Thank you to Netgalley for an eARC of The Spanish House by Cherry Radford. This is the story of Juliana, a half Spanish, half English 30 something lady who is struggling in London and wants more from life. She is not particularly happy with her job; she does not feel like she really fits with her dad’s new family and does not like living in her shared flat. Luckily for her, the perfect opportunity arrives from her uncle in Spain, Arturo. Arturo is a quirky, eccentric, and likable character who proposes that Juliana moves to Spain for 90 days and completes a series of tasks in order to inherit his beautiful house. The tasks are not haphazard, and they are designed to help Juliana discover the truth about her mother and find her true roots.
I have loved the descriptions in this book and at times I felt transported to Spain. I also liked the plot and Julia’s journey of discovery and acceptance.
What I did not like too much was the love story between Hoolia and Josemi - her neighbour, the artist. Their love story didn’t feel to me like it evolved well, it just seems to happen. I would have loved more angst and building to the big kiss. It felt a little forced. I did like Josemi and the way he supported Juliana in her journey.
Overall a very enjoyable book. Perfect read for summer.

Thank you to NetGalley and The Aria Team for an ARC of The Spanish House by Cherry Radford. Julia is living in London when her uncle proposes that she live in his summer house in Spain for 90 days in exchange for ten items on a list which includes painting rooms to visiting nearby beaches. Her Uncle Arturo would like her to learn more about her mother who was Spanish and her inheritance. At the end of the 90 days, the summer house may be hers if she completes the items on her list. Julia has not seen her mother since she was seven and always wondered what had happened. Once Julia arrives at the summer house, she meets the handsome next door neighbor but the fact that she is not fluent in Spanish hinders their communication somewhat. Julia plays her flute in the community theater, not wishing to act or sing. She grows to love Spain and learns more about her mom and her life in Spain. Julia had an eleven year relationship with a handsome actor that suddenly wants to move to Spain just as Julia is confident on her own to not be trapped in a dead end relationship with him. The ninety days seem to go by quickly as Julia decides to either return to London or find a way to stay in Spain.
The descriptions of Spain including the houses, the beaches, and the food make one feel like they are on holiday in Spain. This is a wonderful story with many surprises and twists and colorful characters that come alive. I really enjoyed The Spanish House and look forward to reading more books by Cherry Radford. I also enjoyed the spotify playlist that Cherry Radford put together with songs referenced in the book.

3.5 stars. This is my first book by Cherry Radford and I'm glad this book jumped out at me and I read it. The descriptions of the places and people were really fantastic and stood out the most to me. I really felt like I was in Spain on the journey with Juliana, the main character. The main plot of Juliana having to meet certain requirements in order to inherit the house from her Uncle (nothing crazy) was really interesting and I liked the curves of learning about Juliana's own history. What I didn't LOVE was how the story between Josemi and Juliana progressed - I really wanted more there. I felt like I was being bounced around a little with their plot and where they were at (maybe because it felt like things were not being well explained?). However, their love story still added to the overall story.

The book somewhat reminded me of Under a Tuscan Sun - moving to a new country, learning a new culture, fixing up a house and falling in love - so if you're in the mood to visit Spain and learn about a new place, this is a great book to pick up. It was a fairly quick and easy read as well.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to give an honest review of this book!

This is a wonderful book about life, secrets, family and change. The story of one women trying to piece together things from the past that will help her to find her true self.

Julianna visits Spain to see her uncle and help him tidy up a house he owns in the hope that she completes her list of tasks and then inherits the house in her mothers home town. In the process she learns more about her mother and the people of this beautiful little town and most importantly more about herself.

What evolves is a complete change in what she thought about her mother and how she fits into the Spanish way of living. There is love, secrets, family (old and new) and a bit of fun and laughter as well.

This is a well written book that flows well and has characters you can believe. The description of the places and the scenery is wonderful and it is a story that is believable and easy to read.

Juliana is not happy with her life working as a film extra and living in a poky bedsit in London so when her Spanish uncle offers her a house in Andalusia which she can keep if she fulfils certain conditions within 90 days she jumps at the chance.... maybe she will even find out more about the mystery of her mother who left her when she was seven.

A great story with some lovely characters and plenty of action and family secrets to keep you turning the pages. I loved the descriptions of the countryside and of course the goat kept stealing the show!

