Many thanks to NetGalley, Aria and Mandy Baggot for an ARC in exchange for an honest book review of “My Greek Island Summer”. My thoughts and opinions are 100% my own and independent of receiving an advance copy.

Description:
“’Sultry fun in the sun!’ Heidi Swain.

‘Clever, romantic and unputdownable‘ Julie Houston.

‘Leave a piece of your heart in Greece with this beautifully told story’ Sandy Barker.

Two weeks. One unforgettable trip to Corfu. A chance to change her life.
Becky Rose has just landed her dream job house-sitting at a top-end villa on the island of Corfu. What could be better than two weeks laying by an infinity pool overlooking the gorgeous Ionian waters while mending her broken heart.

Elias Mardas is travelling back to Corfu on business whilst dealing with his own personal demons. Late arriving in Athens, Becky and Elias have to spend a night in the Greek capital. When they have to emergency land in Kefalonia, Becky’s got to decide whether to suck up the adventure and this gorgeous companion she seems to have been thrown together with or panic about when she’s going to arrive at Corfu…

Finally reaching the beautiful island, Becky is happy to put Elias behind her and get on with her adventure. Until he turns up at the villa…”

WRITING STYLE: 4/5
PLOT: 4/5
WORLD-BUILDING: 5/5
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: 4/5
ROMANCE: 3.5/5 (slowburn)
HEAT: 2/5 (sweet)

Mandy Baggot’s twentieth book is a feast for the senses and a gorgeous trip for a reader to take in this time of social isolation and travel restrictions. I’ve been to Athens and it was lovely recognizing some aspects of my own trip to the Acropolis in Becky, Elias and Petra’s little side journey on their way to Corfu. Mandy might want to delete her casual and flippant mentions of Coronavirus however. At this point, they seem a bit insensitive.

I loved her descriptions of Athens, Kefalonia and Corfu: they were stunningly beautiful; just dripping with sun and sea and summer heat. Becky Rose seemed a bit of a schlubby character at first and unequal to the physical perfection of Elias but as I finally began to see Becky through Elias’ eyes and she regained some of her confidence, I was able to see her true beauty. Petra, their unlikely traveling companion, starts off as truly annoying and remains so for a great deal of the novel and it isn’t until Becky finally gets through her crazy persona that I could begin to stomach her.

It’s a lovely journey to take, full of scents and tastes and sights that were incredibly clear to me because of Mandy Baggot’s exceptional writing. I really loved Elias’ character. He’s gone through a bit but he ends up doing the right thing and being very swoony. A wonderful bit of romance and delicious armchair travel as we’re trapped in our houses in this time of Coronavirus.

Mandy Baggot brilliantly allows readers to armchair travel to the Greek Islands in her latest adventure. Becky's summer escapade shines a light on her sheltered existence. Sandwiched between her older sister's lofty expectations and keeping her creations 'under wraps' she's not living her dreams.

When a tumultuous quarrel unfurls between the sisters, Becky flees from the scene. An unexpected meet-cute and travel delays orchestrate a summer she'll never forget.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early read. I enjoyed the novel and the ability to armchair travel when sequestered at home due to recent events. Despite living in London for two years, I had trouble with some of the English terms. I found myself looking up the unfamiliar expressions and destinations to understand her referencing. That being said, I enjoyed learning new phrases and creating a virtual tour the Greek Islands.

You can always guarantee Mandy B is going to take you to the beach for an escapist read!
There's a few MB classic ingredients but all served up with a fresh twist - there's nice greek men, sumptuous food, and who hasn't wanted to get on a plane and just go somewhere?

