Brilliant… gripping and addictive, it will pull you in from the first page… A must-read.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Recommend it

A great heart warming beachy read. Set in Corfu, with vivid descriptions of Greek cuisine that leave your mouth watering. Penny is grieving for her father and decides to embark on an extended trip to Corfu. There she meets a plethora of characters who are just what her soul needed. The book was also just what I needed - it was a salve to my frazzled COVID brain and made me feel a wanderlust for the Greek Island life.. It will have you hot footing it to the nearest travel agent.

Just for the record you don't have to know who the Durrells are, the book gives you enough info to get by.

I absolutely loved this book! My Family & Other Animals was the book I studied for my English Lit O level way back when , and I always so wanted to visit Corfu, but life decreed otherwise. Therefore the TV series ,although somewhat ‘tweaked ‘ from the book ,was a delight, but this book even more so . Fantastic read, and thoroughly enjoyed !

I binge-watched The Durrells during lockdown last year and really enjoyed it for the warm, easy-watching experience that it was. So when I spotted this book on NetGalley, the title intrigued me and I requested a copy.
Sadly, I really struggled to get invested in this book. I kept pushing, hoping that it would pick up, but it never did. The characters didn't speak to me on any meaningful level, which is something that really ruins the reading experience. I did start to feel a small emotional connection to Penny and Tess in the last 40 pages or so, but it was a case of too little too late.
I can see that there was a clear attempt to immerse the reader in the Corfu setting, but for me the author tried a little too hard. The descriptions were so detailed and over-full of emotive adjectives that they actually had the opposite effect than they were supposed to - I found them to be overdone and hard to follow, and I ultimately struggled to picture what was being written about in my mind. Similarly, the writing style in general felt quite meandering - this may well have been done on purpose to reflect the loose and freeing journey that everyone was on, but it didn't work for me and left me feeling that not much was really resolved in the end.
I did enjoy the references to the Durrells, both as a real-life family, and a media entity in the books and TV show. The author was very respectful of the family legacy and had obviously invested time and energy into properly researching the topic.
I'm sure there are plenty of people out there that this book will appeal to, but I had to work too hard to push through it, so it's not for me.

I loved the TV show The Durrells so I was aware where it was set and what this might deliver and I was more than happy. It is a fun, lighthearted read and it makes perfect holiday reading. Set on Corfu the author brought the island to life and I enjoyed this book a lot. Definitely a perfect escape kind of read.

This book made me want to jump on a plane and head to Corfu.The writer obviously knows the island very well and writes beautifully about it.There are lots of details about the food,wine,sights and smells that are typical of Corfu, linked to the Durrells.
The story tells of Penny who goes to Corfu following the death of her father to visit the places described by Gerald and Larry Durrell in their series of books.She has just broken off her engagement and goes there to recover.During her time there she finds friendship in the local restaurant ,Athena, and a possible new relationship with the enigmatic Dimitris.
It’s a very easy and feel good read with a satisfying ending.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review which reflects my own opinion.

A real love story of Corfu!!
Penny has had a terrible year, nursing her beloved father through cancer and splitting up from her unsupportive fiancé. With the love of all things Durrells she books a month in Corfu, partly in memory of her dad but also for a break.
I loved the descriptions and visions conjured up of the views, and the flora and fauna of Corfu, the friends she meets, and the adventures she finds herself on.
Whether you are familiar with the books written by the Durrells, or the TV show, or you just love a Greek Island, this is perfect summer reading.
Brilliant book!
Thank you to NetGalley for the early read.

This light, breezy and entertaining novel is Melanie Hewitt's debut, set on Corfu, the island that in the 1930s was home to the Durrell family, widow Louisa, her children, Lawrence, Leslie, Margo and young Gerry, Gerald with his Corfu trilogy and Lawrence's Prospero's Cell relate the idyllic and unforgettable nature of the family's time there. The story begins with illustrator Penny taking care of her beloved dying father in a hospice, engaged to a handsome fiance, Bruce, who is resentful of the time she is wasting on her father. Six months later, Yorkshire Penny has discarded Bruce who has left for Italy, her father has died, and she has made the decision to travel to the warmth and vitality of Corfu for the first time, planning to stay for a month, looking for the Durrells. Their books were favourite reads for her father and herself, now she is looking for healing from the grief she cannot shake off.

