THE HONEY FARM ON THE HILL by Jo Thomas

Disclosure: I received a finished copy of The Honey Farm on the Hill from Pansing Books, a regional distributor, in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Honey Farm on the Hill by Jo Thomas • contains 382 pages • published August 10, 2017 by Headline Review, Headline Publishing Group • classified as Contemporary, Women's Fiction, General Fiction • obtained through Pansing Books • read as paperback • shelve on Goodreads

Synopsis:

One magical summer Nell fell in love in the mountains of Crete and her life changed for ever.

Eighteen years later, Nell is ready for a new beginning. When she sees a honey farm in the same hilltop town has lost its bees, the opportunity is impossible to resist. Welcomed back to Greece by the warm sun and aroma of wild thyme, Nell finds memories of her past at every turn. But much has changed since she's been away.

As Nell throws herself into restoring the honey farm, she starts to unlock the truth of what happened all those years ago. She soon learns that the course of true love – just like Cretan honey – can be wild and sweet. And well worth the wait...

As much as I enjoy summer reads, predictability tends to be one strike against them. The Honey Farm on the Hill was no exception. I saw nearly every twist coming chapters ahead of them — from Nell’s discoveries about her long lost love to the mystery of disappearing bees to the resolution. Not much about the plot surprised me. Yet, I quite liked this book for the setting, the characters and the relationships.

My favourite part, as expected, was the Greek setting. Jo Thomas did a lovely job describing Crete and the mountain the fictional town Vounoplagia was situate on. The Honey Farm on the Hill pulled me right into Nell’s adventures and transported me to the island. It wasn’t hard to imagine the smells, sounds, taste, and weather. That’s what always charms me about summery travel books. Even if I’m rooted at home, they’re worthy escapes.

Nell was a very likeable and sympathetic character. I loved the relationship that she shared with her daughter, though she didn’t feature as much as I would’ve liked. In any case, The Honey Farm on the Hill was an entertaining read as Nell’s present and past collided. Her hosts on the farm were wonderfully sweet, and it was a joy learning about their progress to bring back the bees.

While Nell’s journey of self-discovery wasn’t quite as complex and deep as I had hoped, the atmosphere of The Honey Farm on the Hill made up for it. This book was also filled with a great deal of nostalgia, which is great for readers who seek comfort and escape, if only for a few hours.