Fantastic summer read. Well written and makes you wish you were right there amongst them. Was easy to read. Nice characters3

I could have given this four stars if we had leaped more into the Greece side of things right off. The book had a big flow problem and I found myself bored until we had the main character, Mandy, go to Greece to get away from her cheating husband, Danny.

I definitely felt for the character of Mandy. We find out she has been with Danny since they were kids. When she finds out about his affair, she throws him out and tries to decide what she wants from her life. She starts to wonder if she settled with Danny (she did) and then eventually gets going to Greece.

Though I liked the character of Mandy, I was fairly bored by the love interests we get in this one which are Mandy's husband Danny and a man she meets in Greece, Costas.

We also have Mandy's best friend Hayley that I shrugged about too. The fact I had to go back and re-look up this person's name let's you know how much of an impression she made on me.

I love Greece. After spending two weeks there two years back on a catamaran, I dream of going back soon. The Greece I got to see is much different than the one depicted in Roberts book. Roberts takes a look at a small town in Greece, called Thakos, that seems fairly broken even though there is a nearby resort that is for the wealthy. I thought Mandy's idea was fairly absurd, I won't get into it, spoilers and all, but I maybe went why is anyone listening to Mandy and why is this even a thing? Why can't I just read about hot Greek men?

I thought the ending was rushed considering the first half of the book. I also unfortunately called a lot of things that occurred which made the book not that exciting to finish. I think Roberts wanted to wrap things up with a Happily Ever After, it just didn't feel quite real with her deciding to rush things forward four years.

When I requested My Big Greek Summer I was anticipating a lovely, summery read about Greek beaches and a Greek God like love interest. Something in the style of Mandy Baggots books set in Greece. Turns out, My Big Greek Summer was completely different read.

It is without a doubt a contemporary read, but not the fluffy, set your mind to zero and feel like you are on holiday in Greece kind of read. It was much more, an empowering read about a young woman having to start from zero and finding out who she truly is.

If you are expecting a light beach read, this might not be the book for you. Mandy, the very likable main character doesn't even get to Rhodes in the first quarter of the book. The first part of the story is set in Liverpool, Mandy's hometown and explores Mandy's family, her crashing marriage and her job. I quite liked that because you truly got to know Mandy before joining her on one wild adventure in Thakos. I loved that Sue really brought Mandy to live.

Sue Roberts steers away from the classical stories in this segment. Romance isn't a very big part of the story to be quite honest. The focus is really on Mandy, fighting for her marriage and developing her life after the deceit of her husband. I loved how friendship, family and self exploration were the main focus of the story and the romance (which was pretty great to be honest) was a side aspect.

But the ending... I just have to take one star down for that ending. One moment we are in Liverpool with Mandy's mom, the next we are four years later. My Big Greek Summer was quite a detailed read. It spends exploring all the aspects of the story. But then towards the end it felt like the inspiration was gone and everything was resolved in 3 pages. I felt cheated out of the story I loved. I can't really understand how this could have happen. Another 20 or 30 pages would have done the story true justice. Why can't we join Mandy when she goes to the Greek wedding, where her live changes for ever. Now we just have to read "Oh and I went to a wedding in Greece and guess what nothing was ever the same." Really, you have to be kidding me?

All in all My Big Greek Summer is a decent read. Not a bubbly, lovely chick lit with a simmering romance and a overall vacation feeling. It a novel that deals with harder topics and is centered around self exploration and finding what you truly want in your life.

My review on my blog will be published on 21/05/2018.

Cute, funny, and a nice fast love story. This title will make a great summer read while dreaming of being on the beach.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

4 I Love Greece stars to My Big Greek Summer! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Just when I needed cheering up most, Mandy jumps into a plane to a Greek island, and I was along for the adventure, which was the perfect enjoyable distraction and then some! I have traveled to Greece, and Sue Roberts captures the idyllic setting in a realistic and fun fashion.

When Mandy finds out her husband has cheated on her, she jets off to Greece. Of course she meets a handsome man there, but things are not always as they appear to be. Will Mandy ever heal her broken heart?

In true rom/com style, I smiled, I laughed, and I swooned, all over this escape of a read. Sue Roberts has written a fun romp, and I hope she’ll take us back to Greece in her next book!

Thank you to Sue Roberts, Bookouture, and Netgalley for the ARC. My Big Greek Summer is available now!

My reviews can also be found on my shiny new blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com

This book ended up being just as described - uplifting and with a feel-good factor approaching the temperature in the Greek sun.

