Rebecca Raisin

Summer at the Santorini Booshop has all the hallmarks of the perfect summer read; a stunning location, quirky fun characters, fake dating, books, and dogs. The story is infused with humour on every page making it a lighthearted read. The romance was sweet and cute.
I've never heard of a book scout but that's Evie's job and it sounds like the perfect gig.
She goes to Santorini at the behest of her meddlesome mother and sister to help her grandmother who is having trouble paying the rent on her bookshop. Gran is a hoot. She's a colourful character with a zest for life and a penchant for getting married having recently walked down the aisle for the ninth time.
Gran is not very forthcoming with the truth surrounding her financial situation and the state of her recent marriage so there were a couple of twists along the way. Fake dating Georgios is more complicated than it sounds when real feelings begin to develop. I had an idea of how things would go with Evie and Georgios but it was a lot of fun to watch them find their happy ever after.… (més)

Evie has just been made redundant from her job as a book scout. When she hears that her grandmother has taken over a bookshop in Santorini and has problems with her landlord, Evie decides to visit her to see what the state of affairs is. Upon arrival Evie’s grandmother asks her to fake date the landlord’s son to stop him closing the bookshop but all is not as it at first seems!

This is a fun, entertaining and easy if somewhat predictable read. I loved the idea of the Bibliotherapy and Epeolatry, a bookshop and literary bar/club on the cliffs, and who wouldn’t love to rent-a-dog to cuddle whilst reading a good book in such an idyllic setting?! I thought Gran was a zany and quirky character - she could give Bluebeard a run for his money! 😱😄 However, I did find Evie a soupçon immature and irritating - she acted like a teenager sometimes. It’s a little far-fetched and slapstick for my tastes in parts but overall it’s an enjoyable and engaging read, just right for escaping from the rigours of every day life. Great for relaxing with in the Epeolatry whilst sipping one of its delicious literary cocktails! 🍸🍹. Bottoms Up! Hiccough.… (més)

Didn't love the start but the second half was much stronger. Absolutely love the way the romance line was handled. See the full review and more at MyBookJoy.com!

Recommended: sure
For a light read about love, self-discovery, and Paris, for a romance I can cheer for, for heartwarming characters who you can't help but smile at

Thoughts:
The beginning of this book didn't show itself to it's best advantage for me. Typically an MC, especially a female one, who feels insecure or unworthy is very tiring and frustrating to read. I shouldn't have been surprised to see that first half of the book mostly filled with self-derogatory remarks and pity and angst. I get that happens to everyone, but in books it's always amplified to a somewhat intolerable level.

If you can get past that, the second half picks up significantly once Sarah stops moaning about her life and starts living it. More threads of plot are woven in the latter half to bring in other characters we come to care about. They are made into more than just a background, but they are still fairly one-dimensional. The sparkle in the book is on the main couple and her closest friend or two.

I very much appreciated the way the romance of the MC was handled, and felt that it defied many of the norms we see in romance novels today. Particularly with established couples, there are tropes and cliches often embraced for them that Raisin cast away shamelessly in her novel. A little bit of defiance went a long way in making this one worth cheering for!

As with many romance stories, there were some moments in the plot that you just have to accept are a little too tidy and conveniently coincidental to be entirely realistic. Roll your eyes a little, let it go, and enjoy the development those moments bring.

Being set in Paris, it is unsurprisingly focused a lot on food and the people, as well as cultural quirks (like stores requiring introductions, secret bakeries, the lot of it!). Paris is one place I have never been, but this seemed to be a good view of it. It certainly lent credence to Sarah's musings and desires; I really can't imagine this having taken place anywhere else so effectively.… (més)