When Imogen discovers her brother Harry has impulsively decided to buy a Greek restaurant in Corfu that is in desperate need of some TLC, she decides she can’t possibly let him take on this adventure by himself. Besides, who would say no to a few weeks in sunny Greece? However, the restaurant is in an even worse condition than first thought and Harry is quite adamant on opening the place within two weeks. Imogen meets property developer Panos Dimitriou, who is keen on buying back his grandmother’s restaurant and is willing to do whatever is needed to get the property. The sparks between Imogen and Panos are difficult to ignore, but Imogen knows she can’t betray her brother who seems determined on making the restaurant a success. Suddenly, Corfu offers a lot more excitement than Imogen expected; excitement that forces her to make some pretty big life-altering decisions.
Mandy Baggot has once again treated us to a lovely summer romance read that I enjoyed from start to finish. While getting the place ready for business, Imogen and Harry meet several people including previous owner Elpida, who is the star of every scene she appears in, and Panos, her handsome grandson and also a businessman who has different plans for the local restaurants. While I straight away liked Imogen, it took me a bit of time to warm to Panos, who seems to be solely focused on making money, but as the story progresses we also, luckily, get to see a different side of him. While I enjoyed both the romance storyline between Imogen and Panos and the storyline focusing on Harry and his restaurant, I couldn't help but sometimes feel something was missing. Here and there I felt it was a bit too slow-paced or could have used another storyline to keep the reader entertained. I do want to applaud the author, though, for her descriptive writing style that made it so easy to almost see, feel and smell Greece, which definitely added to the reading experience. (JoH)
Those Summer Nights, by Mandy Baggot, whisks readers away to a Greek isle. The summary says: "Imogen Charlton is sorted. Dead-beat husband? History. Dream job? Application sent. But then her impulsive brother, Harry, spends every last penny on a Greek restaurant in Corfu, and is determined to run it himself. It's up to Imogen to bring him to his senses.
When sexy millionaire Panos Dimitriou offers to buy back his family taverna, Imogen wonders if all her prayers have been answered (and all her fantasies about to come true). But Harry won't budge, and his enthusiasm is infectious. Bright pink bougainvillea tumbling over whitewashed walls, endless blue skies, the sparkling Mediterranean; it's hard not to fall for Corfu. And that's not all Imogen is falling for...
As the sparks of passion fly between Imogen and Panos, is Imogen having second thoughts on selling the restaurant? And will she have to choose between love and a new dream?" Those Summer Nights is out in May 2016.