Funny and flirty! This book take you on a adventure that envelops you into the life and travels of Sarah. With everything going on right now this book manages to help me escape from present circumstances and pushed me into an all expense trip to Europe! Great book! A must read for the daydreamers!

This is a cute romance story about Sarah who goes on a cruise in Greece to get over her break up with her boyfriend. When the cruise is over she finds herself torn between two guys, a younger American and an older British millionaire. Both guys have a lot of positive qualities going for them and Sarah needs to decide who she really loves.

What I liked about this book was the traveling that Sarah did. Right now I am pretty much doing the same thing every day, biking, gardening, babysitting, cooking and cleaning. In the story, Sarah travelled to Greece, London, Hawaii, New Zealand and she lived in Sydney. That’s a pretty exciting life.

Sandy Barker’s books are the next best thing to an all expenses paid luxury trip abroad and she is back with a fun, flirty and heart-warming new novel that is an absolute delight from beginning to end: A Sunset in Sydney.

Men are like buses – you wait ages for one to come along and when you’ve just about given up any hope of romance, two come along at once ready to whisk you off your feet and sweep you away to places you have only dreamed about. This dilemma is one which Aussie girl Sarah Parsons can relate to as she now has two gorgeous men vying for her attention across the globe! What’s a girl who had sworn off relationships meant to do now?

On one hand, there’s American dreamboat Josh. Josh wants to meet Sarah in Hawaii for the holiday of a lifetime. Sarah is very much tempted to discover what kind of future she would have with Josh and would love nothing more than to hop on the first flight to that beautiful part of the world – if it wasn’t for the fact that silver fox James wants to meet her in London! Pulled in two different directions and head over heels in love with both men, Sarah is at a crossroads. But will she end up making the right decision? Or is she about to spend the rest of her life wondering what might have been had she chosen one suitor over the other…

Will Sarah get her happy ending? Or is she merely setting herself up for a massive fall?

A Sunset in Sydney is a superb romantic escape that will make you giggle on many an occasion. Funny, uplifting and feel-good, A Sunset in Sydney is a breezy page-turner that has it all: a relatable heroine, two gorgeous suitors, wonderfully described exotic locations and plenty of humour and heart to keep readers entranced throughout.

Sandy Barker hits it out of the park yet again with A Sunset in Sydney and I cannot wait to see where she will take us next!

I have to be honest and state that I thought this was an okay and light book. I almost dnf. I didn’t realize it was part of a series that I needed to read before this book. I highly recommend reading the previous books in the series. I was very confused in the beginning but quickly caught on to the story of Sarah finding her love. Unfortunately I didn’t care for Sarah and it was her story. Though I loved the many locations in the book. Overall, it was an okay read.
I received this ARC from the publisher and Netgalley for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! The plot and characters were great!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced digital copy of this book.

Loved this book. Great characters and a plot to keep the reader guessing. The descriptions of destinations around the world was also very accurate which always helps in my enjoyment.

Sarah has sworn off men, however after an overseas trip she seems to have captured the heart of not one, but two men. Now back in the real world she must make a decision, American Josh or Londoner James.

This is the third book in the series (the second centred around Sarah), however it can be read as a stand alone.

MI was lucky to be part of the blog tour for A sunset in Sydney.
.
I absolutely loved this book. A love triangle with two hot men, that leaves you wanting more. I had to know who Sarah ends up with and couldn’t put this down. Highly addictive and very romantic it’s a must read. Were you Team James or Team Josh? Let’s discuss.
.
After spending the week in Santorini where Sarah meets Josh and James. Sarah is visiting her sister in London, before she goes back home to Sydney. Charming James wants to see her straight away and show her the sights of London. Clearly keen. Sarah and James had a spark as soon as they met, and you could feel the chemistry between them. Taking her to all the best places and on some amazing, romantic dates. What a catch.
.
After seeing James again. Where does this then leave her with Josh? I loved the connection between Sarah and Josh. Friendship and lust, could you get a better combination?! Cute, young and still finding his way Josh, could he match up to the silver fox?!
.
Sandy takes you on an emotional roller coaster throughout part two. One minute happy and excited, having so much fun. Next your left thinking what’s going to happen and then, god no, I could cry.  I was laughing out loud at the Hotel and bellboy scene. I won’t spoil it for you.
.
Sarah is such a wonderful character I loved her. She doesn’t always get it right and is a typical girl finding her way after a bad breakup. As well as romance this was also a story about self-discovery. Sarah was flawed and knew she wasn’t perfect, yet I loved that about her.
.
It’s one of those books where you are routing for one man one minute and then left feeling no what about the other. Team Josh or Team James. Hard one.  Both are brilliant. You can feel how torn Sarah is throughout. Imagine having two different kinds of amazing men wanting your attention. How hard must that be?!
 .
I had tears reading the ending, it was just perfect.

