Blog Tour: Summer Ever After by Mandy Baggot

It is a complete coincidence that I read two books set in Greece in a row, and I am also watching a TV series set there as well. Or is it? Maybe it is fate telling me to hurry up and go and visit Greece! If I was to visit Greece any time soon, then Mandy Baggot has convinced me that Corfu would be worth going to.

When Faye Lawson's marriage falls apart she finds refuge and purpose at one of her favourite places on Earth. She moves to Corfu and becomes the hotel manager at the family owned hotel Margaritari. Here she deals with the hotel guests, manages the team and budgets and so much more. She lives at the hotel but her dream is to find a small beachfront home to call her own. 

When Dimitria, her friend and the hotel owner, announces that they have an important guest, his name means nothing to Faye. Kostas Petsas, twenty-something ex-professional basketball player, is a Corfiot hero. There is even a statue of him in the town square.  Unfortunately, the love and pride the people of Corfu feel for Kostas is not really reciprocated. He blames the community for the demise of his father. Now, he wants to build a massive tourist development and marina right in the unspoilt area near the hotel.

Despite their 15 year age gap, Kostas and Faye are immediately attracted to each other, but it's complicated. He's a famous former athlete, she's an older divorced mum to a nineteen year old daughter who seems to still think that there is a chance for her parents to reunite, even though that is the last thing that Faye wants.

When she hears that her beloved hotel might be up for sale, she also has to worry about whether her Corfu dream might be coming to an end. And if she find out what Kostas real intentions are, could their fledgling relationship survive?

I have read a number of Mandy Baggot's books and I do enjoy them. Sometimes, there is an element of madcap in the humour, but this was not one of those books. There is still humour for sure, but you can tell that this book is talking about topics that are important to her.

I loved the characters of Dimitria and Kyriaki, Kostas' grandmother who he had long believed to be dead. Kyriaki lives in a tree house with no electricity or other mod cons, which doesn't mean to say that she doesn't know what is going on in the world around her. As she says, "Here I am away from everything I do not want and in the middle of everything I do."

I also loved the epilogue. I can't tell you why, but just the way that everything played out showed that Kostas really got Faye, her history, her dreams and more. In a way it surprised me to see that, despite his age, he really understood her. 

A key part of the story is the locals opposition to the full scale development that Kostas is originally proposing. In the afterword, Mandy Baggot talks about how this is a very real campaign in the area that the book is set, which is near her home. The video below, which comes from the Save Erimitis page, shows how beautiful the whole area is, and why people are keen to ensure that it is preserved in it's current state.

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews. Thanks to the publisher and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour too!

Rating 4/5

About the Book

Summer Ever After

Forty-year-old Faye Lawson is falling back in love with life at last. Finally divorced from her cheating husband, she has turned her back on the UK and has been living the Greek dream in Corfu managing a beautiful traditional boutique hotel.

For Kostas Petsas, twenty-something ex-professional basketball player, life as he has always known it is over. Having to take early-retirement because of injury, he’s at a loss as to what to do next. But when a piece of land in Corfu comes on the market, it seems this might be the perfect fit. There’s just a couple of things in the way… an area of natural beauty and… a little hotel on the beach.

Kostas has never met any woman like Faye before – she doesn’t behave around him how women usually do, and, when conflict starts to surface, it seems they can’t see eye-to-eye on anything. Or perhaps, when things get body-to-body, both of them begin to wonder if it can turn into heart-to-heart.

Escape to the beautiful island of Corfu with Mandy Baggot - queen of Greek summer romance!

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/SummerEverAfterSocial

About the Author

Mandy Baggot is a bestselling romance writer who loves giving readers that happy-ever-after. From sunshine romantic comedies set in Greece, to cosy curl-up winter reads, she's bringing gorgeous heroes and strong heroines readers can relate to. Mandy splits her time between Salisbury, Wiltshire and Corfu, Greece and has a passion for books, food, racehorses and all things Greek!



Social Media Links –

Facebook: @MandyBaggotAuthor

Twitter: @MandyBaggot

Instagram: @MandyBaggot

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/MandyBaggotNews

Bookbub profile: @MandyBaggot

Blog Tour: The Islander's Daughter by Patricia Wilson

 

As much as I enjoy reading made up stories in historical fiction, there is something special about stories which are based on real life events, which is the case with this book.

The Islander's Daughter tells the story of a terrible massacre on the small Greek island of Milos in August 1943. 14 men were killed by the German occupiers in retribution for the bombing of the cargo ship, SS Artemis Pitta.

The story is predominantly told through the eyes of Dora, a young woman who has grown up on the island. Like many young women of her time, her life is all planned out for her. She is expected to marry family friend Zoodow, but it is more complicated than that as her brother also has feelings for Zoodow. Her brother is forced to leave home, with tragic consequences, leaving Dora at the mercy of her violent and unpredictable father.

The author really cleverly builds the tension, from the bombing of the ship, with the timelines counting down to the date of the massacre. Dora and her family are key to the events. Dora has a natural caring nature and so finds herself caring for a survivor of the boat explosion in secret, and soon finds herself falling in love. War brings out the best and worst in people and Dora experiences this first hand when she is betrayed.

If you read the blurb for this book it appears as though it is a dual timeline is, and I guess, technically, it is. However, it is only the prologue and epilogue that have a modern setting. To be honest, the reason why is only obvious in the last couple of pages. I do wonder if there was a different way of doing this. 

