Thank you Entangled for this ARC!

I was drawn in by the description for this book. The idea of traveling and checking off a bucket list while finding love seemed great, but this was not great.
Overall I didn't like the characters. Chelsea was inconsistent and Bas was pushy. So much of their dialogue internally and externally was so repetitive.
This could've been trimmed down by 100 pages and then it would've been a reasonable story. But instead we got reminded that Chelsea is scared of relationships, Chelsea had a bad childhood, Chelsea doesn't want anything permanent, and then Bas is butthurt that Chelsea doesn't want a relationship, Bas pushes Chelsea to be in a relationship, and so on. The time they spent traveling was kinda weird too. If I had trust issues and my best friend dropped the dude I'm scared of being in a relationship with into our trip, l'd go home. That didn't make sense.
On the positive, the descriptions and the concept of the list Chelsea and her best friend check off for her therapy was interesting. I liked the little excursions that were built into the story via the list.

After seeing this beautiful cover and reading the synopsis I was so excited for this one! And it started off strong! I love lists, I loved the premise, I was invested in characters, I was rooting for Chelsea and Bas from the start. And then it quickly went downhill from there!

Let me quickly clarify that I don’t expect my characters to be lovable or even relatable! But I do expect them to be consistent within their character. And this is where biggest disconnect happened for me. I was hyper aware that I was reading about imagined characters because even messiest humans are not that erratic in their thought process. It read as forced in order to create friction.

On that note the whole drama between Elisabeth and Evan was completely unnecessary. The two of them trying to figure out their career paths was sufficiently relatable. I think it would’ve made more impact if the two had a healthy, functional relationship to have something to inspire Chelsea and Bas to make better decision.

I loved the food and cooking aspect. I loved Bas’s family. I wish their relationship was less toxic - that they slept together than tried to stay away from each other but kept running into each other accidentally and then it feeling like circumstances are pushing them to try. And then they arrange for a trial period of 60 days. It would give opportunity for steamy scenes without all the forced conflict! I am giving such detailed feedback because a number of readers in our bookstagram chat DNFed book because of similar reasons unfortunately!

I say all this because I feel like there is still so much potential in this story with lots of editing and things being shuffled around. I would love to see this book succeeded!

In the spirit of honesty I will post a book feature on my Instagram but I won’t share a negative review because I do not want to cause any damage to the title!

As someone about to embark on a month long summer journey to Greece I couldn't think of a better book to read, thank you to Netgalley for the ARC

I was hoping this would be such a fun romance and I just struggled to get into it, I'm not sure if it was the formatting or if it was the MMC's name being basil but it was just difficult.

I did not like this. Seemed liked a romance book from someone who doesn’t know how to write one. I found myself pretty bored. Rating one star because it was set in Virginia and where I live. But other than that not for me.

I was hoping for a little more from this book. I really didn’t care for either character. For 30 something’s they had quite a few hang ups. Basil was trying to find approval from his parents and Chelsea having a negative outlook on relationships. Crossing off amended items on the yearly challenge helped them grow closer. I wouldn’t categorize this as a romantic comedy but there were some parts that made me chuckle. Thank you to good reads for this free advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

I genuinely enjoyed this book. The book follows a girl who has completely closed herself off relationships. She has a great relation with her bestie and has made a list of things to pushed them out of their comfort zone. It eventually leads to her finding love even if she tries to fight it. Basil is sweet and patient.
It was full of the raw truth of dealing with past trauma that many women struggle with even if they like it or not. Although at times it seemed over dramatic, it was the reality of how past trauma can affect relationships. I loved watching basil and Chelsea grow together. I also really enjoyed the duo love story with the best friend.

