Content Note: abusive parents

Dear Mary Ann Marlowe,

I was hooked by the blurb and intrigued by the heroine being the committment-phobe of the relationship. I do like a hero in pursuit.

Chelsea Abbott had a difficult home life growing up. Her father was abusive (mostly emotionally but there was some hitting and even more throwing things) to both her mother and herself. Her mother developed alcohol problems after her dad eventually left, and blamed Chelsea for the leaving. Her dad came back from time to time and her mother took him back but each time it got worse. Naturally, Chelsea has a lot of trauma about this. She’s been getting therapy and is self-aware but she does not wish to be emotionally vulnerable in a romantic relationship. She doesn’t believe that lasting love, caring love, really exists and if it does, she’s sure it’s not for her.

Chelsea loves to travel but there’s a large element of “running away” to this; her therapist has challenged her to be present and enjoy the here and now.

“Adventure is always right around the corner.” Instead of running away, she’d challenged me to live every day authentically.

Part of this is a list of things which are outside of her comfort zone. Her best friend, Elizabeth, is, in many ways the opposite of Chelsea so between the two of them, they come up with a list of things which would challenge each of them. They have a points system for each successfully completed challenge – the higher the points the better their next holiday and the further away they will travel. Each has collateral on the other; for Elizabeth is the manuscript of her first novel to be sent to a publisher for Chelsea is a letter her therapist had her write to her father. If one of them refuses a challenge, the other can send the manuscript/letter. Which means they never refuse a challenge.

As the book opens, Elizabeth is challenged to have a 100% bullshit conversation with a stranger she’d be DTF and Chelsea to have a 100% honest and authentic conversation with a stranger she’d be DTF. And the stranger she chooses is chef Basil Stavros. Bas is gorgeous and in the looks department he is entirely Chelsea’s catnip. However, he’s a local and the idea of hooking up with him is risky. Chelsea likes sex and has meaningless one-night stands regularly – preferably with someone she’s unlikely to see again.

After their deep and meaningful conversation, Bas is deeply smitten. His friend, Evan, calls Bas “Easy Lover” because he has a reputation of falling in and out of infatuation quickly. Will Chelsea be different? Will Chelsea give Bas something she’s never given anyone else before – a chance with her heart?

Bas is going through some things of his own around his career and pressure from his family to stick with something and succeed. Bas loves cooking but his current job as a chef behind the scenes at an organic market is unfulfilling. What he really likes it to see people enjoy his food. But roles at restaurants are hard to come by. The one he had before the market ended when the restaurant had to close due to the economy. Bas’s uncle in Greece has a restaurant and has offered for Bas to run it for him but Bas has been reluctant to even consider it. (It’s still not clear to me why.)

Chelsea, as it happens, loves the food at the market and via his cooking, Bas is able to find a way into Chelsea’s orbit.

The tension in the book and the entirety of the conflict is Chelsea’s fear of being hurt. It factored into the entire book. I admit I got a bit tired of the “will she or won’t she” – it just felt like it went on too long. There were times I wondered why Bas put up with it. Then Bas would do something stupid (like propose (!) to prove he’s serious about her) and my sympathies would shift. I felt for Chelsea’s trauma but she fell hard for Bas from the start. To push him away out of fear only brought the kind of heartbreak she wanted to avoid. Nobody really pointed that out to her either.

Chelsea realised the no-win situation Bas was in and, by extension, the no-win situation she was in in Chapter 9:

When he lost interest, he moved on. Why wouldn’t that apply to women, too? His casual answer reinforced my certainty that he’d leave me if I didn’t yeet him first. And if I let him charm me with his easy warmth, I’d be the fool with the broken heart.

On the other hand, what if I was wrong? Would he pass muster only if he showed he could pursue me until we were both dead? Wouldn’t that be the saddest of victories?

And wouldn’t it be stalkerish as hell if he promised to stick around through round after round of rejection? Shouldn’t I laud him for his self-respect?

What did I want from this poor guy?

Dear Chelsea: I had the same question. Unfortunately, this realisation did not lead to any decisive action until Chapter 21 and even then, it came from Basil. (I don’t count the proposal as “decisive action”.)

There were some choices in the book I didn’t understand – either in terms of authorial choice or character (the proposal!). At times they felt like a “something needs to happen here” prompt rather than organic to the story.

