Ambientato tra anni ’80 e primi anni 2000, il romanzo segue le vicissitudini di Shauna, una donna che dal niente riesce ad arrivare nell’Olimpo del cinema. Fast forward twenty years. Shauna is now a Hollywood A-Lister who has made a decision to return to Demetrious’s island home to see him. The du Lacs themselves are a mysterious family – Gabriel is a successful hotelier who does not want the Hotel du Soleil to leave his family’s possession. Constance his sister has never left and remains devoted to their mother, who has been a recluse and barely left her room at the top of the hotel for years. I thought the characters were brilliantly wrought. Shauna’s mother in particular, although she plays a seemingly small role, is a clever catalyst for action and felt absolutely realistic. I loved meeting Roxy, Shauna’s feisty, loyal friend and if it were possible, I would definitely like to spend time with Demetrios! However, it is Shauna who is the literal and metaphorical superstar. Her rise to stardom and the reality that can lie behind such a persona is so well presented. It’s difficult to explain too much without spoiling the plot, but I particularly enjoyed Shauna’s ambition, her dignity and her integrity in the face of adversity.

There are also sub plots with Robert and Elizabeth – two A list celebrities, whose marriage is rapidly disintegrating, and Elise, hoping to gain a worthwhile job so she can provide for her daughter. The book is set in beautiful Italy and it makes you want to visit there. I think the "villans" in this piece didn't get their comeuppance and I think that was the only mistake.Ono što mi se svidjelo je odnos između Shaune i Roxy - ta snaga ženskog prijateljstva i što sve ono podrazumijeva ❤️ Ljeto je vrijeme za impulzivne stvari, nije li? Koja je jedina impulzivna stvar (na svu srecu) ovoga ljeta? Ova knjiga. Je li to dobro ili loše? Hmmmm... Poticaj za čitanje bila mi je recenzija od Mali dnevnik čitanja i činjenica da je ženska ušla do struka u vodu bez da je trepnula 😂 The escapist Sunday Times bestselling debut from the nation’s best loved TV presenter, Carol Kirkwood.

We are introduced to lots of wonderful and not so wonderful characters in this joy of a second chance at romance book. It is a dual timeline book, set between 1982 and 2000.Running from a scandal, Shauna flees to the place that changed her life twenty years ago, the idyllic Greek island of Ithos.