Blog Tour – Retreat to the Spanish Sun by Jo Thomas

I have been very lucky to participate in several Blog Tours for this author, all via the Random Things tour company. With Jo’s books I am always guaranteed a sunny escape, a large helping of romance and a wide array of mouth-watering food. A perfect combination, for me. If you’d like to read some of my earlier reviews, just follow these links: Chasing the Italian Dream and Celebrations at the Chateau.

Thanks to Random Things Tours for my advance reading copy which was gifted to me in exchange for my honest review. You can read my thoughts below.

Retreat to the Spanish Sun was published by Penguin on 23rd June 2022

it’s available in paperback, eBook and audiobook formats

Synopsis

Fall in love with the perfect escapist romance from the bestselling author of

Escape to the French Farmhouse

Eliza has a full house! When her three children grew up and moved out, she downsized to a smaller property… but now they’re all back.

Every room in the house is taken and Eliza finds herself sharing her bed with her eldest daughter and her daughter’s pug. Combined with the online course she’s trying to finish, plus her job to fit in, there just isn’t the peace and quiet that Eliza needs.

So when an ad pops up on her laptop saying ‘house-sitters wanted’, Eliza can’t resist the chance to escape. She ends up moving to a rural Finca in southern Spain, looking after the owner’s Iberico pigs, learning about secret gastronomic societies… and finding a new zest for life and love along the way.

Praise for Jo Thomas

‘Rich, warm and sunny. A story that stays with you long after the last page is turned’ – Milly Johnson

‘Like the very best kind of holiday’ – Lucy Diamond

Review

I just loved this gorgeous story and immediately fell into step with Eliza and her need for personal space. I can completely understand that feeling and often disappear into my own little corner of the house for the same reasons.

The idea of taking a house-sitting gig in southern Spain is romantic in itself, but when that is coupled with a journey of self-discovery, it’s a very special combination. Of course, Eliza wasn’t aware that she needed to learn more about herself, she’d done a pretty good job so far and her main focus was on enjoying the peace and quiet that the 2-week trip was offering.

There was plenty of fun and excitement on the cards for Eliza, from a scary encounter with a large white pig to discovering that a learning Spanish class had nothing to do with extending her limited vocabulary. Her Spanish home, or Finca, was in an idyllic setting. Surrounded by woods and with uninterrupted views, it was easy to imagine a little piece of paradise. Jo is skilled at painting gorgeous locations with wonderful descriptions of the sights, smells, and sounds.

I loved how easily Eliza took to her pig-raising task. From exercising the cute piglets to encouraging Banderas, the boar, to at least move and eat, she excelled at both. There was plenty of food to enjoy including Iberico Ham and local cheeses. I would avoid the fusion tapas, that sounded dodgy!

At the heart of the story, were two main threads: the development of Eliza’s friendships with the members of the Spanish conversation class, and the mystery surrounding the suspicious goings-on at the Gastronomique Society.

As I have come to expect from this author, the characterisations were detailed with fully developed storylines that left me feeling satisfied with no loose ends. Of course, there is romance, but I hate to include spoilers, so you’ll need to grab a copy and learn more.

This was an easy 5-star story, and it has left me excited for my next escape.

Author Bio

Jo Thomas worked for many years as a reporter and producer, first for BBC Radio 5, before moving on to Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour and Radio 2’s The Steve Wright Show.

Jo’s debut novel, The Oyster Catcher, was a runaway bestseller and won both the RNA Joan Hessayon Award and the Festival of Romance Best eBook Award.

Her recent book Escape to the French Farmhouse was a #1 bestselling eBook and in every one of her novels Jo loves to explore new countries and discover the food produced there, both of which she thoroughly enjoys researching.

Jo lives in Pembrokeshire with her husband and three children, where cooking and gathering around the kitchen table are a hugely important and fun part of their family life.