This is my first book from Patricia Wilson, who retired to Greece many years ago. Just looking at the titles and descriptions of her books, it is clear that she loves the country. That enthusiasm shines through the pages of the book!

I am sharing this review with New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog and the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host here.  Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. Be sure to check out other stops on the blog tour below.

Rating 3.5/5

About the book

The Islander's Daughter

When Trisha receives a mysterious letter to her Liverpool home, it opens a decades’ old mystery, drawing her back into her family’s forgotten past, the horrors of war, and a small island off the coast of Greece…

Eighty years earlier, on the island of Milos, Dora is dreaming of a better life, free from the oppression of the occupying army and, closer to home, the brutal rule of her father, an infamous horse breeder.

Then a German cargo ship is bombed in the harbour, killing dozens of the men on board. The islanders trawl the waters for spoilage from the wreckage – finding among the debris a badly injured man, who may just hold the awful truth about what happened.

Dora soon finds this man under her care, and it changes her life forever, introducing her to the possibility of love and freedom for the first time… But Dora cannot know, as she nurses the stranger back to health, that her actions will have devastating consequences for her beloved island. Consequences that will last for generations…

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/islandersdaughter

About the Author 

Born on the Wirral, Patricia Wilson is the author of emotional, escapist historical fiction set in the Greek Islands, including the Sunday Times bestseller Villa of Secrets. She has had seven bestsellers, and her books have been published worldwide and in thirteen languages. She is dyslexic, and fell in love with writing thanks to modern technology.



Social Media Links

Facebook: @PatriciaWilsonAuthor

Twitter: @pmwilson_author

Instagram: @pmwilson.author

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/PatriciaWilsonNews

Blog Tour: The Stolen Sister by Jan Baynham

When Zoë Carter's mother, Greta passes away at a relatively young age, she is left alone. Zoë was an only child, and her father had died in a car accident when she was three. As far as she knows, her mother had lived a very closed life in Wales, so it was a complete shock when she receives a sealed letter asking that she spread Greta's ashes in Crete. Zoë had no idea that her mother had even visited Crete.

Determined to try and put all the pieces together, Zoë decides to visit the island, and slowly she begins to put the story together. Not only had Greta visited but she had lived there for a period of time during the 1960s

In one time line of the book we follow Greta as she arrives in the picturesque town of Fáros Limáni and joins an art commune. There she meets Andreas and begins a passionate love affair. When she finds out that she is pregnant, Greta is torn because she is concerned that her parents will be ashamed of her but she loves Andreas. 

In the other time line which is set in 1984, Zoë tries to find out the truth. She is a silversmith and she is drawn to the jewellery shops in the town. She is surprised when she is called by another name, and even more surprised when it happens again. Why do people keep on mistaking her for someone else. 

Along the way, Zoë also gets to meet some of the people who were important to her mother, and they in turn help bring Zoë's truth to life. However, along the way, it is not only Zoë who needs to learn the truth about who they are. Family secrets are revealed, and the truth is quite shocking, to think that things like the key events in the historical story could truly have happened.

I hadn't read Jan Baynham before but i am glad that I took a chance with a new . I found myself getting lost in the world that Baynham has created. While I have travelled quite a bit in Europe, Greece is one of the places I have not yet visited and when I read books like this, it really makes me want to do so! Crete does seem of particular interest given ancient history and more recent history, as well as gorgeous beaches and food and so much more.

I am sharing this review with New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog and the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host here.  Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Zooloo's Book Tours for the review copy. Be sure to check out other stops on the blog tour below.

About the book:

Lost letters. A secret Greek love affair. A daughter's search for the truth. 

Crete, 1963. Young artist Greta Ellis arrives at the sun-soaked port of Fáros Limáni, ready to paint and explore the beautiful Greek island. 

 When she meets passionate local Andreas Papadakis, she is swept up in a world of colour, freedom and forbidden love. But when tragedy strikes, Greta is forced to make an impossible choice that will echo for decades. 

 Wales, 1984. After her mother Greta’s death, silversmith Zoë Carter receives a sealed letter that upends everything she thought she knew. Greta’s dying wish is for her ashes to be scattered in Crete, a place precious to her . . . but somewhere she had never spoken of.

 Searching through her mother’s belongings, Zoë uncovers a series of letters. Written in Greek and dated the year before she was born, they reveal a passionate love affair. And a tragedy that tore it apart. 

 Determined to know the truth, Zoë travels to Crete to follow the trail left behind in her mother’s letters. Through the olive groves and whitewashed villages of Crete, she begins to piece together a story of love, betrayal and loss — and discovers that her family was never what it seemed.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/246324063-the-stolen-sister 

Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/stolensister-zbt

About the author:

Fascinated by family secrets and ‘skeletons lurking in cupboards’, Jan’s dual narrative, dual timeline novels explore how decisions and actions made by family members from one generation impact on the lives of the next. Her first three novels look at the bond between mothers and daughters as well as forbidden love. Setting and a sense of place plays an important part in all Jan’s stories and as well as her native mid-Wales, there is always a contrasting location - Greece, Sicily and northern France. Her next books will involve secrets and sibling relationships; the first set in 1943 and 1968 takes the reader back to beautiful Sicily where two sisters work together to prove their father’s innocence of a wrongdoing. 

Social Media Links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JanBayLit

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/janbaynham/ 

 X (formerly Twitter) https://x.com/JanBaynham 

 Website https://janbaynham.blogspot.com/

Blog Tour: Not My Greek Wedding by Sue Roberts

 

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for British author Sue Roberts' latest book Not My Greek Wedding. Firstly, how lovely is that cover! Takes me straight to Greece before I have even opened the book!

