What first drew me into this book was the cover! It is so beautiful! I am so glad that I judged this book by it's cover because I had a blast reading it! I felt like I was on the island. I think this book totally hit the nail on the head with internet fame and trolls and this was the perfect escape.

I enjoyed this quick easy romantic read. Samantha seems to have it all but one mistake might ruin her career and she escapes to Greece to visit her sister and her family. I loved watching her change throughout the book and the great descriptions of the Greek countryside. Now I want to visit Greece.

Going Greek (the new title of the book) is a totally apt name for this book. The story follows Sam as she visits her sister and family in Greece while trying to take some time off due to a scandal. Being a prominent TV presenter, everything she does and says brings her under public scrutiny. We follows as Sam spends time with her family, explores a part of Greece and sets out on a path towards love. The characters are wonderful and the highlight of this book are definitely Sam's nieces! They steal the spotlight with their innocent yet naughty ways! They are an absolute delight!

The author does a wonderful job in bringing the place to life, giving the reader a glimpse into the beauty and tranquility of the place. In addition, we are exposed to some of the culture and food which is a wonderful experience for a reader. With an ex-boyfriend and a potential new boyfriend thrown into the mix, be prepared for a light hearted drama filled ride!

This is a perfect summer read that will help the reader to escape to an exotic place. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and finished the book in one sitting. A huge thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book!

I always know when I pick up a book by Sue Roberts, I am going to be transported to some amazing foreign destination filled with wonderful descriptions of the places, amazing scenery and always filled with mouthwatering food and colourful characters, This book was no exception.

Samantha is co-host on a morning television programme and is well know in the UK, after a scandal threatens to end her career she retreats to the beautiful island of Rhodes to stay with her Sister Fi, her Husband Nick and their adorable twin girls on a farm they own. The Island is filled with wonderful in habitants like Sofia, Vasillis and of course the tall dark and handsome cheese maker Sypros. The writing draws you in and transports you to sunny Greece, especially on a cold day in the UK when you look outside the window and you see hailstone, in May!

This is a lovely book about friendship, family values and spending the time you have with people you care about.
I love the cover it is so bright and vibrant and I definitely think the name change of the book is more reflective on the content.

Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book, this review was my choice and entirely my own opinion.

A cute and light read, this book is great for taking your mind off of things. While I enjoyed Sam's adventures and food porn, I was very put-off by a lot of very problematic relationships in this book -- especially Aaron!!!

Starting with the beginning, in the setup, Sam hooks up with a man who she didn't know was married. As a result, she gets completely dragged through the mud. And while I get that this is just a product of the misogynistic society we live in, I feel like this would have been a great opportunity to talk about the slut-shaming and blaming of the female victims, instead it was portrayed as Sam needing to hide from her mistake.

AND getting into the whole business with Aaron. From the very first time he was introduced in the prologue, I was like this guy sounds like a flaming pile of trash. Believe it or not, he gets even worse from there!!! What I don't understand is how Sam is like, yeah this dude is horrible, he treats me with no respect, and is manipulative and entitled, yet somehow every time he asks her out or something, she's always like ~swoon~ ok. And while I understand how addictive toxic relationships can be, I don't think the author really established why Sam was always drawn back to him other than just explicitly stating it. Therefore, I just could not understand why she went to him WHEN SHE HAD AN AMAZING CHEESE FARMER GOD ALTERNATIVE, but what can i say? 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

Also the relationship brought up in the epilogue seemed very disturbing to me and really seemed to erase some of the progress that some of the side characters made through the book.. Also minor detail-but why is the MC's name Sam Southern???? Idk why this just sounds so fake to me and every time it's mentioned I crack up LOLOLOLLL

Sam is presenter on a British morning show that is going into its summer break. After the end of season party she unknowingly makes the mistake of spending the night with a married man that she met at a club and it blows up in the news and social media. As a result she ends up moving up her visit to spend time with her sister Fi and her family in Greece.

I love how the story includes the importance of family and taking the time for a real break. Relax and enjoy Going Greek.

I received a copy of this book to review from Bookouture through NetGalley.

Going Greek (aka The Great Greek Escape)
By Sue Roberts
⭐⭐⭐⭐4 stars

This book caught my attention because of the "The Great Greek Escape" name and its gorgeous cover and also because I absolutely love Greece and it's my dream destination. I didn't really like the name change and I think "The Great Greek Escape" suits it better, since Sam is escaping to Greece from London after a social media scandal.

It's a cute book and it's kinda like a Hallmark novel. The location description was amazing. I could feel like I was there with them. All the details about Rhode and the Greek countryside got me hooked. This book had everything to be the perfect summer read but then it takes way too long for Sam to realize what's going on around her. And I kept wanting to see the romance but when it finally happened it was the last chapter and it was super rushed and that made me frustrated because I wanted to know more about that! Like, this is what I've been wanting to read the whole time and it's in only a small chapter. Also, all the subplots were rushed as well and felt a little off. Overall I really enjoyed reading about Greece and I think if a few more chapters were added to talk about Sam and Spyrus this would be the best beach read of 2021.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for gifting me an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions on this book are my own.

