This is such a fun filled romp of a read. Books, sunshine and great characters proved the perfect mix and throw in the gorgeous setting of Santorini, then I’m there. They say Santorini has a way of stealing hearts - well mine has been certainly been stolen, as I could picture myself at the bar in Epeolatry with Gran and Evie.
The library in the bookshop sounded wonderful and I loved the idea of the cocktails to match. A real feel good story that was perfect reading on a sunny afternoon.

Today is the release day for Summer at the Santorini Bookshop by Rebecca Raisin. Hooray! I have read a number of this author's books so I was always going to read this one!

Rebecca Raisin has written books with a wide variety of settings and what I know from the books that I have read is that there are always going to be great descriptions of several factors - the place where the book is set (wherever that might be), the food and books, and that is once again the case with this book.

Evie loved her job as a book scout right up until the time the business was taken over by a new owner, who promptly made her redundant. There aren't all that many opportunities to find another book scout job. What exactly is a book scout? It is someone who reads books and tries to identify stories that could be made into movies. In other words, Evie gets to read books for work! Absolutely a dream job right?

When her mother realises that Evie is at something of a loose end she packs her off to Santorini with strict instructions to work out what is going on with her quirky grandmother. Floretta has led a colourful life. She has been married multiple times, apparently lost and found several fortunes. Most recently she has married a Greek man and settled down to open a bookshop. The only problem is that she can't afford the rent which has led to an altercation with the landlord.

It isn't long before Evie is called into help soothe the frazzled tempers by dealing with the landlord's gorgeous grandson, Georgios. They just need to keep Georgios's grandfather from either kicking Floretta out or from selling the building long enough to finish the renovations for the bookshop and for it to start paying for itself. What better way to delay either of these eventualities than suggest that Evie fake date Georgios. It's the perfect plan!

Whilst Evie and her grandmother work towards a glamourous opening of the bookshop, Evie begins to realise that fake dating Giorgis is going to be much harder than anticipated. When exactly does it cross the line from fake to real?

There is an endearing cast of colourful characters led by Floretta but there are others, ranging from the man who comes in and rearranges the colour coordinated shelves, the goat farmer, as well as a group of stray dogs with various bad habits. The book is filled with humour and I found myself smiling the whole way through it. In fact, I think this is my favourite Rebecca Raisin novel so far. Until the next one at least.

Is this a bookshop I would love to visit if I ever made it to Santorini - Absolutely!

Thanks to Netgalley, Rachel's Random Resources and the publisher for the review copy. I will be sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews and the Bookish Books Challenge hosted at Bloggin' Bout Books.

Rating 4.5/5

I loved this book and devoured it!

Santorini is somewhere I've wanted to go for ages and this was a nice taster!

Any books about bookshops are right up by my alley - and this one including a bar in it was intriguing, Can I go and work from Muses please?

After losing her job as a book scout, Evie needs a fresh start. She is sent by her mum to check on her eccentric grandmother who has just taken on a new husband and as we find out, a small bookshop in Santorini.

Drama meets her when she gets there - to save the day, she is asked to fake-date the grandson of her grandmother's landlord (the reasoning behind this towards the end of the story is brilliant!). As her new adventure plays out, she makes new friends with the locals, and the rescue dogs that her grandmother brings to the family.

I love that every twist and turn is hilarious, the characters of Santorini are hilarious and you never know what is going to happen!

This is a great holiday read - you cannot fail to smile whilst reading it!

3.5⭐
Genre ~ women’s fiction
Setting ~ Santorini, Greece
Publication date ~ April 11, 2024
Page Count ~ 343 (36 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 10 hours 20 minutes
Narrator ~ Georgia Maguire
POV ~ single 1st, present tense
Featuring ~ island life, fake dating, slow burn, no steamage

Evie has lost her job. She heads to Santorini to help out her gran, Floretta, in her bookshop, while she searches for her dream job, which is to find hidden gems in the romance genre and turn them into movies.

Being a bookshop based book it's full on with bookish talk. They come up with great ideas to drum up business. It’s very predictable, but that’s perfectly fine because I’d probably be mad if it turned out any other way. Slow moving, too, but such is island life, I suppose. Speaking of the island, sounds like quite a lovely place to be.

Regarding the fake dating with Georgios ~ I wasn't a super big fan of it with this one. I can't say too much because I don't want to give anything away, but I was not a fan of Evie's reaction at the end. At times, too, she was a little much and comes off immature. I can't say I was feeling their chemistry, but on paper they seem perfect for each other.

