Bring Me Sunshine

Come Away With Me #1

by Alex Brown

Gina Bennett has had enough after her husband of twenty-seven years lets her down one time too many. Deciding to choose herself, she embarks on a transformative solo journey to break free from the monotony of her life.

She escapes to the gorgeous Greek island of Kalosiros, where she holidayed in her youth, and where she had her first romance with the handsome Nico. Encountering two kindred spirits in Rosie and Deedee, the women bond over art classes and cocktails, renewing their lust for life and a shared quest to find Gina's lost love.

Together, they navigate the challenges of middle-age, self-discovery, and the liberating power of skinny-dipping. Will Gina find love again with her teenage sweetheart Nico, her husband, or with someone new? 

Bring Me Sunshine is a wonderfully uplifting, coming-of-middle-age story about female friendship, romance and starting over, set on a gorgeous Greek island in the sun.

Genres: Chick Lit, Romance, Travel

234 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 6, 2024

About the author

Alex Brown is an International No.1 bestselling author of fourteen books including A Postcard from Italy, the Carrington’s series, The Secret of Orchard Cottage, The Great Christmas Knit Off, The Wish, A Postcard from Paris and the Bridget’s Bicycle Bakery series. Her books are loved worldwide and have been translated into twenty languages.

Alex lives by the sea on the south coast of England with her family and two glossy black Labradors. When she isn’t writing, she can be found walking on the beach, binge-watching a boxset or enjoying a French martini cocktail. She loves chatting to her readers on social media @alexbrownbooks and you can sign up to her newsletter on her website www.alexbrownauthor.com to receive a free short story, The Beach Walk, and also be the first to hear about new books, free extracts and giveaways.

Reviews

[Kirsty (BookBlogger) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bring Me Sunshine by Alex Brown

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

Gina Bennett has had enough after her husband of twenty-seven years lets her down one time too many. Deciding to choose herself, she embarks on a transformative solo journey to break free from the monotony of her life.

She escapes to the gorgeous Greek island of Kalosiros, where she holidayed in her youth, and where she had her first romance with the handsome Nico. Encountering two kindred spirits in Rosie and Deedee, the women bond over art classes and cocktails, renewing their lust for life and a shared quest to find Gina's lost love.

Together, they navigate the challenges of middle-age, self-discovery, and the liberating power of skinny-dipping. Will Gina find love again with her teenage sweetheart Nico, her husband, or with someone new? 

My Opinion

Bring Me Sunshine is a lovely holiday read that will whisk you away to the Greek island of Kalosiros. Gina has been married for 27 years, but she is not going to let her husband Colin come between her and her dreams - a solo trip can seem daunting but Gina is determined to go on her holiday. It was refreshing to read about a strong female lead showing that it is never too late to follow your dreams.

For me, this was a real page-turner. This was my second book by Alex Brown - although with the fantastic writing style I know I will be back for more.

Rating 4/5

[Marygrace Brinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a very fun, light read to start off summer! Greece is a place I've always wanted to visit so I had a great time picturing the island of Kalosiros while exploring the island with Deedee, Gina, and Rosie.

Sometimes the dialogue, especially between Deedee and Gina, didn't seem exactly realistic but mostly was there to further the plot in the way it needed to be. With that being said, I don't think it changed how I felt about the book. This book read like a hallmark movie to me, which I loveeee hallmark movies!

I definitely guessed the ending right around when Gina runs into the owner of the apartments she used to stay in with her mother. Speaking of the mother plot line: I enjoyed learning about Gina's mother and her relationship with her. After so many years have passed from Gina's mother dying the reader is able to see Gina reconnect with a part of her mother that she thought she had lost forever.

The grand mission that the new friends embark on was so fun of trying to find Gina's Nico after over 20 years of not having any communication with him. I thought this was such a fun mission, and really showed how much the new friends bonded, and showed a genuine friendship as they all want the best for each other!

This book was a fun read that I am glad I got to read while enjoying the start of the nice, summer weather. If you are looking for a light-hearted beach read, this might be the book for you!

