A novel inspired by Little Women, set around MANCHESTER
Ten Great Books set in IBIZA
17th June 2025
Ten Great Books set on Ibiza. Ibiza, one of Spain’s Balearic Islands, is a renowned Mediterranean destination celebrated for its vibrant contrasts. Globally famous for its legendary nightlife and electronic dance music scene, attracting throngs of partygoers during summer, it also offers a tranquil side with pristine beaches, secluded coves, and breathtaking sunsets.
Beyond the pulsating beats, Ibiza boasts a rich cultural heritage. Its capital, Ibiza Town, features the UNESCO World Heritage site of Dalt Vila – a remarkably preserved fortified old town with narrow streets, historic architecture, and panoramic views.
Here are ten of our favourite books set in the island>
Mucho Caliente by Francesca Prescott
Thirty-seven year old Gemma hadn’t reckoned on being seated next to Latino heartthrob Emilio Caliente on the flight to Ibiza. She’s bravely dismissed her cheating husband’s generous divorce settlement, opting instead for a creatively satisfying, financially independent, bohemian lifestyle on a Spanish island in the sun. Falling in love with a pop music superstar eight years her junior was definitely not part of her plan. Common sense dictates staying away from Emilio Caliente and his cinnamon kisses: his life is in turmoil, his latest single has bombed, the press want to see him naked and his hellacious manager seems increasingly deranged. But surely the chain of extraordinary events that insists on bringing them together is proof that love is oblivious to common sense? Does Gemma dare follow her heart and wish upon a pop star without undermining everything else she set out to achieve?
Girl Friends by Alex Dahl
You think you met her by chance.
You’re wrong.
Charlotte has it all: the successful career, the loving family. But, secretly, she is dangerously bored of her rigid and structured life.
Bianka is a free spirit, always the life and soul. When she and Charlotte meet, it feels like fate – Bianka is exactly the person that Charlotte needs.
When they escape to Ibiza for a girls’ trip, home is soon forgotten. Charlotte dives head first into a life that is looser, wilder. But the holiday soon spirals out of control with fatal consequences – someone doesn’t return home.
Charlotte soon regrets ever breaking out of her carefully constructed routine. And as the aftermath of the trip ricochets disastrously through her life, she wonders whether meeting Bianka was really an accident – or something much more calculated . . .
Lost in Ibiza by Rebecca Frayn
On her twenty-first birthday, environmental activist Alice learns that the man who has raised her is not her father after all. She is surprised to learn that her biological father, William, is a property developer based in Ibiza, where he is immersed in a huge deal that will further increase his wealth.
Alice and William meet for the first time in Ibiza, inadvertently finding themselves on a road trip across the island, unravelling secrets from the past and glimpses of the future as they go.
Seen from the perspective of four characters with widely divergent world views, Lost in Ibiza offers an intimate meditation on family dynamics, set against the larger canvas of an island utopia that teeters on the brink of environmental catastrophe.
The White Island by Stephen Armstrong
The White Island is, and always has been, a magnet for hedonists. Its history reads like a history of pleasure itself. It is also a story of invasions and migrations, of artists and conmen, of drop-outs and love-ins.
The Carthaginians established a cult to their goddess of sex there, and named the island after Bez, their god of dance. Roman centurions in need of a bit of down time between campaigns would go to Ibiza to get their kicks. And over the centuries, cultures around the Med have used the island either as a playground or a dump for the kind of people who didn’t quite fit in back home, but who you’d probably quite like to meet at a party…
This is the history of Ibiza, the fantasy island, framed by one long, golden summer where anything can happen – and it usually does.
Hits Different by Tasha Ghouri and Lizzie Huxley-Jones
Cassie needs a change.
She’s in a job she hates, dating a guy who couldn’t care less about her, and secretly dreaming of making her dance ambitions a reality. But that’s all they are, dreams. Because no way could she actually do it . . . right?
But then an opportunity to dance on tour with a global superstar presents itself and Cassie decides to give it a shot. Jetting off for a hot summer in Ibiza, her dreams seem closer than ever, and so does real love. Levi, the guy she keeps bumping into, sees and uplifts her in a way no one else ever has. If only Cassie could believe in herself like he does, she might find that life hits different when you learn to love yourself first . . .
