Book Review: Beneath the Orange Blossom

Beneath the Orange Blossom

By Emma Cowell

Ellen is a dressmaker who can sense the emotions and experiences that will be experienced while they wear the clothes she makes. Now she’s in her 50s, and she and her best friend since childhood are returning to where they loved and lost in Greece when they were 18.

Throughout her difficult, abusive marriage, Ellen endured a lot but she never forgot the love of her life, Alexandros. However, they were star-crossed lovers; the novel opens with Alexandros’ mother extracting a promise from Ellen. Ellen intended to return right away to Greece, because she truly fell in love with Alexandros, but his mother’s plan gets in the way.

Decades later, Ellen is a widow ready to embrace life. She and her best friend Peggy decide to return to Greece for one last girls’ trip. Ellen plans a journey for herself, too; to become more assertive, confident, and true to herself. Deep in her heart, she hopes she will see Alexandros and also deepen her friendship with Peggy.

I went into this book expecting a light vacation romance and my expectations were not quite accurate. The book had some serious and sad storylines. I will include below trigger warnings at the very bottom so there are not spoilers. There were a few things I think were missing from the book. I would love to have seen scenes that flashed back so we could see Alexandros and Ellen meeting and falling in love. It was a foregone conclusion that they were in the deepest love, but no details were included about the moment they met, so I would love to see them falling in love and how and why they connected; this would be necessary to sustain the later storyline, esp. the assumption they are lifelong soulmates. I also felt that Peggy’s character was a bit flat and did not always act in a realistic way, so developing her character more would be useful,

My Favorite Parts

The beautiful setting of the Kardamyli in Greece is portrayed vividly. I could taste the food and smell the flowers, olive trees, and orange blossoms. I also loved the sense of community and how village life and the friends the main character made there were portrayed. While reading, I could definitely picture myself in Greece. I liked Ellen’s character journey and development; she truly grew and learned to make choices for herself and embrace her love of design, sewing, and mentoring others.

Thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

******
TW: cancer and domestic abuse, details of domestic violence