Evan and Elizabeth’s relationship took up a larger amount of real estate than I expected. This was unsatisfying because there was too much time taken from Bas and Chelsea and not enough given to Evan and Elizabeth. (Also Evan was a real jerk when he found out about the girls’ challenge list and made some wildly misogynistic assumptions and I don’t feel he groveled anywhere near enough. It was around this point that Chelsea also acted in an out-of-character way in her response which had me puzzled, given her – very reasonable – fear of loud angry men.)

There were some sentences/paragraphs were phrased in such a way I had to read them multiple times to get it. Maybe that’s on me.

“I can’t lie and say I don’t want a future with you, if that’s what you ultimately want, but you say you don’t, and I trust you mean it.”

Holding Out For A Gyro had promise but ultimately it was just okay for me.

Grade: C

Regards,
Kaetrin

If you love RomComs you need to add this to your TBR immediately! I read this book in less than 4 days which is very fast if you know me so you know Ivatevthis one up!!

There are non-stop dad jokes and it's the best!! I was laughing the whole time reading this book.

The list that Chelsea and her best friend Elizabeth had throughout the book was such a fun element! I loved this concept so much.

Chelsea and Bas had all the right tention between each other throughout. It made me want to throw my kindle across the room at times but for the right reasons. I COULD NOT put this book down besties!!

If you're a fellow food and love to laugh at punny jokes this book is for you!! 💙💙💙

The cover is gorgeous and it's what attracted me to the book in the first place.
I wanted to like the book so much more but I couldn't. Honestly, I didn't like the FMC.
Chelsea had had a very tough childhood and no child deserves that. That trauma carried into her adulthood and defined her whole life. The thing is she expected everyone to make sacrifices for her without her lifting a finger or giving anything up. That I couldn't get past. She expected him to be always at her back and call and to always love her but wasn't willing to give him the same courtesy. I know it was very hard for her to open up to people and let them in, and I understand that perfectly, but she really expected him to wait for her forever without giving him any kind of commitment. That's just messed up. The poor man loved her so much and she barely fed him crumbs.
Basil was not perfect too and maybe he was a little pushy sometimes but that man TRIED SO HARD for her. He did everything in their "relationship" and it just wasn't fair. She didn't appreciate that and when he finally found a job that brougt him joy, she expected him to give it up for her and return to Charlottesville and continue being stuck in a dead end job when she was the one who encourage him to take the job in Greece in the first place.
She elevated my opinion of her in the end a little bit by being the one who went after him for a change, I mean it was necessary. But still, I couldn't like her, she made it impossible for me.

This story was a lot of fun, but there were definitely things I didn't love about this book.

The Good:
1. I enjoyed this story. It was fun, and while it was very predictable, I did smile quite a few times while reading this.
2. The food descriptions. I walked away from this book craving some greek food.
3. The pacing. I never found myself bored during this read. The story was fast paced without rushing and I was able to read this book quickly as it really kept my interest.
4. The portrayal of trauma recovery. I feel like this was handled really way and I loved getting to go with Chelsea on her road to finding herself again.

What I didn't enjoy:
1. The side plot with Evan and Elizabeth. This relationship felt really forced. It was also weird to me that Chelsea and Bas were so involved in trying to force their friends together.
2. The side characters as a whole. The only characters that were fleshed out were the main couple of Chelsea and Bas. They would mention their friends and family, but these characters all fell flat for me. Bas brings us his roommate so many times but the reader knows nothing about this character. He mentions being close with his family, but we see them interact so little and all of their interactions feel forced.
3. I think I personally liked the idea of this book more than the execution of this book. I love the idea of a woman who is afraid of commitment finding love, but through this story she wasn't necessarily afraid of the commitment as much as she was afraid of labeling her commitment. I also was confused with Bas, because he is a guy that jumps into love too fast, but also has never been hurt which just didn't work.
4. The spice. I love spice in a romance book, but this book specifically had me wishing it would have been left out. It felt like the spice was added because the author felt they had to, so all of the spicy scenes felt somewhat forced (And not in like a dubcon kinda way). I found myself wanting the spice to end during spicy scenes and that has never happened to me while reading a romance book before.

I think there was a lot of potential for this story, but for me it just fell flat overall.

4 stars

I enjoyed reading this as a quick palette cleanser between crime books. Holding out for a gyro is a spicy rom-com following two best friends who have created a list to encourage them to get out of their comfort zone. I really enjoyed this concept and it was fun to see both girls do things that they would usually shy away from. This list then leads them to meeting the male main character (Basil) and his friend Evan. I liked both male characters and Basil’s love of dad jokes was funny for me as I think they are portrayed in a silly way and I find them entertaining.
It ends up being a dual love story as both the girls experience new love at the same time. Reading about strong girl friendships is something I enjoy so this was a good addition to the book.
Towards the end of the book the main girl Chelsea did start to annoy me as her attitude towards Basil and her lack of communication was frustrating to read. However, I do understand why it played out like that in the story so I can look past it.

