The Summer Wedding in Santorini

by Samantha Parks

Escape to the beautiful Greek island of Santorini for the wedding of the year…

Anna has the perfect life on the island of Santorini with her gorgeous vineyard-owning boyfriend Nikos, and she travels the world for work. So why does she feel that something is missing?

When Anna’s best friend Elena gets engaged, she should be celebrating with her, but instead it seems to cause cracks in her own relationship that she never saw coming.

Nikos is thrilled that Anna’s career is going from strength to strength, but being without her so much has left him feeling disconnected in ways that could have devastating consequences for their future.

As celebrations get underway for the wedding of the summer, secrets will be revealed, and ultimatums will be given. In the end, Anna and Nikos must decide whether their love story can have the happy ever after they both desperately want…

Genres: Romance, Greece, Contemporary

378 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 2, 2023

Reviews

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

received a free copy of, The Summer Wedding in Santorini, by Samantha Parks, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Anna is a wonderful character, her boyfriend not so much, I did not like him at all. Going to Santorini for a summer of her close friend, changes her in ways she never expected. I thought this was a nice read.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes I'm in the mood for cosy, romantic reads, and that was my mood when I chose this. I thought the cover was very colourful and pretty, I was drawn to it, and hoped that this would be a nice book to escape with.

I liked the protagonist, but I didn't find myself very interested in any of the other characters, or connect with the story as well as I'd have liked. I sometimes felt like it was a little too good to be true, too sugar-coated.

This book probably would catch my eye if I saw it in a bookshop or library, and it was a light, pleasant enough read. A book like this is the type of thing that I might read once, if it's what I'm in the mood for, and then I typically pass it on to someone else to enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not having read the first book I did question a few things but it seemed to hold up standalone?!

I liked the setting. I could imagine how beautiful it must be.

I felt at times the characters were realistic but that the plot got stuck quite seriously on the main character's drama to the detriment of all other events, including a wedding. That didn't seem realistic.

I think the author should recommend reading the first book before reading this one in case she doesn't already. I felt a bit like I got a table that sits on uneven floor without knowing some more of the background.

[Tiffeny Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

This to me was okay, however, goodreads also neglected to let me know it was a sequel. Maybe had I read it in order I’d have liked it better.

[Kim · Rating 1 out of 5]

Meh, I have to say I didn’t really enjoy this. Anna was terrible to most people. Selfish and rude. Nikos and Anna did not communicate except to have sex, and then fought with each other. Everyone seemed to side with Maria and no one admitted it looked bad to keep her relationship with Nikos a secret. The side characters and relationships were a mess. The ending felt forced and unnatural.

[Annika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Empfehlenswert, um es während eines Urlaubs auf Santorini (oder einer anderen griechischen Insel) zu lesen! Es ist nicht nötig, den ersten Teil zu kennen, da man gut in die Geschichte eingeführt wird und die Charaktere schnell kennen lernt.


***************
Spoiler:

Was mich wahnsinnig gestört hat, war, wie die Freunde des Hauptcharakters Anna ihr so in den Rücken gefallen sind. Anna macht sich Sorgen, weil sie befürchtet, ihr Freund Nikos betrügt sie mit einer anderen Frau, Maria, - und alle ihre engsten Freundinnen plus ihre Schwester stellen sich auf die Seite von Maria und schließen Anna aus der Gruppe aus. (Und das, obwohl Maria das Misstrauen von Anna teilweise noch aktiv befeuert.) Der ganze Junggesellinnenabschied war so furchtbar zu lesen. Ich habe die ganze Zeit nur gedacht, Anna braucht dringend neue Freundinnen.

[Jaffareadstoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anna travels the world photographing exotic locations for prestigious clients so when she returns to her summer house on the beautiful Greek island of Santorini she wants nothing more than to snuggle down with her handsome boyfriend, Nikos. However, all is not going well for them as Nikos is becoming increasingly resentful of Anna's constant absence in his life. The catalyst in their relationship comes when their close friends announce their engagement and start to plan for a spectacular wedding and invite Anna and Nikos to be their maid of honour and best man. With the cracks in their loving relationship growing ever wider both Anna and Nikos have some in depth soul searching before they discover what is really important in their relationship.

