A real summer romance novel. This type of fiction is not my usual choice in reading matter but I wanted a summer break and decided to give Carol's first novel a go.
Sugar sweet and reminds me of a ladies magazine serial. Fun for a holiday read.

A light summer read. This will appeal to you if you like Barbara Taylor Bradford or Jackie Collins.

Not a bad first book, it’s fun and escapist. Sadly this didn’t really do anything for me. Lots of people will love this though.

2.5 rounded up to 3.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my review.

A beautiful story in a great setting.

Shauna has a past she needs to face and Roxy is there to support her, as always. Lots of interesting and likeable characters who have a tangled story, that needs unravelling. Some twists you can see coming, others are more hidden. Lovely descriptions of the world in which the characters live, humour and some fantasy as we, the reader, rub shoulders with the rich and famous.

Perfect summer beach read.

What a fantastic debut book by our much-loved weather lady Carol Kirkwood. As I was reading, I could hear her voice in my head reading it aloud to me. Thank you for the ARC.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #HarperCollins for allowing me to preview #UnderAGreekMoon by #CarolKirkwood.
This is a terrific summer read full of romance and misunderstandings. Shona Jackson the Hollywood star may seem like she has it all but a small piece of her was left on a Greek island nearly 20 years ago. Can she go back and reclaim it now.
Wonderful escapism, brilliant for a debut novel. 🎉

Beautifully descripted book making you feel like you you are there in Ithos. Starting in the 80's Shauna and Roxy travel to Europe for the Summer but after getting her heart broken by Demetrios Shauna heads back to Ireland. Fast forward 20 years Shauna now a famous actress goes back to see Demetrios but will they both feel the same, will a secret tear them apart. An easy read for the summer

Carol Kirkwood has taken me on a wonderful journey, full of romance, Hollywood glamour and summer loving. ‘Under a Greek Moon’ is the story of Shauna Jackson, a beautiful film-star with a secret in her past. When her life changes unexpectedly, she feels a desire to return to the Greek island where she lost her heart many years before. Demetrios Theodosis appears to have it all, but he has regrets and feels it’s too late to change. Trying to control his headstrong daughter is not working out well. Will he push her away? Or find a solution they can both live with? Life on Ithos is about to get very interesting!

I loved this story. There was love and romance, but there was also heartache and regret. It had heart and warmth and characters I grew to love. Ms Kirkwood gave me everything I wanted in the perfect summer holiday read.

I was given this ARC to review.

What a first book. Amazing. I was hooked right from the beginning and kept going right till the end. Following the romance of a young Irish women and a Greek multi million businessman the book takes us through their romance and beyond. Carol keeps us guessing the outcome right to the end. There is mixed relationships and different characters coming and going and it’s lovely that at the end several are brought back into play. Thanks Caro Kirkwood, Harper Collins and to NetGalley.

What an amazing debut novel from weather presenter, Carol Kirkwood. You hooked me in from the very first page and took me on such an amazing journey whilst we are still unable to travel quite so freely as we once were able to do.
I loved Shauna, a Hollywood actress who, after some troubles with work, revisits the Greek Island of Ithos, that she had visited 20 years earlier, even though she vowed never to return.
Demetrois, the business man with everything, even a fiery daughter, Ariana, he has secrets too, should he confront them? Or leave them buried and avoid racking up the past?

Set amongst bleached house, beautiful blue skies and shimmering seas this is the perfect holiday book; it does touch on some sensitive subjects. Maybe there should be a trigger warning for these; sexual assault, drug addiction and illness/grief/death.
I highly recommend this romantic escapism book, it would be a perfect beach read, ideally somewhere warm with a nice cool drink by your side. As most of us this year will be not be travelling to another country, in my case, that may have to be with a hot drink and a blanket instead!
Perfect escapism for the armchair traveller.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for an eARC in return for an honest review.

Absolutely brilliant. I was sceptical about this one, another celebrity writing a book but I was very pleasantly surprised. I read it in one sitting. I was hooked from the start. The story of Shauna and Demetrios, how they started together, separated by an interfering mother and then reunited with a twist had me continually turning the pages. I thoroughly recommend this but make sure you have cleared your diary for the day and put your feet up. One of the best reads this year so far. Hope there is a second novel.

Shauna Jackson now a Hollywood actress travels back to Ithos twenty years after she left under a cloud. Drawn back when her life becomes difficult she can finally face her demons. I absolutely loved the characters, the setting and the story line. Hoping there will be a sequel.

If you’re looking for the perfect summer read then look no further! Carol Kirkwood has come up trumps with her debut novel, which combines romance and glamour with the sun-soaked setting of a glittering Greek island.

Shauna O’Brien dreams of becoming an actress but her strict Irish mother refuses to allow her to pursue her first love. A summer trip to Europe results in her taking a job on a rich family’s yacht, which ultimately changes her life in ways she could never imagine. Demetrios Theodosis - and the stunning Greek island of Ithos - steal her heart, only for his familial responsibilities and controlling parents to destroy their hopes of a life together.

Events lead Shauna to Hollywood, where she’s soon married to the hottest director in town and the brightest leading lady on the big screen. All that glitters isn’t gold, and when things start to unravel Shauna realises that she needs to return to Greece. There’s more to her past than just a brief holiday romance, and it’s time for her to confront what happened almost twenty years ago.

