This is the story of Charlotte (known as Charlie) and her love of Crete and baking. Charlie runs a café in Chester and lives in a small flat with fiancé Jamie. Her work / life balance is almost non-existent and he has fallen out of love with his job. Plus, they can't see how they will ever afford the house in the country with a garden which is their dream, with the way property prices keep increasing. Then they see a small house with some land advertised in their favourite part of Crete for a ridiculously small amount of money. What would happen if they upped sticks and moved to Greece?

Nearly everything seems to be really easy for Charlie even though she knows hardly any Greek. There is a lack of jeopardy in this book. Still, it is escapist fun and great for a holiday read.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.

What Happens in Greece by Sue Roberts

Published: May 13, 2022
Bookouture
Pages: 291
Genre: Humor
KKECReads Rating: 5/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Sue Roberts was born in Liverpool and moved to Lancashire as a teenager, where she has lived ever since. When not busy writing, Sue spends time with her ever-growing family and enjoys walking, cinema, and traveling.

“Everything I have ever wanted is right here in front of me.”

Charlie has a great life, a loving fiancé who is also her best friend, and several best friends who bring joy to her life. But when an opportunity to move to Greece falls in her lap, Charlie decides it’s time for a change. So she takes the plunge- things start strong, but her fiancé decides Greece isn’t his journey, leaving Charlie on her own. Now, she is getting to know herself and falling in love with her village.

This was a lovely story. I enjoyed the plot, characters, and location descriptions. If this novel doesn’t make you want to take a Greek vacation, nothing will.

I enjoyed the pacing of this book; I found the plot charming. I loved getting to know Charlie. Her journey was lovely, and it was pretty nice reading an uplifting story.

I loved the humor and enjoyed Sue Roberts writing style. This is such a sweet summer read, with perfectly placed humor, lovely love scenes, and delicious Greek food!

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC, this review is my personal, unbiased opinion.

Reading What Happens in Greece could convince anyone who's thinking of relocating, to actually make the decision and go, at times the book seemed to be written by the Crete Tourist Office.

Summary. Charlotte (Charlie) sells her flat and her business and she and her fiancé Jamie move to sunny Crete. They've bought a dilapidated village house and, for a future income, intend developing an outbuilding for holiday rentals. After three months Jamie becomes homesick and decides to return to Chester. Charlie stays, spending the summer working on the house, making new friends and opens a combined bakery-cake shop in the village. This all sounded very attractive and achievable particularly as I was reading during cold wet weather.

Deducting points. Described as 'laugh-out-loud', no it wasn't, apart from the goat. Charlie and Jamie's plan was more of a sudden impulse than a longed for dream. Browsing the Internet one day, Charlie see a house that catches her eye, shows the advert to Jamie and suggests they move to the sunshine. A mere week later they fly to Crete, a favourite holiday destination of theirs, view the house and buy it. Returning to Chester, they put their flat on the market, it sells instantly, Charlie's cafe also sells straightaway. What Happens in Greece is a sweet romantic story viewed completely through rose tinted spectacles, fine, if that's all the reader wants. The author accentuates the positive without a single mention of countless delays, rules, red tape, permits and registrations required when moving to another country. If only it were that easy.

An abrupt end that I originally rated 2 stars, increased to 3 stars because Crete is described so enticingly, the island, the food and Charlie's neighbours, they were all wonderful.

This was my first time reading a book. By Sue Roberts but I now plan to read more. This was a fun read about Charlie who moves to Greece with her boyfriend to start a new life. Her boyfriend does not feel at home and leaves to move back to England. Charlie is brave and stays in Greece and makes plenty of new friends. The one thing that I wish was different was the ending was abrupt. I felt like I was left wanting more. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Jamie and Charlotte (Charlie) lived in Chester England. They are a long term couple who plan to marry once they buy a house. One of their favorite holiday spots is in Crete where it seems like the sun is always shining unlike rainy England. While she is checking the homes for sale in their town, Charlie looks at houses for sale in Crete and finds one that she knows they can afford. When she mentions moving to Jamie, he is all for the idea. When they look at the house, they fall in love with it. Despite the work that will need to be done, there is a large garden and an olive grove. They pack up and move to Crete and get to work. The people who live in their small town are all very friendly and go out of their way to help them. After several months of hard work the house is done and Jamie admits that he misses England and wants to return. Charlie knows that this home is where she belongs so he returns to England and she remains by herself. The friendly people in Chania make sure that she isn't lonely for too long and make her part of their town. Will Charlie be able to stay in Crete and make it her new 'forever' home or will she return to England and bury her dreams?

This is a book full of fun and friendship. There are also some laughs provided by Charlie's 'talks' with the goat the hangs around her house. Chania and the surrounding towns are well described - the sun drenched days and the beautiful trees and flowers make you feel like you're there. Charlie used to have a bakery in England and decides to open one in her new town. The food descriptions are wonderful and you can almost smell the bread baking.

This was a fun book to read. Charlie was brave to decide to stay in her new 'forever' home when Jamie left and make a life for herself. I think for the first time she realizes that she can handle life on her own -- along with a little help from her friends.

