What a great novel that was!
The characters were really strong and the storyline was excellent!
Highly recommend this!

When I first discovered Sandy’s books it was actually book two in the Holiday Romance series ‘That Night In Paris’ that I read first. Although ‘A Sunset in Sydney’ could technically be a standalone, I do have to say that you will get far more from it if you read book one, ‘One Summer in Santorini’ first. Knowing that book three was a continuation of the fictional journeys of Sarah, Josh and James who were seen in book one, I did take the time to read ‘One Summer in Santorini’ immediately before I read A Sunset in Sydney, and I was so glad that I did. The second book in the series, That Night in Paris, is about Sarah’s sister Cat, and the timeline intersects perfectly between ‘Santorini’ and ‘Sydney’.

Anyway, I digress. One of the many things that Sandy Barker excels at is her ability to whisk the reader around the world from the comfort of their armchair, which has been such a comfort, particularly in these uncertain times, where flying anywhere has either been restricted or is particularly problematic. This book is no exception, and I absolutely adored not only my time in Sydney, but also the time spent in London, Hawaii, New Zealand and Croatia too! In each location I really felt that I had a grasp on the beautiful scenery, the food, and the fabulous cocktails, almost as if I was there, and not in an unseasonably cold and wet location in the East Midlands of the UK.

This book is a traditional love triangle story, but unlike any love triangle story that I’ve ever read before because I found that almost to the end of the book, I had absolutely no clue who Sarah was going to choose. In fact, not only did I not know who she was going to choose, I had no idea whether I was on Team James or Team Josh. Even now, knowing the ending (my lips are firmly sealed!!), I still don’t know who I would have chosen in the same situation, although James was a silver fox with a touch of Richard Armitage about him, which might have edged it for me! I found it refreshing because normally in a story around a love triangle, it’s clear which person the author favours, and it’s usually clear to the reader that there is a compelling reason why the protagonist should choose one particular option over the other. With this story I was completely in the dark, and I think that made it easier to understand the confusion that Sarah went through. In fact as I read each section of the book I was like a human swingometer, leaning first one way and then the other!

The cast of additional characters were lovely. Sarah gets such fabulous advice and support from her sister Cat, and her friends (but possibly not Domino, although he is a cat, and therefore not so much comforting as aloof!). I really adored the joie de vivre of jilted bride Siobhan who Sarah and Josh befriend in Hawaii, and I really hope we get to find out more about her one day!

This was such a delightful read filled with romance and travel, that made me hanker for a large cocktail (complete with paper umbrella) and a large plate of seafood!

When the world around you is in turmoil, and all your travel plans have been cancelled for the foreseeable future, a light, happy romance is practically medicinal.

Sandy Barker’s third entry into her Holiday Romance series, A Sunset in Sydney, fills that prescription perfectly. It’s light but not too fluffy, keeps you entertained, and has really engaging characters, as well.

Sarah, our protagonist, opens the novel with a complaint many of us wish we’d had when we were young and single: two love interests. James a “silver fox” she meets while sightseeing, and Josh, whom she meets on the same vacation, on a ten-day sailing trip, and whom she immediately has what she calls a “Ross and Rachel, will they / won’t they” relationship.

Both men are engaging, witty, attractive. James is in London, where Sarah’s sister Cat also is, so she uses her time there to meet up with him, and Josh, the “cute American” has made plans to meet her in Hawaii four months after their initial sailing trip.

What follows is typical romance novel fare, made distinctly original by Barker’s handling of both comedy and flirtation. Instead of a cookie-cutter story, we are treated to a tale about people who are all searching for what they truly want out of love and life, with trial and error, doubts and insecurities, misfires and marvelous encounters, all wrapped up in a package of well-written dialogue, and characters you truly enjoy spending time with.

This was my first introduction to Barker’s work, but I’m hooked and can’t wait to read the other novels in this series, as well as her other writing.

Overall, this is the perfect light read, for summer, for quarantine, or just for a murky, damp weekend when you want to escape into someone else’s life for a while.

Goes well with grilled tequila lime shrimp and a margarita on the rocks.

I was given a free copy of this book by Net Galley in return for my review.

