I read this lovely book in one day. Very easy to follow with some great characters and I found the friendship dynamics really intriguing and thought provoking. Stella and her friend Louise go to Crete for a holiday with their respective children. From page one you know that there is more to the villa that they are staying in than meets the eye. Katerina is the housekeeper and is very evasive about who actually owns the villa, Stella is struggling after the death of her best friend Harriet and is always on hand to support Harriet’s husband and daughter but doesn’t seem to see how this impacts on her own family and other friends. This covers everything from grief, family dynamics, teenagers, friendship and relationships. Beautiful setting and varied storylines running through it I found this an enjoyable read. Thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the ARC

I really enjoyed this book! I now want a trip to Crete well without all the drama! Such a gorgeous cosy book full of romance, family drama, friendships and just feel good vibes!

Was ok. Not one I would read again.


Thank you Emma Burstall, Boldwood books and Netgalley for the ARC.

You know it's a book you'll not revisit when the only thing that captures your attention is the description of the locale.

This book was not well done in many ways. The storyline was just meh. You have the heroine Stella, who in her grief and busyness with her career, completely neglects her family and throws her marriage of many years away, just to take care of her dead friends family. Huh lady your family first please!!!

Then the guy Jon (who she is looking out for) has been emotionally cheating on his dead wife for many years by being in love with Stella. Overall just too much going on like a day time soap of yesterday years.

Not to my taste

2.5 ⭐️ 1 🌶️

Read As An Arc

🍋 Crete
🍋 Mamma Mia Vibes
🍋 Family Healing
🍋 Self-Discovery
🍋 Easy Read
🍋 Romance


I had such high hopes for this read because of the cover and the Mamma Mia vibes it was giving off. Who doesn’t love a bit of Mamma Mia? — Don’t go breaking my emotions — is exactly what happened while reading this book.

The imagery is beautiful to the pant where you can actually visualize the island of Crete — the description was great!

Out of all the characters - and there is a lot - Louise was my favourite that I think was created better than Stella. There is character development within the book especially with Stella but omg… she’s a bit much. She complains, makes these choices that I can’t wrap my head around.

As much as I love the detail, it was unnecessary for certain parts of the book! The magical aspect of this book was good; I just wish there was more of it and explored it more. This could’ve made the read a bit more better to have something else to be engaging.

The spice was horrendous. I felt awkward and weird through it all. I wasn’t vibing with it. I feel like it didn’t match the book and maybe just didn’t belong or had to be written a little better and not so rushed.

Overall, it was an easy read. There was a lot of hope and let downs with this. It was missing things to bump this read up to 4 ⭐️.




* Thank you to NetGalley for the arc!


** this will be released on Goodreads on sept 6 @ https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/170879374-bee?shelf=read

Really enjoyable read! I loved the backdrop of a small Cretan village and the interesting characters. April was really memorable! The book is very well written and transported me right back to Crete! Somehow I think it would have been even stronger with less intimate details. It kind of felt like it was added to fit in more with a romance genre; less is more.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Before beginning, I will say, I was excited to read this book — thinking it’d be a lovely beach read. Boy was I wrong.

Spoilers Ahead:

Beneath the Lemon Trees revolves around Stella, a recently separated woman who takes a vacation in Crete with her two children (Hector and Lily) and her friend Louise, and her two children.

This vacation comes at a time where Stella is in great need of a get away. She has lost her life long friend to cancer, has been trying to run her catering business, along with upholding a promise she had made to her late friend, Harriet. This promise being that she would look out for her daughter and now widower husband.

Shortly after arriving in Crete (the scene building was lovely) you find Stella speaking to Louise about how she was questioning whether Hector should have been joined them due to his attitude. Saying that he has been taking his father’s side in the separation and blaming his mother for what has transpired between them.

Stella makes it seem as though the separation was both her and Al’s (husband’s) fault.
That he too was complicit in the demise of their marriage.

Come to find out later that nope it was all her. She was so focused on upholding the promise to Harriet that she put Jon (widower) and his daughter, Jemima, before her own husband and children.

