A really fun summer read set on a gorgeous Greek island - three thirty something woman all in need of a change go on holiday and somehow find themselves buying the B&B which they stay in. They pack up their lives in Britain and start their Greek adventure.

A perfect summer holiday romance read - three likeable woman characters, pink gin and handsome hunks and a donkey called The Fonz. A warm hearted, contemporary romance with strong female leads and a lovely sunny setting. A perfect beach read, delightful.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book about three friends having a few days break together on a Greek Island while I was lying on a sunbed at a pool in another Greek Island. So the scene was set for a good holiday read.
Never in their wildest dreams did Winne, Stella and Frankie guess that after their break they would be returning to the UK proud owners of the bed and breakfast villa they stayed at. All three are at various points in their lives where they wouldn't be leaving much behind and welcome a new start. Well that and copious amounts of gin made them buy it.
When they return to Skelidos and Villa Valentina to start their new life all is not as it seems and after finding out that a resident donkey comes with the villa there are also a few more surprises for them.
A gorgeous but angry, volatile Greek male neighbour, a rock band and gin figures prominently too.
This book is a great holiday read you can almost feel the heat from the sun and the sand in your shoes.
There's plenty happening in the story to hold your attention and keep you turning the pages.

5☆ Fabulous Feel Good, Fun, Compelling Read! - Loved It!!

When Winnie, Stella and Frankie escape to the gorgeous Greek Island Skelidos for a girls holiday. They really do end up getting more than they bargained for!

They never expected in their wildest dreams to become the new owners of Villa Valentina. A rundown bed and breakfast.

Villa Valentina has plenty of charm and hidden depths. Not to mention a gin distillery. So expect plenty of Alchol and lots of fun. Oh and did I forget to mention the loveable donkey!

Each of the women have problems back home and really have nothing to lose by accepting the challenge and returning to the sun drenched island of Skelidos, to make a go of the bed and breakfast.

I absolutely loved all three of the lead women characters. Each was on a personal journey that I'm sure lots of us can relate too. For example, failed marriages, being made redundant.
Each of the women were very strong female leads and each bought a special quality to the running of the b&b.

I loved watching their friendships grow in strength and the budding new relationships they are about to discover.
Not to mention the local community, a famous rock band and a few Sexy men.

The girls journey really doesn't run quite so smoothly with plenty of laugh out loud moments, mishaps, trouble, crazy traditions, plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader hooked.

The Bed and Breakfast on the beach really is the Perfect Beach/Summer read.
It's fun, Feel good, plenty of alcohol, sizzling sexual encounters, lots of humour, everlasting friendships, romance, poignant moments,  interesting community characters and their unusual superstitions.

It really is Escapism at its very best!!
I loved every single minute of this fresh, exciting, loveable, charming read!
I really didn't want it to end!

This is my first book by Kat and I'm excited to read more!

Would I recommend this book.....Most Definitely.....YES!!!

The perfect read for those who love Chick Lit, Rom Com's,Comedy, books featuring bed and breakfast, Sun drenched beach islands, Escapism, Friendship and Romance, New Beginnings, Perfect Summer Read!

Winnie, Stella and Frankie, three friends in their thirties who escape for a small break on a remote Greek island.

The break is just what they all need as they soothe the wounds caused by marriage breakdowns, divorce and redundancy.

They come back with more than a tan - they come back having bought the B&B they were staying in!

Villa Valentina is now theirs and they throw themselves into making a success of it. Trouble is the Villa seems to be full of secrets and these secrets are key to making a success of their venture as well as harmony on the small island.

The three women have to contend with the resident donkey, who has decided to move to live into a neighbours field and has no intention of returning.

A distillery is hidden beneath the Villa and part of the deal is to keep producing the islands famous spirit - gin and to make sure that the island and the islanders never run out. For if it did, the consequences could be catastrophic.

Add into the mix a boy band wanting to escape from the spotlight, ghosts from the past turning up and irritatingly charming Australian neighbour it means that life at the Villa is certainly going to be interesting.

