I received this novel as an ARC from NetGalley. This sweet, cheerful romance takes place on the beautiful Greek island of Corfu where a nurse and doctor meet as they heal from all of the stress and trauma of the past year of coronavirus. Lucie and Michlas are delightful as are the cast of supporting characters.

Trigger warning this deals heavily with COVID-19. I have to be honest I wasn't a fan of this book. I stopped reading halfway through. Covid-19 is a running theme. This is about 2 nurses, Lucie and Gavin who are best friends that go on vacation to Greece post-Covid and meet a doctor who was handling covid as well. There's some humor but it didn't make up for the heavy tones.






************************I received an ARC for my honest opinion.**********************

Corfu! Lucie and Gavin are nurses who have done the long haul through Covid-19 and now they are on holiday, at long last. Corfu is gorgeous (I wish I could go there- maybe someday!) and it's a good healing place for them. When Lucie meets Michalis, she meets a kindred spirit, a physician from Greece who is also trying to cope with the stress of the last year. Will these two be able to make a connection beyond the vacation? What about Gavin? He deserves a happy ending also. No spoilers from me but Baggot readers know that all will be well- that there will be some very humorous scenes, some great characters, and a really goof use of a terrific setting. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I know the publicity material call this a beach book but it was, I think, better as an escapist winter read!

I really enjoyed this book and found it to be witty and very easy to read. It would make a perfect summer holiday read and, even though it’s the first book I’ve read that references COVID and lockdown, it’s still very light hearted. I loved the characters but especially Lucie’s best friend, Gavin, and the sometimes mentioned friend, the Other Sharon Osborne. I’d like to read more about these very funny characters!

I only recently discovered Mandy Baggot as an author, and since then, I have read a few of her books and enjoyed them. Of those that I have read, Staying Out for the Summer is the best yet.
I have only read a couple of titles that have acknowledged the pandemic, I can’t say that I would be interested in reading about finding love whilst socially distancing and in lockdown! This book is set in the future, once lockdown is over and the characters are slowly returning to normality. Ideally positioned from the viewpoints of medical staff, Mandy Baggot sets the perfect tone.
Lucie and Gavin are sublime as best friends, embarking on a holiday after spending so long working on Covid wards. Greece is an ideal setting as it is totally believable that the villagers would be their own brand of beautifully bonkers. From fruit delivery vans doubling as taxis to twin centenarian sisters making wedding dresses for random strangers, the tone is perfect for the escapism that I didn’t realise I was craving.
At the heart of the story, is Lucie’s relationship with her Aunt Meg, who stepped in and raised her when Lucie’s young Mum died at 18. A heart-breaking scenario which has continued to have repercussions as the years have passed.
Of course, there’s a hot love interest, Michalis, who understands how frazzled Lucie and Gavin are feeling, because he’s a Dr, based in Thessaloniki, on mainland Greece. Michalis is battling his own demons and it soon becomes clear that the path to a good holiday romance, may not be as straight-forward as originally imagined.
This story is the perfect tonic to lockdown blues. We can all see the tiny light at the end of this tunnel and Staying Out for the Summer reminds us that there are good days to follow.

This book was entertaining, humorous Nd taught me a little bit about Greece. While I would not classify it as historical fiction, I do read a lot of historical fiction because history and the culture of other places. The fact that I learned new details about Greece was a bonus. I found it to be a very uplifting book offering humor and romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. This is my first book from this author. I was excited to see that it was set in Greece, as I have been to Greece on an amazing 2 week trip with my sister hopping the different islands.
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I liked this book, but it took me a long time to really get into it. I thought it was kind of weird to read how the characters were dealing with COVID as frontline workers (doctor/nurses), as we are still in the midst of a pandemic. There could have been less COVID references, as I feel like for a fiction novel of this sort, it should be fun and not remind us of what we are currently living in.

I absolutely love the cover design of the book!

Mandy Baggott did not disappoint with this book! It tells the story of Lucie and Gavin who are 2 nurses looking to escape at the end of working through a pandemic. They travel to Corfu where Lucie meets the gorgeous Greek doctor Michalis. Their love story is at the heart of the book but what I loved most was the focus on Corfu. The author has described every aspect of the island in so much detail I really felt as though I was there. I have gone to Corfu on holidays for years but lockdown has meant I haven't been able to. The author's love of Corfu shines through and it is truly a treat to use this book to pay the island a virtual visit.

Lucie is the main character in Mandy Baggot's latest book: 'Staying Out for the Summer'. It talks about exiting lockdown and the effect of the global pandemic but, in all honesty, I want to read a book to escape from the pandemic and not to read about it and the aftereffects. As such, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I have done with Mandy's previous writing.

God, I just LOVE Mandy Baggot novels. There's just something about her style of writing that I just can't get enough of! The descriptions of the food was mouth-wateringly good and I LOVED the sound of the location. Gavin was hilarious, and whilst I wasn't a huge fan of Lucie's aunt, Meg, the other characters more than made up for it.

I adored that this book was relatable to Covid-19 too. It felt REAL.

A fab read, can't wait for the next one.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

A funny, romantic comedy. Another lovely book by Mandy. This is set, mainly on Corfu.

A book which provides escape, romance and funny moments.

There were many moments in the book which made me laugh at what Lucie and Gavin did.

.Lucie and Gavin, her best friend, working as nurses during the pandemic, now need a break from all the stress of their jobs.

The place where Gavin makes arrangements for them to go is Corfu, although at first Lucie isn’t pleased when they arrive, but soon all the beautiful scenery makes her change her mind, along with the people they meet, which also changes their lives.

Such lovely characters and funny incidents provides a wonderful escape.

