Full of locational detail and local culture, this story sees Lydia and Thanos find each other and themselves. It's the perfect beach read with a vividly described setting, vibrant characters and an emotional journey of love and self-realisation.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

I got A Taste of Greek Summer by Mandy Baggot for free from NetGalley for a fair and honest review.
A Taste of Greek Summer is a romance set on the Island of Corfu, were Lydia who used to love cooking and working for one of the best chefs in the world is there as part of her job.
However, that job is not cooking as she lost the joy when in her opinion the best chef in the world died in her arms mid service, she not only lost her mentor but her love for cooking.
Now working as a food critique will the island of Corfu and a local chef bring back the love of cooking as well as so much more.
On one hand A Taste of Greek Summer is a romance between to people Lydia and Thanos who because of the joy the gain form cooking and tasting of food, in a similar way from a friendship, which could turn into love.
It is also about taking risks when there are times it is too easy to stay in the life you know, rather than the life you want because of responsibilities or experience.
While a Taste of Greek Summer does not have the usual single point in the novel that the writer adds in to make it run like a standard novel of this genre. Instead, it has jeopardy throughout the book which seem to cause more and more issues as the story goes on.
I do want to put a little downer on this novel and that is the cultural reference that were added to this novel while I do not mind the odd one or two this did seem to have a few to many. Some of them may not work when the novel is read in a few years.
Having said that not only are Thanos and Lydia the main characters of the book, I do also feel that the food and the Island of Corfu really do add to the setting of and the ambiance of this novel in such a way that these are almost important to the book as those two.
All this make A Taste of Greek Summer by Mandy Baggot well worth the read.

This book did not grab my attention as much as I’d like. The cover of the book made me interested in reading it, but sadly I stopped reaching for it at the 70% mark. DNF

This book just did not hold my interest. I made it about half way through and never picked it back up. I could not connect with the characters and the story didn't peak my interest.

Really enjoyed this, easy to read which is what I needed due to a close family bereavement. Nice holiday read

A romance and a new lease of life.
Lydia goes to Corfu to write for a food magazine after having a career as a chef, then she meets Thanos a local chef trying to make a life for himself and his younger brother after losing their parents in a boating accident and Thanos was left to bring up his brother.
Thanos and Lydia get together and the rest is history.
Loved the food and the atmosphere of the island.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

Posted to Goodreads

Lydia used to be atop chef, until the death of her mentor. Now she writes about food. A trip to Corfu to write an article about Greece, leads her to question her decision to stop cooking. Meeting a tall handsome Greek chef helps! Funny, hard to put down, I really enjoyed this novel.

This book transported me right to the Greek island, Corfu. Baggot took a whole month and explored all the sights in the book and her descriptions made me add Corfu onto my travel list. This was such a sweet and light read and touched my little Greek heart and one character in particular reminded me of my yiayia. Lydia & her bff Caroline were a hilarious match-up and honestly I would read another one of their adventures. Thanos and his fam were so sweet and def showed a beautiful and loyal side of family. If Baggot takes on another Greek island I'm there!

Thank you NetGalley and Embla books for this E-book for a honest review.


This seems like this will be a great beach/travel read. I loved how descriptive it was when talking about the food and the island. What I didnt care for was the plot of this book (fell flat/dragged out). Even though I didnt care for the characters. This was still a decent read.

Set on the beautiful island of Corfu, Mandy Baggot has written another great summer read. When food writer Lydia meets Greek cook Thanos. Their common love of good quality, tasty foods nurtures a friendship. AS they begin to know each other a bit better they are able to show their hidden qualities and secrets. A lovely read, not to be missed.

Wow what a lovely story of Lydia who was once a great chef but after witnessing her mentor dying loses her will to be a chef. She gets a job writing about food and becoming a reviewer for Luxe Living. Caroline is her best friend and convinces Lydia to travel with her to Corfu to write about greek food.
Thanos is a great chef who dreams of running his own kitchen one day and makes the most amazing dishes. Lydia visits where he works and is amazed by the food he cooks and it awakes her passion for cooking. Thanos and Lydia get together for a food festival and Thanos wows the VIP's with Lydia's help. She also falls for the sexy hot Thanos who holds back because he is looking after his younger brother Onassis after their parents died.
This is a great escapism book and funny and well paced that makes the reader want to visit Corfu.
Thanks to NetGalley Embla Books for a advanced copy.
Can't wait for more books from Mandy Baggot.

I know Mandy Baggot has quite a lot of books now and they've always been on my TBR list, but this is the first I've managed to find time for and it definitely won't be my last!

The cover was what initially drew me in because it's so gorgeous and I was looking for a lovely sunshine escape and that's exactly what I found in this book. Greece, food and sexy chefs - what more could you ask for?

The author described Corfu so vividly, I felt like I could imagine exactly where the characters were, what they could smell and the colours of the sky, plus the community feel of the places that they were staying. It has now made me eager to visit Corfu and try some of the dishes that were described.

I loved the heat between Lydia and Thanos - how they had a real connection that had been initiated by their love of food and developed into something deeper. Lydia's friend, Caroline, was slightly annoying at times but that's okay because she also made me laugh as she was allergic to anything that wasn't deep fried or contained veg!

