The perfect piece of summer escapism, I loved this and was reading it during the mini heatwave we had, I say that jokingly as a day and half of nice weather isn’t a wave of anything, but it made me be able to pretend even more I was on the beach. Fun summer read perfect for any escape

Connie is a singer stuck in a rut and her agent sends her off to Benidorm to fill in for an Ed Sheeran tribute act. I’ve got to admit, I can’t get excited for a Sheeran tribute act but Connie is in a bad way with a level of grief for her mum which she’s struggling to get out of. Can a term on the Costa Blanca help our leading lady?!

The short trip Connie is sent on is a game changer, from UK airport to the village she stays in. Her life changes from the second she meets the Dollz. They are a force to be reckoned with, escaping their day to day life to perform on a stage to drunken crowds. I loved their exuberance but cringed at some of their antics given their home life!

This is a glorious journey that Connie goes on. It’s tough at times but she learns a lot about herself and her attitude to life. I did identify with Connie to an extent, she’s not a risk taker, she goes with the crowd but she’s a rule follower (yes they are some of my downfalls – particularly the first and last).

I thought I’d had a previous taster of Jo Lyon’s’ writing prior to heading to Benidorm but Goodreads tells me differently. That said, I loved my trip to the Costa Blanca and went through Connie’s emotional rollercoaster as she tried to organise the Dollz, deal with her pervy landlord and fight her desire for the man who could send her home at the drop of a hat! Cracking fun read! Looking forward to more from Jo Lyons!!

I enjoyed reading Girls Just Want to Have Sun by Jo Lyons. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

Oh my goodness this book had me belly laughing from the start. The dynamic between Connie and the Dollz was brilliant, I resonate with Connie so much that need to make your mum proud and live a life in their memory but struggling with grief is hard. The levity provided by the chaos of the dollz and their antics had me smiling throughout and laughing til it hurt. This book is perfect for long summer days and I loved it so much.

Yes! Yes!
I need me a good girls weekend now! This book was deliciously entertaining! It was fun and super easy to read. This is definitely a pool side read with a good cold beverage!

Girls Just Want to Have Sun is a an easy to read romantic comedy set in Spain. The setting was the highlight of the book for me-the author has obviously spent time in Benidorm. The Dollz were a little hard to take at times (well, all of the time), but if you look past their wild antics, this comedy made for a good read.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion

Really, really liked this story. must read and go and get it today. Enjoyed all the banter and the chemistry. read it today.

I really wanted to love this one, but it fell a bit short for me. I did like the plot and it gave me all the summer feels, but I couldn’t really connect with any of the characters.

First, thank you @NetGalley and @BoldwoodBooks for this ARC. I highly recommend this book if you are someone that loves drama that isn’t your own, novels on learning to find and love your true self, fun crazy antics, and unexpected romance all wrapped into one!

Connie’s life as a singer/songwriter goes from boring and bland to exciting and crazy in a journey to finding her true self. With crazy plot twists, surprising elements and true friendship, you can’t go wrong with picking this book up while you are at the pool and enjoying the chaos!

Girls Just Want to Have Sun by Jo Lyons is a vacation rom-com. Connie is attempting to make it as a singer while grieving the death of her mother 2 years prior. She ends up in Spain with The Dollz, a singing group of 5 wild women. Unfortunately, this book was a miss for me. While the description and plot had a lot of promise, it was not executed well. I wasn't able to connect with the characters or believe the storyline.

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book it’s part of 4 book series and good it’s like brits in Benidorm

She never expected to find herself in Benidorm. But when life gives you lemons, add a shot of tequila...

Connie’s singing career isn’t exactly going to plan. On a final warning from her agent and failing every big audition, she’s desperate for a fresh start. So when she lands a last-minute gig in Benidorm (of all places) she jumps at the chance – despite knowing she’s completely out of her depth.

Thrown into the wild world of the Dollz, a cocktail-fuelled girl group who love glitter as much as they love drama, Connie struggles to fit in. Then there’s Matteo – the brooding, annoyingly attractive local who seems to be everywhere she turns, throwing her further off course.

As she stumbles through a week of sun, surprises and absolute chaos, Connie has to decide: is this rock bottom, or can she find her own way to shine?

