I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

Both timelines felt slack and like something was missing throughout. The connection to the protagonists was never established, and it felt a little saccharine throughout and just lacked conflict overall

Lovely feel good book to read. It was a joy to read. Lovely characters. Great plot. The book was charming. Very well written. I’d definitely recommend this book. Beautiful idyllic location that set the book off perfectly.

Patricia Wilson’s Summer in Greece is marketed as a holiday read – just look at that cover, with its promise of Greek Islands.

It isn’t a promise the book delivered for me and I felt a little let down that much of the present day action takes place in Dover, with just a couple of trips to Greece, and the Greek parts were so very beautiful it made me especially sorry that was the case.

Far more of the 1916 timeline was set in the Mediterranean and centred around the sinking of the hospital ship Britannic. There is a gritty truth in the way both this and working in a field hospital are described with no question at all of young VAD Gertie flitting between beds mopping brows.

If I am totally honest there were a few too many twists and turns in the contemporary narrative for me and I found myself wondering how many more tragedies could have possibly have befallen poor Shelly as one unheralded surprise revealed itself after another. But I know many readers will enjoy the story; after all there is a reason why Patricia Wilson is so very successful.

I tend to avoid historical fiction, as I feel its not something I would enjoy, and if I knew half of this book was set in 1916 I would never have started on this book. But the reviews were really good, so thought I would at least give it a go.
The story has 2 separate storyline - one with Shelly which happens in present time, and in 1916 which is the life of Gertie who is Shellys Great grandmother. It flicks seamlessly between the 2 and isn't confusing at all.
I am so glad I gave this a chance as it was an round great book - the storyline was fantastic, I felt like like I really got to know and like all the characters, and the author is so descriptive in everything I felt like I could see and feel, what the characters did.
I thoroughly enjoyed all of the book, especially the bits set in 1916 which really surprised me, so looks as though I may have another genre to add to my genre likes!

Shelly and her father have not recovered from her mum dying 20 yrs ago. Shelly who is now a vet in practice with her best friend decides with her help she will clear out her mum's clothes etc . On doing this she finds tapes left to her by her great grandmother Gertie telling of her life as a VAD during WW1.
Gertie was on the ship The Britannic on its way to Greece . The ship doesn't complete its journey and Gertie finds herself tending to injured soldiers on the island of Kea. Gertie is laden down with guilt and fear of what might happen to her if anyone finds out what she did . Later on because of guilt she is manipulated into being with someone she doesn't love. Will she have to pay for her mistake for the rest of her life ?

Shelly is also a diver in her spare time so decides to go on holiday to Kea to see if she can dive the wreck of the Britannic . She meets a special man but she too has secrets that have made her feel guilty for twenty years. Can she put the past behind her and get on with living ?

Patricia Wilson writes great books, I always learn some part of history I didn't know from them.
I enjoyed Gertie's story from 1916 . It was very dramatic at times and the descriptions of what was happening as the ship was sinking were very real. Most of the characters were likable and my heart went out to Gertie .
Shelly made a great job of finding out about her great grandmother's life and making everything right in the end. There are a few surprises in this book and as with all books by this author I cried more than once.

I do enjoy books that traverse between past and present and Summer in Greece by Patricia Wilson does this seamlessly.

In 1916 after losing her beloved brother Arthur in the trenches and he darling Sister Sissy to Spanish Influenza as she was nursing abroad, Gertie decided she wants to help out soldiers in the Great War. After lying about her age to secure a position, she heads off to Greece aboard the ill-fated HMHS Britannic. She excels as a trainee nurse but is totally unprepared for the horrors of war. Bound for the island of Lemnos, the ship never reaches its destination and Gertie finds herself on the island of Kea where she meets Manno. She quickly falls in love with the Greek fisherman but finds she is torn between hun and her duty to an English soldier. Gertie feels immense guilt from that tragic night on this ship and is on constant fear her past will catch up with her.

Shelley lives in Great-gran Gertie’s cottage with her father. She’s a successful vet but has spent the last twenty years trying not to think about her past. She only feels true release when she’s diving in the Mediterranean. After discovering some of her great-grandmothers belongings including her taped memoirs, Shelley starts to uncover the secrets of Gertie’s past. Will this also help Shelley let go of her own?

I found this book to be most enjoyable and enjoyed moving between past and present. The parts set on Kea are so descriptive, you can almost imagine you are there, It’s a beautiful story that I can highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bonnier Books UK and the author for the chance to review.

For years Shelly Summer has buried herself in her work, trying to forget her past. The only time she feels truly herself is when she's diving in the Mediterranean - the calm and stillness of the clear waters help her forget. Back home, Shelly stumbles across the belongings of her great-grandmother, Gertie Smith including a recording of Gertie's memoirs. As Shelly listens to it, she starts to uncover the secrets of Gertie's past, which might just hold the key to letting go of her own. In 1916, when trainee nurse Gertie Smith signs up for the war effort, she is thrilled to learn that her destination will be Greece. With a head full of blue skies and handsome men, she boards the Titanic's sister ship, the ill-fated hospital ship Britannic. Unprepared for the horrors of war, she heads for the Greek island of Lemnos on a mission to rescue three thousand wounded British soldiers. But tragically, the Britannic never reaches its destination. When rescued, Gertie is taken to the Greek island of Kea, where she meets and falls in love with a Greek fisherman, Manno - but she finds herself torn between him and her duty to an English soldier. Gertie cannot shake the guilt she feels from that tragic night the ship sank and is afraid her past will eventually catch up with her.

If there is one thing I know I will get from Wilson's books it is complete and utter escapism and this book is no different. I found myself swept away to the heat and beauty of Greece, I could envisage I was there and wished I truly was! This is a great read to get lost in. However, if I am being truly honest, this is probably more of a 3 star read, I am being generous with 4 as I just adore Wilson's books and concepts so much. The reason for not liking it as much as her others is because this is just too long. I think a hundred pages could easily be removed from this without the plot suffering. If this had been a bit shorter then it would have been a better pace read, this felt quite sluggish.

The plot for this is beautiful from start to finish and packed with emotion. I loved Shelly's chapters the most, getting to know her and her family was a joy. Shelly goes through a lot in this read, she is harbouring a lot of angst and secrets which are just waiting to come out. Knowing there were secrets to be revealed kept me reading to the next chapter. We also have chapters set from Gertie's point of view as we learn what she did during the war and the consequences that were felt for a lifetime afterwards. Put together, the two characters make for endearing reading and you will find it very easy to get swept away.

'Summer In Greece' is the perfect summer read, this offers escapism to a stunning country, loveable characters and enough emotion to last all year.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK for an advance copy.

Patricia Wilson does not disappoint in this huge family saga!
The book unfolds in two stories. One set in 1916 with Gertie training to be a nurse to help the soldiers during WW1. She begins her journey on a ship bound for Greece. The second is set in the present day with Gertie's great granddaughter - Shelly who is at her happiest when diving in the Mediterranean. Both stories are filled with lots of secrets and are true love stories with tragic events unfolding. The characters are vividly portrayed along with the description of Greece and the various Islands visited.
This is a real page turner - not to be missed!

This is a very different take on the usual family saga and quite a compelling read as a result. It moves between the the experiences of Gertie Smith as a VAD in Greece during the first World War, and her great granddaughters' life in the present day - a life which has had more than its fair share of tragedy. This is skillful storytelling in the weaving together of their histories as well as glorious descriptions of Greek settings.