This is the first book I have read by this author and it was a really easy enjoyable read. Set on the Canaries it’s a great summer/beach read. A good bunch of characters and a fab feel good storyline with a happy ending.

Really enjoyed this book and will definitely be checking out more from this author.

This is the first time reading a book by this author and it will definitely be the last. If I hadn't agreed to read this ARC I would definitely have not bothered to finish it. As it was I had to force myself to plod along through this story. If there was a half star rating I would give it that for sure. I am sorry I wasted my time. I am sure the author is a lovely person but her writing is not for me.

I enjoyed but did not love this book. However I’m thrilled that I continued to read it. If your looking for a fun beach read I suggest picking up this book..

This book had loads of depth to it. I liked the relationship between Andrea and Kat in particular. It was refreshing to see two strong independent women empowering each other and even better to see that the male characters were not sleazy strippers.
The book was a light hearted romp and the setting of the Canary Islands was lovely.
I would recommend this book to friends.
Jay was a good character, he had strengths and flaws and I liked how he was so Into Kat.
This was a great book and I couldn’t put it down.

I am a massive fan of Victoria Cooke and loved being swept away to the Canary Islands in this summer read.

Kat was a wonderful character who you could empathise with and also get frustrated with as she couldn't make up her mind what she wanted or trust her feelings after the end of her marriage. She fled to Tenerife 8 years before and built up a business managing the Heavenly Hunks.

I loved the Heavenly Hunks and the story is a perfect romcom about the escapades they get up to as they travel round the Canary Islands performing at hotels and driving the mainly female audiences wild.

A story with a great blend of real life issues, fun in the sun and a touch of romance scattered throughout. A brilliant summer read that will have you reaching for the jug of Sangria as you visit the sunny shores and get to know Kat and her wonderful boys.

I finished this late last night and stayed up way past my bed time as once I got up to about 60% I couldn't put it down.
It is a beautiful romance story, with gorgeous settings. I loved Kat and I really was championing her to find happiness after everything she had been through. Jay was a true gentleman despite his shady past. But could they put their past behind them and start a bright future together under the dazzling lights of Las Vegas?
Guess you'll have to read to find it 😉
I felt so connected to the characters and felt the plot was well developed without being overly complicated.
Definitely a 5* star read.
(Adds more Victoria Cooke books to tbr).
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The title grabbed my attention but I had a hard time enjoying the book. All in all, I found it be “ok.” Others may enjoy this story but I felt it lacked depth in the writing and characters.
Overall, this is a fast, easy read but not one of my favorites.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest.

An entertaining and well written romance. Great characters, setting and story. My thanks to the publisher for my advance ebook. This is my unbiased review.

Oh boy this book it hot and steamy!

This is one of my favourite books that I’ve read this year and is absolute perfection for summer reading! The characters in this are fantastic and they are extremely easy to love.
Reading this has made me want to pack my bags and move to the Canary Islands! The way the author has described everything - honestly I could imagine it all and I would give anything to be that main character Kat and be in charge of those Heavenly Hunks... Hubba hubba!

Such an easy to read fun and enjoyable book. From the minute you read that first chapter you will not be able to put this down!
Love love loved this!

This is the perfect beach lounger read. A fun simple storyline which was not too demanding.

I did find the story predictable at times but I think if I had been reading it in the sunshine on holiday my experience would have been different.

Kat who has started a new life in Tenerife is managing a group of male exotic dancers. She is a mother figure to them as she is determined to remain single after leaving an unhappy marriage. As the story unfolds all her good intentions crumble.

Overall this was a lighthearted fun read. Thank you to netgalley and publishers for my chance to read this book.