I love how Sandy takes you on a journey to these places. Bucket list is growing - thanks Sandy!

Rating 3.5/5*

I had thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘That Night in Paris’ so jumped at the chance to read this, the third book in the Holiday Romance series. This time the story is told from the point of view of Cat’s sister, Sarah. After discovering her boyfriend’s infidelity they broke up and she went on holiday around Greece. She planned to give men a big miss but ended up having not one but two holiday romances whilst she was there – one with Josh, who isn’t looking for anything serious, doesn’t want to commit to anything and is younger than her, and the other with James, who is in his fifties and is much more committed. She likes them both and plans to meet up with James whilst she’s in London visiting Cat and to meet Josh to holiday in Hawaii over Christmas and the New Year.

Sarah can’t make her mind up which, if either, of the two new men in her life she’d really prefer to live happily ever after with. The story is a love triangle where the men don’t necessarily know about their rival’s role in her life and Sarah is hoping to keep it that way until she’s decided she loves one of them. To say she is supposed to be in her thirties and a teacher, Sarah’s behaviour and attitude at times implies she is much younger. She’s happy to hop on a plane to meet up with and get into bed with either of the potential suitors, enjoys globe trotting and is very indecisive when it comes to choosing just one of them to be faithful to. The story takes you around the world and has some fantastic descriptions of the settings involved – I would love to visit some of them after reading about them in this story! The support Sarah has from her sister and her best friend (and her straight talking husband, Nick) is brilliant and they’re great at encouraging her to consider her choices and actions.

If you enjoy love triangle romances where infidelity is ok, you’ll probably love this book. It is a fun read with plenty of amazing places visited, gourmet dining and romantic interludes. It is a story to keep you guessing as it isn’t clear till very near the end just who she’ll be with so you’ll have to read it yourself to find out who she chooses!

I requested and was gifted a copy of this book and this is my honest opinion after choosing to read it.

I was late to the party. I thought I would be able borrow the books from my library & I was wrong. But I am going to request they get this series because I enjoyed the book. I REALLY would have enjoyed the book with the full backstory.

I could really feel the difficulty in Sarah having to make her choice between the two men. Maybe I wouldn't have felt that way having read the first 2 books, but I still liked the read.

I think the series would make great travel or summer reads!

You will see that this book is the third in the Holiday Romance series, and the sequel to One Summer in Santorini – but don’t let that worry you for an instant. I read it without having managed to fit in the first book, and it was no problem at all picking up the threads from the earlier story. But if you’ve read That Night in Paris, the timeline of this one is rather clever – you’ll remember the sister to sister FaceTime calls as Cat travelled around Europe, and Sarah’s dilemma about the two men in her life, and this story straddles the same time period. I’ve made that sound rather strange, haven’t I – but trust me, it works really well.

There’s so much I really enjoyed about this book. I’ve grown really attached to these two sisters – they’re both such wonderfully drawn characters – and I loved being able to see the love and closeness in their relationship as Sarah visits London at the book’s start. Their relationship is very real though – sisters can, at times, be a bit of a pain too, and I really enjoyed all their sparring.

Being in London also allows Sarah to spend time with one of the two men in her life – silver fox James, who I’ll admit most certainly pushed all the right buttons for me. Well, he would for most people I think – he’s an absolute gentleman, considerate and caring, and the fact that he’s loaded and can show Sarah a lifestyle she could only dream about is another big tick in his favour. And he’s falling in love with her too – but does that make her choice easier, or so much more difficult?

And then there’s Josh – he’s younger and maybe more fun, but might he just be looking for a “vacationship” rather than any real commitment? Sarah’s really not sure – and she’s no more sure after their holiday in Hawaii, that most certainly has its ups and downs. So should she choose James? Or will Josh prove to love her after all? And there’s that other complication of course – Sarah’s in Australia, Josh in the US, and James is in London, so that’s certainly not going to make things any easier (oh, just you wait…!).

I’ll admit I had absolutely no idea how this story was going to turn out: there are a few surprises, her dilemma deepens, and I think I might just have been rather inclined to settle back into teaching and spend more time with my cat. But it does all get resolved – and no, of course I’m not going to tell you how that happens!

I must mention that as well as the relationship between the sisters, there’s some rather lovely female friendship in this book too – new friends, and those who you know well enough to accept their advice as they provide that safety net that everyone sometimes needs.

