“So, you have everything you need.” Alexandra spread her arms out wide to the view. “This view, that sea, this wine, good hotel. You have guests! You have each other! Running a hotel on a beautiful Greek island isn’t the worst thing to happen to two silly Americans.”
The Second Chance Hotel, Sierra Godfrey
It seems like every year, right around the end of February, everything is bleak. It’s cold out, I’ve been avoiding the same ice patch for 3 months, and there’s nothing to look forward to in my life. And that’s when you need something so bright and cheerful, you have no choice but to perk up. This book achieved all of that and more for me.
Amelia and James are both living typical thirty-something lives before they meet. Jobs they don’t love, bosses they don’t like, romances that have ended. After independently traveling through most of Europe, they serendipitously meet at a gorgeous, yet secluded, Greek hotel. They spend a week together, exploring the island and meeting some of the lively locals. After a drunken misunderstanding and some questionable estate planning, they are stuck running the hotel after the owner’s untimely death.
Amelia and James are obviously shocked, and adamant that they need to sell the hotel and go back to the States. This stress kicks the story up several notches and forces the characters to get their acts together. Amelia goes from being a little indulgent and self-seeking to focusing on the community around her. James goes from being a daydreamer and observer to an all-hands-on-deck leader. The change of pace is natural, but needed to keep you fully invested.
As the pair get to know the locals, they are relentlessly teased for their sham marriage. For the most part, Amelia and James are able to take it in good fun, and continue to focus on rehabilitating the hotel, their only true hope for leaving.
Ready for my full review (with spoilers)? Continue reading here!
Overall, these issues did not distract me from the story in any meaningful way. The location is calling you from every page you turn. The background characters are reaching out of the pages to offer you sun-kissed olives and a flute of ouzo. You will fall in love with these characters, just like I did. You will get swept along in their whirlwind lives and relationship, and be ready to befriend every old man on the Mediterranean coast, just for a chance at a similar experience.
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