A Taste of Greek Summer by Mandy Baggot

This summer, on the Greek island of Corfu, sparks will fly as dreams come true…

Lydia Broom is living her second-best life. With her dreams of being a chef left in the dust she instead finds solace writing about the dishes she wished she created. When Lydia’s sent to Corfu on an assignment, she’s excited to see what culinary delights the island has to offer, but nothing seems to tickle her fancy – until she tastes the creations of local cook, Thanos Nicolaidis.

After one sizzling afternoon in the kitchen together, Lydia and Thanos both allow themselves to dream of the futures they desperately want. And as they grow closer, sharing secret ingredients and family recipes, Thanos begins to realise he has to show Lydia the parts of him he’s done so well to hide...

My Review

This book is about food, friendship, and finding yourself. This story contains a later-in-life romance, but it isn’t the story’s focus. The journey and self-revelations are more critical. Lydia and Thanos are random but captivating characters, each trying to find their purpose in life and what they love and live for. The Greek island backdrop is less about the destination and more about the culture. I truly enjoyed this read and the ending of the story.

This book begins in London with Lydia and her friend Caroline working while tasting a new restaurant. The ladies are comical in reviewing this fine establishment and its tiny amounts of food. Somehow Caroline finagles a work summer in Greece for the two of them.

We jump to Thanos, a chief in a greek restaurant. Thanos is the sole parent to his younger teenage brother, and while he has a good head on his shoulders, he doesn’t get to be creative in his job. 

This book is extraordinary as it jumps between the English lady travelers and the Greek chiefs pov. It is a journey of food and service on an island. But I’m not sure where this story is going. This book gets steamy as not just in the outdoor kitchen, it is also filled with life advice tucked into this beautiful journey they are on. Thanos and Lydia seem to speak the same language. Caroline is definitely endearing. 

As Lydia starts to be free of her past, enjoys life again, and even finds someone she likes, her past haunts her even in Greece on their fantastic trip. 

The brotherly bond in this book is sweet and encouraging. Caroline and Lydia are trying to save their jobs and the magazine they work for. Thanos is still trying to figure out his life and the balance of responsibility with his dreams and now love. The book gets steamy as this vacation romance ramps up, but real life intrudes on the romantic setting, and they choose to help each other. 

All things work out, and the epilogue of this story is very sweet. This book wasn’t what I expected for a summer romance story, but I enjoyed the read.

If you want to read A Taste of Greek Summer by Mandy Baggot, you can find this book on Amazon. As an Amazon Assocaite, I earn on qualifying purchases.

If you enjoyed reading this book, you may also enjoy books with these tags and categories Summer, Later in Life, and Greek.