Five people, three secrets, one planned proposal. What could possibly go wrong?
A holiday in a luxury villa on Corfu sounds like the answer to all their prayers but it will change their lives forever. A week in paradise might not be long enough........
Joy lives on the seductive island of Corfu with her four dogs and an embarassing number of cats.
Her many years working in the tourist industry on this sunny isle and her love of all things literary inspired her first novel Corfu Capers which recently hit the #1 spot in Parenting and Family humour much to her delight.
She loves to cook, dance and drink wine, usually at the same time, and is currently working on book number four, due to be released later this year.
She also loves to travel, absolutely anywhere, and is looking forward to jumping on a plane!
This really didn’t work for me. It annoyed me to no end how the author jumped from one character to another at seemingly random times, there were no natural division between the stories. I also have a hard time swallowing that everyone had their lives so dramatically changed at the same time.
This story was so enjoyable! Full of colours, smells, sounds of a gorgeous tourist destination that for the blissful three hours that it took me to devour this fun book, I felt so happy and relaxed I haven't felt in a long time. Joy Skye has a wicked sense of humour and the book is really well-written, so if you are a fan of cyber-travelling (or have been forced to become one by recent lockdowns), grab the book and enjoy your mini-break!
The book blurb is deliberately short on details apart from the fact that at the heart of the plot there is a marriage proposal, planned to a T by a future mother-in-law Kate. The bride to be, Linda, has no idea or rather has a different idea of what this trip might mean for her future relationship with kind, selfless, mommy's boy Scotty. There are also Linda's best friend Charlotte who is crushing on Scotty's dashing friend Marc. And there is Peter, their consierge who loves his job of making sure the holiday is indeed one of a kind.
The character mix was just brilliant and whatever you think of them at the beginning, you will probably change your idea! They are a bit exaggerated to leave you in no doubt as to what archetypal features they represent and you are there for this modern comedy of manners. To my surprise, I found myself relating to all of them in different moments- even Charlotte with her shrieks of happiness when she sees that the airline has found and delivered her suitcase.
The book is so well-plotted that even the marvel of modern day organisation Kate couldn't have done a better job! Everything is foreshadowed and open at the same time to allow for the unpredictability of true love, which does move in mysterious ways. If you are ready to fall in love or ready to commit to the love of your life, nothing is going to stop you...and as you will find out more than one of the characters is. Or is it something about the place that reminds you that life is short and you have to make sure you live it to the fullest?
A lovely romantic escape from an author who is based on Corfu herself and clearly knows how to sell you on the beauty of the island. I'll be looking forward to Joy Skye's second novel!
An escape to Corfu (best part by far) and a second chance for love in a light romantic romp.
Biggest gripe – the dialogue was written in British English for characters born and raised in Texas, USA. It was completely comical, didn’t work and totally threw me off balance.
I was looking for a quick and light afternoon read when this book popped up on Kindle Unlimited. I finished it, although it wasn’t what I'd hoped it would be. I’ll usually hang in there, but this one truly tested my willpower.
This is a relaxing read set in Corfu which the author knows well and her accurate descriptions bring each scene alive in the reader’s imagination as the perfect backdrop to the unfolding story. The traditional Greek culture of friendliness and hospitality works its magic on each of the characters, leading them to discover their true desires and to find the courage to put their plans into action and these surprising revelations add another level to a very satisfying read.
