Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. An interesting novel by a new author in my personal reading-sphere! I am sure others would enjoy it too. Good character portrayls, descriptive setting and gripping plot.

This was a really cute and sweet read. I didn’t particularly warm to Simon, Zoe seemed to just like him due to nostalgia and I couldn’t fully understand the current attraction. But I’m sure that happens in real life.
It started off witty and with a laugh out loud moment, I just wish that tone had carried on a bit more.

Full of humour, loads of music references, two utterly gorgeous guys, and all manner of diva rock stars, this is one hell of a story.

There is plenty going on at all times, various sub plots, and for me the biggest storylines are will Zoe get the interview with the reclusive star she idolises that will save the magazine she is the editor of. And will Zoe decide that Simon or Nick is the actual love of her life - they both have their good points!

I loved that Zoe was Greek, her brother is getting married and there are references all over the place to My Big Fat Greek Wedding. I enjoyed Zoe getting to know her sister in-law better, and also the other key women of the wedding party, for a few really fun gatherings. Who knew ukuleles could be so much fun, or easy to play.

Zoe and Simon have known each other for ages, they are even both official members of the same fan club. I loved that element to the story, it kept cropping up and making me smile!

There is a whole host of emotions experienced as you read this story, and there are few tougher issues touched on, delicately.

A really enjoyable and impressive debut novel.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily,

The perfect read for anyone who loves a good boyband or a cheesy classic. If you have ever made or wanted a mix tape from a potential love interest this book is so for you. Full of humour heart and both of the types of boys you want to swoon over.

This book was a brilliant read and one that is perfect to escape for a few hours and loose yourself.
Characters that fall out of the pages of the book and make you fell apart of the story.
A great read. that I would highly recommend.

This was such a warm & engrossing read. Perfect company for a wet & windy weekend. Loved Zoe the main character & enjoyed the premise of the book. Overall a great debut

Really enjoyable read. Good characters and a Good story. Well worth a read. Think others will enjoy.

I was really looking forward to reading this but sadly, although I was selected to review this title, it is now listed as archived and I am unable to upload it to my Kindle.

Zoe is a music journalist and editor for a cool magazine Re - Sound. It may not be the best paying job, but she loves it and it gives her the opportunity to meet new, interesting and creative people. When Zoe was 13 years old, she fell in love with her best friend, Simon Baxter but she never told him what she feels. Now, in her thirties, her job is her life but then Simon comes back from the States, separated from his wife, so maybe now is the time for them?
In the meantime, the things at work are not running smoothly and the magazine may be closed down. The only salvage is an interview with someone special, and Zoe knows who that can be - her favourite music artist, Marcie Tyler, bit will she manage to get this interview? Namely, Marcie's publicist Nick and Zoe are not the best friends.

The characters were developed well enough, although more than often I couldn't understand their actions. The romance aspect was, I don't know, somehow cold and not so heart - warming, I couldn't warm to Simon at all and I really couldn't see what Zoe sees in him - he was arrogant and, in my eyes, he used Zoe and took her for granted. Sure, they have a past and memories but as soon as they were together it all felt so unnatural for me. Actually, now I think about it, Zoe around men felt unnatural, she was also so tense around Nick and well, it spoiled the whole picture, made the reading difficult. Nevertheless, I still think that Zoe was the strongest link in this book. She is an interesting, complex character with fiery personality, who is passionate about her work and music, and I loved how the fate of the magazine was so important to her, and how much she cared about her co - workers. She is friendly and full of heart, so no wonder that she's surrounded by friends, but she also can be stubborn and full of unexpected ideas when she wants something badly. What she doesn't have, is luck with her love life - still holding torch for her childhood friend and not seeing what is around her.

It was a great idea to use the song titles for the chapters, they fitted perfectly, and the focus on music business, how it really is being inside it, how the music PR works, showing that it's not only a bed full of roses, was a great idea. And the best parts of the book were for me the scenes about the big fat Greek wedding preparations and everything that regarded to it. Zoe's future sister - in - law Alice was lovely and I really liked how Zoe allowed herself to relax in her company.

Altogether, "Love Songs for Sceptics" was a nice debut novel that had it moments but, sadly, it missed the wow - effect for me. I wasn't completely engaged and couldn't warm to the characters as much as I like to. The beginning, when Zoe is asked by her brother to help him choose a song for the first dance at his upcoming wedding and she chooses Kiss's "Love's a Slap in the Face" was absolutely brilliant and I was hoping that the book is going to stay with this humorous, witty tone but unfortunately it didn't happen, it simply went downhill for me. I can't put my finger exactly on what went wrong, and I can see that the story is accumulating raving reviews, so simply try this book and decide for yourself.

