Guest Review: The House of Hidden Letters by Izzy Broom

For sale: Greek cottage. Price: 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…

Review: I have enjoyed many books from Izzy Broom (more familiar to me as Isabelle), all with amazing settings and captivating storylines. This book has the most fabulous cover, that leaves the reader in no doubt that they are going to be transported to Greece but gives no clue of the mystery about to unfold in this dual-time story.

When Skye, desperate for a new start away from her stressful life, sees an announcement stating that a derelict house on a small Greek island could be hers if she wins a lottery, she doesn’t hesitate to pay the €1 entrance fee. She can’t believe her luck when she wins and quickly makes arrangements to make the journey to her new home. One of the conditions of the competition is that she must restore the cottage to its original state within a time period, but that shouldn’t be difficult, should it? However, she’s not so sure once she actually sees the state her house is in. With help of local builder Andreas, Skye knuckles down to the restoration task. As she explores the house, she finds a bundle of old letters which gradually tell of what happened to its owners and the island during the Second World War. She becomes immersed in what emerges as a tragic love story, all the while unaware that her own past she left behind more recently is catching up on her.

I really loved this amazing story set in the past and the present. The mystery attached to what was found in the old house had me enthralled. The way in which the author gradually revealed the building’s secrets was very clever. The story was so skilfully told that I could imagine myself walking amongst the dusty ruins enjoying Skye’s view of the mountains and the Mediterranean, and also tasting some gorgeous Greek dishes. Skye is an incredible character, in her own way just as brave as the islanders were during the wartime occupation. She was lucky to find help in the shape of ruggedly handsome Andreas, who patiently found nothing too much bother in helping her. I was also, however, aware that Skye had to keep her whereabouts a secret, which added an air of danger to the story. Altogether, I thought this was a wonderful book which gets my recommendation.

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