In a flash back you get insight that Al had noticed how much Stella had been struggling and had asked how he could help her. She simply shuts him down. Snaps at him that he can’t in fact take care of Jon and Jemima for her, he can’t run her catering business, and also do all the shopping and making of dinner for her own family.
He acknowledges that this was true, he could not take off work to care for Jon, however he could pick up groceries and make dinner. The man was TRYING! But she continued to push him away.

Unsurprisingly he had enough and SHE suggested they separate. So he ends up renting an apartment and moving out.

And she wonders why Hector blames her.

While on vacation, Stella invites Jon to join them because she feels so sorry for him being alone. This being done without her consulting Louise. For which Louise is justifiably annoyed.

He arrives and he ends up confessing his long standing love for Stella, love that he claims he has felt for her even while Harriet was alive. Saw that coming. Also what an ass.

Stella is appalled and tells him that she couldn’t possibly begin anything with him out of respect for Harriet and also because she simply didn’t have feelings for him.

All the while she reflects that she must tell him this in a manner that doesn’t upset his fragility. And that no matter what, she would still stick by him because she had made a promise to Harriet. How many times could she have mentioned that darn promise?! *ugh* she’s exasperating.
And you wonder why her actual husband felt neglected.

Other background things happen while in Crete, some things that I find added absolutely nothing to the story - the character of the shop owner and her family.

In the end Stella reconciles with her husband - surprise and they live happily ever after.

Aside from Stella being insufferable and the story itself being anything but an enjoyable beach read - the author jumps from current day to flash backs in such a way that you need to stop, reread the page to decipher what is going on.

The one moment of spice was dreadful and so abrupt that it didn’t feel as though it belonged in the book.

The book seems light and upbeat by the lovely cover, but it is anything but.

Overall was it the worst book I’ve ever read, no. Would I ever recommend it. Absolutely not. Do I wish I had the time back that I spent reading it. You betcha.

It was a nice, easy, and quick read. This would be a good book to read by the pool or at the beach. I do not however get the title reference, but other than that, no complaints from me.

Thank you to NetGally and the publisher for the arc!

This had so much promise - I like the author and have read before and the setting was glorious. I felt the whole premise of the book - the magical villa - was not explored at all. The characters were very one dimensional. Very average read overall.

I am very much a mood reader and the cover of this book gave me such high hopes but I have to say it fell pretty short of what it could have been. For starters, the main character is just unlikable and even trying to be empathetic I still didn’t feel like she did enough to fully redeem herself in the end. The overall story line was good although a bit predictable. The book was supposed to be about the magic of the villa and how it is special for the guests it chooses, but I don’t feel that was really talked about much at all. I will say the author did a wonderful job with the side characters, the descriptions of Crete, and the descriptions of the Greek food/culture. I wish the characters and storyline would have gotten as much effort. Finally, while this was a romance and I have absolutely no issue with open door/explicit scenes, the single one in this book really seemed forced and out of place and a closed door implied scene would have really been a better fit. I still enjoyed the book overall and it was a very easy read so if a story set on a small Greek island interests you I’d say give it a

Loved it. A magical villa, a broken family, a dead best friends husband being awkward, beautiful food descriptions, clear blue seas. Teenagers lost. You had it all and a perfect neat ending. Sad at times but a great read. Just read and escape. Perfect for September blues

Set against the stunning backdrop of Crete, this book is a captivating exploration of love, relationships, and the complexities of family life. The author masterfully weaves together themes of heartbreak and the pain of relationship breakups with the joy of discovering new love. The rich cultural landscape of Crete, with its vibrant traditions and picturesque scenery, adds depth to the story, making it feel both timeless and enchanting. The mysterious undertones throughout the narrative keep readers on their toes, while the recurring motif of lemon trees serves as a beautiful symbol of resilience and renewal. This is a deeply emotional and satisfying read, perfect for anyone who loves stories of love, loss, and the healing power of new beginnings.

This is such a heartfelt book. It’s really sad in some parts. Grief and the toll it takes on oneself, family and friends can be immense. We follow Stella’s journey of self discovery and healing. There is a slight mystery in the book that Stella sets out to solve. It’s wonderfully written. The description of Crete is so detailed I felt as though I was there too. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Mystery, an idyllic location and a happy ending make for a great read in Beneath the Lemon Trees. What a great summer read!

