2021 Beat the Backlist challenge
Review: Love & Olives (Love & Gelato #3) by Jenna Evans Welch
10:00
Series: Love & Gelato #3
Author: Jenna Evans Welch
Published November 10th 2020 by Simon Pulse
Goodreads Synopsis
Santorini felt like an island holding its breath. As if it were keeping in a secret...
Liv Varanakis doesn’t like to think about her father much, which makes sense—he fled to Greece when she was only eight, leaving her with just a few painful memories of their shared love for the lost city of Atlantis. So when teenage Liv suddenly receives a postcard from her father, who explains that National Geographic is supporting a documentary about his theories on Atlantis—and asks if she will fly out to Greece and help—Liv is less than thrilled.
When she arrives in gorgeous Santorini, things are just as awkward as she'd imagined. There are so many questions, so many emotions that flood to the surface after seeing her father for the first time in years. Liv doesn’t want to get sucked back into her father's world. She also definitely doesn’t want Theo, her father’s charismatic so-called protégé, to witness her struggle.
Even so, she can't help but be charmed by everything Santorini has to offer—the beautiful sunsets, the turquoise water, the sun-drenched villages, and the delicious cuisine. But not everything on the Greek island is as perfect as it seems. Because as Liv slowly begins to discover, her father may not have invited her to Greece for Atlantis, but for something much more important.
Goodreads
Review
In Love & Olives, Liv Varanakis has had many years to deal with her father's obsession of Atlantis, and his abandonment when she was only 8 years old. Now a teenager, when she unexpectedly receives a postcard from him, asking her to come to Santorini and help him create a National Geographic documentary all about the lost City. Understandably, Liv is worried about being drawn back into her father's obsession, and after she arrives on the island, it's clear that the emotions and sense of loss she felt at 8, haven't gone away. There's also the issue of the secret her father is keeping, and his protege, Theo, always being around. If it wasn't for how beautiful Santorini was, and how welcoming people, such as Theo, made her feel, Liv would be on the first flight back home. But, the enticement of Atlantis is too much, as is the sense of feeling that if she doesn't reconnect with her dad now, it might soon be too late.
I've wanted to read this book for ages, but never managed to get a copy, but for Valentine's Day this year, Riveted had a number of free reads, and when I spotted this as one of them, I made sure to get it all read in one day. Though it was over 500 pages long, as soon as I got home from work, I devoured the entire book. I loved the other two in the series, and seeing that this one was inspired by Greek mythology, as well as Mamma Mia was enough for this theatre loving, classics graduate to be hooked. Liv was a fantastic main character, who was just a normal teenager, trying to get along with life, when she's hooked back into the life her father has always been obsessed over. She knew next to nothing about her Greek heritage, so being able to explore it further, in Santorini, was something she couldn't give up. I felt like though this was a really long book for a contemporary, it was necessary for us to fully understand Liv and her father's backstory, and the history of Atlantis too. It was clear early on that Liv's father was keeping something secret, and the rest of the island knew what it was, but I hadn't guessed the truth of it all until near the end - and it was nice to be in the same shoes as Liv, discovering the truth as if we were her. The romantic aspect of the story wasn't too big, but Liv and Theo made a cute couple, and definitely helped to lighten up the story when it became heavy. All in all, a really enjoyable summer time read, perfect while we're all living in a covid-world without international travel!
Dates Read:
February 5, 2021
Rating
4 Stars