Given summer travel will be curtailed a bit this year, I think this is a good summer read, because it’ll take you to those places you can’t go! As well as London, there’s Sydney, New Zealand and Hawaii in this book- giving you ideas for travel as well as making you feel you’re there. The descriptions of some of the places are amazing, especially the restaurants and the food!

I felt the story was a bit drawn out really, but I was enjoying the holiday destinations too much to really think it was a big deal.

There were mentions that the characters had met before- I read this is a stand alone book rather than as part of a set, and I think there was enough background given for you not to have to read it as part of the set.

Overall I think I’d give it 3.5 stars- had it been a bit shorter, I’d probably have give it 4.

Thank you to Netgalley, Sandy Barker, and One More Chapter for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I have been enjoying this Holiday Romance series Sandy Barker writes, and love that there is some overlap of characters! This is my favourite kind of series! I liked this book, it was a good story, the plot was well thought out, and I like Barkers writing style. I really like the character of Sarah, although I do find her to be a bit wishy-washy at times. I enjoyed taking the process she went through with her, and it was fun to be in different countries through this book which seems to be a theme in these holiday romances (and I am here for that!!!)

There was one character in this book that I was not particularly fond of, and I’m not going to go into details about this person as I do not want to spoil it. It is just a personal feeling of mine, and while it takes a little bit away from the story for me, it’s not a deal breaker by any means!

I recommend this book and series! It is a fun summer read, being not too light but not too heavy either! Great characters, great plot, and lots of fun!

The love triangle that left us guessing at the end of One Summer in Santorini is back, and it's decision time for Sarah. You need to read book one to find out how she meets James and Josh, but there is enough backstory to clue you into her dilemma.

The story takes place in London with James, Hawaii with Josh and then New Zealand and Australia. The travel is descriptive and gives this romantic comedy its edge. Sarah is a little like a child in a sweet shop wanting both, having both and then not sure which she likes best. However, her emotional journey is insightful. She decides, but is it who you thought? I confess to being slightly disappointed with her choice, but it's the right one for her.

The characters are flawed and relatable there are lots of humorous moments which are easy to visualise and then there's the romance what more do you need? Lovely.

I received a copy of this book from the author and One More Chapter in return for an honest review.

Light-hearted, funny & entertaining!

Sarah has to pick between to very different guys, the question is are you a James or Josh fan? I really enjoyed reading the international love triangle and you are kept guessing till the very end.

The sumptuous descriptions of London, Sydney & Hawaii are so vivid I could easily imagine myself in these glorious destinations.

It just missed out on 5⭐ because I wouldn't have imagined Sarah as a 37, she seemed a bit immature to me and I would have assumed she was a twenty-something this didn't take any my enjoyment, it was just a little niggle I had.

Whilst this is part of the Holiday Romance series and it can be read as a standalone, Barker does a fabulous job of catching us up so we know exactly what is going on.

Overall, I would recommend A Sunset in Sydney as a fabulous gateway read, perfect in these times when being whisked off to somewhere sunny is merely a dream.

A huge thanks to Rachel's Random Resources, One More Chapter & NetGalley for sending me a copy in return for an open & honest review.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Book 3 in the Holiday Romance series left me smiling. It contained everything I loved about the previous books: travel and adventure in exotic, fabulous locations, plenty of foodie talk and lots of confusing romance.

This story picks up where book 1 left off (the sequel focuses on the MC’s sister). Sarah is in a definite love triangle and you will spend the entire book trying to help her choose who she should start a true relationship with. Will she pick the Silver fox, who just so happens to be a multimillionaire or the young, fun travel buddy she met on her life changing Greek excursion? After completing book 1, I knew who I favored, but I have to admit my original choice wavered for a bit throughout this story.

The book is broken down into three parts. The first takes place in London, the second in Hawaii and the third in Australia and New Zealand. It’s fictional traveling at its best with wonderful descriptions about the scenery and visits to popular attractions. My fav was definitely Hawaii. Snorkeling with sea turtles, hikes to magnificent waterfalls and days spent lounging by luxurious hotel pools. It took me right back to my Kauai honeymoon. Although images of New Zealand take my breath away.

