While it was easy to read- it wasn’t my favorite. I wanted a little more meat in it. I loved the premise of the old villa knowing who needed to stay there and helping lost souls find their way. The cast of characters were somewhat shallow and I wanted more from them. The end of the book picked up and I loved how it ended.

The premise is undeniably promising, and it kicks off with a strong start. The vivid descriptions of Greece—its people, food, and stunning sights—were exceptional. I felt as though I could pack my bags and book a flight right to the villa! I still might… as long as the characters from this story aren’t around.

The main character, Stella, is recently separated from her husband and grieving the loss of her best friend to cancer. She decides to take her children, along with her second-best friend and her children, on a two-week vacation that could have been paradise. Unfortunately, Stella’s indecisiveness and tendency to whine make it impossible for anyone to relax. Her inability to say no even results in an unwelcome houseguest, who really should’ve been left behind for everyone’s sake.

While I absolutely adored the vibrant villagers, the vacationers—Stella included—really dragged the story down. Their misery was a bit over-the-top, especially in contrast to the beautifully written village setting and its enchanting locals. In fact, I found myself far more invested in the villa’s backstory and its charming proprietor than in the main plot.

Also, a heads-up for fans of spicy content: The unexpected steamy scene near the end felt very out of place, especially after a lengthy and odd conversation about scabs and bruises. Not sure why that detail was necessary—it left me more puzzled than anything.

A short summer read, perfect for an escape into a light yet atmospheric Greek seaside setting. However, the tone of the story is noticeably less uplifting than the cover suggests. The character development feels somewhat uneven, with certain relationships and actions feeling strained or unconvincing and overall some strange choices. The ending felt unsatisfying - it seems rushed and falls flat, leaving several threads unresolved.

BENEATH THE LEMON TREES
Emma Burstall

After the loss of a friend a woman retreats to Crete. To soak in the sunshine, the fresh air, and the breathtaking views. On a whim, she invites a man to join her and he surprisingly says yes.

What happens after that will surprise both him and her. The only one not surprised will be you, the reader.

Let’s talk about why this book didn’t work.

I have read through this book twice. I thought it was my fault at first that I didn’t connect with the material but upon reading it the second time I realized it wasn’t me.

I have no connection with the material at all. I don’t feel inspired by the storyline and am not interested in the characters.

It’s a little like perusing a new restaurant's menu at the front door and finding that nothing sounds good.

You never think:
“What is wrong with me why don’t I like the sound of anything here?”
What you’d probably say is:
“I’m not interested.”
“Let’s try something else.”

This is your reminder to put the book down if you’re not enjoying it. It’s ok. Even if everyone else likes it. Even if it’s popular, the book of the summer, or the book of the year. If it’s not for you let it be.

You learn as much from what is not for you as you do from what is. Everything is information.

I will try to articulate what I didn’t like about the book.

The procession is obvious. The integers of the equation are nothing new. Nothing inspiring. And when you put all of these words together one after the other, it is an inevitability instead of a choice.

It was not for me, probably not for you. I don’t recommend it.

Thanks to Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources, NetGalley, and Boldwood Books for the copy and the opportunity to provide feedback!

BENEATH THE LEMON TREES…⭐️⭐️

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Beneath The Lemon Trees' by Emma Burstall

Well blooming heck Emma where have you been hiding all my life?!?! You absolutely blew it out of the ball park!!! Genuine, this has got to be one of the BEST novels I have ever read!!! This may be the first book I have read by this author but it most definitely will not be my last!!! It is also an absolutely fantastic memoir and the first book of a series!!!

OMG!!! I absolutely LOVED this gorgeous page-turner and I really really REALLY hope that you will be turning this into a series as I don't just want but actually NEED to return to these amazing characters and stunning settings!! I absolutely devoured this stunner in a couple of hours in one sitting!! There was no way I was putting it down as I was just so absorbed!! I genuinely promise you will not regret it and it will turn a frown upside down and brighten up your day if not more!! I have read over a hundred books this year already but this has just flown to my favourite of the year if not EVER! Honestly if you are ever in need of a break and fancy the gorgeous Greek Island of Crete then grab this stunner and prepare to be whisked away on a beautiful holiday!!! The storyline is authentic and realistic as well as easy to read and heart-warming. There was plenty of events going on throughout and it kept me hooked from start to end, I absolutely devoured it in one sitting while mainly sitting in the garden with the sun warming my legs at the same time Stella was being warmed by the sun in Greece making it feel like I was there even more than Emma's evocative storytelling did. The storyline was filled with a range of emotions and was heart-warming, devastating and had love, relationships, family, grief, friendship and hope all going on in this beautiful atmosphere. It felt like a lovely break away from Wales!! I loved how the story ended and I would love to read more about the life on this gorgeous Greek Island. I was absolutely devastated when I came to the end of this book as I was truly whisked away to Greece feeling the sand on my feet and looking at the stunning views. I absolutely loved the gorgeous atmosphere and the warm embrace of everyone in the rescue. The storyline was so heart-warming and it was such an easy and relaxing read with moments of laughter, some tension and sadness but overall happiness. It ended absolutely perfectly and I cannot wait to read more books by this fantastic author!