There's a nice lot of side characters, except one, there's always gotta be one that makes you mad. Gran is awesome and I absolutely loved their relationship. Makes me miss my Gram, who I called Germ (grrr, not with the jer sound), but she hated it because of the spelling 🤣. She's a little crazy with being married 9 times and all, and she's quite the story teller. Gran, not my Gram. Roxy was an absolute delight, as well, and I hope she gets her own love story. And who wouldn't love 6 rescue dogs that steal wallets, pee all over the place and toot like it's a mustang starting up?

Overall, I think this will definitely appeal to those that enjoy a summery bookshopy type of read....so perfectly titled it seems.

Little niggle ~ when the character is American I feel like the spellings should be the American way, not British.

Summer at the Santorini Bookshop is a lovely and heartwarming story. We have booklover, introvert Evie who has lost her job and goes to Santorini to check on her Gran. When she finds out her Gran needs help, she does her best to help. But she might find more than she was expecting.
In this quirky rom-com, Rebecca Raisin created a story about finding your people and accepting yourself. A story about the love of books and words….and even dogs!
I really liked the characters (although I wanted to shake Evie once or twice), human and canine. I loved the setting and I adored the way it talks about books and stories.
It was such a unique story, it made me laugh but also reflect. And it certainly increased my need of going to Greece!
I deeply enjoyed reading this book. Like always, Rebecca Raisin created a captivating story.

Delighted to be included on the blog tour for this summer romance, just sad I read it in rainy Manchester rather than on a sun drenched beach!

Recipe: 1 holiday in Santorini, 1 bookshop WITH A BAR, 1 Greek adonis, 1 cute girl next door, 1 cocktail guzzling grandma and 6 rescue dogs = The perfect summer read.

I really enjoyed this book, loved all the characters, particularly Gran a nine times married, octogenarian, with a huge zest for life, so much so she moves to Santorini and opens a book shop, I even enjoyed the ‘Fun Police’ Evie’s Mum and sister Posy interfering from the US. I had a few ideas for the ending as I was reading, some panned out, but others were a nice surprise.

I really felt like I got to know Santorini while I was reading the book and have wanderlust again!

A fun summer clean romance read with books! I loved Gran, she was awesome. The storyline was a little muddled here and there - it had a lot of 'stuff' - but the mini twist at the end was cute. I found the inner monologue and the actual dialogue was a bit tricky to keep track of but I think I had an ARC so not final edit. Evie was a little contradictory at times but then, most of us are lol. A quick, light read.

Summer at the Santorini Bookshop is a lovely, romantic, fun loving, heartwarming, family oriented story by Rebecca Raisin.

Rebecca has a delightful way of allowing you to escape into a world of fun and frivolity while still keeping it so real and relatable.
She weaves together fun, love, nostalgia and a touch of whimsy, making it impossible to put the book down.

Whether you’re lounging on the beach or curled up by the fireplace, this book is the perfect companion for anyone seeking a dose of sunshine and heartfelt storytelling.

I’ve adored all of Raisin’s previous works, and Summer at the Santorini Bookshop is no exception.
I would absolutely recommend this book as well as all of her previous ones!

Thankyou to author Rebecca Raisin, HQ Digital and Netgalley, for the opportunity to read this book!
Charlene 📚🤗🌸 @lastnownext

In Summer at the Santorini Bookshop an out of control grandma Floretta who is on husband number nine gets some help from her introverted book nerd granddaughter Evie. Trying to make the dream bookshop a profitable business Evie meets fellow book nerd and the landlords grandson Georgios who is also handsome as a greek god.

This novel is fun, with a fantastic setting and loads of local characters. Will Evie give up her search for the perfect job, will Georgios return to New York, will the book shop close or succeed, and will Floretta keep number 9 or move on to husband number 10? Very enjoyable read.

I received a free copy of, Summer at the Santorini Bookshop, by Rebecca Raisin, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Losing her job does not stop Evie for long, she decides to go to Santorini to help her grandmother with her bookstore. This will be no ordinary summer for Evie, will she find the one this summer? A good beach read.

This was perfect book for escapism, I loved the relationship between Evie and her Gran. I also love the fact that her gran and knows exactly what she wants. I really hope there is a sequel to this wonderful book.
If you're looking for a light read, a budding romance and some wacky characters, all set in a beautifully stunning location, then this is the perfect summer read.

This has been the perfect feel good read of the year, truly magical.

When Evie is made redundant from her role as a book scout, she doesn’t know where to start at rebuilding her career. But when her mum asks her if she could spare the summer to head over to her gran in Santorini she jumps at the chance as she realises that her gran now runs her own bookshop on the island.

