This week

I'm reading

Don't you love it when you have occasions of reading serendipity! 

I am currently watching a renovation show which is set in Corfu. Last week I read two books in a row set in Greece, the second set in a hotel by the sea in Corfu.  The next book I am reading's title is literally Hotel by the Sea!

The first book I read was a WWII novel call The Islander's Daughter by Patricia Wilson which I reviewed here. Then I read Summer Ever After by Mandy Baggot which is set in a beachside hotel on Corfu. My review is here.

I then started The Hotel by the Sea by Julie Caplin. However, I realised that I had another book due before that one so now I am reading New Chapters on the French Riviera by Jennifer Bohnet. The review for that one will be up later this week. 

I am currently trying to list the books I want to read while I am on holidays in priority order. I think the Julie Caplin will be my plane reading on the way to Turkiye at least

I did finally finish listening to The Lost Brides by Nora Roberts, which is the last book in the Lost Brides trilogy. 

I then started The Names by Florence Knapp on audio. I got to the end of the first chapter and stopped, mainly because I am wondering if it might be a bit heavy for now, but if I stop now that means that I have to figure out what I need to listen to instead. Maybe it is easier to just stick to the decision I already made

I'm watching


Last night I watched the first seven episodes of The Other Bennett Sister and I am hooked! I can't wait to watch more, although I am a bit concerned that I might need to wait for a few weeks to watch the last couple of episodes.

The Other Bennett Sister focuses on the middle Miss Bennett. Often overlooked because she is plain, it is only once she gets out from under her mother's thumb that she truly blooms! It's so much fun!




Life


We went to two comedy shows at the Melbourne Comedy Festival over the last couple of weeks. First, we saw Wankernomics and then Nurse Georgie Carroll. Wankernomics basically takes all the things that happen in corporate workplaces and then makes fun of them. Here's a clip that I recognised. My boss says she has a hard stop quite regularly!

Nurse Georgie Carroll talks about a lot of medical stuff, the joys and trials of being a nurse in the healthcare system. Both of these shows were very, very funny!

The countdown in on to our holidays. After the indecision about whether we should go or not, I am really looking forward to getting away! The holiday nails are done. The pre-holiday haircut is scheduled for tomorrow night. Just have to get through three frantic days at work now!

I am not sure if I will be able to post my This Week posts or not. We'll see!

Posts from the last week


Top Ten Tuesday: Island Time!
Blog Tour: Something in the Air in Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen
Blog Tour: The Islander's Daughter by Patricia Wilson
Blog Tour: Summer Ever After by Mandy Baggot
Weekend Cooking: Le Assaggiatrici (The Tasters)



I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date, Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz and the Good Book and a Cup of Tea link up hosted at Boondock Ramblings

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

Top Ten Tuesday: Books set in a snowy place

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week the theme is Books Set in Snowy Places (If snow isn’t your thing, pick another kind of place and share books set there!)

Normally when there is a seasonal theme I swap it to represent the season here in Australia. However, this time I decided to go with the theme even though it is summer here.

The Secret Christmas Library by Jenny Colgan - I just finished listening to this. There is a lot of snow in this book to the point that the characters get snowed in for some of the book!

Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson - This isn't a common Australian setting as it is set in the Alps in winter, and there is a lot of snow. (my review)

Meet Me Under the Northern Lights by Mandy Baggot - This one sees our main character heading off on a last minute trip to Iceland (my review)

Last Stop on the Winter Wonderland Express by Rebecca Raisin - This luxury festive train travels across Northern Europe and ending up in Lapland

Small Things Like These by Claire Foster - Now, I didn't read this book all that long ago, and I am relatively sure that there was snow in the book, but I am prepared to be wrong about that!