I love that Sarah is such a foodie. From ripping off prawn heads to enjoying a fancy coursed meal, her passion for food and drinks shows. The descriptions of each were fantastic.

It was great to get a few scenes with Cat and even Jean Luc too. Love them.

Sandy Barker, I wouldn’t complain if the series continues with Siobhan getting her own story! She was a fabulous addition with an infectious personality.

The third installment in this series and and. barker took me on a world wind trip to England, Australia Hawaii and New Zealand all while following Sarah’s journey to figure out her life and the man she really loves.
I enjoyed watching Sarah grow through this book while trying to decide what her life should be and the decisions she made. There were definitely some laugh out loud moments which I truly enjoyed and in the end was ecstatic over her decision about her life!

Okay, maybe it's just me, but...

This book frustrated me! Had I been reading a paperback version of it, I would have thrown it across the room, then retrieved it and, in a fit, ripped it into a thousand tiny pieces. Fortunately, I was reading an eBook and throwing my phone across the room wouldn't have been good for me -- or the phone.

It isn't the author who frustrates me. I've read three of Sandy Barker's books and enjoyed them well enough.

The main character -- Sarah Parsons -- frustrated me. She was a hot mess. Allowing a past relationship gone bad to justify sleeping with two men at the same time. After all, if she settled for one of them, and it didn't last, she would be alone again. So instead, she waffles between two men, hoping that she can hold their interest long enough to make them fall in love with her, so she might eventually have an enduring relationship and perhaps a family of her own.

First there's Josh, the American she met while on a cruise ship in Greece ( covered in Barker's "One Summer in Santorini.") She thinks she's in love with Josh and hopes that their planned meeting in Hawaii over the New Year's holiday will help
her figure out not only how she feels, but how Josh feels. Because Josh is constantly sending mixed signals. They're sleeping together and he's acting like they are a couple one minute, but the next minute he's introducing her as a friend. Josh is younger than she (she's in her late 30s and labels him a millennial), and she uses that as an excuse for the reason why he might be afraid to commit to a real relationship.

Then there's James, the British man she also met while in Greece. She labels James as a handsome 'silver fox'. He's in his early 50's and an art dealer, He's sophisticated and charming and worldly and is definitely smitten with Sarah. After Greece, she returns to England and spends a couple of days with him before returning back to her home in Sydney, Australia. Of course, she falls into bed with him, then freaks out a bit when he admits he's falling in love with her, because she's recently been with Josh.

She heads back to Australia and she goes back to her teaching job. Then its the end of the year and she's flying to Hawaii to meet Josh for their planned vacation. She has a wonderful time and of course they sleep together. Still, she can't discern his feelings about her, since he acts like they are friends one minute, but lovers the next. They have "the" serious conversation at the end of the trip, and Sarah admits to Josh that she wants something more, but he is still hesitant. So she spills the beans that she's been seeing James too, which angers Josh. He asked her not to see James. (This irritated me too -- does he really have the right to ask her not to see other guys when he doesn't know if he wants a relationship with her?)

They leave each other and it appears that they've broken up. Sarah goes home and cries to all her friends about her breakup from Josh. But then James is back in the picture. He's in Australia for business and would she like to go with him for a long weekend in New Zealand? She accepts even though she's supposedly heartbroken over her breakup with Josh. When Josh texts her while she's in New Zealand, she ignores his texts and sleeps with James. James obviously cares about her -- wining and dining her, treating her very special, doing thoughtful little gestures for her. Sarah struggles with her feelings for James. Does she love him?

But Josh isn't out of the picture yet.

And when James confesses why he broke up with his last girlfriend, Sarah realizes that she needs to make a major decision if she wants to stay with him.

I don't want to spoil the story, so I won't divulge much more of the storyline in this review. But it's at this point that my frustration erupts. When someone is in love with a person, like Sarah professes to be, why is she unwilling to compromise even a little bit to be with that person? Relationships are all about compromise. And why does she keep pining for a man who isn't sure he loves her and wants a permanent relationship with her?

I guess it's human nature to want what we can't have, but seeing the way Sarah let her life unfold just made me want to shake some sense into her!

