A while ago, my favorite author Rena Rossi visited my city for the first time to present her new book. Of course, I didn't go unprepared. I had learned about it much earlier and I was already reading many positive comments about it. So, I met her at the Public bookstore in my city. A smiling, friendly, kind, and sweet woman with everyone. Her speech, the way she looked at you and spoke to you, was exactly what I imagined. I was confirmed about the image I had formed of her. She is exactly the person you create in your mind while reading her books. She is the definition of love.

So, I started reading "Stars in the Sand" with enthusiasm. The fact that once again I encountered a small excerpt from it in the first pages of the book made me smile. Mrs. Rossi knows very well how to capture our interest. I entered the spirit of her writing very early on as I had been away from reading books for a long time.

Reading "Stars in the Sand" and knowing that it is a true story made me think a lot. Is it possible for people to have such powerful life stories? I don't know if the whole book refers to the real story or if parts of it have been taken. However, I truly loved it. I traveled with Alexia to Hydra, Piraeus, Patras, Barcelona, Rome, Cyprus, and other areas, and I felt a multitude of emotions with them. Love, pain, excitement, anger, sorrow, disappointment... I experienced them all with Agathoniki, Maximus, Ionas, and my beloved Andreas. I got angry with Alexia's choices, I got annoyed with Maximus' behavior, I fell in love with Andreas' character, and I was surprised by Mr. Iakovos. Each one added their own touch to the whole story and significantly influenced the entire plot.

The book contained many enchanting descriptions, vivid narratives, and good dialogues. However, the characterization of the heroes was not easy. The reader becomes a judge of the actions of the characters. Because it is not particularly easy to remain objective in everything you read. You feel resentful, angry, and puzzled. But the best thing is to put yourself in the place of the heroes and try to understand them, to justify their behavior, their significant actions, and all those mistakes that each person in this story paid dearly for.

Mainly, two things disappointed me once again in Mrs. Rena's book. The large extent of the book and her insistence on creating heroes with blond hair and blue eyes. Regarding the first, I would prefer the book to have fewer pages, avoiding at some points the verbosity and repetitions. As for the second, I expected that in this book there might be heroes different from those we have encountered in other stories by the author, considering that most of Mrs. Rena's heroes in her books are almost identical in appearance.

Reading the last sentence of this book and closing it, I would like to have in front of me that elderly gentleman who narrated his life story to Rena. To witness his emotions and all those feelings that his past evokes in him up close. Deep down, I thank him for his confession to Rena. Because thanks to it, I traveled to magical places and experienced unfamiliar emotions for me.

"Stars in the Sand" is a powerful book that praises love in all its forms. It showcases the limits of humanity, celebrates maternal love, and prioritizes friendship as the ultimate good of mankind. It is a book worth reading a thousand times. Again and again. Until we all realize that all the stars in the sky are for everyone...

Stars: 9/10