This is my first Julie Caplin work. And it was everything I hoped for. I will post a detailed review as soon as I can

Now I want to vacation in Croatia! What a gorgeous book, loved it!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was my first book by this Author and certainly not my last.
I've travelled to croatia myself but if you haven't this book gives you the best insight into the food and culture. I couldn't put it down.

Even though I am now enjoying the beautiful fall weather and foliage in Virginia, I squeezed in one more summer read! That’s allowed right?

Maddie Wilcox takes a temp job as the chef/crew member for a luxury yacht as it sets sail along the Dalmatian coast. One of the six passengers just so happens to be her friend’s brother, Nick, and Maddie looks forward to meeting him. That is until Nick boards the yacht acting selfish and demanding. As the trip continues, Maddie and Nick spend more time together and they learn so much more about each other.

This was light and fast read! It is perfect for reading on the beach, on a lazy Saturday, or anytime you want a fun book to read. The story was the perfect enemies to lovers plot and mostly closed door romance! Maddie was a likeable character and the cast of wealthy, self-absorbed vacationers were hilarious!
I would love to read Julie Caplin's other books!

I appreciate Netgalley and the publisher for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyable book. Beautiful setting with believable characters. Heart warming and entertaining throughout. Carries on the series admirably. Recommended.

Thank you Netgalley.

(Sorry for this late review - I had a few months period where reading on screen was giving me headaches - eyes sorted now though and I don't like not giving feedback). Always a pleasure escaping with Julie Caplin. Croatia seems to be the hot new holiday destination at the moment, I for one have had a nosey at it a few times - so the fifth is these romantic escapes was certainly fitting. Again, Caplin gives you a glorious feel for the places, culture and food of where she writes about, all with endearing and witty characters.

Perfect for fans of travel and romance who want a lighthearted escape that will leave you with a smile on your face!

I read this while away and it was the perfect holiday read. An enjoyable book with vivid characters, colourful settings, and humour.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was the first time I had read one of the Romantic Escapes series and although it took me a couple of chapters to really get into Julie Caplin’s style of writing, I enjoyed the way her characters evolved and interacted with each other, especially down-to-earth Maddie and the two high-maintenance, attention-seeking models. The story is set against the beautifully described backdrop of the coastal towns and villages of Croatia, and is a perfect summer read.

I loved this book! I’ve read all the previous books in Julie Caplin’s travel series and this one is one of my favourites!

When Maddie is offered the chance to crew in a yacht around Croatia she decides having to wait on the posh guests is a small price to pay, whilst hope that Nick, her best friends brother, will be some kind of ally along the way.

Although things not start that way and she struggles to comprehend how the stuck up Nick is related to her wonderful best friend. As time moves on and after a few mishaps, she begins to realise that there may be more than meets the eye with Nick Hadley.

If you like a easy going, romantic read, you will absolutely love this book!

Julie Caplin has a way of capturing the places she writes about it such a captivating way… so much so that its spured me on to want to visit Croatia even more than I originally wanted to! Although I don’t think I’ll quite be able to charter a boat and sail the sea as these characters did!

The way the characters were portrayed in this book really made you feel like you were there with them… and disliked them as much as Maddie did!

I really hope Julie Caplin continues this series as it’s amazing. Often enough easy going books need to be a bit lacklustre but Julie manages to make them interesting and funny while still making them an easy read!

I was gifted this book as an arc copy for a honest review from Netgallery.

Thank you very much for the chance to read this novel. I enjoyed both the story and the characters presented, it was an interesting, atmospheric, read and one that I would happily recommend to others.

The descriptions of Croatia in this book were incredible, I hadn't ever really thought about it much before if I am honest but I really enjoyed it. The food and music sounded amazing and the story itself was really good. It handles some difficult issues but I think does it well. You definitely don't need to have read the other books to enjoy this one.

I was originally intrigued by this book because it was based in Croatia. I didn’t pay to much attention to the blurb or reviews so I went in a bit blind. Perhaps this was why the first few chapters didn’t grab me straight away.
The story consists of a luxury holiday on a yacht which sails around Croatia. The characters on the boat are a mix of hot, entitled models to salt of the earth Maddie. ( star of the show and main character).
I think it took me a little while to get into the book because some of the characters were so irritating. In my considered opinion though, the author made me feel irritated by these characters so that indeed makes a good writer.
When the setting and characters are laid out for us, I got into the book properly and then I saw the awesomeness of Croatia. It sounds like such a beautiful place, with idyllic beaches, history, art and delicious food. I was happy to read about a drink that was mentioned that a Croatian friend had sent to me from Croatia 😊.
The plot is typically chick lit. Good guys and gals, and not so good guys and gals. But their antics on the yacht and around Croatia kept me entertained and kept me rooting for Maddie.
The Secret Cove in Croatia is a great summery read where you can escape to the beautiful coast of Croatia, taste the delicious foods and drinks of the land. Ok, you may be irritated by some of the characters you meet, but you will also learn about how first impressions sometimes can be misleading, and sometimes can be bang on! A fun easy reading book that I’m glad I read.

This is definitely the book for a romance junkie. Here's we could read how our female lead has backbone yet unsure with herself, and a male lead who for me is quite shallow.

