Summer Read ~ My Map of You by Isabelle Broom ☼

☼ Delighted to share my 4th Summer Read ☼

Penguin
2016

Holly Wright has had a difficult few years. After her mother's death, she's become expert at keeping people at a distance - including her boyfriend, Rupert.

But when Holly receives an unexpected letter explaining that an aunt she never met has left her a house on the Greek island of Zakynthos, the walls she has built begin to crumble. Arriving on the island, Holly meets the handsome Aidan and slowly begins to uncover the truth about the secret which tore her family apart.

But is the island where Holly really belongs? Or will her real life catch up with her first?

What did I think about it..

Holly is surprised when she receives a letter informing her of a legacy left to her by an aunt she didn't know existed. Needing to find out more about her inheritance Holly leaves London and travels to the beautiful Greek island of Zakynthos. However, once there Holly is filled with both trepidation and excitement as she begins to learn more about her aunt and the complicated family reasons why Holly had never met her.

This is a lovely story which not only gives us sand, sea and romance, it also takes us a journey of discovery alongside Holly as she travels around this stunning island learning more about her family and consequently herself in the process. The author captures the sights, sounds and blissful aromas of a Greek island and describes Zakynthos so beautifully that it very quickly becomes as much a character in the story as the people themselves.

The author has got the balance exactly right with enough going on to keep the family mystery flowing well and there are also some great characters. I especially loved the common sense of Yorkshire Annie, who runs the neighbourhood taverna, Kostas, in the local supermarket, who teaches Holly smatterings of Greek and Nikos at the beach bar who introduces Holly to the joy of moped riding. And of course, there’s the lovely Aidan who, along with the rest of the cast, I think you should discover for yourselves.

Throughout the whole of My Map of You this beautiful Greek island comes to perfect life, with its endless days of sunshine, turquoise sea and sheltered beaches. I'm so pleased that I picked My Map of You as one of my summer reads as it really is one of those lovely stories which makes an ideal beach, or an afternoon in the garden, sort of read. It's heavier in content than I first thought but it definitely has all the right ingredients for a lovely summer read.

About the Author

Isabelle Broom was born in Cambridge nine days before the 1980s began and studied Media Arts in London before joining the ranks at Heat magazine, where she remains the Book Reviews editor. Always happiest when she is off on an adventure, Isabelle now travels all over the world seeking out settings for her novels, as well as making the annual pilgrimage to her true home - the Greek island of Zakynthos. Currently based in Suffolk, where she shares a cottage with her dog Max and approximately 467 spiders, Isabelle fits her writing around a busy freelance career and tries her best not to be crushed to oblivion under her ever-growing pile of to-be-read books.

Twitter @Isabelle_Broom #MyMapofYou

@MichaelJBooks

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