Every now and again, I find myself yearning to read a modern fairytale. Something involving a likable heroine getting whisked away somewhere exotic where she meets her handsome Prince Charming can be just plain fun. In His Forbidden Bride, Sara Craven has managed exactly that sort of fairytale and her story of finding love on a quiet Greek island is an entertaining read.

As the book opens, Englishwoman Zoe Lambert’s mother has just passed away after a long illness. Zoe, who’s taught school and nursed her mother ever since graduating university, is not sure what to do. She never planned to remain in her mother’s small town after her death, but since she will soon be evicted from her mother’s cottage, she needs to make plans quickly.

By chance, Zoe discovers some Greek legal documents among her mother’s things hinting of mysterious ties to the Greek island of Thania. Zoe decides to travel there in order to get away from all of the stressful situations she’s facing at home.

On Thania, Zoe goes to visit the Villa Danae, a place mentioned in her mother’s papers. While exploring the villa, Zoe meets the mysterious Andreas Stephanos, the caretaker of the property who takes a curious interest in Zoe almost from the moment he meets her. While Zoe is somewhat flustered by Andreas, she is also drawn to him and starts to spend more time in his company even though she knows that Andreas is keeping secrets from her.

While the twists and turns of this story are fairly conventional, Zoe and Andreas are both engaging characters who really make this book a delight. Though vulnerable, Zoe is no pushover and it’s not hard to see her as a young teacher on holiday. The mysterious Andreas is definitely an alpha male, but not overwhelmingly so, and, while he exudes an aura of power throughout the pages of this novel, it is never overdone.

Andreas’ pursuit of Zoe takes place in a series of flirtations that are wonderfully written. His flowery compliments are often over the top, yet there is something delightful about them and they seem to fit his character without seeming contrived. In addition, the main conflict arising between Zoe and Andreas is something that would be a real issue in any relationship. The handling of this situation is a tad melodramatic – especially toward the end – but it does not detract too much from the story.

While His Forbidden Bride does not break any new ground, it is a solid, entertaining modern fairytale. The characters are likable, the story is enjoyable – and and who wouldn’t want to be whisked away to the Greek islands, even if only for an afternoon?