What an absolutely gorgeous book!! I cannot wait to go on my next holiday with the very talented Emma Burstall. I absolutely adored being in Greece but I also enjoyed learning and reading about Stella and meeting new friends who I absolutely adored!!! An absolutely unforgettable holiday!!!

The characters were all unique with their own realistic traits, strengths and weaknesses. It was intriguing to watch Stella's character grow, develop and change throughout the the storyline. I absolutely adored Stella and was completely invested in her through every single page until the very end of the book. She is such a likeable person that she is definitely one of those characters that I am gutted she is fictional. My fingers and toes were crossed throughout for her to get her much deserved happily ever after. Emma's amazing evocative writing skills brought her to life as much as possible and they she leapt out of the pages as well as the stunning atmosphere and the rest of the characters!!! Anyway, I best not say anymore as don't want to give anything else away for future readers!! It's just so easy talking about this fantastic book and so much I want to tell you all about but I really need to control myself!!! Needless to say I absolutely adored each and every character each for a different reason. All characters worked perfectly with the storyline and I would love to meet them again and cannot wait to get stuck into more books by this incredible author!

Well done Emma on an absolutely gorgeous book!!! I will definitely be looking for your books any time I need an amazing story to get lost in!!! This is exactly why I would like to welcome you to my favourite authors club!

Overall an absolutely perfect light hearted, stunning unputdownable page turner that will sweep you off your feet and land you in Greece.

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This was a great story by Emma Burstall. I saw it and just had to get my hands on it. I love this cute cover! The story was slow at first and I thought I had made a mistake in picking this one up but I am glad I did!
The story follows Stella on her journey through grief. (If you know, you know.) I thought Burstall did an excellent job in the showing the damage grief can do to someone and how it can have major impacts on their life. 

I’d recommend this story i you enjoy complicated situations, travel to a small seaside town. family and friend relationships. This book does contain mentions of cancer, grief, suicide, psychic abilities, stalking/harrassment, and minor sex scene It does get off to a slow start as well. However, if that doesn’t bother you definitely check this one out.

A vacation to a lovely villa in Greece should have been idyllic except it’s fraught with tension and strife.
I thought Stella was way too accommodating to certain people and was foolhardy to sacrifice her family for another, even if grief.
I was all over the place emotionally while reading this book.
I loved the descriptions of the people and landscape of the area because that area is on my bucket list to visit.
I loved April with all the kids because I thought she added some much needed lightness to the story and she was just breezy and informal.
All the food mentioned sounded divine.

Definitely recommend Beneath the Lemon Trees, if you love an escapist novel set on a beautiful Greek Island. Great characters, all going through a life changing situation and how they all deal with it. Left me longing to get on a plane to the lemon groves and sunshine

after Stella's friend dies from cancer, she feels she needs to look after her friend's husband and children. she books a vacation to the Greek island of Crete. lovely setting and story.

CW: cancer, death, su!cide attempt, mental health crises, separation

After the death of her best friend, Stella's life is spiralling. In amongst her own grief, she feels compelled to look after her friend's widowed husband, Jon, and child, to the detriment of her own family. After splitting from her husband, Stella and her children retreat to the Villa Ariadne in Crete to reconnect and recover, alongside friends, in a magical location.

Stella is unsettled by a local's prophesy for her; and when Jon turns up at the villa as well, Stella finds herself in an impossible predicament.

Torn between her own grief and her people-pleasing tendencies, Stella's world implodes.

Stella is clearly overwhelmed and has more and more demands put upon her - a relatable position - to the point she doesn't feel she is able to just be herself. Her eldest child is angry and resentful at the family breakdown; her friend Louise shows a very different side of herself in the tense atmosphere, and Stella feels guilted into tolerating more than she should. She feels she should be everything to everyone, papering over her feelings with a brittle mask.