Overall this is a summer vibes, spicy quick read that you should try !

🇬🇷ARC Review🇬🇷

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book (thanks to Entangled Publishing). All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book! Firstly, the title alone was so clever and cute. That got me right away. Using the “gyro” in place of hero was so cute.

I like how Chelsea was actively trying to work through things and go to therapy. She wasn’t an easy character to like but she had these points about her which showed effort and growth. I do agree with other reviews I’ve seen, however, that state the two main characters had no business being together until they have worked on themselves. Personal growth before growth with a partner.

Loved the whole big Greek family part of it! Reminds me of my own big Italian family. Though, yes, it can be a stereotype at times, it was done well and relatably.

I also enjoyed the concept of the two friends having this list of things to check off each year. I like that idea a lot! A way to get out of your comfort zone and experience things.

Overall, the writing was good, the story was cute. A good one but not a fave!

📚Holding Out for a Gyro by Mary Ann Marlowe: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 ~ 3.5 stars (3 on Goodreads)

3.5 stars rounded up!

This book was a blend of fun, wit, and heartfelt moments. This contemporary romance dives deeper than the typical light-hearted love story, tackling themes of fear, trauma, and personal growth in a way that feels both relatable and refreshing.

Chelsea and Bas are the main characters of this story. Watching Chelsea navigate her fears and trauma, and ultimately reclaim a life she truly desired, was lovely. Bas, stands out as the kind of partner we all hope for—patient, kind, and supportive. The dynamic between Chelsea and Bas was compelling, and I enjoyed seeing how they developed both as individuals and as a couple.

That said, the miscommunication between Chelsea and Bas occasionally became a bit frustrating, as it felt like it could have been resolved more easily. However, I was relieved that they eventually managed to work through their issues and come to a deeper understanding of each other.

Overall, "Holding Out for a Gyro" is an enjoyable read with a good balance of humor and emotion. While it has its minor flaws, the book's strengths lie in its characters' growth and the genuine connection between them. If you're looking for a romance with depth and a touch of fun, this book is worth checking out.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Entangled Publishing, LLC and the author for providing me with an eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review. <3

Chelsea and her best friend Elizabeth are always pushing each other outside their comfort zones, checking fun things off on lists like taking a hike, or talking to a stranger. They’re out in a bar together one night and meet two men and decide to check another off the list. Elizabeth has to fabricate everything she says and Chelsea has to speak only the truth. When a fun night out turns into the possibility of a relationship, Chelsea puts on the breaks. She doesn’t do relationships and she’s very upfront with Basil. He, however, is very persistent and struggles to overcome all of her objections.

I so wanted to like these characters more than I did. Chelsea had an interesting but pretty dark back story and her path to happiness led through her needing to overcome all of her insecurities. Basil was an open book but for some reason he found something in Chelsea that he wanted to shine a light on and love. Both things that aren’t unusual in a romance novel but it was the length of time (literally to the end of the book) that it took for them to work things out was exhausting for me. The cover and title which are so cute and fun, kind of misled me into thinking the story would be light-hearted and funny- it just wasn’t that book for me. I love this author and her other books, but I just didn’t click with these characters.

A woman who avoids love at all costs decides to take a risk one night. She bares her soul to a stranger with dark, mischievous eyes, admitting her fear of commitment and belief in mind-blowing sex over soul mates. Instead of being scared off, the charming Greek man is intrigued, making her want more than just a fleeting connection.

What was meant to be a one-time encounter turns complicated when she discovers he's the talented chef at her favorite restaurant—the one who's been keeping her satisfied for months. While he seems like the perfect hero, she fears she might be the perfect villain when it comes to romance.

Okay, this review was hard for me to write because I don't have strong impressions of this book. The book initially seemed very appealing, interesting, and like it would be fun, but honestly, it disappointed me. From the very beginning, it was difficult for me to read. Chelsea has relatable childhood traumas, but in some scenes, it doesn't make sense at all. I appreciate the focus on therapy and self-growth. At times, Bas seems like a very sweet character, but of course, he has his flaws. Considering Chelsea's traumas and Bas's flaws, they don't mix well, and it ends up being really strange, especially with the miscommunication trope involved. I wouldn't say I can recommend this book. It definitely has some fun parts, a great portrayal of friendship, trauma, a yearly friends challenge checklist...