Escape to the Northern Lights by Carrie Walker - our main character thinks she is going to a luxury spa weekend but really it is a winter back to nature, vegan wellness retreat (my review)

A Winter Wedding Adventure by Leonie Mack - This is the second book in the Adventure Wedding series, set in the Italian Alps, and Mother Nature plays a bit part in the story! (my review)

One Snowy Day by Shari Low - I mean it even tells you about the weather in the title! (my review)

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett - This one is set in winter in Norway! (my review)

Beartown by Fredrik Backman - It's ice hockey season in Sweden. Of course there's snow! (my review)

Top Ten Tuesday: Books with Weather Events in the Title

 

 

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week is a Halloween Freebie. However, in October 2023 one of the themes was Books with Weather Events in the Title/on the Cover. At the time, I put this list of books together but I never got around to adding the commentary and pictures or posting it....until now! It's a bit scary that it has been sitting in draft all this time. See what I did there?

I am starting with some wind and storms, then moving onto sun, rain and snow.

Ill Wind by Rachel Caine - Rachel Caine has a whole series of books called the Weather Warden series that I could have picked for this prompt. This is the first book in the series. (my review)

Season of Storms by Susanna Kearsley - One of the lesser know Kearsley books but, as always, I couldn't resist the urge to include one of her books. Unusually for Kearsley this book is set in Rome.

A Taste of Italian Sunshine by Leonie Mack - Wine making in Italy. Yes please!  (my review)

Under a Greek Sun by Mandy Baggot - Moving on from Italy, this is set on a Greek island   (my review)

An Island in the Sun by Kate Frost - Another country, another island. This time it was Portugal. (my review)

Floodtide by Judy Nunn - I read this years ago and don't remember much about it other than one particular scene. Looking at my rating on Goodreads I didn't like it at all, but the title fits the theme. 

The Right Attitude to Rain by Alexander McCall Smith - This is the third book in the Isabel Dalhousie mystery series set in Edinburgh. (my review)

Midnight in the Snow by Karen Swan - In the past this author put out a summer book and a winter book. Guess which one this was.

Snowy Mountain Cattleman by Alissa Callen - The Snowy Mountains are actually a place in this instance, but they do get a lot of snow. This is the second book in the Bundilla series.

The Secret of Snow by Viola Shipman - I still haven't gotten over not enjoying the last Viola Shipman book I read. This one wasn't bad though.

Top Ten Tuesday: Arches and Windows

 Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Cozy/Atmospheric Reads

I am going a bit rogue this week and I am choosing covers which features archways or windows. It's an idea that has been calling to me for a couple of months now, and today is the day that I make it happen! These are all books that I have read this year!

The Lost Garden by Angela Petch - This is the book that made me think about doing this as a topic. (my review)

Winter Nights at the Bay Bookshop by Jessica Redland - This arch kind of reminded me of the arch window on Play School, which is the window I hoped they would choose every time. Australians will get this, or at least Australians of a certain age! (my review)

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett - This is the first book in the Emily Wilde series. It probably almost doesn't count but the frame forms an arch like shape. At least that's my story and I am sticking to it. (my review)

The Magic of Provence by Alison Roberts - love the view extending out through the arch here. (my review)

The Santorini Writing Retreat by Eva Glyn - It looks like this might be a picture from a balcony but the flowers form an arch to look out across that iconic Santorini view. (my review)

The House at River's Edge by Rachel Burton - The windows are flung wide open on this cover (my review)

A Greek Island Gift by Mandy Baggot - Love the colours on this cover! (my review)

Under a Riviera Moon by Helen McGinn - How nice would it be to sit outside on a beautiful warm Riviera evening and look at this view. (My review)

Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki - I am really looking forward to reading the follow up to the book soon! (My review)

The Secrets of the Rose by Nicola Cornick - I do love it when you see an series of arches covered in flowers like this! (My review)

Blog Tour: Meet Me Under the Northern Lights by Mandy Baggot

 

Chloe Bellamy is an events organiser. She loves her job, and she loves her boss Michelle, who has become a close friend. When her boss sends her on a very last minute pre Christmas trip to scope out Iceland for a potential future big event Chloe was hopeful that this might be the time that her boss offers her a partnership.  She's worked hard and she deserves this chance.