When Mia is invited to her friend Tasha's destination wedding in Santorini, she is glad that it comes with the offer of paid accommodation. She takes her work friend Lulu as her plus one, seeing it as Lulu's chance to live a little and look out for herself rather than always focussing on her almost adult children, who do seem to be taking advantage of her at times. There she meets Tasha's lovely aunts, Irene and Patsy, who were a lot of fun and very relatable to me, as well as a few of the other guests!

Mia is a wannabe social media influencer. She has a pretty big following now but she isn't quite there in terms of the big time. She gets invited to some local special events at home, and takes every opportunity to make her life look a little more glamourous than it might actually be. The reality is that she has just lost her job working in a call centre and she lives at home with her parents. 

The blurb is a bit misleading and feels like maybe the book changed after the blurb was written.  It makes it sound as though Mia was going to end up with Christos. I was reading the book and thinking how on earth is this going to work as he is not the kind of guy you would think would be part of a happily ever after scenario. And maybe, without Mia realising that there are other opportunities for her, she might have ended up with Christos for a brief holiday romance or perhaps a bit longer. Fortunately, Mia began to see that she could be more and do more and do better when it came to gorgeous Greek men. 

That might sound a bit dismissive but I don't really mean it to. Mia seems to be a genuinely caring person who looks out for her friends like Lulu and to a certain extend Tasha (she did spend a lot of the book off the page), who build relationships with people she cares about like Tasha's aunts, and who isn't brash about her own talents, although she could probably be more confident in her own abilities such as her singing.

The actual MMC doesn't even appear until nearly half way through the book. Fortunately, he was much better than Christos and I guessed their connection pretty easily. I did like how Andreas saw that there was more to Mia than just her good looks!

I think the idea of exploring social media was a good one. It gave Mia reason to visit some amazing places on the island and eat some amazing sounding food, and I was glad to be an armchair traveller with her! It was, however, a bit repetitive at times, especially at the beginning of the book with so many mentions of needing to upload content and how many likes she had received. If I received 1000 likes on a post I would be wondering what on earth happened! LOL. 

This was a mixed bag for me. There were things I liked a lot, and other things I did not enjoy as much, but in terms of taking me away from a cold Melbourne winter, it took me to the warm blue waters of Santorini.  

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Bookouture Books-On-Tour for the review copy. 

Rating 3/5

About the Book :

She might not be the bride, but could this wedding be the start of her perfect future?

Mia is reeling from a breakup with her fiancé. And now her best friend Tasha is getting married on the beautiful Greek island of Santorini – where Mia once planned on having her own wedding.

Arriving at the resort, Mia’s breath catches at the sight of the sun-soaked terrace and vases overflowing with pink and white blooms. And with guests like local hunk, Christos, walking around like statues of Greek gods come to life, there’s even more to celebrate… so Mia promises to put her own heartache aside and make sure everything is perfect for Tasha – especially as she’s the Maid of Honour!

But with embarrassing speeches, champagne corks popping everywhere, and guests getting caught up in the energetic Greek dancing, there are too many problems to tackle alone. If she opens her heart, can Mia and Christos make sure the day runs smoothly, and could she even start her own new love story in Greece?

This absolutely gorgeous and unputdownable beach read is perfect for fans of Kate Frost, Mandy Baggot and Holly Martin. Pack your bags and get ready to be swept away to the stunning beaches of Greece!

About the Author :


Sue Roberts lives in Lancashire with her long term partner Derek and has had a lifelong love of writing, encouraged by winning a school writing competition at the age of 11.

She always assumed that ‘one day’ she would write a book, always having a busy household and a job, the idea remained firmly on the back burner but never forgotten.

The inspiration for her first novel came to her on a holiday to a Greek village. Her daughters had left home and suddenly the time had come to write that book!

Social Media Links

https://www.instagram.com/suerobertsauthor/
https://twitter.com/suerobertsautho

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Sue Roberts here: https://www.bookouture.com/sue-roberts



Buy Link:
Amazon: https://geni.us/B0F4KD2C6Bsocial


You can sign up for all the best Bookouture deals you'll love at: http://ow.ly/Fkiz30lnzdo

Blog Tour: The Santorini Writing Retreat by Eva Glyn (includes international giveaway)

 

And above all, don't forget there needs to be a terrible secret at the heart of the story.

Successful author Jessica Rose has been hired to run a writing retreat on the gorgeous Greek island of Santorini. Jessica's book Only. Ever. You. was a runaway hit, even being made into a film. At the retreat Jessica, whose real name is Jo, is expected to share her writing wisdom to a group of eager wannabe authors. But Jo has a terrible secret at the heart of her story, and she doesn't know how to fix it for herself, let alone guide others! What she does know is that the retreat should provide her with some time away from her controlling and most likely unfaithful husband Rees.

One of those students is Karmela. She is a professor who escaped from Sarajevo as a refugee as a child. Over the years she has closed herself off from being close to people for years. After spending some time in Dubrovnik last year doing research, this year she is at the retreat, determined to write the book of her heart, not only for herself but also to prove to her distant mother that she can. Other guests include Sophie and Diana, two friends who want to write a romance together, Ellen and Susan and Iain with his retired greyhound dog Sybil.

