Member Reviews
I always love a book that makes me feel like I have been on holiday and this one did just that.
The descriptions of Kos, the food, the beaches & the early morning yoga on the beach all added to the enjoyment of following Orla's time in Kos and is a super summer read.
The only one tiny criticism I might have is that I felt the ending was rushed but that may just have been because I wanted to carry on reading the story and didn't want it to end.
Take a Chance on Greece by Sue Roberts is a great, feel good summer read! The main characters mention that the best books make you want to visit the places the characters travel and this book achieves that 100%. Charming locations, enjoyable characters and a sweet romance make this an ideal book for lazy summer days. Take a chance on this book...you won't regret it! Thanks to @bookouture and @NetGalley for the ARC for my honest review.
I just read Take a chance on Greece by Sue Roberts
After successfully getting through brain surgery, Orla decides to get out and travel. Her trip to Greece spurred by the happy memories she had there as a child with her parents and the family secret she just discovered.
The cute B&B she finds herself in, is the epitome of Greek charm. The sun-kissed beaches and the drinks are flowing. The view from her balcony is amazing, especially when her neighbor is out writing on his…. Shame he is so serious!
Spending time with Georgio and living the Greek lifestyle, really suits Orla and she feels more than ready to approach the reason she is in Greece in the first place. As her feelings for Georgio grows, so does her confidence that she can be more than she ever knew possible and her whole future isn’t set in stone.
Such a sweet and touching story. The writing was lucid and never a dull moment. I did feel the relationship between Georgio and Orla seemed a little forced at times but over all, I enjoyed the build up between them.
I loved the location of the book. I always found Greece to be a beautiful place to be and the author did an excellent job of capturing the beauty and essence of the country.
It’s a great summer beach read, nothing overly complex in it but a solid read.
4 stars! Delightfully whimsical and a real down to earth feel good read! If you love a book that will make you smile and warm your heart, this is the book for you!
Thank you netgalley and Bookouture for my ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
I was so excited when I found out my first ARC to review would be about the Greek Isles! Thanks Bookouture for the opportunity!
After a medical scare, Orla leans even more into her wanderlust ways. Brief jaunts to a few nearby countries aren't enough, so she books herself a one way ticket to Greece. It's not just childhood nostalgia that influences her choice of destination; Orla has a secret that she feels called to investigate. Orla quickly makes herself at home at a quaint hotel in Kos and assembles quite a holiday crew: hotel owner Sophia and her son Theo, British friends Amy and Chloe, American couple Brady and Iris, Jack the pirate ship captain, and divorcee Rose. There is one person she can't seem to figure out: her neighbor, Georgios. Over the course of her week stay in Kos, Orla learns more about this mysterious man and more about what she wants from her own life. What will come from her time with Georgios and will she have the courage to face the secret she's carried from England to Greece?
This adorable, feel-good story will give you the happy ending you crave without any of the turmoil it usually takes to get there. It's a quick and easy read that gets better as the book goes on. As an added bonus, Roberts' descriptions of Orla's holiday fun will instantly transport you to the stunning Greek Isles.
PS - A quick note for US readers: a "vest" is a tank top. I spent the beginning of the book thinking everyone was walking around in literal button-down vests.
Reading this book felt like going on a trip to Greece and wandering around its islands. The descriptive texts were so vivid and alive that I felt I was Orla our heroine and lived everything through her eyes. She is a 30-year-old woman and her life has changed between night and day. After discovering that she is ill and getting her chance at life again she decides to shake up her life and travel and see the world. However, she discovers a secret letter at her father's house that makes her decide to go back to Greece the place she spent most of her vacations as a child.
There, we get to see Orla's adventures day by day living her life and exploring and of course, there is no holiday without a bit of romance and that's where our lovely moody writer Georgios comes. They develop great chemistry, share secrets, and he might be the one for her who knows??
This book was lovely and fast-paced. It had the feeling of adventure, romance, friendship, and self-discovery. It surely makes the perfect summer read and you don't want to miss it.
Such a cute book! Take a Chance on Greece by Sue Roberts was a lovely, sweet book. I had a good time reading the story, which kept me up late into the night!
I enjoyed Sue's last trip to Greece and I did with this one too.
The most enjoyable part of Sue Roberts' books for me has to be the descriptions. The food, the setting are described in wonderful detail and I go through the feeling of 'I feel like I'm there' and 'I want to go there' through every page.
I think I preferred the previous book in terms of being gripped and the drama of the story, but this was an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon.
Whilst I didn't feel like I connected with any particular characters, or really liked any of them, Orla's second chance did make me sad for her and I understood what Roberts was trying to achieve.
The story
Orla is having headaches and blurry vision but dismisses it thinking she has had too much screen time. When she collapses at work, doctors discover a brain tumour. After she recuperates, she decides to take time off work to travel to Greece, to Kos, where she spent several holidays as a child.
My thoughts
This story is written in the first person, which is not always my favourite. However, the details of Orla’s thoughts as she travels, meets up with new people and enjoys the sights in Greece, make for an entertaining read that I really enjoyed. The information flow is well balanced with Orla’s self doubts about her reluctance to “settle down”, and her discovery about a sibling she never knew about. Throw some handsome, single men into the mix, and a spot of romance, this is a fun and easy read.
