This was such a gorgeous read, I honestly couldn't put it down and read it within 24 hours. Jo Thomas is fantastic at creating such unique and enthralling story-lines with loveable characters. I really had a lot of fun with this one and I felt that I had also been whiskey away to Spain with Eliza. Jo's writing is so compelling and beautifully done - the way she described the food could easily make anybody drool and the descriptions surrounding the town, the house she was taking care of, the small café, it was all just divine and made me only dream I could have been there too! At first, I didn't know where the romance was going, but once that story-line kicked off, it was an absolute joy. I really enjoyed the side story with the Gastromic Society which caused a lot of divide within the community and spun a lot of dark mysteries within that Eliza was determined to solve. I just adored it all. You can never go wrong with a Jo Thomas story!

You can't beat a good Jo Thomas book. You know they will include food and nice places! This one was no exception. Thank you Jo and Netgalley.

A brilliant read and one I really enjoyed. The characters are loveable and varied, the plot is one that is engaging and medium paced. I found myself completely drawn into the story and enjoyed the writing style.

Ahhh this was the ray of sunshine that I didn’t even realise I needed! I’ve been reading a lot of Christmas books lately but when I spotted this one in a charity shop recently it called out to me.

I absolutely raced through this book and couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen in the end, it’s the kind of book that leaves you with a big smile on your face! I also can’t wait for a bit of sunshine now, if you’re throwing in some fabulous food and a cheeky cocktail to then I’m sold!

Jo’s love for food comes through the pages so clearly and I really liked learning about Iberico ham - it just made everything seem so authentic and fuelled my want to be right there with Eliza.

This was such a lovely, sunny book full of friendship, food and a little bit of love to - like good food, good books are made to be shared and I’ll definitely be recommending this one!!!!

Great book I enjoyed reading good stronger characters plot was good the characters pulled md into the story very good

Another author who never fails to create places you want to dive in and visit. Jo Thomas does it again with this one. Released at the perfect time if you need some winter sun without stepping off the sofa.

The Spanish countryside and a rural farmhouse in Andalucía are the setting for Retreat to the Spanish Sun and once again the author nails every aspect of the setting and the conundrums that face our main character, Eliza. Eliza is tripping over her own grown-up children as they have gradually moved back home. Juggling her own job and also trying to finish her college course while. Being there for her children isn’t easy. But they are her family, and she loves them. To try and get some space so she can finish her course she decides to take on a two-week house-sitting job in Spain.

The book was so well written and with such rich detail that at times I felt like I was in Spain too. It’s a real feast for the senses which will make you savour the brilliant descriptions, and have you wish you could just magically appear at the door of the café, and he would welcome you with open arms.

Jo Thomas’s Retreat to the Spanish Sun is a sparkling, witty and wonderfully uplifting treat that cannot fail to brighten up your day and bring a smile to your face.

This was the first book I had read by Jo Thomas and it won't be the last. Retreat to the Spanish Sun kept me engaged throughout and I could imagine myself in the Spanish village Jo describes. It's an interesting story of Eliza who goes out to Spain to house sit, meets and gets involved with the expat community and helps the homeowner solve a mystery. Would recommend.

I really enjoyed this book. I have enjoyed several of Jo's recent books and I always feel that I am in the beautiful places that she describes. It was lovely to be imagining the little Spanish Village and sunshine within the book and the developing relationships between the characters. Then there was the additional mystery element abour what was happening to the Ham's. A lovely book and looking forward to reading more from Jo.

Thank you Transworld @ Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read this amazing book.

I love Jo Thomas’s Christmas and summer novels and this one doesn’t disappoint.

Eliza has downsized her property only to have her grown up children and pet return home causing a very cramped and chaotic environment.
When she sees an advert for house sitting she jumps at the chance to escape.
Moving into a beautiful villa, with a pool, in sunny Spain to look after the owners Iberico pigs.
Idyllic surroundings, Tavernas, meeting friendly people whilst wining and dining, what more can she want?
A local gastronomical society, which uses all the best produce, has a secret to hide and the dashing homeowner has to solve a mystery which could jeopardise his future in Spain.
Adventure, friendships and romance set amongst the scorching, dusty landscape.
Totally immersive and enjoyable.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
This book starts with Eliza struggling to juggle her job, aspirations for a better career and life for herself and supporting her grown up children. She makes a leap to a short-term house-sitting job and the story unfolds. There are a group of English expats providing a nice bunch of supporting characters, a mysterious Gastronomic society and the pigs! The descriptions of the area and food make the reader feel as though they are there. I found the information about how important the ecology was to the labelling of the ham was repeated too frequently and the plot was a little simplistic although it was unique, but is a pleasant and fun read. I recommend it and have signed up to follow the author.

