It was the Greek location that really made this book stand-out for me. Undoubtedly, the writer clearly favours the setting and I thought it made the novel different from so many festive reads. Furthermore, when snow does appear, it felt like my brain was boggled! Trying to comprehend snow in a place where characters had been wandering around in a brisk but not chilly country before the true Christmas weather descends, just shows how unpredictable our climate today can be.

Yet, for the most part I thought this was quite a slow story and the romance between Jen and Astro was not completely convincing. I did not get the sense of their simmering feelings for one another and I don’t think this was helped by the frequent interruptions from friends and family surrounding them. Jen just comes across as quite hopeless and I was not surprised when her financial situation was revealed. I could not picture her as self-employed and whilst her backstory did inform her character actions, I think I was hoping for a more business-minded woman. Thank goodness her friend, Bonnie, pulls Jen up for most of the novel.

As for Astro, he becomes Jen’s guiding light, so to speak, helping her realise that she does have the power to change her life. On the other hand, he is Mr Grinch personified and I did enjoy understanding the extent of Astro’s feelings. Astro is the antithesis of Jen’s other boyfriend in the novel and I found this sub-plot to be too predictable. As this character kept appearing in the story later on, I thought David’s appearances to be awkward and I wish he had been written out of the novel, the lying scumbag.

Jen’s Christmas business remained a mystery to me. I could not understand how she had survived so long with a Christmas-themed concept that would provide her with financial security all year long. Even when she is in Greece, Jen (rightfully) continues to worry about whether her business will succeed and I thought the many phone calls to her employees at home just made the narrative disjointed and chaotic; a distraction from the developing romance plot.

For sure, Baggot takes readers away to Greece in Christmas and I thought the setting descriptions were really vivid and interesting. I did feel like I was wandering the streets with the characters but, as for the romance itself, I was not too convinced in the main characters of Jen and Astro.

With thanks to Boldwood books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was very good! I loved the setting and the characters! I would definitely recommend and I’m excited to read other titles by this author!

A great pun of a title had me singing each time I pick the book up and the feel-good enjoyment continued as I read.
I love accompanying Mandy Baggot’s characters to Greece & the Greek isle of Corfu, as the author’s affection for the country shines through each description.
A wonderful winter read, bringing a little sunshine to cold & dreary winter days. Full of interesting characters & a storyline that held my interest from beginning to end, this is a wonderful winter read.

A good read. When Christmas loving Jen's boyfriend cancels their trip to Paris claiming he has to go to Athens for work her friend Bonnie persuades her to go out there but all is not as it seems .Its a lovely story of friendships, relationships and much more and the setting is beautiful perfect for a festive novel. Some good characters and I especially enjoyed Peri the pigeon a great addition to the story which was quirky, funny and warmhearted in equal measures.

Thank you to NetGalley, Mandy Baggot and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to review this book.

When Jens boyfriend David has to cancel their planned trip to Paris due to work commitments in Athens Jen decides to fly out there to meet him as a surprise (well she had already booked the time of so it would be a shame to waste it.) However, when she lands David is there and when she finally finds out why she is left with two choices; either go back home to her business ‘Christmas Every Day’ or take some time off to do some research into how the Greeks celebrate the festive season. She decides on the latter and not wanting to go alone takes her best friend Bonnie as well.

It is in Athens that we (and Jen) meet Astro who is the total opposite to Jen as he really is no fan of Christmas and we later learn why they both have totally opposite feelings about this time of year and that they really do have more in common than it first appears. As the story progresses Jen tries to convince Astro to get into the Christmas spirit and in turn, he shows her the ‘real’ Athens away from all the tinsel and sparkle of the lights and tourist hot spots.

It was certainly different to read a story set in Greece in the wintertime but as usual Mandy creates a wonderful cast of characters that really bring the story to life. I love the ‘slow burn’ romance and how we are gradually let into the backstories of all the characters as their relationships blossom and grow with the stories progression. I also found the description of Athens during the winter to be a pleasant and interesting ingredient in this book, and Mandy is fantastic at adding the little details that really help the reader to immerse themselves in the story.
Another cracking Christmas read from Mandy.