This was my first Victoria Cooke novel and it has a real good summer vibe making it the perfect holiday read, if only we could could travel! I can imagine this to be the ideal book to dive into whilst relaxing on a sun bed around the pool, maybe sipping a cocktail or two. Instead let your imagination take over, wherever you may be, as you join Kat and her Heavenly Hunks in the Canary Islands exotically dancing their way through the hotels entertaining and delighting the crowds of women who flock to see them. With temperatures soaring,and I don’t just mean in terms of the climate, just the sight of these Adonis like creatures is enough to make your heart spin and get you well and truly hot under the collar. Blue skies, hot sandy beaches and images of well oiled, ripped and toned bodies aka Magic Mike style are the backdrop to this lighthearted novel, providing the opportunity for pure escapism. It’s frivolous, fun, uncomplicated and ever so cheesy, which is of course part of its appeal.
Kat is the manager and mother hen of this bunch of lads and has worked hard to build up their reputation, forging a new life away from the UK and a controlling,manipulative husband. She’s your typical unlucky in love character who’s had her heart shattered, so shuns any ideas of romance, preferring instead to throw herself into work. The Heavenly Hunks adore her, although she’s resolute in her determination to never mix business with pleasure, until that is, Jay joins the troupe. With a winning combination of good looks, a kind heart and a listening ear could Kat finally put the past behind her and open her heart to romance?
With a few disastrous dates under her belt Kat finds her resolve weakening when it comes to the heavenly delights of Jay but as always it is the business that must come first. Gigs are getting cancelled amid a lack of holiday makers and bad press so Kat is left worrying about the future of her business and what that means for this likeable group of young men. What can she do to save her business from going under? Maybe a local talent contest with the chance to appear in Las Vegas could be just the ticket to enhancing their profile, showcase their talents and prove to be more lucrative in the future.
Despite its predictability, there’s nothing to dislike about any of these characters and you can’t help but get wrapped up in their lives.
The will they won’t they situation between Kat and Jay adds the necessary romantic element to what is a harmless, fairly innocent, often funny read.
Kat is the most fleshed out character as the occasional insight into her life back in the Uk with husband Iain highlights and this turns her into a more than one dimensional figure. These snapshots provide more understanding of why Kat is so wary of men in general but as
all characters like her need, good friend Andrea is always there to offer a shoulder to cry on and be brutally honest when the need arises.
Sun Sea and Sangria is an easy, enjoyable read and although it won’t set the world alight it is perfect for satisfying a need for some light hearted romance. The writing is full of warmth and humour and to read this kind of book is like indulging a sweet craving, you just can’t help coming back for more. I will definitely add this author to my list for the occasions when my mood craves a good dose of escapism. My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. You can get your copy herehttps://www.amazon.com/Sun-Sea-Sangria-Escape-romantic-ebook/dp/B087WQ1B2C/ref=sr_1_1?crid=37D14N9FLAKFC&dchild=1&keywords=sun%2C+sea+and+sangria+by+victoria+cooke&qid=1592398825&sprefix=sun%2C+sea+and+sangria%2Caps%2C469&sr=8-1
This book starts with Andrea’s Sunny Sangria Recipe! This right here seems like a promising beginning to me! Chapter One then begins with “…Sammy needs to be glistening like an Adonis and smelling of coconut in five.” As you can see this book has some extraordinary laugh out loud moments! Even better…” Yes, well you look like a deep-fried sausage and don’t smell much better.” You would think from this introduction to some of our characters that this is going to be about a comedy club, but it is about a Male Review Show called Heavenly Hunks. Kat is their MC and manager and more or less their mother in many ways, from making sure that they do not leave anything behind, booking their gigs and making sure they get to the doctor. We are taken on ups and downs with success and the failures and the reinvention of careers. Social media bashing, love and loss. This book is filled with some drama that isn’t as thick as the drama surrounding us, so it is a nice escape!

Trust issues are not because of any defect in the person but because of some sour experiences. If the person faces the same problem again and again then there are chances that they would not want to do it again. However, what if they miss their chance in not doing it again? How will they know that this is the situation from where they will overcome their personal problems?
The story is focused on two concepts: trust issues and mistakes in the past. Here, the person with a bad past meets a person who has trust issues. Also, it revolves a bit around emotional abuse. The amalgamation of such complicated social problems gives the story a different angle. The author has made sure that the novel becomes interesting and does not become too serious. A perfect mix of sun, sea and sangria.

I didn't really buy in to the concept of this book about a woman living in Tenerife and managing a group of male exotic dancers. Beach read.

If you're tired of the typical romance/love stories, with the billionaire alpha male and the sweet, yet strong female, I recommend you check out "Sun, Sea and Sangria" by Victoria Cooke.

What makes it different? First of all, it takes place in a location that I haven't yet discovered in a chicklit or romance book: The Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago off the coast of Morocco. Secondly, the heroine isn't the usual sweet and wide-eyed ingenue, but rather a sassy and strong woman named Kat/Katelyn who has a rather interesting profession: she is the founder, manager and compere of a male exotic dance troupe. Thirdly, the lead male isn't your hero who runs several multinational companies. Yes, he's devastatingly handsome (because aren't all male leads in these books), but Jay is the newest dancer in her Heavenly Hunks dance troupe.

By outward appearances Kat is strong and self-assured. But as the reader gets to know her, we began to realize that the strength is just her outer persona. Deep inside, she battles with issues of self-worth, mainly due to a ghastly abusive marriage. (She fled from England to the Canary Islands to escape her verbally abusive husband.)

She has a strict policy about not dating her dancers. In fact, they are all 20-somethings, and even though she's only about 10 years older than them, they view her as a mother figure. But when Jay, who is close to her age, joins the troop, she finds herself attracted to him unlike she has ever been to any man before. He's not only beautiful outside, but has a kind, thoughtful personality that allows her to open up and reveal the demons she's hidden for so long.

She fights her attraction to Jay, but just as she tells him that she's willing to try a relationship with him, something happens. The dance troupe is offered an amazing opportunity--a six month residency at a large Las Vegas hotel. If it is successful, they could become famous throughout the world, rather than just in the Canary Islands. Unfortunately, the hotel owner has a big name female star in mind to play the compere for the act. He offers to purchase the Heavenly Hunks brand from Kat. She's left with a tough decision: Can she give up the one thing that has helped her overcome the devastation of an abusive marriage, so she can give the guys the opportunity of a lifetime? It also means she will need to give up a relationship with Jay, since she can't go with them to Las Vegas.

