I really loved this book! I was transported there! Sunshine and a beautiful setting teamed with summer love! Very uplifting!

First of all....I WANT TO GO TO GREECE NOW!! This read was very refreshing and when I found out it was her first novel, I was surprised! I loved the description of Greece and how beautiful it was. The characters in this book really added to the complete story. Each character was weaved into the story so well that it wouldn't be the same if you took one away. The love story was sweet but I truly appreciated seeing how Anna changed throughout the story gave me the most satisfaction. This was terrific escape read that I highly recommend.
Well done!!!

The Summer House in Santorini is a perfect beach read. Having just come back from a week in Greece it was the perfect book to stave off the holiday blues.

The book follows Anna. She’s not having the best of times with relationship, work and family issues. She ends up spending her summer on the beautiful island of Santorini not has to decide whether she wants to stay and make a life there or go back home to America.

This book is full of white washed buildings, blue domed roofs, perfect sunsets and of course gorgeous Greek men. It’s so descriptive you can almost imagine you’re walking along the streets with Anna.

Great characters and a story that you can totally immerse yourself in. I would give this book 4.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, One More Chapter and the author for the chance to review.

This was a beautiful summer romance on a Greek Island, what's not to like. When Anna finds out her father has left her sister, Lizzy, and her his summer home on Santorini Island she is at a crossroads. All she has ever wanted to be is a photographer. She works in the gallery of a famous photographer, hoping for her big break, but so far, nothing. She has just seen her boss and sometime lover with another woman and after confronting him, she tells him she is going to Greece. He unceremoniously fires her and she has no reason not to spend time in Greece. Her father left his family behind in the US when Anna was only five, so she has never met her grandparents and thinks she hates her deceased father. Can the allure of a Greek Island in summer, a handsome Greek man, her grandparents, a neglected cottage and her first true female friend change her mind about staying?

This was a sweet, new beginnings romance story with some family drama as well. When Anna heads off to Santorini, she is somewhat bitter, yet hopeful that she could fix up the summer house, sell it and use the money to live on while trying to become known in the photography world. She is also a bit insecure and afraid of relationships. Thinking her father abandoned her when she was five, has set the stage for her feelings about men, as inaccurate as the information from her mother may be. When she allowed herself to loosen up, we meet a new, loving, carefree Anna. This is the Anna I liked. I loved the characters of Niko and Elena. They supported Anna, became her friends and loved her. I was rooting for Niko to break through Anna's defenses so she could figure out what she wanted out of life, not what she thought she needed or deserved.

The setting was wonderful. Samantha Parks did a wonderful job with the descriptions of where they were and what they were seeing. I could almost visualize what they saw, even though I have never been to Greece. You can bet that it just moved up on my bucket list of places to go. Overall, this was a great summer story about love, new beginnings, taking chances and not always believing everything you are told about another person. I definitely recommend this story to anyone who enjoys a summer romance involving new beginnings. This is another one of those books that I could see being made into a Hallmark Movie that I would love to watch. Bravo.

Just by looking at the cover you get a sense of how this book will pan out. I lovely romance, set in idyllic surroundings....... I was not disappointed. This novel had it all. Great summer read.

Oh how disappointing it is to be drawn into what sounds like a perfect, escapist story, by the publisher’s blurb and then be so disappointed. The characters never came to life and I disliked Anna in particular, and could not get interested in her. I found her self absorbed and curiously insensitive to cultural differences and family loyalties. The story meandered and took ages to lead anywhere. Having visited Santorini several times, I was ready to be taken there and was sadly disappointed. The author did not create a viable picture of that wonderful island for me. The book needed a good edit and I’m afraid I got bored very quickly trying to wade through it. Goodreads September 24 2019

This was really well done. I got it from NetGalley complimentary. I liked the Greek characters. I didn’t love Anna but I could relate to her and liked her growth as a character. I really liked the plot and especially how the story ended. It went really nicely together

I was so excited to get an early review copy for this fantastic looking book. How beautiful is the cover. A perfect read to remind us of Summer.
With a failed relationship which is entangled with her career and a complicated relationship with her mother Anna needs a break and when an opportunity arrives to go to Santorini she decides to go. After a little reluctance at being there and not at all sure where life is going the beautiful scenery and warm summer rays might be reaching right into her very heart and pulling her into a new direction. Perhaps a certain hot Greek man might have something to do with it to.
Samantha Parks draws you into Anna's story and has you wondering whats going to happen throughout. This was an easy page turner I was hooked and loved it. I cannot wait for more from Samantha.

2,5 Stars

I solely read this book because I was on vacation on a small Greek island (albeit Kos, not Santorini) at the time. For this purpose - reading it while letting the Greek sun warming your skin and having the soft lapping of the waves as background music - it was ok. But sadly not much more.

The story was in various places illogical (Why did the father never tried to contact his daughters directly, as soon as they were old enough, for instance?), the love story seemed to me rather forced (Just because they are both single and at the same age they have to be madly in love? - And by the way, why was Nikos single to begin with if he is such a perfect guy?), Elena was telling Anna one day she should keep her hands off of Nikos if she is returning to NYC anyway, and the next day she is biting her head of for not returning Nikos feelings for her!, and Anna was by the end really getting on my nerves with her constant crying. The ex showing up for 10 minutes really did it for me then, that was just ridiculous, especially for the reason he came - absolut unrealistic!

