A nice read with the beautiful and descriptive backdrop of Greece. I thought the beginning was a little too belabored but it picked up well!

I could not get into this book at all. The writing was all over the place and while I read British authors quite a bit, I was so confused about many of the references the author made. I shouldn’t be looking at Google every few minutes. The characters were very strange and had a lot of internal dialogue that didn’t translate well.

I was provided with an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow another great and funny read from Mandy Baggot. I just couldn’t put it down. It’s so hot off the press that Mandy Baggot has managed to mention recent British TV shows as well as a reference to world news. Which I have to say was a pleasant surprise, as so many book we read aren’t as up to date.

I’ve now read a couple of Mandy Baggot’s books and I now need to read the rest of them. This is a laugh out loud, funny romcom, as well as being a sunny feel good book.

Becky Rose works at her sister Megan’s catering company “It’s A Wrap”. She did originally work in a bank, but left to help her sister set up her business. As she thought her sister needed her support as they had lost their father to a second stroke, then their mother left and moved up to Blackpool to be near her sister.

Late one morning while Becky and the other two employees Hazel & Shelley were nearing the end of that mornings orders. Megan comes in even more full of herself than usual. It turns out that she had just won another catering contract. This contract is so good they may need to eventually take on more staff. Just before Megan could leave again Becky asked her about the bid for the local nursing home’s summer party. Megan doesn’t want anything to do with it saying its too small a contract to be bothered with.

This really upsets Becky as this was they same nursing home that looked after their father until he passed away. Then to add insult to injury Megan announces that she and Dean will be going away for two weeks later in the summer and did anyone know of a business manager that could cover her job. Shelley tried to put in a good word for Becky, but Megan indicated that Becky wasn’t good enough to do her job.

Becky is so upset and annoyed that she storms out of the building before she says anything she will regret. After a few minutes Shelley comes out to see her and suggests that it may be time to go away on holiday. Shelley is then pulling out a handful of holiday brochures out of her huge handbag. Telling her to look at them as well as pointing out the cruse she has booked for herself in September.

That night Becky decides that she is going to put a pitch in for the nursing home’s summer party, even if Megan doesn’t like it. Also that night Becky searches the web for holidays and stumbles across a house sitting holiday website. She signs up and sends an email to the owner, saying she is available and interested in the job of house sitting her luxury villa. The owner gets back to her virtually straight away telling her that she must be single as she doesn’t want any couples staying in her luxury villa. Becky says it’s just her and the owner agrees that Becky can house sit for her, but she has to pay for her own flights.

The next day when Becky goes into work she tells her sister that she is going on holiday the following week. This causes an argument between Becky and Megan, where Becky ends up telling her sister that she can sack her if she want’s but she is going on holiday, as she hasn’t taken much time off since she started working for It’s A Wrap.

The following week and finally though security, Becky tries to look like an experienced traveller until she falls over. Spilling the contents of her huge borrowed travel bag. She feels totally humiliated but she thinks what are the chances of her being on the same flight as the men she has just fallen in front of, or her even bumping in to them again.

Sitting down in her aisle seat, she wondered if she’d have anyone sitting next to her. When Elias Mardas comes up to her aisle asking to get past her to get to his window seat. When Becky realises it’s the same man that helped her collect some of her things, when she fell. Feeling like a fool again Becky tries to act cool.

During the flight they talk for a little while, Becky has told him a few fibs regarding herself taking note of what her friends had warned her about. As they neared Athens Becky was getting concerned as her flight from Athens to Corfu was getting nearer and nearer departure time.

By the time their flight lands it becomes clear that there is a chance that she won’t make the connection. She isn’t the only one as there are about ten people that have missed the same flight as non of them could get a direct flight to Corfu. With all the commotion going on Becky keeps close to Elias and they both make acquaintances with a young woman called Petra. It turns out that they have to stay in Athens for the night and the three of them go out to where all of the locals hang out as Elias becomes their unofficial tour guide.

They all arrive in Corfu two days later than expected, but the three of them have had some fun together with Elias being their unofficial guide, but now with Elias going on his way and the girls going theirs. It’s time to say good buy. However Petra manages to twist Becky’s arm in to letting her say with her for a few nights. So they all head off not expecting to see Elias again.

