Escape to the sun-drenched island of Corfu this summer with this gorgeously uplifting romantic comedy, the first in a brand-new series from the author of The Cornish Confetti Agency and Villa Limoncello.
Welcome to the Hummingbird Hotel!
When florist-to-the-stars Abbie Coleman catches a glimpse of her boyfriend through the window of Tiffany’s, she couldn’t be more excited. Keen to share her happiness, she organises a huge surprise party for all their family and friends… except things don’t quite work out as she expected, and instead of planning a flower-filled wedding, she finds herself single, and fired from a job she loves.
Desperate to escape her heartbreak, she jets off to her aunt’s quirky Hummingbird Hotel on the gorgeous island of Corfu. Little did she know that instead of spending her time lounging by the pool, drinking cocktails, and soaking up the sun, she’d be stepping into the role of the island’s newest hotelier.
The arrival of unexpected guests sends Abbie into a tailspin of panic, and she’s forced to turn to snippy, but charismatic, vineyard owner-turned-chef, Nikos Angelopoulos, for help. Why does the kitchen fill with smoke whenever she makes coffee? Why is there a naked man swimming in the pool? And why do the hotel’s toiletries turn their guests’ hair pink?
Despite all the chaos, the Hummingbird Hotel works its magic on Abbie, and she finds herself with a decision to make. Will she return home to the drizzly grey skies of London? Or will she take a leap of faith and embrace the new opportunities that little corner of paradise has to offer, and maybe, just maybe, discover a sprinkle of romance along the way?
You Can Purchase the Book: Amazon
Daisy James loves writing stories with strong heroines and swift-flowing plotlines. She especially likes to create sunshine-filled settings in exotic locations – the Caribbean, Tuscany, Cornwall, Provence – so she can spend her time envisioning her characters enjoying the fabulous scenery and sampling the local food and drink.
When not scribbling away in her peppermint-and-green summerhouse (garden shed), she spends her time sifting flour and sprinkling sugar and edible glitter. She loves gossiping with friends over a glass of something fizzy or indulging in a spot of afternoon tea – china plates and teacups are a must.
Escape to the Hummingbird Hotel is the first novel in the Hummingbird Hotel series. A fantastic summer read that makes me want to book a trip and travel to Corfu ASAP! The novel is just a joy to read and I love all the different flowers listed at the start of each chapter. I loved how they were nice tie-ins to the various chapters and I learned a lot about many new varieties.
Abigail (Abbie) Coleman’s father left before Abbie was born, so it was just her and her mother for her entire life and the two of them were very close. After her mother’s passing, Abbie decided it was time to get away from her hometown of Devon and make a move to London. After spotting an ad for a flatmate, Abbie moved in with Emily and the two became best friends. The story opens with Abbie and Emily in Abbie’s apartment as Abbie gets ready for a date. She is excited for her a date night with her boyfriend, Dan, at her favorite place in London, Sky Garden. Not only does she think it is a nice celebration of their award win for the British Florist Association, she believes that she will become a fiancé. Dan is not only her boyfriend, but also her boss, at their celebrity floral company, FlowerEssence. As a qualified botanist that dreamed of landing a job at Kew Gardens, but she gave up that dream and pivoted to flowers after meeting Dan. When Abbie is on her date with Dan, everything goes topsy-turvy and he is not there to propose.
Abbie is heart-broken and is further devastated when Dan leaves her a message that she is no longer employed at his company. She does not know what to do next and is trying to figure everything out when she receives a call from a lawyer informing her that her Aunt Liz, who she never met, has passed away and left her a property located on the island of Corfu in Greece. Abbie decides to take a chance to at least check out the place and sign the final paperwork, so she heads off on an adventure to discover more about the property and her aunt, while trying to heal from heartbreak. When she arrives on the island Nikos Angelopoulos, whose family owns and operates the winery next door, escorts her to her aunt’s property, The Hummingbird Hotel. The main story follows Abbie trying to sort out what to do with the hotel, how to deal with the guests that have already booked their stay, and a growing attraction to Nikos.
The characters in this story are all fun. I love how everyone on the island supports each other and they were all a delight. Felix added a nice dash of humor to every scene he was in during the story. I also loved how Emily continued to be involved, even though she was back in London, as a nice support system to Abbie. Emily has a nice side story of her own as she comes from a family of lawyers, but she has no interest in becoming one. She originally went into acting, but later found a passion for baking. After her family assisting her acting dream, she hides her baking dreams from her family and tries to do both careers at the same time. I am very curious to see how her story plays out in future novels. Nikos and Abbie were a delight and I loved the two of them getting to know the other. Both of them are going through their own emotional journeys and they each slowly begin to open themselves up to the other.
Overall, this story was very enjoyable. Abbie was an excellent character that went through a lot emotionally. She wants to know more about her past with an aunt that she never met. She has her life back in London that is more-or-less in shambles after the break-up along with the heartbreak. She has to decide what to do with the hotel as she does not see herself running it long-term, but she also does not want to cause any issues with the community that welcomed her. The community was an excellent addition and they were all just a pure delight. I cannot wait to read the next novel in the series and continue with this amazing cast of characters in the gorgeous countryside setting!
**I give a special thank you to Rachel @rararesources,, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to participate with this enjoyable novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**
chonkybooksreview.com 
A massive thank you for your wonderful review, Etta, and for being a part of the blog tour. I’m thrilled you enjoyed your trip to Corfu & the Hummingbird Hotel! Love Daisy xx
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