I adored this novel, it took me completely away. I could feel the sun on my skin, the warmth of the sea, the ice cracking in the glass as the gin was poured in. The romance and seduction almost crackled off the page and I was hooked into all these three women's lives. I don't want to say anymore I just want you to go and read the novel and experience it for yourself. 

Kat French's writing for me is improving with each book I read. This is worthy of the five stars if not more. She manages to capture something unique in her descriptions of the scenery, the atmosphere, the connection between the characters and so much more. If you want a pure escapism novel then this is the novel for you.

Delightful summer read. Perfect for this time of year. Whisks you away to another world, where you get caught up in a lovely new place. The place sounded idylic. Loved the characters, loved the whole thing fantastic read

Absolutely fabulous story & fantastic characters, I'm now dreaming of sun kissed days in Skelidios sipping pink gin. Perfect summer read around the pool, I guarantee you'll fall in love with every single character. Superb!!

In this romantic comedy, three women who have been lifelong friends have come to a crossroads in their lives marked with quite a bit of pain and frustration. Two of the women have ended long term relationships, and the third has been let go from a job that was her life. These are not amusing happenings by a long strength; however, when they move to a small Greek island to recover from life’s downturns, much hilarity ensues.
Frankie was married with twin boys at a very young age; she and her husband, Gav, drifted apart so that once the children grew up and left home, there was nothing left of their marriage. Winnie also had a marriage go belly up when her cheating husband broke her heart. Stella was wedded to her work and so after being essentially fired, she was also set adrift. The three friends, in support of one another, visit this enchanted isle and decide to chuck it all buying the shabby chic Villa Valentina.

Winnie is attracted to their artist neighbor, Jesse, an Aussie expat with a secret heartache of his own, who gives her very mixed signals. Frankie blossoms as the B&B chef and gets a chance to reinvent herself while Stella turns her talents to the marketing side to attract customers. A handsome Greek businessman who is staying with them to recover from an injury may just be her intellectual match.

In this case of things going awry, when life gives these women lemons, they make pink gin which is a local island secret drink that holds the key their success or failure as innkeepers. Kat French excels at writing romantic comedy; I always finish her books feeling like I had a good time with her characters and their often Lucille Ball type of situations. This is a fun summer read especially for anyone lucky enough to be at the beach.

So Kat French (or Kitty French if reading her other books) has very quickly become a firm favourite of mine. Her books are endless buckets of fun and I was really looking forward to this latest one. To be fair when I started reading it I wondered what on earth was going on? A couple of chapters and we already had three women with a whole new adventure ahead of them? Where was the explanation and the background? Well, you see this is where the delectable Kat French comes into her own. She doesn't need all that because what she does is then slowly reveal each character and the reasons for how they got to the beautiful island of Skelidos.

Villa Valentina on the sun soaked Greek Island starts out as a holiday destination, but somehow ends up with them beiong the new owners of the B&B. What they don't realise is that by taking a leap of faith and starting a new adventure, it would also bring with it some added extras which they weren't quite prepared for! Stella, Frankie and Winnie have been friends since childhood, so the fact they start a whole new adventure and business together comes as no big surprise. I think in my eyes Winnie seemed to be more of a central character with Frankie and Stella playing more of a backseat. However as the story progresses each of the three women take their own journey and we go along for the ride.

With donkeys named The Fonz, a secret distillery in the cellar, pop stars turing up just to name a few this story is packed to the rafters with fun, frollicks and romance. I loved the additional male characters in the book especially Jesse their moody neighbour. I read this in a day and a half and just two sittings and it was a glorious read. This book was pure delight from start to finish and it had everything you could possibly want in a book like this. There were one liners that made me laugh out loud, ridiculously funny situations, romantic ones, terrible ones...you name it, it was there. Another outstanding read that I would definitely pick up for any upcoming travels you may have

This was a truly delightful read, I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to the island and I really didn't want to leave.

I loved everything about it, from the setting to the characters and the story itself was highly addictive and entertaining.

