An enjoyable beach read! The characters were great and pleasant, the storyline was lovely and the descriptions of Corfu and the food were just fab! Recommend a copy of this for a few afternoons in the sunshine, enjoy!

my thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital review copy!

I was very intrigued by the synopsis, having always wanted to travel to Corfu.

This was a refreshing and entertaining book about Lydia–a former chef who suffered a devastating loss, resulting in her leaving her career and reinventing herself as a food writer for a struggling luxury magazine, and Thanos–a skilled self-taught chef, whose culinary dreams have hit a roadblock, with little hope for a change. These two find each other and their life trajectory shifts.

The location and food descriptions were lush. The story is told in dual POV, which I liked, since it let us get both their stories and also insight into both main characters from an outside source. The side characters were entertaining.

Both main characters were sympathetic and engaging, and their sidekicks were quite unique and entertaining.

The family dynamics were interesting side stories and added to the depth of the characters and their motivations/stories.

All in all a fun read, with plenty of mouthwatering food descriptions and tantalizing glimpses of the beauty of Corfu, marinating in a romance story that leaves with with a good feeling for them both.

overall rating 3 1/2 stars

A light read to escape with to the sunnier climes of Corfu. Some quirky characters, particularly Ismena, a determined 80 year old, plus some mouth watering foodie descriptions make this book. I did find the book a little slow in places and a little wooden plus some situations could have been made more of. Somewhat predictable but a pleasant enough read for some light relief.

A foodie delight!
Mandy Baggot always captures the beauty and calming influence of Corfu in her novels and this is no exception. With the added bonus of 2 accomplished chefs working their magic on the flavours of Greek cooking this was superbly mouthwatering.
If you want a few hours in the sunkissed islands in the company of some endearing characters with a bit of sizzling chemistry then this book can do no wrong!

Such a Delightful love story…. Lydia and Thanos discover that amid the sirtaki dancing and the smashing plates, they might just be cooking up their very own love story. Let this tale take you away to sunny climates….

Mandy Baggot is the absolute queen of the summer escape, and this is a perfect summer read.
I fell in love with this fab book and the characters, especially Thanos another gorgeous leading man. And I already love Corfu.
Told from both Thanos’ and Lydia’s point of view, I loved the way you hear it from both sides.
Lydia is working as a restaurant critic for Luxe Living, a lifestyle magazine. Her colleague Caroline is a features writer there, and they get sent out to Corfu to research for a special edition of the magazine.
A delicious story of food, both cooking and writing about it. Lydia rediscovers her passion for cooking thanks to tasting some fabulous Greek dishes.
Ismena, Thanos’ neighbour, was a real big character in the story. She had assumed care of Thanos and his brother after their parents died in an accident. I would love to have an Ismena in my life!
I really enjoyed visiting all the resorts and towns and experiencing the days out that Caroline had arranged.
Funny and entertaining in equal measure, just what I’d expect from Mandy Baggot. I love her writing.
Thanks to Mandy Baggot, Embla Books and NetGalley for the early review copy in which I give my honest opinion.

Set in beautiful Corfu the description of the scenery and the food was amazing. It took me a while to settle into the story as I thought the beginning was a bit slow but then the story took off and I loved it.

Caroline and Lydia made a great team, so opposite in what they liked and thought. Ismena was the friend and neighbour we would all love on our side and I was rooting for Lydia to find her creative food spark again after being treated so badly. Thanos had to shelve his dreams to look after his little brother but his passion for cooking introduces us to pop up food stalls in amazing places

This is a great holiday read

Thank you NetGalley and Embla Books for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 rounded down
This would be the perfect summer read that would make you want to spend all of your money to travel to Greece and have the chance to experience your own Lydia/Thanos romance. I adore the dual point of views and how their relationship went from romance to healing to figuring out what they want and how they can achieve those things together. Such a cute read and I would definitely recommend when summer comes.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 (4.5)
Steam Level: 🔥🔥 (kissing and closed door sex scenes)
Trigger Warning: death of a loved one

Lydia Broom hasn't set foot in a kitchen after witnessing the death of her mentor and then being fired from his restaurant. Now working as a restaurant critic for Luxe Living, she and her colleague, Caroline, venture to Corfu, Greece to write a summer edition of the magazine. It's there that she meets sexy chef Thanos Nicolaidis and feels her passion for cooking come to life again. As Lydia explores Greece and spends time with Thanos, will she be able to heal from her past and find her happily ever after?

I enjoyed this book so much! It's equal parts women's fiction and romance as Lydia and Thanos fall in love, heal, and figure out what they want for the future. I enjoyed getting both of their POVs and seeing them go on this journey together. Thanos was so supportive and sensitive to Lydia as he helped her rediscover her love for cooking, and Lydia was there to encourage Thanos as he tried to make a name for himself as a head chef. Of course, the food played a big role in this story, and I enjoyed reading about all the Greek delicacies that were cooked and eaten by the main characters. I also loved how all the side characters supported Thanos and Lydia in their relationship and careers. If you enjoy great food, travel, and boy bands (IYKYK) then this is the book for you. I can't wait to read more from Mandy Baggot after this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Embla Books for providing me with an ARC of this book!