Characters We follow Scott, Linda, Kate, Charlotte and Marc as they spend a week together on Corfu. Scott is Kate’s son and is dating Linda while Charlotte and Marc are friends of Scott and Linda and just along for the ride. I can’t really say much else about them without completely ruining the story for you. Who they are is intrinsically a part of the entire story. Storyline Scott has asked for his mum’s help to organise his proposal to Linda, which we learn about right at the very start of the book when Kate emails Peter (the concierge of the villa they’ll be staying at) to begin the preparations. From there we follow each of the characters in the few days leading up to their trip, and their weeklong trip. We follow along as Linda makes some life changing decisions, Scott stands up to his mother and father to get what he really wants, Kate discovers love again while Charlotte and Marc come to terms with who they are. Overall Thoughts Throughout the book I found myself wondering why Linda would stay with Scott given how badly Kate treats her (as someone with allergies, I can’t stand the thought of someone “forgetting” you’re allergic to a whole food group), or why Kate, Marc and Charlotte can’t let go and just be themselves. But I guess that’s the point of this book. To highlight that we’re each going through our own issues and that we each need to work through them in our own time. Also, to not judge others just because their life looks great, doesn’t mean that they’re seriously happy. Overall, I think the pace, drama and overall life changing moments and challenging the way we think of things really helped bring this story to life. Without that, I wouldn’t have rated it as highly. If the same drama had have taken place in their home city over the period of a week or month, I doubt it would’ve been as engaging as it was in one week on Corfu.
Two stars for presenting characters who take a leap into the unknown to pursue their dreams at a time when I am contemplating doing the same thing. But...when I saw that the setting started out in Houston, I knew I would spend much of the book rolling my eyes, and I did. I am not sure where the author is from (I suspect the UK), but it is definitely not Texas. I don't know where she got all the folksy comments the characters made, but I have lived in Texas almost 60 years and have never heard any of them except one (and it was said by my mom who was from Mississippi). I was reminded of Rock Hudson's fake Texan persona in Pillow Talk. I was also reminded of actors who aren't very good at accents and slip in and out of their native accent. A character who would say something like "that's a whole other bucket of possums" would not say "about bloody time mate." The author may know Corfu well, but does not know Texas geography. A character drops in on his parents at their ranch in San Antonio for a quick visit after lunch. So much wrong here. San Antonio (where I live) is one of the largest cities in the US. The only ranch here is a high end subdivision. Also, San Antonio is a couple of hours drive from Houston, so one does not just drop in. I liked the message of the book, but wish the author had done some research and presented a less stereotypical cast of Texan characters.
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was just lovely. In the beginning I couldn’t believe how nasty Kate was. All the lengths she went to, to help her son but on the other hand sabotaging everything along the way. Thankfully she redeemed herself. All the rest of the characters were lovely. Great reading about all there individual adventures through the week. In saying that I couldn’t quite believe how much they packed into a week. They would be needing a holiday to recover. Perfect setting for a lovely book. Dreaming as I read that I’d be as lucky as Kate and find a Charming Greek man next time I fly off there ..
So I read this one in a day, and I can't remember ever doing that before in my life, so you can tell how much I enjoyed this. I think I was just really in the mood for a) sun, sea, sand and being whisked away abroad, and b) a good romance. I got both of these things from this book.
There was just the right amount of characters; not so many that you get confused as to who's who but enough for a juicy story. Kate is an absolute nightmare and made me laugh at how unbearable she is 😂
This book is set out in quite long chapters but within each chapter there is a few paragraphs focusing on one character before it switches to another which meant you couldn't get bored. And you can really tell that the Author is very familiar with Corfu from the amazing pictures that are painted in your mind as the story goes on.
I cannot explain the horrible disconnect of a female British author trying to write Americans from Texas; where she’s obviously never been except through old time Westerns. If anyone, including my family, ever still calls their parents Ma and Pa, I’d be calling social services. The plot wasn’t bad but the “downhome “ euphemisms were excruciating. If ur going to write characters from a specific place, you should at least spend some current time there. Characters saying “howdy Ma” whilst (which Americans NEVER say) whatever is so off-putting is an understatement of the this disconnect.
The story, while fairly predictable, was fun and all I needed in an escape read. My hangup came with the dialogue. The main characters were from Texas...in the United States. Yet, for at least half the book, their dialogue, thoughts, etc were in British English. For example, mum for mom, and some sayings were extremely British, or someone from the UK pretending to be American. It made the book Very hard to read. Good concept, not a great execution.