Fun, quick read. Great beach read. Loved the scenery descriptions and it very much reminded me of some of the quirky things that went on with the Masterpiece theater show, "The Durrells of Corfu". The banter between the nurse friends is hilarious and I could so relate (retired RN here). The Greek festivals and characters were quirky and made you want to be there with them watching on a balcony with an ocean breeze. While it brought up the recent pandemic it did not dwell on the subject. It was just a part of their lives over the past year and a good reason to escape to Corfu. Nice story of family, friends, a little romance, and a lot of fun. Laugh out loud funny at times. Read, escape and enjoy!
I was provided an advanced reader copy of this book but was under no obligation to review. The opinions expressed are my own. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

I was wondering how long it would take me to read a chick flick that mentioned COVID-19, and the fact that this week marks one whole year since our shut down is ironic timing.

Lucie and her best friend Gavin have been working their tails off during the pandemic and decide to take a vacation to the Greek island of Corfu. While there, Lucie meets Michalis, a doctor that has been through the same struggles of the last year (and something deeper that made him take time off to return to his home island), and they immediately form a connection.

This book had quirky characters, a cute love story, and tackled the topic of Coronavirus in a natural way that shows how lives have been altered by the pandemic. Shout out to all the healthcare workers!

Lucie Burrows, and bff Gavin, both nurses who've worked hard in the last year due to the pandemic, Gavin's desperate for a holiday, finally Lucie agrees to Gavin booking a holiday to Corfu. Whilst on holiday Lucie's path crosses with the dashing Dr Michalis Andino who's taking a sabbatical after a long difficult year himself.

Plenty going on from pre to post hols, in part not always the holiday Lucie expected, will it be the long deserved break they need...

Overall a good read, but I found at times when coronavirus was referred to, for me a bit too specific on reality for a book of fiction. Worth a read.

Staying Out for the Summer by Mandy Baggot promises to be a fun read for the summer. Though the story line is a bit unrealistic, considering we are still in the grip of the pandemic. I can say it’s a dreamy illusion. Though interesting, I had to force myself to finish the book, solely for the reason I do not like to leave them unfinished. Not my kinda book. My best wishes to the author.

Thanks to Aria & Aries ,Netgalley, and author Mandy Baggot for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Another winner by Mandy Baggot, the absolute queen of the summer escape.
I totally fell in love with this fab book and the characters, especially the doctor….another gorgeous leading man. And I already love Corfu.
A topical book, and hoping we come out of the lockdown relating to the global pandemic in the same way this book describes. Really well written, and to include all the goings-on of the last year or so is very clever. It gives a good shoutout to all the NHS staff too.
A holiday with best friend, and fellow nurse, Gavin seems the perfect remedy to what has been a difficult year jobwise.
After a crazy journey from the airport in transport arranged be Gavin, Lucie is a bit worried about their accommodation. But she needn’t have worried. Apart from a few stray tortoises, their villa was a dream, with fabulous views out to sea and across to Albania.
Michalis is back in is home village in Corfu, after working as a doctor on the mainland through the pandemic. Something has happened, and we do find out, which makes his situation a little complex. He and Lucie really get along though, and we have some super sexy scenes.
Funny and entertaining in equal measure, just what I’d expect from Mandy Baggot. I love her writing.
Just look at that cover too, I hope I’m doing a similar thing in the summer.
Thanks to Aria and NetGalley for the early review copy in which I give my honest opinion.

Staying Out for the Summer by Mandy Baggot a fun read for the summer. Lucie and Gavin will suck you into their story, as they get sucked into island life. I will be honest I was a little hesitant when I realised what the main characters had done as I work in a similar field and its all I ever se, but honestly this brought a tear to my eye as it made me realise that we will get there in the end, this will just become the next flu and as we learn and grow, we will take it in our stride. I loved how this story shows us that despite life not being how we hoped and maybe planed, there is joy in the unexpected. As well as tasty Greek food, I love how the story progressed, it didn’t hide the negative, it just shined a light and brought a different side of it out. This is the perfect summer read, and the story so many people need, it shows us there is light and joy at the end of the tunnel and it smells delicious.

Once again, Mandy has written another brilliant book, set in beautiful Greece which is described soooo beautifully that I actually thought I was there.

Lucie and best friend Gavin are nurses, and they have worked tirelessly throughout the Covid pandemic. They have seen the devastation that this virus has caused and it’s time for them to escape and have a much deserved break.

They head to a little Greek island which is such an idyllic place and I want to pack my suitcase and head there now. They meet the beautiful Michalis who is a doctor and has also struggled during this pandemic. He’s a swoon worthy doctor and he and Lucie hit it off straight away, sharing the same understanding of everything they’ve been through in their jobs.

It’s a beautifully written book with oodles of brilliant characters(so many to name) but what I loved most is that it is written about the pandemic that has changed all our lives so significantly. It made the book feel completely relevant and it had the ability to make me feel like one day soon we could be living life a little more normally. Mandy dealt with the topic wonderfully, really highlighting how awful it must have been for staff who worked hands on during Covid, and just how much we owe them for all their hard work and all the heartbreak they must have witnessed first hand.

Another triumph in my opinion and Mandy continues to be one of my favourite authors 💕

Well now I want to visit Corfu, which is an issue since we are currently in lockdown but it was nice to dream while reading this book. I did love the hope that was woven into this as it was set post-pandemic height and while it was strange to read it was also uplifting. A brilliant read which is going to be perfect for the summer time.

Mandy Baggot’s Greek stories are always a bit of fun. This one comes with her usual mix of quirky Corfuit characters, a handsome Greek love interest, fun side kicks and a heroine with a back story.

This one will be a great summer read, fingers crossed on a Greek beach somewhere in the sun.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.