Want a NOOK? Explore Now
Set on the rugged, mountainous west coast of Mallorca, this taut, sultry, brilliantly paced novel is an urgent meditation on female desire, the vicissitudes of marriage and the allure of youth.
Taking place over the course of one week, The Lemon Grove lands in the heat of Deia, a village on an island off the southeast coast of Spain. Jenn and Greg are on their annual holiday to enjoy languorous, close afternoons by the pool, and relaxed dinners overlooking the rocks. But the equilibrium is upset by the arrival of their teenage daughter, Emma, and her boyfriend, Nathan. Jenn, in her early forties, loves her (older) husband and her (step)daughter and is content with her life, she thinks. But when this beautiful, reckless young man comes into her world, she is caught by a sexual compulsion that she's seldom felt before. As the lines hotly blur between attraction, desire and obsession, Jenn’s world is thrown into tumult--by Nathan's side, she could be young and carefree once again, and at this stage in her life, the promise of youth is every bit as seductive as the promise of passion. Jenn struggles between the conflicting pulls of resistance and release, and the events of the next few days have the potential to put lives in jeopardy as the players carry out their roles in this unstoppably sexy and unputdownable novel from a brilliant observer of the human condition.
“It's refreshing to find a writer as fiercely talented as Helen Walsh turning her hand to a richly sensual story of forbidden lust as psychologically substantial as it is sexy….. she builds the sexual tension step by slow step, teasing the reader…. a complex novel about family relationships and growing older…..The Lemon Grove has the potential to be an enormous summer hit. It is taut and lyrical; steamy, tender and full of insight.”
—The Guardian
“Fans of The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls will love this summer's story of the forbidden fruit, with similar poetic undertones…. a sultry, sexy romp through a sea of simmering resentments, moral dilemmas, and questions about loyalty and forgiveness.”
—Glamour
“Raw, edgy – and sexy”
—The Independent
“Driven by her awareness of the connection between lust and romantic love, natural beauty and artifice, and passion and great….compelling.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Edgy, in-your-face….Fading youth, female desire, the pull of temptation, the craziness of marriage, and vivid sex—it’s all here.”
—Library Journal
“Walsh’s writing is mesmerizing”
—Booklist
“Warning: Beware of sunburns! This sultry tale of forbidden love is likely to keep you page-turning all afternoon…. Equally tender as it is fierce, Helen Walsh’s The Lemon Grove explores the fragility of marriage, the overwhelming allure of youth, and the lines we cross when we shed cautious logic, and give in to the magnetic force of obsession and desire. It's a sensual and keenly observant story that makes for the perfect beach companion. You’ll get so wrapped up in it, you might even forget to reapply sunscreen, so set an alarm before you disappear into the seductive, sun-drenched mountains of Majorca housed within its pages.”
—Bustle
“Walsh’s novel, which takes place over the course of just one week, will have people talking about it for a long, long time. It exudes controversy and hushed conversations that almost feel taboo. But readers will admire the author’s slow tug at their hearts as they ponder what is socially acceptable when it comes to love and lust. This tale of tantalizing temptation is impossible to put down, and the unexpected ending will shock you to the core.”
— Romantic Times
“ Helen Walsh is a talented and serious writer, and “The Lemon Grove” endeavors to explore the dark temptations of forbidden lust and the disappointments of aging.”
—Boston Globe
“Steamy.... luxuriates in atmosphere…. A hot-and-bothered novel of inverted May-December romance set in Mallorca”
—Shelf Awareness
“Walsh’s prose is gorgeous. The beach town setting is the perfect backdrop for this sultry book. ….a deep look at the intricacies of family life, the little (and big) secrets and disappointments that make up the fabric of a family.”
—Romance at Random
“The Lemon Grove pushes the boundaries between older women and younger lovers”—Metro
“A brilliant study of lust and obsession, where desire cancels out caution and restraint. The writing is sensuous and sexy, with a nail-biting sense of trepidation, as things spiral out of control. Unputdownable”
— Marie Claire (UK)
“Breathtaking”
— Daily Telegraph
“Packs a punch.”