A wonderful read, sweet, funny, romantic and wonderful characters. Wonderfully written, will keep you turning pages until you realise it’s over and it went too quick and you wished there was more, my favourite kind of read.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

This is one the best rom com I read in a long time.
It's a brilliant and unputdownable book that made me laugh and root for the characters.
It's well written, with a well thought and likeable cast of characters.
The plot is engrossing and entertaining and it kept me hooked turning pages as fast as I could. I love the Greek family and the description of the life in a music magazine as much as I loved Zoe, a fleshed out and interesting woman.
It's the first book I read by this author and I can't wait to read other books by her.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

This was such a great premise for a story. I love the idea of someone in the music industry having some sceptical love song choices-I actually really enjoys reading about an editor of a music magazine-a glimpse into that world was so fresh and full of entertainment.

Zoe was an interesting character to spend this novel with. She has a fiery personality and is passionately independent but she has a wonderful mix of friends and colleagues who all compliment her and are all fully developed and intriguing in their own right. I didn’t always agree with the choices that Zoe made and felt like I was often judge mental towards her but it really meant that you never knew what direction the story was going to take next.

Then there’s the romance in this novel, as if music industry gossip and a brothers wedding wasn’t enough. This novel features a love triangle situation that morphs into a variety of other shapes throughout the course of the book. I love this trope and really liked the way this author played with and manipulated it for her characters in this case. I could definitely feel the chemistry between the characters and was definitely willing the triangle to go in one direction way more than the others.

This story is structured around chapters with song titles and the chapters are a mixture of lengths, when you come across a short chapter you definitely find yourself wanting to read on and so go time and again for ‘one more chapter’ so it was definitely a fast-paced novel without lacking any depth that’s for sure. I enjoyed this read, it was interesting to read about a main character in a different field and the romantic aspect of it definitely kept me on my toes the whole way through!

Bravo! This is a very easy to read, and hilariously good book! Great characters and awesome storyline. Really enjoyable.

Love Songs for Sceptics is such an amazing book! From the more than likeable main character Zoe to her eclectic musical idol Marcie Tyler, the whole character cast is utterly brilliant. I started this book late one evening fully intending to only read the first chapter, but five chapters in, I still couldn't stop. The storyline is totally addictive and compelling.

I loved Zoe's and Simon's relationship and the way the author was able to deepen their friendship in such a natural way that the reader never got sick of them.

Love Songs for Sceptics is a fantastic debut filled to the brim with musical references and is such a beautifully and humorous take on falling in love with somebody you least expect to.

Zoe Frixos, music journalist, wants two things: finally getting together with Simon, her first love, and getting to interview elusive singer Marcie Tyler for her magazine. Zoe had been in love with Simon since she was thirteen. Now, he’s single and back for good in London so this may be their chance to be together, at last. If only his ex-girlfriend wasn’t so much present in his life…

Marcie Taylor is Zoe’s idol, but she’s been away from the music scene for the last ten years and she hasn’t given any interview. An article about her may be her chance to save her magazine, Re-sound, from being closed, even if that means having to spend much of her time with her annoying PR, Nick.

To say that I enjoyed this novel it’s saying too little. I loved it and I devoured in one day (luckily it was a Sunday or I would have had to take the day off!). Love Songs for Sceptics is funny, refreshing, and captivating and I really liked the characters. Zoe is a brilliant and well-developed heroine: she is determined, stubborn, witty, and very likable. I admired the strengths she would go to save her magazine and to help the people she loves and she made me laugh a lot. I also liked her colleagues Mike, Lucy, and Gavin, her brother Pete and her future sister-in-law Alice, and the sometime-irritating Nick.

Zoe is not the only protagonist of the story. The author’s deep knowledge of music is impressive and I loved how she weaves it through the story making it at the centre of the plot.

Love Songs for Sceptics is definitely a must-read for 2019 (the eBook is out next week) and 2020 (paperback is published in April) and I highly recommend it to all music and romance readers out there!

A nice romantic comedy. The characters were fun, and I liked the music magazine element. There were some really entertaining plot lines, and the whole thing had a feel good vibe. Perfect for a lazy sofa day.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for my copy of this book via Netgalley.