For the story itself, I would give it a 3. It was a cute read, but goodness - there needed to be an editor. There were glaring grammatical errors but worst of all was the way southern Texans were portrayed. As a Southerner, no one calls their parents Ma and Pa. It's like she looked up southern sayings and used them all anytime she could. For that and the much needed editorial I had to give it a 2.
1.5 stars. This was almost a DNF for me. The characters are from Houston, TX. The author had them alternating between sounding like backwoods Appalachians to Brits. I've never heard a Texan say mum or whilst. And to go from Ma to mum (lower case was in the book) was especially jarring. That and the grammatical errors nearly did me in.
Corfu did come across as a beautiful place to visit, though.
First, I want to thank Joy Skye and Rachel’s Random Resources for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.
Readers sit back in your comfy chair and be prepared whisked away on a mini vacation in Corfu Capers. This vacation is just not any vacation though! You will be cordially invited to a surprise engagement! However, there are a lot of ups, downs, twists, turns to get to that point!
The cover design that Joy’s graphic artist created was beautiful! It surely captured the essence of the book.
Joy creatively thought outside the box when starting her book with emails back and forth from Kate to Peter. It was a refreshing way to start a book.
I loved how passionate Peter was about his job with Sublime Resorts as a concierge role! I laughed at how his friends ribbed him for going above and beyond for his customers!
There were times that I wanted to scream at Kate how she totally made Linda feel invisible!
Joy did a beautiful job taking us readers on a tour of Athens. The scenery was just beautiful, the food sounded Devine, and she even threw in some history into the mix!
Marc and his story was one of my favorites. It was one that made me smile ear to ear for many different reasons.
It was lovely escaping to a sunny island and I have to say I found the escapades they all got up to good entertainment.
Character-wise, I admit there were times I found Scott annoyingly a mummy's boy, really who doesn't share a room with their long time girlfriend on holiday! Also, Kate comes across a touch of a control freak but with a warm heart. Linda puts up with a lot from Kate and even Scott by his inactions. Marc and Charlotte are fun and have lots to find on Corfu!
All the above said the journey they all go on and how much they grow in this weeks holiday makes you want a happy ending for them all.
Perfect escapism for the current reality we're all in.
I would also like directions of where to find a Pericles, please 😉
The perfect book to take your mind off of your day to day life. I couldn’t put this book down, I ended up feeling completely wrapped up in the lives of the characters and it genuinely made me feel like I was on Corfu with them. The descriptions of the island were so well written, it made me yearn for summer and another holiday to this beautiful sunny island! All of the characters ended up becoming my favourite (yes, even Kate!) and I couldn’t wait to see where their adventures and ups and downs would eventually bring them. A highly enjoyable read, I hope to see more by Joy Skye!
All the main characters are at a major turning point in their lives and a vacation in Corfu to witness and celebrate a marriage proposal changes everything for everyone. Secrets and personal dreams are revealed and the beauty and romance of the Greek island encourages each character to make a life-changing decision. This is a light, but captivating read is a nice getaway for a few hours.
Corfu Capers by Joy Skye was my perfect book to help me escape from our dreary British weather. Who wouldn't want to be transported to Corfu? We meet Kate, she is planning the perfect holiday with the perfect villa and in a gorgeous place. This is all so her son Scott can propose to his girlfriend.... sound perfect? Well with Scott being a true mummy's boy and Kate being bit of a control freak I did wonder which way Linda would jump. A delicious escapist read with so many different possibilities of what could happen, would everything go wrong and some does with really funny results. There were just the right amount of characters and Joy Skye has developed them so well, making them real and relatable. Kate for one is an absolute nightmare but oh she made me laugh. The descriptions of Corfu are so tantalising! It is somewhere I have never been and this book brought it to life for me, the images Joy Skye created in my mind were amazing, I have a slight feeling she knows this place well. A book that ticked the boxes for being whisked away abroad to sun, sand and sea along with a romance laced with humour. On the serious side, the author has wrapped a story about love and being loved with humour and therefore not making a major issue of it, but sending the message anyway...very cleverly. Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and Joy Skye for my copy of the book and my place on the tour.
