We meet Leah at one of the most shocking moments of her life so far – it’s the strangest moment to meet someone and to begin with you want to turn your face away – to shield any embarrassment of an extra onlooker from Leah – to give her a bit of privacy. But somehow, from the very first page – you just can’t. You care about this woman too much. You can’t turn your back on her, walk out the door- you want to stay and see what she does next. We have a bird’s eye view of what feels like a special story and we want to see our girl come out with a victory. We are the spectators of the show – and so we stay low, hunker down and silently will her on with every turn of the page.
The lines of a James Blunt song float through my mind, getting stronger and stronger, with every paragraph, every chapter, louder and louder with every line as we draw closer to Leah and her Bonfire heart. As we find out more about the intervening years between the moment of impact and where we pick up her story, we know that Leah is a fighter and the grin slowly, but ever so surely sweeps across our face.
And I’ve been looking at the stars
For a long, long time
I’ve been putting out fires
All my life


Days like these lead to...
Nights like this lead to
Love like ours.
You light the spark in my bonfire heart.
People like us—we don’t
Need that much, just some-
One that starts,
Starts the spark in our bonfire hearts

But who is the stranger of who her heart speaks? is there a lover that she silently seeks? Is it the love that she thought was of her life – Antonio? No, sadly he has only left her reeling, left her thinking that she is ‘lacking in some way’, he has not sparked her soul, he has not ignited a romantic passion, just a fierceness that turned her into a soul-shining survivor.
Leah’s future is ‘Rosie’ – she and her little lovely girl have taken one another’s hands and taken those baby steps forward – and surely the tight little team of two deserve themselves some happy.
‘Not all ruins are ancient’ muses Leah when she looks around a property on one of her travel tours- and the same can be said of our heroine. She feels like she has been living in the ruins of her past life, she feels pretty much like a shell of her former self, but we know, we just can see, that she has ‘a lot of redeeming features’ and we so want her to have more than one day in the sun.
Leah is full of positive energy – buoyed by the love of her parents and her greatest friends, both old and new. She lives her life and realises a true treasure along the way that ‘life can only be lived one day at a time, and its about making sure each one really matters.’ Leah leads her own life. She makes moves to step out of the ‘expectations that we feel are placed upon us.’ The Greek gods above ‘may throw a dice, their minds as cold as ice’ and the likes of us ‘way down here, may lose someone dear’ but Leah proves to us that the ‘game is on again, a lover or a friend?’ Who knows? Will the ‘Winner’ ‘take it all’. For me Leah is a true winner – she gets knocked down for sure – but she gets back up again, with an even stronger love for life in her heart, a greater zest and spring in her step and a passion for living. The ‘gods’ may have wanted to crush her spirit – but This Greek Affair turns the tables on those gods- and true love prevails.
Coffee Cup Conversations and Teapot Talking Points:
If you and I dear reader were sitting down together today, settled in at a table overlooking the Parthenon, having both read the book, here are a few of the points we could mull over together.
Did Leah’s story of survival resonate with any moments in your life?
I myself was encouraged by Leah’s example. It’s true that sometimes, as she says ‘it means letting go of one dream and chasing another’ I have had to do this. Only recently I was mourning that loss a little and feeling the pinch of pain as the embers of a dream finally seemed to go out. But Leah doesn’t lay down and die- she keeps up her fight, she accepts that life is about change, but she keeps on chasing her arrow. Life can change – in the blink of an eye – in a telephone call – but Leah’s story is ultimately one of hope – corners can be turned - Life can suddenly change for the better too – 24 little hours can bring good news as well as bad.
Is there a song that stokes your heart and helps to fire up your fight song?
Music can change our mood quicker than almost anything else. Is there a song that you listen to that instantly perks you up, turns you around and turns you into a true blue version of yourself? For me most songs by ABBA will have that effect. I can’t sing Super Trouper and not strike a power pose – you simply can’t be blue when there are some strains of ‘YOUR’ song coming through. Why not make a pep you up playlist to carry you into the new year.
What makes your soul shine?
Leah creates a profession for herself as a travel blogger. I enjoyed taking a sabbatical year, a year of living creatively last year. I absolutely loved finding out for sure what really made me tick and what really mattered to me. We honestly only get one life and NOW is now – it’s a gift – that’s why it’s called the present! So I truly believe that we can and must reimagine our lives so that we are living out as much of our inner essence and our creative self as we can – whether that is letting the light in on an old hobby or finding and exploring something new. Igniting our souls is what makes us feel truly alive. There is literally no point climbing the ladder, if it is against the wrong wall! Not all changes have to be huge – it’s the little baby steps towards living out our true selves that can make us feel really and truly the best.

