An Accidental Odyssey

kc dyer

Dec 2021 · An Exlibris Adventure Book 2 · Sold by Penguin

About this eBook

An unexpected phone call derails a young woman's wedding plans and sparks an epic adventure around the modern-day Mediterranean in this “mouth-watering voyage” (Kirkus Reviews) of a novel by kc dyer.

Gianna Kostas is on the cusp of a fairy-tale life. Sure, she's just lost her job, but she's about to marry one of New York's most eligible bachelors. On her way to taste wedding cakes, though, things go sideways. Shocking news sends Gia off on a wild journey halfway around the world in pursuit of her ailing—and nearly estranged—father.

In Athens, she learns Dr. Kostas, a classics professor, is determined to retrace Odysseus's famous voyage. This is a journey her father is in no condition to take alone, so Gia faces a tough decision. When an unexpected job offer helps seal the deal and quash the guilt Gia feels from her disapproving groom-to-be, the journey is on. But as Gia adventures—and eats—her way around the Mediterranean, she discovers that confronting epic storms and ripped surfer dudes might be the easy part.

Along the way, as she uncovers family secrets, finds heartbreak, and learns more about a certain archaeologist with a mysterious past of his own, Gia discovers that fairy-tale endings might be messy and complicated, but they can happen anywhere.

Ratings and reviews

An Accidental Odyssey, by kc dyer, book two in her ExLibris Adventure series, takes the reader on an unexpected journey, a journey of finding oneself, a journey of reconnecting with a parent, and a journey of finding real love. Gianna, “Gia”, Kostas has a complicated relationship with her professor father, Aristotle, who has been away much of her life; busy with his numerous women and other children. Her folks are divorced but her dad is trying to reach out to Gia a bit more. He refuses to let a health scare keep him from going on a journey to his Greek homeland to prove a theory he has about Homer and the Odyssey. Gia realizes he left the hospital without his medication and impulsively follows him; leaving her controlling fiancé to deal with their rushed marriage plans and a business launch on his own. What follows is a wild adventure across the Mediterranean, with Gia joining her father in his discoveries, and getting approval to write a daily food blog on Mediterranean food in all the countries they are visiting. Along the way she meets an interesting assortment of people, including Dr. Raj Malik, an archaeologist, who has been workings closely with her father. Of course, Gia finds herself attracted to Raj, as he is to her; but she is still trying to keep her relationship with her fiancée; even though she doesn’t like his overall dominance and control. Gia learns there is more to her father than she knew, as well as both are surprised to uncover a shocking family secret; that changes everything. As Gia comes into her own as a daughter and writer, she begins to question her future. I loved the connection between Gia and Raj and did care for Gia’s fiancé, Anthony; a controlling, lying, cheat. An Accidental Odyssey offers a wonderful escape during these times of little travel with vivid imagery of the cities they traveled to in Greece and Italy, and mouth watering descriptions of the delicious food they ate. There is a sprinkle of romance involved but the heart of this story is the relationship between Gia and her father. Their relationship is portrayed realistically, with them both making mistakes and getting frustrated with the other, while still loving each other at the end of the day. I highly recommend An Accidental Odyssey to other readers. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

About the author

kc dyer resides in the wilds of British Columbia where she likes to walk in the woods and write books for teens and adults. Before An Accidental Odyssey, her most recent novels for adults were Eighty Days to Elsewhere and Finding Fraser, both romantic comedies published by Berkley. For teens, kc's most recent work is Facing Fire, a sequel to the acclaimed novel, A Walk Through a Window, published by Doubleday.