The Bookends Round The World Tour

If you’re like us and have got a serious case of holiday blues and are grappling with the idea of either emigrating or blocking your smug friends sipping margaritas poolside on Facebook, we have come up with a less dramatic solution.

August has arrived and never has the phrase ‘escape with a good book’ been more appropriate. So buckle-up, sit back, make sure your partners and kids are stowed in the overhead lockers and prepare for take-off. Here’s our very bookish list of destinations:

Marrakech in THE SAFFRON TRAIL by Rosanna Ley

After the death of her beloved mother, Nell travels from rural Cornwall to the colour and chaos of Marrakech. With her marriage already on the rocks, she throws herself into exploring all the heady delights that Morocco has to offer. It is there that she meets Amy, a young photographer trying to unravel her family story,  and the two women develop a close friendship and discover a surprising connection between their own pasts that leads them on their very own saffron trail.

The Colorado mountains in SECOND CHANCE SUMMER by Jill Shalvis

Lizzy intends  to sneak back to Cedar Ridge for a quiet summer, but her plans become somewhat more difficult to stick to as she rediscovers the lure of the Colorado mountains and Aidan, the man she has never quite  been able to forget.

Famagusta in THE SUNRISE by Victoria Hislop

In Victoria’ s lastest novel, we see the Cypriot town of Famagusta  – the most desirable resort in the Mediterranean – crumble under the Turkish invasion of 1972 in vivid detail. As tens of thousands of families flee, just two remain. This is their story.

Mallorca in THE ROCKS by Peter Nichols

Set on the island of Mallorca, THE ROCKS  is a double love story told in reverse. Opening in 2005 with a dramatic event that seems to seal the mystery of two lives, the story moves backwards in time, unravelling over sixty years, amid the olive groves and bars, the boats and poolside parties, the lives and relationships of two intertwined families within an expat community of endearing and flawed characters.

Cornwall in THE SEA BETWEEN US by Emylia Hall

Not only is this a love story between Jago and Robyn but it is a true love letter to Cornwall. These rocky coves are both the setting for the characters fateful meeting, and the place that may bring them back together after time and circumstance has pulled them apart.

Paris in LOVE FROM PARIS by Alexandra Potter

Where better to get lost in a love story than in the most romantic city in the world . . . Paris? A magical romantic comedy from the bestselling author of ME AND MR DARCY  and THE LOVE DETECTIVE.

Renaissance Italy  in BEATRICE AND BENEDICK  by Marina Fiorato  

In a journey that takes us from sunlit Sicily to the glorious Renaissance cities of the north, Marina Fiorato tells a story of intrigue, treachery and betrayal that will shed a new light on Shakespeare’s unforgettable characters.

The French Pyrenees in LAST CHANCE IN THE PYRENESS by Julia Stagg

When tragedy strikes the small mountain village of Fogas in the French Pyrenees, the residents must once more rally round to protect their precious way of life – and this time the stakes are higher than ever.

Puglia in THE OLIVE BRANCH by Jo Thomas

Come along for the ride as Ruthie Collins buys an old Italian farmhouse in a moment of wild abandon and then realises the tough realities of nurturing an olive grove as well as  a Mediterranean romance.

Europe in US by David Nicholls  

When Douglas Petersen’s wife tells him she’s leaving, he resolves to make their last family holiday into the trip of a lifetime: a grand tour of Europe.  The hotels are booked, the tickets bought, the itinerary planned and printed.  What could possibly go wrong?

A luxury cruise in A PROPER FAMILY ADVENTURE by Chrissie Manby

Thanks to an unexpected windfall, the Bensons are treating themselves to a luxury cruise.  Onboard dramas, family upheavals, memories and sunshine . . . Fall in love with the Benson family, and treat yourself to a five-star family cruise, all without leaving your sofa.