This is my first book by this author and I see that she's written other books about Greece and Italy that look interesting so I plan to give them a try. I need some mental vacations after several years of being stuck at home. In my opinion, this book would be a perfect read while you are laying in the sun at the beach and want something light to read.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review.

Sue Roberts has written a great book that feels like it takes us on a holiday to Greece. Lots of fabulous descriptions of places, food and interesting people. I love how Charlie makes a life for herself meeting new friends, starting a business and never giving up. A great holiday read that makes you want to book a plane ticket to Greece

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved the concept and story line of this book. I found myself flying through this book, however I kept waiting for a twist, turn, or anything to keep me interested and excited. Charlottes character was loveable but so was Jamie's and them splitting up and remaining such good friends seems a bit too "fairytale" to be realistic. When I finally reached the ending, I wanted to much more of the story line for closure but felt it abruptly ended after the long build up.

Overall I did enjoy this book, and Sue Roberts really caught my interest to want to read the next chapters of Charlottes life.

Excuse me while I go pack…

…because WHAT HAPPENS IN GREECE by Sue Roberts has me craving to head right for a tiny village in Greece.

So you know the meme of the little dog in the burning room saying “this is fine”? Sue Roberts’ main charter in What Happens in Greece, Charlotte, is that dog.

Feeling stagnant in her life in England, Charlotte decides to sell her cafe, pack up everything she owns, and move to Greece with her fiancé Jaime. (Still waiting for the burning room moment? Don’t worry, it’s coming.) Together they buy a fixer-upper that with a little love and elbow grease seems like it will one day be their dream home. That is until Jaime decides he’s changed his mind and this isn’t for him. Now with an ex-fiancé headed back to England, a pesky goat with no sense of privacy, and a questionable water spot on the ceiling that she keeps meaning to have looked at, Charlotte must navigate her way through this next chapter in her life. Will she build the life she wants for herself and still find romance along the way?

There is only one way to find out!

Grab your favorite sun hat (make sure to watch out for the goats) and head outside to enjoy this comical and feel-good book when it is officially released on MAY 13TH!
By all means, pretend you are right there in Greece while reading - I know I did!

Thank you to both NetGalley and Bookouture for the chance to read a digital ARC!

This is my first Sue Roberts novel, and it was a fun, escapist story perfect for a beach read.

Charlotte (Charlie) and her boyfriend Jake live in a small, expensive town in northern England. Jake hates his job as a mechanic and Charlie works all hours of the day and night to make a success of her café/bakery. Charlie and Jake are truly happy when they vacation in sunny Greece. After finding an affordable home in a village in Crete, they wonder if they can uproot their lives and make a go of it on the sunny, Mediterranean shores.

As they restore their fixer-upper and meet the friendly locals, Charlie sets down deep roots, while Jake questions if he’s made the right move. When Jake returns to the UK, Charlie must decide if she’ll stay and create a new life for herself on her new island home – and if she can open her heart to love once again.

This story was fun, and it was great to see the characters work out whether they are suited to move beyond the extended-holiday fantasy of living abroad. I enjoyed following Charlie as she works to construct her new Greek life, meeting locals and setting up a café. I would have liked to see a bit more tension. It’s not realistic that every local in this tiny hamlet speaks perfect English, meaning Charlie doesn’t need to learn more than hello in Greek to lead an active social life. Likewise, the miraculous dearth of red tape, permits and regulations in setting up a local Greek business required a major suspension of disbelief. Although I do think these tensions would have added to the story and to Charlie’s journey, it’s still a fun women’s fiction/romance summer read, with great Greek descriptions.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this novel, in exchange for an honest review.

Sue Roberts new novel What Happens in Greece is fabulous. We are transported to the beautiful Greek island of Crete as Charlie and her fiancé Jamie buy a run down cottage and begin their new life over there. But after a few months it seems like their shared dream is no more as Jamie runs back to England leaving Charlotte to manage the renovations herself. She’s determined to make this work and sinks all her energy into her new life with the aid of a local restaurant owner.

I devoured this book in hours. You are instantly transported to the sun, blue skies and Sandy beaches of Greece. With exquisite descriptions of scenery and mouth watering Greek delicacies and cakes you feel as though you are there. Great characters and a story that unfolds with each chapter will keep you entertained with each turn of the page. Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the chance to review.

What a delightful story!
I always love reading Sue's books when she talks about Greece as she describes them perfectly. The place, the smells, the food and everything else. I am a huge fan of Greece and holiday there every year and reading these books take me right back to the places I have been.
The story was lovely and I really liked the friendships that were formed. I think my only criticism is the book seemed to jump in places. One sentence she was at the airport waiting to board the then next sentence she was in Greece waking up in bed... this is just an example but I felt there could have easily been another 20 pages if these bits were not skimmed over.
Basically my only issue was the book wasn't long enough is what I'm saying!!
Thank you Sue and Bookouture and netgalley for the chance to read this book for my honest opinion.