Mandy is in a bit of a rut. Long time married to Danny, their lives follow predictable patterns of work and then curries in front of the telly. Mandy is ok with this but seemingly Danny is not as he seems a little bit TOO interested in women who aren't his wife.

Mandy needs a change of scenery and heads off to Greece, the place where happy childhood memories spring from, only to find that the locals have been hit hard by the recession and things are not as they were.

I adored this book, Mandy was a wonderful character and the secondary characters were as well. This was a lovely novel to read when you need a bit of a lift, so much positivity, not in an over-the-top way though.

4.5 stars from me.

Mandy served food and drinks at the Pig And Whistle. You wouldn’t guess Mandy was a big emotional mess inside and had lost twelve pounds in the last three weeks. It was from heartache which causes an instant loss of appetite. Mandy thought she and Danny would last forever. They had started going out together at school when they were both fifteen years old. Now almost thirteen years later Mandy worked at “The Whistle” and Danny had just broken her heart. Mandy’s job is now what got her up in the morning as she was the bar manager. The Whistle was a good place to work as far as pub restaurant . It is an independent pub with its own microbrewery and it also has an outstanding chef called Darren who came in runner up for the Young Chef Of The Year competition two years ago. It's bright and cheery, a mixture of modern and homey. It has several log fires that roar to life in the winter months and five different types of hand pulled cask ales. The oak wood bar is slightly horseshoe shaped and offers every kind of alcohol except for absinthe. A few locals came to the bar but the rest was passing trade, parties celebrating special occasions, and Christmas nights out when the pub features tribute acts. People watching was mandy’s hobby and observing the comings and goings of the pub clientele has made Mandy realize she was not the only one going through a tough time. Danny had managed to hide his affair from Mandy with such ease. Mandy is behind the bar and a guy the image of Danny came in and asked for her best pint of bitters and her phone number. Mandy feels happy she is being flirted with after what Danny had done. Mandy had once dreamed of being a journalist. But all she did was dream she had never worked hard enough to achieve it. Mandy’s best friend was Hayley. Mandy couldn’t remember the last time she had an adventure . Maybe that’s what she needed right now. A year after they had been going out Mandy decided she was too young to be tied down and Danny agreed. Then five years later at twenty one Mandy and Danny got back together and they then decided they wanted to get married. Danny and Mandy had been married almost eight years and she thought everything was fine until she found out about Danny’s affair. Danny had been gone six weeks and Mandy still felt like the rug had been pulled out from under her feet. One night after Mandy had worked a long day at the bar Danny and mandy sat on the couch and Danny asked Mandy if she was happy and said they really hadn’t done much of anything they wanted to do when they were younger and now they were twenty eight and Danny said he felt like he was fifty. Mandy knew in the back of her mind that they had fallen into a rut. Mandy is having problems and making mistakes at work, and her boss told her she needed to take time off and Mandy decided to go back to Greece. Mandy had seen Danny to talk things through but they hadn’t yet and Danny got a text from Sarah who was his lover and Mandy seen him outside talking to her and he was laughing and looked happier then he had in a while. Mandy was happy at the idea of rediscovering the holiday village of Thakos that she had went to with her parents when she was a child. Now she was going back alone. It’s the bravest thing Mandy had done in a long time. But Thakos isn’t as Mandy remembers. She ends up falling asleep in the sun and gets sunburnt on her first day in Greece. Then Hayley shows up saying she had been worried and is on holiday also as she had been in a holdup at the bank she worked at. Mandy wonders when she will wake up and think of Danny. At times of stress like after a traumatic walk from a neighboring village all Mandy wanted was to go home and have Danny’s arms around her. But by the next day Mandy was over that. Before her holiday is over Mandy suggests to Costos that they should use the empty field and have a musical festival and maybe with Janet’s help bring a big band or two. When Mandy gets home she turns her phone on and she has several texts from Danny. Thye meet and decide to try again . The idea of the music festival is going along good and Janet and Mandy go back to Greece to meet up with some of the plocal bands and the man planning the actual festival in Thakos. Mandy goes home a day early and Danny is in their bed with another woman and Mandy knows the marriage is over.
I had mixed feelings about this book. I felt this book could have been a lot shorter as I did have some problem with keeping my attention on this book. Also the story dragged for me. I did enjoy that Mandy came up with the idea for the music festival and followed through. I loved how close Hayley and Mandy were and there for each other. I like how Janet had let go of how she had been treated by Mandy and her group when they were younger. I didn’t really feel any spark between Danny and Mandy he was just a cheater and liar. Also I think Mandy went back with Danny way to easily and he didn't prove to her he loved her ro her was really sorry he had cheated on her. Anyway I felt this book was okay just not a favorite. But as I said I had mixed feelings.