Strangely addicting! Very strong chick lit vibes and it had the best descriptions. Loved the setting

I enjoyed this story very much. Juliana is not enjoying her life in London in a bed-sit with a shared bathroom. Getting assaulted by a drunk yob while travelling on the underground is pretty much the last straw. When her uncle Arturo offers to give her a house in San Rafael, Andalusia, if she can complete a list of ten conditions in ninety days; she jumps at the opportunity. He wants her to understand her Spanish heritage. It had been his holiday home but he no longer stays there. Juliana’s mother had been Spanish, but she was very young when her mother vanished without explanation, and she had always felt as though there was something missing from her life. Because of that she didn’t really have a ‘proper’ job, she had been a film and TV extra since she was a young child, and she wrote a blog in her spare time which did not yet have enough followers to be profitable.

She sets off for her new life. One of the conditions is to get on with her new neighbours, so it looks as though she will fail before she starts, as they don’t look at all happy to see her! Juliana soon settles in to her prospective new home and gets started on the decorating and repair jobs on the list of conditions. She begins making friends, and meets her uncle quite regularly to give him updates on her progress. She relaxes into her new life in the sun, and really hopes she will complete the conditions and keep her new home.

Of course there are a lot of twists and turns along the way, some are frustrating, some are very amusing, a few are very sad, and Juliana learns all about her background as the story progresses, with several major surprises. Along the way she becomes involved with her next door neighbour Josemi, but that too is a bit of a rollercoaster.

There is a very happy ending, with all the issues sorted out for everybody. It is a lovely story in a delightful setting. A really feel-good story that is well worth reading

This is the perfect escape for when we can't escape our four walls. I totally fell in love with the characters and the setting, beautiful Spain. I enjoyed the storyline with her having 90 days to fix the property up and the journey she went on. I loved it.

An enjoyable read with an evocative setting. Juliana is set to inherit her uncle’s rural house if she follows his conditions within 90 days. These include redecorating and getting along with her neighbours (which include a HUNK (of course), a grumpy cow and a mischievous goat.

The setting is evocative and made me long to be in a sunny European country!!!
Vivid descriptions meant that I loved reading about the local area while our heroine gets to grips with her family history and difficult childhood.

4* an enjoyable read

I was invited to read this book by the Publisher Aria. I had not previously read any books by Cherry Radford before, so I was interested in reading this book.
I loved the description of Andalucia in Spain. I like reading about more residential places rather than just familiar tourist destinations. I like reading about different destinations. The writing was very descriptive and it was a lovely escapism. It is a lovely book.
I liked the character of Juliana and I loved hearing about the various tasks that she had to complete in order to keep the house. It was interesting to learn about the family secrets that were uncovered.
I enjoyed reading this book, and I will definitely look out for more books by this Author. Thank you to Netgalley and Aria for my review copy.

Had all the notes I look for in a summer read—smart dialogue, page turning romance, and a setting I want to escape to. Well done. This is your next beach read!

I received this book via NetGalley and give it my honest opinion.

A great read, perfect for summer! I loved the storyline and the characters. The scene descriptions were amazing and it was a great escape from the typical English weather we are having right now!
I was engaged with the story from the start and loved the twists too, a book that will make you want to take a trip to the gorgeous Almeria.

I loved this book a delightful read with wonderful characters.Perfect entertaining to take me out of my world into the inherited home of the lead character.Fun sweet an author whose books I will continue to read and recommend.#netgalley #thesapanishhouse

This was pure sweet escapism and I loved it! I felt like I was there enjoying Spain. I loved the to do list her uncle set for her. This book was so delightful and fun. A summer holiday read for sure.
I enjoyed the characters and the storyline. This was a treat to read.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

Growing up in an acting family, in London, at the age of 7 Juliana’s mother moved back to Spain. After which, she never saw her mother again and after two years, she was informed that her mother had died.

Now, after so many years, her uncle, has asked Juliana has asked if she’d help with the house in the country. If after 90 days, she completes his conditions, of which there is a list, the house will be left to her. So, naturally Juliana accepts. Trying to go through and complete the list of conditions as best she can. The list includes, redecorating, joining local groups and making friends.

But, it’s as she’s completing these conditions, she comes to understand that what she was told when she was young wasn’t the whole truth. It seems, her uncle was finding a way to make her come to terms with the events that happened then, as well as who she really was.

The setting was beautiful for this story, and I enjoyed the way what happened made Juliana realise her heritage, and how she found peace in the present and future.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book set in Almeria. I loved the twists and turns and how the story unfolded. It was hard to put down and was a really great read.