-Sam Baker, Harpers Bazaar (UK) Books for 2014
The book of the month could be Helen Walsh’s The Lemon Grove, about marriage, female desire, and raising other people’s children, set in a villa in Mallorca.’
-The Independent, 2014 book preview (UK)
‘Fraught, highly-charged and very sexy... intelligent ... should be at the top of your summer reading list.’
-Stylist Hot Books for 2014 (UK)
‘A steamy study of transgressive passion’
-The Express, Hot Books for 2014 (UK)
‘The one to read and get you hot and bothered’
-The Sun, Hot Books for 2014(UK)
“A short, intense, sultry novel”
—The Bath Chronicle (UK)
“This year’s Beautiful Ruins”
-Glamour Magazine (UK)
“The Lemon Grove is by turns delicious and shocking, erotic and mournful, heart-stopping, yet languidly, achingly sexy. Helen Walsh deftly explores that perilous place where temptation tips into sexual obsession. And she does so with the kind of writing that leaves you no choice but to consume the book in one sitting. I did.”
-Lisa Gabrielle, author of the INternatioanlly bestselling erotica tilogy S.E.C.R.E.T. writing as L. Marie Adeline
‘This is your next Gone Girl. It’s a sultry, sexy, intense story about the lure of the forbidden, and you won’t know who to trust – a definite page turner.”
-Cosmopolitan (UK)
“The Lemon Grove is a short, sharp, sexy shock of a book about a woman behaving badly. I think we’ll be hearing a lot about it next year.”
–The Bookseller (UK)
"The Lemon Grove is a slinky, sultry, seductress of a novel that kept me reading long past bedtime. Titillating and tense, poignant and honest, Helen Walsh's tale of forbidden desire satisfies on all levels."
-Lori Lansens, Bestselling author of Rush Home Road and The Girls
"A beautifully written and erotically charged tale of a reckless holiday affair between a married woman and her step-daughter's teenage boyfriend. The Lemon Grove mines the dark territory of illicit desire with prose as sensual and sultry as its Mallorcan setting. Once you've started reading you won't be able to stop."
-Fiona Neill, Bestselling author of What the Nanny Saw
"I cannot imagine a more gripping, sexy summer read; I loved it."
-Jenny Colgan, author of Where Have All the Boys Gone?
“Extraordinarily, electrifyingly good. You will read it and then instantly give it to your best friend to read.”
-Lisa Jewell, Bestselling author of Before I Met You and Ralph’s Party
Title: The Lemon Grove
Author: Helen Walsh
Publisher: Berkley
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 3.5
Review:
"The Lemon Grove" by Helen Walsh
What is this novel about:
"Set on the rugged, mountainous west coast of Mallorca, this taut, sultry, brilliantly paced novel is an urgent meditation on female desire, the vicissitudes of marriage and the allure of youth.
Taking place over the course of one week, The Lemon Grove lands in the heat of Deia, a village on an island off the southeast coast of Spain. Jenn and Greg are on their annual holiday to enjoy languorous, close afternoons by the pool, and relaxed dinners overlooking the rocks. But the equilibrium is upset by the arrival of their teenage daughter, Emma, and her boyfriend, Nathan. Jenn, in her early forties, loves her (older) husband and her (step)daughter and is content with her life, she thinks. But when this beautiful, reckless young man comes into her world, she is caught by a sexual compulsion that she's seldom felt before. As the lines hotly blur between attraction, desire and obsession, Jenn’s world is thrown into tumult--by Nathan's side, she could be young and carefree once again, and at this stage in her life, the promise of youth is every bit as seductive as the promise of passion. Jenn struggles between the conflicting pulls of resistance and release, and the events of the next few days have the potential to put lives in jeopardy as the players carry out their roles in this unstoppably sexy and unputdownable novel from a brilliant observer of the human condition."