This book attracted me when I saw the word blogger. Being a blogger myself, I could understand a bit how Leah feels as a blogger and what are her duties even tho my blogging is much different than hers. Seriously, if I was travelling a lot, I would probably make a blog about it. Leah, to me, is amazing character. She is really a strong woman and I admire her for everything that she went through and still find a power to go through everything.

Fast becoming one of my favourite authors, I loved this book from the first page. The truly modern setting of the life of a blogger was something I could relate to and made me want to restart my own various failed attempts. The travel settings were beautifully described and you could really imagine being there, and the characters felt so real that you were rooting for them throughout. Even the kids were lovable without being annoyingly cute. I do however have a couple of reservations. Whilst her narrative is excellent, much of the dialogue felt unnatural, speaking in very long paragraphs that felt scripted, especially from Daniel. And one minor point that grated (editing or proofreading error?). If her ex-husband has more children they'd be half siblings not step-siblings

Truly enjoyed this story. Loved the characters and the locations. Thank you Linn B. Halton for this wonderful book. Can't wait to read more from this author.

Linn B. Halton has an uncanny ability to transport to you the places that she is describing! Athens was brought to life in such a beautiful way, she made it so easy for me to recollect my memories from being in Athens and it brought back the same awe-inspiring feelings that I first had.

However, I did find the book a little slow and upon reflection this matched Leah and Daniel’s relationship! I did enjoy that their relationship was well thought out and rather ‘adult’ – while there was instant attraction, there was also the realization that this wasn’t something that they could jump into straight away for the sake of themselves and their respective daughters. I appreciated that while they also took risks for each other, they both worked on themselves before deciding if they could commit to a relationship and therefore they could come in as whole people rather than with things that could irretrievably break down their relationship later.

After all that Leah has been through she really does deserve a break – this book is filled with not only wonderful scenery but wonderful friendships too!

A Greek Affair is a lovely story of second chances and hope. The setting of Greece is a refreshing change from the majority of stories I've read lately. It's a beautiful destination for a new romance. The main characters are very likeable relatable and charming. The plot is engaging and sweet and has all the feels. A heart warming story for cold weather. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book will transport you to sunny climates!!

Leah is a travel blogger and she gets to travel to some amazing destinations with her job . She is a single mother to 9 year old Rosie , and has struggled after her husband abandoned her leaving her with huge debts and a broken heart.

Leah has very supportive parents and has decided to put her daughter first unintentionally building a wall around herself to protect them both.

While on a cruise she becomes friends with Harrison who has issues of his own. Their friendship helped them both confront things they had kept hidden and allowed them to move ahead in their lives.

While in Greece Leah meets Daniel who is single with a young daughter as well. Their instant attraction is a surprise to them both but will the baggage they each carry come in the way of their future happiness? Or will love overcome all?

I loved the characters and locations in this book. The authors descriptions made me want to go immediately to my travel agents and book a holiday.

This is not normally my genre of book but I found it a refreshing change and it was definitely an easy feel good read .

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for my chance to read this enchanting story.

I love almost any book that takes place in Greece, especially when I'm reading the book in January. Since I live in the Midwestern U.S., this book gave me a warm reprieve from shoveling mounds of snow in below zero temperatures. For a little while, I was wandering around the Parthenon and exploring the other sites of Athens with Leah -- the heroine, and Daniel -- the hero and their two daughters.

The story is about Leah, a travel blogger who was able to make a life for herself and her daughter Rosie after her husband suddenly left one day, leaving her with mounds of unpaid bills and a mortgage that would soon go into foreclosure. Leah digs herself out by developing a travel blog that becomes very popular, especially after she wins a prestigious award for it. She is hired to do a piece on a hotel in Athens, so she and Rosie travel there. They meet Daniel, also a single parent, with a daughter about the same age as Rosie. A relationship develops between Daniel and Leah, but they fight it, thinking they could never make it work since they live so far apart and are still dealing with the demons of marriages gone bad. Plus, Daniel has a major health issue and feels it isn't right to burden Leah with it.

The book is wonderfully realistic, dealing with issues that plague many single parents who yearn for a relationship yet must also consider what is best for their children from previous marriages. The author--Linn B. Halton--brings us along as Leah learns to trust a man again, and she and Daniel face the challenges of blending two families, especially when the two families live in different countries.

If you're looking for a good book that takes you on a trip to Athens, Greece, and a journey of the heart between two people, I recommend this book!