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

[Grass monster · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Blurb :
Gina Bennett has had enough after her husband of twenty-seven years lets her down one time too many. Deciding to choose herself, she embarks on a transformative solo journey to break free from the monotony of her life.
She escapes to the gorgeous Greek island of Kalosiros, where she holidayed in her youth, and where she had her first romance with the handsome Nico. Encountering two kindred spirits in Rosie and Deedee, the women bond over art classes and cocktails, renewing their lust for life and a shared quest to find Gina's lost love.
Together, they navigate the challenges of middle-age, self-discovery, and the liberating power of skinny-dipping. Will Gina find love again with her teenage sweetheart Nico, her husband, or with someone new?


My Thoughts :
We meet Gina Bennett, who is in her 50s and had it with her husband Colin’s let downs all the time. Colin now says to Gina he has to cancel their Anniversary trip they had planned as he has to work instead. Gina has worked had to save for the trip to Kalosiros in Greece and decides to go alone, after all she is no stranger to the Island as she used to visit when she was younger with her mum and that is where she found her first love Nico.
Soon Gina meets Deedee and Rosie who are also travelling and visiting Kalosiros, the trio hook up and become friends and soon they are having the best time ever as their friendship develops.
With the help and support of her new friends, can Gina find herself again and lay some ghosts to rest or does she have regrets about going it alone?.
Alex Brown’s descriptive writing will pull at all of your senses especially the delicious food, amazing scenery and picturesque surroundings. Its all too easy to get lost and immerse yourself right there in the action.
Such a beautiful story that gives all the Shirley Valentine feels. Looking forward to more from Alex Brown soon.

[mrsljgibbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would firstly just like to say a big thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources who very kindly forwarded me an arc copy of this book, for my kindle, in return for my honest review…

Bring Me Sunshine is absolutely the perfect book to read this Summer! It was pure escapism and though the authors beautiful writing i felt as though i had been whisked away to the gorgeous Greek Island, Kalosiros!

Gina was wonderful as the strong female lead and i loved going along for the ride with her and getting immersed in her inspiring story…

This book was a real page turner and it didn’t take me long to turn all the pages and come to the end.

Bring Me Sunshine was heartwarming, uplifting, emotional story with a wonderful sense of friendship too…..

[Becky Sumner · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a glorious read! I have not read anything by Alex Brown before but I will definitely be looking up her work now.
This took me on a delectable journey to a Greek island that was full of sun, sea, sand and new friendships. It was brilliant to have older women as the main characters rather than 20 somethings. Very relatable and lots of fun to read.
Lovely characters and I want to go on the next holiday with them!

[Christine Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. We love going to Greece on holiday so this was a very welcome read for the month of December. I very much liked the love story from Gina and couldn't wait for the ending if this book. Kept me reading, fabulous and thankyou Alex Brown.

[Pat Langhelt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant story life in the Greek islands x

[Lola · Rating 3 out of 5]

A perfect wee read for sitting out in the sunshine with a cheeky glass of wine. I loved the romance but even more I loved the friendships even more.

[The Girl with the Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

נעים ואספקיסטי. בסגנון רומן רומנטי של פעם 🙃

[Jamieson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gina is ready for something more.

She has been living with her husband Colin for a long time and, though she has tried to jumpstart their marriage again, it seems like a moot point. She’s hoping that the long-awaited trip to Kalosiros in Greece will bring the much-needed spark back into their relationship.

Gina has fond memories of Kalosiros and the trips that she took there with her mother when she was still alive. She also remembers her first love Nico that she met on the island and she remembers the love that bloomed between them while they strolled under sunlit skies along the shores.

Part of her still remains on that island along with the memories of her mother before she got sick. Gina wonders if the last time she was happy was when she in Greece with her mother and Nico. She has been working as a cleaner, trying desperately to save money for the trip back to the island and the memories that it still holds for her.

When Colin unexpectedly decides not to go with her, this is the final straw in their crumbling marriage. The trip away from Colin is a trial separation and as she boards the plane, she feels free for the first time in years. She knows that the two weeks in Greece will be life changing, but she is unaware of how much of herself she will find there.

Still, a small piece of her remembers her first ever love. She wonders if Nico is still on the island and if he will remember her all these years later. What she doesn’t count on is remembering the parts of herself that she had forgotten and that love really begins within.

