I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

Way too heavy on the Covid times and I get this came out around that time, but it is seriously PTSD-inducing to read about it even now - maybe if it had just been the backdrop, but there was too much tragedy mingled into it to really not hit a sensitive spot every other page here. And then the supporting characters were so over the top, it was anxiety-inducing to read on and have to find out what they did/what they'll do next. Sadly, the main protagonists just got lost in all this kaleidoscope that twirled just too much to be a comfortable or easy read.

Lovely feel good book to read. It was a joy to read. Lovely characters. Great plot. The book was charming. Very well written. I’d definitely recommend this book

A superb holiday read, ideally enjoyed on a beach with cocktails. It's also a great way of travelling to Greece during Covid with comfort and safety, and without spending too much money.

I was a little apprehensive about reading a book set during the pandemic, so left it for a while to give some breathing space. I think this was the best action as it did settle me a little. and helped me enjoy the story some more. There were, however, quite a few too many references to the pandemic for me, so it's not pure escapism at its finest.

Loved reading this book and author. If you haven't read it yet I highly recommend her and her books. Happy reading

I always love Mandy Baggot books especially the Greek ones. Lizzie is a lovely warm fun main character along with a great cast of others. A lovely humorous book that draws you in from the first pages and with the beautiful descriptions of Corfu, sunshine and romance making it a perfect bit of escapism

Didn’t love this book! Usually I love a good holiday romance but I couldn’t get into this book and it was a ‘did not finish’ book for me.

Staying out for Summer is a cute, funny, light-hearted and enjoyable romance that whisks us away on that much needed holiday.

I like that this is very relevant to the times we have been living for the last 18 month’s, Staying Out for Summer is the healing balm we have all been needing for such a long time, if you’re like me and are unable to get away on holiday then you’ll love hitching along on Lucie’s holiday just as I did.

After a hell of a few months – thanks to Covid, Lucie has all about had enough of life indoor (who hasn’t?) and is itching for sunshine and freedom after lockdown (can anyone else relate to that?). Her good friend Gavin comes to the rescue and books a holiday on Corfu, but alas her peaceful summery get-away turns into yet another lockdown after a landslide occurs. Lucie soon finds that this could be a great thing to happen as she meets gorgeous doctor Michalis and soon love blossoms.

I loved watching Lucie grow throughout the book, due to Covid she had sunk so low, she had lost so much of herself and her confidence. But once stepping on Corfu and despite what happens her character blossoms, her confidence grows and her self believe starts to return. It’s so lovingly written you feel every one of Lucie’s emotions and you back her 100%, especially more so after the year we have all had.

Staying out for Summer is a wonderful escapist read, full of sunshine and fun. It has some fabulous characters who you can get behind from the moment you meet them, you feel their pain as they have just come through an awful ordeal (like we all have) it’s pulls at the heart-strings a fair few times but makes up for all the emotion with its summery setting which would make any person smile with joy.

It’s a hilarious, summery, heart-warming, touching and feel-good story full of friendship and love.

Lucie and her best friend Gavin have had the year from Hell. Working as Nurses in a busy Birmingham hospital they have been rushed off their feet and are physically and emotionally drained. Working on the front line they have seen more than their fair share of deaths due to the virus. When Gavin suggests a break abroad, Lucie is apprehensive and worries about all the reasons they shouldn’t go but eventually he wears her down and she finds herself jetting off to a surprise destination, Gavin having done all the planning/booking.

When they get to Corfu, Lucie is surprised to see that Gavin has not opted for the normal mode of transport, he has booked what can only be described as a fruit van. Understandably Lucie worries what else he might have booked! Arriving at a small village, Lucie and Gavin find themselves with other tourists being welcomed by the village president handing out a ‘Greek delicacy drink’. Before Lucie can drink it, a handsome man stops her and announces that it is in fact goat’s urine!

Lucie is now really stressing wondering what Gavin has got them into. However, her fears are allayed when she sees the rustic villa which they are going to be staying in - complete with pet tortoises. They have only just found their bearings when the village president descends upon them and announces that the annex is to be used by a doctor to see his patients. The doctor in question turns out to be the handsome man from the welcome meeting, Michalis.

Lucie and Michalis are attracted to one another but their pasts are holding them back. Will they have a holiday romance?

As well as meeting Gavin, Lucie and Michalis we meet Michalis sister (Nyx) and father (Dimitriu); Lucie’s aunt (Meg) and Miltos, his grandmother (Mary) and great aunt (Ariana).

This was such a good book to read on a (rare)perfect sunny weekend while I was self-isolating. It was also the first book I have read which references the coronavirus/pandemic.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

This is an odd one. It was a good story but it was written as though the pandemic had ended and everyone had gone back to normal which as well we know hasnt happened.

It was a good read though but i just couldnt get past the reference to covid being over as we are still in it.