This is also Mandy's 20th book so worth a celebration just for that - quite an achievement and you can see her love of all things Greek shining through. There's a trip to Corfu in this one to a lovely village I wish wasn't fictional but before that! Oh there's a jaunt and delay in other places too - we go via Athens and Kefalonia so that was a nice unexpected surprise. Talking of surprises - wait till you see what's in the bath tub on arrival ;)

Mandy Baggot is the absolute queen of the summer escape, and this is a perfect summer read.
I absolutely fell in love with this fab book and the characters, especially Elias….another gorgeous leading man. And I already love Corfu.
Becky Rose worked at It’s a Wrap, her younger sister Megan’s sandwich making business. Becky really had fantastic tastebuds, with the ability to taste every ingredient in a meal, and put together ingredients that you wouldn’t think would complement each other. This made her sandwich creations a real hit with the customers. Megan didn’t appreciate what Becky put into the business and saw her as just a sandwich filler, along with fellow fillers Hazel and Shelley.
Becky was feeling increasingly fed up and told Megan she was taking time off for a holiday. This didn’t go down well with Megan who threatened her with the sack. Undeterred Becky found an advert for a house-sitter for a couple of weeks at a posh villa in Corfu. She was successful in her application.
Her outbound journey didn’t go as planned.
She found herself seated to a gorgeous bloke on the plane. His name was Elias, lived in London and he was heading home to Greece on business. On the plane, in the toilet queue, Becky encountered Petra. Petra is young, free and easy with her body. Travelling around the world on her own, not sure where she’ll end up next. She’s a complex girl and we find out about her background further on in the book.
There were a couple of unexpected stops in Athens and Kefalonia before we got to Corfu. These were great parts of the book. I loved the whistle-stop tour of Athens and really felt the atmosphere and splendour of the place.
I loved the villa, there were a few unexpected guests present when she arrived, but they were soon gone.
I thought Petra would be a small character when I first encountered her, but she was a big part of the book.
Elias’ mother also was an important part. I loved Becky’s subtle recommendations to improve the ‘family recipes’.
Funny and entertaining in equal measure, just what I’d expect from Mandy Baggot. I love her writing.
Just look at that cover too, it’s so juicy.
Thanks to Mandy Baggot, Aria, Head of Zeus and NetGalley for the early review copy in which I give my honest opinion.

I'm really sorry to have to say this but I couldn't bring myself to keep reading this awful book.

I was really put off by the tasteless joke about 'not being able to get a date without Rohypnol', but pushed myself to keep going and give it a chance to get better. Then the fat jokes about the unseen Hilary kept coming thick and fast.

Finally, I got to the airport scene and the painful, clunky interactions Becky has with Elias and the stag do and just had to give up.

In this day and age, surely writers of women's fiction can do better by their readers than producing this trite, clunky, tasteless and lethargic kind of story.

Joking about things like someone's weight or date rape drugs is not only not funny, but in this era that we live in, inappropriate and a lazy way of writing. This book is terrible. Please do not publish it without some serious editing.

At this time of uncertainty it was nice to be able to travel to different places without any fear. A good read, with funny characters, beautiful scenery and a touching story

I found it incredibly hard to get into this book. I tried to read it, but I kept losing focus since I was so bored. When I read the summary I got so excited because this book gave me Mamma Mia vibes, but it had none of Mamma Mia's fun. I am very disappointed.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

Greek sexy man.... check!
Delicious sounding Greek food.... check!
A longing to jump on a plane while reading.... check!
Wonderful heroine, prickly sister and new friend who is hilarious.... check!

I mean what more do you want from a Mandy Baggot book? Especially as this was her 20th story, and shes is an absolute master of her craft.

It is amazing how much was packed into the book even before they land in Corfu. We have unexpected extra sightseeing and some of the Athens descriptions matched my memories of the place and I could see everything so clearly.

Then there is what is awaiting them in the villa which made me laugh. Easily the most unexpected contents of a bath tub ever!!

Petra, Becky's new friend, let's call her is a breath of fresh air. I loved all of her travelling anecdotes and her lack of pretension when it comes to men.

Then there is Becky and Megan's sandwich business, and fractured sibling relationship to discover.