Wow! Congratulations to Linn B Halton for writing a fabulous feel good story. This is my first book that I have read by Linn Halton, now I've found an author that holds my attention I'm going to read more books by Linn. I was totally amazed at by story as it was really quite a believable story. What the novel did for me personally it gave me a touch of escape with added glamour. Wake me up I must dreaming was one of my favourite chapters, but the whole of the book was so brilliant I have to add Wake Me up I must be dreaming! The queen of day time TV presents an award at the annual Travellers Abroad industry gala evening. Leah who was a freelance photographer added to her blog her very own holiday photographs. Any award as you can imagine is an extremely precious award for the winner. Leah is sure that someone she knows will win The Sun's Seeker's guide to happy Holidays. So who will be lucky holiday blogger to win the the award? I hope any of you that have put A Greek Affair on your to read list, find some time to read it.

5☆ An Uplifting Read that Transports you to Stunning Locations!

A Greek Affair is a beautifully compelling read about starting over, finding love, Friendship, family and some gorgeous locations.
The perfect book to get lost in, especially on a cold winters day.

The opening to this book had me stunned.
Leah's husband leaves her without so much as a note, not only does he leave their very young and adorable daughter Rosie, but he leaves her in a mountain of debt, for another women! That was a shocker!

But Leah picks herself up and moves on, with daughter Rosie by her side!

Leah is a Travel Blogger her blog is called The Sun Seeker’s Guide to a Happy Holiday.’
and she has just won a prestigious award for Top Travel Blog. Gaining her blog lots more coverage and reputation.
Rosie now 9years old also features on Leah's Blog. She has her own feature for children going on holiday and what they should pack.

Leah gets to travel alot to stunning destinations whilst reviewing everything the hotel/cruise etc.. offer.

It's on these fabulous trips she meets some amazing people.
Harrison melted my heart how he took her under his wing on the cruise, they shared intimate secrets, but in turn helped each other heal. A true gent!

Then there was Daniel, who she meets in Greece. Who also takes a shine to Leah taking her on tour.
But can he get the one thing Leah isn't so sure about sharing..... her heart?

Oh my I could go on and on this book is so Amazing!
Linn whisked me away to some stunning locations, which pleased me no end as I'm feeling pretty ill right now!
Just the Tonic I needed!

For me Rosie stole the show. She is an absolute delight. So level headed and grown up. A joy to get to know.
Leah is an inspiration!
Anyone who writes a blog will be able to relate to Leah's hard Work and passion she puts into making her blog special and Rosie's section won it for me. Such a fantastic idea, to do something fun with your children.

A Greek Affair is a wonderfully charming, uplifting and compelling read, that left me feeling warm inside.
The plot is an entertaining mix of drama, Romance, Humour, wit and Emotion about Learning to Love again, Friendship, Family, Starting Over and Travel.
The Characters are all strong, likeable and very relatable.
I love how much little detail and knowledge Linn has put in to make this book extra special, particularly the descriptive travel locations.

So if you are looking to be whisked away to somewhere hot, that's filled with romance and loveable characters then you definitely need to read A Greek Affair.

Thank you to Rachel Random Resources for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

This is a light hearted and engaging romance which I enjoyed. The Greek setting was well described and I enjoyed Leah and Daniel's story.

In A Greek Affair, we follow travel blogger, Leah as she finally gets her big break, able to commit to doing what she loves full time, with her young daughter, Rosie in tow. On a cruise, Leah meets Harrison, who becomes a good friend and confidant, who helps her realize she must come to terms with her past before she can move on with her future. In Greece, Leah meets Daniel. As the two form a relationship, each must decide if the time is right for them to be together. Along the way. Leah also has her best friend and her parents to help her manage it all.
While the writing was good, and the descriptions of the various travel sights were enjoyable, I liked the first half of the story better than the second. There was too much back and forth of emotions with the characters for my liking and I felt the story jumped around at points. Contrary to the 4+ star reviews, I thought the book was ok. 3/5 stars.
Note: I received this book from NetGalley and HarperImpulse for free in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a great little feel-good kind of book and was a perfect read for over Christmas! What immediately made me want to read this book was the fact it was set in Greece as well as following the life of a single mom travel blogger, because let’s be honest how great is it to fantasise about being paid to travel to new and exotic places with a little bit of romance thrown in for good measure!

The story follows Leah and her daughter Rosie as they navigate their new world as such after winning a travel blogger award. The story itself did not start of how I was expecting and carried on very much it’s own path throughout the book, which is great, as you never completely know the direction it will go. In regards to the characters, you really got a sense of Leah and her struggles and it was great for all the ways it was able to really include Rosie as well. You really did end up rooting for these characters. There are a few what I like to call bonus characters as well, which really help to spice up the story. I did feel like the entire story had a satisfying ending and concluded all of the stories I wanted concluding.