With covid vetoing any chance of a holiday this year, I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this book as much as Mandy's previous ones. I needn't have worried, it was an absolutely ripping story which had me laughing from page 1. The various characters were hilarious with scenarios that had tears of joy rolling down my face.. If you fancy getting lost in a story which has a fruit van that doubles as a taxi, a mayor who tries to feed visitors goat urine and a drunken nurse who thinks singing Cher's greatest hits will help a woman giving birth to twins, then buy this book. If you can't go to Greece this year, believe me this is the best alternative.

You know you've dived head first into a Mandy Baggot book when you reach the delightful shores of Corfu. Her books whisk you away to this beautiful sun drenched island where you can almost feel the sand between your toes, the sun on your shoulders and that ice cold bottle of Mythos within hands reach. Oh how I've missed holidays......and this book is certainly no different. But you would be forgiven for thinking that the premise was based purely on fun and frivolity.

The heart and soul of this book comes from its handling of the Covid pandemic. This delicate topic is still very real in the world today and the narrative speaks candidly of tough times and the resilience our characters showed in the face of adversity. A collective coming together weaved its way through the story in an inspiring way and although the book touches on real life it does not drag the uplifting and heartfelt nature of the book down in anyway at all.

The characters we meet along our journey are fully formed and loveable. Best friends Lucie and Gavin are a scream a minute and I was living for each and every moment of their much needed break abroad. After tough months serving on the NHS front line a frivolous and fun time was definitely the order of the day and I can confirm that our duo followed orders to the letter. Laugh out loud moments are waiting between the pages of this story and I can guarantee that you will fall head over heels for this loveable pair of nurses. But I feel it is long over due for me to introduce you to Michalis....I mean be still my beating heart there's a doctor in the house. This Greek demigod is sure to get heart racing and I for one was swooning on cue. But on a serious side note our Michalis has also been through his share of tough times, as a lung specialist you can only imagine the horrors faced on his journey through the pandemic. So these multilayered characters really do make their way into your heart as empathy and concern rushed through my veins with every turn of the page. I just wanted to wrap them all up in a big hug. Instead I had to wish them well from a socially distanced sideline and hope for that ever needed happy ever after.

Staying Out for the Summer is not your typical beach read.....it has sizzle and heat for sure but it also tugs deeply at the heart strings and will leave an unforgettable imprint. Well done Mandy on a sensational summer read, I for one am changed for having been on this journey.

Mandy Baggot’s books are like sunshine after a week of torrential rain. Escapist, engrossing and wonderfully enjoyable, she strikes gold once again with her uplifting new romantic tale, Staying Out for the Summer.

Lucie Burrows has been counting down the days until she can finally get on a plane and head to Corfu for the holiday of a lifetime. The NHS nurse has certainly had a tough and challenging year and is looking forward to leaving her worries behind and do nothing more taxing and demanding than topping up her tan and sipping on delicious cocktails by the sparkling blue sea. It’s all going to be absolutely idyllic – until disaster strikes and a landslide puts the village she is staying in into a local lockdown! This was not what Lucie had been planning for, however, she does find herself thrown together with sexy local doctor, Michalis Andino…

This might not exactly have been what Lucie had been hoping for when she booked a Greek island getaway, but there are worse people to be locked down with than Michalis. Charming, caring and oh so handsome, Michalis is the kind of man who looks like he has just walked out of every woman’s fantasy. Falling head over heels in love with him is inevitable, leaving Lucie to wonder whether this holiday might be the start of a wonderful beginning with a man who is going to come to mean everything for her.

Will Lucie find the courage to grab this chance at happiness with both hands? Will she find her happy ending in Greece with Michalis? Or is further heartache and disappointment in her future? Whatever happens one thing is for certain: this summer will be one Lucie won’t forget in a hurry.

Mandy Baggot never disappoints and in Staying Out for the Summer she has penned a joyous, feel-good and irresistible romantic romp that touches the heart and will make readers laugh out loud. I absolutely loved Lucie who was a lovely heroine and somebody readers can totally get behind and support in order for her to have the happy ending she so deserves. Add a gorgeous swoon-worthy hero, plenty of sunshine, a gorgeous Greek island and readers will have a book they will simply not be able to put down!

Brava Mandy – I cannot wait for your next book!

