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.

After the loss of a friend and the breakup of her friend Stella heads to Villa Ariadna in Crete. She, her friend Louise, and their teenage kids are off to Crete for a relaxing vacation at a beautiful villa. What should have been a relaxing vacation, turned full of tension due to Stella’s decisions after her friend's death.


I enjoyed this story and the author did a great job of describing Crete, the food, the sights, and the sounds. Some of the characters were annoying, especially her friend’s late husband and Stella herself who made some bad choices.
Thanks to @rachelsrandomresources, @netgalley, @boldwoodbooks, and @netgalley and the author

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have taken a few days to think about a review for this one, because it's been hard. I thought this book sounded lovely - the cover is amazing, and a holiday romance? (With second chance love) That sounds like absolute paradise. I do not know where this book went wrong for me - I've thought about whether I'm the wrong demographic (because my mom might've liked this one) or if it was just different expectations for the book than what it actually delivered.

The concept of the book sounded lovely, and the prologue set expectations of a magical summer retreat really high, so I was so excited to continue with the book. Unfortunately it quickly drowns you in flashbacks and entire backstories, which felt like an information dump due to the placement (very early) in the book, before you had any emotional connection or really knew the main character. Unfortunately the lack of connection was a big issue throughout the whole book, where some of the choices she makes seem weird and some of the comments feel a little off, due to the lack of _knowing_ her.

The book tackles some really interesting topics - and I wish it had explored some of them more indepth instead of the surface-level exploration we were given. I usually don't review books with a want for them being longer, but this book could easily have used 100 more pages on the 225 pages we got, because so much was happening and more space might have helped the book become and feel more full-fledged. It would also have helped the big cast of characters to shine more, because they were full of potential.

I loved some of the descriptions of food and the feeling of being on vacation - and I see how this kind of book might have a better effect as a read by a pool on a vacation, than reading it at home. If you're looking for a lighter read, which can seem a little silly, to take with you on vacation, this book might be it for you.

📱E-Book Review📱

Beneath The Lemon Tree
Emma Burstall

🌟🌟🌟🌟

This is the first book that I've read by this author but was totally drawn in by the beautiful front cover - and the fact my daughter loves lemons!

This was an unexpected read for me as I think I'd just assumed it would be a beautiful romance novel - I never read the blurb beforehand. But this definitely didn't pan out the way I'd expected.

The setting for this book is everything!
I was completely transported each time I opened the pages of this book, to the beautiful landscape, sights, sounds and smells of Crete.
I've never been but this has definitely persuaded me that I would love the chilled and relaxed atmosphere.

Although the storyline does deal with some tough topics - which are really well written - I think this is just an interesting, relaxing read, following Stella after the loss of her friend.

I'm not sure I loved Stella - or more likely some of the decisions she made - but I wonder if that was planned and showed off the nature of someone going through this tough time.

Despite this, I did enjoy the bookmand I'd definitely read more work from this author in the future.

This is the perfect book to read on a wet windy day and allow yourself to be transported to a sunny Greek island. I enjoyed in very much and will definitely be reading more by this author.

I enjoyed reading Beneath the Lemon Trees by Emma Burstall. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

Instead of an emotional but healing journey for Stella, the main protagonist, I discovered a darker story with confrontational relationships. Stella is grieving the loss of her idolised best friend. She has spent the time since her death caring for her late friend's daughter and bereaved husband to the detriment of herself, her children and her husband. Her understandable grief is implicit in her behaviour, but her inability to see how her actions affect others leads to a fractured family. The family holiday is not the healing experience they need. I like the complex, relatable characters, the web of relationship dynamics and the evocative setting, which contrasts with the dark emotions. The magical element is implied rather than overt. Stella is struggling with life, as evidenced by her actions and thoughts. She has an element of unreliability that ramps up the story's suspense. It's an atmospheric story, and the toxic ethos culminating in a dramatic event is well-written and allows for an uplifting ending.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

What a beautiful book that Emma has written, set on the picturesque island of Crete. It is a lovely read that allows the reader to escape to the sunshine.

This was a nice sweet story. I loved it! A trip to Greece, family, friends, and new adventures. It was nice to read a story about real issues and the nice people we meet along the way.

I visited the beautiful island of Crete some years ago and was looking forward to being transported back there by reading Beneath the Lemon Trees by Emma Burstall. However this was not the uplifting summer romance read that was expecting.

The prologue promises this to be a novel filled with magic, but unfortunately this aspect was not really explored. I thought this was a shame as that would have made for a more interesting story. Also the housekeeper, Katerina was an intriguing character who I would have liked to have seen more of.