I loved getting to know each and every one of the characters, discovering their journeys and seeing the paths they each took throughout the story.

Having never read anything by Kat French, I can safely say that I'll definitely be seeking out her other books.

What a fun summer read, it has it all friendship, romance, a little hardship. The friendship with the 3 main characters is very strong and powerful, after a vacation on an island on Greece, they decide to purchase the Bed and Breakfast and leave their old lives behind, you will fall in love with the island and want to book a vacation at the Bed and Breakfast. The ladies must learn how things are done on the island, and love how the donkey is written into the book! I highly recommend this book for summer

This book is about 3 women, who are in the midst of various crises, who purchase a B&B in Greece! I love it! I've never been to Greece, but I felt like the wind was in my hair and the water and sand were on my feet. This is a darling (and sexy) story about the three women and the men they encounter on their adventure. The story held my attention and the characters (especially Winnie) held my heart. A great beach read or for just reading out on your screened in porch!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon UK for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Blurb :
A Greek island solves all life’s problems…doesn’t it?
Winnie, Stella and Frankie have been best friends forever.
When their lives unexpectedly unravel, they spontaneously decide to buy a gorgeous B on a remote Greek island.
Drenched in hot sun, Villa Valentina is the perfect escape
from reality. But when Winnie meets Jesse, their brooding
neighbour, she finds that Greece is full of its own complications – not least how attractive he is…
Meanwhile, Frankie and Stella are discovering that Villa Valentina has its own secrets – starting with the large supply of gin in the cellar and the arrival of a famous rock band. A band with one very good-looking member who just might distract Frankie from thoughts of her husband…

My Thoughts :
Meet three friends, Winnie, Stella and Frankie. They go on holiday to Greece after escaping England amd their cheating husbands or loss of job. They return home and decide to pack up their bags and return to Greece buying the lovely B&B they stayed in.
As we go on a journey with these friends, we learn more about them and their lives and delve into their personalities.
There are lots of funny moments and we certainly get lost in the Greek lifestyle, the food and surroundings.
The charactors were easily relatable and a joy to read about. Kat French has delivered this great story and I cant wait for her next book.
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When Winnie, Frankie and Stella go on a long weekend to stay in a B & B on the beach in Greece the last thing they expect to do is end up buying it.....but it seemed like a good idea at the time when fuelled up on gin cocktails!

Winnie has just split from her husband after finding out about his affair, Frankie has felt lost since her children left home and Stella has just lost her job which meant the world to her so the time is right for a new start. Arriving in Greece they are in for a few surprises though - who knew the B & B doubled up as a gin distillery and that the whole island relied on them to keep them supplied. A donkey, The Fonz, also comes as part of the package and when Winnie goes to find him and bring him back from their stroppy Australian neighbour she finds a different set of issues!

A lovely feel good book perfect for the beach - who wouldn't want to be staying in that lovely B & B and there are certainly some local characters to throw into the mix - great fun

The Bed and Breakfast on the Beach was the first book I had read by Kat French but it won't be the last judging on how much I enjoyed this fun read which is perfect for the summer months. I'll admit there was a slight trepidation in reading this as it was my third consecutive book featuring a bed and breakfast at its centre. Although I love books with a certain theme I wondered what could Kat French bring that would make me love this book just as much if not more than the other two I had read? Well I loved it from start to finish as it was fresh and innovative and the fact it was set in a foreign hot country on the Greek island of Skelidos meant it added that extra something just that sparkle that made the story come alive on the pages.

I was mightily impressed by Kat French's writing, it was packed full of humour and laugh out loud/ cringeworthy moments. Yet when it needed to be paired back a bit and the more serious elements needed to shine the author allowed the storyline and characters to do just this. I was hooked from the prologue and raced through this book in a few hours. I could imagine so vividly Villa Valentina nestled on the beach, a bed and breakfast that just says come here, chill out, relax and forget all your worries. I don't suppose our three main female characters Winnie, Frankie and Stella knew exactly what they were in for when the initially turned up for a mini break, to say things take an unexpected turn is an understatement.