For the owner of The Retreat House, Zina, the success of the retreat is crucial. She and her husband, Lambros, have returned to Santorini from Athens where she worked in marketing. They live on the family farm with her widowed mother. Lambros is happy working the farm which includes growing pistachios and raising troublesome goats with all the manual labour that farming requires but the couple get little privacy. This is such a change for Zina that there are times where she struggles with what her life has become. There are times that her own traits, like being very competitive, don't help matters.

Gradually Jo, Zina and Karmela become closer and soon each of their secrets and desires are being revealed, and they are able to help each other. As well as being a book about the strength of female friendship, even new ones, it is also about mothers and daughters, and about the bravery it takes to take charge of your own life. 

One of the strengths of this book is the location. From the descriptions of Santorini to the food, Eva Glyn brings the island and culture to life! I would love to take a dip in the sea about now but it's a bit cold here in wintery Melbourne! Thanks goodness we can travel to other places, like Santorini, through the pages of books. 

Oh, and as for the books that are mentioned in the story Only. Ever. You. sounds fabulous and I would love to read the book that Karmela is writing which is historical fiction set in Croatia. If only they were real books!

Eva Glyn has been on my reading radar for a little while. I own her last book, The Dubrovnik Book Club, but I still haven't read it. After reading this book, I am definitely going to have to fix that oversight, especially seeing as I want to see where Karmela's story started.

How does a trip to Santorini sound to you?

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews and the Bookish Books Reading Challenge hosted at Bloggin' Bout Books. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy.

Don't forget to enter the international giveaway below.

Rating 4/5

About the book

The Santorini Writing Retreat

Secrets make the best stories…

Three women, one writing retreat, endless possibilities…

Bestselling author Jessica Rose needs to escape from a terrible secret that’s robbed her of her creativity. Could leading a retreat on a gorgeous Greek island be just what she needs?

Coming home to Santorini was never in Zina’s plans, but now she’s determined to make her new business a success.

And then there’s Karmela, who just wants to write her book and make her mother proud.

In the heat of their Greek island paradise, these new friends find the courage to shape their own stories, and write endings they can all be proud of…

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/SantoriniRetreat

About the Author 

Eva Glyn writes escapist relationship-driven fiction with a kernel of truth at its heart. She loves to travel and finds inspiration in beautiful places and the stories they hide.

Set mainly in Croatia, her contemporary stories are more about friendship than romance, the coming together of people through shared interests, and the opportunity to make fresh starts in their lives. Her latest book, The Santorini Writing Retreat, is her first set in Greece.

In addition Eva has written two Second World War dual timeline romances, An Island of Secrets and The Collaborator’s Daughter. All her books are published by One More Chapter, a division of Harper Collins.

Although she considers herself Welsh, Eva lives in Cornwall with the man she met and fell in love with more than thirty years ago. She also writes as Jane Cable.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EvaGlynAuthor

Twitter: @JaneCable

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evaglynauthor/

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/eva-glyn



Giveaway to Win a paperback copy of The Santorini Writing Retreat (Open INT)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

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Blog Tour: A Greek Island Gift by Mandy Baggot

 

When Molly Adams learns that she has received an inheritance and she needs to go to Corfu in Greece to get the details she is very confused. As far as she knows she has never been to Greece. She doesn't even know anyone in Greece. And then her mum calls and talks about her Greek ex, Vaggelis, who has just passed away and Molly is suddenly convinced that this man might just be her long lost father. 

Molly works in a pharmacy but her dream is to release her own make up brand. She has done all the development, done testing, she has growing social media presence. She just needs one approval and a cash injection and she is ready to go. Could travelling to Corfu to claim this inheritance help her understand who she is and help her start up business at the same time?

Molly, her best friend Siobhan and mother, Janette, all head to Corfu. It quickly becomes clear that things aren't as straight-forward as they might be. Molly has inherited half of a rundown apartment, half a barely seaworthy boat, half a dilapidated truck, half an olive tree and a quarter of a disagreeable cat.

The other half has all been inherited by Christo Baros who was Vaggelis' godson. He loves his family but he is glad that his life is in Athens where he runs three very successful gyms. He doesn't understand why his godfather has structured his will in such a way. He is all for just selling everything and getting what little he can for it and going back to Athens.

While it is all sorted, Christos spends time with Molly and soon he realises that she is more than just his shared inheritor. And when the family secrets come out from both sides, they both realise that there might be more to this situation than meets the eye.

I have read a few Mandy Baggot books now, mostly set in Greece. There was one a few books ago that felt quite manic in terms of the humour and the pacing, but although this one is humourous the pacing felt just right to me. Each families had the time to unravel their particular stories, surprises and all. 

I really like the entrepreneurial part of Molly's story. She has worked really hard to develop her products and her brand, and she is able to use her time in Corfu to come up with some great marketing imagery. She does, however, need just that push to take the leap of faith required to launch! I understand that the character that helps with this is from an older backlist book which was a nice touch, especially to those readers who have been following this author for a while. I hadn't read that book but I got the idea pretty well I think.

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. 

Rating 4/5

About the book

A Greek Island Gift

An unexpected gift… A home in paradise?

When Molly Adams finds out she’s inherited an apartment in Kassiopi, Corfu, she’s left thinking there must be some mistake. She doesn’t know anyone in Greece at all.

But when she arrives there’s a shock. Molly hasn’t inherited a whole apartment, it’s only 50%. But there’s more - she’s also inherited 50% of a boat, 50% of an olive tree and… 25% of a cat.