Wow, I did not intend to read this book in one sitting but I genuinely couldn’t put it down. It was funny, witty, and romantic and it held me captive. I love a book where the guy loves the girl so much that he will do anything to be with her. The world building and story line of this book was so well executed and the romance between Basil and Chelsea was *chefs kiss* (pun intended). I will say that reading this book made me so hungry for all the food that Basil was cooking and also a little jealous of their trip to Greece. I absolutely loved the writing and overall plot of this book and the title was very clever which drew me in initially, but the content made me stay. And to think this whole book started with a dare that took Chelsea a little out of her comfort zone. I love how the author portrayed someone working through trauma to get where she needs to be in the end. I highly recommend this book if you want a cute fast paced book with some steamy romance and some delicious sounding food.

Ok, I have to admit that this book was cute and funny, but far too predictable. It was not one of the best books I've ever read, and I don't feel like I need to read anything else by this author. There wasn't enough angst between the characters. I like a good fight in a story. I'll admit, full discloser, I'm not a fan of romances, but I'm attempting to explore other genres from what I usually read. I gave this book a 3.5 stars because it was a quick and somewhat fun read.

Reading one of Marlowe's books always feels like having a conversation with an old friend. I love her rich, deep prose, interesting characters, and unique plots. Plus, the food! Her food descriptions throughout left me hungry for more. A well-deserved five stars.

This book was amazing. It’s been so long since I’ve encountered a book that made me laugh, cry, giggle, and kick my feet in glee. This story has so many wonderful elements and moments, I can’t recommend it enough. I was so sucked into it, I felt like I was experiencing the story in a surreal way.

Chelsea was such a complex character that spoke to me in such a raw way. I found myself connecting with her through the pages, as she slowly grew and became more aware of her capacity for the life she truly wanted. I found myself wiping tears in moments of sheer vulnerability, and giddily smiling and giggling at her crazy shenanigans. Her chemistry with Basil was so evident, without being overdone. Watching how they both developed together and apart, was such an incredible experience.

I honestly couldn’t have imagined a better story for these two. They were raw and messy, but beautiful and heartwarming characters. They had authenticity in the writing, and I loved how real it was. I loved how it wasn’t just another cliched story, but rather one that was realistic, while still being alive and extraordinary.

I can’t imagine how it would have been better, because it was completely perfect in the way it was presented. Thank you to Mary Ann Marlowe for writing such a brilliant story and crafting this gorgeous experience.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
A super fun rom com that makes me miss good Greek food. Well done and entertaining!

Cute little book, but I don’t know what it was, didn’t get invested in either the FMC (who became annoying as the story progressed) or the MMC (who was better but… in the end I didn’t really care what happened).

The writing was fun, and overall an enjoyable read.

The title on this book completely pulled me in, I had to read it! Unfortunately I think the title was the most interesting thing about it. 🙃😬

Our FMC, Chelsea, has a to do list with her BFF. Developed from therapy as a way for Chelsea to get out of her comfort zone/confront some past childhood trauma. The meet cute with Basil (MMC) and his friend turned into a tumultuous roller coaster of him pursuing her, breaking down walls, and her being stubborn and not being open to the possibility that he's it for her. The insta love was a little much and her denying of feelings, but let me tell ya. Basil was so intentional about trying to woo her. I mean. The food! What. Every recipe he shared with her I desperately wanted to try.

I was expecting a vacation romcom, witb a beautiful Greece setting, some conflict about distance but in reality, it was set I think in Virginia, and the four friends had been in proximity of running into each other for probably a good decade before meeting. The romance their friends ended up in was so much a part of the plot that it took away from the author showing us more to the actual main characters. The ending felt very rushed for the obstacles that the MCs needed to get over and the chemistry was unfortunately pretty lacking. This had a lot of promise but ultimately fell flat.


Thank you Netgalley and Entangled Publishing LLC for the ARC in exchange for my review!

Cute idea at the very beginning of the book. The relationship between the friends seemed fun. However I just could not get into it. So much negativity surrounding Chelsea's character. The first spicy scene was just okay as well.

This may be someone else's cup of tea but just wasn't mine.

1.5 stars.

I hated "Holding Out for a Gyro" by Mary Ann Marlowe. It brings me no pleasure to review an indie book so poorly, but this book really, *really* rubbed me the wrong way, particularly where Chelsea, the female main character, is concerned. She is one of the most awful female main characters I have read recently. I *loathed* her so, so much. The only good thing this book had going for it was the friendship between Chelsea and Elizabeth. Apart from that, everything else in this book was a repetitive, unfortunate mess.