I liked the parts about fixing up the little house, and where the author describes the little island in the Aegean Sea. Also, Anna's profession as a photographer was an interesting angle. The rest was just only ok, and the 'family secret' promised on the blurb isn't even one.

I have to admit, the cover of this story is what drew me in, initially. This is a wonderful story. This is the first book i've read by this author, and I can't wait to read another one.

The story of Anna, in Santorini to work on the house left to her and her sister by their father. They haven't seen him for years, but now it seems that all she thought she knew about her father was not the truth.
As she works on the hosue and makes new friends, will she end up staying, especially when Nikos becomes more than a friend?

Great book in a great setting.

Charming and authentically written, with well described locations, excellently detailed characters, with human ups and downs. I loved it from start to finish!! There were no perfect characters, they were filled with flaws and were open to change, love, new friendships and letting go of the past. Plus it was set in Santorini, Greece! Opa!

I would like to thank the author/publisher/Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was a really fun summer story! I loved that it had all the typical romantic elements without being too cheesy. Overall, a very enjoyable read.

I’ve read a few reviews about this book and they said it was a good beach book. I agree but the beach I want to go to is the one in the book. Anna was a bit predicable and so was her mother Grace. You knew right off the bat something was wrong with the whole Father cheated story and her boss was also predictable. Nickos was a great good guy bad guy. I really want to travel now and I don’t mean to New York or where every the hippie sister is living. Never did understand her whole role in the book.

I wasn't sure whether I would like this as it's not my usual type of read but I really liked it

Sometimes Anna annoyed me a bit as she held back from Nikos but I suppose she was worried about getting involved. Nikos is lovely and she was lucky to find him on that paradise island of Santorini. The summer house sounded wonderful and when it was finished, I would love to stay there.

I have never there to Santorini but the beautiful description of the island made me want to book a flight there now!

A truly relaxing summer read. I had not heard of Samantha Parks before but will definitely keep me eyes open for more of her books.

Thank you Net galley for sending me this copy

The Summer House in Santorini

Two things I love put together in one book, romance and travel. Based on the beautiful island of Greece, Santorini is a picture-perfect magical and the perfect place to fall in love. It is my absolute dream to be able to travel there and see the blue waters, the white houses and the blue rounded tops. It is a touching tale about reuniting with family and finding who you are.

When Anna finds out that her father who has been gone most of her life, leaves a house for her and her older sister in the beautiful island of Santorini, Anna travels to Greece to turn the old house into a brand new condo with an intention to sell it on the market and make some cash. But, as per usual, things do not always go to plan. Anna finds herself at crossroads when she is suddenly fired from her job after catching her boss in the act with his lover, determined for her life to change, she travels to Greece with a feeling of bitterness yet hope for things to change. Once arriving at the airport, she is introduced to a handsome and young Greek man called Nikolas who was sent by her grandparents to pick her up.

With the help of Nikolas and his cousin Elena, they slowly begin to fix up the worn-down cottage and transform into a beautiful new house ready to sell on the housing market. But as time passes, Anna slowly falls in love with the beautiful and charming town of Santorini, but that's not the only thing she is falling in love with.

The setting of the beautiful islands of Greece was wonderful and I'm now attempting to make travel plans to go to Greece. Even though as mentioned before I have never been to Greece, I could visualise the colourful rounded roofs and the washed out white buildings along the coast of the island. There are two elements of my favourite elements combined into this book, the love of travelling, and the love of romantic comedies and dramas. I could almost visualise this being made into a movie (which I would SOO be up to watch).

I also loved the characters in the book, especially Anna and how she developed her relationships overtime and allowed herself to open up to other people after the abandonment of her own father. I loved how she worked towards changed and how she learnt to accept others into her life.

This story overall is a light-hearted, romantic novel about taking chances, starting over and following your dream. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants a fun, relaxed and hopeless romantic summer book to read.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the AR

A delightful charming tale
The writing style is good and easy to follow
The characters are likeable and easy to relate to
This is a heartwarming engaging read. A perfect summer read

The Summer House is a very well written romance. Loved the plot and the Greek setting. I will definitely be reading more of this author’s books. Thanks to the publisher for my advance ebook. This is my unbiased review.

What's not to fall in love with in Santorini? Parks does a great job of setting the scene and surroundings in this lovely and heartfelt story.

Anna travels to the home of her absentee and deadbeat now deceased father to sort out the inheritance he left for Anna and her sister. A summer house, which is attached to the boundaries of the land of her grandparents. The houses and the people are unequivocally connected like invisible cords. Threads that are drawn through love and bonds.

As she discovers her love for the place and the people she also discovers some hard home truths about the tattered and destructive marriage of her parents. How she and her sister became the victims of their right fighting.

Parental alienation is a controversial topic, but also one that is getting more attention in the last few years. It destroys lives, childhoods and families. The majority of the time those relationships can't be fixed or salvaged. Luckily some manage to adjust and leave the past behind them to move forward with newly defined relationships.

This story shows the destruction, the pain and the gaping emotional holes that are the result of parental alienation. It's a beautiful emotional tale about love, coming to terms with the past and unresolved issues, and finding peace and happiness.

It's a romance, women's fiction and a charming contemporary read. Parks draws readers in with the essence of the people, the country, the food and the culture. Then in equal measures she mixes it together with the more tempered attitude of Brits abroad. The result is an enticing story, the perfect read for any time and in any place.

Such a sweet romance. The setting is gorgeous and so vivid, the characters are beautifully written, and the romance felt so natural and believable.. A definite beach read. Thank you Samantha Parks for this delightful book!