Christos Baros is coming home to Corfu for the summer. A self-made entrepreneur, owning three gyms in Athens, he has no need for half an apartment, half a boat, half an olive tree or a quarter of a cat, but he knows these things are important to his mother.

Molly and Christos’s worlds collide in a whirlwind and the irresistible charm of the Greek island draws them even closer together. But as they uncover the secrets of their shared inheritance, will they discover that sometimes, sharing what you never wanted can lead to exactly what you need?

This summer, join Molly and Christos in Corfu as they try to work out if one shared Greek gift will turn into a shared future. Perfect for fans of Sue Moorcroft and Jenny Colgan.

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/greekislandgift

About the Author 

Mandy Baggot is an international bestselling and award-winning romance writer represented by Tanera Simons of Greenstone Literary.

Mandy is best-known for her laugh-out-loud romantic comedies featuring strong heroines, gorgeous heroes and always that happy-ever-after!

The winner of the Innovation in Romantic Fiction award at the UK's Festival of Romance, her novel, One Wish in Manhattan, was also shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists' Association Romantic Comedy Novel of the Year award in 2016. In 2024, Mandy's novel, Desperately Seeking Summer became a Hallmark Original Movie entitled A Greek Recipe for Romance.

Mandy loves the Greek island of Corfu where she has a home. She also loves wine, cheese, Netflix, handbags and horse racing. Also a singer, she has taken part in ITV1's Who Dares Sings and The X-Factor. Most recently, Mandy took part in BBC1's Ready Steady Cook with Greek celebrity chef, Akis Petretzikis.

Mandy is a member of the Society of Authors and splits her time between living in Wiltshire, UK and Corfu, Greece.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: @MandyBaggotAuthor
Twitter: @MandyBaggot
Instagram: @MandyBaggot
Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/MandyBaggotNews
Bookbub profile: @MandyBaggot

Blog Tour: A Santorini Secret by Rose Alexander

 

Carrie's life is on a precipice. She is barely making ends meet as an author of children's books, her mortgage payments are about to sky rocket due to rising interest rates, and her teenage daughter Nell is going through a very difficult stage. Carrie was only able to buy her home thanks to a small inheritance from her Great Uncle Sol. Nell's father, Jack, is present for his daughter, but Carrie has not spoken to him since even before she knew she was pregnant after she caught him in a compromising position. Carrie needs to come up with an idea for a new book soon, in the hopes that she will be able to make some money.

One day, she receives a postcard from her friend Xanthe who now lives on the Greek island of Santorini. When she was a young woman, she had visited the island and had a brief holiday fling with a gorgeous young man named Krys. Now, Xanthe is inviting her back to the island.  Whilst Carrie would love to go, and to take Nell with her, she knows that she can't do that right now.

When visiting her parents, Carrie's mum suggests that she should go through some of Sol's possessions, Carrie finds an old sketchbook filled with pictures of soldiers, and also with a picture of a beautiful young woman and Carrie is intrigued. She also finds a ring, engraved in Greek. 

Sol never talked about his activities in WWII, and he certainly never explained why it was that he was never interested in marrying anyone after he came back to civilian life.  When Carrie gets some money from an unexpected source, she and Nell head to the island to try and find out more. There she learns about Vassia, the young woman in the picture.

In 1944 the island of Santorini was held by the German army. She is shocked when one day a man turns up at their house asking her father for assistance. He is a member of the Special Boat Service (SBS) who have secretly come to the island to perform a raid on the island. They were a group of soldiers who went from island to island in the Mediterranean performing lightning raids and then escaping to move onto the next target. The man needs help from the locals with food and water to guide them to the best places to attack the Germans. 

Whilst it isn't ideal, Vassia is drawn into this activity, and she does so knowing that there are risks involved, but she never expected the reprisals to be so brutal and swift after the attacks. She also does not expect to find that one of the group of men has been left behind - Sol. With her family devastated, she does what she can to help, ever conscious of the growing attraction she has to him. The race is on to get him safely off the island. And she would never have believed that any kind of betrayal would come from any of her friends or family.

As Carrie and an initially reluctant Nell uncover more, it is not only Sol's secrets which are revealed. Vassia's own story is filled with tragedy and betrayals that have continued to have impacts through the generations. 

I know that there has been some talk around about whether WWII (and dual timelines) are getting a bit tired as a subject for historical fiction, but the reality is that there does still seem to be a lot of stories that haven't been told before like the SBS in this book! The fact that this book was also set in Greece doesn't hurt. I have read several WWII books set in Greece before but they are not the normal setting!

Given the recent news about the earthquakes in Santorini, it was kind of poignant to be reading about this island at this point in time. The author did a great job of bringing the island to life. I also really appreciated that, whilst there were dramatic moments in the story, the author didn't necessarily wrap things up in the most obvious way. 

I hadn't read Rose Alexander before. I really, really enjoyed this story. I was totally engrossed in the book, and I am looking forward to reading more from her!

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews, and the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host here.  Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy. 

Rating 4.5/5

About the Book 

Santorini, Greece, 1944. A village nestled in the mountains where children play together beneath the endless blue sky. A cottage once full of the laughter of family and the joy of a new baby. But when the Nazis arrive on the island, a devastating tragedy and an impossible choice will break this family apart…

Present day. Single mother Carrie arrives on the sun-drenched island of Santorini, her adored uncle Sol’s tattered sketchbook clutched to her chest. Heartbroken at his death, Carrie is certain Sol – who refused to speak about how he spent the war in occupied Greece – was hiding secrets all his life: and that the drawings he made of a striking young woman with wavy hair will hold the answers. Tucked away with the sketchbook was a beautiful diamond ring engraved in Greek, and Carrie cannot bear the thought that her uncle never had the chance to give it to his love.

