Escape to the Hummingbird Hotel – Daisy James

Having read many Daisy James books before, starting this book was like stepping into a new pair of slippers from my favourite brand. You just know you are going to love them and they will fit perfectly, but they also have that lovely new feeling. I can only apologise to the author if she doesn’t like being compared to that old friend type of
feeling, but it it really is a compliment. Knowing, before you have even started a book, that you are guaranteed to enjoy it, merely adds to its appeal in my opinion.

I felt immediate empathy for Abbie after her partner proposed, after she had spotted him in Tiffanys. Of Dan – I equally quickly smelled a rat, but hoped not for Abbie’s sake. After all nobody but a rat accepts an award that really should belong to his girlfriend.

Public embarrassment is never great and poor Abbie suffered public humiliation in extremis at the hands of Dan. If I didn’t like him before, then after that night……poor Abbie, I felt for her more than ever, even if she had jumped to conclusions!

After being subjected to such a public humiliation, pulse being dumped by text, it would have been a really great time for Abbie to discover that she had been left a property in Corfu by an elderly, estranged Aunt……..even better, if it were a hotel with land, a garden that could do with a keen botanist’s attention and perhaps a few vines thrown in to boot…….how I love karma!

Fast forward to the Hummingbird Hotel, Corfu. I love the element of humour in the book at this point, with the confusion over whether the property was in Corfu or Florida🤓 A further humorous note hit the spot for me, as the author described the frizzy mess that was Abbie’s hair, when she had not been on Corfu long; something that I think many readers, and this one in particular can empathise with! Finally on humour, I couldn’t fail to mention the gorgeous Nikos, going along with Abbie’s presumption that he was ‘just’ a taxi driver and then telling her that there was a group of clients about to check in for a cookery holiday; how did he know that this was not Abbie’s forte!à

I adored the unique concept of attributing a flower to each chapter of the book; it was so clever, especially with Abbe’s career aspirations. I don’t know about you but I absolutely love bougainvillea, which was the flower for the first chapter set in Corfu. It is such a beautiful flower and it makes me want to close my eyes and imagine the sights and smells of both holidays past and those yet to be taken.

There are lots more laughs and fascinating people throughout the book, but is anything or anyone what they first seem? There is an element of mystery surrounding Abbie’s late Aunt and the hotel; indeed, how/why did she fall out with Abbie’s Mum, to the extent that Abbie had never even met her? Is Nikos really as grumpy as the persona he likes to portray? Is there more to Felix than meets the eye – or should that be eyeful?

With potential love, plenty of mystery, elements of fun and a hint of whodunnit, this book had everything that I could want from a book. The depth of the characters was such that I warmed to them all and felt genuinely bought into their ultimate outcome. I loved Abbie and desperately wanted to see her find love. Furthermore I was determined that she should see the obvious round her – that she could find love again and that the hotel would be the perfect blank canvas upon which she might exhibit her botanical skills and prowess. Will the reader find the answers to the enigmas in this book, will Abbie find love, and more importantly will she ultimately ‘find herself’ and fulfill her botanical potential, in the Corfiot countryside. Most importantly, can she modify her life plan and be happy in Corfu? I was in awe of the sense of community within the immediate vicinity of the hotel and I so wanted Abbie to become a permanent part of that community.

I so enjoyed this novel – so imagine my joy, when I got to the end and discovered that there will be a sequel. I simply cannot wait to get my hands on ‘Summer at the Hummingbird Hotel’.

You will have to read the book for yourself to find out; just use this link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08Z4B93HL

To purchase this book for yourself, just use this link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08Z4B

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