Summer on the Turquoise Coast by Lilac Mills is the perfect book for the summer. Set on holiday in Turkey, it will inspire you to travel to this amazing country and try the new experiences waiting for you there. Here’s my book review of Summer on the Turquoise Coast by Lilac Mills.
Overview of Summer on the Turquoise Coast by Lilac Mills
I really enjoyed this book, so my book review of Summer on the Turquoise Coast by Lilac Mills is really positive!
Summer on the Turquoise Coast by Lilac Mills follows the story of Nina, a 28 year old teacher. She lives a normal, mediocre life in the UK without many adventures. At the start of the book, Nina’s mum persuades Nina to go on holiday to Turkey with Nina’s Gran, Flossie. Flossie has recently lost her husband so Nina is persuaded to go on holiday with her Gran to take her Grandad’s place.
When they arrive, Nina finds that Flossie has booked for them to stay in a resort for single people aged 30-40. She is outraged, and this isn’t helped by her Gran taking advantage of all-inclusive alcohol and dancing on tables late at night. Nina is embarrassed and isn’t enjoying their holiday.
However, things start to change when Nina and Flossie start doing some day trips from their resort. They go on a jeep tour to visit beautiful scenery, and a sunset cruise. Throughout these trips, Nina starts to get a taste of adventure and develop more fondness and affection for her Gran. Her Gran also persuades Nina to try scuba diving and paragliding, which she loves.
Ephesus and Leo
They do another trip, to the historical sights of Ephesus. Here, Nina meets Leo. Nina and Leo instantly connect and start to fall for each other. Nina and Leo do another trip together and continue to fall in love.
However, when they get back, they find that Flossie has been taken ill. Nina realises how much she cares for her Gran, and ends up being grateful that she came on this life-changing trip. There’s also some miscommunication with Leo, where he thinks Nina doesn’t want him around so he leaves.
Predictably, this book has a lovely happy ending. Flossie ends up recovering, and things work out between Nina and Leo. Nina is forever changed from her experiences in Turkey. She’s had adventures and is now looking to change careers to continue living a life she loves.
If you’d like to read this book, buy yourself a copy here.
What I liked about this book
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was easy to read, and a lovely happy story.
I loved the descriptions of the sights in Turkey. It sounded like a beautiful place to visit, and definitely inspired me to want to book a holiday there. I especially liked the sound of Ephesus, which was an important part of the book as it’s where Nina met Leo.
I loved seeing the relationship between Nina and her Gran grow and blossom. It’s a lovely idea for a granddaughter and gran to go on holiday together. So many grandchildren don’t spend much time with their grandparents, so this was a nice part of the book. I loved how their relationship grew and they became really close.
I also really loved Nina’s character development throughout the book. At the beginning, she was living a fairly normal, boring life and didn’t seem keen on adventures. But then she started having more adventures, and opened herself up to falling in love. I loved seeing the transformational power of travel and how it can change people’s lives. I was definitely inspired to travel more to keep on having exciting adventures!
What I wasn’t so sure about
To be honest, I really enjoyed this book. My book review of Summer on the Turquoise Coast by Lilac Mills is really positive. There wasn’t much I didn’t like. It’s the perfect feel-good summer holiday read, and I loved feeling inspired to have more adventures and travel to Turkey.
I guess some people might be critical of it not being literary enough. It’s a fun, easy read – it’s not meant to be high-end literature that will make you think too much or change your views of the world. Some people might find it too simplistic, or not challenging enough. And the ending was very predictable, there weren’t really any major plot twists or surprises. But I loved it as a feel-good summer read.
Would I recommend Summer on the Turquoise Coast by Lilac Mills?
I’d definitely recommend this book. I’d recommend it for anyone looking for a happy, feel-good summer read. It’s the perfect book to inspire you to travel to Turkey and fill your life with transformational adventures.
Hope you enjoyed my book review of Summer on the Turquoise Coast by Lilac Mills! Buy yourself a copy for your next holiday here. It’s the perfect book to take on holiday to places like Lisbon and Sintra in Portugal, or Seville and Barcelona in Spain. Or to the beautiful mountains of Austria to Kitzbuhel or Zell am See.