With the picture postcard descriptions of the island, the sea, nature, food and sunshine, Penny finds herself charmed and drawn unexpectedly in the lives of a few of its inhabitants, feeling an uncanny sense of belonging, as she spends the days painting and drawing. She seeks comfort from locations where the Durrells lived in the 1930s, and finding much of what was described in the Durrell books that the family come alive for her. She becomes close to the Athena's restaurant's Tess, who lost her husband Georgios too early and has still not got over him, she has a lively young son, Theo, close to her father in law, Spiro, and quietly supported by Nic Constantine, who has carried a flame for Tess from the first time he met her. Her circle grows to include Guy, Rich, and the waitress, Lily, and she finds herself surprisingly drawn to Dimitris Koularis.

This will feel like the perfect summer read for many readers, and I certainly found it enjoyable. However, at times there was a little too much repetition and the narrative often felt more like an extended travel brochure with its enticing portrayal of the island and its landscape. If you are looking for undemanding and light reading fare, then this fits the bill perfectly. My favourite parts were the parts that weave in the Durrell's family's time on Corfu as I loved Gerald and Lawrence Durrell's books. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

You don’t have to have read much about the life of the Durrells to enjoy this book but it really would help. There is a good mix of romance, friendship, love and loss that is covered by an eclectic mix of locals, tourists and residents in Corfu. We follow several strands all at once, weaving together wants, needs and tales of the people that are living, working and searching around the island. Some beautiful imagery and emotional journeys are covered.

Thoroughly enjoyed this story and everything it brought. It has laughter, tears and romance running through with the inevitable "will they, won't they"

Travel guide to Corfu for Durrell-connoisseurs

If you like exhaustingly verbose page-long descriptions of any random thing, from little round stones flanking a road to the contents of quaint shop windows near the shady parking space liberated just-in-time for the cotton-sundress-wearing heroine’s arrival by a small blue Fiat, that is your ideal book. Be prepared to doze off after a few minutes. Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for letting me read an ARC in exchange for this honest opinion.

Not the most exciting book, but sometimes that’s what you need from a book. I loved the setting so much I spent a lot of time looking at holidays to Corfu. The characters were well developed and loveable. I’d recommend this book for a relaxing, holiday read.

I really enjoyed the Gerald Durrell's books so I had high hopes for this. Set on Corfu the writing is beautiful and really evoked memories for me. This is a beautiful, well written novel with great characters.

Looking for the Durrells by Melanie Hewitt

This is a lovely, easy, summer read. It has elements of grief, romance and self growth but overall it is about the magic of Corfu.
Penny goes to Corfu to get over the death of her dad, breakup of her relationship and see the places from a book (by Gerard Durrell) that her dad gave her.
I don't know much about the Durrells so that element of the book was a little bit lost on me. However, I did like that Penny was on a mission to see the places that meant something to her and her dad.
The books setting completely takes you to Corfu; the description of the places, food and people on this trip makes you feel like you are there too.

This is a quick read but quite uplifitng. Read it and be transported, especially now during the pandemic that travel is off the menu for so many.

Looking for the Durrells was an easy, romantic read that grew on me as it meandered along at a happy pace. The novel is set in Corfu, and follows Penny as she arrives for a month on the island on a pilgrimage to follow in the footsteps of the Durrells. I had never heard of the Durrells until reading this book, so I admit some of the nuances and nostalgia may have been a little lost on me. Penny is a book illustrator, and Hewitt does a nice job of portraying the island through the eyes of a painter, often drawing out colours and shapes to encourage you into Penny’s shoes. Having lost her father to an aggressive form of cancer 6 months before her trip and breaking up with her fiancé, this story is as much about finding yourself again through grief as it is a holiday romance.

I went in a little skeptical I’ll admit, romances aren’t usually in my TBR shelf - but the idea of escaping to corfu (even if it was only in my imagination) was a very strong pull! My favourite aspects of this book centre around the characters; Tess and little Theo who run the Athena felt very realistic - the ebb and flow of life running a busy restaurant, staff who become family, regular customers and everyone being interested in each others love lives - in my experience this really is what makes up working in hospitality! Penny’s development throughout the book, whilst in parts repetitive and a bit slow, also felt very relatable. The feeling of waiting for the other shoe to drop, replaying old memories after a break-up and self-doubt all played out very naturally. And then there’s the mysterious Dimitri. Honestly, it was an all-too-predictable set of circumstances, but seeing the romance build up was still a pleasure - who doesn’t love a quiet, handsome greek man who prefers wallflower artists to high powered lawyers after all!