I loved everything about this novel. Alex Brown has a way of really helping the reader to visualize the world that she’s created. Diving into Bring Me Sunshine, the Greek islands came alive for me and I could feel the sea breeze on my skin and feel the heat of the sun. She truly made Greece come to life for me.

I love the characters that she creates. Gina ends up meeting two women in the resort, Rosie and Deedee. The women become fast friends and they are happy to help Gina on her search for Nico and the love she left behind. What I love about the friendship of these three women is that they became my friends too as I continued to read. The relationship is so real and true and so heartfelt. I love how Alex Brown creates these characters that are so well written I feel like I’ve known them for years.

Alex Brown is so skilled at layering Gina’s story, revealing a piece of Gina a little bit at a time as she discovers Greece all over again and begins to heal. Brown always tells stories in a different way, and she is in top form with Bring Me Sunshine. Part of this novel deals with controlling marriage and mental abuse.

I’ve lived through several relationships where there was mental abuse at play. Though the abuse was never physical, they made sure to bring me down to the lowest form of myself. Reading along with Gina as she began to discover herself again and embraced what she loved, and not what someone else was telling her to love, was sheer joy. I celebrated right along with her as she was able to find herself again. I cheered when Rosie and Deedee told Gina that she deserved joy, happiness and love in her life and I loved Rosie and Deedee all the more for it.

Alex Brown’s books always come along when I’m in need of a little bit of healing myself. Though it’s been over a decade since I was in a mentally abusive relationship, part of them still remained within me and I would hear their voices whenever I doubted myself. After reading Bring Me Sunshine, I will let their voices go with the breeze so that they can no longer hurt me. That’s how powerful Alex Brown’s writing is.

I can’t wait to read this book again and go back to Kalosiros where the air is sweet with the promise of love.

[Jennyfer · Rating 5 out of 5]

49-year-old Gina has long dreamed of returning to the Greek island of Kalosiros, the site of summer holidays with her mum and her teenage first romance, but after her mum's death she settled down in a sensible life with a sensible husband, and put her dreams aside.

When she is finally able to save for the trip back to Kalosiros, she is devastated to discover her husband is unable to get time off work, but buoyed by the support of her employer, Anne, Gina decides to travel back to the site of her childhood happiness alone. But not alone, as she soon meets fellow solo travellers Deedee and Rosie, and have a rollicking girls holiday that enables Gina to lay the ghosts of her past to rest, search for her first love, heal her soul, and rethink her future.

This is a heartwarming tale of friendship, and rebirth, of rediscovering oneself after so many rudderless years. It's marketed as "Mamma Mia meets Shirley Valentine" book, and it is exactly that - a warm uplifting, story of what women can do when supporting each other.

It's refreshing to read a book with "older" protagonists - Gina is 49, Rosie 50, and Deedee 69 - who are not staid background characters; rather these women are all full of life and joy and vivacity. (A minor quibble - some of the timelines don't quite add up, but I'm convinced time has gone sort of wibbly wobbly. And as one of the last of the Gen-xers, I'm horrified Gina doesn't have social media).

There was no holding back from the realities of getting older - perimenopause and its accompanying brain fog, sudden hot flashes and rages, are all mentioned here, along with HRT.
Gina is an awkward, perimenopausal, relatable everywoman who does the goofy things we all think we'd do in [x] situation. Rosie is the driven, outgoing Planner type, and Deedee is the auntie/mother figure who encourages Gina to fly while being there to catch her.

This was a fantastic read. After starting it and getting distracted, I ended up reading the lot in a night. There were tears, there were laughs, there was righteous indignation, there no surprises ... but the book is filled with a whole lot of love of all kinds.

A beautiful read.

~ Many thanks to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Alex Brown for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review~

[Karen Axnick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first exposure to this author, and I have mixed feelings about this novel. There is much to like with a few significant caveats.

Gina Bennett’s marriage had been on life support for a few years when her husband declines to accompany her on a long-planned and longed-for trip to Kalosiros, a Greek island. Contrary to her usual accommodating manner, she surprises him by departing on the trip alone after they agree to a “temporary” separation. This beautiful island holds precious memories of summers spent with her mother and of Nico, her first love. Once she overcomes her initial anxiety of solo travel, Gina meets two women, DeeDee and Rosie, who quickly become supportive friends in her quest to reclaim her sense of self.