Kate has organised a perfect holiday for her, her son Scott, his girlfriend Linda and two of their friends Marc and Charlotte in a luxury villa in Corfu. Not only has Kate organised the villa, but also every excursion has been planned and even a proposal has written Kate’s name all over. But nothing goes as planned and frustrations seems to take the upper hand. And this holiday will be the catalyst of several changes in unexpected ways for everyone.
When I first read how Kate was organising the perfect holiday, I admired her because it’s not an easy task to organise everything and keep an extra thought about everyone’s wishes. There is nothing she wouldn’t do for her son, her main goal is to see her son happy. But slowly I saw Kate more as an interfering woman. Yes, she does everything for her son, but she doesn’t see beyond him. I was frustrated together with Linda, when Kate appears to have forgotten *again* Linda’s allergy. However Kate redeems herself and she is just one example of characters evolving and maturing in this story.
What I enjoyed about this book, is how everyone appears to be pretending to be someone else. Okay, my observation seems to be an odd one, but during this holiday, masks fall off and each character has to face the truth. Corfu appears to be the perfect location to do some digging and realizing what each character really wants from life. And Corfu offers solutions no one expected.
I found this an entertaining story, yet also a good example that holidays and also life never goes as expected. And it’s up to us to decide what we want to do with the new challenges. Making such important decisions can be terrifying but they are also an opportunity to find real happiness. And what better place to undergo such an experience than Corfu? Letting this story take place there, only added more to the feeling of escapism everyone right now needs!
Kate is planning the perfect holiday, in the perfect villa on a perfect island so that her son Scott can make the perfect marriage proposal to his long-term girlfriend. A total control freak, Kate is not the kind of customer you would want to deal with, nor is she the ideal mother-in-law. With Scott being a total mummy's boy, will Linda even accept the proposal? So much could go wrong and it does with hilarious results. This is a genuinely funny book. The descriptions of Corfu are luscious and made me even more nostalgic for the days when we could just jump on a plane. In the meantime, this book is the next best thing to getting my Greek fix.
I don't usually read romantic comedies, but I'm glad I picked up a copy of Corfu Capers. It's well written, entertaining and funny, with a beautiful setting that will make you want to hop on the next plane to Corfu! A great book to escape reality for a few hours!
A delightful story, perfect for a holiday read - or, like me, to curl up with at home and imagine you're on holiday! The sights and smells, the characters and relationships, bring this story to life in a special way. Highly recommend!
the mom is divorced and raised her son alone. the son is working for the dad, trying to please both his parents who dont like his girlfriend. he wants to propose and his mom pays for a trip for him, his friend and the girls friend to all to go corfu for him to surprise her with a proposal on the beach. she also invites a bunch of relatives to stay in a hotel there
the man in charge of overseeing the guests is gay and his boyfriend died. he is attracted to the sons friend who the girlfriend wants to be with him
the girl is not happy with the moms plans and the mom makes the first meal at a seafood restaurant knowing the girl is allergic to seafood.
the girl told him she wanted to break up right before he proposed to her in front of every one (she didnt know they were all there). she left to go around the world and he joined her at the last min
the mom met a greek man and they fell in love
the girlfriend met a greek man and she fell in love
the other guy fell in love with the guide and the guide moved to america with him
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This is an interesting story that really is about five people and their stories. Kate and her son, Scott, are very close. Scott is set to propose to his girlfriend, Linda, and his mother is in charge of planning the details. Charlotte, Linda's best friend, and Marc, Scott's best friend, get to join the group. Kate is planning the perfect get away to Corfu with all the perfect details. What could go wrong? This story is set mostly in the beautiful setting of Corfu. The author weaves the story nicely detailing the struggles and lives of these five people. The each need to grow and figure out what is really important to them and what they want in life. It is an entertaining story with some suspense, angst, passion and love. Sometimes you want to knock some heads together and say "Really"? The narrator did do a good job telling the story as well.