Review: 'Waiting for Summer (Part 2)' by Anna-Maria Athanasiou (2014)

In Cyprus, after the worst nine months of Sylvie Sapphiris's life, summer has arrived at last, and with it an unexpected, ecstatic change in Sylvie's circumstances. But with all the odds stacked against her new life, can it last?
Sylvie embarks on her planned trip to Athens. A city which holds bittersweet memories. Can Sylvie shake off her past and move into a new future with this incredible man?
After a showdown with her furious former suitor, Sylvie finds herself on the point of sacrificing her future happiness to keep the peace. Sylvie's world is turned upside down again. Distraught and devastated she's left wondering if she'll ever find true love and happiness again. A love she once thought was possible. But fate has one final card to play...
Yesterday I posted an interview with author Anna-Maria Athanasiou in which she told us more about her debut novel ‘Waiting for Summer’, which was released in 2013 and which I got the chance to read and review earlier this year (click here to read my review). In June 2014, publisher Austin Macauley released the sequel ‘Waiting for Summer – Book Two’ and I was once again lucky enough to receive a review copy. I really enjoyed the first book and looked forward to once again visiting the familiar group of characters and reading more about Sylvie’s life! A warning to those of you who still need to read the first book, this review might contain some spoilers!
After a really difficult time in which several unexpected things rocked her life to the core, forty-four-year-old Sylvie Sapphiris has found love again and she hopes things will finally settle down. However, the man she has chosen and fallen for comes with his own baggage and difficulties. Not only is he a lot younger than she is, but they also both know their families will find it hard to accept the two of them as a couple. After an amazing week in Athens together, it’s time for Sylvie to go back home to Cyprus and face the music. Yet, things are about to get even more complicated when Sylvie is confronted with an unexpected surprise, and she starts to wonder whether she will really be able to find the happiness and peace she has been searching for once again.
‘Waiting for Summer – Book Two’ picks up right where book one ended; Sylvie and her new man are enjoying a secret week away together in Athens, where Sylvie has to be for a business deal. I was really looking forward to seeing what would happen to Sylvie, especially after everything she had been through. I have to admit, the book started a bit slow, in my personal opinion, and it took me quite a bit of time to get into the story. At first not much seemed to happen except for just a lot of steamy sex scenes, but no real storyline. However, as soon as Sylvie returned home from her trip this changed and it started to feel like the first book of the series: entertaining and captivating, making me want to continue reading to see what would happen.
Anna-Maria Athanasiou really has her own writing style which is really easy to get into and comfortable to read. She has created a great group of well-drawn and different characters and I was happy to see certain characters playing a bigger role in this second part of the series, such as Sylvie’s sons Marcus and Alex. Next to that, the book has a wonderful scene setting, making me long for a holiday to the sunny island of Cyprus! If you decide to pick up this novel, I’d definitely like to advise you to read the first part of the series first. This provides you with more background information to enjoy this story even more. While I do personally think the sequel does not live up to the first book, ‘Waiting for Summer – Book Two’ is an enjoyable romance and erotic read which I’m sure many people will enjoy, and I am curious to read more of the author’s work in the future!

Rating:7/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.