The Summer Wedding on Santorini is an enjoyable summer read which, of course, has the advantage of being set on the beautiful island of Santorini, a place of warmth and sunshine with spectacular sunrises and sunsets. The author does a great job of bringing the island, and its people, to life whilst at the same time giving us an in-depth look at the anguish which both Anna and Nikos go thorough in their search for love. The Summer Wedding in Santorini can be read as a stand alone story however, the characters can also be found in the previous book, The Summerhouse on Santorini..

A light and easy summer read, perfect for poolside or a lazy afternoon in the garden

[Ethell Yarbrough · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great romance novel by Samantha Parks and I could not get enough! I did not even realize this was a sequel and now I need to get my hands on the first one so I can see how Anna and Nikos fell in love! I absolutely recommend this one! I wanted to visit Greece and London and enjoy the food scenes even more. I could not put this book down and devoured it in a day! All the characters were so self-aware and relatable and it made me want to look inwards and correct some of my behavior when it comes to confrontation in social settings. This was the perfect beach read and even on a rainy day when you want to imagine the black sands at Elena's wedding.

Thank you to Samantha Parks, One More Chapter and NetGalley for the ARC.

[Karen Farrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lovely book from the outset. Essentially it is a romantic love story with a lot of drama packed in as well.

Set on the beautiful island of Santorini, Anna and Nikos live a wonderful life together. As their friend (and cousin) Elena & Vasilis embark on their wedding plans, various issues in Anna & Nikon’s relationship start to cause a lot of issues and unhappiness. This is a classic love story of “will they won’t they” but written differently.

The book takes you through a rollercoaster of emotions but is a perfect beach read

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really fun hot romance! Loved the complex characters working through major issues.

[Donna Harding · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sultry, sexy read. Samantha Parks, is a sensational storyteller. Can’t wait for her next book.

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

The Summer Wedding in Santorini by Samantha Parks

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

Escape to the beautiful Greek island of Santorini for the wedding of the year…

Anna has the perfect life on the island of Santorini with her gorgeous vineyard-owning boyfriend Nikos, and she travels the world for work. So why does she feel that something is missing?

When Anna’s best friend Elena gets engaged, she should be celebrating with her, but instead it seems to cause cracks in her own relationship that she never saw coming.

Nikos is thrilled that Anna’s career is going from strength to strength, but being without her so much has left him feeling disconnected in ways that could have devastating consequences for their future.

As celebrations get underway for the wedding of the summer, secrets will be revealed, and ultimatums will be given. In the end, Anna and Nikos must decide whether their love story can have the happy ever after they both desperately want…

My Opinion

Samantha Parks has written a novel that was difficult to predict. This was my first book by Samantha Parks and it was such an enjoyable read. A beautiful cover and a beautiful story. A perfect holiday read.

Rating 4/5

[BooksToTheGrave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anna and Nikos live a beautiful life in Santorini but are having problems. Nikos, for some reason, omitted a large part of his life, and Anna, being a photographer, spends too much time around the world working. Instead of dedicating their time together to solve the problem, they spend it preparing for the wedding of Elena - Anna’s friend and Niko’s cousin. But how can they appreciate the festivities when a cloud hangs over their relationship?

I enjoyed reading this book. I’ll be straightforward and say that my only problem with this story was that I could see from early on what needed to be done. And it turned out I was right since that is how the problem is solved and the book ends.

I enjoyed the descriptions of the places, the interaction between the characters, and the complex human dynamics.

It bothered me some attitudes from Anna’s sister towards her. It made no sense to me, even with everything happening. She should be the better-equipped person there to understand her sister.

I loved the grandparents, and especially his last adventure!

By the end, I was left with the usual problem I get when I read a book that beautifully describes Santorini: I want to go there!

3.75*

Read through NetGalley

[Rachel Gilbey · Rating 4 out of 5]

How lovely to be back on Santorini with Anna and Nikos. Set 4 years after the first book and although they are clearly still in love, it is certainly not smooth sailing.