Honestly I thought this book was going to be a book about three women going on a holiday and over the course of a two week period there would be fun , laughter and a dash of holiday romance whilst at the same time they might find some closure on any problems ongoing in their lives. I couldn't have been more wrong. The prologue opens as the three arrive at Villa Valentina run by Ajax. They are here for a few days to seek sun and time away from all the things in life that had dealt them a rough hand. So far so good, I thought this is where the book is going. Next thing I know the prologue is over and the girls arrive back in England proud owners of the villa. I thought huh have I missed an entire section? How could a sunshine holiday have ended up with the women owning a property in a different country on a secluded Greek island? Ajax had worked his magic, plied them with gin and twisted their arms. Clearly he saw their vulnerability and he wanted out of the villa so he took his chance. I thought they were stark, raving mad to do what they did, clearly they weren't in the right frame of mind. OK so most of us at one stage or another could have this dream of getting away from it all and moving out to a warm country but to run a bed and breakfast with no previous experience that just seems totally crazy and more than spur of the moment to me. Winnie's half of the house from her divorce, Stella's redundancy money and Frankie's nest egg from an inheritance were all ploughed into this and for the women's sakes I hoped they could make a go of everything.

Once I got over my initial shock of what had happened and I became accustomed to who was who and their background stories I found I settled easily into the story. I was eager to see how everything would play out. Would it all just get too much and the three would return to England with their tails between their legs? Or when push comes to shove would the women prove their metal and make a go of the business and in doing so confront their demons and find some sort of fulfilment on the beautiful island. From the outset it was evident all three were out of their depth but some of the locals being friendly and helpful gave them the impetus they needed to make a go of things. After making such a big commitment they couldn't not give things a go after all.

Stella being made redundant from a job she believed offered long term security has lost all her confidence but yet underneath the persona she presents to the world there is still that hard nosed professional who wants to make a go of the business and won't take any problems lying down. When local resident Corinna needs a place for her brother to stay (as she really can't abide him) a place at the villa is provided. Immediately I could see Angelo had a huge chip on his shoulder. He was rude, abrupt, ill mannered and just not the kind of guy I would like to be stuck on holidays with. Maybe in Angelo, Stella had met her match. I loved the confrontations between the pair. Their fiery personalities were shown to full affect and it made the reader wonder could it spill over into something more given half the chance.

Back in England Winnie had been attempting to forge a career in jewellery design but events with her now ex husband Rory put a firm spanner in the works. She is now free and single but is she ready for romance? Will the villa and island be able to work its magic? When Winnie encounters neighbour Jesse whilst searching for their donkey a very hot and cold 'friendship ensues'. I really couldn't make head nor tail of Jesse and neither could Winnie. I've often read in other books that artists/creative people have strong tempers but it's not that Jesse was that way it was more the fact he was very afraid of revealing his inner self. He was hesitant to just let go and maybe explore the feelings he was experiencing. I felt sorry for Winnie that in ways she was led up the garden path and got some ideas in her head or feelings in her heart only for events to then overtake things. I was glad though that Stella and Frankie were her back up.

As for Frankie, out of the three women to me she seemed the most lost and at sea,not really knowing what to do with her life. She had become friends more than lovers with her husband and now that her twins were grown up she feels adrift and not knowing what her role/function is any more. Working front of house may make her feel safe and secure again and get some of her confidence back. She was a character who really needed to feel valued and worthwhile and that in whatever she was doing she knew she would be helping others as well as herself.

The Bed and Breakfast on the Beach proved to be a very entertaining read with characters and a setting you readily loose yourself in. I enjoyed how the three women learned to go with the flow and embrace everything the island villa were throwing at them. Unexpected guests arrive of course bringing their own troubles with them which in turn affect the women. Perhaps one of the strongest elements of the story as well as the bucket loads of humour was the discovery of a 'gin legacy' associated with the villa. I don't like gin at all but god all the mentions of it made me crave an alcoholic drink while reading this and while slapstick comedy ensued around this legacy there were also some more serious undertones which I thought gave great light and shade to the book. I'm so glad I finally took the plunge and picked up a book by Kat French. It's quite often the books you expect to be run of the mill and maybe similar to what you have read before that in fact throw up the most surprises in the nicest of ways. This book was packed full of warmth, human understanding and humour and I loved every minute of it. I'd love to hear more from the women in the future. A short Christmas novella would be lovely but in the meantime I wouldn't hesitate at all in recommending this delightful read.