However, after the prologue we are introduced to Stella. She is grieving the loss of her best friend and the breakdown of her marriage. Stella is hoping getting away with her children and another friend will be the tonic she needs. Unfortunately I just couldn't connect with Stella and couldn't understand why she made the decisions she does. I also don't understand the relevance with Stella being accident prone. She was constantly picking at scabs and discovering bruises which she couldn't remember receiving. When a little romance does eventually happen, it's in the form of a sex scene which for me was completely out of place, felt quite jarring and a bit icky.

What I did enjoy was the descriptions of Crete, the scenery and the food. It reminded me of what I love about the island.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC for review purposes.

This was a lovely read. I found I couldn’t put it down the writing flowed easily and I was swept along with everyone as they climbed up and down those steep steps every day.

The issues discussed in the book ere quite emotional and I felt they were dealt with very well. Stella was trying to carry so much emotional pain and it was slowly crushing her. I don’t want to give any spoilers but it was quite refreshing to see a family of teenagers going through relatable teen situations and to see a couple that were nearing 50 and still striving to keep the love alive.

The descriptions and views were breath taking and I felt I was there, I felt like I was on holiday as well. A lovely read with a lot of heart.

I found this book to be charming, from storyline to setting, Thoroughly enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

From the Blurb I was looking forward to this book, the descriptions were lovely although a little long winded at time the MFC was not very likable and I did not see the reason she made her son go on the holiday, there were a few things mentioned "bland food" but nothing came of them later on, overall I was left feeling like something was missing

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

I enjoyed this book.

The setting is on island that is part of Crete.

The only transport is water taxis and places to see by walking.

Stella books to go with her two children, her friend and her two children.

The past few months haven’t been good for Stella and things have been falling apart for her. Her children too have their own views to what’s happened.

The story covered some hard issues like grief as well as others, it also had a bit of otherworldly parts too.

The story was very well written.

Set in Crete, a place I love and with such a beautiful cover, how could I resist ' Beneath the Lemon Trees'. Breaking my own strict rule of never judging a book by its cover, it serves me right that I was a little disappointed. The novel was not the laid back summer romance that I expected.

Stella and her friend Louise plus their respective teenage children have rented a villa in Crete to give them a much needed break. The holiday did not turn out to be the relaxing one they had expected as there was so much tension between everyone. Unsurprisingly really as Stella, rather an unlikeable person actually, had definitely been asking for trouble with her attitude towards her family.

Transport yourself to Crete with this story of love and loss. It is perfect escapism if you are looking for an easy read full of descriptive paragraphs about beautiful scenery and delicious food.

With thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read and review 'Beneath the Lemon Trees'

A story about loss and grief and allowing yourself space and time to heal and live again.
Stella has been through a lot and it was good to see her recognise that she needed to take time for herself to grieve and feel again.
I loved the descriptions of Villa Ariadne and the town. The beach and coastline sounded idyllic.
The mystery surrounding the villas owners was intriguing and I loved the sound of Katerina and her little off grid house.
An easy read to bring back the summer vibes at the end of the school hols.

This story takes place on a small island belonging to Crete. There aren’t any cars or local land transport, just water taxis & your feet to go exploring. Stella travelled with her son & daughter, with her friend & her two teenage children. There are mixed emotions within the group. Life had been falling apart. The main theme is grief…beware there are triggers. It’s not a romantic holiday read. It’s gritty & deals with tough issues. There’s some ‘paranormal’, which I don’t like. However the story is well written & an interesting read.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy from NetGallery & Boldwood. I am writing a voluntary honest review

This slow burner looks deeply into the abyss that remains when you lose someone you love, and the damage that is done during that time.

Emotions long locked away are brought to the surface in this lovely story, and that's how Stella's soul starts to heal.

In life, much as in Stella's story, its hard not to be a people pleaser, and seeing Stella slowly put herself back together once she starts putting herself first helps remind me that it's ok to do it now and then.

I enjoyed this, and found it a gentle, uplifting read.

While I enjoyed the beginning and end of this book, I felt the middle was a lot of the same.
I felt that the main character, Stella, was very wish washy and wouldn’t stand up to her deceased best friend’s husband. Instead due to her guilt she invites him on a trip that she took with another friend and their kids while she’s trying to move on from her husband and doesn’t seem to understand why her friend is mad and distancing herself.
The sex scene at the end with her husband seemed very out of place after what Stella said at the beginning of the book especially with it right outside in the open. It just wasn’t realistic.
The best part of the book for me was the full descriptions of the beauty of Greece and the descriptions of the food. Additionally I like some of the people that they befriended in town.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.