The Valencia Expat Club

Between 2012 and 2013, I lived in Valencia, Spain while pursuing my master’s degree. Someday I’ll live in Spain again, but until then, I’m always chasing that feeling through books. This led me straight to The Valencia Expat Club by June Patrick, set exactly in my “home” city.

Thirty-year-old Dahlia has just gotten divorced, and in an effort to rediscover herself and her mom’s Spanish family, she books a flight to Valencia. She’ll live there for a short while, reconnect with her family members, and get a marketing job for a local bar for expats. She may even fall for the bar’s owner, a fellow American named Liam, despite their long-buried history.

What I Liked:

• Bringing Valencia to life. I lived in this part of Spain for nearly a year, and in The Valencia Expat Club, I loved seeing my old haunts again. From the Ruzafa neighborhood where I rented an apartment to the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía that was the view from my college classrooms, I felt like I was back in Valencia. Everything else here felt so real too: the quirky buildings and centuries-old architecture, the delicious food, the hot summer weather, the friendly people… I could go on. Travel fiction should always feels this vivid.
• Starting over in a new place. Maybe it’s the nomad in me, but I always enjoy novels in which the main character decides to make a big move or travel somewhere new. Sometimes you meet a new part of yourself when you travel somewhere you’ve never been. Sometimes being slightly anonymous frees you from whatever has been holding you back. That’s true of Dahlia here, at least to a point. The question is whether she’ll choose to continue on this journey to this new side of herself.
• Another chance at love. Dahlia’s marriage might not have worked out, but that doesn’t mean she can’t find love again. It may even be with the man she once crushed on back in college; what a coincidence that Liam, of all people, also happens to live in Valencia now. They’re both a far way from San Francisco! Given how fresh Dahlia’s divorce is, she’s feeling vulnerable, unsure, and not entirely ready for whatever a romance with Liam might look like. There is a bit of drama near the end! But I enjoyed seeing them slowly open up to each other and give love a chance.
• Funny and real. This book is lighthearted and often hilarious, with riotous descriptions and observations. Dahlia may be going through a rough and transitional time in her life, but I liked seeing her (and her newfound friends) find the silver linings and joy. She feels like a real person on an unexpected adventure.

What Didn’t Work for Me:

• Sometimes it was a little too much. Early on, some descriptors felt overdone, like there was too much humor woven in. It also felt like paella was mentioned more than necessary (I know, it’s Spain’s flagship dish, but still!), and Dahlia is always drinking wine. It just got a bit repetitive at times and would have benefited from more variety: different foods, different social activities, and the like.

Final Thoughts

The Valencia Expat Club was exactly the kind of book this former Valencian needed to read. It’s full of heart, emotion, and adventure, and I enjoyed following Dahlia on her journey to rediscovering herself. I look forward to reading more from June Patrick, including The One Euro Fix and her Escapist Romance series.

Special thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy The Valencia Expat Club here – it’s available as a paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

The Valencia Expat Club by June Patrick
Audience	Adult
Genre	Contemporary Romance; Women’s Fiction
Setting	Valencia, Spain
Number of Pages	304
Format I Read	Ebook (NetGalley ARC)
Original Publication Date	June 2, 2026 (re-release)
Publisher	Atria Books

Official Summary

One Italian Summer meets Eat, Pray, Love in this heartwarming novel following a recent divorcee’s escape to Spain where delicious food, romantic adventures, and the transformative magic of starting over leads her to reconnect with family, forge new friendships, and rediscover herself.

Dahlia Delaney’s marriage just imploded, her friend group picked a side (not hers), and her fancy San Francisco life now fits into a single suitcase. Armed with a broken heart, a freelance marketing gig, and one blurry childhood memory of her abuela’s garden, she impulsively hops on a flight to Valencia, Spain, to reconnect with distant family—and maybe herself.

But Valencia isn’t just sunny plazas and sangria. There’s her chaotic new job at a quirky expat bar, a family she barely knows but who embrace her like she’s always belonged, and a brooding American bar owner who’s frustratingly attractive and entirely too familiar.

As Dahlia stumbles through language mishaps, clashing cultures, and late-night paella with new friends, she begins to realize that the fresh start she came for might turn into something even better—if she can let go of the life she planned and embrace the one unfolding around her.

Perfect for anyone who’s ever dreamed of starting over somewhere with better wine, The Valencia Expat Club is a sparkling, laugh-out-loud romantic escape about second chances, delicious detours, and finding home where you least expect it.