3.5* rounded down
When I received a copy of this novel from NetGalley, I was excited. A beachy rom-com set in Spain sounds exactly in line with what I’d like to read on a Sunday morning outside in the sun with my dog. It delivered, but not in quite the way I imagined.

There’s a cast of zany girls to add colour and two hot leading men to form a love triangle. The protagonist was just not likeable though. I feel terrible saying that about a fictional character, so obviously they felt real enough. Her mother has died and she misses her terribly; I know this, but it didn’t feel like that at all. She was so whiny all the time.

She sabotaged her own life after her mother’s illness and death and takes zero culpability for said sabotage. Of course you’re going to lose work if you sing sad ballads at a party where you’re meant to be singing party tunes! And no, your mother dying isn’t an excuse to cry over strangers that are paying you to provide uplifting entertainment. You’re not the victim; you are the problem.

Aside from her questionable personality, there wasn’t any description about what she looked like, which left it to my imagination. I don’t know how I feel about that honestly. I see the benefits of letting the reader see themselves in the character but I prefer a more sketched out version of her physically to better understand how she looks in relation to her new coworkers, the Dollz.

I liked this novel and it wasn’t a difficult read. It was a fun girl’s trip with the usual rom-com tropes and a happily ever after. I think it would work absolutely brilliantly as a movie; kind of a new age Bridget Jones type comedy. It worked less well as a book, but read it so we can see it as a movie!

Thank you Boldwood Books for the ARC!

I have been in a summer romance reading binge, but I don't think this book is for me. I think traveling with your "coworkers" even in the music industry would not necessarily be this ridiculous. I was initially a fan of the FMC at the beginning of the book based the music background she provided. However, I could not stand her or her point of view the moment everyone was on the plane. I did try to give this book a chance but unfortunately ended up dnfing at 45%.

This book is the ultimate girly rom-com—with an extra dose of comedy. I absolutely loved the vibrant summer holiday vibe, which was paired beautifully with a deeper emotional storyline that made it even more enjoyable to read. At its core, it’s a story of self-discovery, self-love, and grief, balanced by hilarious, original characters and sharp humour.
From the very beginning, I was drawn to the main character, Mateo, and completely charmed by the whirlwind that is Connie as she tries to find her place among the Dollz. The book was thoroughly entertaining from start to finish, with perfect pacing that pulled me right into the girls’ holiday adventure. The author nailed the atmosphere of Brits abroad in Benidorm, and the Dollz were the perfect group to help Connie come out of her shell.
The writing was witty and effortlessly enjoyable, and I’ll definitely be checking out more from this author. What stood out to me was how engaging both the main and side characters were—each one brought something unique to the story, which is something I don’t often find.
Overall, this was such a fun read. While I did wish for a little more depth and development in the plot itself, I can absolutely see this being a beloved summer beach read for many.

I like the premise for this book quite a bit. Our main character, Connie, is grieving her mother, and it's impacting her work. She is a trained singer who seems to only be able to sing terribly sad songs, regardless of the occasion. She is given one last chance to save her job (or really her representation) by going to a week-long gig in a party town in Spain. There she meets her support act, "The Dollz," who all have other jobs and view singing as a fun hobby. Once in Spain, our main character learns how to live her life, be herself again, find love, and process her grief over her mother's passing.

With all of that said, the beginning of the book is hard because Connie comes off as extremely pretentious and does not listen to what others say. She performs super sad songs at an anniversary party, because she thinks she knows better than her agent and her client. She looks down on other singers, The Dollz, and basically everyone she meets. With that, The Dollz are incredibly off-putting as well. They don't seem to respect anyone or anything. They steal things from stores in the airport, they disregard the boarding announcement for their plane, and then they are talking so loudly on the plane that the flight attendants aren't able to conduct the safety announcements, etc. They also treat Connie like trash and are just really unprofessional.

Around 50% of the way through the book, Connie and The Dollz become more palatable, but it takes a while to get there. I don't know if I would have finished this book if I hadn't agreed to read it in exchange for the ARC.

Again, the story's premise is good. It was just really hard to have such unlikable and immature characters at the very beginning of the story. It was hard to find anyone to root for, and I didn't really want to hear anything they had to say.

