This debut by Samantha Parks transports the reader effortlessly to the gorgeous island of Santorini and the story of Anna.
Want to be whisked away to a beautiful location while enjoying a story of love, family and discovery? Then this lovely little debut from Samantha Parks has this and so much more that makes it an engaging and easy read.
Following trouble at work and in her personal life, Anna finds herself in Santorini to claim her and her sister’s inheritance left to them by their father who left them when they were young children. This inheritance is a summer house that needs a lot of work. But while reluctantly rebuilding the house, she learns more about her father and begins to put back together the pieces of her life – can Santorini and the charming Nikos help her?
This light and breezy read as well as having a romantic element to it, is more about putting back together the pieces of a broken family as well as the possibilities of a new life and chance to start all over again. In this regard, it is an honest read- with Anna’s constant conflicts and confusion emotionally about the lies she has been told about her father being particularly prominent.
Always engaging, it feels at times that some elements of the story could have been explored further. In particular, the way in which the relationship between Anna’s parents was dealt with – you don’t feel as though you fully understand the motivations behind Grace’s actions of treating Giorgos the way she did.
This being said, every strand of The Summer House in Santorini is beautifully tied together to keep the story flowing nicely from start to finish. It makes for a lovely summer read.
Overall, it is a short but sweet story that is easily absorbed in one sitting and makes you feel as though you have travelled to Santorini and back again with Anna. It completely immerses you in the culture and the colourful life that exists in Greece.
By Emma Clarendon
The Summer House in Santorini is available to buy now.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