Review by Gabrielle

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Series Name: Sublime Retreats, #4

Her head on his chest, she could feel his heart racing, its rhythm matching the pounding of the blood in her veins. What had been an instinctive gesture to comfort him producing an explosion of fireworks in her body. She was fizzing all over.

Get ready to escape to Spain in Joy Skye’s delightful latest novel.

Abigail’s world has disintegrated, leaving her jobless, homeless, and loveless in a remarkably brief space of time.

Where else can she lick her wounds but in Spain with her dippy Aunt May. She pulls on her big girl pants, swears off men and leaps on the opportunity she’s offered in San Sebastian. Determined to get her life back on track and find her place in the world, it finally all seems to be coming together.

Until she meets Gabe. Gorgeous, grumpy, incredibly annoying, and obviously hiding a secret, but she has to battle against the insane attraction she has for him. He’s only there for a week, after all.

When his secret spills out on National TV, can she overcome her past hurts and learn to trust again, risking her new found job and family in the process?

I seem to be on a book vacation reading streak lately. There is something about this time of year when winter drags on and on and the fun of it has worn off that makes me yearn for fabulous destinations. Boy, does this book deliver. I had an absolute blast reading about San Sebastian and the neighbouring towns in Spain. Joy delivers vivid descriptions of the landscapes, the attractions and the food that made this read a highly satisfying book escape.

This book is told from alternating viewpoints of both Abigail and Gabe. This is probably my favourite format to read as it allows us as readers to really get to know both characters and to see both sides of the story. I enjoyed both Abigail and Gabe as characters. They are well constructed and full of depth. It was fun to watch their relationship develop and the chemistry build. 

I have to say there was one character that really stole the show for me. Abigail’s Aunt May is just so fabulous. Warm and compassionate, I loved her artist vibe, her vindictive bird friend and how she mixes up common phrases like “every cloud has a silver pining.” I think my favourite was when she said to Abigail, “someone woke up on the wrong side of their head”. Seems both funny and more accurate to me! Bonus points to Joy for creating a secondary romance plot involving Aunt May.

Overall Summer in San Sebastian is a worthwhile book escape with gorgeous landscapes and memorable characters. I can’t wait to go back and read the first three books in this series.

Thank you, Rachel Random Resources, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.