When Becky and Petra get to the Luxury villa all hell has broken loose, there is a Greek woman in the house who tells them off for being late and tells them that they have a mess to clean up as some animals have managed to get in to the villa. All the while Becky can’t stop thinking about Elias.

Can things get any worse on this holiday? Did Becky imagine that there was an attraction between her and Elias and will Becky find out more about why Petra is sometimes so reckless, is she trying to run away from something. Becky isn’t sure but she feels responsible for the girl even though they have only know each other for a few days.

There are a few parts that I highlighted in this book because they had me laughing out loud and my favourite quote out of them all is this:

QUOTE: "I know why there are pink feathers down there! There’s a f***ing flamingo in the bath!”

I loved this book and as I’ve already said I will make sure I read all of the other books that Mandy Baggot has written and I will also make sure that I read all of her new books in the future.

Another fab book by Mandy.
The story of Becky, working in a sandwich business owned by her sister. She applies to house sits a villa in Greece,. Along the way en route to the country, she meets Elias, her aeroplane seat companion and Petra, also on the flight. The flight has to make stops along the way due to weather etc. She lies about what she does and so does Elias.
Incidents and revelations follow, especially when they eventually reach Greece. Fabulous book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is AMAZING! It had it all! Food, love, hurt, sun, humour, novel storyline...I felt like I was living it (in a good way) from start to finish! I really enjoyed the topical humour references (tommy the turtle....need I say more?)
It is a sure-fire summer comedy read!

This was my first taste of Mandy Baggot and whilst it was a pleasant and light read which I enjoyed, it just needed a little spark of something more for me.

Becky works in her sister's Cafe, where she isn't really treated the best, nor does her sister take on any of her judgements towards things and quite frankly, she wants more out of life. Being a little more rash and adventurous Becky finds herself hopping on a plane and going to Greece - Corfu, where she'll be house-sitting a villa, but before she even gets there, the plane journey alone becomes an adventure in itself - with an array of problems and it's here she meets Elias....who it turns out wasn't just a fellow passenger when he shows up at the villa.

You're definitely swept away to sunnier climes with the writing, the food is a little mouthwatering and the romance is sweet and fun like you'd expect in this kind of novel, but for me it was the characters and dialogue that fell short. The conversations just felt a little too forced/formal/stilted and the characters were too much on the side of immature and stubborn the whole way through for my liking.

My Greek Island Summer is an enjoyable little weekend escape from the grey skies of Britain at the moment and I know MANY will enjoy it - just due to personal preference it didn't quite work out with me.
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I wasn't sure what to expect from My Greek Island Summer as I haven't read any of the authors other books. Overall I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised. My Greek Island Summer is a light-hearted entertaining read filled with romance, over the top drama and a hilarious cast of characters. This book had me literally LOL. I really hope Petra gets her own story soon!!! Thank you #NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to discover another great author. I"ll definitely be looking for more Many Baggot books.

An enjoyable read, although probably not the best I've read by Mandy Baggot. The ingredients are all there, above all the amazing Corfù - the love for Greece oozes from every line and every scene and as usual makes you want to go there immediately! The characters may be sterotypes but are never a caricature but I'm afraid it all sound a bit like déjà-read. The story and the events narrated are pure fiction; it's hard to believe that so much could happen in such a short time to someone, and this is not a negative aspect per se but I also couldn't warm to the main character (or to any character), Becky as well.
This is an overall pleasant (but not as amazing as I expected) , light, entertaining read, perfect for the forthcoming Summer that I would still recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley, Aria and the author for an early copy.
#MyGreekIslandSummer #NetGalley

My Greek Island Summer, a laugh-out-loud romantic comedy, Mandy Baggot

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Romance, Women's fiction

Bah, humbug. Women's fiction. Why? Men write romance, men read romance. 'nuff said...