Oh what a super story!
Jo Thomas never lets you down!
'Retreat to the Spanish Sun' was/is exactly that! I was there, or so I thought until I became aware of my surroundings!
Eliza is a mother of three grown up children/adults, who have moved back in with her, for one reason or another. She decides, that she needs peace & quiet to do her final college essay, so she applies to 'house-sit' in Spain on a farm, and that's when things start to happen!!
Such a super story, I couldn't or didn't want to put it down!! Loved it!!

Lovely feel good book to read. It was a joy to read. Lovely characters. Great plot. The book was charming. Very well written. I’d definitely recommend this book. Lovely idyllic location to draw you in. Love this author she always pulls a hot out the bag

Jo Thomas is fast becoming one of my absolute favourite authors. You know you're going to get from her style of writing. Retreat to the Spanish Sun is no different. As the tag line says "sometimes you just need to get away" story is lovingly crafted with a strong no nonsense heroine who much like the rest of us is middling through life when a last minute decision changes her life completely. Excellent escapism, perfect for an afternoon curled up on the sofa

Another wonderful novel by Jo Thomas set in Spain where Eliza, who has returned to education decides to take up an offer to look after a Spanish farmhouse whilst the owner is away on business. The reason for her escape is that her grownup family have returned to live with her and become totally dependant on her and that includes her daughter's pugh, and she needs to complete her course work or fail the year. After a brief encounter with the owner who is very abrupt laying down ground rules for her stay, she is left alone with two enormous dogs and a strange employee working with the pigs which are very specialised as they produce award winning meat. The adventures that Eliza has as she comes to live in the farmhouse and how she encounters ex-pats in the local town who are supposed to be learning Spanish in a bar is "laugh out loud" funny. The men of the village belong to a secret group called Gastromic Society which bans women from membership. There is an undercurrent in the village that makes Eliza and her new friends decide to investigate and how the owner returns having met with an accident all adds to the plot. A wonderful summer read.

A heartwarming, wholesome summer read! Another hit from Jo Thomas that will have you wanting to jet off to Spain and leave it all behind. I was hooked from the beginning and it only took me a few hours to finish it!

My only negative is that I left it sitting on my net galley shelf for far too long!

Eliza is a mum with three grown up children, however Eliza has had enough and needs a break from real life. She decides on a whim to sign up to be a house-sitter and as luck would have it somebody is in need of a house-sitter for a farmhouse in Spain. Eliza packs up her things and leaves her adult children to it, determined to make the most of the few weeks of peace enabling her to finish an online course she is currently working on.


When she arrives to the house, the owner is somewhat abrupt but Eliza sees him off and is left in charge of the beautiful house and two dogs. Eliza is a nice enough character to read about, and I have certainly enjoyed all the Jo Thomas books I have read before this one. However, for some reason there was an element of disbelief to this story. Don't get me wrong it didn't make the book any less enjoyable it just didn't quite live up to her other books I have read and thoroughly enjoyed.


There are a few funny moments as Eliza manages to get herself into quite a predicament whilst doing something as simple as house sitting. Stolen prized hams, ex-pat Spanish language classes and tapas bars make for some amusing scenes and likeable additional characters. This was still a reasonably enjoyable book that is perfect getaway material, maybe just not quite as enjoyable as some of her other books.

This was a lovely read. Eliza has her empty nest refilled with her kids and she needs a bit of space to finish some coursework. When she spots an ad to housesit in Spain, she's straight on the plane with her laptop.
I loved her exploring the surrounding area and finding a local 'Spanish' group at the local cafe. They tend to meet to chat and eat- but it's a lovely group of people. She also befriends the owner.
Back on the farm she finds herself learning how to look after the pigs and trying to cheer up the male pig, who seems to be depressed.
She also encourages the cafe owner to take part in the food festival along with trying to solve a mystery. A lovely story about friendships, families , romance and dreams. Who could ask for more?

Retreat to the Spanish Sun by Jo Thomas was a great, easy to read and enjoyable book. I was transported to Spain and the lovely long hot days and Spanish sun. I love a great book to escape into and this was no exception.

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.

What an utterly delightful read this is. Transported to the beautiful Spanish holiday with Eliza as she gets away from her life and her grown up children.

Wonderful descriptions of the area, the battle between the town and the gastronomic society and the lovely new circle of friends who find that they can together produce some amazing food.

Highly recommended.