Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.26 AVERAGE
3.26 AVERAGE
Harlow Sands arrives on an idyllic Greek island to work on a big budget movie, her Mum is a world famous producer who thinks her Daughter should want to follow in her footsteps. Harlow, however prefers being behind the scenes and keeping in the background. Forced to come to Greece to help her Mum on the shoot she comes face to friend with her old friend Tyler. They have a complicated history and their relationship has turned toxic over time. Tyler wants to pick up where they left off but Harlow is not interested and can't believe the person he has turned into. Having a difficult relationship with her Mum also, Harlow tries to keep to herself as much as she can and explores the area alone or with her friend Manda one of the makeup artists on set.
Harlow has the job of location assistant and is responsible for scouting out the desk routes for the crew and actors to take to the various locations on the Island of Skopelos, where Mamma Mia was filmed in parts. The authors descriptions of the beautiful locations, the colourful characters and delicious food throughout the book are brilliant. I could almost smell the vine leaves and Tzatziki whilst reading. She is a turning point of her life and needs to decide what she actually wants.
I love books like this set in a foreign climate, especially when I am reading from a damp, cold and rainy England. It makes me dream of Spring/Summer and the warmer days to come. As soon as I saw the front cover, I knew I wanted to get me hands on a copy. The sweet romance was a lovely added bonus to story and Adonis and his family grew on me throughout the book. They were so warm and welcoming, inviting Harlow over for food. I have been lucky enough to visit Greece many times and the friendly hospitality shown to strangers always amazes me. I really enjoyed this book and will look out for other works by the author in the future.
Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Harlow has the job of location assistant and is responsible for scouting out the desk routes for the crew and actors to take to the various locations on the Island of Skopelos, where Mamma Mia was filmed in parts. The authors descriptions of the beautiful locations, the colourful characters and delicious food throughout the book are brilliant. I could almost smell the vine leaves and Tzatziki whilst reading. She is a turning point of her life and needs to decide what she actually wants.
I love books like this set in a foreign climate, especially when I am reading from a damp, cold and rainy England. It makes me dream of Spring/Summer and the warmer days to come. As soon as I saw the front cover, I knew I wanted to get me hands on a copy. The sweet romance was a lovely added bonus to story and Adonis and his family grew on me throughout the book. They were so warm and welcoming, inviting Harlow over for food. I have been lucky enough to visit Greece many times and the friendly hospitality shown to strangers always amazes me. I really enjoyed this book and will look out for other works by the author in the future.
Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Perfect escapism with so much delicious Greek island scenery, food, sunshine and "picnics in olive groves" romance!
lighthearted
medium-paced
A feel good happy story. Set on a beautiful Greek island.
A cosy romantic read with an excellent location to picture!
If you enjoy Mama Mia - it is mentioned a lot in this novel.
The main character feels as if she is constantly pressured to have her mother’s career and instead of speaking about it she complains all the time yet she is quite successful in the film directing business.
When they are filming in Greece she comes across a man who swoons her. I don’t understand her relationship with co-worker Tyler (former FWB arrangement).
Overall, it does try to capture a holiday read which it did manage to accomplish.
I really enjoyed the descriptions of the places on the island including the Olive Grove Cafe, it sounds all so cute.
Also, I listened to this so I’m not 100% sure but I thought I heard the title chapter of an Epilogue twice? If so, the first time I heard it before Harlow made some life changing decisions I felt it was very unnecessary to have an Epilogue at that point.
Review: https://clife.blog/2022/12/12/book-review-one-greek-summer-by-kate-frost/
If you enjoy Mama Mia - it is mentioned a lot in this novel.
The main character feels as if she is constantly pressured to have her mother’s career and instead of speaking about it she complains all the time yet she is quite successful in the film directing business.
When they are filming in Greece she comes across a man who swoons her. I don’t understand her relationship with co-worker Tyler (former FWB arrangement).
Overall, it does try to capture a holiday read which it did manage to accomplish.
I really enjoyed the descriptions of the places on the island including the Olive Grove Cafe, it sounds all so cute.
Also, I listened to this so I’m not 100% sure but I thought I heard the title chapter of an Epilogue twice? If so, the first time I heard it before Harlow made some life changing decisions I felt it was very unnecessary to have an Epilogue at that point.
Review: https://clife.blog/2022/12/12/book-review-one-greek-summer-by-kate-frost/
What better place to deal with family issues and exes than a picturesque Greek island? There’s lots of drinking and eating and lazing around in the sun. An easy weekend read.
Do you like character driven novels? How about one set on a Greek island? Are you a Mamma Mia fan? Remember it was filmed in part on Skopelos? Well, this sweet romance is about Harlow Sands and she, too, is on location on this island in the Aegean Sea to film ‘One Greek Summer.’ There are many references to Mamma Mia, too, so you’ll be wanting to grab your old ABBA soundtrack!
The amazing cover art grabbed my attention, but the sweet romance and the relationship dynamics kept me interested. In fact, the character relationships are the driving force of this novel. Don’t get me wrong, the food and the setting were spectacular, but the author has put a little something extra into these authentic characters. We see Harlow’s relationship with herself, with those she meets on the island, with those on the film crew, with her mother, with her father and his new family, with her ex-boyfriend, with her new boyfriend, and with people she meets on location. Each of these relationships change over time, creating unique relationship dynamics. Linking Frost’s characters together is the simple fact that they all need something from each other.
What makes Harlow so relatable is that she faces many of the issues her readers face. She’s an open book, allowing readers to get involved with what’s happening and this connection with the protagonist adds to the value of Frost’s story. Harlow comes to Skopelos frustrated with the direction of her career and with her overbearing mother, Maeve Fennimore-Bell, a Hollywood producer. Many of us know the struggle too well; trying to keep others happy while trying to be true to ourselves. The sunshine, the magic of the olive grove and the welcoming islanders all work their charm on Harlow and enable her to see exactly what path she needs to take.
