Aegean Sun: The Kafenion

by Stephanie Wood

The Kafenion has much more to offer than just coffee and cake!

The Kafenion is undergoing its regular seasonal change from traditional coffee shop and local hangout to summertime hotspot for the massive influx of tourists who visit the Greek island each year.

The furniture has been updated, the new signs for more specific coffee types have been installed, the basic cookies have been replaced with a tempting range of cakes and desserts and a fresh coat of paint has added an optimistic glow to the place, which always attracts the many visitors who are looking for a treat.

Jane has been working on the island for a few years and finds a job in the kafenion for her friend Helen, who is hoping for some fun and romance during the summer.

Xenon and Kyriakos both make regular deliveries of fresh produce to the kafenion and they find other reasons to want to visit when Jane and Helen are around, but are they both interested in the same girl?

Georgina discovers the kafenion while searching for information from her mother’s past, but does Pericles have all the answers or will he just cause more confusion?

Visit the kafenion during a Greek summer season to see how the staff and their regulars navigate their way through complex working and romantic relationships.
This is the eleventh book of standalone reads in the Aegean Sun series.

208 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 6, 2021

About the author

Stephanie Wood writes contemporary fiction in the form of novels, novellas and short stories and her books explore a wide range of life’s challenges, dreams and responsibilities. The stories are all character based, so she has fun expressing each unique personality and the reasons behind their actions in a setting which always has a strong sense of community.

She published the AEGEAN SUN series of books as a fly-on-the-wall vision of life in a Greek resort during the summer season, using her extensive experience as a holiday rep to bring some unusual incidents to life on the page. The series began as an exploration of the various ways in which tourists make the most of their holidays and how they interact with the locals while they are visiting. The later books in the series have taken a closer look at the locals themselves to show how their lives and relationships are sometimes changed by the regular influx of seasonal visitors.

The CHRISTMAS ON THE CLOSE series is set in a British suburban cul-de-sac over the festive period and visits each house individually to discover how the neighbours who live there celebrate the season in their own special way.

The GREEK RETREAT trilogy is a new release of women's fiction with romantic themes, which creates a relaxing escape, full of sunshine and surprises to soothe the soul.

Stephanie lives in Lancashire where, apart from reading and writing, she loves gardening and cycling and is a huge fan of the soaps Emmerdale and Neighbours.

You can find Stephanie on Twitter / X or Facebook

Reviews

[Ramona Mead · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like to read books that teach me about a different culture without being preachy or forceful. This book was a joy to experience in that way. I was fully immersed in Greek culture, experiencing it along with the characters and never felt stupid for what I didn't know.

This reminds me of Maeve Binchy's novels. There's a full cast of characters, each with their own complex backstory and present journey. It was fun to see them intermingle and wonder how things would end up.

While this might qualify as a romance novel, it's not one in the traditional sense. The book takes place over the course of one summer at a traditional Greek cafe in a small town. It's a place that's overflowing with trouts all season, then goes quiet when they leave in the fall. It explores what that's like for the residents, to have a bustling life for a while and then deal with the consequences of visitors who always leave. The setting is picturesque and the writing gives a vivid sense of life in and around this little cafe.

While it is a standalone novel, it's the 11th book in a series set in this town of Kos. There are a lot of characters to keep track of. There were a few times I wished I'd read some of the previous books. It wasn't necessary to follow and enjoy this book but it felt obvious that I'd dropped into a place with history and characters who already knew each other. I'm going to read the first in the series. Kos feels like a place I could get lost in with lots of history and complicated residents.

[Heather]

https://flic.kr/p/2kReAF1

This is a standalone book in a long-running series about a Greek island called Kos that is a summer tourist destination. A kafenion is a small coffee shop. The owners of this kafenion previously ran a hotel and have downsized to this property for this summer season. They hire British tourists who are coming to the island for the summer to work and are aiming for a mostly tourist client base during the season.



I liked the idea of reading about life in this setting and the conflicts between people who live here year round and the tourists who flood the island in the summer. The complication with this book is that a lot of the characters are pretty awful people. That can be an interesting dynamic to explore but it was a bit frustrating here.



I felt bad for Maria, the female owner of the cafe. She is trying hard to make this new business work. Her husband doesn't like the tourists and wants the cafe to stay the domain of his buddies like it was in the off-season. He also spends most of his time sexually harassing the employees and telling them about how it is his right to be unfaithful to his wife but she can't do the same. He's horrible.