This book has a lot of promise, and the story was great, but the writing and clunky dialogue held me back from truly enjoying this book from start to finish. The initial meet-cute was fantastic and the settings through the book were beautiful, but I often felt like the descriptions were lacking. Show me, don’t tell me! The food descriptions saved the book.

Free courtesy of Netgalley

This is my first read by Mandy Baggot, at first I wasn't sure I was enjoying the book. I really disliked the character Caroline, I just couldn't connect with her, she was brash and I couldn't work out how her and Lydia would ever be friends. I did however fall in love with the book as I read more, the setting was amazing and I want to visit all the places they did in Corfu. The gentle love story entwining throughout the book was beautiful, two broken people finding a place with each other.

Lydia is a food writer for a magazine, and her and her colleague/friend head off to Corfu to write for the magazine, but not everything is at it seems, and everyone has secrets to keep. Lydia used to be a chef working in a top kitchen and we find out throughout the book what happens to make her turn her back on cooking to become a good writer.

Whilst in Corfu, she crosses path with a chef called Thanos, who has his own issues going on, bringing up his younger brother after his parents are killed in an accident.

It is a beautiful book, like I said, I didn't like all the characters but it didn't stop the enjoyment of the book

Lydia is a food writer for a luxury magazine. She's sent to Corfu along with her friend Caroline to write about Greek food. She finds Thanos and they don't get on

Really enjoyed this book set in Greece, to save the magazine the girls work for they take a trip to Greece and get more than they bargained for, laughter tears and drama keep you reading

I liked this Mandy Baggott novel but I didn’t love it. As always the location and the food descriptions were amazing but I found myself zoning out when it came to the actual character storylines.

A Taste of Greek Summer was definitely a fast read for me. I enjoyed it so much that I will be going back and reading all of the other books Mandy Baggot has released. Definitely not a book to sit on. Grab your favorite snack and beverage. Head down to the beach and get to it! Be ready to join Lydia and Thanos in the kitchen!

What a bountiful banquet this book is! Brimming with Greek gorgeousness, fantastic food, a hot, handsome chef, and with a very likeable leading lady, this book has everything I wanted for some wonderful escapism! There’s the backdrop of stunning Corfu, interwoven with a blossoming love story that kept me reading, a crazy best friend, and an amazing Greek lady who I really want to be friends with! Thanos is my new man crush, and rightly so, he’s lovely, with just the right amount of angst to pull at my heartstrings. I was captivated by this story, couldn’t stop reading until I got to the very satisfying end, and was taken back to beautiful Corfu by the vivid description that Mandy Baggot is so good at. Beautifully written, this lovely story made me smile, laugh, and left me with a lovely, warm glow. Bravo Mandy!

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Another great book from Mandy.

With dreams of being a chef shattered Lydia does the next best thing writing about food. Lydia is sent to Corfu to write about the culinary delights of the island. Nothing seems to get her writing flowing until she meets the local chef Thanos Nicolaidis. They grow closer sharing secret ingredients and recipes and start dreaming of the futures they both want. Will it all end in disaster or will things go there way.

Thank you to Embla Books and NetGalley for the arc!

I’ve been reading so many books lately that are giving me the travel bug! Which is not usual for me! But man did I want to go to Greece while reading this book. It sounded so beautiful!

I wasn’t expecting this to be dual narration so that as always was a nice surprise. I loved hearing Thanos’ POV.

I loved Lydia as a main character as well. You really rooted for her and got fired up on her behalf. Like omg Patrick was the worst!

There were points when I thought the story dragged a bit, but it was still a sweet story!

Thank you Embla Books and Mandy Baggot for providing me with an ARC on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review,

Rating: 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

OH. MY. GOD. Where has Mandy Baggot been my entire reading life??!!! I cannot believe this is the first time I'm reading her work, because I have no words for how much I ADORED this book!

A Taste of Greek Summer sees Lydia, a food columnist and ex-chef and her best friend/colleague Caroline, a lifestyle columnist, travel to Corfu for the magazine they work for, as they have been tasked to create a special edition print for their readers. On their travels, Lydia meets up-and-coming chef Thanos Nicolaidis, and sparks fly in more than just the kitchen.

This book is the perfect holiday romance, in my opinion. It's clever, witty, dreamy and will suck you right in from the first chapter. It is not only a feast for the eyes, but you will find your tummy rumbling as well as you read about all the delicious delights of greek cuisine. Seriously, I got epic FOMO because I wasn't also in Corfu with Lydia & Caroline experiencing the wonderful way of living there.

I have to commend Mandy, because I fell in love with the entire cast of characters. Lydia & Caroline's friendship had me equal parts giggling at their shenanigans and smiling at the obvious and geniune love they had for each other, despite being completely opposites. Thanos & his family brought out the same sentiments in me, and I couldn't help but howl with laughter over their interactions. And ofcourse, the romance was *chef's kiss*.

A delightful read from start to end; one that left me smiling long after I finished the last chapter.

Lydia and Thanos are both chefs, both battling against events in their past which constrains their creativity and both trying their best to keep going on a daily basis.
The main character in this book, however, is the setting. The author's love of the Ionian island of Corfu comes through on every page. I only wish that some of the secondary Greek characters were more than stereotypes.
If you are looking for a very light escapist read on a lovely island, then this is the book for you.