The trip was so last minute there wasn't even time to book a hotel. Never mind. Chloe thinks that she will be able to book something when she gets there. What they haven't taken into consideration is that winter is prime tourism season. Oh, and it doesn't help that Chloe has lied on her CV and can't actually speak a word of Icelandic.

When Chloe literally bangs into a tall handsome man at the airport and her overpacked suitcase ends up bursting open, it's not a great start, but it turns it is a stroke of good luck. Tour guide Gunnar is one of the good guys and he also happens to be the driver of Chloe's bus from the airport. Luckily for Chloe he is able to sort out some accomodation and can give her some ideas of where the best places are to visit.

Chloe has had a rough few months. Her relationship disintegrated once it became clear that her fertility issues were not going to go away. She has her job and her best friend Kat and that will have to be enough for now.

If you were describe the perfect man, Gunnar would be right up there. Not only is he good looking (of course), he is the kind of man who would think nothing of risking his life to save a child. In fact, he is raising a young orphan named Magnus. He is ably supported by an octogenarian family friend named Hildur and together they form a lovely found family, and this was one o f. 

When Chloe and Gunnar continue to bump into each other, their attraction grows, although there are several times when assumptions and miscommunications get in the way. But love has a way of finding a way, but only if the two people involved can get out of their own way.

I have read quite a few of Mandy Baggot's books which were all set in Greece, with one exception which was set in the mountains in France. This time we are in Iceland, and I loved how the country was shared throughout this book. You could almost make a map of all the places to visit and create your itinerary. And the same goes for the food, and the traditions and mythology. I love the sound of the night cruise from Reykjavik to see the Northern Lights. Definitely adding that to my list of things to do if I ever make it to Reykjavik in winter. 

Iceland is a place that is definitely on my list of places to visit. It was before I read this book, but it is even more. Coincidentally I have a couple of friends visiting Iceland at the moment and so between the book and their photos, you could say that Iceland is calling my name! One day!

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 review copy. Check out the other stops on the blog tour as well!

Rating 4/5

About the book

Meet Me Under the Northern Lights

Can one kiss melt a cold, broken heart?

When career-focused Chloe Bellamy is sent to Iceland on a last-minute work trip, it’s her big chance to prove she deserves a seat at the top.

But there’s one problem, she may have embellished her CV a little… saying she speaks Icelandic when she doesn’t! And now, to add to her woes, she’s landed with no place to stay.

Gunnar Eriksson has a habit of saving people. First, when he rescued a young boy from a volcano and offered him a forever home. Then opening his door and welcoming in a spirited yet accident-prone Octogenarian. Now Gunnar has somehow tied himself to Chloe who needs all the help she can get but, for some reason, is reluctant to accept it.

Neither of them are looking for love, but under Iceland’s spell, and with a little extra help from those around them, something begins to shift. Could one kiss beneath the Northern Lights change everything?

This Christmas, escape to Iceland for festive feels, unexpected friendships and maybe even a chance at love.

Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/UndertheNorthernLights

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

This week....

I'm reading

And just like that August is over, winter is over for another year and spring has sprung. Well, actually it's still pretty cold today but it should start to warm up a little bit. We are certainly seeing quite a few blossoms starting to appear on the trees.

I have had a pretty busy reading and a very wintery reading week which might be appropriate given that it was the last week of winter. I read Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson which was a whole heap of fun. It is set in the Australian Alps during the winter so there was a lot of snow.

I then read A Winter Wedding Adventure by Leonie Mack which is the second book in the Wedding Adventures series and was set in the Italian Alps. so plenty of snow  I also read Meet Me Under the Northern Lights by Mandy Baggot which is for a blog tour this week. This one was set in Iceland. And yes, there was snow.

We don't get snow where I live but I certainly read a lot about snow this week!