An unusual setting for a Christmas book, but no less delightful.
It was certainly a whim that takes Jen off to Greece. A whim that turns out to be quite a trip. I'm not going to spoil the plot here but it's quite an adventure. Went to some unexpected places. All enjoyable though.
I love the pigeon, too!
Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC to review. All views are my own.

Always enjoy Mandy Baggot stories and the adventures to Greece. Jen was a good character along with her best friends. Loved the Christmas aspect of the novel too.

This book is wonderfully written by Mandy Baggot. Her brilliant characters come to life on the page and and you can just imagine yourself in the places she describes so well. This is a Christmas book, but also a book about friendship, loyalty and romance that starts with a Candy Cane. Jen leaves her business and temporary home to travel with her best friend Bonnie to surprise her boyfriend, It does not go well and Jen is taken on an emotional journey she did not expect. Lots more top this than I can put in a review, it's just a great book!

As always with the is authors books this was an absolute delight to read. I love how this author writes about real people and their journeys and was the Perfect escapism read.

After reading lots of books about greece it is definitely on my list of places to visit and this one made a lovely change for it to be set during the winter season.

This was so much more than just a romance story and also made the reader feel like they had just stepped off the plane into a Greek midwinter

A unique take on the Christmas troupe. This saw Jen jet off to Greece on a whim after being let down by her boyfriend who she was supposed to be in Paris with. Jen eats, sleeps ans breathes Christmas, so much so she has made a livelihood from it but in Greece she meets Astro who despises all things festive. Lovely characters and great to read about how the festivities are enjoyed in other parts of the world. Thanks to netgalley and boldwood books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love this book; it reminded me of when I spend Christmas in Greece.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

I was attracted to this book by the title and the setting. I have read lots of Summer stories that are set in Greece but this is the first Winter book that I have read that was set in Greece.
I really enjoyed reading this book, I loved the setting, and trying to find out what had happened to David.
This book was funny, heartwarming and entertaining.
Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood books for my ARC.

the perfect combination greece and christmas!!
a fun festive light hearted read, you can always rely on this author to keep you wanting more.

I had just gotten back from Greece and just felt I wanted to read this and I am glad I did it ended up being a fun easy read. If your in the mood for a good holiday getaway romance I believe you will enjoy it !

Thank you Netgalley for this opportunity.

First: the descriptions of Greece in this were exceptional, particuarly around the food/nightlife/bar scene. These images just jumped off the pages and I honestly wanted to book my vacation right away.
This story is very wholesome, with just the right amount of christmasy cuteness...but I think the characters were nothing to write home about. Jen was just ok, David was particularly awful but pretty predictably so, and while I loved the artistry behind Astro, the rest of him was just ok. I struggled to really feel the chemistry between Astro and Jen, as I think too much focus was on their hugely opposing views of Christmas and just not enough real tenssion. I agree with a few other reviews I saw: I would LOVE to see a book that surrounded Bonnie. That would be super cute.
This book seems to dawdle a lot, which while isn't a complete deterrence, does make it all around a bit of a 'meh' reaction.

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Another great book from Mandy.

Jen finds herself off work and with nowhere to go after her boyfriend David cancels their romantic trip away to Paris. He tells Jen he needs to travel to Athens urgently for work. With Jen finding herself at a loose end she decides that travel to Greece and surprise David. When she arrives in Greece she finds that David has lied to her and is not I Greece after all. Should she stay and enjoy the time she has off or should she return home. Jen meets Astro whilst doing some research into how Christmas is celebrated in Greece. Astro hates Christmas, can Jen change his mind and get him into the Christmas spirit

Jen's dream Paris trip with her boyfriend David takes an unexpected turn when he cancels to travel to Athens for work. Jen, with the encouragement of her best friend Bonnie, decides to surprise him and arrives in Greece to find David missing. Faced with questions and uncertainties, Jen contemplates whether to go home or stay awhile. With the assistance of Astro, a Christmas-hating waiter, Jen embarks on a Greek Christmas adventure, turning what was supposed to be a "business trip" into something more. The novel blends romance, holiday magic, and the picturesque setting of Greece, exploring the unexpected turns that can lead to love and joy.