Unfortunately, the cons outweigh the pros here as much as I tried to see the best in the book.
✅ The descriptions of scenery, food, drink, smells, and tastes were fantastic and are where the stars for this review are given. I loved how well Roberts set the scene and I could place myself at a bar or bakery in Greece so easily from her descriptions.
✅ Also, can I just say…THAT COVER! 😍
✅ OMG, and finally a character who isn’t loaded with money and is conscious of spending! I get tired of the ‘lots of money make a great story’ staple.

Here’s where things go downhill for me….
❌ The description of the book’s plot says that Charlie’s (ex)-fiancé leaves their life in Greece to go back home. This didn’t happen until 40% of the way through the book. That isn’t a rough estimate either as I read this on my kindle which gives a completion percentage at the bottom.
❌ Speaking of ‘returning home’, when her ex asks when she’s coming back home, she responds with ‘This is my home’, but whenever she’s chatting with family or friends she says ‘How are things back home?’ 🤔
Also, when Darius, the cute restaurant owner, makes a comment about Charlie hanging out with different men, she gets really pissed, but he’s seen with a girl once outside of work, and Charlie accuses him of being a ‘playboy’. These examples made me dislike Charlie as it seemed like a double standard.
❌ The interactions between characters seemed mostly forced and unnatural. The conversations Charlie had with her fiancé specifically seemed too proper and boring.
❌ Overall, the storyline and interactions left me feeling bored as nothing really seemed to happen throughout the book. I kept waiting for excitement that just never came.

I believe this book had immense potential, and if you don’t care much about a storyline and want to read a book based on the pretty and flowery writing, this could be a great book for you. To me, the storyline matters the most and that needs to be strong for me to thoroughly enjoy it. Unfortunately, I was incredibly underwhelmed. However, I’ve seen some good reviews for this book as well, so feel free to check it out for yourself! 😊

A big thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this book, however the e nding was very abrupt which was very disappointing as i really like Sue Roberts books.

I think this is the fourth or fifth book I have read of Sue Roberts, which nearly all her books are based in Greece. And this was such a heartwarming tale.

Charlie always dreamed of moving to the sunny place of Crete leaving behind Chester, with her fiance, Jamie. Jamie seemed to be following Charlie's dreaming but when they finally came to Crete, Jamie had second thoughts, broke up with Charlie and moved back to England. Now Charlie, although heartbroken decides not to give up her dream by opening a bakery shop with another Greek person and then develops a close bond with a handsome man named Darius.

Everytime I read Sue Robert's books, I feel like I am immersed into the Greek islands and feel like I am in Greece living with the Greek community and enjoying the sunny life, even though I have never been to Greece. The story is mainly told from Charlie's perspective and I actually enjoyed reading the story--I admired her courage and determination, not to let her heartbreak ruin her dream. I do like Charlie's relationship with her friends and Milly her sister. Overall, I actually enjoyed reading this book, and the author has done a good job of drawing the reader into the story, making the reader feel like they are a part of the story.

If you like a good romance book with Greece as the setting, this book is one for you--worth four stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

This sucked me in from the beginning. I 100% am in love with this book and the story line. You won’t be disappointed by the characters and their growth either! The world building created a space that made me feel like I was watching a movie. It’s so cute and all around a good book! Will be recommending this to so many people

Thought this book was ridiculously slow, got to 40% and nearly gave up. It felt out dated (who has nuts on a plane now with all the allergies) far too much focus on food. Sorry wouldn't recommend

A just great feel good book. Read in an evening . Set mainly I. Greece. Did not see the unexpected twist with Jamie. You have to have courage to follow your dream.. An ace read . Loved it

Another really well written highly.wnjoyabkr she Roberts book. Another lovely romantic book. As always my favourite part is the descriptions as they always make you feel like you ate part og the drama and in the gorgeous setting.

This was another perfect escapism read from this author and makes you feel like you are actually there in Greece with the magical imagery that is described you can almost smell the air and taste the food while reading.

I have devoured this book in a day as was such an easy read that draws the reader in. This was more than just a romantic read and was a journey of self discovery and following your dreams and how if you really want to achieve something then anything is possible and that sometimes you just have to take the bull by the horns or in the case of this story maybe a goat by the horns would be more appropriate and just go for it.

I would love a sequel to this book to see where the next part of charlottes journey takes her.

Author Sue Roberts really captures the essence of Crete in this feel-good summer read!

What a great premise - trading rainy, predictable life in Chester for a life of adventure in sun-drenched Crete! I’d love to be able to drop everything and move on a whim. The ‘forever home’ in Chania sounded idyllic; wildflowers, herbs, lemon and olive trees! Not only that but also great neighbours and a fantastic community! I loved Charlotte; she was a thoughtful, take-charge woman who took realizing her dream into her own hands and didn’t let anything or anyone hold her back. Go, girl.

Roberts capably explores the notion that ‘home’ is a place where you feel you truly belong and that finding yourself sometimes means getting rid of anything that has the potential to hold you back or slow you down. I loved that when one door closed, another opened.

Readers will love the food references, the Greek hospitality, and the laugh-out-loud moments!

I was gifted this advance copy by Sue Roberts, Bookouture, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.