When Orla has a health scare, she realizes life is too short and decides that she wants to spend some time travelling. She has fond memories of visiting Greece as a child and chooses to head back there, while hoping to explore a secret she stumbles across while recovering.
Rest, relaxation, exploration, and good food are on the agenda with some romance as well.
This was a great summer read! I was left wanting to visit Greece again with a stop in Kos.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read an ARC of this novel. #NetGalley #Bookouture #TakeaChanceonGreece
Looking for travel writing? You've found it!🏖
3-3.5🌟 stars
This book is full of the day by day tourist exploits of Brit Orla and the fellow travelers she meets during a sunny trip to the Greek Islands. Lots of detail of the food, sights and activities. For me, too focused on that and not enough on an interesting storyline apart from the travel experience.
I was a bit disappointed in the female lead. Orla has a second purpose for her Greek vacation but she procrastinates and fills her days and nights with anything but, so it seems like she's even forgotten! I just kept waiting for her to get the task done and I started skipping pages of descriptions of monastery visits, meals under the stars and that one more drink at a cafe or bar. Then the big moment almost seemed a brief non-event and the romantic part of the tale whizzed from 0 to 60 in the blink of an eye👁.
Overall, I found this a fairly average read, with not enough romance or drama and too much focus on atmosphere. I've read much better by the author and would recommend A Very French Affair, Some Like It Greek and As Greek as It Gets. I can, however, see how this would appeal to an armchair traveler who longs to learn more about distant, sunny lands. Author Sue Roberts obviously knows her stuff and can paint an excellent description of the beauties of Greece.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.
Great read,I liked Orla and Georgios which always helps and loved the setting in Greece so fir me was a really good story,not really like most of the books I read but this was fine,more than fine as I was happy to be led by all things Greek and romance,a fab Summer read but can be enjoyed anytime and any season
And I challenge anyone not to sing ‘Take a chance on me/Greece’ whilst reading it
The cover art on Sue Roberts’ books are always so stunning and colorful! Orla has been through a major life crisis and decides to spend some time in Greece, where she meets a great group, including writer Georgios, who is absolutely gorgeous.
Orla flits from place to place, afraid to commit and Georgios has been burnt in love.
I can always count on Roberts to pen a light, airy romance in a surreal setting with a hunky man and a heroine who seems to always have plenty of money. Can I be one of her heroines???
Take a chance on reading this delightful story.
Great summer read and will make you want to plan a trip to Greece. I enjoyed seeing Orla's growth throughout the story. I was hoping for more romance but overall enjoyed it! Thank you for my copy!
I always enjoy books from Sue roberts and this one was no different. I’d been to Kos before so it was easy to imagine the descriptions of places so I felt I really connected to the hook.
The main character on the other hand was a bit harder to connect with in places. But overall I thought it was a light and easy read. Perfect for a summer holiday.
When Orla has a health scare at the age of 29 she decides it’s time to travel and re-evaluate her life. The story centres around her and the people she meets in a small hotel in Kos. This book is well written with interesting characters and beautiful scenery. It is a perfect read for the beach or garden this summer.
Loved this book. Love this author. She always has a way with words. Makes me want to be there. Involved in the plot. Lovely characters all thrown together very well. Idyllic setting. The book was once again very well written. The author done it again. Highly recommended
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.
Orla undergoes a serious operation, after which she wants to do more with her life, go travelling, to Kos, especially, as her family spent many happy times there.
Whilst living with her Dad to get better, she comes across a letter, and is shocked to know that a big secret has been kept from her. After she gets leave from her current employment, she goes to Kos, she loves her room, and her neighbour is Georgios, he’s an author, not that talkative. Unable to continue writing his book, makes him grumpy. She loves the other people she meets.
Orla wants to see as much as she can before she goes back home, as well as find the person who wrote the letter she read, she’s got the address written down, but left the letter where she found it, in case her Dad noticed it missing.
Reading this book felt like you was in Greece, reading on the beach, hear the sea, eating the Greek food, which when described, made my mouth water.
The author writes about real issues, and people, sensitively as well as providing escapism at the same time.
Nicely descriptive, really makes you feel like you are in Greece. Not the best book I have ever read, slightly predictable in parts. Lovely cover thank you netgalley for the advanced copy
Another great feel good book. By best selling author sue Roberts. Sue just has such an amazing way of writing which makes her books come across as really effortless to read and that takes alot of effort. I really liked the setting of this book and it really did transport me to a gloriously beautiful Greek island. The characters are fun and the storyline is engaging and well written.
This is like the fifth book I have been reading written by Sue Roberts and nearly all of her books are based in Greece. So this book is no exception.
This book is about Orla, after a health scare settles down in a Greek island putting a distance between herself and her own dysfunctional family. She meets handsome Greek man, Georgios, but when her dark secret is revealed, Georgios leaves her..but has Orla found her love?
In the good side, Sue's books always takes us to the places that we have never been--the vivid descriptions of the Greek islands and the beaches, the weather, the food, all makes the reader feel like they are in Greece with the character. The plot of the story was good and so is the writing and the characters, particularly the main character Orla was a favorable character. But on the bad side, unlike her previous books, this book didn't really click well with me. I found this book slightly boring but nonetheless, I kept reading this book till the end. I have to say, this wasn't her best book, compared to the other books that I have read of her. So worth only three stars.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.