In An Accidental Odyssey, K.C. Dyer (Finding Fraser; 80 Days to Elsewhere) has created a sunny romance that retraces the journey of Odysseus across the Mediterranean. As it begins, Gia Kostas is a bit depressed that her internship as a food writer has just ended. On the other hand, her wedding to wealthy publishing scion Anthony Hearst is just three months away. The pandemic seems to be mostly over, New York City is returning to normal, and Anthony and Gia are planning an extravagant wedding.
But then Gia's dad, professor Aristotle Kostas, whom she hasn't spent much time with since her parents' divorce, has a ministroke. Extremely stubborn, he checks himself out of the hospital and vanishes, leaving behind the medicine he's supposed to take. Gia impulsively grabs it, and hops on a plane to Greece in pursuit of him, much to Anthony's irritation. But as she joins his quest to find Odysseus's exact travel route, Gia is enjoying getting to know her father better. And the fact that her father's handsome colleague, Dr. Raj Malik, accompanies them for part of the journey definitely doesn't hurt.
An Accidental Odyssey is lighthearted but also mindful of how the pandemic cost many lives and drastically affected tourism in Greece. It neatly balances romance and current reality. As Gia and her dad get to know each other and learn more about themselves, Gia realizes that she's much more capable than she thought. Atmospheric and full of luscious food descriptions, this novel is a perfect way to armchair travel. --Jessica Howard, bookseller at Bookmans, Flagstaff, Ariz.