This is a lovely story of midlife second chances and the power of female friendships. I thoroughly enjoyed Gina’s adventure as she reclaims her self-respect and her talent as an artist. It becomes apparent that her husband’s need for control fostered a manipulative relationship that over time diminished Gina’s creativity and self-esteem. Everyone should have a friend like DeeDee – a wise elder whose zest for life was both calming and infectious.

This brings me to the caveats mentioned above. The character of Rosie was obnoxious. Her obsession with finding Nico in the spirit of romance was out of touch with Gina’s emotional and mental state of mind. It reflected immaturity rather than exuberance. The pacing felt uneven and the constant references to finding Nico became tedious and distracted from Gina’s challenge to define herself outside of a relationship. Lastly, while it holds a feel-good ending, the storyline felt predictable and tracked a little too closely to the movie Shirley Valentine.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

.

[Debbie Southwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gina is in a miserable marriage and when her husband tells her he can’t go on the holiday to Greece that she worked hard to pay for Gina decides to go alone to the place she used to visit with her Mum when she was younger. Colin, her Husband, says this may therefore be a good time to have a trial separation.
While there Gina meets up with Rosie and Deedee and the three enjoy drinking, eating and swimming. However this is the place where Gina met her first love and they are on a mission to see if they can locate Nico but will the mission be successful.
I devoured this book in a day, Alex’s descriptive writing of the Greek food, the scenery and the crystal clear sea was amazing., Greece is definitely now on my to visit list.
I found the fact that the book was also about older women, like myself, being/becoming positive in their bodies and realising they are found attractive, really made me smile, I loved the things mentioned like a grey whisker on the chin that Gina had to keep plucking, as so relatable and although this book was pure escapism in many ways, the touches of what life is really like made it feel anything is possible and that you need to be happy in life and not settle for something that no longer makes you happy.
Touching on subjects like the menopause and coercive control, along with lost love were part of the story, but I think, for me, this book highlighted friendships and how friends, old and new, can make a difference in life.
Alex’s writing is always top class and real page turners so I would highly recommend reading this book and being transported to sunny Greece, with the waves lapping gently, while you drink a few raspbouzos.
Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the advance copy of this book, with all opinions being purely my own.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alex Brown’s Bring Me Sunshine is a sun-drenched charmer that will brighten up your summer!

Gina Bennett has had enough. After her husband of almost three decades disappoints her one time too many, Gina decides to put herself first for a change and embarks on a journey to recapture her joie de vivre and to discover who she really is. Heading to the gorgeous Greek island of Kalosiros where she had holidayed in her youth, Gina feels as if she has come home and when she befriends two women at art classes, she thinks she has found two kindred spirits with whom to drink cocktails and have the time of her life. When her new friends hear about Gina’s former flame Nico – whom she had met in Kalosiros a long time ago – they vow to try and find him for her. But is Nico the true love of her life? Or is he the one who got away?

As Gina begins to feel at home at Kalosiros, she decides to grab any chance at happiness that comes her way and rejoices in laughing with her friends, the majestic views all around the island – and even skinny-dipping. Yet, at the back of her mind Gina cannot help but wonder, had she been too hasty in walking out on her husband? Is Nico the one for her? Or could she find happiness with someone else?

Alex Brown’s Bring Me Sunshine is the ideal summertime escape that whisks you away to Greece and will make you laugh, cry and fall in love. Dripping with humour, hope, happiness and inspiration, chase all your troubles away, cancel all your plans and let Alex Brown take you on an emotional and uplifting journey with her feel-good new novel, Bring Me Sunshine.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Rachel Gilbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Alex Brown books!
I love Mamma Mia!
I love Shirley Valentine!

So combining all three into one book was always going to be a winning combination for me, and it really was!

I got the Alex Brown vibes instantly, not just because she is the author of the book, but because the small bit before the action moves to Greece, was set in Tindledale, a setting that is very familiar to Alex Brown fans.