☀So much going on, maybe a bit too much🤔

Radford's story of Juliana's immersion in her mother's Spanish homeland and culture was brimming with colorful descriptions of culinary specialties and landscape, and included a large collection of characters. Perhaps too much travelogue and too many side relationships because I felt the romance got short shrift and was not all that compelling.

If you love musical and amateur theatrics, this story has plenty of those components. Unfortunately the theatrics did not interest me.

For me, Juliana's relationship with her Uncle Arturo and her efforts to uncover the secrets of her mother's past were the best elements of the book. Juliana has alot of issues to process but, with so much going on while she works to win her Spanish House in San Rafael, I just felt the plot went off in too many directions.

Thanks to Aria and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

“The Spanish House” by Cherry Radford is a fun mix of romance and humor with a stunning take on the culture and landscape of Spain. This light and cozy tale shines a light on the need to understand one’s own heritage and culture, the struggles of a language barrier, embracing activities outside one’s comfort zone, and how chasing after dreams can be hard work that pays off in the end.

Juliana gets an amazing opportunity to spend 90 days fixing up her uncle’s cottage house on the coast of Spain. Enticed by the chance to inherit the house should she meet all of his conditions and tired of her life in England, Juliana takes him up on the challenge. Though, when she arrives in Spain, it becomes clear the list she’s meant to complete isn’t as easy as her uncle made it seem. With only a limited amount of time to check everything off her list, Juliana is overwhelmed by the work set out for her. Throw in an irresistible neighbor who also happens to be a talented artist that may or may not return her feelings is yet another challenge to add to her list.

“The Spanish House” is equal parts romance, a richly detailed scenic view of places to see in Spain, and a young woman’s journey to self-discovery. In its purest form, Radford presents a deep appreciation for someone willing to embrace their culture while pursuing their dreams and being caught off guard by falling or a neighbor whose beauty rivals his own art. Reading a story that is clearly written by an author who is passionate about the tale only adds to the allure of Juliana’s journey to embrace her Spanish roots and her dreams about her future. It’s easy to get caught up in the romance and shared wit that will make readers laugh, including the vivid details of the Spanish landscape that is intricately woven throughout.

There is a lot to look forward to in these pages that will entice readers to pick up this story and give it a read. “The Spanish House” is out now!

Thank you to Netgalley and Aria & Aries (Aria) for inviting me to read the e-arc of this novel and to share my honest opinion in this review!

Sometimes a book title will call out to you. The Spanish House did that to me, no doubt because of where I live and how I got here. I can’t seem to resist a story set in my adopted country! The fact that I’m familiar with Almería and can visualise the descriptions only added to my enjoyment.

It was comforting and entertaining to take a step back and read about Juliana’s experience of doing up her Uncle Arturo’s house in San Rafael. Her encounters with the local and non-locals alike felt so realistic; I loved her “stream of consciousness” outpourings as she ummed and ahed over how to ask certain questions, wondering whether her vocabulary was as effective in Spanish as she intended. But more than that I loved the relationships she built with her dear uncle, with Josemi next door and even with his “Miserable Bag” of a mother.

Conflict came in the form of a family secret (I’m not giving any spoilers here!) that initially angered her but then helped her understand who she was. Why it seemed inconceivable that a parent would hold back such information, in the end Juliana benefitted in so many ways. Her life changed forever, and for the better. What felt like betrayal of trust eventually became an explanation, an understanding and her future.

Her uncle’s “to do” was super specific and yet vague – she should visit the site where her mother worked on the set of Once Upon a Time in the West, a Western made in Spain years before her birth. She should visit all the beaches, and get along with the neighbours. None of the tasks seemed too onerous, yet they were indeed very random. However, Uncle Arturo was a wise man, mending bridges that Juliana didn’t even know existed, let alone that they’d been broken in the past.

As she went about the task of painting the house, replacing bits and pieces, and making it into a home, it was evident she would have to inherit the place. But, of course, it was not as straightforward as that, especially when he ex threw a huge spanner in the works and put her one true romantic relationship in jeopardy. Would she be able to fix that mess? And how could she live in the house if not?

A lovely story about family, friends, memories and being true to yourself. Set amidst stunning scenery within a village of fun, lively and believable characters. Evocative and dramatic, quirky and hugely entertaining. A great read for a rainy day – although there aren’t many of those here! 😉

Thank you NetGalley, Cherry Radford and Aria & Aries for The Spanish House. This is my personal review.
The setting and story were both good. Juliana has an opportunity given to her by her uncle and if all goes as it should she will be given a beautiful house in Spain.
The story was intriguing, but I just could not connect with Juliana. The author did a magnificent job describing the location and other details.