My Big Greek Summer gets 5 big stars from me!!
This is a perfect beach read, it isn't too long and it definitely has enough going on to keep you engaged. I loved this and definitely want to go to Greece.
Mandy is the main character and Sue Roberts has done a great job of making Mandy completely believable and likeable. Mandy has found out her husband has had a fling so to try and sort her head out she flies to Greece for a week and the week turns into something very different than what she or I was expecting.
The book is split between Greece and Liverpool and to be honest if I was to be a little critical it would be that I would have preferred the story to be more in Greece as in balance I feel the first quarter of the book is Mandy's back story and although that helped with getting to know Mandy it made the ending seem a little rushed, where more time could have been spent at the end on the things that were glossed over. But this is still a great read though!!
I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgallery for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

A cute summer read!

Your classic chick-lit, with wonderful descriptions of both Greece & Liverpool. The main characters were relatable and I found myself hoping Mandy would be successful. Made me wish I was reading this at a cute Greek village!

I really got into this book and thought the storyline very promising!

It became a bit wordy for me with the constant over describing everything.

Having said that I would read another one of her books.

4 Big Greek Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Now I want to book myself a trip to this little village Thakos in Greece... I usually am not pulled in by the setting of a book... but I think the author does such a magnificent job of describing this tiny village, she just made it come alive.... I also think she made Liverpool seem quite interesting, really all I know about Liverpool is the Beatles... yes, I vacation vicariously through the characters in my books!

Mandy was a fabulously relatable character.... blindsided by her husband‘s infidelity, a man she had been with since she was a teen ... Mandy decides she needs to take a vacation and major props to her for going by herself.... she finds herself in this little village in Greece that isn’t quite what she remembers from her childhood.... but as she spends more time there she is taken with the charm of the place and the people.... and decides she wants to breathe new life into this village....

Looking back on this book there sure was a lot going on.... but really what I found most lovely was Mandy’s relationships with the females in her life.... she had a fabulous BFF in Haley and developed a wonderful relationship with Janet a girl she knew from high school who ran with a different crowd.... Mandy also had a strong relationship with her mother... and an interesting but important encounter with a woman on an airplane....

So... will Mandy learn to love again? Will she breathed life into the little village of Thakos? You will need to read this book to find out... it is really Mandy’s story to tell....

Recommend as a perfect beach read, when you’re in the mood for a lovely getaway...

*** thank you so much too Bookouture and Net Galley for a copy of this lovely book ***

Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an fair and honest review.

I really like this coming to terms with life story. As a lot of couples have found, the HEA they expected on their wedding day sometimes just doesn't exist. And, sometimes it takes a lot of work and compromise. We get to follow Mandy as she comes to terms with the end of her relationship, after being together almost 15 years, with Danny. Heart wrenching, softly humorous and totally believable.

At almost 30, Mandy thought she would be married to Danny forever. Then he comes home after an all nighter and it is obvious that he has been with another woman. She kicks him out of the house and begins to try and face her life without him. Her boss tells her to take a holiday and she heads for Thakos Greece, a holiday destination she remembers fondly from her childhood.

The village of Thakos is not exactly how she remembers it, but the people are warm and welcoming and just what Mandy needs to heal her heart and find the adventure spark that has been lacking in her life of late. Throughout the summer Mandy finds a new purpose and lets the peace of the tranquil blue ocean and the peaceful village mend her in ways she didn't even know were broken. As Mandy begins to open her heart again she finds that falling for a tall, dark and handsome stranger could bring a whole new set of problems to her life. 3 1/2-Stars

My Big Greek Summer by Sue Roberts is a very easy, light, read perfect for whiling a few hours away on a sun lounger whilst abroad in sunnier climes. The story follows Mandy, aged 29 who is attempting to get her life back on track after what she thought would be her happily ever after turned into more than a disaster.

Husband Dave, who she has been with since she was 15, has been having an affair and as soon as this discovery was made he was shown the door. Now Mandy's job working in the Pig and Whistle pub is her only outlet, it is what makes her get up in the morning. It has been her saving grace and alongside the heartbreak diet her life has descended into one of normality and endless routine. She begins to question whether this will be it forever or will love ever make a permanent reappearance in her life at any stage in the future? Mandy's job is her salvation and she enjoys meeting the regulars and hearing their stories but she feels there has to be more out there for her? Was there something bigger waiting for her when she made Dave leave?