However it is still a good read for me because even though the plot is somewhat cliche but I appreciate the pace.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book! I thoroughly enjoyed it and can’t wait to follow along with more stories from the author.

What a lovely book!! I'm not a romance fan, but this book was amazing. I loved everything about the book, the myriad characters, especially Maddie, the beautiful settings, the romance between Maddie and Nick. Looking forward to reading more books by Julie Caplin.

It's a dangerous thing to fall in love with an entire series. For starters, you're always craving the next installation. And then of course: there's the risk involved. What if you don't like one of the parts of the series? Or if it feels like a bit of a let-down compared to the other parts? Unfortunately, that's kind of the feeling I got when reading The Secret Cove in Croatia.

I was offered an ARC by Netgalley in exchange for a review. All opinions are strictly my own.
The Story
When no-nonsense, down-to-earth Maddie Wilcox is offered the chance to work on a luxury yacht for the summer, she can’t say no. Yes she’ll be waiting on the posh guests… But island-hopping around the Adriatic sea will more than make up for it – especially when Nick, her best friend Nina’s brother, is one of them.

Sparks fly when they meet on board and Maddie can’t believe self-entitled jerk Nick is really related to Nina. But in a secret, picture-perfect cove, away from the real world, Maddie and Nick discover they might have more in common than they realise…
The opinion

Honestly, this wasn't a bad book. It's just that, based on the other books in this series, I'd been expecting something a bit... More. You know - more tention, more fun, more Secret Cove and less boat...

A lot of characters felt sort of "dumped in the story". Compared to The Little Paris Patisserie, the book in which both Nick and Maddie are introduced for the first time, many of the other characters seemed to be a bit lacking in the development-department. There's mentions of an eating disorder, there's an extremely disfunctional friend group, there's a douche-who-might-be-a-semi-good-guy... And I never really felt as if I got a complete view of them.

Again, that's basically just a compliment to the rest of Julie Caplin's writing. Because, if I hadn't enjoyed those books as much, my expectations for this one wouldn't have been as high.

There's positive things as well, naturally. The descriptions of Croatia were beautiful, and it was really fun to get a bit of an insight into what it might be like to work on one of those small boats. The unrequitedness between Siri and Douglas was a pretty good subplot - but again. It could've done with just a little bit of extra TLC...
The rating: 2,5/5

The Secret Cove in Croatia is a good book for when you're in the mood for something quick, with a good bit of escapism thrown in there. If you like food descriptions, boat trips and some nice and snarky conversation thrown in for good measure? Look no further. Just keep in mind that - in my personal opinion? It's not the best Julie Caplin's ever written...

-Saar

As I started reading this book, I found myself with a dilemma - how could I possibly like model Tara enough to get behind her? Thankfully, Maddie quickly made her appearance, fresh from the Little Paris Patisserie, and I could settle back and enjoy the story. And enjoy it I did! As Maddie and Nick sailed around the Croatian coastline, with Tara, Cory, Simon, Douglas, Siri and captain Ivan, I found myself willing things to work out. I couldn’t wait for Simon to get his comeuppance, and for Nick to see the real Tara.

As with all Julie’s books, the attention to detail in the settings is excellent. Having never been to Croatia, the towns along the coastline were brought to life in the descriptions and I almost felt I had actually seen the cove of Tajna Bay.

A well written story, once which I couldn’t put down but didn’t want to end! Highly recommended.

This was such a lovely book. Croatia sounds so wonderful that I'd love to add it to my bucket list to visit one day.
Maddie takes a job on a luxury yacht and although some of the passengers are less than wonderful she enjoys the travelling. The yacht style holiday sounds blissful and the secret cove in particular is the destination of your dreams.
I have really enjoyed this series and Julie Caplin does such a wondeful job of making you fall in love with the destinatioms that she chooses for her books. The characters are always so engaging aswell. I can't wait for the next book.

I just love this series of books by Julie Caplin, if you loved the previous ones, this won't let you down.

Julie's books always make me want to visit the places she sets the books in. Croatia is on my "to do list" and initially I was disappointed as it felt like there wasn't going to be much Croatian scene setting. But that all soon changed, as obviously they have to get on the chartered yacht and actually sail to Croatia!

I love that Julie's books mingle the characters. In this book we meet Maddie again who was in The Little Paris Patisserie. It won't matter if you haven't read that one as this is a stand alone book as all the ones in the series are. It adds to the enjoyment of reading for me though, as you recall the previous book and have a little more of a back story. It's just like meeting old friends.

Julie paints such a vivid picture of all the characters that I felt, as usual, that I had met them all in real life. There are some really quite different characters in this book and it's down to Julie's skill as a writer that they all seemed so believable. Maddie was a great character and it was lovely to get to know here more. She takes a crew job on a yacht and I loved the descriptions of her forays into the market to buy the foods. I also gave a little cheer every time she conquered one more task. There are two quite despicable characters who belittle her, but I was smiling so much when karma finally arrived for them.

A lovely light hearted read, although there was one scary part that had my heart racing. I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars.

I was fortunate to be given a copy of this book to read by NetGalley. What a gem it is! I have not read any other books by this author but I will be looking out for them. I'm going to read the Northern Lights one in the winter. I felt fully transported to Croatia and life on a boat. I found Maddie a very likeable and relatable character. It was a lovely read on a rainy day in August!