Book Review - Truly, Madly, Greekly by Mandy Baggot

Amazon UK

Title:  Truly, Madly, Greekly

Author: Mandy Baggot

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Bookoutre

Publication Date: 22nd May 2015

Rating:  5 Stars

Sun, sea and a sexy stranger - a whole lot of fun just got a lot more complicated

Capable, confident and career-driven, Ellen had her dream job and a marriage proposal from boyfriend Ross. Life was good, her future set. Until it wasn’t and everything fell apart… 

Whisked off to the beautiful island of Corfu to plan her sister Lacey’s big, fat, Greek wedding, Ellen is hoping some time out will help clear her head and heal her heart. But letting go of her past is not going to be easy. 

With Lacey in full on Bridezilla mode, Ellen is soon distracted from her own problems. And when the all-inclusive treats on offer at hotel Blue Vue include one gorgeous, brooding Adonis – Yan – Ellen  finds him difficult to resist. 

But Ellen isn’t looking for love or lust, or anything involving too much ouzo…or is she? 

I am puzzled as to how I had never read a book by Mandy Baggot before this one. I have five others by her, sitting on my kindle that I have either bought or picked up as Kindle freebies, over the past four years, but yet I haven't read them. I suspect that will be changing in the coming months, as having read Truly, Madly, Greekly, I now know I have been missing out. 

I think I knew I was going to enjoy this book when in the first chapter there is the first encounter with Yan, who mentions he is part of the animation team at the hotel in Corfu. Added to the knowledge that it was an All Inclusive holiday, and that is enough for me to know that the story was going to based in the exact sort of hotel I would pick for myself on holiday. There is nothing I like more than eye-ing up sexy members of animation, and I was intrigued to see what would happen to Ellen and Lacey on their holiday there. 

Lets start with the cover, its a stunning image that brings up the imagery of a holiday, and the tag line "Sizzling summer reading"  I can assure you is telling the truth. This is an incredibly summery read, one that if you don't have the means to read it on a beach, then find a warm spot somewhere, relax, read this book and you will completely believe you are in Corfu with Ellen, Lacey and Yan.

Ellen and Lacey are off to Corfu, to the Blue Vue Hotel, where Lacey is hoping to plan, and have her wedding. Lacey fell in love with the wedding venue at the hotel, and having dragged Ellen around various UK venues, is now taking her to Corfu to look at this one.

Ellen has been going through a tough time recently, although she has kept it all secret from her loved ones, and doesn't really want to be away from the office, let alone relax into a holiday. As they arrive at the hotel, an incredibly sexy foreigner tries to take their bags... Well Ellen thinks he is trying to steal them, but all he is trying to do is his job. He is Yan, from the Animation team, who had stayed up late as part of his job to welcome the girls to the hotel, and act as a porter. 

To say Yan and Ellen don't exactly hit it off to start with would be a complete understatement. In fact on subsequent meetings they are downright rude to each other. but there are definitely sparks flying.  Lacey becomes slightly distracted from the wedding planning when she meets Serg, another of the animation team. 

We get chapters focusing on Yan and on Ellen's points of view, so we get a sense of who Yan really is, and get a hint at what he may be hiding. 

Based on my own experiences at these sorts of hotels, I can say with certainty that the animation team at the Blu Vue Hotel, is definitely an amalgam of assorted animation guys from hotels around the world. In Yan, I could see bits of 2 or 3 others that I have met and become close to on holiday. And that Monica that is constantly trying to attract his attention, for a bit of after hours affection, I have seen similar people myself. Serg is your typical playboy, love them and leave them after their week's holiday is up type, and has a partner back home. He is your stereotypical hotel worker in that respect. I was amazed and just how real these men were, and how much I felt as though I was on that holiday.

It is very rare for me to 100% feel completely as though I could have been the main character of the book. So much of what Ellen experiences on this holiday, I have either experienced or known someone that has. The difficulties in her work life are foreign to me, but I completely understood what she had been trying to do, even if she may have got herself into a sticky stituation. All will be revealed as you read this book. 

If found the story to have some hilarious bits, but equally some more serious sections, including an adrenalin producing rescue. I was immensely emotional at the end of Truly, Madly, Greekly, in part just due to my empathy with Ellen. 

Truly, Madly, Greekly really is a perfect holiday book, about a holiday that turns into so much more for Ellen and Lacey. It was an absolute pleasure to read and learn their story. While reading I was reminded of so many happy holidays of the past, and I'm sure that when I'm next on holiday, I will think of this book, and hope that I will meet a complete Yan of my own. 

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Bookoutre for my review copy of this book. This was my honest review. 

Happy Publication day to Mandy Baggot, enjoy your day. Truly, Madly, Greekly is out now!