In non snow related reading I read The Mad Women's Ball by Victoria Mas which was a fascinating French historical fiction novel. I really enjoyed this one.

I also started The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie by Rachel Linden. It's due back at the library so I am not sure if I will get it finished or not. I hope so.

Yesterday I also started reading The Last Love Note by Emma Grey and it was a real push to get it read so that I could count it as one of my Aussie August reads. I only just made it but it was so worth the effort!

This week I finished listening to Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, which is an audiobook experience I would highly recommend. I loved the way that Marcellus the Octopus was voiced and I was pleased to learn that the same guy is going to be giving Marcellus a voice in the upcoming movie! 

I started listening to Daughters of Batavia which is a debut novel by Australian author Stefanie Koens. I I have long been fascinated by the story of the Batavia shipwreck. It does always take me a little while to get used to listening to Australian audiobooks but I think I am getting there now. 

Books let our imaginations travel where our feet cannot - Nora Nguyen

Here's where I travelled this month through books

Australia 

Sydney - One Hundred Years of Betty 

Canberra - The Last Love Note

The Alps - Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone

Americas

Washington DC - The Briar Club

Washington State - Remarkably Bright Creatures

Asia 

Japan - The Library of Heartbeats, The Convenience Store by the Sea, Butter

Europe 

England - The Summer Before the War, Will You Stay Another Day?, The Midnight Bakery The Girl from the War Room, The Friendship List

Italy - Glorious Exploits, The Florence Sisters, A Winter Wedding Advenuture

Scotland - The Whisky Widow

Austria  - So This is Christmas

France - The Mad Women's Ball

Iceland -  Meet Me Under the Stars

August was an exceptional reading month both from a numbers and quality wise and to be honest I am a bit shocked. I managed to read 20 books this month, which is surprising since I went back to work full time early in the month.I truly expected my reading to drop right off, and yet it didn't really. And then of those books I rated half of them as either 4.5 or 5 star reads Here are the books that rated either 4.5 or 5 out of 5 with the first three books being 5/5 reads. 

I'm watching

We watched an older superhero movie called Bloodshot with Vin Diesel last night. It was supposed to be the first in a series based on the Valiant comics. It wasn't bad. I've certainly seen worse. It doesn't appear that any more movie set in this world got made though.

We did watch The Thursday Murder Club on Saturday night, and really enjoyed it. It has a phenomenal British cast including Dame Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Richard E Grant, David Tenant and more. It had a good storyline and I did laugh several times. Here's the trailer:

On Sunday night we watched a documentary movie called The Last Journey which tells the story of a Swedish man who takes his dad on a driving adventure to France in a bid to try and shake him out of is post retirement blues. Along the way he learns that ageing is something that is inevitable and can't just be shaken off. I have seen it before at the cinema a while ago and it was just as lovely the second time around.

Life

On Tuesday night we went to see Keith Urban's High and Alive tour. I think this is maybe the ninth or tenth time I have seen him and he was great as always! He always puts on such a great show!

Have you ever done DNA testing. I did mine this week, and I was a bit surprised by. The test says  that I am only 3% Welsh and 14% Germanic. Given that I believed that my mother's father was Welsh, it is something of a surprise. And I have no idea where the Germanic comes in. Guess I will have to start looking to see what I can find!

Posts from the last week


Top Ten Tuesday: Aussie August 2025
Blog Tour: So This is Christmas by Helen Rolfe
One Hundred Years of Betty by Debra Oswald
The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson
Weekend Cooking: The Midnight Bakery by Emma Davies
Sunday Salon: 3 Mini Reviews for Women in Translation Month
Historical Fiction Reading Challenge: September links

I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date, Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz and the Good Book and a Cup of Tea link up hosted at Boondock Ramblings

Top Ten Tuesday: Books that Feature Travel

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Books that Feature Travel. I've done quite a few travel themed Top Ten Tuesdays over the years. This time, I am keeping it simple and just sharing some of the recent books that I have read that feature travel in one way or another!