Book Review: Holding Out For A Gyro

Holding Out For A Gyro has its strengths, particularly in the friendship between Chelsea and Elizabeth, which is engaging and relatable. Their adventure to push beyond their comfort zones adds a fun element to the story.

However, the romance between Chelsea and Bas falls short. While their physical chemistry is clear, the characterization of Bas as a man whose good looks ruin his life feels unconvincing. Chelsea’s trauma, while an important theme, dominates the narrative to the point where her character comes off as selfish and immature. This imbalance makes it difficult to invest in their relationship.

The story attempts to tackle themes of healing and self-discovery, but the rushed ending and unresolved issues, particularly between Chelsea and her parents, leave much to be desired.

Overall, this book is a decent choice for a light, quick read, but it lacks the depth needed to make a lasting impact.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing, LLC and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

En bref, si les personnages sont sympathiques et nous donnent le sourire, je n'ai pas totalement réussi à m'attacher à eux, du moins à Chelsea. Bas est plus touchant et on a envie de le voir réussir et j'avoue, j'ai apprécié la manière dont elle le pousse vers l'avant. Elle est persuadée qu'elle ne vivra jamais de romance, n'en veut pas d'ailleurs sauf qu'il va bousculer toutes ses certitudes. Les événements sont parfois un peu mou et je ne me suis pas sentie totalement concernée par leurs hauts et leurs bas mais j'ai apprécié que l'autrice choisisse ce sens-là dans leur romance d'autant que c'est assez bien fait. Le final est mignon et on les quitte tout de même avec le sourire.

2.5 -⭐⭐💫

“Go home, Bas. I’m going to break your heart.”
He laughed. “You already broke my heart. Now you’re asking me to choose between one heartbreak or another. I’m trying to figure out how to mend it. And yours as well.”

Holding Out For A Gyro is a standalone contemporary romance following Chelsea and Basil. Chelsea, having had a traumatic childhood at the hands of an abusive father and despondent mother, struggles to accept relationships. As part of her therapy, she and her best friend challenge each other to dares that will get each out of their comfort zone. One evening. Chelsea is dared to bare her soul to a random stranger and she finds herself speaking to Basil, a Greek American and amazing chef, who is immediately drawn to her. After a one night fling Chelsea is convinced nothing more will come of it but when Basil returns to ask for more she is faced with the challenge...let go of her fear and embrace this chance or to step away and remain safe behind her walls.

This book was one I struggled with.

Chelsea may be close to her thirties but appears to have barely unpacked the trauma left by her childhood. As a result she comes across as very aloof and aggressive at times as a defense mechanism. There are moments where you can see she wants Basil but fear of pain has her putting up this facade. My biggest struggle was knowing whether she was ready for this journey and thus willing to try or if Basil was pushing her. In contrast, her friendship with her best friend Elizabeth was incredibly beautiful and I loved seeing her have that support.

Basil on the surface is this very sweet and romantic character. He resonated with Chelsea and yearns to connect with her. He is willing to take whatever she is willing to give. He has a tendency to do things that can cause more harm but it often feels more under the guidance of negligence than ignorance. I think this had to do with the fact he also has struggles he is still working through that get hidden for a chunk of the novel. That said, I liked that he sought open communication with Chelsea to show he wanted to make things work.

This book does contain spice. I would say about 2 spicy peppers out of 5 spicy peppers. The spice does begin earlier on in the book - around the 15% mark. These characters have an attraction for each other but they aren't in a true relationship, more of a hook up that sparks a connection. I felt the spice was written well but I felt there was no romance in it because of the struggles in this relationship.

“When I first saw you, I thought you might be a physicist.”
She snorted. “That’s kind of random. Why did you think that?”
“Because of your gravitational pull.”

In terms of story, I struggled a lot not with the flow in the novel but just the decisions of the characters. I didn't connect with the choices and felt they were contradictory in nature. Chelsea came across as a character who hasn't fully recognized they are ready to move forward and so choices made by her and Basil lead to emotional strife that I felt was written on the wall (in a way where you could see that choice would cause that problem but they still did it). The book was easy to read and I was able to devour it in one sitting. The ending is sweet and cycled back to my expectations of this book, though some things felt unresolved (ie. Chelsea’s parents).

Overall, this is a surprisingly more angsty book than I expected. If you like characters trying to find themselves with a splash of casual relationships leading to more this may be for you!

Thank you to the publisher for this arc.