Oh and Elias and Eleni are fabulous, I loved their interactions, and also just everything about Elias.

I just loved every single second of this book.

What I love about stories like this is the way you can travel just from the safety of your armchair. If you are looking to loose yourself in a story that will let you escape the world at this troubling time, then this, and well any of this authors Greek set books are just what the doctor ordered.

Thank you to Aria and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

The perfect book to escape with!
I read this book over the weekend when the news was all doom & gloom about quarantining for Coronavirus and what a tonic it turned out to be!
My Greek Island Summer is about Becky a disillusioned twenty-something working for her sister's sandwich making business, Petra a young, free & single traveller and Elias a handsome Greek lawyer who is at the top of his game, who all meet on a plane to Athens and miss their onwards connection to Corfu.
When they finally get to Corfu after a diversion to Kefalonia fate brings them together again. This is a story of the three of them gradually opening up their hearts and secrets to each other, with many extremely funny incidents along the way that made me laugh out loud, (for example dating in the dark with animal noises ), and go dreamy- eyed with the incredible love and lust that builds for two of them.
This book and the pictures it conjured in my head of the food, the beaches and Elias' "Pierce from Neighbours bod" is definitely a wonderful replacement for a summer holiday which will make you feel like you are actually there.
Efkharisto to @Aria_Fiction @mandybaggot and @netgalley for allowing me to read this wonderful book.

Becky normally works in a catering business. When she has the opportunity to get away by house sitting on the island of Corfu, she jumps at the chance. She has little experience with travel out of England, and she considers this an adventure she needs.

On the first plane, (there are several) she meets Elias and Petra. Elias is a handsome man who does not share much information about himself. Petra is a young girl who shares herself and her information with the world. The three of them see Athens together and then when everyone arrives in Corfu, who they really are and what they are actually doing comes out.

This is a story about loving Greece and Corfu and all the loveliness of both places.

This is also a story about family relationships. There are no perfect families. And every family contains situations which are painful, humorous and emotionally charged.

Elias has parents who are important to him, but also a trial for him. Becky has a sister who treats her badly, and disenfranchises her contribution and importance to their business. Petra’s family situation is completely different.

This is an interesting book. But, it is not one I completely enjoyed. It seemed to give me too much information about inner thoughts and feelings. It seemed to me there were situations thrown in which had no significance.

Becky was a hard character for me. I am not sure I ever fully understood her. And after all the descriptions of her inner feelings, that must be a shortcoming in me. The untruths she tells make little sense to me.

I loved the atmosphere of the book. Greece and Corfu are leading characters and for their beauty alone, that is quite appropriate.

I wanted to like the book more. For me it was OK.

I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are completely my own.

What’s not to love. Iydillic location makes me wish I was there too. Lovely feel good book. Was so easy to read and was just a joy to read. Written well.

My Greek Island Summer by Mandy Baggot a wrapping four-star read. This was overall very good, but it lacked the sparkle that the rest of this authors work has, but to be honest it could just e me so I may come back and knock this up to a five, Its just an overall negative time In the world right now and I was hoping this would whisk me away and In some ways it did but in others I could imagine myself beside our leading lady Megan, along with Hazel and Shelly making sandwiches at It’s a Wrap. This has great characters and I would love to jump on a plane right now and house sit somewhere warm, but as I cant currently get a flight to Greece this is unlikely, but it was a great way to dream. If you are looking to escape somewhere wonderful but can't then pick this up as the author does a wonderful job of describing the people and places and you can imagine yourself there with them.

Becky was content making superb sandwiches working for her sister’s business. But her sister, Megan, had big ambitions that did not include Becky’s idea of catering for the seniors’ home. Becky decided to take a vacation to Corfu on a whim. She met Elias and Petra on the plane. Elias, a divorce lawyer, is returning to Corfu to look in on his parents, but also to check out a client’s house that is in the centre of a bitter divorce. Petra is a young woman traveling the world without a care.