Let's go, or should I say, bon voyage!

An Italian Wedding Adventure by Leonie Mack - Wedding planner Sophie is asked to organise a wedding at the top of a mountain climb so she needs to travel to Italy to find the locations. The catch, her guide is her ex-boyfriend. 

Booked for Summer by Kathryn Freeman - British woman Jade Taylor goes to the island of Nantucket to run a cute bookstore for three months where she meets the owner of the resort that wants to close the store down. (My review)

One More Day of Us by Shari Low - Singer Moira Chiles spent a large part of her career working on cruise ships. This story takes us back to her first trip when she lived in Hong Kong back in the early 1990s. (My review)

A Greek Island Gift by Mandy Baggot - When Molly receives an inheritance from someone she has never heard of, she has to travel to Corfu to accept it. What is she going to do with half an apartment, half a boat and a quarter of a cat amongst other things! (My review)

Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt by Lucinda Riley - This is the final book in the Seven Sisters series, and follows Pa's life as he travels all round the world.

Secret Beneath a Riviera Sky by Jennifer Bohnet - Francine travels to Cannes with her mother and daughter after her estranged father dies. (My review)

Where the Birds Calls Her Name by Claire van Ryn - The travel in this one is a bit closer to home. Saskia and her daughter drive from Broome in far north Western Australia to Tasmania as they discover who Saskia's mother is and who Saskia needs to be in the future. (My review)

The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin - Ava travels from her job as a librarian in the Library of Congress to work in Lisbon in Portugal during WWII. (My review)

The King's Messenger by Susanna Kearsley - The method of travel in this one was by ship and by horse. A group of travellers go to Scotland from London on the King's business. (My review)

White Mulberry by Rosa Kwon Easton - A young girl travels from Korea to Japan in the years prior to WWII, and then she struggles to return home. (My review)

Where did your Top Ten Tuesday take you today?

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

This week....

Global Book Crawl

Last week was the inaugural Global Book Crawl in Melbourne, so Bree from All the Books I Can Read and I couldn't resist the idea of wandering around the city visiting bookstores! The idea behind the crawl is that you have to visit between 8 and 12 bookstores around the city and collect stamps. As long as you visited the required number of stores then you could get a free book and you would go into the draw to win 50 books. If you spent $100 in a single store you should have received a Global Book Crawl tote bag. 

We were somewhat thwarted by the fact that one of the stores that you had to visit was only open on certain days so we didn't get to get the free book, but we did have a fabulous day visiting some bookstores that we were familiar with, others we had never visited before. We got to talk books, life and everything in general and I did as many steps on that day as I normally do when I am holidays! The photo above was taken at the first bookstore so I still look relatively fresh!

I did get a bag from the last store that we visited but they had already run out of  the specific tote bags and it was only the second day when we did it.

The stores that we visited included Books for Cooks, Hill of Content Bookshop, Kay Craddock Antiquarian Booksellers, Mary Martin Bookshop (where the pic above was taken), Paperback Bookshop, Readings Emporium and Readings at the State Library.

I can definitely see myself doing this again if they have it again next year. 

Here are a couple more pics, including my haul for the day. 

I'm reading

Unlike last week I actually finished more books than I started this week! I also posted 5 reviews which is a very unusual for me! I have a few I would like to post this week and then I will be almost caught up I think!

I finished reading Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris by Evie Woods which I thoroughly enjoyed. Last year I listened to the audio of The Lost Bookshop and was underwhelmed but this one grabbed my attention straight away and didn't let go!

I also finished The Bittersweet Bakery Cafe by Catherine Greer which was a really good read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will post a review of this one in a couple of weeks time.

I also read A Greek Island Gift by Mandy Baggot. I have read a few of Mandy Baggot's books now and enjoy her portrayal of Greece in the pages of her books. My review for this one will be up later this week. 

