Oh. My. Goodness. I cannot believe this is my first Sue Roberts book. It will not be my last.

This book speaks to the very fantasy I have of moving to my favorite vacation destination and making a life there. The locals working together, falling for someone …. Never needing a vacation from my real life.

I delighted in the interpersonal relationships in this story and am thankful for the ARC from NetGalley and Dreamscape Media. Looking forward to traveling to Greece with Ms Roberts again soon!

An eye catching cover, and a story that doesn't quite live up to it...

In this charming tale, Charlie lives out her dream by buying a cottage in Crete that needs a lot of renovation. Charlie and Jamie leave their lives in England where Charlie owns her own bakery and buy a fixer upper in Crete. Once there, they meet several characters who help them do many of their renovations on their cottage so that they can turn it into an Air B-n-B. After several weeks, Jamie expresses that he misses his home (in England) and is going to move back. Charlie lets him go because she wants to open her own bakery and live her life to the fullest in Greece. Charlie meets several charming locals, including Darius, a handsome restaurant owner. She eventually finds herself having to choose between these two men...of course.

I had such high hopes for this book based on the cover and the description, but it sadly did not live up to it. The book was advertised as "laugh out loud", which I don't recall laughing once during the whole book. I was kindly gifted the audiobook by NetGalley and Dreamscape Media. The narrator was pretty good, but sometimes the accent made it hard to understand what was being said and I had to constantly rewind to understand. The storyline kind of fell flat for me, and I feel as if the characters were not as relatable as hoped and did not have great development.

I did enjoy the descriptions of the beautiful setting as it helped me to perfectly picture a Greek Island with all of the charming locals. I also loved the main character Charlie, and her ability to speak comfortable with the other characters as well as her baking skills.

I'm giving this book 3 stars because although it was definitely not my favorite, it was still a pretty good book with potential for more.

Who doesn't dream of moving to a beautiful beach town and starting over? This was such a lighthearted story with just the right amount of drama to keep you guessing a little. It's about finding where you belong, even if it requires picking up and changing your scenery. I loved how easily Charlotte found her place in Crete; it's where she was meant to be. The setting and the characters are described so well that they really come to life. Highly recommended for a great beach read or for those who are thinking of making a change of their own.

Jamie and Charlotte have been looking to find a house in Chester, but they end up finding their dream home in Greece and decide to go for it. They want to fix it up and rent out the annex as an airbnb style place to vacationers. When they get there, Charlotte feels right at home befriending the locals and fitting right in while Jamie struggles to find his place. After a few weeks, Jamie decides that Greece is not for him and that he wants to move back to Chester. At first, Charlotte is heartbroken, but as she moves on, she is fully invested in getting the house the way she wants it and she ends up on a few date with Darius, the local restaurant owner she met when she moved.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for providing me with a free audio edition of this title in exchange for my review.

Romance type books aren't my usual choice for a read - or listen - but I have been trying out a few and have enjoyed the escape they can bring. The description for this book sounded wonderful and fun, so I was very excited to be granted a copy. The book was a fun listen, but not really what I had hoped for.

Even though I don't read a lot of this genre, I still felt that the whole 'run away to Greece and have an endless summer vacation will solve everything' is a bit overdone. In thinking back on this book, I can't really separate details from this book with those from other similar ones. Also, as this is an audiobook review, I wanted to note that the narration was a bit off, especially for the Greek accented characters.

It was refreshing to read a character who didn't have an endless income and was more aware of situations, but at the same time, Charlie seemed to go for double standards a bit too much.

Overall, this was an ok listen for me. I was a bit disappointed, and I'm not sure if I would try this author again when I'm looking for something light and fun. Or maybe I just need to look for different settings and skip the Greek books.

2 stars for 'it was ok, but I didn't really LIKE it' - regular romance readers may find it much more enjoyable.

I really really enjoyed this audiobook: WHAT HAPPENS IN GREECE, by Sue Roberts, narrated by Esther Wane.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

First I have to say that Esther Wane did an awesome job of narrating this audiobook. It kept me entertained for the past 3 days as I walked and drove.

Lovely story set in Crete. A young British couple, Charlotte and Jamie, decide to leave Chester and move to Crete where they buy an old farmhouse. Soon after starting this renovating project, Jamie doesn’t feel like Greece is the place for him. Charlotte is then faced with having to do this project on her own with local workers.

Since she sold her business, a coffee shop in the UK, she has to find work in Crete to provide for herself and decides to start a similar business as the one she left behind.

Along the way, she meets an interesting and colourful cast of people that will make her life interesting. To find out more about What Happens in Greece, just pick up a copy of the book or of the audiobook.

