Layla is calm, in control and is definitely not about to lose her serenity for the man next door!
Surely it can’t be hard to stay peaceful at one of the oldest yoga and mindfulness retreats in the Algarve, surrounded by sea, sun and serenity? Mostly, owner Layla Garcia manages it – with the help of meditation and plenty of camomile tea, of course.
But keeping her grandparents’ legacy alive is stressful, and Layla has become so shackled to the work that, for her, The House on the Hill is fast becoming ‘The Fortress on the Hill’.
Then writer Luke Mackie moves to the villa next door, bringing with him a healthy dose of chaos to disrupt Layla’s plans, plus a painful reminder of a time when she was less-than-serene. But could his influence be just what Layla needs to ‘dance like no-one’s watching’ and have the fun she’s been missing?
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Review
This is a book about when to let go of coping mechanisms that no longer serve you. It's also a book about yoga, neighbours, and overcoming the traumas of adolescence to find a better life just around the corner.
I found a lot of myself in Layla, a perfectionist who can't forgive herself for a youthful mistake and the downward spiral afterwards. The strategies she learnt to cope with childhood bullying predispose her to burying herself in her work and hiding at the yoga retreat she inherited from her grandparents. They are excellent avoidance strategies until Luke. He's a famous author, a paparazzi refugee, and an unwelcome blast from the past. His arrival bring chaos and change and Layla's ordered life begins coming apart at the seams. Given we sit inside Layla's head, it's somewhat stressful to read about until it all begins to come together.
I loved Layla's little quirks - she puts colour and shape to her feelings to set them in order, and is low-key obsessed with aromatherapy and finding the perfect blend of scents for the mood. At the beginning of the book she seems almost too perfect to be true, until, swan-like, we discover her perfect serenity belies a woman would so tight she's about to snap. Overall, this is her story, and Luke (while lovely) is merely part of her journey.
Best enjoyed with calming music - or maybe whale noises! - this book is a welcome reminder that even the best of of don't have it together, and that's okay.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book via Rachel's Random Resources; all opinions are my own
Author Bio
Chris Penhall won the 2019 Choc-Lit Search for a Star competition, sponsored by Your Cat Magazine, for her debut novel, The House That Alice Built. The sequel, New Beginnings at the Little House in the Sun was published in August 2020. Both are available in paperback, e-book and audio and are part of the Portuguese Paradise series. Finding Summer Happiness, which is set in Pembrokeshire in South West Wales is available in e-book, audio and paperback, and The House on the Hill - A Summer in the Algarve, the third novel in the Portuguese Paradise series, is published in e-book on 28th June 2022.
Chris is an author and freelance radio producer for BBC Local Radio.
She also has her own podcast - The Talking to My Friends About Book Podcast in which she chats to her friends about books. Good title!
Born in Neath in South Wales, she has also lived in London and in Portugal, which is where The House That Alice Built is set. It was whilst living in Cascais near Lisbon that she began to dabble in writing fiction, but it was many years later that she was confident enough to start writing her first novel, and many years after that she finally finished it!
A lover of books, music and cats, she is also an enthusiastic salsa dancer, a keen cook, and loves to travel. She is never happier than when she is gazing at the sea.
Social Media Links
www.chrispenhall.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChrisPenhall
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChrisPenhallBroadcasterWriter
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinepenhall/
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