Even as she explores the winding cobbled alleys Sol drew in his book, Carrie is filled with childhood memories. And asking around the close-knit locals, the elderly women Carrie meets speak of a brave young woman named Vassia, and a secret allied mission to rid their beautiful island of German troops. But when pressed, they refuse to say more…

Then she finds a letter written by Vassia herself. She’s shocked to read how Sol was left stranded, fighting for his life, and how Vassia risked everything to save him before a terrible betrayal tore them apart. When Carrie finally unravels the truth, the secrets will shatter the small community, and change the course of her life forever…

A Santorini Secret is an epic tale of love, loss and secrets in World War Two that will sweep you away to the hidden coves and sun-kissed beaches of Santorini. Fans of Victoria Hislop, Fiona Valpy and The Letter won’t be able to put this beautiful book down.

 

About the Author


Rose Alexander has had more careers than she cares to mention and is currently a secondary school English teacher. She writes in the holidays, weekends and evenings, whenever she has a chance, although with three children, a husband, a lodger and a cat, this isn't always as often as she'd like. She's a keen sewist and is on a mission to make all her own clothes.


https://www.rosealexander.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/rosealexanderauthor/
https://twitter.com/RoseA_writer


Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Rose Alexander here: https://bookouture.com/subscribe/rose-alexander/


Buy Link:
Amazon: https://geni.us/B0DQVJSKHXsocial


You can sign up for all the best Bookouture deals you'll love at: http://ow.ly/Fkiz30lnzdo

Weekend Cooking: Greek-ish by Georgina Hayden

I love buying new cookbooks, and I love it even more when you find a cookbook that you just know you are going to come back to time and time again. Greek-ish by Georgina Hayden is one of those books. 

Georgina Hayden has Greek-Cypriot heritage and this is her fourth cookbook. In addition to being a cookbook author she is also a food stylist. First off, I love the cover designs of this book. It is so bright and colourful, and the inside covers are a vibrant blue too. Her aim, as you can probably tell from the titles, is to share recipes that honour her heritage, but also are accessible for weekday family meals.

The opening lines of the introduction probably gives a pretty good feel as to what to expect. 

This book? It's Greek. Ish. And if you are saying "ish" with a scrunched up nose, a squinted eye and a slight wobble of the head or tilt of the hand, then you are on the right track.

The book is broken up into sections which include:

A good start

Small dishes & snacks

Everyday heroes

Things on sticks

Feasts 

Salads, sides & vegetables

Sweet tooth

In addition to these normal kind of chapters that you would expect to see there are a couple of really fun additions and these are my favourites in the book. For example, there is a section called "Say cheese..." where there are five different recipes for using different types of cheese. This chapter even starts with dad mum joke! There is a chapter called SAS which stands for the Spanakopita Appreciation Society which features 3 different recipes that use the flavours of spanakopita but in less traditional ways. There is another section called "Double negative -a mess in two parts" which features Greek inspired Eton Mess recipes. Yum1

The cheesecake I made a couple of weeks ago features in a chapter called "Baklava, a love story and inspiration" which includes four different recipes that are all using the flavours of Baklava. The recipe for the cheesecake is actually called "Baklava cheesecake, I love you". Having made the cheesecake it is fair to say I love it too!

Whilst Hayden doesn't shy away from using authentic recipes, she usually offer other options to allow the dish to be accessible to all of us. I have used more feta recently than I have in the last six months combined! I would never have thought to incorporate feta into sweet recipes. It even features in the cheesecake.

Here are some of the recipes we have tried:

One Pot Pastitsio - see recipe below

Psari Plaki: Baked fish with tomatoes and olives (although we left out the olives)

One-pot Chicken Thighs and Rice

Triple Fennel Pork Belly (we used a pork roast instead. So good though)

Roasted Lemon, Oregano and Feta Potatoes

Feta, Cherry and White Chocolate Cookies- unusual flavour combo but really good!

Baklava Cheesecake, I Love You  - I love you too!

As for recipes I still want to try, well, there are really too many to list, both sweet and savoury.

I did think about sharing the cookie recipe or the cheesecake recipe, but in the end I decided to share the recipe for One Pot Pastitsio. This is a recipe that I would still like to make the more traditional version of at some point, but this is now a regular in our meal rotations. It gives another option instead of spaghetti bolognaise.

One Pot Pastitsio 

2 tbsp olive oil
500g/1lb 2oz beef mince
2 onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp dried oregano, plus a pinch
½ tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp tomato purée
250g/9oz traditional pastitsio pasta, bucatini or penne (gluten-free, if needed)
1 litre/1¾ pint beef stock
300ml/½pt crème fraîche
2 free-range egg yolks
100g/3½oz graviera, kefalotyri or pecorino, finely grated
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Set a wide, deep frying pan over a high heat and add the olive oil. Add the mince, breaking it up well with a wooden spoon. Season generously and fry for 5–8 minutes, until any liquid evaporates and the mince starts to crisp.

When the mince has started to brown, stir the onions and garlic in with the oregano and cinnamon. Reduce the heat a little and fry for 5 minutes, stirring everything together (add a touch extra olive oil if it looks dry).

