My Mamma Mia Summer: A feel-good sunkissed read to escape with this summer!

This was a very enjoyable, happy feeling, light-hearted story set on the 'Mamma Mia' island of Skopelos. If you've seen the film the book visits various places the film did, like the beach and church, and the general vibe around Villa Athena will feel very familiar. Laurel is feeling rather down and struggling a bit as her beloved grandmother, who brought her up when her parents died when she was very young, has only recently died. Then she is told she has accrued holiday from her event planning job that she needs to use or she will lose it, so decides on the spur of the moment to jet off to the Greek island of Skopelos. Both Laurel and her grandmother, Marnie, loved the film 'Mamma Mia' and always meant to visit for a holiday but never got around to it so Laurel feels her grandmother would have loved her going. On the way there she gets chatting to outgoing Angie, who is also on her way to Skopelos for a holiday, and they become friends. One on the island she meets the quite eccentric elderly villa owner, Athena, and finds out that the villa is rather tired and old fashioned and Lauren is the only guest at the moment. There are various other characters involved, a slight love interest for Laurel with enigmatic writer Mark, and a lovely foodie couple Chris and (very pregnant) Emily. Athena then has a few health issues and Laurel steps in to help, and between all the new friends they decide to help Athena bring the villa back to life by staging a dinner party night with an Abba tribute band. There are various characters coming and going throughout the book and by the end some go home... and some don't! Great fun and I can definitely see a sequel (please!) as I want to follow up on this great group of friends and see where life leads them - hopefully back to Skopelos!