thrive on the island, she hears stories of her ancestors from her aunt. These stories are woven together with her own story.

This book was so charming. Absolutely enchanting! I adored every single one of the characters. It’s one of those books that I wish I could step into. Lily Graham has a gift for describing a place so vividly that you are left with the feeling that you actually visited the place. The only character who seemed flat was a minor character, Charlotte’s best friend. Besides encouraging Charlotte to go to the island, this character wasn’t necessary to the story.

I highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to escape to a sunny location. It really is an ideal book to read over the summer. I gave this 4 out of 5 ⭐️!

Review can be found on www.caitlingemmell.com

This book was a real treat! I read it in two days, and now feel a bit bereft. The characters were very 'real' and the setting enticing. I would absolutely read more by this author in the future!