In a tiny bookshop in Dubrovnik’s historic Old Town, a book club begins…
Newly arrived on the sun-drenched shores of Croatia, Claire Thomson’s life is about to change forever when she starts working at a local bookshop. With her cousin Vedran, employee Luna and Karmela, a professor, they form an unlikely book club.
But when their first book club pick – an engrossing cosy crime – inspires them to embark upon an investigation that is close to the group’s heart, they quickly learn the value of keeping their new-found friends close as lives and stories begin to entwine…
Purchase Harper Collins UK Harper Collins US
Giveaway to Win a paperback copy of The Dubrovnik Book Club (Open INT) a Rafflecopter giveaway
Eva Glyn fell in love with Croatia during her first holiday there in 2019; the incredible scenery, the delicious food, the country’s dramatic twentieth century history all played their part, but most of all
it was the friendliness of the people.
One of these was tour director Darko Barisic, who told an incredible story about growing up in underground shelters during the war in the 1990s, and she knew she had to write a book around his experiences. This became her first Croatian novel, The Olive Grove, and she and Darko have become good friends and he continues to advise her on all aspects of Croatia.
Eva delves into Croatian history and everyday life for her inspiration, and visits the country as often as she can, having uncovered so many stories by talking to local people. Travel in general is her
passion, followed closely by food and wine, which also find their way between her pages.
Although Welsh by birth she now lives in Cornwall with the man she met and fell in love with almost thirty years ago. She also writes as Jane Cable.
Instagram Facebook Twitter TikTok Bookbub
My thoughts: this was a really lovely read, the book club Claire starts in a Dubrovnik bookshop brings a disparate group together and their book choices, friendship and the magic of the bookshop slowly bring them together and allow old wounds to heal and new beginnings to flourish.
Claire has moved to Croatia to stay with her grandmother Fran and her husband, who is slowly succumbing to dementia. She had covid and is still anxious and afraid of crowds and getting sick again.
The bookshop offers her a chance to start rebuilding her life, make some new friends and live again. She bonds with Luna, her new colleague, who is also trying to build a new life – she’s gay and not out, but she wants to be, even though she’s scared of how her parents will react.
I loved how each member of the book club, even the ones who don’t read the books, get more than they expected from being with each other, and opening up to their friends, dealing with their pasts and working together to save the bookshop when it’s threatened with having to close.
Moving, enjoyable and with a blend of genres, this was a really interesting and gently heartwarming read.
*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will
not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random
Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
ramblingmads 