I thought the characters were brilliantly wrought. Shauna’s mother in particular, although she plays a seemingly small role, is a clever catalyst for action and felt absolutely realistic. I loved meeting Roxy, Shauna’s feisty, loyal friend and if it were possible, I would definitely like to spend time with Demetrios! However, it is Shauna who is the literal and metaphorical superstar. Her rise to stardom and the reality that can lie behind such a persona is so well presented. It’s difficult to explain too much without spoiling the plot, but I particularly enjoyed Shauna’s ambition, her dignity and her integrity in the face of adversity. Well, a family drama thrives on drama and interesting characters. You gotta have secret keepers, victims, collateral damage, heroes, villains, grey characters, et al. While the book has them all, none of them except that scum Giorgio makes an impact (at least for me). Whereas Gabriel and his family has been running it for over two decades and wants to take it over however he is trying to figure out why it wasn’t left to his own family.

I highly recommend this romantic escapism book, it would be a perfect beach read, ideally somewhere warm with a nice cool drink by your side. As most of us this year will be not be travelling to another country, in my case, that may have to be with a hot drink and a blanket instead! Running from a scandal, Shauna flees to the place that changed her life twenty years ago, the idyllic Greek island of Ithos. I loved the glamour of Under a Greek Moon because it gave me a glimpse into an unfamiliar world in a realistic way balanced by the reality of Shauna’s Irish past and upbringing. It was a sheer delight to sail on the yacht in the Greek waters so that I felt as if I were on holiday as I read. There’s a smashing quality to the setting details that allows the reader to picture the scenes without detracting from the narrative. I have a tiny criticism in that my preference is not for brand names to be attached to items but here they add to the sense of privilege and wealth so I forgive the author, especially as her descriptions of food were totally mouth-watering. Like I said, this isn't really my "thing". It's one of those beach reads that feels very lush and velvety and the characters are in these luxurious settings. But even so, I enjoyed it, and not just because I'm a massive simp. The writing flows well, and, although I was kind of meh on the main romance plotline (I just thought Gabriel was a bit of a twat, honestly, although I thought the conflict/attraction dynamic between him and Ariana was written well), I loved Elise's storyline and her budding romance with the chef. The intrigue aspects are what kept me reading: the breadcrumbs are scattered throughout and integrate the plotlines together really well. Ono što mi se svidjelo je odnos između Shaune i Roxy - ta snaga ženskog prijateljstva i što sve ono podrazumijeva ❤️Looking down from his hilltop villa, enigmatic tycoon Demetrios Theodosis knows he can’t change the past, and looks to the future through his tempestuous daughter Ariana, but in trying to tame her free spirit, is he driving her further away? We are smart readers yes however when you have to do something like that constantly throughout then it makes for poor reading as novels should be clear and guided instead of going what some would call ‘wish-washy’. What a super, summer read Under a Greek Moon is. Taking the reader from Ireland to Los Angeles and on to Greece, Carol Kirkwood has created an escapist voyage of discovery for both the reader and for Shauna so that reading the book is like taking a break from everyday life.

When her grandmother unexpectedly leaves her a hotel in Cannes in her will, it gives Arianna a push to change the path of her life. However, the hotel and the du Lac family, who ha previously owned it are holding many secrets and it is not going to be a straightforward move for Arianna. As the story unfolds both families learn secrets from the past and new friendships are made for the future.

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Full of wonderful descriptions of sun-drenched Greek islands, Hollywood and its screen icons; I didn't want to put it down ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ In its hey day the hotel was THE place to be seen in Cannes, a mecca for the glitterati attending the film festivals and summering at the beach. Nowadays it is looking a little the worse for wear, shabby and unloved. The hotel had belonged to the Du Lac family for decades and its matriarch is a recluse still ensconced in the penthouse on the top floor. The Du Lac family has their secrets and Madame Du Lac is clinging onto them with her fingertips. I'll admit that there is one reason and one reason only that I bought this book, because this is not really my genre: I had a huge crush on Carol Kirkwood as a teenager. When I was getting ready for school in the mornings, my mum would have the news on the television so she'd be presenting the weather, obviously. It was always particularly great if Carol was out and about somewhere and found a cute animal or something. She's so sweet and so pretty <3