I wasn't thrilled at the start of the book when it was implied Stella had been the victim of DV, particularly after the reader meet her husband. We learn through flashbacks that her views of the recent past are unreliable and distorted .

The Villa Ariadne and the scenes in Porto Liakadia are an antidote to the heavy topics Stella is dealing with, and introduce some fun characters that could easily have their own books. These balmy moments help Stella focus on where she is really needed, and when things come to a head, she knows where her priorities lie.

There is warmth and heart in this book, alongside heartbreak and frustration - the author treads a very fine line to balance them both.

This was a fast read, but it's not a light beach romance. There are some very heavy topics addressed.

~Many thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review~

I'm reviewing this via NetGalley, as part of a tour with Rachel's Random Resources.

This whisked me away to the Greek island of Crete, and it felt like a little escape, as the author brought the characters and the setting to life. I had the feeling that some of the characters wanted to escape from something too. I really liked the portrayals of friendship, particularly Stella and Louise.

One of the themes in the story was grief, and I found it to be bittersweet. I also found this to be a little bit of a tearjerker in places, but it made me smile too. It didn't take long to read, so it may be a good choice if you're looking for a relaxing read, that's easy to finish in one sitting.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel's Random Resources, Boldwood Books, and to the author, for the opportunity to read and review this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC! *Beneath the Lemon Trees* by Emma Burstall is a heartwarming and evocative tale set against the backdrop of the Mediterranean. Burstall's writing beautifully captures the essence of the landscape and the emotional intricacies of her characters. The novel’s engaging plot is driven by themes of love, family, and self-discovery, making it a poignant and uplifting read. While some plot twists may seem predictable, the charm of the setting and the depth of the characters make it a rewarding experience. Overall, it’s a delightful escape that leaves a lasting impression of warmth and hope.

Highly troubling and absolutely frustrating, Beneath the Lemon Trees by Emma Burstall is about a woman who is on vacation with her friend and their respective children but stirs trouble when she invites someone unwanted.

Summary: Stella Johnson books a vacation in Crete, Greece, for herself, her close friend Louise and their four children in total. Without consulting them, she invites Jon, the husband of her best friend who recently passed away from cancer, to join their vacation, which raises a lot of ire.

Tropes/Genres:
• family drama
• island setting
• mentions of cancer
• contemporary fiction
• set in Crete, Greece

Review: What does this book have to do with lemon trees? Regardless, there are so many reasons to dislike this book. It's filled with problems. For starters, the main character was very unreasonable and difficult to like. The minor characters in this story probably saved the rating a little.

Stella was such a frustrating character. I don't even understand how anyone can be this unreasonable. Okay, it's fine that she's unlikeable at the start of the book, right? She could have character development. In my opinion, her main problems weren't properly addressed. Every time someone tries to call her out for her actions, she gets defensive and then delivers low blows. And she knows they were low blows. I guess it's okay for her to be an asshole just because she was kind enough to help her dead best friend's husband even if it meant that she neglected her family in the process! Wow!

Louise is the real deal. I didn't like how rude she was to Marina at first even though I kind of get why she reacted that way, but I grew to like her a lot. She delivers the truth right at your face. She called out Stella for what she did wrong, such as inviting Jon without consulting anyone – NOBODY wanted Jon to crash their vacation, but Stella invited him despite knowing that just for the sake of Harriet – and neglecting her family to assist Harriet and her family. She's truly the real deal. She's awesome. She's not even unreasonable. She made so many good points. Even if she may have any form of negative bias against Harriet, it doesn't cloud her rational judgement, and it sucks to see Stella discredit her opinion just because she herself couldn't accept the truth.

Jon is terrible. I don't even understand why he practically got away with everything he did, including sexually harassing Stella. I don't like Stella, but nobody deserves to be harassed by a guy and guilt-tripped for rejecting him, especially not when said guy is your dead best friend's husband. I cannot do this. He's too awful, and he got away with everything he did way too easily. Next.

Al is such a sweetheart, and it is evident even though he barely appears in this book. It really pained me to see him constantly get demonised by Stella when she was the one who was neglecting him and their family in the name of helping her dying best friend Harriet. Harriet, Harriet and Harriet. She's always talking about Harriet. I'm not even surprised everyone got so jaded about everything revolving around Harriet because it was really excessive. I honestly don't think Stella deserves Al at all, but I guess it's not really my place to tell people what to do.

