Melissa is a divorce lawyer and will soon become a judge like her father. In the office, her colleagues say behind her back that she got the job thanks to her father's connections. They gossip about her problems with alcohol and mental health. Her boyfriend is not with her, she misses him terribly, but as a pilot he cannot afford to see her more often between flights.

One day she had another panic attack in the supermarket, after which her parents planned to send her to a clinic. Fortunately, she receives a letter from her aunt inviting her to the island. Her aunt Gabriella had been banned from the family long ago. Melissa decides to visit her aunt in the Azores, a Portuguese archipelago. Already at the airport he experiences shock. Aunt Gabrielle, her father's sister, is a hippie-looking woman who hugs and kisses her. Her family doesn't behave like that.

Mel’s next days on the island are not what she expected. Aunt Gabi planned Mel’s days with Carlos, a photographer with whom she will experience the beauty of the island and discover a life she never dreamed of.

Early in the book, Melissa's exhausted life in Lisbon turns into a fairy-tale life in the Azores. I was surprised how much I was interested in this book. I liked how the author weaved different characters into this story. I laughed with them when they chose Mel's meal at a restaurant for her to experience the taste of Saõ Miguel or when she wasn't allowed to buy alcohol. It was humorous and very uplifting.

The beautiful scenery of the island and the scene of sketching and photography transported me to a world of dreams and belonging. I even googled Kima, an Azorean passion fruit soft drink. And for the barnacles.

It is the story full of adventures, secrets, and rediscovery. The message I took away from this book is to never give up on your dreams. ( )