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See the Stars by Eleanor Ray #Review

  See the Stars by Eleanor Ray will be  published on February 5th 2026 by Piatkus .  Do you ever feel that life isn't going to plan?   When Alice Thorington collapses in the street after a particularly hellish day at work, she must finally admit to herself that her outwardly happy life - steady relationship, well-paid job, beautiful flat in the city - isn't everything she'd hoped it would be. Burnt out by long hours and living a life that doesn't fulfil her dreams, Alice returns home to Yorkshire.  Her childhood home brings complicated family dynamics, a rediscovery of her passion for stargazing and two new friends: Berti, a boy who finds it easier to count the stars than interact with people, and Matt, her brother's best friend and Alice's teenage crush. With each of them facing their own struggles, can the stars that meant so much to Alice in her past help them to find their way in the present?  Filled with heart and warmth, this uplifting novel...

The Summer House in Santorini by Samantha Parks #Review @samanthajgale @HarperImpulse @rararesources


I was delighted to be invited to take part in the blog tour for Samantha Parks' The Summer House in Santorini. Full of sunshine and romance, it is perfect as a summer read. 
One summer in Greece will change everything…


Anna’s running away. From a failed relationship, a dead-end career and a complicated family life.


On the island of Santorini, with its picturesque villas, blue-tiled roofs, and the turquoise waters of the Aegean lapping at the white sand beaches, Anna inherits a less-than-picturesque summer house from her estranged father. As she rebuilds the house, she rebuilds her life, uncovering family secrets along the way that change everything. She starts to fall for her little slice of paradise, as well as for gorgeous, charming Nikos.



Will Anna lose her heart in more ways than one?


My Thoughts

This is one of those stories which leaves you with a warm, hopeful feeling. Anna's flight to Santorini, from a life in New York which she feels dissatisfied with, is the catalyst for her to re-evaluate what is important in her life. What she finds in Santorini is a family she barely knows and a different view on her parents and her past life.  She also finds friends who measure their lives by a different yardstick to the people she knows in New York.

    The beauty of the setting and the Summer sunshine leaves us with a stunning picture of life in Santorini. You can visualise the Summer House and imagine it as Anna sets about renovating it. It is great to follow how her thoughts develop. Her vocation as a photographer is embedded within the story as she captures its colour and sights. This is a perfect holiday read, full of the enjoyment of being in a different culture and suffused with the culture and customs of Greece.

In short: A story which sizzles in the Greek Sunshine.

    

About the Author



 Samantha Parks is the pen name of Sam Gale. Her pen name comes from her late grandmother Velma Hobbs nee Parks, who was one of Sam's greatest role models. Sam was born in North Carolina but now resides in Bournemouth, UK with her husband Alex. She owns a successful marketing company and is enjoying her slow descent into "crazy plant lady" status.

You can follow Samantha here: Twitter  |  Instagram   |  Facebook 
                                                |  Website / Blog

Book links:  Amazon UK   |  Amazon US

Thanks to Samantha Parks and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.  


                                                  Catch up with the rest of the tour!


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