This isn’t a groundbreaking book, and there’s nothing in her to surprise readers of this kind of fiction. At one point Shauna is reading a Jackie Collins book, which I assume is a knowing nod to the original and best of the genre. But that’s not to say that Under a Greek Moon isn’t a great example of it’s type. The characters are as glamorous and flawed as you would expect, and there’s plenty of gossipy drama to keep you entertained from start to finish. Ithos comes alive on the page and the descriptions remind me why I love Greece so much!

This is a great book for anyone seeking escapism and romance, and would make a perfect summer read.


Thank you HarperCollins and NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a beautiful book. I read the blurb in this book and just had to read it. I love the journey that they go on throughout this book and then end up together in the end. Truly beautiful. I do now feel the need for a trip to the beach, Greece would be amazing.

Whilst I am aware of Carol Kirkwood (mainly from Strictly Come Dancing) I didnt chose this book because of the celebrity author. Instead it was the Greek element that swung it for me. I have been obsessed with visiting Greece for years and finally visited Corfu last year and loved it. I have since purchased every book I can that has a link to Greece as I just love imagining myself surrounded by the beautiful Greek scenery. Under A Greek Moon did not disappoint and I could almost feel the sun on my face as I read it.

I struggled with the first couple of chapters as there were a number of time changes and I couldn’t quite get my baring’s but once I had got into the flow, I really enjoyed it. The main character Shauna is really likeable and the Greek God that is Dimetrios is very fanciable to women of a certain age!! The story is based around Shauna meeting Dimetrios whilst she is a penniless student and he a rich millionaire. They fall madly in love and she seems to be the one that can end his playboy ways. However, Dimetrios' Greek family have other ideas and they are cruelly torn apart. Whilst life takes them in different directions and they both manage to build a life without the other, their love never goes away and they seem destined to be together.

This is a perfect summer read. Ideally I would have read it on a sun lounger by a Greek pool, but on a comfy sofa with a biscuit was good enough for me! Although there’s the predictability of your typical romcom, there are enough twists and turns to keep your attention and throw a spanner in the works of the inevitable happy ending. I loved most of the characters (Ariana was a bit of a push to like!), the settings were wonderful (What Ithos is not a real place??! Devastated!!) and the story really flowed. One thing that bugged me was the many references to 80’s and 90’s celebrities. I know this was the time it was set in but I just thought that there were too many name drops and it was a little bit overkill. I also thought the fact that Grace turned out to be their long lost daughter was a little bit farfetched but hey it’s a summer romcom what on earth do I expect!!

I have given this book 4 stars as yes it’s a predictable boy meets girl, they split up but eventually reunite and live happily ever after story but it really did bring a smile to my face and I just love the Greek setting. I hope Carol writes more books as she obviously has a great talent and I hope they are set in Greece!

Review of Under a Greek Moon by Carol Kirkwood

This is the debut novel of Carol Kirkwood, a story of Hollywood actress Shauna Jackson who is running away from a scandal back to the Greek island of Ithos. A place she left twenty years ago.

I really enjoyed this story, it was well written and the characters engaging. It has you hooked from the very first page, set in a beautiful location, it makes the perfect summer holiday beach read. Recommended

This is a nice light read that starts early in the 80s when Shauna and Roxy go to Europe for the summer. They end up going two different ways with a promise to meet up later. Roxy, an aspiring designer, tags onto Thierry who says he has friends in the business. Shauna ends up a crew on a massive yacht, ultimately going to a Greek Island. Shauna falls in love and it doesn't end well. We then roll forward twenty years and Shauna is now a massive movie star and Roxy is a big name designer. Once again Shauna's life is turned upside down and she needs to return to the Island to get some peace.
This is a nice read, but quite predictable. I enjoyed it nevertheless though.

A fun, whimsical summer romance read. I could imagine this would be a good holiday book! It does touch on some sensitive topics and should maybe come with a trigger warning for sexual assault, drug addiction and illness/grief/death however.

I enjoyed the story but it was so predictable and just so unconvincing I just found it too far fetched, some people may enjoy this escapism and perhaps I’m just a cynic. Also the storyline’s many twists just seemed to be in for shock value I thought and didn’t really add anything to the story, if anything it made me less attached.

The story is just a bit cheesy and silly for my tastes, but it is still well written and I can see why the reviews are so high, just not one for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the book to review.

What lovely evocative writing. This is so beautifully written, I absolutely loved it.
Shauna and Roxy are travelling for the summer before heading home to start university. Roxy meets someone while Shauna is offered a job aboard St Helena where she meets the luscious Demitrius. She works hard but Demitrius' mother soon sends her packing.
Back home she follows her dream of becoming an actress and meets Dan.
Tragedy has Shauna re-evaluating especially when she hears from Demitrius .
Soon she is back in Ithos where secrets are revealed.
This is such an uplifting book.I really hope that Carol writes more as I am a fan already.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the ARC in return for an honest opinion.

Oh I loved this book, such a lovely summery holiday read. How can this be a debut, it's very polished and mature. Pure escapism. Wonderful.

I was hooked as soon as I saw the beautiful cover of this book, I just had to read it straight away. This is a brilliant first book from Carol Kirkwood she should be really proud of it. I found it very hard to put down, the story is so heart warming and once I had finished the book I knew I would miss reading about the wonderful characters. The book transports you into the glamorous world of a rich greek shipping family and the rise of Shauna from a backpacking student to becoming a famous Hollywood actress. If you read anything this Summer make it this book. Thank you to NetGalley for sending me this book in exchange for an independent review.