Holding Out for a Gyro has modern rom-com vibes with real-world truth interwoven into the plot. I’m not a love at first sight girlie and seeing how Chelsea and Bas figured their relationship out together was such a breath of fresh air. I loved the Greek mixed in with the English. It really made me feel like I understood how Chelsea felt in the moment not always knowing what lovely things he was saying. I do personally prefer single POV for romances, especially with a character like Chelsea who is working through themes of doubt and her own past traumas, but it added depth to Bas’ character that we might not have seen if we only got Chelsea’s lens. If you like a non-traditional romance plot and are open to multi-POV, this is a fun read!

ARC Review of Holding Out for a Gyro
* * * * *
A nice contemporary romance to slowly sink your teeth into and make your sleepy Sunday interesting! Big thank you to Netgalley!

Chelsea and her best mate have a list, and she's about to tick some stuff off of it. Starting with a 100% bull conversation with a strange...which surprisingly goes well.
Now Bas is part of her everyday as she goes through this list, and there is just some more fun to be had.

Not too hot or heavy. Nothing too spicy. It was just a mellow read. Not something I typically read to get me totally interested in a book, but it found me in a mood today.
It came with a great female friendship and some hot men to give these happy women some action. Love the introduction to Chelsea nd Eizabeth's Yearly Challenge, as well as a challenge at the beginning of every chapter, even when an original challenge has some alterations. Looked through it and even inspired me to try and start me own list.
For next year, of course.

What an adorable funny story! I'm so excited that I got to read this one! I laughed, cried, and then laughed some more. Bas is a delightful dream baked into a warm pastry, and Chelsea is a delight packed into a feisty dreamer!

This story offers a fun and heartfelt romantic comedy. Chelsea, wary of love, unexpectedly connects with Basil, a charming Greek chef, after baring her soul to him during a friend's challenge. Their chemistry sizzles, blending humor with moments of deep vulnerability as Chelsea confronts her past trauma. The story shines in its portrayal of friendship and the dual love stories of Chelsea and her best friend, Elizabeth. However, the pacing sometimes feels slow, and the characters can come across as one-dimensional. Despite this, it's a delightful read, perfect for romance fans with a dash of Greek flavor and a lot of heart.

4 ⭐
1 🌶️


At the encouragement of her therapist, Chelsea has made a bucket list of challenges, to help her stop giving into her “wanderlust” and running away. She and her best friend Elizabeth are slowly working their way through the list where completing each item gives them points they can use towards going on a big vacation. It is in service to this list that Chelsea and Elizabeth find themselves at the bar where they have a hilarious meet cute with Bas and Evan.


I devoured this book- it was such a cute, fun read. The dad jokes were perfection. Along with that, Chelsea and Bas are like two sides of the same coin struggling with their inner demons, and I really enjoyed how Bas struggles with straddling two cultures and how he comes to terms with who he is.


Definitely recommend this book

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was phenomenal , an epic rom com. If this book was a movie I would never stop watching it. It dealt with so many difficult subjects but in a very mature way. The romance was over the top! Both characters, Chelsea and Basil, had a lot of character development during the entirety of the book.By reading the summary I didn't think this book would go so in depth about all the difficult subjects that everyone deals with like finding the perfect job for you, following your dreams, overcoming the past and becoming a better version of yourself. But apart from the romance we also saw the two best friends of the characters get together, though I wish we got a bit more about them as well. I hope there will be another new book about them. It would be so much fun to read more about all of these characters. I have to admit that the fact that I am also Greek probably made me enjoy this book even more. I loved the talk about all the different greek foods but also the struggle with having a greek family.The cooking aspect was very interesting and I liked how it brought them closer to each other. The only problem I had with this book was kind of the third act break up. Overall the book is a 4.75 star read but i will round it up to 5.

Very cute cover, the title had me reminiscing about an 80's song. Where to begin? This book was all over the place for me emotionally. I was angry, frustrated, sad, dumbfounded, blushing, giggling, and yelling. Chelsea is imaginative, sarcastic, smart, loyal and yet she's closed off, full of doubt and self sabotaging. Bas is confident, passionate, flirtatious, respectful and unfulfilled. They come from extremely different family backgrounds. This fact seems to cause a lot of the issues they have to work through. I thought they were great for each other, like pieces to a puzzle, they just fit. There was a lot of character growth for both of them, separately and together. The side characters were also well developed. I will definitely read more from this author.

The story of Basil and Chelsea, who meet on a night out. They are opposites in what they are looking for in terms of a relationship, but will this keep them apart? I liked how it was told from both points of view.