Adonis is the perfect impact character. In addition to his obvious attraction to Harlow, he gently shows her how important family is and how important it is to follow one’s dreams.
I loved this quick, easy and enjoyable escapist read where I was quickly immersed in a world with no masks, no vaccine passports and I could forget about the cold, rainy weather. I’d eagerly read another novel by Kate Frost.
I was gifted this advance copy by Kate Frost, Boldwood Books, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
The amazing cover art grabbed my attention, but the sweet romance and the relationship dynamics kept me interested. In fact, the character relationships are the driving force of this novel. Don’t get me wrong, the food and the setting were spectacular, but the author has put a little something extra into these authentic characters. We see Harlow’s relationship with herself, with those she meets on the island, with those on the film crew, with her mother, with her father and his new family, with her ex-boyfriend, with her new boyfriend, and with people she meets on location. Each of these relationships change over time, creating unique relationship dynamics. Linking Frost’s characters together is the simple fact that they all need something from each other.
What makes Harlow so relatable is that she faces many of the issues her readers face. She’s an open book, allowing readers to get involved with what’s happening and this connection with the protagonist adds to the value of Frost’s story. Harlow comes to Skopelos frustrated with the direction of her career and with her overbearing mother, Maeve Fennimore-Bell, a Hollywood producer. Many of us know the struggle too well; trying to keep others happy while trying to be true to ourselves. The sunshine, the magic of the olive grove and the welcoming islanders all work their charm on Harlow and enable her to see exactly what path she needs to take.
Adonis is the perfect impact character. In addition to his obvious attraction to Harlow, he gently shows her how important family is and how important it is to follow one’s dreams.
I loved this quick, easy and enjoyable escapist read where I was quickly immersed in a world with no masks, no vaccine passports and I could forget about the cold, rainy weather. I’d eagerly read another novel by Kate Frost.
I was gifted this advance copy by Kate Frost, Boldwood Books, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
I have mixed feelings about this book, hence the 3-star rating; it wasn't bad, but it wasn't great.
The best part was the setting. Who wouldn't love a story set on a beautiful and idyllic Greek island? The descriptions of the scenery, the food, the smells, the sounds, and the people were lovely - definitely a bit of escapism. I already had an interest in visiting Skopelos and Skiathos after Mamma Mia! came out, but this has renewed my desire to go (thankfully I have a trip planned there for next year!).
The weak parts, for me, were the actual characters and the storyline. Maybe I'm just not into the chick-lit genre anymore, but I thought the characters were predictable, and the story and the dialogue were a bit elementary and formulaic. I was hoping for something a little more in-depth. And the synopsis made it sound like there were really profound backstories which influenced the relationships between some of the characters (i.e., Harlow and Tyler), but I didn't think anything was revealed that was entirely too shocking. Nonetheless, I did enjoy how the novel concluded - it definitely fet fitting, if not a bit unrealistically romantic. But, those things do happen for some people :)
One last note about the dialogue - although the author got a lot of the actual Greek transliterations correct (I can read some Greek), and some of the broken English from certain characters like Ereni and Stephanos seemed realistic, what did bother me was how many times Adonis used the word 'Mum' in place of 'Mom'. The author is British, and most of the characters also are, so it makes sense for them to use British vernacular -- but it's not common for a Greek to use the term 'Mum', unless they'd spent time in the UK or around people from the UK. It seems like a bit of lazy writing to me. If an author wants the characters to feel authentic, they should be written using the appropriate vernacular and slang.
Overall, I did enjoy this book for what it was - a bit of light, easy, romantic escapism. I'll likely read another in this same genre of books by this author.
The best part was the setting. Who wouldn't love a story set on a beautiful and idyllic Greek island? The descriptions of the scenery, the food, the smells, the sounds, and the people were lovely - definitely a bit of escapism. I already had an interest in visiting Skopelos and Skiathos after Mamma Mia! came out, but this has renewed my desire to go (thankfully I have a trip planned there for next year!).
The weak parts, for me, were the actual characters and the storyline. Maybe I'm just not into the chick-lit genre anymore, but I thought the characters were predictable, and the story and the dialogue were a bit elementary and formulaic. I was hoping for something a little more in-depth. And the synopsis made it sound like there were really profound backstories which influenced the relationships between some of the characters (i.e., Harlow and Tyler), but I didn't think anything was revealed that was entirely too shocking. Nonetheless, I did enjoy how the novel concluded - it definitely fet fitting, if not a bit unrealistically romantic. But, those things do happen for some people :)
One last note about the dialogue - although the author got a lot of the actual Greek transliterations correct (I can read some Greek), and some of the broken English from certain characters like Ereni and Stephanos seemed realistic, what did bother me was how many times Adonis used the word 'Mum' in place of 'Mom'. The author is British, and most of the characters also are, so it makes sense for them to use British vernacular -- but it's not common for a Greek to use the term 'Mum', unless they'd spent time in the UK or around people from the UK. It seems like a bit of lazy writing to me. If an author wants the characters to feel authentic, they should be written using the appropriate vernacular and slang.
Overall, I did enjoy this book for what it was - a bit of light, easy, romantic escapism. I'll likely read another in this same genre of books by this author.
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Cutest vibes, fast read, very very summer vibes
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was just your typical summer romance set in Europe. It was cute but nothing special.
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Great, lighthearted , easy to read romance set on a greek island... lots of familiar references to the well known Mamma Mia film mirroring some pats of the story.
Enjoyable read.
Enjoyable read.