The three of them spent time together as their various flights were rerouted, or missed, or cancelled. Elias showed them the local sights at every unexpected stop and it turned into quite an adventure for all of them.
Becky had started to feel resentful towards her younger sister, but the two of them had a chance to talk it out, and both sisters made some discoveries about themselves and their relationship with each other. Petra turned out to be a wonderfully complex character. Elias was hard to pin down. On the one hand, he is a stuffy divorce lawyer with a big chip on his shoulder when it comes to love. On the other hand, he can be funny, kind, gentle, and caring. It was hard to reconcile these two sides.

Becky and Elias’ romance felt almost secondary to all the other issues that needed to be addressed, but it was still important to the story. It’s just that all the other things that went on took a lot of the attention away from the two of them.

I enjoyed the book. It was a quick, light read, and kept my interest the entire time.

Thank you to the publisher Aria, and Netgalley, for providing me with an advanced copy to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It's the perfect book if you want some well written escapism.
I had a lot of tun, it made me laugh and I loved the setting, the characters and the plot.
An engrossing and entertaining read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

If you are already counting down the days until your summer beach holiday, why not give yourself a little taster of what’s (hopefully) to come with Mandy Baggot’s latest novel.
Largely set in one of my favourite places, Corfu, you can almost feel the sun on your face and the sand between your toes.
Fun and flirty but also packed with Mandy’s usual character driven storylines, My Greek Island Summer was just what I needed to combat another weekend of storms.
I’m not only a big fan of Mandy's novels but also of coincidences - and there are a lot of them in this book. You might think 'what are the chances...?' on more than one occasion but suspend reality and just go with it - it's worth it to sink into this tale.
If the main story between Becky and Elias is not enough, there are some great secondary stories going on too. I was quite taken with Petra, even when she was being a bit annoying you got a sense that there was more to it (I'd quite like to catch up with her a few years down the line to see how she's doing). It is quite angsty in places but also filled with the usual gentle humour, romance and gorgeous descriptions.
I must also say, I kicked myself for not exploring more of Corfu when I went with a friend several years ago because Mandy really brings the island and it’s people (not to mention food) to life. Corfu tourism might want to make her an ambassador, if she's not already!

Very funny laugh out loud! I enjoyed this book. it has a light-hearted summer feel which is perfect to read by a pool or at the beach.
The characters are likable and warm. They are people you know or want to know.
Another wonderful story from Mandy Baggot.

Becky has always been the “fixer” in the family: quietly working to make everyone’s path smoother and life easier. A role she really stepped into when her father’s health declined, after his death, and with her mother’s relocation to Blackpool for a change of pace. Her sister, Megan, was more the stuff everything away, or bluster through until the universe bent to her will. But it’s been nearly eighteen months of Becky using her palate and some clever additions to the sandwiches she builds for her sister’s business that has kept them going, until Megan’s insults and lack of expressed confidence or respect for Becky’s position in the business, not to mention in life.

Deciding that she needed a change and hearing about a house-sitting opportunity in Corfu, she fast-tracks her passport, gathers her nerves and packs up to go. From a disastrous entry at the airport to a flight missed, a delay and re-route, and everything making the rather timid Becky feel over her head: the constant is Elias. And Petra. Elias is THE divorce attorney, returning to Corfu to inventory a client’s shared property with his soon to be ex-wife, and while there he’s planning to pop in on his parents. He’d left after his own marriage dissolved when his then wife found the courage and desire to be who she was, leaving him for another woman.