And equally, just on meeting Gina's husband and the first couple of chapters, I was very strong on the Shirley Valentine vibes. I could see many parallels between the two, which just made me smile

And once Gina finally makes it to Greece, she starts to come into her own, she meets on her first night two other solo women and a friendship is strike-d up instantly, and from there the trio were inseparable - a bit like Donna and the Dynamos - in fact I really could get the Mamma Mia feelings too - not least as Fernando is a song that kept buoying Gina's confidence.

Between Rosie and DeeDee they encourage her to search the island of Kalosiros for her lost love Nico, while she also ignites her artistic abilities too. She also has far too many messages from her husband each day, despite them being separated.

With plenty of sun, sea, cocktails and a whole lot more, this is a perfect summer escapist read. I devoured it, loving every single word. Another totally fabulous book from one of my favourite authors. I couldn't get enough of all of it.

It's brilliant and totally transported me to Greece.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

[Claire Mc Partlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable story about a woman who's had enough of her uncaring husband and his cranky mother, who lives with them, and decides to go on holiday alone when her husband decides he can't make it.

Gina has very fond memories of the little Greek island of Kalosiros, as she used to holiday there frequently when she was younger with her deceased mother, and had a very special friend, Nico, her first love, that she used to meet every summer. But life moved on, her mother died and she stopped going, and eventually lost contact with Nico when she met her husband. But she's been saving for this holiday for a few years now so when her husband decides he can't go it's the last straw and Gina decides she's going on her own and they agree to a trial separation.

Once there Gina meets another two female solo travellers, Rosie and Deedee, and they bond quickly, enjoying each others company. When they find that Gina had a long lost love on the island they make it their mission to find out if he's still living there and what happened to him. She also finds the place she used to stay in with her mother, and the elderly lady that still owns it, although it had fallen into a bit of disrepair. So whilst there she helps her tidy things up a bit.

This was just such a lovely read, set on a beautiful sounding island, with Gina taking back her life and getting rid of the useless husband! Great escapism, a lovely book that will leave you with a big smile on your face at the end of it.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Gina has been married for 27 years to her husband who has slowly chipped away at her confidence over the years. Gina’s cleaning job pays for a dream holiday to Greece for them to work on their relationship but when everything is booked and paid for, her husband gives her a last-minute excuse, so she makes the brave decision to go solo.

On arrival she meets and becomes good friends with two other single travellers, Rosie and Deedee. Together they enjoy sea, sand and sangria, bolstering Gina's confidence and encouraging her to look for Nico, Gina's first love who she met as a child when she took her holiday each year to the island with her late Mum.

The descriptions of the scenery and the food and drink are evocative and make you feel like you are in Greece. However, I was a little disappointed with the lack of romance. I wish the author had written about when Gina and Niko first fell in love as teenagers as this would have helped me get a little more invested in the story as I found the constant references to finding Nico became tedious and Rosie, in particular, very annoying and immature.

Once I reached Cristos’ party in the book I felt like the story was then rushed and, before I knew it, the book had ended.

This is a feel-good, easy to read whilst on a sun lounger on a beach story about friendship, travel and second chances and perfect for middle-aged women who like Mamma Mia and anything Greek.

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this fun holiday romance novel, readers follow Gina Bennett whose husband of nearly thirty years has continued to disappoint her. Finally choosing herself and her happiness, she travels alone to the island of Kalosiros in Greece, a place full of childhood memories and her first romance with her old friend Nico. Meeting other solo travelers Rosie and Deedee, Gina bonds with them over art, drinks, and Gina’s lost romance with Nico. As they navigate choosing themselves and finding happiness elsewhere, readers will join Rosie, Deedee, and Gina as they rediscover themselves and find love in beautiful Greece. An incredible summer romance novel with holiday and travel vibes, readers are sure to find this book to be a fun, lighthearted, and powerful summer read. The characters are the heart of this novel, with realistic and relatable journeys of self-discovery and self-love, and their friendships with each other are beautiful, realistic, and enjoyable to read. Bringing readers to the Greek islands, the setting of the novel on Kalosiros is incredibly important and functions as another major character in the novel, and Brown has brought the location to life in this novel. Wonderful characters, a beautiful setting, and a compelling romance makes this a great holiday read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the advance copy.