'Girls Just Want to Have Sun' by Jo Lyons is a bright, sun-filled romantic comedy that is good as its word on mishaps, mayhem, and margaritas. The reader is quickly immersed in the haphazard but endearing life of Connie, an aspiring singer who gets an unplanned job in Benidorm – a long way from her dream job.

The writer expertly weaves a side-splitting story as Connie survives the outrageous behavior of her new pop group, the Dollz, and meets the moody, handsome Matteo. The book is a colorful whirlwind of sparkles, tears, and surprise romance all set in a lively Spanish resort. It's a quest for self-discovery as Connie struggles with her self-esteem, pursues her ambitions, and discovers how to love the wonderful mess that life presents her with.

Comedy Women in Print Award shortlisted, this novel is a triumph of humor writing and one of the few books that can actually make you laugh-out-loud. Ideal for anyone who loves Sophie Kinsella and Lindsey Kelk, 'Girls Just Want to Have Sun' is the perfect beach read – a shining reminder that no matter how low you can go, you can find your own path to shine.

If you want a book that will have you giggling on the sunlounger while beside the pool, then I think you have found your holiday read!
A rom-com that gives so much com that I found myself laughing out loud at several points!
Connie is a singer, stuck in a rut. She's still grieving the loss of her mother and desperately trying to fit into the hole her mother left in the singing world. but nothing is going right.
Her manager, Nancy give a last chance opportunity to her, to travel to Benidorm for a week, replacing a popular tribute act, with the Dollz as her warm-up act.
The moment we meet the Dollz, you know they aren't going to let any part of this working break be boring! Their outlandish makeup and outfits, sudden group 'slut drops', and pure party girl mentality are a touch too far removed from Connie's usual life.
And the journey starts with explosive moments, including Connie making quite an impression on the passenger sitting next to her, and not in the most positive of manners!
There is drama, some funny situations and plenty of twists as Connie seems to mess up all her opportunities, both with her career and potential lovelife.
The Dollz; yeah, maybe a tad too over the top, but they certainly never let anything get boring...
And Connie? She gets there, in the end!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

Connie is a classically trained singer, but since the rain passed away a few years ago, she’s found herself stuck in a rut and the she performs she reduces the audience to tears, not the triumphs she was going for. With a last chance to save her career, she heads off to Benidorm where along with The Dollz, they have seven nights in which to put on the shows of their lives. The Dollz are loud, brash and crass, the kind of people you see at the airport and hope aren’t on the same flight as you. Connie’s character did infuriate me for most of the time and as much as I wanted to hate The Dollz, you soon find yourself chuckling along. It’s cringy and funny in equal measures but there’s an undercurrent of female solidarity and new beginnings and I read it in less than a day. I would rate it 3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and the author for the chance to review.

I really wasn’t a fan of this book. It started out fine enough, with Connie having her crisis and then getting the job in Benidorm but it swiftly started to go downhill once she boarded the plane.

She’s booked as a singer in Benidorm alongside a raunchy girl group called The Dollz and on the plane, their antics lead to Connie making a bad first impression on the book’s love interest, Matteo. The bad impressions continue when he nearly runs her over and they continue to have good and bad encounters over the course of the novel.

I hated that.

There never seemed to be any good romantic chemistry between the two of them and there was just too much being thrown at them for me to start caring about them as a potential couple. Matteo’s jealous ex was irritating, very two dimensional and the last minute “oh they’re getting married” roadblock thrown in to make Connie end things with Matteo tipped me over the edge from disliking this book to actually hating it. Of course it was your classic miscommunication trope, one of the tropes I hate the most. It’s lazy. Stop doing it.

Needless to say, I don’t buy Connie and Matteo as a couple and I was very disappointed in this book. Both main characters were rather flat and boring. The Dollz were far more interesting. I wasn’t sure I was going to like them but they ended up being the best part of the book. At least they all had distinct personalities and knew how to have a bit of fun.

All in all, Girls Just Want to Have Sun was not a winner for me. The story wasn’t bad but the love interests were not at all interesting and there were too many tropes that I just did not enjoy.

This was such an interesting read. I was laughing, raising my brows, gasping and then emotional all at once. It was set in some outrageous scenarios but hilarious nonetheless. I’ve never read anything like it and I’m wondering if there’s an entire genre I’ve yet to discover. I would recommend to the right people. I enjoyed it and hope there is a sequel. I’d love to know what happens to the characters.