Stir in the tomato purée, fry for 1–2 minutes, then add the pasta to the pan. If you’re using traditional pastitsio pasta or bucatini, you may need to snap some of the pieces in half to fit them all in. It will be snug in the pan, but try to fit them all in. Pour over the beef stock, season and bring to the boil. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Meanwhile, mix together the crème fraîche and egg yolks in a bowl. Stir in half the cheese with a generous pinch of salt and pepper.

When your pasta is ready, turn your grill to high. Gently toss the pasta and sauce in the pan together. Spoon the crème fraîche mixture over the top and sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese, plus an additional pinch of dried oregano.

Place under the grill, not too close to the bars, and grill for 3–5 minutes, until golden and bubbling on top. Keep an eye on it, as how long it takes will depend on the strength of your grill. Remove and leave to stand for at least 5–10 minutes before serving.

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page

Blog Tour: One Greek Summer Wedding by Mandy Baggot

 

When talented singer Cara was humiliated whilst on stage in front of a television audience of millions, there was no way that she could have known that there was more pain to come. After her partner ghosted her, she has basically withdrawn from life. She's given up singing, and she is pretty much allowing her aunt Margot to lead her life.

When Margot announces that they are off to Greece tomorrow, Cara goes along with the plan. It is only once they are there that she finds that they are going to a wedding. Cara can't quite join all the dots together as to why they would be invited to a wedding at the last minute. 

It turns out that Margot has an agenda, or actually, a couple of different agendas.  And whilst Margot does have the best of intentions, Cara can't help but feeling like she has been railroaded, and her anxiety is ramping up.

Soon after arriving in Corfu, Cara meets Akis Diakos. When she meets him, he is dressed as a priest, but he is anything but...for now. Akis has plenty of advice to help Cara face her fears, but he has his own dilemnas. He must make a huge decision. If he decides one way he will change his life completely. The other could mean a curse that would impact his entire family

As Margot and Cara criss-cross the Greek Islands in search of a deal, Cara has to learn to trust Akis, and slowly begin to believe in herself again. He has to navigate the difficult family relationship dynamics which are especially bought to the fore by his mother's desire for her son, Akis' brother, to have the perfect wedding!

If I had to pick just one word to describe this book then it would be madcap. There are last minute dashes from one exotic location to another, there are glamourous events, there is a donkey named Pig and so much more.

I've read a couple of Mandy Baggot books now. I love the way that she portrays the life, food and culture of Greece, and there is no doubt that her books are lots of fun. And given that I read this while laid up in hospital, fun is exactly what I needed! Bring on the next one!

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews. 

Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. Check out other stops on the blog tour to see what they thought of this book!

Rating 4/5

About the book

One Greek Summer Wedding


Love is in the air…

When singer Cara is invited to a big, fat Greek wedding in Corfu, she sees it as a mixed blessing: some time to heal on the beautiful Greek island with her aunt will be a tonic, but it’s going to stir up memories – of before Seb ghosted her and disappeared off the face of the earth.

Akis Diakos, brother of the groom, should be looking forward to planning the bachelor party, but burdened by the weight of family expectation, his mind is elsewhere: he has a decision to make – one that could, apparently, ruin his little brother’s life forever.

When Cara learns that her aunt Margot brought her here under false pretences, she’s faced with a dilemma. She’s not sung in public since that fateful day at Eurovision when her life fell apart, and she’s not planning to now. But with Akis’s encouragement, it’s time for both of them to face up to their fears.

And who knows – maybe this beautiful duet will also lead to a beautiful romance?

From the queen of Greek romance comes a story that will heal those heartstrings and make you believe in love again…

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/OneGreekSummersocial

About the author


Mandy Baggot is an international bestselling and award-winning romance writer represented by Tanera Simons of The Darley Anderson Literary, TV and Film Agency.

Mandy is best-known for her laugh-out-loud romantic comedies featuring strong heroines, gorgeous heroes and always that happy-ever-after!

The winner of the Innovation in Romantic Fiction award at the UK's Festival of Romance, her novel, One Wish in Manhattan, was also shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists' Association Romantic Comedy Novel of the Year award in 2016. Mandy's books have so far been translated into Bulgarian, Czech, German, Hungarian and Italian.

Mandy loves the Greek island of Corfu where she has a home. She also loves wine, cheese, Netflix, handbags and horse racing. Also a singer, she has taken part in ITV1's Who Dares Sings and The X-Factor. Most recently, Mandy took part in BBC1's Ready Steady Cook with Greek celebrity chef, Akis Petretzikis.

Mandy is a member of the Society of Authors and splits her time between living in Wiltshire, UK and Corfu, Greece.

Visit Mandy's website at www.mandybaggot.com

Social Media Links –

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mandybaggotauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mandybaggot

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mandybaggot/

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/MandyBaggotNews

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mandy-baggot

Top Ten Tuesday: Greece or bust!!

 

 

  

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Characters I’d Like to go on Vacation With (Pretend you’re going on vacation and can bring 10 of your closest friends with you. Pick your vacation spot and tell us who you’d like to bring! Bonus point if you tell us why. Or maybe you like the idea of traveling in small groups, so plan 10 trips or 5 trips!).

As is my tendency, I am twisting the topic a little bit. I actually started this post for last week's freebie topic but ran out of time to finish the post and then I looked at this week's topic and went....that works!

I do read a lot of books set in France, and quite a lot set in Italy as well, but just recently I have read a couple that were set in Greece, so that is my theme this week - Books Set in Greece.