4⭐

Thank you to NetGalley, Embla Books and the author for the review copy, provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

The Blurb :
Lydia Broom is living her second-best life. With her dreams of being a chef left in the dust she instead finds solace writing about the dishes she wished she created. When Lydia's sent to Corfu on an assignment, she's excited to see what culinary delights the island has to offer, but nothing seems to tickle her fancy - until she tastes the creations of local cook, Thanos Nicolaidis.
After one sizzling afternoon in the kitchen together, Lydia and Thanos both allow themselves to dream of the futures they desperately want. And as they grow closer, sharing secret ingredients and family recipes, Thanos begins to realise he has to show Lydia the parts of him he's done so well to hide...

My Thoughts :
Whenever I hear Mandy Baggot has a new book coming out, I know its going to be a good one.
I also know that im going to be ready for an amazing Greek treat and I wasnt wrong.
Once again another Mandy Baggot book I couldnt put down.
We meet Lydia Broom, once a chef working for Mario who was also her mentor. When he suddenly passed away with Lydia by his side, she seemed lost and turned her back on cooking.
Lydia would now rather write about food as a columnist rather than cook it.
When her friend and colleague Caroline, who works on the lifestyle column suggests they travel to Corfu for a special edition of the magazine, Lydia isnt so sure but decides to go with it and thinks it will be a nice break away if not anything else.
Thanos Nicolaidis, also a Chef was instantly likeable, caring for his younger brother Onassis after the sudden death of their parents made him even more loveable. He just wanted a better life for him and his brother and would do anything possible to get it.
When Lydia and Thanos meet there is an instant connection, and their love of food soon makes them the perfect match. It was a delight to watch their journey unfold and especially delightful the way Thanos took Lydia out of her comfort zone.
I liked the way Lydia and Caroline bounced off each other and made a great team. Although Caroline could at times be annoying, I think that just added to her bold character.
It is very clear that the Author has such a strong connection and love of Greece. With such amazing descriptions of the areas we visted and talk of all the delicious Greek dishes, I found myself googling some of them to see what was in them and weather I could cook some myself.
This story was Pure escapism at its best, you will get lost in the wonder of Greece.
Cant wait for more Greek stories from Mandy Baggot.

this book was so sweet! i really enjoyed getting to read this one early!! it was so much fun and exciting and full of surprises! please check this one out soon!!!!

Temperatures are sizzling under the Greek Summer sun in Corfu in A Taste of Greek Summer. Lydia is tasting the tempting delights of chef Thanos exquisite Greek food, but dreams of setting down her pen ad a food reviewer to pick up a chef's apron. Soon, it isn't just the food and hot sun that is creating heat. This is such a fabulous summer read. Immediately transported to visions of beautiful Corfu and all its delights, you could fail to fall under its spell. Dazzling in every way. #atasteofgreeksummer #mandybaggot #embla

This was so great! The details were incredible and it truly felt like a sumptuous summer vacation in book form. Thanos is everyone’s dream vacation romance and honestly irl boyfriend goals as well. So we’ll written and terribly fun the supporting characters bring just enough chaos to keep things interesting. I feel like there’s been a trend of chefs to lovers in books recently and I love how good accompanied the story and moved it along without being the main point. Honestly if there was a recipe included for anything this would be the perfect book. Loved Lydia and Thanos’s story and I see this being something I come back to when I want to “travel.”

After reading this book, I want to visit Greece and all the beautiful places described here. Baggot paints a gorgeous picture of Corfu that makes you feel you’re right there with the characters. A perfect beach read with a sweet happily-ever-after!

Thank you NetGalley and the author for an advanced copy.

If you love Greece,Corfu in particular and food this is the book for you.
Lydia was a chef but gave it up when her mentor and friend dies, her boyfriend decides he would be better off with her mentors daughter and pushes her out of the business.
Deciding never to cook again she becomes a food reviewer for a magazine, her friend Caroline who also works for the magazine offers her a trip to Greece for a special edition of the magazine
Thanos is a Greek chef who is disillusioned with the restaurant he works at and longs to have his ideas on tables but can't afford to start up on his own as he has custody of his brother.
A chance meeting brings them together and things change for both of them

This is a quick easy read with good characters, great beach/holiday read. The references to corfu and it’s atmosphere just encourages the escapism in the reader.

Thank you to Netgalley for an electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I can see how this book could be successful, but unfortunately it was not my cup of tea. I was so excited to read this based on the synopsis, but I had to put this down after only five or six chapters in. I have a lot of titles in my TBR, and if a book doesn’t capture me, or rubs me the wrong way, early on, I’ve started to DNF them. And unfortunately this was one of them.

The writing style was not my favorite, and felt inconsistent at times, like it should’ve gone through another round of edits. The dialogue seemed unnatural to me. And the main character, Libby, and her friend Caroline, immediately rubbed me the wrong way.

That being said, there are lots of people who like this book, and if the synopsis interests you, give it a try! You may be surprised :).

But just because