Our main character is Zoe. Zoe has grown up loving music. She lived for the next edition of her favourite music magazine. She also loved when Patrick would come to visit her parents' restaurant and she could get her fill of music. Now she's the editor of Re:Sound and desperately needs a big interview to stop it from sinking. Zoe is a fun character. She is full of energy but is also spunky. She's not going to let the magazine die. Not just for her but also for her staff.

Zoe has been in love with her best friend Simon since she was 13 and while it might seem like there's a spark there I think the universe is doing it's damnedest to show these two that actually they might not be right for each other. I wasn't a huge fan of Simon. I didn't like the way he treated Zoe. I thought he took her for granted.

I loved hearing all the greek traditions and I loved how Zoe's sister in law embraced it all too. It was really interesting to hear all about it.

I loved the chapter headings in this book. I loved that the song titles were matched to the theme of the chapters.

This is a heartwarming story that is about love. Not just love between a couple but the love between friends, family and work colleagues. The love of music and how it can evoke feelings and memories with just one song.

Christina does an excellent job with this debut and I can't wait to see her backlist grow.

For Zoe, Simon was always the one who got away. Now he is newly divorce and back in London will they have their chance? Or will Jess, his ex from uni get in the way?

When Zoe meets Nick things don't get off to a good start, and they continue to clash as she battles to save the magazine she works for.

A fun read!

I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump recently, but Love Songs for Sceptics brought me back to life.

I can honestly say it was a pleasure to read, from beginning to end. I loved all the characters, especially Zoe, the main character. I love the way she cares so much about the people she works with, and how they are her main concern when the magazine they work on is threatened with closure. A magazine, incidentally I would love to read!

Zoe is brilliant – I love her. She’s a strong woman with her head screwed on right, and has great relationships with everyone around her, except for when it comes to her love life. She’s been holding a torch for childhood friend Simon for years, so when he comes back into her life, she is ecstatic. But life, and love, is complicated…
I love the use of song titles for the Chapters, and the whole book was well-structured and brilliantly executed. It would be amazing to see this transferred to the big screen one day!

I loved it!

This is the perfect warm hearted pick me up read that revolves around the world of music and songs from Christina Pishiris. When Pete, Zoe Frixos's brother asks her for help in selecting the song for the first dance at his upcoming wedding, her choice of Kiss's Love's a Slap in the Face gives your a good idea of where she stands when it comes to romance and love. Now in her thirties, Zoe has the perfect job, she is the editor of Re-Sound, a hip and cool music magazine that has given her the opportunity to meet and know the stars and celebrities of pop and rock, and singer-songwriters. It may not be the best paying job she could get, but it feeds her heart and soul, and allows her to pay the rent for her London home. When she was 13 years old, she fell for her best friend, Simon Baxter, the boy next door, who spent more time in her family home than with his warring parents who go on to divorce. She never told him how she felt at the time, and soon after he returned to the US with his mother as his parents split.

She and Simon have kept in touch through the years with their Zak Scaramouche creation that forms the basis of the postcards they send to each other, bringing back memories of just how close the pair of them used to be. Simon's marriage has fallen apart and he is coming back to London to live and work. Zoe now has the perfect opportunity to get together with him, a chance she never expected to fall into her lap. The chemistry between them is undeniable, they care for each other and slot right back into each others lives with such ease it is as if the two had never been parted. However, when it comes to romance, the two just seem to be not connecting with each other in this realm. There are obstacles in the form of Simon's old university girlfriend, the singer Jess, and a PR man, Nick Jones, wants her to promote his of the moment boy band with its unsavoury Poundland Prince Charming of a lead singer. The music magazine is under threat, and Zoe desperately needs to get an interview with famous reclusive singer, Macie Tyler, her musical idol, to save the magazine and her work team that includes Mike, Lucy, Gavin and Rob.

Then there is the big fat Greek wedding preparations with Pete's marriage, the nights out with her sister in law Alice and her friends, teaching them how to dance, hen nights and more. Zoe faces a tough up hill challenge when it comes to romance, only to find life takes her along surprising and unexpected paths. One of the greatest joys of reading this book is how Pishiris weaves music and songs throughout the story, with appropriate song titles for chapter headings, and the focus on the music business, music media and PR channels, and with singers and bands that form part of the narrative. This is a fabulously fun, lighthearted, comic and entertaining read for those in search of escapist reading fare. Many thanks to Simon and Schuster for an ARC.