If a book could exude sunshine then this would be the book that would do it – you can feel the warmth, the heat, the brightness from the pages as you read.
Eliza needs the sunshine, after her children grew up and left home as well as her husband, she downsized. Then the children came back in dribs and drabs with their partners, and Eliza finds she doesn’t have any space anymore to do anything that she wants to.
A chance advert looking for a housesitter for a month seems like the perfect opportunity to catch up, reset and focus on herself for a while away from the crowded house.
Eliza finds herself in Spain, housesitting for a rather mysterious man who has left strict instructions about not allowing the dogs on the bed and not having any parties. Oh and not to worry about the pigs. The pigs in question are those that produce Iberico and Serrano Ham and I was fascinated by this process which added to the books plot in its own way.
Not looking for friends as this is only temporary Eliza finds herself in a Tapas Bar with a load of ex-pats who all have stories of how they come to be in the Spanish Village. As time goes on and the mystery of the owner of the villa she is staying out deepens as does her love for the pigs as well as the mysterious Gastronomical Society, Eliza finds herself more and more attached to this part of Spain, her new friends and the freedom from her old life.
There is something about Jo Thomas books that I am discovering – they are balms for busy lives. The setting, the food, the scenery, the people and the story that kept me hooked and coming back for more sunshine.
Highly recommend for anyone who fancies a summer in the sun without all the airport hassle and the calories from the food! Buy now and escape.
Thank you to the publisher via netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.
Retreat to the Spanish Sun is out now.
I am off to discover more Jo Thomas reads to escape further.
The Book Jotter 