[Kelly Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gina’s life has come to a standstill and she decides to go on the holiday to the Greek island of Kalosiros that she has been dreaming of on her own after her husband of twenty-seven years lets her down once again. Once there she meets Rosie and Deedee, two women who are also their on solo adventures. The three women create a friendship that ignites a new lease of life in Gina. They go on a mission to find Gina’s first love that she met on the island, Nico.

Gina is a middle-aged woman whose life feels stagnant and by going on this holiday that she has been dreaming of and meeting Rosie and Deedee, you see Gina come to life again. As you go through the story you see her eyes opening to the way her life has played out and how she has been being treated, and her desire to turn this round and see her finding the confidence in herself that she once had.

I loved the three main characters and the friendship that they built so easily. It was heart-warming to see them help bring out the spark in Gina and in turn brightening their own.

The Greek island of Kalosiros sounds dreamy and I felt like I was there with the girls.

This is the perfect summer escapism. An easy-read for some armchair travel that is an inspiring story to find that new lease of life and new female friendships.

You need to add this to your summer reading list!

[Euge Fernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

1990, Kalosiros, Greece. A summer, fifteen-year old Gina will never forget, sunshine, sea, and the encounter of her first love: Colin. Sadly, after that summer, everything changes.
Now Gina in her late forties returns to the island, alone, her husband Colin decides to stay in England.
Back in Greece, the place brings all the memories of her mom, the apartment complex where they used to stay and Nico, the boy she loved.
Upon encountering the two women who will later be her best friends they encourage Gina to pursuit an art class bringing her old passion to life.
When Gina tells her friends the sad story of that summer they decide to search for her old paramour. The hunt for him is not easy, they enquire everyone who may know a Nico, but to no avail.
Could a first love be the answer to happiness?
I read this book while on vacation at the beach. It’s the perfect summer read for you guys in the northern hemisphere, with a story full of sun, sea, Greek food and love, past and present.

[Felicity Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally loved this new book from one of my favourite authors!!! No disappointment here!! Transported to a sunny island for inspiration and love!!
Tremendous tale of awakening and finding yourself.
Gina is desperate for a longed for holiday to return to the Greek island of Kalosiros where she used to visit every year with her mum from childhood through to her teenage years until 19 when her mum became too sick. Will she meet up again with the people she knew so well in her past? The disappointment of her husband Colin letting her down at the last minute means she is staying in a gorgeous boutique hotel and enjoying a bit of luxury's, meeting some new friends and having a wonderful time!
Gina is learning to fly again!
Loved this book, like a huge warm hug!! Great writing, fabulous characters and a brilliant uplifting story. Sure to be a bestselling book this summer!!
Hugely enjoyed and highly recommended!!
Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the early read!!

[Lisbeth Zabihi · Rating 4 out of 5]

En lidt letbenet roman om en midtvejskrise! Gina er midt i livet og kan kigge tilbage på 27 års ægteskab, med en mand hun ikke rigtig ved hvad hun skal synes om. Hun har besluttet at de to skal til Grækenland, for at finde romantikken og hinanden igen. Men få dage før afrejse, meddeler hendes mand hende, at rejsen ikke bliver til noget, for han skal på kursus! Og hvis hun endelig vil afsted, kan hun jo slæbe svigermor med. Hvor romantisk!

Gina beslutter sig for, at rejse alene - hun aflyser mandens billet, og får en opgradering. Og det er så begyndelsen på hendes livs rejse.

Jeg er ikke super imponeret over romanen. Den er alt for gennemskuelig og letbenet. Omvendt, så fangede den mig faktisk henimod slutningen. Så da jeg skulle uddele karakter, endte jeg med 3 ½ stjerne, og da man ikke kan give halve stjerner, blev det til 4 stjerner. Det er ikke en roman der efterlader et længerevarende indtryk, men var hyggelig at læse.

[Candy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was invited by the publisher to read this book. This book was a bit of a burst of fresh air. Gina and her estranged husband travel to Greece, and Gina goes off on her own to relive her memories of traveling there when she was younger and her lost love, Nico. She then connects with two other women who quickly become her friends. I liked this book because of the character development, in that Gina was able to find who she was again, but also because of the friendships. I felt that was a strong theme in this book, rather than focusing on romance.

Finally, I did feel transported to Greece; I thought the author did a great job of describing the scenery and food, and I felt like I was there (wishing I were there!).