I must admit it was the cover that first caught my eye. The style and bright colors screamed rom-com to me. Then I read the blurb and the premise did seem to lend itself to a good rom-com. The blurb even mentioned it being laugh-out-loud. Sadly, that wasn’t my experience. I was expecting some craziness when our heroine first encounters the goat…but nothing ever came of that. The truth is almost nothing major happens in this book. There is almost no conflict at all. Everything is wonderful, the food is best wherever she goes. The people are all completely welcoming and life is spectacular for everyone. Even the breakup with her fiancé that is mentioned in the blurb seems almost like an afterthought. There are no hard feelings between Charlie and her fiancé. She barely seems upset at all. Heck, it also doesn’t even happen until almost the halfway point of the book. While the descriptions of Greece sound wonderful and make me want to travel there, the story just didn’t grab me nor did I really connect with any of the characters. I don’t know how I’d categorize this book. It didn’t feel like a comedy or a romance…just a slice of Charlie’s life where despite the breakup with her fiancé nothing truly bad happens nor does she overcome any real hurdles. I did enjoy Esther Wane’s narration quite a bit. Definitely the best part of the audiobook, but then I’m a sucker for accents, lol. 2.5 stars rounded up. Thanks so much to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for allowing me to listen and review an advanced audio copy of What Happens in Greece.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R2NY1HU60HG6Q/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

I really enjoyed the very mellow pace of this one. It's not the kind of romance that makes the heroine go through emotionally draining moments to get to her happy ending, just the bumps that one has to face as they go through life. It made for a nice change of pace.
Charlie and her fiance Jamie suddenly decide to buy a house in a small town in Greece and start a more peaceful life. But Jamie doesn't like living thousands of miles away from all he knows and they amicably decide to part ways, leaving Charlie to figure out how to make a life that's all about herself. It's a great story of making your way and finding your own happiness even when things don't go exactly as you planned it, and the very sedate pace of it makes for some very peaceful reading.
The narration by Esther Wane really brings the story to life with great accents and distinctive tone changes for every character, not to mention the emotional pitch that is perfect for every scene.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the romantic read!

Thank you, NetGalley, for letting me listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this book because the main character was strong and knew what she wanted. There is a romance, but it is more about Charlotte understanding what makes her happy and then going for it. What Happens in Greece is a great story for an escape from reality without any drama or misunderstandings that books like to put in. It is a friends-to-lovers trope book, but it is secondary to Charlotte's growth. Esther Wayne's narration is terrific. Her voice is perfectly suited for this book.

What Happens in Greece
By Sue Roberts

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

What a beautiful book. I've traveled to Greece and this book has given me the most wonderful nostalgia.
I can smell the air. I can feel the breeze. I can taste the food and drink (my husband still talks about Mythos the beer). I can feel the streets beneath my feet.

I love thar Charlie follows her dreams. With or without a man. With or without her families support. She's following her own path.

I also was delighted that even the "bad guys" in this story aren't bad guys. In a world set ablaze right now from all directions. It was a lovely surprise that all characters were allowed their own redemption.

Highly recommend.

I received an advanced copy. This is the first book I read of Sue Robert's. It was a uplifting story of following ones dreams and taking a chance and believing in herself. It was a good story.

What Happens in Greece by Sue Roberts

This is a happy clean fun romance. Charlotte buys a run down cottage in Greece with her boyfriend Jamie. He liked the idea at first and she bought the property. They moved to Greece will Jamie just never fit in like Charlotte did and promptly left and returned to England. Charlotte seems to find herself and watching her grow into her own self. She seemed to be living her dreams and fitting well within the community.

I really enjoyed this romance novel it was beautiful in the sense of watching Charlotte grow in her independence. Will Charlotte find love again after the love she thought she had with Jamie which they spent four years together. You need to read this fun sweet romance to find out about Charlotte and her future.

Esther Wane narrated this story and did a great job bringing the characters to this story to life. If you like simplistic clean romances this one is for you and I highly recommend it. This was a 4 star story for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for a free audio version of this book for an honest review.

3.5**
Cute typical small town romance except in the Greece and lightly romance focused.

This is cute. I liked following Charlotte as she explores and makes her new life. The romance is not as heavily focused which was not my expectation - mostly why the middle star rating. The side characters pretty much made the book for me.

Give this a go for a cozy summer read.

What Happens in Greece is a fun escape read that transports the reader to the gorgeous island of Crete. There are many descriptions of the food, atmosphere, and scenery that it was easy imagine yourself being a part of the story. The cover drew me to this story, and I am glad that I gave the audiobook a chance. The narrator did a great job bringing the story and characters to life.

The story begins in Chester where Charlotte (Charlie) comes up with the idea to pick up and move to Greece. She discusses the idea with her significant other, Jamie, who agrees that it would be a fun adventure. The two of them buy a fixer home on the island and are determined to renovate it and make it home; however, after a few months, Jamie no longer wants to be a permanent resident and wants to return to England. As Charlie wants to stay, the two of them part ways and Charlie is left to try and make Crete home.