I went to the library to pick up a cookbook that was on hold for me and saw The Rainfall Market by Korean author You Yeong-Gwang on the hot picks shelf and couldn't help myself. I have started reading it and so far it is good. Different from my usual reads but good.

I'm watching

We sat down this week and watched the most recent version of All Quiet on the Western Front which was an excellent film. What I didn't expect is that we would watched some of the 1979 version starring Ernest Borgnine as well. By comparing the two you can definitely see how movies have changed over the last 50 or so years. For example, the soldiers in the earlier version were very clean and tidy. The ones in the recent version with covered in mud and other things for most of the movie

However, they both don't compare to the gritty reality of war, as we saw when we watched a couple of epsides of the Ken Burns documentary about Vietnam. 

We have watched a few documentaries this week. We watched a four episodes of a documentary series about the life of Winston Churchill which was very interesting. Whilst he is rightly famous for leading the British during WWII, there are some less than stellar instances in his life where he made decisions that had devestating consequences.

On a lighter note we went to the movies over the weekend to see The Penguin Lessons which stars British actor Steve Coogan. It is about a man who is a bit lost really who starts teaching at a school in Argentina right when the military coup happens. He acquires a penguin, and the movie tells the story about how his life changed as a result. It wasn't a bad movie. The word nice probably applies more than anything. 

I did catch up on my Springtime in Paris movie viewing this week by watching Paris Blues and Hugo. 

Paris Blues stars Paul Newman, Sidney Poitier, Joanne Woodward and Diahann Caroll, with a guest appearance by the great Louis Armstrong. The story is about two American musicians who live in Paris. They meet two American women who have come to Paris on holidays and they quickly fall in love. I hadn't heard a lot about this movie but I did enjoy it for a number of reasons. Firstly, Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward were married in real life so it was fun seeing them together on screen. Secondly, it was interesting to see the way that the race question was addressed in this movie. If you had of asked me to name a movie which starred Sidney Poitier which addressed issues relating to race I would have said Guess Who's Coming to Dinner or To Sir With Love. This movie looked at how different the experience was for Poitier's character living as an African American in Paris compared to what it would have been in America at the time. Another point of interest for me was seeing Paris itself. Yes, there was glamourous side of Paris, but this movie was made in 1961 and there were evident signs of the destruction of Paris during WWII. For example, there was a scene where they visit what looks like a market, and the market is set up amongst some runs. 

After watching two older movies, Hugo was a more recent movie (made in 2011) but set in the 1930s. It surprised me that this movie was made by Martin Scorcese. I always associate his name with more violent movies but this was a very sweet movie which was based on the book The Invention of Hugo Cabaret by Brian Selznick.

In this movie orphaned boy Hugo lives in a train station in Paris, keeping the clocks wound up as he was taught to do by his uncle before he disappeared. He is trying to fix an automoton that his father had found at a museum, in the hope that he would get one final message from his dad. In order to survive and get the parts that he needs he steals from various stores in the train station, which brings him to the attention of the station policeman. If I had one criticism it is about the police man, but otherwise it is a great cast that brings a lovely story to life.

There were so many layers to this movie, which at its core is about the power of imagination and in particular the magic of movies. 

I am really looking forward to watching The Intouchables this week. It is a movie I have been meaning to watch for years!

Life


We did spend a lovely afternoon have afternoon tea at Oxi Tea Rooms. It is more of an immersive experience rather than just afternoon tea. I will post more about it in a couple of weeks for Weekend Cooking but this  is one photo. 

Posts from the last week


Top Ten Tuesday: Surprise!
Blog Tour: The Best Days of Our Lives by Helen Rolfe
White Mulberry by Rosa Kwon Easton
The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin
Weekend Cooking: The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki
Pictures of You by Emma Grey




I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date and Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz

Top Ten Tuesday: Christmas reads!

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Books I Hope Santa Brings/Bookish Wishes. I don't tend to ask or receive books as gifts, with the notable exception of cookbooks. So, here are the ten Christmas books I have read so far this year. I am currently reading another two as well!

