Published 7th May 2026 by Avon.
From the cover of the book:
A lost love. A devastating secret. And a summer that could change everything…
Two years on from her husband’s death, dressmaker Ellen is learning how to live again and put memories of a difficult marriage behind her.
However, never far from her mind is another memory: Alexandros, her first love from the summer she turned eighteen.
The moment she'd arrived in his hometown of Kardamyli in Greece, Ellen had been intoxicated by the scent of orange blossom in the air, the days of endless sunshine and sparkling azure waters – but most of all by Alexandros himself. They were meant to be, until a devastating secret forced Ellen to leave and never look back…
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Two years on from the death of her husband, dressmaker Ellen is at a crossroads. After years of being subjecting to horrific domestic abuse behind closed doors, it is becoming increasingly difficult to hide the truth when everyone assumes she must be grieving for John, a man who seemed a loving and attentive husband to outside eyes - especially from their son Tristan, and her best friend Penny.
Thoughts of her first love, Alexandros, who she met in his hometown of Kardamyli in Greece, during a long-ago holiday with Penny, have never left her. She cannot help but reflect on the future she might have had if her eighteen year old self had been allowed to live the life they planned - had they not been tragically parted by the knowledge of a secret she was forced to keep.
When Penny suggest revisiting their youthful selves by going back to Kardamyli for a much-needed holiday, Ellen is determined to use this as a chance to find her way back to the woman she once was... before all the secrets.
Emma Cowell does exactly what she does best in Beneath the Orange Blossom, her fifth spellbinding novel, taking you on an intensely emotional journey in beautiful Greece - this time through the eyes of Ellen, in Kardamyli.
Ellen is a woman whose life has been derailed by secrets. Torn away from her first love by the spiteful subterfuge of another, she only seems to her found herself tied to more misery through marriage to the wrong man. With complicated feelings about the past, and bound by the veneer of a supposedly happy marriage, we meet her in the moment she feels her spirit stirring within. It is time to reconnect with herself (and her friend Penny) by returning Kardamyli.
Greece comes alive in all its evocative glory through Ellen's eyes. She revels in her return to the place where she was once so full of expectation, but facing the past and taking charge of her own future makes her two week break rather less relaxing than planned. Pulled into village life a way she did not to expect, when her seamstress skills are required, she realises she does not know Penny as well as she thought. Painful recriminations, misunderstandings, and heartfelt confidences lead to friendship drama it seems impossible to recover from. And then, of course, there is a reunion with Alexandros that means facing up to more heart-breaking revelations.
Twists and turns keep you fully invested in the love story between Ellen and Alexandros, and the course of Ellen and Penny's friendship, with all the little pieces of the storylines coming together at just the right time to cleverly explore sensitive themes of damaging secrets, hidden scars, shame (especially the misplaced shame of women), female friendship, and the relationship between mothers and sons. All praise due for a well-written older female protagonist, and the sensitive way Cowell approaches the experiences of survivors of domestic abuse.
I adore the way Cowell weaves Greek mythology through her tales. Here she uses the prophetic, stitch-laden skills of The Fates to perfection, echoing their talents with the 'threads of life' in Ellen's own intuitive mastery of dressmaking as the story plays out. Beautifully done.
Snuggling up with an Emma Cowell book is always time well spent. I fully expected to shed tears over these characters, and she gave me ample opportunity to work through a box of tissues on the way to ending full of hope and second chances, tinged with sadness. There is something really touching about the way her women find common ground and understanding, and the little village of Kardamyli has the warm and welcoming community dreams are made of. Escapist gorgeousness to lose yourself in.
Beneath the Orange Blossom is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.
Thank you to Avon for sending me a proof of this book in return for an honest review.
About the author:
Emma is based in Greece with her husband, Tony who is also a writer. A former actress and BBC presenter, segueing from being paid to talk for a living into writing was a natural progression, since story telling has been at the heart of her career to date.
Outside of work, Emma is a keen angler and is attempting to improve her Greek language skills…..she is yet to achieve a level of proficiency outside of tavernas and bakeries.
But now, when her best friend suggests they recreate their teenage summer in Greece, Ellen knows it’s time to confront her past. Will Greece give her the freedom – and happiness – she desperately craves? And there, amidst the lush olive groves, could she rediscover the love she thought she’d lost forever?
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