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

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.