Once Charlie is alone, she needs to navigate Crete by herself including attempting to open her own bakery. I enjoyed the contrast in how Charlie navigated the town between the time Jamie was there and when he was back in England. Even though he was not with her to explore all the time, there was a nice difference in how she did day to day things. Jamie’s “sudden” 180 from wanting to move to Crete and then changing his mind is very common as I know multiple people who felt the same. As for their relationship, I was incredibly surprised when the two of them did not break-up until almost halfway through the novel. The description of the story made it seem that it happens a lot sooner, so it was difficult to relate to the timeline and to Charlie’s feelings. As there are some further complications with a local love interest, a restaurant owner named Darius, it was difficult to fully connect to Charlie even considering Darius a possibility when almost half of the novel is taken up by her relationship with Jamie.

Overall, I loved the exploration of the concept of home throughout the story. I also greatly enjoyed the evolving relationships between Charlie, Jamie, Darius, and many other locals. The members of the community were all a joy to get to know and I loved how the author kept a distinct voice for each character. There were moments, especially between Jamie and Charlie where the word choices did not seem natural, but the general feeling came across to the reader. As the plot follows a similar path of many romances, there is some predictability; however, I still greatly enjoyed the escape read and would read more from the author in the future!

**I want to give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Dreamscape Media, for a review copy of this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

This was a cute pick-me-up, pallet cleanse kind of read. The story was fun, the characters were lovable (mainly the side characters), and the idea of packing up and moving to Greece was a dream come true! And it was completely closed-door romance and did not have any language at all, if I remember correctly.

I enjoyed watching Charlie's journey to make a new life for herself in Greece. It definitely took alot of courage (and money...like, I get she had a good bit saved, but how did she have THIS much money just lying around?) to pack up her whole life, sell her business, and move to Greece to renovate a house and start a new life, especially after Jamie peaces out (not a spoiler, it's in the synopsis).

Watching her rebuild and find herself in Crete was fun, and it really made me want to take a vacation to this place ASAP. The quaint little village, the super helpful and friendly neighbors, delicious food, random climbing goats, and the amazing weather? I'll be booking my ticket tomorrow, thank you.

My main issue with the book was that the conflict just came and went. Charlie and Jamie had been together 4 years and were engaged, but when they break up, it's just like...oh, okay then. It felt more like a breakup of people who'd been casually dating for a few months as opposed to people who truly loved each other and wanted to spend their lives together. And then the whole Jamie wants her back thing was just very lackluster. I was expecting alot more from that, and again, it just came and went. I wish we could have had more input on Charlie's feelings and how difficult it was for her to keep going after Jamie left. I think that would have added alot more to the story and would have really driven the narrative and her personal growth journey.

Her romance with Darius also just kind of came out of nowhere. We would get little bits of her feelings along the way and they would flirt with each other, but it wasn't a very good slow burn build up for me. I honestly had to go back and re-read the synopsis to even remember that Darius had been mentioned as a potential romantic partner because it all just seemed to fall out of the sky.

Overall, it's a cute read and I did enjoy it. The lack of properly fleshed out conflict/conflict resolution and slow burn romance didn't ruin the book for me, but I think with a little more detail and emotion shown, this easily could have been a 5-star read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this one!

If you like books that are basically about nothing, this is the book for you.

Pros:
Vivid descriptions of food


Cons:
Too many adjectives

What a nice and light story of taking a chance on something new. Perfect for summer beach reading.

Charlie owns a thriving bake shop and has enjoyed her life with fiance, Jamie, in England. When she happens upon a listing for a house in Greece, her and Jamie decide to take a look at it. They both fall in love with it and immediately put in an offer. After a few weeks though Jamie realizes that life there is not for him, so he hits it back to England.

Now on her own, with a crumbling house to maintain, and in the process of purchasing a bake shop, she seeks the help of local handyman, Darius. Darius happens to own a restaurant in their small town and apparently he's the cats meow. These two slowly form a connection, but can Charlie take a chance on love again?

I enjoyed Charlie as a character and the friendships she made along the way. The detailed description of the area makes me want to put Greece on my bucket list. When I need an easy peasy, light on the romance, read, I'll be sure to look out for Sue's books.

Esther Wane's voice was lovely to listen to for 7 hours and 24 minutes.

This one was okay, not spectacular, but okay. Jamie and Charlotte (Charlie) both decide to leave the UK and move to Crete. Fixing up a farmhouse with an annex they can rent is their dream, or at least it was what Charlie thought until she is watching Jamie pack his things and leave to go back to the UK. She decides to stay and being a cake maker she opens a bakery. She is thriving in this small community and soon finds a new love. This was not so much a romance as a women's fiction. Great scenery and food telling.

I really, really enjoyed listening to this audiobook! It was romantic, and it hooked me from the very beginning!

I thought this story was cute. It was about finding yourself and following your heart and your happiness, even if it causes heartbreak. It was a little bit of a slow burn on the romance end, but I liked the ending.