Actually, I am going to start with a bonus book! Last night I read this book to my nephew. My sister, her husband and my husband were all in the room as well, so it was like a group readalong.

And now on for the actual top ten!

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens - I can't believe I haven't read this until now!

The Silver Haired Sisterhood by Judy Leigh - Christmas on the Isle of Skye sound great. (My review)

A Christmas Surprise in Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen - It's so nice to read a Christmas novel set in Australia! (My review)

The Christmas Book Hunt by Jenny Colgan - A fun short story! Must read more Jenny Colgan (My review)

A Skye Full of Stars by Sue Moorcroft - Yes, this is another Christmas novel set on the Isle of Skye. (My review)

Someone Like You by Sandy Barker - This one was set in both London and Seattle, which I loved! (My review)

A Recipe For Christmas by Jo Thomas - This one had it all! Chocolate, grumpy hero, and snow in Switzerland! (My review)

The Village Christmas Party by Sue Roberts - What happens when the village senior Christmas lunch is booked at the same time as a birthday party for a 5 year old. (My review)

One Winter at the French Chalet by Mandy Baggot - When a journalist is sent to a village in the French Alps to cover a story about a pregnant reindeer and a man named Wolf, Christmas magic ensues. (My review)

Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel by Rebecca Raisin - Christmas in Paris! Yes please. (My review)

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

Countdown to 2025: Day 22

 This year I am participating in Countdown to 2025 hosted by Lynn from Lynn's Books. Today is day 22 and the prompt for today is Reindeers – a book with memorable critters

The storyline for this one includes a pregnant reindeer! And a main character with the nickname of Wolf. It is also very Christmassy!

Here's the link to my review!

Tomorrow's prompt is Sleigh bells – a series that you want to ring out the praise for

Top Ten Tuesday: A new start

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is "Destination Titles (titles with name of places in them. These places can be real or fiction!) (this was a topic Rachel @ Sunny Side came up with for a freebie week last year and has let me steal it!)". 

Now I have done this topic numerous times in one variation or another and I probably could just do another whole post with Paris in the title and not duplicate from the last time I did it, but I will save that for Paris in July next year.

Instead, this week, I am going to keep it simple. These are the last ten books I have read where one or both of the main characters has moved to a new location. Most of these will be escape lit - set in other countries like France and Italy but others are just new starts in the character's home country:

Poppy's Parisian Patisserie by Daisy James - Poppy is a baker who goes to Paris to help out in the patisserie owned by her brother's friend. (review)

An Island Promise by Kate Frost - Three friends come back together in Ibiza ten years after a momentous holiday. (review)

A French Country Escape by Jennifer Bohnet - A brother and sister move to France for a new start (review)

Falling for Provence by Alison Roberts - Ellie agrees to stay in Provence to renovate the cottage that she and her sisters have inherited (review)

The Little Provence Book Shop by Gillian Harvey - Adeline and her daughter move to France after finding out that she was adopted as a child (review)

One Winter at the French Chalet by Mandy Baggot - Journalist Orla accepts a last minute job in a small village called Saint-Chambéry to write a story about a mute man and a pregnant reindeer. (review)

In Italy for Love by Leonie Mack - Jules moved to Italy for love, but it didn't work out. Now she is going to work on a homestay farm for as long as it takes for her to be able to head back to Australia. (review)

A Recipe for Christmas by Jo Thomas - Clara takes a risk and moves to Switzerland where she is going to do a fun course in chocolate making. I am planning to review this one shortly

The Bookshop at the Cornish Cove by Kim Nash - Dennis is visiting his grandmother in Driftwood Bay when he meets Nancy who runs the local bookshop (review)

A Little Place in Prague by Julie Caplin - Anna is moving to Prague for a few months for a cultural exchange. She doesn't expect to meet her ex, Leo, there. (review)

Do you enjoy a new start romance?