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another lovely read by a truly talented author.
When Gina's husband lets her down again and says he can't make the holiday she has been working for as a cleaner for two years to save for, to a Greek Island that she used to visit as a child with her late mum Shirley, where she met her first love Nico, Gina throws caution to the wind and shocks Colin by going alone, leading to a trial separation.
She befriends two other solo travellers, wedding planner Rosie and adventurous widower DeeDee and three embark on the holiday of Gina's dreams, having fabulous adventures along the way.
Rosie and DeeDee convince Gina she should try and find her childhood sweetheart Nico, but will their search be successful, or will Gina fall for the sexy art teacher at the hotel.
A laugh out loud, emotional summer read, I couldn't put it down.

[Roberta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been enjoying Alex Brown’s books for a long time now, so I couldn’t wait to read Bring Me Sunshine. It didn’t disappoint - I enjoyed it so much.

I loved reading about Gina’s journey, rediscovering herself. And the growing friendship between Gina, Rosie, and Deedee was wonderful to see. They’re so supportive of each other.

The characters were all well drawn, especially the three ladies. They all had distinct personalities and backgrounds.

The sense of place was excellent, it made me feel like I was really on a sunny Greek Island. As well as all the above, there’s some romance too.

Overall, this book was a fun and delightful escape. I recommend it.

I was given a copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

[Jane Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bring Me Sunshine is a lovely mix of laughter, poignancy and romance as Gina breaks away from her restrictive marriage and escapes to the Greek Island where she spent childhood summers and experienced her first love. Gina is an easy-to-like woman; now nearing fifty, she feels her invisibility and is constantly criticised and manipulated by her husband and his mother. When he refuses to accompany her on the romantic break she planned and paid for, she goes alone, meets new and old friends, and has unexpected new experiences. I like the laugh-out-loud humour, the self-realisation Gina experiences, the friendships and the romance. It's a lovely escapist read full of emotion.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

[Laurel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding her first love again.

I loved the memories Gina cherished from her holidays with her mother in Greece. Nico was first her love on the island in Greece. After her last holiday with her mum, they didn’t return, because her mother developed breast cancer and died. Then mourning and life took over, but she still kept Nico in her heart. They lost that connection until she decided to take a solo holiday in Greece, when her controlling husband wouldn’t go.
She made friends with fellow travelers and reacquainted herself with the island and tried to find Nico, but it turned out to be a dead-end

She ended her marriage long distance after her husband stalked her online. She learned some surprising things when a mystery woman dropped her a “DM”.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this novel and read it in less than a day. Alex Brown instantly transports you to a sun-kissed Greek island as Gina returns to where she holidayed as a youth. After twenty seven years of marriage, she’s about to embark on a new solo adventure. I adored Gina’s character and how her friendship evolved with Deedee and Rosie. If you want a novel filled with hot Greek sun, bountiful descriptions of gorgeous food and breathtaking scenery, then this novel is for you. It’s a delicious tale of friendships, new beginnings and first love. Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and the author for the chance to review.

[Wendy(Wendyreadsbooks) Robey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect treat - Bring Me Sunshine is a gorgeous holiday read and has transported me to Greece with the all of the sunshine and some mouthwatering good food.
This is so wonderful- just like all of Alex Brown’s other books, it’s filled with brilliant characters, a gorgeous setting and lots of love.
Gina, Rosie and Deedee had such an instant rapport and I loved how they built eachother up and gave eachother confidence in learning how to fly again. Deedee sounded a hoot and seeing her encourage Gina to take that leap out of her comfort zone was a joy to read.
With little nods to Shirley Valentine and Mamma Mia this is a fabulous summery read.

[Francesca Rosado · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very cute book, and an easy read, but very cheesy. Lovely characters (this was actually the one before one I've read recently, 'Wish You Were Here', from the Come Away With Me series. This one wasn't as good as the second, mainly because of some of the cheesy and poorly written speech from some of the characters. Quite often the speech would be full of detail that would fit more in descriptive narrative, people dont in my opinion say out loud how much they 'love the bright pink, trailing hanging baskets surrounded by lemon and olive trees'. It was a bit difficult to read these passages as I was cringing a bit! But still, lovely little holiday read with a nice happy ending.