I rated this book 2.5 of 5 stars, which I rounded up to 3.

The Great Greek Escape was a light read that took us into the heart of Greece. We follow Sam, who flees to Greece and the comfort of her family for the summer after her life is upended. While in Greece, Sam just wants to enjoy her downtime and not have to worry about any drama back home. That does not happen.

I enjoyed being immersed in the Greek culture and experiencing Greece through Sam's eyes. I loved her interactions with her family and her twin nieces were darlings. We were treated to how peaceful and welcoming the community was, as opposed to the hustle and bustle of London. Spyros was a dreamboat and was a welcome distraction after the disaster of what happened in London.

But did Sam appreciate that? No, she didn't!

Sam embodies all the attributes of the female MC that frustrates me to no end. I wanted to shake her, I wanted to sit her down and see if she was okay. Sam is the type of person that knows that if she eats an apple she will get sick, but will still go ahead and eat the apple. And while eating the apple she will lament about how sick she is going to be. Sam and I did not get along well.

Now, as it relates to the romance, Sam is a fickle gal and that was communicated through her interactions with her two love interests. Ultimately, she did make the right decision but of course, we were taken on a winding journey to get there.

I believe the romance took a backseat to Sam rediscovering who she is. The story really centred on Sam taking a well-deserved break. It was about her re-evaluating what she wanted out of life. The Great Greek Escape tells the story of what can happen when people just take a step back to breathe.

The Great Greek Escape is for anyone who is longing for a Greek adventure, especially during this pandemic. It is for the lovers of light, fun summer getaways. This is for anyone who loves a good summer escape

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the Digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

⭐️⭐️/5 stars

This one was hard for me to get through. I was excited going into this book! The cover is gorgeous! It’s set in Greece and the promise of a RomCom in the description. Unfortunately I found the plot unrealistic, slow and hard to get through.
I almost DNFed this book around 60%. But I pushed myself through it. There was no romance or comedy that I found. The big scandal at the beginning felt overblown. The only reason I’m giving it 2 stars instead of 1 is because with did enjoy the descriptions of Greece and Greek Culture. I really wanted to like this one but I’m disappointed.

✍️ One Sentence Synopsis: Escape a toxic situation, grab a dreamboat.

💭 Overall Thoughts: As a summer escape romance read, this is perfect. It’s a cute story where things go awry and the protagonist, Samantha, finds out what will truly make her happy. The book we could all use to get our minds off the world right now for sure. It’s funny and witty, there’s beautiful imagery from the Greek countryside, and an adorable potential book boyfriend for you all in Spyros.

However, it read a little too Hallmark vacation romance for me. Everything was just a little too easy— especially in the subplots happening “back home.” I also wanted to yell at Samantha for being completely oblivious at times.

What I Liked:
👍 It’s a cute, light, fun, escape read— just what I needed after my last two reads.
👍 Spyros is adorably dreamy.
👍 The setting and imagery of the Greek countryside was like a daydream.

What I Didn’t Like:
👎 Samantha, girl, get a grip and stop being oblivious to what’s going on right in front of you.
👎 The subplots— some seemed unnecessary— they also all just happened too easy or were too flat.
👎 Overall just a bit too unrealistic, especially with the timeline.

💞Read this if you liked: Under the Tuscan Sun

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ability to read with request for an honest review.

This book, which I devoured in 24h, has me yearning for Greek salads.... not to mention Greek men!

Lovely summer read, highly recommended.

Loved the cover, was hoping to be in for a treat but really. Minor tv presenter has picture in paper kissing a married man and we are meant to believe anyone would be that bothered. Said tv presenter would then invite any old journalists into her house to tell her side of the story and it didn't go well. No really. Sorry not for me.

Samantha is a morning talk show host in Britain. Think Kelly Ripa. Lol After being caught in a photo that while looks bad is truly just an unfortunate mistake, she's no longer Britain's darling and is suddenly known by far more colorful names. To give things time to die down, she visits her sister in Greece. Sam intends to just go for the summer, but as the slower pace and nicer people make her feel much more relaxed than she has in years she truly wonders why she's in Britain at all.

I really wanted.to love this one as the synopsis claims that among others this book would be reminiscent of Sophie Kinsella. That couldn't be farther from the truth. This book was neither a romantic comedy nor hilarious. That's not to say its a bad book per say, but there's not even really one comedic incident let alone a book worth. The only interesting characters were her sister Fi and Nick and the twins! There wasnt even much romance. More of her being stuck between two men and one was so absolutely horrible I'm unsure why she gave him any consideration at all beyond their first meal together.The story was predictable and while that's ok in some romances, the lack of romance made it kind of meh. The secondary character stories were kind of thrown in as well but were kind of unnecessary. The descriptions of Greece were beautiful however. Maybe skip this if you're looking for a romance or any sort of comedy. Its more a fictional location read.

⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to NetGalley, Sue Roberts, and Bookouture for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I'll be honest - I initially chose to review this book because the cover was so bright and beautiful which was a massive contrast to the books I've been reading lately. Luckily, I was not disappointed!
The Great Greek Escape follows television presenter Sam as she navigates negative public drama after a seemingly fun night out. The next day, poor Sam is in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons and online trolling and articles start to take over her once perfect life. Sam can no longer watch her public downfall so she heads to Greece for a break where her celebrity will be unknown. Here she unpacks the situation and learns a lot about herself and what is really important in life.
What I enjoyed about this book was how relatable it was. In the days of social media and easy photography, any tiny slip up or embarrassing event can be recorded and quickly spread around.
I found myself reflecting on the importance of self discovery and the enjoyment of the smaller things in life throughout this book.

What a fun, uplifting story! I truly enjoyed this book.
The characters are great, with lots of fun dialogue and real life moments. The description of the Greek village is amazing, and made me wish, more than once, that I could be there.
Sam is ending her season as a presenter on a British TV station, when she is caught up in a public scandal. She decides to escape the backlash by visiting her sister and her family on their sheep farm in Greece. While very different from her life in England, Sam completely fits in. She loves it so much she wonders how she will ever leave!
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is a very cute and light romance that takes place on the beautiful Agean island of Rhodes, Greece.
Sam is a TV presenter in London who finds herself in an embarrassing scandal and decides to get away to visit her sister in Rhodes. While she is there, she meets a local guy, Spyros AND runs into her first love from high school. Will she find romance with one of them?

A fun and quick read with a gorgeous setting. A solid 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the chance to review this delightful book.

I enjoyed this book! it wasn't necessarily new and innovative but sometimes it's just what you need. after a work scandal samantha goes away to greece to stay with her sister until the scandal is forgotten. there see meets spyros
her sister's neighbor and they click. but then she runs into her ex aaron and we follow along samantha's journey as she navigates between those two.

Sad to say I didn’t really care for this book. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t good either. The story felt flat and I had difficulties connecting with most of the characters. For a book that claims to be a summer romance comedy, it wasn’t very funny nor romantic.

After a work scandal, Samantha is forced to retreat to Greece (where her sister lives) until the scandal blows over. While in Greece, she meets her sister’s neighbor (Spyros) who seems to take an instant liking to her. Somewhere during her vacation, she runs into an old boyfriend (Aaron) who was just as shallow and self-absorbed as she was. Despite the implication that Aaron and Samantha had a steamy romance, there was nothing to back it up and their interactions were boring... too much time was spent on their surface level interactions and not enough time was spent developing Sam’s relationship with Spyros.

Despite the wonderful depictions of Greece food and culture, the romance aspect was highly lacking. You have to get through 75% of the book before there’s even a romantic kiss... on top of that, the ending felt extremely rushed. The last chapter was a mess and jumped from scene to scene in an attempt to quickly tie up loose ends.

If you’re in the market for a lukewarm book with beautiful descriptions of Greece and no romance, you’re in the right place.

This book follows our main character Sam, who lives in London and is kind of a celebrity thanks to her job as a TV presenter on ‘Wake Up Britain’.

After a night of fun, Sam’s life gets turned upside down. Social media starts dragging her name, she loses jobs on other shows, and her position on ‘Wake Up Britain’ is also in question!

As a way to go under the radar and let things settle down, Sam travels to see her sisters family in Rhodes, Greece for the summer. While there, Sam enjoys the quiet life but also reconnects with an old love, and also kindling a new relationship.

I must say, this book isn’t at all what I expected! I figured this would be a steamy romance read, but there wasn’t much smut or romance for that matter!

This book is more relaxing than anything. The world building is amazing! You really feel like you’ve just landed in Greece yourself. The small village setting and characters are really what makes this story great.

I wouldn’t go into this with the expectations that this is going to be a sexy, romance read that gets you all hot and bothered. There are a few romantic gestures, but not that many.
I do feel that the ending was rushed to make the relationship happen, and I feel it could have been done way sooner to give us readers more of the romance aspect we expected.

Overall, I really did enjoy this book, it was just a totally different read than I thought I was picking up. Great for anyone who loves a small town setting, or family relationships.

I will definitely be checking out more of Sue Roberts books after this!

I was able to travel to Greece and enjoy the summery and small village vibe. This book was all I needed, a perfect get away from stress and to dive in a beautiful story about love, getting to know ourselves, being able to grow and being courageous to make life changing decisions!
Spoiler:
I didn’t give five stars for only two motives, the first one being the little accident she had which wasn’t explained how it happened, if she fell over and hit her head or if she only slipped sideways but if so she would have waken up immediately because it wouldn’t be strong enough to knock her out. Second thing, was how fast the relationship between her and Spyros happened, especially in the epilogue. Either way I loved the book and highly recommend to anyone wanting a travel romance!