Jay tells her that he would stay for her, but she refuses his offer. She suffers from the fear that Jay will eventually resent her and turn into a man like her ex-husband. He leaves brokenhearted for Las Vegas.

Forlorn and depressed, Kat wonders if she's made a mistake letting the group go, and especially letting Jay go.
How does she deal with it? I guess you'll have to read the book to find out! <smile>

I really enjoyed reading this book because it wasn't the typical trope. I thought Cooke did a great job in helping the reader understand Kat and her demons. For example, the flashbacks to her husband's abusive words and actions were especially heart-breaking. I thought the story was well developed and moved along quickly. My only criticism was near the end. (Spoiler alert--I'm going to reveal a bit of the ending here.) Jay and Kat talk about some of the roadblocks that would prevent them from having a relationship, but we never really see how they work them out. Then in the epilogue, the roadblocks are miraculously gone, and we see Jay making a surprising grand gesture to Kat. I just felt like too much was skipped between the last chapter and the epilogue, and felt a little cheated that I didn't get to experience how they worked out their differences.

But the book is still a great read, so if you're looking for something a little different in chicklit or romance, check out Sun, Sea and Sangria by Victoria Cooke!

Many Thanks to the author and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book before being published in exchange for an honest review.

This was an ok book for me. I chose it because I thought it will be a bit more spiced up. A group of boys who do shows dancing in hotels and discos around the Canary Islands and they are managed by a British woman who, from the beginning, you realise is really insecure and she hasn´t been out on a date for more than 8 years and suddenly she starts dating a few guys.
I really liked the “other” story. How she, after years of suffering in an abusive marriage was able to fight it and make the correct amends and start over in another country starting her own business. And the friendship relations between the guys and her, and also between her and the lady where they go to practice their show.
You have a few laughs, you could even cry, nice romance book. It was an easy and quick read and it doesn´t make you think much.
3.5 stars.

eBook Review: Sun, Sea and Sangria by Victoria Cooke

Take one divorcee, who needs to regain control over her life without pushing people away; add in the ‘Heavenly Hunks (more on them later!); add a best friend, who knows when to push her friend in the right direction and mix this into the fun-filled holiday destination that is Tenerife and you have ‘Sun, Sea and Sangria’ by Victoria Cooke which is published by HarperCollins. We may not be able to go on holiday to sunnier climbs at the moment, but throw on some sun cream, pour yourself a glass of your favourite tipple; set your phone to do not disturb and you’ll feel the holiday vibes as you follow the unlucky in love Kat; the dreamy men in her life and a new addition to her world who is about to challenge her in ways that she isn’t sure she is ready for.
What I thought of the eBook

Victoria Cooke, whose book Who Needs Men Anyway? was a digital bestseller in 2018, provides you with the perfect mixture of romance, golden beaches and handsome men. Kat left her cheating, controlling husband back in England and headed for the sparkling waters of the Canary Islands where she submerges herself in the world of holiday entertainment. The Heavenly Hunks are her all-male dance troupe. Her best friends (who she keeps firmly in check), who help her to keep her ship steady as she navigates life on her own. While Ant, Hugo, Marcus and the other Hunks, backflip, sing and dance into holidaymakers’ affections, Kat’s attention is drawn to the new addition, Jay, who isn’t all that he seems. Kat is determined that she will not be hurt again, but she is drawn to Jay in more ways than one and he seems to know how to make her temperature rise involuntarily.

‘Sun, Sea and Sangria’ is a light, easy-going read which captures your interest with its insight into the life of entertainment abroad. As you follow the team on their quest to win a competition, you’ll find yourself rooting for them as they come up against some talented acts. The characters are flirtatious, playful and sincere. You’ll laugh with them ( especially Andrea, Kat’s bar-owning best friend, who lets the Hunks rehearse in her bar for free so that she can watch from afar); you’ll feel disappointed for them but more importantly, you’ll be excited by the twists and turns in their story. Especially when a leading entertainer from the lucrative world of Las Vegas offers Kat a deal she can’t refuse. Will the Hunks prove the cynics wrong and win the competition? Will Kat allow herself to let go of the control she has established over her life so she can finally be happy? Like I said before, sit back, relax and you’ll feel as sizzling at the May heat!

Sun, sea, sand and cocktails. A great story that lifted you up and took you away from it all. Lovely story and great characters

There aren't many books out there that come with the Pony music track playing in the reader's head, but this is that book! I loved the sound of it - I am a huge fan of Magic Mike, and this was a great story to feed that reading need! You really root for the main character, in between lusting over the dancers and wishing you were employed as a baby oil application assistant, and lusting over a certain shirtless and mysterious someone....
A great book with real life characters, just trying to make their own mark in the world and having a great deal of naughty fun along the way! Cooke is a skilful writer, with her you are in safe hands. A touch of romance, glamour, sweat and dirty dancing all make this book a great read. Now, where's that stack of dollar bills I had around here? I fancy a re-read...
We are all missing our holidays right now, and our fun nights out, and this well timed book is the perfect antidote, all wrapped up neatly in a glittery jock strap

This was fun! A real read on holiday type of book. Nothing too complicated, good storyline and a pleasure to get to know the characters and follow along with them. Definitely give it a read!