Even though the main character irritated me because her actions sabotage her happiness, I thought the overall story was well written. Barker did a wonderful job describing some of the places where Sarah visited -- Hawaii and New Zealand. Since the title mentions Sydney, I was hoping we would hear more about this lovely city. But other than some brief descriptions of a couple of famous landmarks, we really didn't learn much about Sydney. Oh well, perhaps in a future book?

The only other thing I didn't care for was the story's ending. It ended too abruptly. Sarah made her decision, one of her two suitors made his decision, then there's a quick epilogue where Sarah is on a ship with all of her favorite people for a 10-day sail along the Croatian coast. And it ends with them all trying a new cocktail. That's it. No indication whether Sarah and her chosen guy are really in a long term relationship. It just felt like the story was incomplete. Perhaps Barker is planning another story to answer that question?

Thank you to #Netgalley and #HarperCollins Publishers for providing an ARC of this book.

Honestly, this was a DNF for me.

I tried really had to get into it but after struggling for 10 chapters I was not able to connect with any of the characters. I'm not sure if it was because this was the 3rd book in the series and it could not be read as a standalone book or because I didn't like the way Sarah handled her "relationships" with Josh and James. I felt like she was too old to be playing games with 2 guys, especially after having been cheating on herself.

While I am thankful to have received this ARC it just missed all the marks for me and I did not enjoy reading it.

A lovely feel good read. Iydillic location sets it right off. It was a joy to read. Lovely plot. The book was well written. Fun to read

I enjoyed this book: it's engrossing and entertaining. The characters are nice and fleshed out, the setting is interesting and there's an excellent storyline.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

After reading the first book where Sarah meets both her silver fox, James, and younger lover, Josh, we are left wondering how her love life will pan out - especially after she has sworn off men. This book deals with Sarah meeting up with James in London and I was convinced she had found her soul mate even though she feels that she doesn't really belong in James' world. When Josh invites her to Hawaii, again I thought they made a lovely couple until Sarah suspects that he is immature and not ready to settle down. She has to make a decision and it is testament to Sandy Barker's writing that i experienced Sarah's dilemma as I read. Read the book to find out what Sarah decides - hopefully you won't be disappointed, but did you guess correctly?

I did not realize that this book was a series when I requested it! This series sounds so good that I instantly stopped reading and added it to my TBR list for later on. I'm going to read the first two books in this series and hopefully pick this one back up soon!

Travel, food, clothes and some romance, with a little Sydney thrown in🌏

3.5-4🌟stars
After reading Sandy Barker's That Night in Paris I was enthusiastic about travelling Down Under with Sarah, the older sister mentioned frequently in Cat's romantic jaunt around Europe. I was surprised and a bit disappointed that Australia did not feature more prominently in this book. London, Hawaii and New Zealand's South Island are great locations and Barker goes to some lengths to include sight-seeing with great dining and scenic excursions in all three. Sydney is Sarah's home base and she does have some superb dates there with her two beaux but in view of the title I was expecting more of the book to be set in Australia.

I just finished a very emotion-packed novel before starting A Sunset in Sydney, so that influenced my take on this book. I felt it had lots of details about her travel, makeup, clothing and food choices, and it kept moving, but through most of the book it did not dig all that deep. Sarah acted much younger than her age and I did not like the way she dealt with her love triangle. The ubiquitous drinking was also a bit of a turnoff for me: just too excessive and it often took over and kept delaying the important discussions.

The last part of the novel was much better than the beginning and I liked the choices Sarah finally made. By the climax I was reassessing some of my negative impressions of Sarah for the better, but I preferred her sister's story in That Night in Paris. I now wish I had read One Summer in Santorini, Sarah's Greek holiday book that starts the series, before reading this one. Getting the fuller picture of Sarah, James and Josh's backstory might have made Sarah a more sympathetic character and her indecision about the guys more understandable.