Some constructive criticism - there was a lot of repetitive narration about the Durrells. I know it’s in the name, and I know I didn't watch the TV show - but it did feel like there was space for a bit more interesting interaction here. It was a very realistic pilgrimage - all the old family houses are now privately owned and you can’t see them, a quick chat with someone who met them as a boy but didn’t really remember it, the visit to their home that’s now a restaurant. I was hoping for a bit of a stronger connection, or revelation - this is fiction after all! I enjoyed that the book hopped around from character to character, giving us an insight into the various ways people experience the same event, but this did confuse me a couple of times. I think reading it on a kindle didn’t help, as some of the paragraphs weren’t clearly delineated. Finally - it ended too soon!! Unless there’s going to be a sequel, it really felt as though it finished just as things were getting interesting, and although I understand ending a holiday read at the airport is a pit predictable, I’d really have liked some closure.

Now excuse me whilst I go and attempt to replicate a decent greek salad and pray next year we’ll have international travel on the cards again! I’d recommend this read for all those romantic-holiday-woman-finds-herself readers out there. There was room for improvement, but I still enjoyed it as an easy beach read. Many thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK/HarperInspire for the advanced reader copy!


CW: Cancer, death, loss, bereavement, grief.

As someone who loved visiting Corfu many years ago, and thoroughly enjoyed the Durrell's’ exploits through the books and tv serialisations, I knew this book would be a hit for me. The story of Penny deciding to finally go on a much longed for visit to Corfu, sadly without her recently deceased father, was charming and evoked many memories. You could almost feel the sun and exotic scents wafting off the page! I did feel that some accounts were possibly too laboured and the ending did finish a bit suddenly but overall this is a relaxing and great holiday read which I would recommend. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy to read and review.

A wonderful escapist novel, bringing the beauty of Corfu to life, whilst walking in the footsteps of the Durrells. I enjoyed joining Penny on her pilgrimage to Corfu as she recovers from her Father’s death and her broken engagement. Some lovely drawn supporting characters, particularly Dimitrius, Tess, Theo and Nic. I wonder if the author is planning a sequel as the book ended rather abruptly. Other than that, a gorgeous read.

Looking for the Durrells by Melanie Hewitt
Many thanks to both NetGalley and to Harper Collins UK/HarperInspire for letting me see an advance reader's copy of Looking for the Durrells.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I loved the setting especially, and it evoked memories of Corfu. I think it's been beautifully written whilst also addressing the difficult topic of bereavement.

I liked the way the story stayed firmly in England for the prologue, and then spent the rest of the book in another country. And being a Durrell fan myself (I watched both of the serialisations on telly), I also liked the links between 1930s Corfu and present-day Corfu.

There are some niggles, all constructive, I hope, but they didn't spoil the story for me.

For example, I did get a bit confused in a couple of places where, in particular, there was some rather sudden head-hopping.

There were also too many names that were too similar: Theo/Tess (and there were two Theos); Ryan/Rich; Spiro, Spiro and (possibly a third) Spiro; and Nic, Nico and Niko. And towards the end, the characters of Penny and Tess were mixed up a little.

There was some repetition, mostly about why Penny was in Corfu, but she also explained to Dimitris three times about the Durrell thing. And there were a couple of info-dump chapters where the information could have been quite easily conveyed in a conversation.

There was a small continuity thing in that she watched some fireflies at the beginning of her visit, but didn't know what they were until she'd been there for three weeks and watched them again.

And I found the last chapters a little drawn out and then suddenly, the book ended abruptly.

However, it's a nice story in a nice setting and is certainly competently written.

In the year following the death of her father plus a broken engagement, Penny is grief stricken and feels utterly alone. She plans to spend a month in Corfu, the setting of both her and her father's favourite book by Gerald Durrell about his childhood on the Greek island. She and her father always intended a trip to Corfu together, now she'll do it alone visiting and painting locations she's only read about before.

The first evening in Corfu Penny goes to her local restaurant and befriends the owners soon being absorbed into the customer's circle. Spending her days following the pages of Durrell's book and her evenings with her new friends, she finally begins to relax and enjoy life.

Descriptive and full of nostalgia, this will probably boost Corfu's tourist figures.

Such a wonderful story and a gorgeous setting on the island of Corfu

This was one of the most uplifting books I have read this year and felt like a really big hug!

The perfect summery escapism!