At points during the book I honestly wasn't sure what the outcome would be, despite knowing the likely possible ending purely due to the genre. But wow the journey they took me on, so many highs and lows.

I really felt for Anna at times, she's ambitious and as much as I like Nikos, I was starting to resent him myself! While at the same time they are attempting not to let their cracks, be too obvious, when Elena gets engaged and the wedding is 3 weeks later.

There is a lot of wedding prep for them both and so many secrets, and revelations to be uncovered, this is a story that kept me on my toes throughout. And the last 12% which I had reluctantly stopped before, as it was getting late the night before, that I devoured in no time, just utterly perfect. Totally worth everything the author put the characters through.

A really great sequel that I thoroughly enjoyed. Well worth the wait for it too!

Thank you to One More Chapter and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

[Elaine - Splashes Into Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

So happy to Santorini to return once more
Where Anna and Nikos need their love to explore.
They're spending so much time apart
Could it result in a broken heart?

With her best friend's engagement surprise
Something is wrong, Anna starts to realise.
Her career is successful but involve travelling, too,
She's worrying about what next she should do.

Meanwhile Nikos is happy her career is going well
But her long absences are starting to tell.
Their reunions are heartwarming, that's so true
But the parting is leaving them both feeling blue.

There seem to be two options - to stay or to go
But surely their love will an alternative show?
Can they work out their problems somehow
To share their love and careers together from now?

A story filled with drama and decisions to make
With a true love that makes it hard to break.
But unless together they can find a way
Will their love last for another day?

It keeps you guessing and worrying, too,
About these two and what they'll do.
With others involved, there are choices to make-
Will they stay together or will their relationship break?

For my complementary copy, I say thank you,
As I share with you this, my honest review.

[Annie Leadley · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read for the most part with some stunning destination descriptions & a rich assortment of characters . What spoilt it slightly for me was all the in depth sexual scenes which I don't think were really required . I'm by no means prudish but think with subtle hints it can be best left to each individual readers own imagination hence why the 4 Star rating . Probably a good Book for those who like light reading material when sat around a Pool. #NetGalley, #GoodReads, #FB, #Amazon.co.uk, #Instagram, #, #, #.

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anna has traveled as a professional photographer for years now. Her home base is on Santorini where she lives with her boyfriend, Nikos. She and her sister, Lizzy, inherited a home there from their parents. Nikos loves gardening and also has a vineyard. Anna usually travels for 3 weeks and is home for 3 weeks. Being away from her is starting to get old for Nikos. He knows Anna loves what she does and is not interested in quitting her job.

Nikos’ sister, Elena, is getting married and Anna is to be her maid of honor. Delighted at the honor, everyone is getting excited at the wedding happening soon.

However, Nikos and Anna are not getting along well. He doesn’t want to push her to stop her job as he is proud of her work and it makes her happy. Anna is feeling the unuttered pressure from Nikos and both are unhappy.

Having visited Santorini many years ago, it was a pleasure to be reminded of its beauty. I liked the close family atmosphere expressed in the book, however, I can’t say that I liked Anna or Nikos. I can understand Nikos missing Anna and I had hoped to see her agree to cut back on her trips as a compromise as one person having their way totally does not make for a good relationship. There seems to be too much drama and angst in this story along with crazy drinking. Three stars is my rating.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Book Escapes Babs · Rating 4 out of 5]

While reading this book, I felt that I wished I’d read the first in the series to get a better feel for the relationship between Anna and Nikos. Their chemistry was immediately obvious but I didn’t feel that there was the same depth of character development, as in a true standalone story. I enjoyed meeting Anna’s friends as well as her sister. I do enjoy an ensemble cast, and this one did not disappoint.
The main themes of the story felt a little laboured, what did Anna want from her life and was Niko too close to the mysterious Maria. Ultimately, the story delivered a truly satisfying ending that made up for my earlier frustrations.
The author’s descriptions of the landscapes and local scenes had me thinking about visiting Santorini and soaking up some of the atmosphere and stunning views.