He isn't the only Greek man portrayed this way. There is another man who is romantically pursing the daughter of a woman he was friends with as a teenager. It is a bit creepy.



Helen, the British tourist who is working at the kafenion, is a party girl who is mostly interested in having a holiday fling so she evaluates everyone she meets based on whether or not she wants to sleep with him. I did actually appreciate her arc. She showed a bit of growth as a person over the course of a season.



I would have liked to see more of Maria and the running of the cafe. I thought she was the most interesting character and I was rooting for her to overcome all the obstacles in her way.








This review was originally posted on Based On A True Story

[Gmr · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Greek island conjures images of natural beauty, and a people in love with love...at least for me it does. We get a little of this and a little of that in this story, as the author shares family heritage, traditions, and how days may pass, but the important things remain the same. I appreciated Georgina's search to find her father, and how that hole in her heart was simply so hard to fill without something, or someone to hang on to. I cared for Jane as she struggled to find her footing in a new place, but was so happy to see her try, try again...never letting anything or anyone back her fully into a corner. The outcomes for both characters were drastically different, and yet they helped to bring this installment in the series full circle.

I'd be lax if I didn't mention that I did have a few personal issues though. First, with a particular male character and how the Greek affinity for coupling was portrayed (though those are not notions I have based on research or personal experience, mainly a distaste to my own sensitivities). Second, I was still hung up on how one relationship changed from a connection to amorous so quickly (or really, at all). I suppose in the end, whether fiction or reality, to each their own...and there are certainly brighter spots to focus on here, if one desires.

So, if you're looking to escape your own prolonged stay at home, pandemic induced or otherwise, take a chance on a trip across the waters without ever leaving your comfy reading spot!



**ecopy received for review; opinions are my own

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stephanie Woods can always be relied upon for some light-hearted fun whilst using her years of experience in Greece to shed light on what happens when the tourists have gone home.

Now more than ever I felt the need to escape to Greece for a while. The romantic shenanigans, the search for a missing father and the relationships between the staff and customers of the Kafeneion all brought to life the Greece that I remember.

This is an easy light-hearted read perfect for anyone who loves Greece or simply wants to escape for a while in a good book.

[Julie Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delight of a book!
I love how The Kafenion is a standalone romantic read, yet some of the characters are familiar to readers who have been following the series from the beginning and it's lovely to catch up with them.
This book is full of fun and romance under the Greek sunshine, with the delicious inclusion of local pastries and desserts to make the mouth water while imagining the visitors popping in and out of the kafenion.
Three young women are spending the summer in Kos and each find their lives changing in some way by the end of the season in a journey of self-discovery and romantic surprises. It is interesting to see how the influx of tourists changes the way things are run throughout the year, but that adds another level of realism to this contemporary tale.
The Aegean Sun series just keeps getting better and better and this really is the perfect beach read.

[Christine Duckhouse · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not great

I chose this story as I know Greece well. From the reviews, I thought that the book might be a reasonably good read but it was not. All I can honestly say, is that it filled a few hours . I wanted something light to read but I didn't expect so many of the characters to be so shallow, a total fluff novel. Not an author I will be returning to.

[Wendy(Wendyreadsbooks) Robey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun filled read about the sun, holidays and romance. The friendships are warm and supportive and I really enjoyed Georgie’s journey of discovery. The setting of the Greek countryside was beautifully described.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW. Having read the whole wonderful series I was eagerly looking forward to reading this episode. I couldn’t put it down and am sad I read it so quickly but already I can’t wait to read Grace’s Story.

[Kelly Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book. I enjoyed the story and characters. It was nice to her away to another country and I felt like I was there with the characters. The author has a great writing style.

[Elise Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feel good read

Great lighthearted story and take on an island I haven’t been to but would now like to die to the tone and descriptions.. well worth downloading

[Dianne Selwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh dear! Did not connect with the characters at all, skipped through so much of the book

[Joanne Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’re looking for a light, easy read which transports you to an idyllic Greek island where plenty of coffee and delicious pastries await, then add The Kafenion to your reading list!

Although part of a long-running series, this can be read as a stand-alone novel and follows the lives of three young girls who are connected in some way to the local coffee shop.

The plot is uncomplicated and a little predictable at times, but this doesn’t detract from the overall feel of the story. It’s a perfect holiday read.

With thanks to the author and @rararesources for the opportunity to participate in the blog tour.