I wanted to like this story, it sounded perfect for me, and I've enjoyed many books from Mandy Baggot before. However I found the first quarter largely irrelevant IMO, I even went back to check I was reading the right book, it seemed so far removed from the description.
I really wasn't feeling it, didn't like Megan, thought Becky was a pushover and the other two workers a bit of a trope. Still, it got better slowly to first half, and then finally, finally, I fell into the story. That second half had the Greece I wanted, the romance I needed, although I still felt a bit underwhelmed by the other characters and the rest of the story. Somehow it felt like there was too much going on, Becky, her sister and the issues with the business, Greece and Elias' family issues and of course Petra and her problems. I'm usually complaining if there's not enough other parts than just the couple and the romance, but this went a bit too far. IMO. Towards the end it finally all tied up but it felt a little rushed, there was so much to deal with.
For me Elias and Becky needed to be the main story and the others supporting that. I love side plots, they can add so much depth to a story but this time I felt they detracted and took over the romance. I wasn't entirely convinced Elias could change his very entrenched views about romance so easily. As usual though that's just my opinion, reading is subjective and others will feel differently.
I liked it – but its not one I'd re-read, and I did skim read parts because I wanted to get back to the romance.

Stars: Three, one I liked but didn't love.

ARC supplied by Netgalley and publisher

I wasn’t sure what to expect and where this story was going to take me. I was very pleasantly surprised. I was taken to paradise with Becky in the Greek islands and treated to a story of finding yourself, finding love and finding new unexpected friends. One paragraph has stayed with me ‘I don’t want to be needed ........I want to be wanted. This is romance, signed, sealed and delivered.

A sizzling hot getaway to Corfu that I very much needed this stormy February here in the UK. Perfect escapism and lots of drama, fun and quirky characters I completely fell in love with it

Don’t you just love a Mandy Baggot book!?! They are always filled with sun sea and a gorgeous male lead. This one is certainly no different! Prepare to be transported to the sizzling Greek locations on offer in this book to brighten any grey day.

We meet Becky Rose where she is working in her sister’s catering business but she doesn’t want to just be a sandwich maker, she wants more out of life! I dislike her sister Megan because of the way she treats Becky. I would have been tempted to say leave her alone. Becky decides to hop onto a plane to Cyprus to housesit. What more can you ask for when you just have to pay for your flights? Well the drama starts there and when she meets Elias on the plane from London you can see the sparks start to fly. What will happen between Becky and Elias? Well you need to pick up a copy of this glorious book and find out.

I also think Petra is hilarious! Though she obviously has a vibrant personality because she has some demons of her own. The unlikely friendship that develops between Becky and Petra is just beautiful to see. You also can’t help but laugh (along with) Elias’ mother she is just so direct but you can see she clearly has her son’s best interests at heart.

I am a huge fan of Mandy’s writing so when I seen she was releasing her 20th (yes you heard me!) book I just had to read it asap. Also congratulations Mandy on what will be a huge 20th book success. ‘My Greek Island Summer’ is about friendship but has a huge family theme at it’s heart and you will see exactly why when you read it for yourself ❤️ I give ‘My Greek Island Summer’ a scorching 5*/5* 😊

Thank you to Aria Fiction for an advanced copy of this book via Netgalley.

I really wanted to like this. I mean, I love Greece and Corfu was the first island I ever visited and it’s one of my favourites. I’ve returned many times and always felt at home there. The story sounded promising. After all, house-sitting a fabulous villa, meeting up with a fabulous Greek on the plane. Romance on the cards?

But it was just boring. I think the problem is I have a hard time with the trope of the poor sister who is treated badly by the other sister who ends up with first sister’s boyfriend. It’s been done to death and I really am fed up with it.

I am also fed up with cardboard cut out characters - just stereotypes who never take on a life of their own. The book was too slow and meandering for me; it needed some serious editing. I thought there were too many characters (all undeveloped) and too many words blocking up the story development.

I just could not get properly involved in the story and when a book becomes hard work - it’s time to say bye bye!

Received as an ARC from Netgalley

What an amazing escape from the incessant British rain this February! The female protagonist Becky finds an opportune escape from her sandwich making job working for her difficult sister. She finds herself travelling on her way to Corfu to house sit in a beautiful villa. The journey is far from simple and along the way she meets Petra, her polar opposite and the rather handsome Elias.

The book is warm, funny and I devoured it over a couple of days. This was the first of Mandy Baggot's books that I have read and I will certainly be reading more.