Once upon a time if you mentioned travelling to Europe, my first thought would be France. These days, I am a little more equal opportunity and the thought of France will be folowed pretty quickly to Italy, and more recently, Greece. I seem to be going through some kind of Greek period. I've bought a Greek cookbook, watched movies set in Greece, and one of my close friends recently visited so I was living vicariously through her photos.

Jen also had a plan to visit Paris on a romantic getaway with her boyfriend, David. Unfortunately David needs to cancel the trip as he needs to take a last minute trip to Athens for work. Jen's friend Bonnie is determined to make the romantic trip still work so she convinces Jen to head to Athens and surprise David. Let's just say things don't exactly go to plan.

Jen loves Christmas, and she even owns a party/events company called Christmas Every Day. This is her busiest time of the year, and she really needs this year to be successful, as the business is struggling a bit, well, a lot. She hasn't told anyone that things are so bad that she has had to give up her flat. Given how badly things are going, the disastrous trip to Athens is the last thing she needs, but a series of unfortunate events means that she is unable to get home. She therefore has to rely on her Ukrainian assistant Natalia, to keep her business afloat, whatever it takes.

In directly inverse proportions, Astro hates Christmas, and he wants to ensure that not even the slightest hint of Christmas enters into the bar he works at. Unfortunately, his co-workers have decided that a bit of festive cheer is exactly what the accountant has ordered. Among them are a young boy called Achilles whose mother works hard to just make ends meet and Astro's uncle Phillipos is at a cross roads in his life

When Jen stumbles into Astro's bar, little do they know that their path's will continue to cross. Soon Astro is showing Jen the real Athens, and revealing the secrets that he has kept hidden for so long. And Jen is sharing her truths, including her very rough childhood, and the reasons why she loves Christmas so much.

I must confess that I haven't really ever considered what Athens would be like as a Christmassy destination but the world that the author shares with us in the pages of this book is definitely one that sounds enticing. We do visit the obvious sites such as the Parthenon, but Astro also shows her off the beaten track locations - the real Athens.

Overall I enjoyed this book. There were times when everything felt a bit frantic, especially as Jen tried to manage her business issues back home from a distance, with David and to get home. I really loved the final scenes. I also loved seeing Athens in a different light!

I have read one other Mandy Baggot book set in Greece. Now I need to find some time to read more!

If you believe that everything happens for a reason, then this is the book for you! The fates conspired to bring this sweet romance to an unlikely couple and you'll be delighted that you found them on the pages of this book! She's Christmas on overdrive and he's the Grinch that stole Christmas, two more opposites, you will never find and yet they found each other! What starts out with the potential for heartbreak and backstories for the main characters that will tear at your heart, ends with a wonderful adventure and the possibility of a brighter future! If you like a sweet romance with a happily ever after that has a Christmas theme, then you'll want to travel to Athens with these characters to find that happily ever after with them! This was my first book by this author and I was happily impressed so will be looking for more from her very soon!

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood books and Mandy Baggot for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The basis of the book…Jen’s lying boyfriend David cancels their winter break in Paris and instead informs her he has jotted off to Athens for work. So, encouraged by Bonnie, the BFF, she jumps on a plane to surprise him (thankfully with Bonnie in tow). BUT David isn’t in Athens - cue heartbreak. It’s ok though because Bonnie convinces Jen to enjoy well deserved time away and encourages her to get a little closer to Astro - the gorgeous Greek waiter/Christmas Grinch.

So yes, this is 100% a cliched Christmas romance novel which can’t be beaten at Christmas. It sets a lovely scene of Athens and makes you almost want to jump on a plane to see it for yourself. It’s a shame though, the characters didn’t have as much depth as the setting. Bonnie was rich in description, and her personality shone out but everyone else was a little too reserved - not only in the story but also to the reader too. For this - it puts me at a 3.5. Still enjoyable but needs a little more to be a high Christmas favourite.