[Colin Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anna and Nikos have settled in the summer house in Santorini, however their relationship is under strain due to her frequent trips away on business as her photography career starts taking off whilst Nikos' vintage is going from strength to strength.
This does raise the issue of how difficult it is to combine a career that involves a significant time away from home and a steady relationship, especially for a woman where there is more expectation to be the stay at home partner. Throw in a mysterious woman who appears to be very close to Nikos, plus Anna working closely with her ex who is now her agent, and there is plenty of room for misunderstandings. The location does sound idyllic, the friends supportive, leaving you to read on hoping that everything works out OK in the end. Note that there are some spicy moments if they aren't your thing.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influenced my review of the book.

[Loren · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. I picked up this book because I was stuck in the Athens airport for a while and they only sold books set in Greece. It had potential to be a cute story but ultimately the characters were underdeveloped and the main character seemed obsessed with her own relationship and incapable of thinking of anything else, yet refused to communicate about it for the better part of the book. I was bored so I skipped to the end and was disappointed that the resolution to the relationship predicament was so simple and wasn't the first thought in solving the problem.

[Hannah Roen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading this book, I loved it! I loved how the author took us into the psyche of the main characters, and how a creative solution came forth. There was much wisdom in this book, coming from Anna's friends and family, I even underlined some of it. I appreciated the mystical scene of the visit to the Delphi, and the steamy romantic scenes, not to mention the beautiful setting. I didn't know that there was a prequel to this book, so I want to get a hold of it ASAP! Very much looking forward to more books by this author

[Nicki Vashi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, The summer house in Santorini. However, the plot for this book felt long and drawn out. It also felt like it was two immature people in a relationship who couldn’t seem to communicate. It took more than half the book before they could even admit what they wanted in their relationship. It was a bit annoying and didn’t seem realistic. I did enjoy the writing and the different relationships portrayed in this book (sister, grandmother, friendships, etc.).

[Shelby Cundiff · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was the weirdest most non lighthearted romance I’ve ever read! First off, who wants to read several hundred pages of a couple fighting and miscommunicating the whole time? Secondly, the whole idea that the couples perfect compromise is for Nikos to still travel around with Anna is ridiculous! I don’t think it would’ve been that simple, but good for them I guess? I just felt like he had such strong feelings and reactions that they might have just been better off splitting up 🙄 #romantic!

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Do yourself a favor and 100% read the first book as a standalone and skip this one. I don’t know what happened but it’s like the author decided the first book wasn’t trashy enough and so made up for it in the sequel. It made me so upset and mad. Half of the book was so untasteful while the other half continued the story from book 1. But the characters became so unlikeable and lost all charm. Basically a book of red flags and ignoring them and justifying them. Yay for toxic relationships… 😒

[Zara Collings · Rating 4 out of 5]

The epitome of a perfect beach read. Having read the first book and enjoying it but not being a total convert, I didn’t have high hopes for this follow up. But I was completely hooked and really enjoyed this second instalment. It could absolutely be read as a standalone book and I enjoyed the development in the female characters although I do think Lizzy’s story was too underdeveloped to be a serious sub plot.

[Minna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars⭐️
I read this without knowing there was a book before it and it really affected the reading experience so read the first one before reading this!! It was a bit odd to start with the couple already together but I still ended up enjoying reading this. I got big Mamma Mia vibe from this book and it was one of the best things about the book. This book wasn’t heavy on the plot but it honestly didn’t really need it. Light and summery read!

[Helene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely read!

Modern love story with a little sum’thing for everyone… personalities, Greek sun and salt air, summer heat in ALL its forms (ohh la la!) I really had no idea o wit would end(or even how I hoped it would end!) until the end!
I read this on it’s own and will now go back and read it’s prequel. But this book can stand on its own!

[Claire Milne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the characters, mostly , and I loved the setting. I gave it three stars as I just got a bit frustrated that the situation the main characters found themselves in could have been sorted easily if they had talked. I guess though there wouldn't then be a story.

[Nori Fitchett · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Another trip to Santorini? YES PLEASE!
This is such a beautifully atmospheric and romantic book and a perfect ending for this series.