No chiselled macho matinee idol here, but a genuine guy, battered by life but with a heart that’s still open to the world.

One of the biggest arcs of character growth I have read in a very long time, and so ambitious to undertake. Yet it works, and the subplots around it make the book all the more rewarding.

This is an ambitious debut novel. Part family saga, part romance, part mystery thriller… but best not to try to pigeonhole it, rather just say it’s a cracking story.

Part romance, part thriller, but more than anything a novel about human nature in all its glories; of compelling, forbidden, life changing love; of the pasts that haunt us; of dangerous secrets.

Christmas is exactly the time of year for a reliable romance; a time-honoured trope, relatable characters, super-cute children and more mince pies and mulled wine than you can shake the proverbial stick at.

Poring over photographs, videos, and maps reminded me just what a little gem Lumbarda is with its rural setting, surrounded by olive groves and vines, its sparkling sea and tiny harbour.

My first Fiona Valpy and it certainly won’t be my last – I’m so excited to have discovered this wonderful writer at last.

I love books about friendship, and this must be up there among the best. Although it took me a while to settle into it, once the cast of characters began to build around ‘Average Jo’ I was enthralled, and wanted to know more about them.

Where do I start with this wonderful novel? With the sense of place and time, I guess, because it was so brilliant and what drew me in.

Oh my, what a book. I felt that tingle almost straight away, the one only a really special book gives you.