A middle aged woman f**king a 17 year old? What was this author thinking? Maybe maybe if he had been mid-20s, maybe. But no. I had to put it down after their first sexual encounter. ( )

Not a book for me ( )

A taboo sort of book, either you'll like/love it or you will hate it. I found it compelling and disturbing in equal measure. It's the sort of novel that your thoughts return to again and again. I tend to appreciate writing that makes me question the scandalous choices that people make whilst under the influence of the heat of a forbidden passion. None of the characters involved are particularly likeable and yet I had to know what the outcome would be. Riveting reading but disquieting and dysfunctional too. ( )

An interesting and easy read, I managed it in only a matter of a few hours. It captivated me in its descriptions, definitely felt like I was on holiday, however it could be a bit confusing at times and at times disappointing. ( )

In terms of atmosphere and mood, this book reminds me of two of my favorite contemporary novels, Francoise Sagan’s Bonjour Tristesse and Andre Aciman’s Call Me By Your Name. All three are deeply sensual tales of desire that take place during a summer holiday in a Mediterranean resort town. But while the Sagan and Aciman books are about of the first stirrings of teenaged lust, Helen Walsh’s The Lemon Grove is about the surprising re-awakening of sexual yearning in a middle-aged woman. And not only is she married, but the young man Jenn is attracted to is her daughter’s teenaged boyfriend, Nathan. Surprisingly, Nathan reciprocates her desire and pursues her relentlessly until they fall into an intense week long affair. All this while they share a villa in Majorca with her husband and daughter.

There’s so much more to this novel than just the story of a tawdry affair. Walsh excels in making palpable the sensual pleasures enjoyed by her characters – the heat of the sun, the brisk chill of the surf, the tannic taste of rich red wine, the saline bite of Spanish ham and of course, the thrilling touch of unfamiliar fingers on flesh – all come to life on the page. But she’s also a master story-teller in how little-by-little she reveals facts about Jenn and her relationships with her professor husband Greg and their daughter so that her behavior becomes more understandable, if not exactly acceptable. Plus there’s an element of suspense, as the reader is kept constantly on edge over whether Jenn and Nathan will get caught. But ultimately, this is the story about a marriage…and marriage, in general. How it can be either strengthened or constrained by familiarity and routine, oftentimes both at once. Although Jenn’s scenes with Nathan are certainly heart-racing (oh, did I mention the sex is pretty darned hot?), it’s the sedate moments between her and Greg, where they reminisce about their yearly holidays at the villa, that really resonate.

I hesitate to say too much because there were a few unexpected elements that might take some readers by surprise. But all in all, an enjoyable read that will appeal to women of a certain age. ( )