I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Game of Scones by Samantha Tonge Also by this author: How to Get Hitched in Ten Days, One Summer in Rome, Forgive Me Not, Under One Roof
Series: The Little Teashop #1
Published by Carina on 20th April 2015
Genres: Chicklit, Humour, Love & Romance
Pages: 240
Format: eARC
Source: from Netgalley
Goodreads
Amazon Kindle, Audible
A story of icing and flour…and how love doesn’t always go to plan!
Growing up, Pippa Pattinson’s summers were spent in the idyllic Greek island fishing village of Taxos. There she spent many long hazy days determinedly ignoring thoughts of the life her parents had mapped out for her (a dreary-but-secure banking job and obligatory sensible husband!) Instead she daydreamed of running her own tea shop – serving the perfect scones –with mocha-eyed childhood friend Niko by her side…
Arriving back in Taxos for the first time in years, with suave boyfriend Henrik, Pippa barely recognises the tired little town – but is relieved to catch glimpses of the quaint, charming village she’s always loved. Together Niko and Pippa put together a proposal to save Taxos from tourist-tastic ruin, and at the heart of their plan is Pippa’s dream project – The Tastiest Little Tea Shop in Taxos. It’s time for Pippa to leave her London life behind and dust off her scone recipe that’s guaranteed to win over both locals and visitors. And amidst the rolling pins and raisins, it seems romance is blossoming where she’s least expecting it…
If you’re a fan of Lindsey Kelk or Lucy Diamond then don’t hesitate to step into Samantha Tonge’s truly delightful tea shop.
Thank you to Carina/HQ Digital for my copy of this book via Netgalley. I’m half Greek so any book set in the in Greece is one I immediately add to my TBR pile.
Growing up Pippa spent every summer in Taxos but she hasn’t returned since she was 14. Recession has changed the little village and it’s not the same as Pippa remembers. The villagers are struggling and if things carry on as they are many will have to leave in order to feed themselves and their family. I really liked the village. It reminded me of a place I visited in Crete. It’s peaceful and beautiful. It’s the perfect place to take some time out from your life. I really liked Pippa. She’s impulsive and she really cares about the village. She doesn’t want it to lose all its history and be turned into a tourist trap. So Pippa gathers the villagers and puts them into action.
As well as the campaign to save the village Pippa has a dilemma. When returning to the village she bumps into her old friend Niko. Pippa and Niko spent many summers together growing up but now Niko isn’t that kid she used to call Shorty but a handsome Greek god. But Pippa is with her sensible boyfriend Henrik and Niko is engaged to the beautiful Leila. As Pippa fights her feelings she pushes Niko away.
I really enjoyed this book. It took me away from the cold dreary weather we have been having and transported me to the beautiful hot beaches of Taxos. The other thing I loved about this book was the scones we saw Pippa making. It gave me cravings for all the scones.
I can’t wait to read the sequel to this book My Big Fat Christmas Wedding and return to Taxos.
About Samantha Tonge
Samantha lives in Cheshire with her lovely family and two cats who think they are dogs. Along with writing, her days are spent cycling, willing cakes to rise and avoiding housework. A love of fiction developed as a child, when she was known for reading Enid Blyton books in the bath. A desire to write bubbled away in the background whilst she pursued other careers, including a fun stint working at Disneyland Paris. Formally trained as a linguist, Samantha now likes nothing more than holing herself up in the spare room, in front of the keyboard. Writing romantic comedy novels and short stories for women’s magazines is her passion. Her bestselling debut novel, “Doubting Abbey”, from CarinaUK Harlequin, was shortlisted for the Festival of Romantic Fiction best Ebook award in 2014. Its fun standalone sequel is From Paris with Love. Mistletoe Mansion is a fun Christmas novel. Her fourth romantic comedy, Game of Scones, won the Love Stories Awards 2015 Best Romantic Ebook category. Her festive novel, My Big Fat Christmas Wedding is out now!
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- Around the World in Books (2018)
- Backlist Reader (2018)
- Goodreads Challenge (2018)
- Netgalley Challenge (2018)
@HQDigitalUK Thanks Emma 😀