Review of The Olive Branch by Jo Thomas

Author: Jo Thomas
Title: The Olive Branch
Publishers: Headline Review
Publication Date:Ebook 26th March, Paperback 2nd July 2015
Link: Amazon

About the Book

Ruthie Collins has split up with her boyfriend and after a night drinking with a friend she bids on ebay for a house in Puglia, Italy, When she wakes up the next morning she finds her bid has been accepted so rather than move back in with her mum she decides to take the chance and start a new life in a new country, However the locals are not so welcoming, especially when they discover she has something they believe should be theirs.Will she regret her rash decision and should she just give up and go back home or do things worth waiting for take time in Puglia?

Review

What a charming love story this is. I was absolutely captivated from beginning to end. There is a great sense of humour throughout with lots of laughable moments especially including Daphne the goat.The story follows Ruthie who has impetuously bought this beautiful home in Italy and is eager to prove both her mum and her ex wrong as they think she makes rash decisions and will soon be home with her tail between her legs. She falls in love with her new home but it needs so much work doing and she is determined to fix it up herself without realising what an enormous task it is. She also soon finds out that she has upset the whole family next door, especially the handsome older son Marco, who has had to come back from Naples to sort out the family problems. 

I really felt for Ruthie as she worked so hard to fulfill her obligations and was determined to at least stay long enough to harvest the olives but the task is just too big for one person to do.. 

Jo Thomas has created a wonderful little rustic town in Italy which I would love to visit and provided vivid descriptions of the olive oil making process which added lots of interest to the book and I felt I could almost taste the delicious olive oil with it's burst of amazing flavours. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves romance and all things Italian. I loved it so much that I'm looking at holidays in Puglia for summer.

Thank you to Headline Review and NetGalley for allowing me to review.

About the Author

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. In 2013 Jo won the RNA Katie Fforde Bursary. Her debut novel, The Oyster Catcher, was a runaway bestseller in ebook and was awarded the 2014 RNA Joan Hessayon Award and the 2014 Festival of Romance Best Ebook Award. Jo lives in the Vale of Glamorgan with her husband and three children.
Sincerely
Book Angel