Given the book had both such a summery cover and title I presumed a Greek island would form the basis for the majority of the plot and setting. Instead I found the first quarter was dedicated to explaining Mandy's back story and what point her heart, mind and emotions were at with regard to the life situation she found herself in. This was all well and good, and yes it did need to be explained, but I thought it would have worked better if we had gotten straight into her going away and then letting her story be revealed piece by piece as she was away. I felt once Mandy was given the opportunity to take some time away from work given she was beginning to make careless errors and her mind and attention span was wandering , that for me was when the story really got going.

Of course I did feel empathy for Mandy, no one wants to have their perfect, ideal life snatched out from underneath them especially when you fully believed everything was rosy in the garden and not much could happen to change that. We didn't get inside the head of Dave that much, more so we followed Mandy's viewpoint and insights into the whole débâcle. But I did feel he was spineless and claiming married life had descended into endless drudgery, boredom and routine is simply not a good enough excuse in any way or form to cheat on your wife.

Mandy questions how she will manage without a man by her side? She feels she has become a failure when really she shouldn't feel that way at all given Dave was the one at fault. It's only as Mandy takes the bull by the horns and books a holiday to Thakos in Rhodes, where she once holidayed as a child and still has such fond memories of, did I feel the story stepped up a gear and there wasn't as much doom and gloom and feeling endlessly sorry for one self.

From the moment Mandy stepped off the plane into the heat and sunshine the book became a much better read. I enjoyed the descriptions of the town, streets, beach and the hotel where Mandy stayed. As the holiday began to work it's magic on Mandy and she began to relax and forget about her worries and stresses I felt she changed as a character and I became to warm to her more. I did want a positive outcome for her, and yes it was predictable as to what would happen, but it was enjoyable enough to see how we reached that point.

The holiday becomes even more adventurous when best friend Hayley arrives and lots of fun and frolics ensue. I thought the remainder of the book would be set solely on the island but instead a ten day holiday literally was the ten days. I didn't like what happened when she returned, to be honest Mandy was very gullible and foolish and it seemed as if she forget every piece of advice she had ever been given. She was learning a lesson but going down a very hard road to do so.

I enjoyed the focus on bringing the town of Thakos back to life as it had been struggling to attract the tourists and keep the townspeople in jobs. The idea from Mandy was clever and innovative. In doing this for the village I suppose after her second major upset it was a way of moving forward and learning to heal. Helping others would bring her great pleasure. Having an old 'friend' from school Janet back on the scene was a genius idea in that old wounds and struggles could be put to bed but she was also helping Mandy with her big idea. The story-lines working concurrently worked well. The book flew by in the latter half as preparations are made, yet the romance element seemed very much on the slim side. It was there but never really fully explored enough for me, it all just seemed to happen quite suddenly without a bit of indecision and going back and forth which a romantic chick lit book should have.

The ending felt very rushed with things being wrapped up too quickly. It needed some depth and substance to it, some fleshing out as some of the solutions to the big plans Mandy had for her major project just seemed to easy and convenient. There was also a storyline in the last 10% that given the overall nature and tone of the book I'm not necessarily sure it needed to be there or else it should have been introduced earlier and explored in much more depth. All that said My Big Greek Summer was an enjoyable, if not the most memorable read, and people looking for some escapist reading for their summer holidays would enjoy this story.

Mandy and Danny have been together since school with only a small break before marrying some eight years earlier. Work and Mandy’s need to ‘help’ everyone at the pub where she is bar manager has interfered with their ‘together time’, and they’ve fallen into a routine of take-aways, television and too tired. Of course, this is where Danny decides it’s his chance to ‘try something new’, leaving Mandy devastated, lonely and hopeless, her lack of focus at work has her boss ‘suggesting’ a break. Remembering a favorite childhood holiday in Greece, Mandy books a hotel and flight and is off to Rhodes for a near-fortnight stay.

Far from the bustling and bright seaside she remembered, the hotel is sparkling clean but run down, many shops are shuttered, the pool is up the road at another small establishment, and the all-inclusive resort is teeming with both tourists and money – leaving little for the older, established (or now shuttered) community. Despite the changes, the time is exactly what Mandy needs, first to regroup and relax, then to test the waters with the very handsome Costas, and think of a way to make her childhood memories come to life. She loved that holiday and it seems as if her entire vacation will be wasted if she’s not able to make a difference – however difficult it may seem.

Starting the wheels in motion for renovations and a music festival – Mandy heads back to Liverpool – still working out details and ideas, and helping in every way she can with the festival. Of course, Danny’s fling was simply that and he’s back and wanting her again – a series of choices and the ‘old familiar’ in which she wasn’t really happy, or can she take the chance and grab for the life she wants? Greece is calling…..

