The Santorini Writing Retreat: Book Review

The Santorini Writing Retreat by Eve Glyn, is a thoroughly enjoyable, engaging story that will appeal to readers who love heartfelt women’s fiction with a strong sense of place.

Synopsis: The Santorini Writing Retreat

Bestselling author Jessica Rose arrives on Santorini hoping that leading a writing retreat will help her escape a devastating secret—and rediscover her lost spark

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Zina never imagined returning to her childhood home, but she’s determined to make her new business thrive on the island she once left behind.
And Karmela just wants to finish her novel and finally make her mother proud.

Under the Greek sunshine, surrounded by pistachio groves, sea views, and the easy closeness of newfound friendship, these three women find the courage to confront their pasts, embrace their futures, and write their own stories—on the page and in their lives.

A gorgeous celebration of storytelling, resilience, and connection,

The Santorini Writing Retreat will leave readers uplifted, hopeful, and yearning for a holiday in Greece.

Review: The Santorini Writing Retreat

The Santorini Writing Retreat is a warm, contemporary blend of travel fiction, women’s fiction, and a touch of romance.

Set against the sun-soaked beauty of Santorini, Eva Glyn brings together three women.

each carrying their own separate emotional baggage with whose lives intersect at a writing retreat that promises renewal, creativity, and connection.

Setting the Scene: A Retreat with Secrets

Zina has left behind her high-powered job due to family pressures and has poured her energy into running a small boutique hotel perfect for retreats. For its first event, she invites bestselling author Jessica Rose—a woman harbouring a dangerous secret that threatens her career.

Among the guests is Karmela, who dreams of writing a book that would finally make her mother proud. Readers who’ve read The Dubrovnik Book Club will recognise her as a major character, though this novel can be comfortably read as a standalone.

Character Dynamics

The Women at the Heart of the Story

The novel revolves around:

• Zina, trying to rebuild a life while nurturing others
• Jessica, whose polished success masks a devastating truth
• Karmela, finding her voice and confidence

Their growth and shared vulnerability form the emotional core of the story. With Glyn, handling, each of their story arcs with compassion, allowing each woman space to evolve and heal, in there own way throughout the story.

The Men Who Shape the Plot

Although The Santorini Writing Retreat is marketed as a story centred on three women, there are two key male characters play meaningful role, yet they feel slightly underdeveloped.

Take Ian, Karmela’s love interest and a former RAF pilot who served in UN operations in Croatia during the 1990s. His past becomes important later in the novel, but his storyline feels at times as though it was trimmed. His inclusion of a dog, for instance, feels like a device to keep him occupied when the plot doesn’t otherwise require his presence.

Similarly, Zina’s husband and a handful of minor male characters are Soley there, to move the plot forward.

None of this detracts from the book’s enjoyment, but it does create the sense that The Santorini Writing Retreat is, part of a wider narrative world, meaning that some character development may have been left on the cutting-room floor

Themes and Emotional Depth

The novel explores:

• Creative expression and self-discovery
• Friendship among women
• Past trauma and healing
• The tension between career, expectations, and self-worth

The emotional journeys of Zina, Jessica, and Karmela are strong enough to anchor the story, and watching them confront their issues together is both heart-warming and engaging.

Final Thoughts: Why Read The Santorini Writing Retreat?

Eva Glyn delivers a heartfelt, uplifting story with a vivid sense of place and three compelling female leads. While the male characters feel somewhat underdeveloped, the novel succeeds on the strength of its emotional arcs, immersive Greek island setting, and its themes of healing, friendship, and artistic growth.

Read this if you enjoy:

• Contemporary women’s fiction
• Stories about creativity and renewal
• Character-driven narratives with emotional depth
• Mediterranean settings filled with sun, warmth, and hope

Conclusion

A thoroughly enjoyable, engaging story that will appeal to readers who love heartfelt women’s fiction with a strong sense of place.

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Mark.