What I got from this novel.....
Well, I can say this turned out to be some holiday in Mallorca for this family. As I was reading I was wondering when this family all got together plus the visitor who would have thought that this type of situation would happen. What forty year old woman would be looking at their step daughter who was fifteen boyfriend who was just seventeen years old. I will say the whole thing made no sense to me. Yes, I know Jenn is in her early forties, married to a much older husband but why the interest in her step daughter's boyfriend? This author did put together a read that takes place within a week...thank god for that! I did like the way this author was able to give us a story that made you seem as though you are there in the midst of it all listening in. I don't know that may not have been a good thing now that I think on it. With this story being heavily sexual with Jenn's thoughts and all about Nathan with this being a betrayal of not only her husband but her step daughter too and my point is that I will say I was at awe of it all. Is this another Mrs. Robinson? Now add the father Greg's secret and the stepdaughter problems and all I can say is this was some read.
I picked this read so I knew I had to read it to the very end but I will say it really did noting for me...the characters or even the story. I will say that I did not like any of the characters, however, I will say that this author did a good job at making them very real and I may be reaching a little. Not to say this author didn't do a good job with writing because she really has a way with words, but it was still far too intense for me to really follow the flow of it all. All that I was able to think of was the forty year old having feelings for this seventeen year old who was still a child. Let's not discuss that ending other than to say you will have to pick up "The Lemon Grove" and see what you think of this read for yourself. I will stop here because I don't want to give away any anymore spoilers.
My Impression of this novel...
I will say "The Lemon Grove"left me shocked, very intensed....with characters that were flawed, broken and even dislikable. The ending to this story was yet another strange one for me and at the end for me I breathed with relief saying thank God I made it through this read!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged. Jenn and Greg are enjoying their annual summer getaway to Deia, a village in Majorca off the coast of southern Spain. They are spending lazy days on the beach and afternoon sex in their gorgeous villa.
Everything is wonderful until Emma, Greg teenage daughter, arrives with her boyfriend Nathan. Jenn finds herself immediately drawn to the young man. It is taking all her strength to curb her temptation. Is giving in worth the risk?
Dollycas’s Thoughts
This was an amazing fast read.
The author has given has four very flawed characters. Jenn is bored with her life and even bored with her vacation to this idyllic place. Greg is keeping a secret and seems to really have a problem with a landlord they have known for years. Emma is fifteen, need I say more. In addition to the usual angst of a 15 year old she really has a problem with her step-mom and the divide divide is growing, leading to a tension between Greg and Jenn. Then there is Nathan. This young man is quite a piece a work. Sadly I really didn’t like any of them but their story is very compelling and I just couldn’t stop reading. Which may be exactly what the author wanted.
She describes the panoramas of Spain beautifully. She painted a picture of an awful storm so clearly I could almost feel the wind and rain. She also tells the sexual parts of the story very graphically so if you are uncomfortable with that this is not the book for you.
The plot had several twists that drew me even further into the story. There were several times I wanted to just jump into the book and shake Jenn and tell her what she was doing was wrong. But it was like watching a scary movie and you cover your eyes so you can’t see the frightening parts but they still happen. The ending surprised me, a shocking twist. Helen Walsh wrote a great story but the ending was masterful.
I think this is a story people really like or absolutely hate. It was not a perfect escape for me but I definitely want to read more books from this author.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Mon Aug 11 00:00:00 EDT 2014
No text was provided for this review.
Overview
Set on the rugged, mountainous west coast of Mallorca, this taut, sultry, brilliantly paced novel is an urgent meditation on female desire, the vicissitudes of marriage and the allure of youth.
Taking place over the course of one week, The Lemon Grove lands in the heat of Deia, a village on an island off the southeast coast of Spain. Jenn and Greg are on their annual holiday to enjoy languorous, close afternoons by the pool, and relaxed ...