Chelsea makes her feelings about long-term relationships clear in the beginning as soon as she meets Basil, the main male character. Ok, good! She's laying out her boundaries! You go, girl! Basil has a penchant for falling in love quickly because he loves love and believes in finding his one true love. Great! You do you, king! They agree to have one night of fun together and then, they will call it quits. Yes! We love it when protagonists get what they want and don't apologize for sleeping around! Unfortunately, Chelsea IMMEDIATELY changes the rules and moves the goalpost for Bas, and Bas, like a desperate, lovesick puppy, comes crawling back and essentially begs her for more. This book is one gigantic miscommunication after another that never ended. Chelsea and Basil cannot communicate effectively to save their lives. They both *constantly* infringe upon each other's boundaries time and time again! He doesn't listen to her, she doesn't listen to him... no matter how good the D/P is, WALK AWAY. BOTH OF YOU, WALK AWAY!!!! Toxic, toxic, TOXIC AF!!! The longer the book goes on, the meaner, nastier, and more using Chelsea gets. She uses him for *wink* *wink,* she uses him for emotional support, she uses him for his food. At one point, she can't *bear* to live without Bas's cooking, so she says as much... but then remembers *him* as a *person* as an *afterthought.* Oh no, that pesky human attached to the hands who will make her her meal! ICK! The author uses the fact that Chelsea has had massive amounts of trauma in her life as the reason for why she acts the way she does. And it's not even like therapy can fix her because SHE HAS BEEN IN AND IS STILL CURRENTLY IN THERAPY AND IS STILL JUST AS HORRIBLE AND SELFISH AND CRUEL! She should fire her therapist! Chelsea *never* becomes the bigger person. She *never* seems regretful for her actions. She *never* changes. She just wants to stew in her childishness, her misery, and her trauma-sauce without actually doing the work and bettering herself. Still, they are both extremely problematic, but Bas deserves a medal for the way he put up with Chelsea's flimsy excuses, dramatic games, wishy-washy attitude, and flip-flopping feelings. My god, she was SO FREAKING ANNOYING!!!!!!!!!!!! Bas doesn't get a free pass. He has plenty of red flags of his own. He does things that would make most romantic partners be like, "yeah, this isn't working, bro, so don't let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya" and immediately slam the door in his face. Needless to say, I did not enjoy this book. I almost didn't finish it eight or nine times, and I probably should have just done that. Also, I think it is a disservice to Kate Clayborn and Lynn Painter to have their names attached to this book as a "for fans of." Please don't do that to them!

Thank you to NetGalley, Mary Ann Marlowe, Entangled Publishing, LLC, and Entangled: Amara for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

I really wanted to LOVE this book. I loved the Bas and his family. I kept picturing a young John Stamos. I loved the bucket lists. I loved the friendship of Chelsea and Elizabeth. I think that's where my love stops. The book seemed to go on forever and jumped into light speed with a rushed ending. Chelsea's character was extremely irritating. I understand the trauma, however, it seems that she wanted wallow in it instead of getting past it. I would have liked to see some closure with her parents.

First of all the pun in the title was a great start! Secondly, I think the story overall was well done, there were just some things I would’ve preferred differently. I think the main female character had understandable baggage, but it was given to us in bits and so I didn’t understand her hesitation towards the main male character. I think the list was a brilliant way to play on a romcom trope, but it was overplayed towards the end. Also, I felt like overall I just didn’t like the female main character the same way I liked her friend, and I think that’s just because to me her development felt stunted even though shes supposed to be in her late 20s but I understand the trauma she was struggling through. I think the ending was the most satisfactory part of the whole book and was really glad we got a chapter post HEA.

Thank you to Entangled for providing a NetGalley of this for my honest feedback.

I loved the idea of this book way more than I ended up liking the characters, and it just sort of fell a bit flat for me.