I’ve read numerous newly written & released books over the past 15 months but this is the first I’ve read to be set in ‘covid times’, and I’m not sure how I feel about it. I feel a little conflicted and not sure where there I like it or not, whether it added to the story having something set in the here & now, or whether it just added to the somewhat gloomy times we’re living in.
I read this genre of book for escapism and although I realise it’s fiction, it was strange to read a story where Covid & the pandemic feature at all, let alone as strongly as it does in the backstories of several of the main characters & the story throughout. I did feel that several times it felt that there were just far too many references to a lot Covid-related issues and information crammed in, as if to prove it was set in current-times, it felt false & like overkill at times, if I’m honest. And, to top it off the characters are on holiday (at short-notice from a hospital?!) abroad ... something that still feels a long way off at present, as if the author is gambling on it happening in time for the release of the book.
That said, I did like the story, enjoyed reading it & got involved in the lives of the characters, from the main characters (shaving eyebrows off did make me laugh) to some of the pretty the bonkers aged population of the Cypriot village.
It is an enjoyable book, well written with interesting characters that although are a little fanciful are likeable if not believable. I also wasn’t too sure about the ending - it felt a little confusing & nonsensical - why pretend to be one thing then rush off to another? This left me feeling a little deflated, but as I got invested in the characters I was happy to read the final outcome. I swayed between 3 and 4 stars because of my uncertainty about how I feel reading about covid, but ultimately the writing and characters and the overarching romantic story between the two main characters made my decision of 4 stars as it is enjoyable.
If you are craving some sunshine & foreign shores, even if holidays feel somewhat a distant memory, you can bask in the warmth of the sun and feel the cool sea lapping over your toes through the wonderful descriptions in this book. The author’s affection for the island is easily sensed through her description and depiction of a beautiful holiday destination. Just watch out for 100 year old women who want to make a wedding dress for you!
An enjoyable read that brings some much-needed sunshine into our lives at present.

This was a wonderful escape to Greece. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I liked Lucie and Gavin a lot. This laugh out loud story will have you laughing hysterically through lockdown. This is just what the heart needed.

I generally love any book by Mandy Baggot, whist I did enjoy this I didn’t I’ve it with a passion the way I usually do , I think it was too many references to restrictions and the current global situation, I read for escapism and don’t want a reminders reality when I’m in my book worlds. I didn’t find it added to the story and just ended up annoying me. As I say I did enjoy this, but it’s not the best she’s written and hopefully Mandy's next book will be back on form


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I have to be honest, I had mixed feelings over this book. It was definitely humorous for the most part , the constant references to covid and the epidemic became grating after a while though. I could totally empathise and identify with Lucie and Gavin and how , as nurses , they were feeling the pressure and needed a holiday. The constant reminder of restrictions was too close to home though. I like to read to escape reality . That being said , it was very entertaining when you got past that.
Gavin is Lucie's best friend and he's a very funny character. He arranges a holiday in Corfu and they end up on all sorts of misadventures. While on holiday they meet Michalis, a local doctor , Lucie and Michalis have instant chemistry but he believes Lucie and Gavin are a couple, not realising Gavin is gay. This leads to misunderstandings and a will they won't they scenario.
On the whole it's a heartwarming and humorous read with likeable characters and some realism thrown in because life isn't a fairy tale. I give it 4 stars

Staying Out for the Summer by Mandy Baggot is a romance about nurses and a doctor recovering after the pandemic. I usually enjoy Ms. Baggots romances, but I must admit this one was not my favorite. Lucie and her gay best friend Gavin are nurses, who take a much needed vacation to Greece, after the pandemic ends. There are several sweet romances for the characters, and some funny situations. If you enjoy romances, than I recommend this book. I will be reading more books by this author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Lucy and Gavin are best friends and nurses who decide to go on holiday to Corfu after working through the first wave. Lucy thinks they are going for rest and relaxation but that's not what she gets when the village they are staying in decide to honour the local doctor who they believe saved their lives
Wasn't too sure about this one, did enjoy it but it was based around covid 19 which was weird with it still being an issue and holidays etc not being allowed

The Blurb :
For NHS nurse, Lucie Burrows, it's time to put the past behind her and embrace Greek life.
Finally free from the UK restrictions, Lucie is excited for the summer of 2021. When her best friend, Gavin, finds the perfect Greek island getaway, Lucie is sure that this holiday to Corfu is going to be one to remember.
But when a landslide puts the village into a local lockdown, Lucie is thrown together with Michalis Andino, the super sexy village doctor. It's not quite the escape she had planned, but things could certainly be worse.

My Thoughts :
As Mandy Baggot is one of my favourite Authors, I get excited when I see she has a new book coming out. Her book covers are exceptional which means you can spot her books a mile away.
We meet Nurse Lucie Burrows, Lucie and best friend Gavin have been working in the hospital looking after Covid patients in the recent pandemic. As a much needed holiday and rest is due, Gavin finds them a a perfect break in Corfu, Greece.
After a rough start to the holiday, they finally arrive to the most amazing villa complete with heavenly views.
Throw in a meeting with handsome Michalis Andino, a Doctor who has also been working over in the mainland during the pandemic. There is an instant spark between him and Lucie. Thrown together in another lockdown due to a landslide on the Island, Michalis needs to work through some issues of his own. Will the connection between him and Lucie develop into something more serious or is it a case of what happens in Greece, stays in Greece!.
The story has some great charactors, some which you cant help but fall in love with.
Overall, Mandy Baggot has delivered a light hearted, fun and a much needed Escapism read.
We can picture ourselves in the thick of the action with the descriptions of the scenery and tasty Greek food, even if it is from our own armchair.
Looking forward to the next release as always from Mandy Baggot.