I really love Sandy Barker’s writing – she gives Sarah such a clear and consistent voice, and takes you right inside her head which can (despite her dilemma) be a really fun place to be. And while we’re talking about “place”, the settings in this book are quite wonderful, all brought to life with the most vivid descriptions – when I reached the end of this book, I really felt like I’d been globetrotting too. The humour is perfectly judged and ever present – and nicely balanced with the more emotional content and those moments of sadness and real poignancy. She does it all so well that I almost felt at times like I was the one needing to make the choice – although I’m rather glad I didn’t have to.

Sarah needs to discover herself and what really makes her happy – and I was entirely with her every step of the way. This was a book I thoroughly enjoyed – and would really recommend to others.

(Review copied to Amazon UK, but link not yet available)

When I got this book, I did not realize that it was part of a series. I wish I would have read the other books before reading this one. I did, however, enjoy the story. I love a good love triangle and Sarah/Josh/James did not let me down. This was a fun quick summer read. Thanks for sharing!

Provided lockdown rules permit, this books makes for perfect beach reading. It’s a brisk-paced, easy-read story that whiles away a few hours very enjoyably.
It’s the third, and last, in a series but works as a standalone.
There’s a wonderful sense of place which gives an ever lovelier holiday atmosphere. The characters are fascinating, from vivacious Sarah to lively Josh to smooth Josh. They make for an interesting and tricky love triangle.
Sandy Barker’s writing is always a delight. She creates such fun scenarios, and there’s plenty of wit and imagination to enjoy.

After reading the previous books in this trilogy, I was really looking forward to finding out how it would end. We're re-introduced to Sarah from One Summer in Santorini as she navigates her way through a love triangle (with a few gorgeous sounding getaways thrown in). The reader is taken on the journey with Sarah as she tries to figure out who one for her is - Josh, the gorgeous American, or James, the handsome silver fox. This book was the perfect bit of escapism for me and at times I found myself shouting at my Kindle, just desperate for Sarah to make a choice.

I loved A Sunset in Sydney, the characters are engaging and the flow is perfect.
It's a cruel world where you've sworn of men and then two come at once, both holiday romances and both with the potential for something more.
Sarah's conflict is evident from the very beginning as is her humour via her internal monologue making this 5 star story a joy to read.
My thanks to the author, #OneMoreChapter and #Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review #ASunsetInSydney

Purchase Links:

Amazon uk: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sunset-Sydney-totally-uplifting-holiday-ebook/dp/B081MSC5S3/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_pdt_img_top?ie=UTF8

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Sunset-Sydney-totally-uplifting-holiday-ebook/dp/B081MSC5S3/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_pdt_img_top?ie=UTF8

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-sunset-in-sydney-sandy-barker/1136385613?ean=9780008390013

KoBo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/a-sunset-in-sydney-the-holiday-romance-book-3

Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/a-sunset-in-sydney/sandy-barker/9780008390020#write-review

Which man will she choose?

Sarah traveled to Greece after a bad breakup with her boyfriend. She had no intentions of meeting a man, she just wanted to have fun and restart her life. But Sarah fell for two men during the trip. Josh, an American, who was younger and enjoyed having fun. James was a rich older man who lived in London and traveled the world for his job. Each man had so much to offer Sarah and she was having trouble deciding which one she wanted in her life.

This book was a real treat. It swept me away to exotic locations, London, Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand while telling Sarah’s story. As I was reading, I honestly couldn’t decide which man was right for Sarah. They each brought so much to her life. But as the story started to wind down and one man was chosen, I couldn’t have been any happier with Sarah’s choice.

When I started reading this book, I didn’t realize it was part of a series. The Greece trip is featured in a previous book. This book can be read as a stand-alone, but I would like to go back and read about everything that happened during the Greek vacation.

This is the second novel I’ve read by Sandy Barker and what I’ve learned is that the author intends for you to fall in love many, many times. With the setting, the characters, the storyline and in particular the book boyfriends. A Sunset in Sydney spoils us as we have two book boyfriends to fall in love with. As a reader my head and heart was swinging like a pendulum clock and I couldn’t make my mind up whether I was #TeamJames or #TeamJosh but deep down in my heart of hearts it had to be #TeamSarah. I can’t wait to see what other readers think …

Sarah’s not long back from the holiday of a lifetime in Greece. She’s desperate to tell her sister that she’s fallen in love but there’s a snag to this tale; she’s fallen in love with two men from the same holiday! Sarah is a teacher and lives in her home town Sydney and her sister currently works and resides in London. Readers of Sandy Barker’s work will recognise Sarah’s sister Cat from book two (That Night in Paris) and we first discovered Sarah in book one (One Summer in Santorini). Sarah is due to visit her sister soon and knows it will be the perfect opportunity to catch up with James, the sexy silver fox she met in Greece. However, Sarah has already fixed up plans to meet her handsome, cheeky, adventurous American Josh in a few months time on a trip to Hawaii. What a dilemma? Can Sarah make a choice between them?