Summer at the Santorini Bookshop by Rebecca Raisin - I really enjoy reading Rebecca Raisin's writing, particularly her descriptions of food, books and locations and this was no exception. (review)

Widows on the Wine Path by Julia Jarman - I read this a couple of weeks ago. A fair portion of the book is set in Greece! (review)

Under a Greek Sun by Mandy Baggot - I have read a couple of books by Mandy Baggot. A lot of her books are set in Greece. (review)

The Forgotten Palace by Alexander Christie - This is a multi timeline story set in Crete. It also tells the story of the minotaur from Greek mythology (review)

The Thread by Victoria Hislop - I  have read several of Victoria Hislop's books and enjoyed them all. (review)

The Maverick's Greek Island Mistress by Kelly Hunter - Ah, those wealthy Greek shipping billionaires who just need a wife! I don't read a lot of Mills and Boon but I will occasionally make an exception for Kelly Hunter.

The Clover House by Henriette Laziridis Power - I read this years ago and had forgotten all about it. (review)

A Greek Island Escape by Kate Frost - I will be reading this in the not too distant future.

The Captive Sun by Irene Karafilly - Another book I read years ago and had forgotten about. (review)

YiaYia by Anastasia Miari - This is a Greek cookbook that I bought earlier this year. I haven't cooked much out of it yet. This was a selection of the Jamie Oliver Cookbook Club.

And it's not just movies. Over the weekend I watched My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3. It wasn't a great movie but the scenery was stunning

Have you visited Greece, or have you only visited through the pages of a book like me?

Blog Tour: Summer at the Santorini Bookshop by Rebecca Raisin

Today is the release day for Summer at the Santorini Bookshop by Rebecca Raisin. Hooray! I have read a number of this author's books so I was always going to read this one!

Rebecca Raisin has written books with a wide variety of settings and what I know from the books that I have read is that there are always going to be great descriptions of several factors - the place where the book is set (wherever that might be), the food and books, and that is once again the case with this book.

Evie loved her job as a book scout right up until the time the business was taken over by a new owner, who promptly made her redundant. There aren't all that many opportunities to find another book scout job. What exactly is a book scout? It is someone who reads books and tries to identify stories that could be made into movies. In other words, Evie gets to read books for work! Absolutely a dream job right?

When her mother realises that Evie is at something of a loose end she packs her off to Santorini with strict instructions to work out what is going on with her quirky grandmother. Floretta has led a colourful life. She has been married multiple times, apparently lost and found several fortunes. Most recently she has married a Greek man and settled down to open a bookshop. The only problem is that she can't afford the rent which has led to an altercation with the landlord.

It isn't long before Evie is called into help soothe the frazzled tempers by dealing with the landlord's gorgeous grandson, Georgios. They just need to keep Georgios's grandfather from either kicking Floretta out or from selling the building long enough to finish the renovations for the bookshop and for it to start paying for itself. What better way to delay either of these eventualities than suggest that Evie fake date Georgios. It's the perfect plan!

Whilst Evie and her grandmother work towards a glamourous opening of the bookshop, Evie begins to realise that fake dating Giorgis is going to be much harder than anticipated. When exactly does it cross the line from fake to real?

There is an endearing cast of colourful characters led by Floretta but there are others, ranging from the man who comes in and rearranges the colour coordinated shelves, the goat farmer, as well as a group of stray dogs with various bad habits. The book is filled with humour and I found myself smiling the whole way through it. In fact, I think this is my favourite Rebecca Raisin novel so far. Until the next one at least.

Is this a bookshop I would love to visit if I ever made it to Santorini - Absolutely! 

Thanks to Netgalley, Rachel's Random Resources and the publisher for the review copy. I will be sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews and the Bookish Books Challenge hosted at Bloggin' Bout Books.

Rating 4.5/5

About the book

Summer at the Santorini Bookshop

A Greek island holiday. A fake-dating pact. A chance at true love?

After losing her job as a book scout, hopeless romantic Evie needs a fresh start. So when she hears that her eccentric grandmother has just taken on a small bookshop in Santorini, Evie jumps at the chance to visit her.

But life on the island is not as idyllic as it first seems. Gran has a tempestuous relationship with her landlord and he’s threatening to take the bookshop away from her. So when Gran asks Evie to fake a romance with her landlord’s Greek God of a grandson, Georgios, to keep the family on side, she reluctantly agrees.

As the sun sets on Evie’s Greek holiday, can she save the bookshop – and fake date her way to love?

Purchase Links

US: amzn.to/40rvToW

UK: amzn.to/3u4QJOY

Aust: amzn.to/3QOc6x1


About the author

Rebecca Raisin writes heartwarming romance from her home in sunny Perth, Australia. Her heroines tend to be on the quirky side and her books are usually set in exotic locations so her readers can armchair travel any day of the week. The only downfall about writing about gorgeous heroes who have brains as well as brawn, is falling in love with them – just as well they’re fictional. Rebecca aims to write characters you can see yourself being friends with. People with big hearts who care about relationships and believe in true, once in a lifetime love. Her bestselling novel Rosie’s Travelling Tea Shop has been optioned for film with MRC studios and Frolic Media.

Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/RebeccaRaisinAuthor

www.twitter.com/jaxandwillsmum

https://www.instagram.com/rebeccaraisinwrites2/

https://signup.harpercollins.co.uk/join/signup-hq-rebeccaraisin