Fortunately, Becky finds a willing tour guide in Elias, and someone who is less impulsive than the very brash and bold Petra, touring the world and gathering experiences with little forethought or planning. Petra latches on to Becky, teasing her for her ‘old woman’ ways, when there’s only a few years between them. Elias, drawn to Becky and her kindness, the way she hears people, and dissects every morsel of food, enjoys the sights, and seems to be sorting through her own issues. Together the two are fated to become something, but Becky’s confidence is low, although the new experiences are giving her the opportunity to think “how it could be”. Laughter, scenery, missteps, interfering mothers, a reckless Petra and several conflicts to work through both in Greece and in her own family, and Becky is growing, changing and gaining confidence. With plenty of fuel to engage with from all the characters, a building romance between Becky and Elias, and plenty of food references, the story is clever and engaging – and the perfect escape read for those grey spring days.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-aEL/”> <a> I am, Indeed </a>

I do love a good Mandy Baggot novel. They're just so fun and inviting. They make you feel good and uplifted whilst you're reading them - and this one is no different from any of her others. If anything, it's better! I love the sunshiney cover, full of bright, pretty colours that remind you of summer and hot days. The little details show us a bit more about the story itself, with Athens being presented on the left of the cover and the little village on the right and of course with our main character Becky in the centre.

With regards to the story itself, it was perfect. The descriptions of the Greek food made my mouth water. I wanted to fly to Greece every time I read this book! Mandy makes every food sound so delicious and I always find myself hungry after! One other thing that Mandy does which I like is the use of reading about the male and female main characters. In this case the story followed Becky and Elias. Becky makes sandwiches for her sisters business and Elias is a divorce lawyer. Both completely different people but overall the same.

At the beginning I wasn't sure on Petra and was hoping that she wasn't going to be in the story the whole way through, but the more I read with her the more I liked her character and her traits. She's happy-go-lucky but she's hiding her hurtful past. I loved her by the end, she had been through so much. She's just full of energy and always looking for an adventure! Elias and Becky were great characters as well and I hoped that things would work out well for them. They deserved happiness after they had both been through quite a lot in their love lives.

The location for this novel sounded absolutely idyllic. I promise you you will be wishing for a holiday on a Greek island by the end of this novel. It's fun, uplifting and overall a perfect summer novel. Thank you to the publisher for a chance to read an advance copy of this novel which I have reviewed honestly.

I have always been a fan of Manday Baggot’s books, so I was excited to see that she had another book coming out.
Becky Rowe works for a catering company called It’s a wrap with her sister Megan and two other girls Hazel and Shelley making sandwiches all day, working all hours. When after a disagreement with her sister Megan regarding a quote for a catering for a party at a nursing home. She is advised to take a holiday. She decides to take a holiday to her annoyance of her sister Megan. She sees an advert for someone to house sit a villa in Corfu for two weeks on a website. So, she applies and is accepted.
On the plane on the way to Corfu, she can’t believe her luck when a Greek God called Elias sits next to her on the plane. They start talking and there is an instant attraction. But she knows nothing will happen as they are not going the same place. Until there is a problem with the weather and instead, they land in Kefalonia overnight. They end up having a meal together and meet Petra and the three become friends.
Thank you NetGalley and Aria for a copy of My Greek Island Summer. This is another great book from Manday Baggot full of love, quirky characters, romance and laughs. This will be a great book to take on holiday with when you are on the beach. The only downside for this for the first few chapters I found it hard to get into. But I am so glad I preserved, as it did became the Manday Baggot romance that I have grew to love. Four stars from me.

Thanks to #NetGalley for allowing me to read the e-ARC of #MyGreekIslandSummer for my honest review.
The book intrigued me because of the title. I am part Greek but never been to Corfu or Kefalonia, by reading a book is a way to travel you haven't be.
My Greek Island Summer is a summer rom-com but is a book where all the characters, primary and secondary, get into a journey to find themselves as well as find forgiveness.
Yes, there are likable characters, and there were others that are less loved, but they make this angsty story.
The idea housesitting in a place that you are vacationing is awe-inspiring and a great one.
Becky and Elia's romance for me is building with correct pacing.
My Greek Island Summer is a3.5- stars, and for sure, I will read the other 19 backlist books that Mandy Baggot has published.