We follow Sarah from London to Hawaii and back home to Sydney climbing through obstacles of the heart and working out what she wants for her future.

A Sunset in Sydney is another gorgeous, sexy romcom from Sandy Barker that will have you reaching for the travel guide and have you dreaming for your own everlasting holiday romance!

The Holiday Romance series by Sandy Barker are stories set in beautiful surroundings when love makes a welcome bonus to the sightseeing. The books in the series can be read as a standalone (I started with book two) but the stories do feature characters that continue on with their journeys in life with each subsequent story. The Holiday Romance series are:

One Summer in Santorini
That Night in Paris
A Sunset in Sydney

What a great novel that was!
The characters were really strong and the storyline was excellent!
Highly recommend this!

When I first discovered Sandy’s books it was actually book two in the Holiday Romance series ‘That Night In Paris’ that I read first. Although ‘A Sunset in Sydney’ could technically be a standalone, I do have to say that you will get far more from it if you read book one, ‘One Summer in Santorini’ first. Knowing that book three was a continuation of the fictional journeys of Sarah, Josh and James who were seen in book one, I did take the time to read ‘One Summer in Santorini’ immediately before I read A Sunset in Sydney, and I was so glad that I did. The second book in the series, That Night in Paris, is about Sarah’s sister Cat, and the timeline intersects perfectly between ‘Santorini’ and ‘Sydney’.

Anyway, I digress. One of the many things that Sandy Barker excels at is her ability to whisk the reader around the world from the comfort of their armchair, which has been such a comfort, particularly in these uncertain times, where flying anywhere has either been restricted or is particularly problematic. This book is no exception, and I absolutely adored not only my time in Sydney, but also the time spent in London, Hawaii, New Zealand and Croatia too! In each location I really felt that I had a grasp on the beautiful scenery, the food, and the fabulous cocktails, almost as if I was there, and not in an unseasonably cold and wet location in the East Midlands of the UK.

This book is a traditional love triangle story, but unlike any love triangle story that I’ve ever read before because I found that almost to the end of the book, I had absolutely no clue who Sarah was going to choose. In fact, not only did I not know who she was going to choose, I had no idea whether I was on Team James or Team Josh. Even now, knowing the ending (my lips are firmly sealed!!), I still don’t know who I would have chosen in the same situation, although James was a silver fox with a touch of Richard Armitage about him, which might have edged it for me! I found it refreshing because normally in a story around a love triangle, it’s clear which person the author favours, and it’s usually clear to the reader that there is a compelling reason why the protagonist should choose one particular option over the other. With this story I was completely in the dark, and I think that made it easier to understand the confusion that Sarah went through. In fact as I read each section of the book I was like a human swingometer, leaning first one way and then the other!

The cast of additional characters were lovely. Sarah gets such fabulous advice and support from her sister Cat, and her friends (but possibly not Domino, although he is a cat, and therefore not so much comforting as aloof!). I really adored the joie de vivre of jilted bride Siobhan who Sarah and Josh befriend in Hawaii, and I really hope we get to find out more about her one day!

This was such a delightful read filled with romance and travel, that made me hanker for a large cocktail (complete with paper umbrella) and a large plate of seafood!

When the world around you is in turmoil, and all your travel plans have been cancelled for the foreseeable future, a light, happy romance is practically medicinal.

Sandy Barker’s third entry into her Holiday Romance series, A Sunset in Sydney, fills that prescription perfectly. It’s light but not too fluffy, keeps you entertained, and has really engaging characters, as well.

Sarah, our protagonist, opens the novel with a complaint many of us wish we’d had when we were young and single: two love interests. James a “silver fox” she meets while sightseeing, and Josh, whom she meets on the same vacation, on a ten-day sailing trip, and whom she immediately has what she calls a “Ross and Rachel, will they / won’t they” relationship.

Both men are engaging, witty, attractive. James is in London, where Sarah’s sister Cat also is, so she uses her time there to meet up with him, and Josh, the “cute American” has made plans to meet her in Hawaii four months after their initial sailing trip.

What follows is typical romance novel fare, made distinctly original by Barker’s handling of both comedy and flirtation. Instead of a cookie-cutter story, we are treated to a tale about people who are all searching for what they truly want out of love and life, with trial and error, doubts and insecurities, misfires and marvelous encounters, all wrapped up in a package of well-written dialogue, and characters you truly enjoy spending time with.

This was my first introduction to Barker’s work, but I’m hooked and can’t wait to read the other novels in this series, as well as her other writing.

Overall, this is the perfect light read, for summer, for quarantine, or just for a murky, damp weekend when you want to escape into someone else’s life for a while.

Goes well with grilled tequila lime shrimp and a margarita on the rocks.