A solid debut with a bit of extra padding and some moments where Mandy was too passively existing with situations that were the ‘safe’ ones, and it almost felt as if the lessons (albeit small ones) learned in her days away were simply there to serve the moment. But, Mandy is made of stronger stuff – even loving (and we see just how much she does through her descriptions ) Liverpool, there’s something missing – and that is the frisson of excitement that she had in Greece when every day was something new, different and exciting. A lovely introduction to this author’s heart and storytelling – I look forward to more.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-9Lb /” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

I loved this feel good read. Mandy's husband Danny, her boyfriend from their teenage years, has treated her badly and she needs a break. Cue a holiday in Greece and an adventure that gives her a reason to return several times. Hoorah for her friend Hayley, her new friendship with Janet and for hunky Costa - who gives her a reason to return. A light and thoroughly enjoyable read.

A good enjoyable summery read, will definitely leave you wishing you were laying on a beach having a nice cocktail! Fast paced and takes you through a bit of a roller coaster of emotions, I laughed and I cried reading it!

‘My Big Greek Summer’ is the debut novel written by Sue Roberts. Oh my days, what a debut novel it is and I have only just stopped laughing at things that happened in this book. I absolutely loved reading this book but more about that in a bit.
I must admit that I took to Mandy from the first moment I met her and by the end of the book, she felt like one of my closest friends. Things go wrong for her from the beginning with the break up of her marriage to the not so delightful Danny and her manager gives her some emergency leave, as she has been making some major cock ups. She can’t believe that her marriage has broken up as she thought that they were meant for each other and destined to grow old together. However, when she thinks about it she realises that things haven’t been right for a while. Danny has been playing away from home shall we say. To escape her heartache, Mandy goes on holiday to Greece on her own, which is a major step for her. Even when she is on holiday things go wrong but she seems to take these mishaps in good humour. What happens to Mandy could happen to any one of us. Will Mandy find happiness? Will Danny crawl back under his rock? Will Mandy fall in love? Well for the answers to those questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves. Believe me, you won’t regret picking this book up.
I picked this book up at the right time as I needed a pick me up and what a pick me up it proved to be. I just couldn’t believe that the author hadn’t written a book before because the writing style, the story and the characters are so polished that speak of a much more experienced writer. The story flows well and the writing style is such that you become drawn into the story from the start. I was addicted to reading this book by the time I had finished reading the first page. As I needed to know if Mandy found happiness I just had to keep reading. The page numbers flew past in a blur and before I knew it I had cleared over 50 % of the book. I can honestly say that this book has left me with a smile on my face. On more than one occasion, I actually found myself laughing out loud at something I had just read which got me some strange looks on the bus and in the doctors surgery. I absolutely loved everything about this book from the places to the characters to the humour and beyond. ‘My Big Greek Summer’ is full of humour, romance and hope.
In conclusion I would have to say that I absolutely loved reading this book. In fact, this book should be on prescription because it cheered me up no end. I can’t wait to read further books by this hugely talented author and here’s hoping that we don’t have too long a wait in store. I would definitely recommend this book and this author to anybody and everybody. Seriously I can’t recommend this book highly enough. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a well deserved 5* out of 5* but I would have awarded it 10* out of 5* if I could have.

I received this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This was a book about a second chance on life/love/happiness. It was written very lighthearted; however, you could still feel Mandy's pain and emotion. You wanted to cheer her on and motivate her into happiness.

The inner plot of the story was strong but there was a lot of fluff where there could have been more content. I am not sure where the author is from. I understand the story takes place in England but there is either a language barrier or quite a few grammatical errors in the novel. It was not enough to take away from the story but things that should have definitely been caught in editing.

All in all, for a debut novel, it was a nice story that was written well. It had compelling characters as well as emotion. I would definitely read another novel by Sue Roberts.

In a nutshell, this an adult coming of age story with heartbreak, love, and happiness. If you are just looking for a light, quick read... then this is a book for you.

Mandy's husband Danny is a rat. She's worked hard on the marriage but he hasn't so she decides to take off from Liverpool to Greece for some "me-time," which turns out to be a terrific decision. There are some delightful scenes as Mandy settles in and especially after she meets Costas. Her work to brighten the village (and entice visitors) with a music festival pops things up. You sort of know what's going to happen when she goes back to Liverpool but that's ok. This is nicely written and plotted, with a very sympathetic character in Mandy (I liked her friend Hayley too). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Solid chick lit…doesn’t take itself too seriously! You’ll laugh, cry, and say “Oh! No!” Definitely a fun weekend read :c)