Evie realises that her gran has gotten herself in some bother financially and needs her help with an urgent matter involving a handsome “Greek god” as she likes to refer to him as.

Follow her journey over the summer for this page turning feel good read, an inspirational and uplifting read.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This was a great easy read, great characters, good storyline. I really enjoyed it and would recommend.

Reading a book about a bookshop makes me smile as I am reading.
Evie was made redundant at her job as a book scout. This stops her in her tracks and then much to her delight she finds out her grandmother has taken over a bookshop in Santorini and off she goes!
The characters in this book are so well written that you can’t help but like them as you read this book.
This is a great beach read. Grab this book and settle in for the time you spend in Santorini and the fun you will have there!
Thank you NetGalley, HQ and Rebecca Raisin for the copy of Summer at the Santorini Bookshop. This is my personal review.

I love Rebecca Raisin's stories and was very happy when I received the message that I could read her new story. And it was great again. The setting is beautiful, the island of Santorini is so beautiful and she has described it well. I also loved her grandmother's bookstore. What a great place. Bibliotherapy is the best bookstore name ever and the idea of ​​a nightclub in a bookstore is a great idea.

The characters are also spot-on again. I realy likes Evie, but loved her grandmother. She (Floretta) is 83 and a wonderful person. She was mysterious, but so sweet. The care of the dogs and the way she enjoys Evie's presence. How deep that love goes is even more noticeable at the end. Evie is fun and sweet and a bit socially awkward, but turns out to be able to handle herself very well. She becomes stronger and more confident and makes new friends (like Roxy)

The story is a big sunny dream holiday to experience. It is cheerful, fun and has so much humor in it. I enjoyed this book and hope there will be a sequel. Girlfriend Roxy can't stay alone, can she?

About Summer at the Santorini bookshop:

Santorini, a dream island, and Evie travels there. Not entirely involuntary. She has lost her job as a book scout and there is something going on with her grandmother who married husband number nine there and now runs a bookstore. So her mother sends her on a trip to check out what grandma has come up with again. The bookstore is heavenly, and the problems are great. But Evie, who doesn't care much for people, turns out to be a savior and even goes on a fake date with the handsome Georgios.

When Santorini and a bookshop are both mentioned in the title, I had no hesitation in wanting to read this book. The trope of a fake relationship is done well as the protagonists begin to reveal their true feelings for each other - however, not before much mayhem is created regarding the future of the bookshop. The granny is not only eccentric but totally over the top ( perhaps a tad too much at times to be really credible) yet brings a lovely, light-heated tone to the book.

If you're looking for a light read, a budding romance and some wacky characters, all set in a beautifully stunning location, then this is the perfect summer read.

Evie heads to Santorini to visit her Gran and her new bookshop after being made redundant. But once there life on the island isn’t quite as she expected, her Gran has got herself in a pickle with her landlord and comes up with the plan for Evie to fake date his grandson, Georgios, to help keep the peace.

What I loved most about this book was the setting. I felt like I had been transported to Santorini, a place that has been on my bucket list for a long time, and now I’m even more desperate to get there. As I was reading it felt like I could see the sea and the white and blue buildings as well as feel the sun on my skin.

The characters were also great. Evie was very quirky but one I think we could all resonate with. My favourite had to be Gran though, her eccentricity would certainly keep you on your toes and she is such a laugh.

I think the cover encapsulates this book perfectly.

A lovely feel-good book that has you travelling to Santorini from your armchair.

This one should definitely be added to your summer TBR. What more could you want than sunshine and books.

Books, sunshine, cocktails, sea, beaches, dogs and handsome Greek men - what’s not to love?! Well, to be honest, Greek men are far too hairy for me but I’m sure others love them!!!

Evie has lost her job and joins her eccentric grandmother in Santorini, where she has married for the ninety-millionth time. I loved all the characters. Each had their own quirky ways and were delightful to read about. The dogs were all brilliant! Especially Houdini, who loves stealing wallets and hiding them from his owners!

Evie is trying not to fall for Georgios, Granny is trying not to get into anymore debt and Evie’s mum and sister are trying to find out all about what is actually happening in Santorini, but no one is telling them anything! In the meantime, Granny and Evie are running the bookshop and planning the opening of a cute evening cocktail bar.

Once you’ve read this, I guarantee you’ll want to jump on a plane and whisk yourself off to Santorini for your next holiday.

Thank you to NetGalley, HQ and Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to read and review Summer at the Santorini Bookshop by 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.

A lovely read, ideal for a summer holiday! Set on Santorini in a bookshop - my idea of heaven! Great characters and a good story. I definitely recommend!