Mandy Baggot is a talented writer and whenever I'm looking for a lighthearted romantic comedy I refer to her books! If you're looking for an escape, her books are the ones you need to be reading. Not only are you able to travel to a beautiful new place, but your able to connect with her characters on a deep level. I adore her books because of this! I highly recommend My Greek Island Summer. I know many readers will feel the same!

Thanks Netgalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3/5

This book is about Becky, who works for her sister for a while and after feeling frustrated because her sister didn't trust her judgement regarding a "business" decision, she decided to do something adventurous for the first time in her life, so she takes a job housesitting in a villa in Greece, but on the way to Corfu, a lot of things go wrong (or right depending on how you see it).She has a lot of problems with the flights and she meets Elias, a lawyer and Petra, a free spirit, and the completely opposite of her.

This was my first contact with this author's writing and I liked it. The writing is really compelling and it got me hooked from page one. The characters are also interesting. Elias is very cute, and Petra, even though annoying at times, it's funny and they were good side characters. On the other hand, her sister annoyed the hell out of me and even thought I tried to understand her, I just couldn't.

Becky is nice and all, but I just couldn't connect with her as much as I should. She also had some funny moments, but most of the time, I felt kind of indifferent towards her, and since she was the protagonist, it was a bit of a problem. The romance was nice as well, but that was it. It wasn't as breathtaking as I hoped it would be.

Overwall, it's a nice book and I recommend it as a light summer read, but it was not an amazing one.

My Greek Island Summer is a fun read. Becky owns a business with her sister, but its in trouble and she has been hiding few things from her. After seeing an ad for a house sitter in Greece, she jumps at the chance to get out of England. The trip to Greece is fraught full of mishaps, but Becky does meet Elias, who is recovering from divorce and slaying his own demons. Many things get resolved in the end. It's a perfect beach read. The cover is super fun.

What a gorgeous read. Mandy Baggott never fails to deliver especial where Corfu is concerned. With gorgeous locations being described in dreamy detail, I felt like I was just there with Elias, Becky and Petra. What an adventure they had before they even reached their destination. I just wanted to pack my case and head off and see these places myself.
So much talk of wonderful sounding food, so well described my mouth was watering! Whether it was Becky thinking about sandwiches or Eleni preparing food, I was hungry throughout.
Becky lands a great job house sitting in Corfu. She wants to relax, enjoy some luxury, swim and hit the beach for two weeks. She meets Elias and neither are quite as honest as they should be.
I love the characters, a variety of people who are funny or stubborn, selfish or immature, carefree and stressed. All looking at making more of themselves, being happy or needing to see ways to change. So much can happen when people learn to accept the past and look forwards.
A read that transports you to another place, with people you’d love as friends. I couldn’t put this one down!

A summer adventure, in sunny Greece. A change meeting, or three. Romance. It sounds like a great mix for an light afternoon read. Unfortunate I didn’t find it so.

I really wanted to like this book, but sadly I didn’t feel any spark. I felt like i was experience this book from behind a window, could see all that was going on but wasn’t really there. I just don’t think this book was for me. And the only bad thing I can say is that this books needs contractions, badly. The conversation were stiff and formal for the lack of them and it made reading a bit stilted.

For anyone who likes chance encounters, summers in Greece and a sweet building romance this book would be perfect for you.

With a storm raging outside this weekend, Mandy Baggot’s new novel My Greek Island Summer was the perfect antidote to the bad weather.

Becky has just landed get dream job house sitting in Corfu. She’s looking forward to a relaxing time laying by the pool overlooking the beach. Elias is returning to his home island of Corfu on business but also hoping to put some demons to rest. By chance they meet on the plane then end up missing their connecting flight so have to stay in Athens overnight. Add in another nightmare flight with an emergency landing in Kefalonia and they finally make it to Corfu. Becky is looking forward to putting her nightmare journey and Elias behind her until her turns up at her villa.

Brilliantly written, I fell in love with the characters straightaway. It will make you laugh, smile and feel very hungry as Mandy describes all of the Greek delicacies.

I would rate this book 4.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Aria and the author for the chance to review.