Heartwarming and heartbreaking in equal measures! I loved this book so much and could relate to it and the characters! Beautifully written, really made you feel like you were right there in Greece! My first by this author, looking forward to her next book!

I was given this ARC early in exchange for a honest review courtesy of NetGalley.

This book was definitely an escape on vacation vibe and I really enjoyed the descriptions of the scenery and culture. I also really enjoyed all the characters from the village, they really brought some light to the story. I thought to prologue in the beginning really intrigued me. However, the plot was honestly kinda all over the place and I couldn’t stand the main character, Stella. She was so annoyingly fragile and weak and didn’t know how to say no but still somehow managed to hurt all the people around her. I wish there would’ve been more exploration on the “magic” of the villa, I think it would’ve made this story so much more interesting. Also the random sex scene at the end was kinda not necessary. Overall this book was just okay. I think there could’ve been so much more done with it.

Such a lovely book, this is the story of Stella,Al, Harriet and Jon. Sadness and grief overwhelm Stella and Jon and when things come to a head it nearly has a disastrous ending.
The story is based in Crete, On a small island with no cars or bikes to get around on ! Only mode of transport is your feet. Stella and Louise decide to take them and their family on a two week holiday on this beautiful island, the author describes the island so well that you just want to be there swimming in the clear blue water and just taking in the views. Villa Ariadne with its stunning blue door and smell of lemons is such a special place and the story just takes you right there.

My thanks as always to NetGalley and Publisher Boldwood Books for the early read.

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. I have mixed feelings about this book. Although some of the descriptions were beautiful, I found some of the writing quite repetitive, and while I liked the concept, it took too long to get into the heart of the story, but was wrapped up too quickly. I loved the Greek setting.

The book is an escape read and the descriptions of Crete and food were wonderful. The prologue was the best part of the book. I would have enjoyed this more if Katerina was the main character. I was intrigued with her from the start. Is there a little magic going on? I wanted to know more.
I was excited to read on.

Sadly, Stella was introduced and the story went downhill from there. Stella was just not like able. She was whiny, fragile and annoying. The book dragged on with past reflections to current time often with redundant phrases or descriptions. How many times does one have to read about a clenched fist? The love scene was terrible and the tone was a different style from the rest of the book. It should have been left out.

I expected this book to be more cheerful. I would not describe it as an uplifting story. The cover and description are very misleading.

A woman travelling to a beautiful Greek island to escape the troubles of her life and try to heal the pain from her past? Does this not give major "Mamma Mia" vibes? I'll be honest, that is what caught my initial attention. Based off of the description, I expected self-discovery, romance, and family healing to be in the book, and it was delivered, maybe just not in the way I anticipated.

Things I enjoyed:
-The author did a fantastic job with vivid imagery. I felt as though I was on that island with the characters and I could picture the villa beautifully.
-I loved the magical element that the prologue gave the book, but I'm disappointed I didn't get more of that throughout the rest of the story. Nevertheless, because of the prologue, I was hooked from the beginning because I wanted to see what happened next.
-Louise. That's all. She was just so real. I feel like her actions and feelings towards Stella were justified, but I also love how she stood up for her family and friends.
-A main thing that I crave in books is character development, and I felt that I did get that with Stella, so I appreciated that.

Constructive criticism:
-Some of Stella's flashbacks could have been better introduced. I didn't think they were as impactful as they could have been because I was not very attached to the characters.
-The descriptions of the food were a little too detailed. I know it's probably because Stella was in the catering business but it just didn't interest me to know every single spice and herb in every single dish.
-Stella! Ugh, she was so annoying! She was whiny, made horrible decisions, and made those closest to her resent her. She acted entitled because she was mourning and expected everyone to just accept it, but the things that she did were not acceptable.
-THE LOVE SCENE AT THE END. Literally ew what was that. It was so unnecessary and I will be completely honest, I've never cringed that hard in my life.
-Lastly Jon. He was the biggest red flag. I saw that plot coming but still, red flag.

In general, it was a fairly light and easy read, but overall it was just a 'meh' book, which I rate as 2.5 stars (rounded up to 3).