Chelsea and Elizabeth are best friends, and they create a fun to-do list challenge each year to help bring each other (mostly Chelsea - as it's homework from her therapist) out of their norms and to experience fun where they are. Our story starts when they both have to complete a list item at a bar; with one being to have an honest conversation with a stranger, and the other to have a completely fabricated conversation with a stranger. From there begins the story of Chelsea and Basil.

I won't get into the story, so as to prevent spoilers in this review but, if you like these tropes, you may enjoy this book!
- He falls first
- Insta love
- Dual POV
- Consent
- Greek (swoon)

Chelsea is a woman who experienced some major familial trauma as a kid, so she is constantly having to work through issues that are triggering to her. I would've loved to see more of a character arc for her, instead of her seemingly very quick turn around.

First off, big thank you to Mary Ann Marlowe, Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for sending me a digital ARC copy of this book!

I needed a break from the tandem read of Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Mass.
My mind was going numb from the longer chapters of TOD and I needed something quick, fun, and easy to read so I checked my email and happened to see a message from Entangled letting me know there were a few ARC's that I could request. A few days later I had an email with a link to download Holding Out For A Gyro.

While I much prefer fantasy romance over regular/contemporary romance novels, I actually found myself thoroughly enjoying this book. I had similar issues with my dad as the main character Chelsea has with her father, just not ever to that extent. Initially, I had a hard time with the MMC's name... Basil Stavros? I was GIGGLING right out of the gate! But as time went on, the more Bas grew on me and it's safe to say that I feel like I have my own personal Bas at home! I will most definitely be trying those Chai cookies that he made. ;)
I do have to admit that I found Chelsea to be annoying sometimes and I even yelled at my phone!
There are a few times when the author wrote a word or two in greek and because of my settings I couldn't see it, so half of my yelling "What did he/she say?!?" was my own fault.. lol.
The list that she makes with her best friend Elizabeth, corresponding with each new chapter made it so, so easy to get through and the ending? Chef's kiss. My heart exploded! I was so incredibly happy to see our girl's growth in the end!

There are a few quotes that I feel compelled to share because they remind me of Nesta Archeron early in ACOSF:
"Sex and alcohol calmed the beast, at least temporarily."
"Give me mind-blowing sex, not a soul mate."

Other quotes that I liked/thought were funny:
"I couldn't outrun my demons within delivery distance of a Domino's."
"drinking her in with Mr. Darcy levels of longing"
"His hands worshipped me like I was a goddess- Athena or Aphrodite. And here he was, my Adonis. I dipped my fingers into his waistline and slid the fabric down to release the mythological beast."
"We'd always laughed at fools who'd fallen into my Venus Man Trap..."

I rated this book 4 stars because I thought it was a fun ride!
The spice was spicing (for the most part- I could have done with a bit more descriptive scenes).
The characters were all relatable for me in one way or another and I could really put myself in Chelsea's shoes.
Will I recommend this book to others? ABSOLUTELY!! I already have actually!! I can't wait to get a physical copy if one comes out!

This one was a tough read for me. The premise could have been great as a meet-cute set up, but fell almost instantly flat because the characters didn't really bring anything to the table. What started as (possibly) a coming of age/getting past trauma/he-falls-first story just became tedious.

In short:

The characters don't really develop and I found what was meant to be quirky allusions to tragic pasts to just be tiresome. That is a shame because books that tackle those issues are much needed.

I didn't really feel any chemistry between either of the represented couples, an issue exacerbated by the FMCs dedication to not maturing an ounce in how she approaches the idea of even being in a relationship. The lack of chemistry made most of the relationship progression also hard to get into.

The biggest one for me is that the resolution requires everyone to act "out of character" and by that I mean "do exactly what they claimed they would NEVER do." As a reader, I worked too hard for these two dingbats to just roll over to the exact patterns they were looking to avoid. Maybe I just need more than "true love makes it all fine" from my romances these days.

All this being said, I have written zero books so this being a miss for me doesn't mean it wont be a five-star read for another romance reader.