Thanks to publishers Harper Collins/One More Chapter and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

I enjoyed this book just as much as the first book, it was a lovely light summer read, great to while away a few hours, nice characters and story, however Sarah did seem a bit immature at times and it could be a bit grating at times, without that it would have been higher, but still a good story

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I have read the previous two books in this series and was delighted that we would now get to find out which way Sarah would finally decide to go. Her previous adventures have been fun and matters of the heart left her in quite a predicament.
You could read this as a standalone, it covers in brief detail what has previously happened but I would recommend reading the other books, they are really good and take you on such fun adventures.
In this third instalment we follow Sarah, figuring her way through an international love triangle. This book will have you rooting for one man over the other – will you be a James or Josh fan?
Split into three parts you get to see Sarah spend time with James. He is older, successful, wealthy, and keen to commit to Sarah; he is also in London and Sarah lives in Sydney. I admit I was not overly keen on James at all. He seemed full of himself, overly confident and just, in my mind, a bit smarmy.
You then get a part that is Sarah meeting Josh for New Years in Hawaii. Now this was my favourite part. Great locations wonderfully described so you can imagine being right there. Josh is younger than Sarah but has the same adventurous spirit. The trouble is he does not seem in a rush to commit, and Sarah doesn’t really know where she stands.
Oh, to be in Sarah’s position; two gorgeous men chasing her! I won’t spoil anything, but she does have to decide at some point... where will her heart take her?
Well written, with fun characters you can’t help but adore. I have thoroughly enjoyed each of this series and the adventures Sandy has taken us on.
I highly recommend this fab summer read, perfect for some escapism right now.

London, Australia, Hawaii, New Zealand. Sandy Barker takes you around the world in this compelling story. Let me preface this with I do not like love triangles, and boy was this one heck of a love triangle. This is not to say I didn’t like the book, but I was perpetually frustrated with Sarah the female protagonist. SO in the first book of the series Sarah met two men while on vacation in the Greek Islands. Josh a younger free spirit from America. Jack the “silver fox“ A successful millionaire from England. The story starts off with Sarah visiting her sister in London and meeting up with Jack. Jack is very sophisticated and Sarah was very intimidated by this. Where my frustration was with this is that I don’t think Jack was doing anything to make Sarah feel inferior, it was all in Sarah’s head. Jack really was a good guy and did not deserve Sarah‘s mind to be elsewhere when she was with him. Then Sarah went to go visit Josh in Hawaii for New Year’s. Hawaii is gorgeous and the couple was swept up in all its beauty. Sarah was much more relaxed with Josh, but Josh wasn’t willing to commit. Now where this frustrated me is I don’t know how Sarah could be upset with Josh for not committing when she was dating someone else as well? The final part of this book involves Sarah going home to Australia and a quick trip to New Zealand and ultimately her decision between Josh and Jack. My favorite parts of the book (other than all the gorgeous settings) was the relationships between Sarah and her sister as well as Sarah and her Bestie. Although if I were them I would be annoyed with Sarah’s continual whining about having two great guys in love with her, UGH. This is the third book in the series and while you can read it as a standalone you probably would appreciate reading the first book for some backstory (the second book is about Sarah sister Kat, and probably my favorite of the series). An entertaining read set in some pretty spectacular locations.

This book in emojis 🍷 🌴 🍾 🏝 🍹

*** Big thank you to One More Chapter for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

I’m thrilled to share my review for the latest book by Sandy Barker on my book review blog today. Thank you to One More Chapter and Rachel’s Random Resources for a digital review copy via NetGalley – my thoughts are my own and not influenced by the gift.

After enjoying reading One Summer in Santorini last year, I was thrilled to hear that we continue following Sarah’s story after leaving Greece.

If you haven’t read One Summer in Santorini, Australian Sarah has met a young American Josh and an older Brit James (aka Silver Fox). This story follows Sarah in the months after Santorini – will she rediscover her mojo for teaching and will she find a special someone to share her life with?

I enjoyed this book even more than One Summer in Santorini, especially the trip to Hawaii. It was great to see how Sarah’s trip to Greece changed her outlook on life and how she discovered what was important to make her happy. There is a great cast of characters and locations, and I loved the ending. A lovely summertime read full of virtual visits to foreign countries. Don’t forget to check out the other blog tour reviews too.

A 4.5 star read.