Is Harry on the Boat by Colin Butts
You arrive at the airport to be greeted by a sun-tanned clipboard bearer, there to make your dream holiday come true. But behind the smiles, the badge and the suspect command of the native lingo, what really goes on? Are they a happy, celibate team working for the benefit of their clients, or are they at each other’s throats to get their share of backhanders, drugs and sleeping with holidaymakers (or each other!)? Exactly how low is resort manager Alison prepared to go to maximise her cash gains in her last season, and how low is first-year rep and none-too-bright former male model Mario prepared to go to win the infamous ‘Competition’? Which reps will Alison get rid of? Shy Lorraine? Mickey, the first ever black rep? The clubbing-mad and girl-crazy Scouse Greg? Or will it be Brad, as we follow him from bedroom to beach, stumbling across company ‘business’ that he shouldn’t?
Birdcatcher by Gayl Jones
‘I am living on the white-washed island of Ibiza with my friend Catherine Shuger, a sculptor who has been declared legally insane, and her husband, Ernest. Standing on the terrace, sheltered in the smell of oranges and eucalyptus, washed in sunlight, you’d swear this was a paradise. But to tell the truth the place is full of dangers. You see, Catherine sometimes tries to kill her husband. It has been this way for years . . .’
‘My name’s Amanda Wordlaw. Wonderful name for a writer, isn’t it? . . . I guess I’m sort of a choice companion for the Shugers – professional watcher and listener that I am. It’s like they need someone else to witness the shit, the spectacle they make of themselves.’
The new novel from a major voice in American literature – exploring artists in exile, dangerous relationships and the demands of creativity.
The Birthday Reunion by Claire Seeber
Four friends. One dream getaway. But who will make it out alive?
When the gold-rimmed invitations arrive through the doors of best friends Simone, Hannah and Vicky they’re instantly taken aback. Their ex-friend Jodie is inviting them to a lavish Mediterranean villa to celebrate her birthday. They haven’t spoken in years since she betrayed them in the worst way. So how did they make the guest list?
They all have their reasons for saying yes. Stay-at-home mum Simone had her dream job snatched away. Hannah lost the love of her life. Café-owner Vicky wants the chance to help a wronged friend. Is the reunion a chance to confront Jodie and the past once and for all?
Arriving at a villa that looks straight out of a movie set, the friends relax by the sumptuous pool as they wait for the other guests to arrive. But as the chilled wine is poured and the three friends reminisce, they see Jodie walking towards them with a look of shock on her face.
Because Jodie didn’t invite them here.
But by the end of the weekend it will become clear who did. Someone else has a reason for revenge. Who will make it out alive?
The Life Impossible by Matt Haig
What looks like magic is simply a part of life we don’t understand yet . . . When retired Maths teacher Grace is left a run-down house on a Mediterranean island by a long-lost friend, curiosity gets the better of her. She arrives in Ibiza with a one-way ticket, no guidebook and no plan. Among the rugged hills and golden beaches of the Balearics, Grace searches for answers about her friend’s life, and how it ended. What she uncovers is stranger than she could have dreamed. But to dive into this impossible truth, Grace must first come to terms with her past. Filled with wonder and wild adventure, this is a story of hope and the life-changing power of a new beginning.
White Villa by Emily Hourican
What happens when you invite an outsider in?
It was supposed to be the holiday of a lifetime – a luxury villa in Ibiza, a group of university friends, and their last chance to cut loose before embarking on their serious adult lives.
But when when one of the group invites an outsider, the aloof and beautiful Natasha, tensions begin to simmer.
The days pass amid the sweltering rays, and dissolve into wild, humid nights. And Natasha seems bent upon a path of destruction, leading her to Jennifer’s boyfriend, Todd – while Jennifer and the rest of the group look on . . .
Then, one hazy afternoon, paradise is shattered.
Ten years later, the friends reunite. Will what happened that afternoon at White Villa now destroy the lives and facades they have so carefully built?
Enjoy our selection of books set on Ibiza!
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