I also really enjoyed the writing itself as it had some truly great descriptions of Athens and Greece which of course just really makes me want to go and visit. Maybe next year New Zealand is a little too far to pop over for a quick visit!

Rating: 4/5

Would I read again: Yes

Would I Recommend: Yes

Would I read another book from this author: Yes

An interesting read which is emotional at times.

The main characters are likeable and you want everything to work out for them.

I loved the descriptions of the places, it makes me want to book a flight to Greece now!

An interesting book about Leah, a travel blogger and her daughter Rosie. As part of her job she goes on a cruise and meets Harrison who becomes a very good friend. He's also gay and struggling to tell his parents this.
In Greece again as part of her job, she meets Daniel who is staying at a villa that she reviews in Athens. She falls for Daniel and the romance is complicated, partially due to the distances involved.
A highly recommended book, well worth reading. Thanks to Netgalley for an Arc.

I think I've been reading Linn B Halton's books for as long as I've been blogging and I'm a huge fan of her work! For me, she's one of those writers that gets inside your head and heart with her writing and grabs your imagination. A Greek Affair carries on her tradition of writing brilliant books.

Leah is a single mother. She's spent years rebuilding a life for her and her daughter Rosie after the ultimate betrayal from her husband. Left among the ruins of her marriage is her ability to trust and to move forward and look for love. Her sole focus has become ensuring she and Rosie have the best life possible and that her travel blog becomes a success. Winning a prestigious award ensures that finally life is good and Leah can breathe a bit easier and not worry so much about finances. But, can she begin to open her heart to the possibility of love. She's pretty much resigned herself to being single forever. However, an opportunity to review a cruise ship provides an unexpected treat...............she meets a lovely guy called Harrison and the two become firm friends, advising one another on how to move forward with their lives. Harrison too is to embark on a new phase in his life, but like Leah is afraid. The pair support one another and when Leah and Rosie go to Greece to review a hotel, Leah needs Harrison's friendship and guidance even more when she meets someone. Will this gorgeous new stranger be able to mend Leah's already fractured heart or will he cause her even more heartache? Leah has so much to consider, and at the heart of it all she has to be sure that whatever she does will be whats best not only for her but for Rosie too.

This is a wonderful story told in Linn B Halton's wonderful writing style. Her descriptions of Greece had me transported to a place I've never actually visited. I could almost feel the sun beating down on my face and taste some of the lovely food. The characters in the book have real depth and little Rosie was just wonderful. Leah's feelings of heartbreak, indecision and worry were all too palpable and really well portrayed and something I could definitely relate to. This is a beautiful story about starting again. It's about friendships, old and new and forgiveness. It's about finding the courage to stop blaming yourself and to be brave and move forward even if it means things might not work out. Ultimately its about taking a leap of faith. I loved it and its up there with my list of highly recommended reads.

I can always rely on Linn B Halton for vividly described locations – making Leah a travel blogger was rather inspired! – and if you’ve never visited Athens you’ll feel as if you’ve explored all the sites yourself when you reach the end of this book. I haven’t visited in many years, and I thoroughly enjoyed my tour.

But there’s a great deal more to this book than the Greek settings – it’s a great story about resilience, recovery and hope for the future, with more than a touch of the power of friendship, family and relationship issues, and the damage that can be caused by the keeping of secrets. The friendship thread was one I particularly enjoyed – something a little different, and I really warmed to Harrison as he wrestled with his issues. The family problems were well-handled too, with real threat and tension about their outcome.

I will admit that the book took me in a slightly different direction from the path I expected, but that was just fine. I did struggle a little with the big romance though, mostly because he didn’t completely win me over – but perhaps it’s the sign of a particularly good book when you have total belief in its very real characters but don’t always agree with their actions and choices.

As always, the writing is excellent – the author has a real gift for characterisation, and I particularly like the naturalness of the dialogue. These are real people, wrestling with very real personal issues, but the whole book is infused with warmth and kissed by sunshine.

For Leah, the last seven years have been hard. After her ex betrayed her in the worst possible way. She ignored her pain and used her anger to make sure her daughter was emotionally and materially secure. Winning a prestigious travel blogger award means she now has choices, and a blogging trip to Greece shows her she is more than a mother, but can she risk her heart and her daughter's emotional safety on another man? 

I like the originality of this story, The settings are interesting and vibrant. Harrison is a surprising character but proves important in Leah's rebuilding of her self esteem and emotional health.

