When your presence at a Greek wedding is not what you thought it would be…

Synopsis

Love is in the air…

When singer Cara is invited to a big, fat Greek wedding in Corfu, she sees it as a mixed blessing: some time to heal on the beautiful Greek island with her aunt will be a tonic, but it’s going to stir up memories – of before Seb ghosted her and disappeared off the face of the earth.  

Akis Diakos, brother of the groom, should be looking forward to planning the bachelor party, but burdened by the weight of family expectation, his mind is elsewhere: he has a decision to make – one that could, apparently, ruin his little brother’s life forever. 

When Cara learns that her aunt Margot brought her here under false pretences, she’s faced with a dilemma. She’s not sung in public since that fateful day at Eurovision when her life fell apart, and she’s not planning to now. But with Akis’s encouragement, it’s time for both of them to face up to their fears. 

And who knows – maybe this beautiful duet will also lead to a beautiful romance? 

From the queen of Greek romance comes a story that will heal those heartstrings and make you believe in love again…

My review

After being completely embarrassed on the biggest stage on world, and being ghosted by her boyfriend, singing is the last thing that Cara want to do ever again.
No matter how much people around her, especially her Aunt Margot is pushing her, Cara won’t sing again.
But when that same Aunt Margot tells her that they are both invited to a Greek wedding in Corfu, Cara believes that some time away will do her good.
Until she learns that her aunt has brought her under false pretences and that everyone expects her to sing at the wedding.
Luckily, she can count on the brother of the groom, Akis Diakos for encouragement. But Akis himself is also carrying a huge weight on his shoulder, as he has to make a decision that, believing the curse, could ruin the whole family, and thus also his little brother’s, lives forever.
With both Cara and Akis facing their own dilemma’s and facing their fears, could there also be blooming something between the pair of them?

I always feel sorry when the main character sees her world falling apart at the moment she appears to be finally achieving her dream.
So from the very start, my heart went out to Cara, even if the details of wat exactly happened are still unknown.
She did not only had the most terrible experience during her performance at Eurovision, but her boyfriend Seb also ghosted her instead of giving her the support she needed.

So obviously I could understand why even now Cara refuses to sing. Not only in front of an audience, but just anywhere, even on her own. Who wouldn’t be traumatized after such experiences? It also doesn’t help being pressured to pick up the mic again…

After everything she has been through, it was sweet to see how her Aunt Margot is able to persuade her to go to Corfu, to attend a wedding as guests. Even if as a reader, we know it’s just an excuses, and that Aunt Margot is planning something, I couldn’t shake of the feeling that time away would be perfect for Cara, to get her thoughts back in order.

And I was a bit shocked to discover how deceptive her own Aunt could be. It even angered me, as it appeared that Margot didn’t understand Cara’s fears and boundaries…
Cara’s need to escape and hide was so obvious and understandable, even if I had to hide a few snickers when that brings Akis on her path. Snickers, because their encounter starts with a huge misunderstanding as Cara doesn’t realize that Akis isn’t what she thinks he is.

But even if that encounter made me laugh, getting to know Akis also saddened me. He also has this huge pressure, especially from his mother, as he is expected to follow a path that isn’t exactly what he would choose to do himself. Yet feeling that constant pressure, feeling the weight of his whole family’s happiness on his shoulders, I could understand that he doesn’t understand anymore what he truly wants.

Cara and Akis don’t get along immediately, as they clash over several things. Nevertheless, there is connection between them, an undeniable one. And it was sweet and heart – warming to see how these two people, full of doubts and fears, find someone to confide in, someone that understands them. And most important: someone that in a way makes it possible to get over their fears. Even if their togetherness brings new fears…

Those bits where Cara and Akis are together, just the two of them and not seeing everyone else (you’ll understand what I mean when you read this book! 😊) were just marvellous to read. I could almost feel myself what Akis was talking about.

It would be easy to point the finger towards some people in this books, as they do not seem to understand our lovely main characters (and yes, I am especially thinking about Aunt Margot and Akis’s mother Sofia). But it’s clear that their behaviour has a cause, and not everything is as straightforward as we may seem to think.

Of course on its own, Corfu is a beautiful place, as it’s on my bucket list for a long time. But in this book, it’s also surrounded by splendid characters. Not only Cara and Akis, but Irini, Horatio and for sure Pig make this an unforgettable read!

I loved reading how Cara’s reluctance on being on Corfu turns out to be the best thing that could perhaps happen to her.
The author captures perfectly what it means to have this fear lingering over you. But she also shows us that fears can be overcome. And that fear can perhaps also bring the right person on your path, and turn that fear into courage.
A courage that makes you take that leap of faith, and dare to do what you would ever think to do ever again. And with the right person by your side, it will be just… perfection…