Every one of Jo Thomas' books is a treat and this one as much as any. Wherever in the world she takes us, you can be sure it is well researched and the feeling of actually being in that place is all encompassing.
Eliza is a ling suffering mother of young, who for one reason or another have all returned home and who have relapsed into toddlerdom, expecting Mummy to do everything for them. She snaps, and leaves for a house sitting job in a finca in Spain. Wouldnt you love to have been that courageous?!
She makes friends, she makes enemies, but eventully wins through, to the point where she is actually asked to run for mayordom of the village.
I loved this book and thank NetGalley for a review copy.

Eliza Bytheway needs to finish writing an essay about what makes her happy. Keen to escape a small flat taken over by three adult children, two dogs and a boyfriend , she gets a job house sitting in Spain for the handsome Josep. There are rules she must obey, digs to care for and pigs in the field. She makes new friends at an English bar in town and enemies of the mayor and police chief. Suddenly she is caring for the pigs when things go wrong. Lovely sunny book albeit a bit predictable. But a great read.

Eliza takes a fortnight. off from her job to complete her college coursework...

Unable to concentrate in her busy home where her three adult children have all returned.,

she flies off to Andalucia, Spain as a housesitter, to find peace and quiet..

Eliza gets more than she expected as she finds herself looking after pigs, socialising at the Spanish Conversation

Club and getting to know Josep, There is also a mystery to solve at the Gastromique Society..

This is a very good romance and adventure in one story. . I loved reading it, so enjoyable.

This book did start really well, I thought I was going to have a really good time reading it and quickly i realized that I was getting bored. Maybe the story was not what I was expecting, but this book was not for me and I thought the pace was too slow. Also I didn't find myself attracted to the main characters. But the book is well written and there are some good elements in this book. Maybe it was just not the good time for me for this book, I am not sure exactly. I am giving this book 3 stars out of 5!

Another absolutely fantastic story from Jo Thomas. Fabulous location, delicious descriptions of food & drink & wonderful characters. An all round unmisable, feel good book that I heartily recommend.

Love Jo Thomas books. Eliza is fed up with her 3 kids having moved back in and having no space. She sees an ad for a house sitter in Spain and applies. She gets the job and her whole life changes.

A wonderful trip this time to Spain. Jo Thomas brings the flavours of regional food to life with her descriptive writing. Eliza is struggling to complete her final essay. She hopes a fortnight away from her family and busy life will give her all the time in the world to complete it. Iberico Ham, Olives, Good Oil, Peppers and Cheese together with a new group of friends, Banderas the Boar, Piglets to care for, a delightful pool and a farm to house sit are all distractions from the writing she must do. Will Eliza find out what makes for happiness, health and wellness. Another 5 star book Jo. Thank you.

Thank you for my copy of this book to review.

Another really good book from Jo Thomas.

You always know what you’re going to get with her stories. You can feel the warmth of the sun and taste the food.

Well written, good descriptions and a real feel-good story.

I have already recommended this book to others and I will look forward to her next one.

You can not go wrong with a Jo Thomas book extremely well written, beautiful setting and a great story. What more do you need. Retreat to the Spanish sun is no exception, a story of friendship, new surroundings ndings, new ideas, injustice and love. I maybe learnt a little more about Spanish ham than I ever thought possible but it will be great for a quiz night. Thoroughly enjoyed this book and totally recommend this and all Jo Thomas books

I LOVE JO THOMAS BOOKS!!! She is absolutely one of my favourite authors!! Her books are the perfect form of escapism and I can always picture myself in the beautiful destinations

Another fantastic book from Jo Thomas. Every book always transports you to the location. Great characters. Beautiful book to sun bathe with this summer

This is a new author for me and it was a captivating read. It absorbs you in the characters , the sunshine and the romance. A real feel good novel and I definitely recommend .

Thanks to #Netgalley for the advance copy in return of an honest review

well who would have thought a story of pigs would keep you hooked from start to finish this is another first class story from jo again it is so full of excitement and thrill and certainly will do well on with the next brill

Jo Thomas Retreat to the Spanish sun.
Total escapism.
Fabulous characters brought to life
Can highly recommend.

How does Jo Thomas do it? Reading one of her books is like going on holiday and Retreat to the Spanish Sun is no exception.
Beautiful writing, great characterisation and a cracking storyline make this an unputdownable read. In fact you feel like you have a suntan, by the time you have finished.
Eliza is the put upon mother of three, who is our heroine. She manages to sort everyone's lives and problems but her own. That is until she becomes a pig wrangler extraordinaire and a tapas adviser.
You just need to read it!

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read in exchange for an honest review.

I love Jo Thomas books. This one is no exception. It follows Eliza the divorced Mother of 3 young adult children. They had all left home but one by one have all returned and her little flat is not big enough for all of them. She is trying to complete a college assignment which will enable her to choose a new career path and rediscover what she has missed out on devoting her life to raising her children alone. The deadline is fast approaching and having difficulty finding time alone to complete her studies, she takes a position in Spain "house sitting" to allow her to do so. She meets Josep a breeder of unusual black pigs and a supplier of high quality speciality hams. His employee is unfriendly and leaves unexpectedly leaving Eliza to find help how to feed and look after the pigs until Josep returns. There is a wonderful story of how Eliza enjoys her time in Spain and a mystery is eventually solved. The friendships she makes, a touch of romance and involvement in local cuisine all make this a thoroughly enjoyable read which I most definitely recommend.

Another wonderful sunny escape rea from Jo Thomas which I read in a day. Lovely characters depicted with some gloriously humorous bits.. Set in Spain on a fairly isolated pig farm this book exudes warmth and vitality. with twists and turns along the way. The only downside was that the ex-pats were a bit too true to media type, drinking and partying plus initially total disregard for the local cuisine. A slow burn romance bubbling beneath and a perfect book to totally immerse in

This was another enjoyable read from Jo Thomas, this time featuring beleaguered Eliza who needs to escape her grownup children who have crammed into her small flat with her whilst she is trying to finish a college course but can find no peace. Suddenly we find Eliza house and dog sitting in Spain to give her some peace to complete her essay but the local life, including the expats, proves a distraction in its own way. Eliza is probably a character many can relate to, plenty out others happiness and needs before their own and it was good to read her story which included a lively although slightly confusing adventure and plenty of other lovely characters too.

I have just spent a lazy weekend with Jo Thomas' lovely new novel Retreat to the Spanish Sun. And I enjoyed every minute.
Eliza is hitting middle aged and has brought up her kids on her own. She needs to decide what to do next with her life. She wants to do what she missed out on when she was young - university and a career. But sometimes life takes you in another direction. In Eliza's case - Spain!
Jo Thomas never fails to deliver a likeable and relatable female star. She doesn't shy away from the menopause and women feeling invisible. She knows her market and it is me!
I didn't expect to learn so much about raising pigs for specialist ham. But it was incredibly interesting. Jo Thomas always manages to make me feel very hungry!
This book does exactly what it needs to do and I highly recommend it.

Another great Jo Thomas book. Interesting characters and beautiful descriptions of the Spanish countryside. Perfect holiday read with a happy ending!