Daniel and Leah feel an instant attraction when they meet, but their road to happiness is fraught with conflict and both need to find the courage to achieve the happy ever after they both long for.

That's not all, the conflicts keep on coming, just like real life, but Leah's bravery and love help her make the right decisions for Rosie, her daughter, and ultimately herself.

I don't see this as an escapist read, it's too full of emotion, real-life conflict and experiences, but it is so worth reading. 

I received a copy of this book from Harper Impulse via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I was lucky enough to be provided with a copy of 'A Greek Affair' in exchange for an honest review.

I honestly can not rate this book highly enough, I was engrossed from line one. The writing flowed wonderfully and the likeable characters just made it a really pleasant, easy read. I must admit that the title was what immediately drew me towards this book - I have a mild obsession with Greece. So the setting (which I already knew would be magical) did not disappoint.

The story begins with Leah, she's acknowledged her marriage is not flowing too smoothly so she plans to sit down with her husband Antonio, after she's put their two year old daughter to bed. Only to be greeted by a mountain of unpaid bills and all of his possessions removed from the house. Her world immediately comes crashing down.

Fast forward seven years and Leah has turned her life around - She is finally out of the crippling debt she was left in and she's just won a prestigious blogging award, for her job as a travel blogger (DREAM!!) Which immediately opens up lots of new opportunities - including two fast approaching holidays for her to go on to write reviews about. She travels mostly with her daughter Rosie (9) who is such a sassy, intelligent character who certainly gives this book another heart tugging dimension.

Throughout the story you are introduced to many different characters, and they're so likeable I found myself rooting for each and every one of them (minus Antonio - dirtbag!) they all seem to be keeping their own secrets - which they soon realise can only be resolved by having EACH OTHER help them through.

I particularly enjoyed Leah's relationship with Harrison - her new best friend who quickly becomes her own rock, all while she is supporting him through his own dilemmas.

I don't want to give too many spoilers away so I am not going to go through what happens, but I am going to advise you to get a copy of this ASAP. Be prepared to be swept off your feet with a magical gooey romance, and have an intense desire to book your own Greek escape.

Quote of the book: Our own imaginations can conjure up greater demons than often exist in real life. (My new feature thanks to this book)

Overall: 5***** - I was hooked from the very first page, a compelling romance that leaves you wanting more.. and more! Easy recommendation for someone looking for a gooey love story - with a LOT of drama.

I have been sitting on this feeling from the moment I read it in the book, so bear with me whilst I just put this straight out there:

OMG LEAH'S EX IS AN ABSOLUTE END OF A BELL AND A COCKEREL OF THE BANKER WITH A W, VARIETY!!!!!!

-breathes-. Sorry. Who the heck does that?!?! Well, clearly he did but geez. I would say that I have no words but clearly I had a few above ha!!

I'm glad to have gotten that off my chest. So. Leah has tried her best to make a wonderful life for herself and her little girl, so much so, she ends up winning a travel blogger award! If Leah thought that she was busy before the win, she had no idea just how much has blog would blow up after the win. As weird as this sounds, I was so proud of her and what she had achieved whilst also bringing up her little girl herself. Yeah there were times where Leah felt like she couldn't cope, but she kept going because she wasn't going to be the second parent to walk out of her daughters life.

Like most, if not all, Linn.B.Halton's novels, there is a man involved in this storyline, one which Leah ends up meeting unintentionally and finds that her world gets shaken up quicker than James Bond's martini.

I adore Linn.B.Halton's delectable storylines, and 'A Greek Affair' certainly was no different. Each of the characters were written from the heart, with so much care being taken as they were being created and their lives being built. I will admit that there was a character who left a sour taste in my mouth, aside from the god awful ex that is. Look, I was so happy for Leah, but there was something about the man who stole her heart which left me feeling nervous. Hopefully I don't give anything away here, but the way he was so indecisive, needing to be convinced that Leah was the right way forward made me feel like he was being fake. You shouldn't have to convince someone to be with you or make time for you. I wholeheartedly understand that he had his own personal issues, but he seemed to say one thing yet do something completely different, before changing his mind altogether.

Personally, I thought that the story was brilliantly written and I loved having such a strong, empowering woman as the main character. That said, I do think that the round-up, latter section of the novel wasn't on par with the rest of the book due to the man in question. I actually think that 'A Greek Affair' could have come to a perfect conclusion whether he was there or not - his fakery annoyed me and I knew that Leah was far better than that.

Overall, 'A Greek Affair' left my heart cosy and my giggles exercised. A lovely, lovely, up-lifting novel, perfect for empowering readers everywhere.