Caffeinated Reviewer

Escape to a Greek Island with Sophia Rose as she reviews The House of Hidden Letters by Izzy Broom. Come see what she loved about this escape.

For sale: Greek cottage. One Euro.

Skye doesn’t make impulsive decisions. But when she sees a derelict Greek cottage for sale by lottery, she enters with dreams of a fresh start.

However, her heart sinks as she pushes open the tattered blue door weeks later. Can this wreck ever be her home?

Then Skye finds a bundle of letters hidden in the fireplace, their faded pages drawing her in with a story of long-forgotten love, tragedy, and unbelievable bravery.

But all the while, Skye’s own past is circling. No matter how far she goes, fate is never far behind…

This gorgeously sweeping, escapist dual-timeline novel is perfect for fans of Karen Swan, Victoria Hislop and Lucinda Riley.

Sophia Rose’s Review

For one euro, one could win the chance of a lifetime. A dual-timeline tale from a new to me author set on a Greek Island was just the thing to chase away the cold-weather blahs.

Skye needs a restart in life in the worst way, but never imagines her one-euro entry into a house lottery will score her a cottage in the cobalt blue Aegean Sea on the Greek Isle of Folegandros. The cottage isn’t as pictured and is terribly dilapidated, but with the help of local builder Andreas and her new community of fellow cottage lottery winners, the homes are slowly being made habitable. Skye and the others discover a mystery about their island community, with all the abandoned cottages and the artifacts from the WWII-era coming to light as they renovate. Skye’s cottage produces letters, and she delves into the past, unwitting to her own present- like one of the island thunderstorms building slowly in the distance and arriving with a crash.
The letters are the other timeline and reveal Katerina’s story of life, love, and tragedy when the Nazis come to her island.

Izzy Broom has a gift for colorful description and a way of making a reader immerse in the setting and situation right along with the characters. I enjoyed both Skye’s and Katerina’s stories. The House of Hidden Letters gets off to a slower start, but I didn’t mind because of that immersion feeling that drew me in. I loved the little Folegandros community, including Skye and Andreas, and was envious of what they had made together. Katerina’s side of the story had a huge emotional punch, but Skye’s modern story wasn’t lacking in the feels.

An all-around fantastic escape read I can recommend for those who want a dual-timeline historical fiction split between modern-day and WWII-era on a gorgeous Greek isle.

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About Izzy Broom

Isabelle Broom also writes as Izzy Broom. She is the award-winning author of 13 novels and is published in 14 overseas territories. Having left heat magazine in 2018, where she’d spent over five years as book reviews editor, she began writing full-time alongside continued freelance work. She lives in Suffolk, surrounded by books, family, unruly dogs, and a rooster from the farm next door, which has inexplicably fallen in love with her. Her upcoming novel, The House Of Hidden Letters (published under the name Izzy Broom) is out now in ebook and audio.

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About Sophia Rose

Sophia is a quiet though curious gal who dabbles in cooking, book reviewing, and gardening. Encouraged and supported by an incredible man and loving family. A Northern Californian transplant to the Great Lakes Region of the US. Lover of Jane Austen, Baseball, Cats, Scooby Doo, and Chocolate.

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About Kimberly

Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram

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