Review: Wow! I loved this! A fun escape to a Greek Island.

This is the first of Kat French's books that I have read and I can't believe I haven't picked one of her books up by now. It was amazing.

Set on a Greek Island three beautiful ladies (and I mean beautiful on the inside as well as on the outside here) escape to the Island. All three are escaping for different reasons but all end up on the same wonderful adventure on this hot Greek Island. This book is not just hot due to its setting but the men in this book are also pretty special as are three leading ladies find out.

I feel in love with all three of our heroines. I could relate to each of them in different ways. There is something for everyone in each of them.

Kat French writes an amazingly funny tale and throughout there is some OMG moments alongside some incredible romantic moments. I feel like I started reading this book as a girl and finished as a women.

I loved this I couldn't recommend it highly enough.

This is such a fun book! Three friends vacation in Greece and end up buying a bed and breakfast in a small town notorious for believing in myths, especially in one that involves a special berry tree growing in the bed and breakfast garden and in the gin it produces.
There are characters in the book that are simply wonderful and so well developed along with the main ladies and one certain gentleman. When disaster strikes, you will be happily amazed at just who saves the day.

This is a perfect summer holiday read! Get yourself a refreshing G&T and dip your toe into the cool waters of Skelidos! 5 out of 5 *****

Another perfect summer read from Kat French.

I’ve been a big fan of Kat (and alter ego Kitty) French for a while and always look forward to a new book from her. This time we’re off to a B&B on a little known Greek Island with three thirty something women who are at a bit of a cross roads in their lives. Stella has lost her job, Frankie has split from her husband now that their children are grown up and Winnie has found out her husband has been unfaithful.

When they take a short break to Villa Valentina on the sun soaked Greek Island of Skelidos and are plied with numerous G&T’s by the B&B’s charming owner they somehow find themselves the new owners of the B&B and a few other things. They decide to make a go of it but can the B&B offer a new start or is it one adventure too far.

I liked this story a lot. It’s light and fluffy with a little bit of romance, a few touching moments and more than a few laughs. I loved the setting of the shabby chic villa on Skelidos and I think French’s descriptions of the island and the locals were the real highlight of the story. I could almost imagine myself relaxing on the beach or beside the pool with one of the Island’s special Gin and tonics in one hand and a book in the other.

The relationship between the three friends Stella, Frankie and Winnie was also wonderfully portrayed. They had been friends since childhood and despite being very different you got a real sense of closeness and camaraderie between them. I loved how they teased each other but were always there to support each other, even when there was the odd disagreement.

With three main characters and at times three different storylines going on it did feel a bit much to me. The pov switched between characters quite a lot, particularly in the beginning, and for this reason I didn’t think enough time was spent on certain characters or plot lines. I would have preferred if the story had focused on one of the three women and their relationship, allowing a little more depth and emotion. This is however a personal preference as I’m not generally a fan of romances with more than one couple. It may have been for this reason that I didn’t feel any particular spark between any of the couples.

Snarky Australian next door neighbor Jessie did bring the phwoar factor but he just wasn’t there enough for me and the other guys were a little bit meh. French can write some really great steamy scenes and has proven before that she can bring real emotion into a rom com so I’m not entirely sure why I didn’t get it from this book. It’s very possible I was just not in the right frame of mind when I was reading it.

Overall, it is a great read and perfect for lying on the beach by the pool (or if you’re in Scotland like me, hiding from the rain). There are a lot of funny moments and a few really sweet ones so I did enjoy it, I just didn’t quite love it as much as some of her others.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Avon for providing me with an ARC. As always all views are my own.