This brings me to my main issue: the fact that she neglected her family and prioritised her dead best friend's family over her own wasn't addressed. I don't give a crap if you're such a nice person. It's good to help others, but kindly don't do it at the cost of your own family. And she did cause a lot of issues and instability for her family. But even while she realised what she had done, it was excused. She wasn't sorry for what she did. She was sorry about what she lost. There's a difference. You can help your dying best friend and still be present for your family. She chose to act all entitled, make it all about Harriet and neglect her own family. But I guess it's okay because she had good intentions. I don't know if you know this, but you can be kind and still have a lot of issues.

All that family drama aside, the author seemed to try to talk about the magic of the villa and how it was special for the guest it chose. The prologue was truly intriguing. However, this aspect of the story fell short. It was barely talked about because the bulk of the book was about Stella and how unreasonable she was, refusing to see that her actions had hurt the people around her. Oh, and she's only sorry about the consequences, not the fact that she caused it single-handedly. The irritating drama about Stella and Jon, which could've been so easily solved, heavily overshadowed everything else in the story.

I don't have any issues with sex scenes in fiction, but the one in this story was so out of place and unnecessary.

The description of the setting was nice, though. It was nice to have multiple breaks from all that trouble about Stella and Jon when they visited Porto Liakáda. April and her son Dimitrios, also known as Meaty, aren't that funny, but I guess they can still be considered comedic relief.

Overall, I think that this book can still be enjoyed by people, but it's so easy to dislike so many characters in this book. The main character herself was filled with problems that were never properly addressed. If you like books with family drama, though, you can try this.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the read.

BENEATH THE LEMON TREES by Emma Burstall

This breath taking new escapist novel from Emma Burstall is perfect for VictORIA Hislop fans.
A magical villa. A life-changing summer.

A very enjoyable romance & mystical novel. Many characters were excellent. It couldn’t put it down. I recommend vthis book.

Thanks to Net Galley for sending me this advanced reader’s copy for my review.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book so much that I bought my own copy so I could read it again!

Giving end of life support to her best friend
Being with her right to the end
Stella tries to support everyone
The cost is her marriage, her husband has gone.

Distraught at the loss of both her marriage and friend
Maybe a holiday will help her to mend?
Taking their children, Stella and her friend
Travel to the Villa Ariadne a fortnight to spend.

With family dramas and an unanticipated guest
Maybe this won’t prove to be a time to rest!
Can the villa help their relationships heal
Bringing them together in a way that is real?

With portents, warnings and shock revelations
This is a journey full of sensations
Discovering more about dreams, each other and fears
A heartwarming read as happiness nears.

For my copy of this book I say thank you
As I share with you this, my honest review.

Author Emma Burstall wrote Beneath the Lemon Trees, which may be a reference to the main character’s sour life choices. However, a more fitting title might be Beneath the Olive Trees, given that the single love scene takes place there, reflecting the story’s ending.

Burstall’s descriptions transport readers to an idyllic setting, with vivid imagery of the main character’s trip to the Greek island of Crete. While the novel hints at magical realism through the mysticism of the vacation home, Villa Ariadne, it doesn’t fully deliver on this promise, aside from a side character with clairvoyant visions. Instead, it focuses on the theme of Women’s Fiction, exploring the protagonist’s personal challenges.

The main character, Stella, comes across as unlikeable, yet she holds hope for redemption. She abandoned her husband and teenage children to care for her dying best friend, which, in turn, caused her family relationships to suffer. Stella experiences the most character growth within the novel, but she is also responsible for most of her problems.

During the vacation, Stella faces numerous challenges, working to overcome her grief over her best friend and the dissolution of her marriage. She comes to the realization that she is to blame for her own emotional distance from her family and her strained relationship with her husband. The novel is not a light, summer read, but rather full of high drama and emotional turmoil, making it an intriguing read, especially for its redemption arc. However, a deeper exploration of magical realism and less focus on Stella’s complaints, combined with more realistic actions, could have elevated the story to a 5-star rating.

The village’s characters are well-developed, with a touch of mystery and untold secrets adding to the overall appeal of the book. In conclusion, it is a good read with potential to be great with some adjustments.

A good story in a beautiful setting of rural Crete. Stella was a good main character but I did find her a bit odd at times and not someone I could relate actions wise. I loved the descriptions of the island and the Villa and it definitely made you want to go there. I enjoyed the book and would definitely recommend reading it but it is not my favourite book by this author

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for my review copy.

This was a wonderful romance with a great plot and memorable characters. A very enjoyable read.

I enjoyed reading this book and I loved all the references to Crete, because of that i want to go to Crete now! I had a hard time connecting with the characters but it was a quick read and I had a great time reading it.


Thank you Netgalley and Boldwood Books for this arc.