May 13, 2025 by SparkPress
Copy provided by the publisher
Katina (Kat) is not happy to move from her longtime home with her mother and younger brother James, but has decided to start running in order to join the high school cross country team in the fall. She doesn't love running yet, but she has a massive crush on Mike, who is a senior on the team, so keeps at it. Then her mother delivers even worse news; they are going to spend the summer in Paralia, Greece, with her yiayia. Kat doesn't want to be away from her new home, and worries that she won't be able to run, but is eager to get a feel for what Greece is like. She is a little dismayed that it is very hot, necessitating early morning runs, and the fact that the house has no wifi and limited utilities, including an outdoor shower. Her extended family seems nice, and most, like her cousin Yeorgia, speak a little bit of English. While out in the town, she catches a glimpse of a young fisherman and is instantly smitten. She investigates and finds out that his name is Theofilus. When she is on the beach, supposedly watching her brother and cousin, two boys her age, Efthimious and Michalis distract her by telling her they know "all about" American girls. The boys get pulled out to see but are rescued by... Theofilus. Kat is in trouble with her family, and Yeorgia's mother calls her a "bad girl" and doesn't want Yeorgia to hang out with her cousin. Yiayia invites Theofilus' family over for a thank you dinner, but Theofilus' father doesn't approve of Kat either. Theofilus, who speaks little Greek, and Kat have hung out a bit after her runs, and have met in secret, and like each other a lot despite the language barrier. Kat tries to appease Theofilus' father, to no avail. Yeorgia, who wants to be a pilot, models the behavior of a proper young lady, baking baklava and acceding to the wishes of the men, so she doesn't want Kat to tell anyone about her career aspirations. Kat continues to run at night, despite Yiayia's ban, and has several negative encounters with the local young men, although she is fortunately never attacked. As her time in Greece draws to a close, she decides that she shouldn't have to keep her relationship with Theofilus secret, and stands up to her father. Emboldened by her summer experiences, Kat heads back home to face her future in high school.
Strengths: I know exactly the readers to hand this to; two 8th grade girls came in and asked for romances by a certain author that they had found at the public library, but I didn't have them because they were more Young Adult. They both said that they really hadn't read much that they liked (despite my best efforts) until they found these mildly spicy romances. Kat's teen grumbling at being told how to spend her summer, her obsession with the cross country runner Mike, and her push back against the stricter Greek social norms are all things that older middle school students will understand. There is a brief mention of her father, who didn't share her mother's Greek heritage and who lived with his new family, which included a young daughter. Kat had some issues dealing with this. It was good to see her want to please her grandmother, and to see her attempt to learn some Greek, cook with her grandmother, and try to navigate a new set of societal rules. Her breathless pining over Theofilus is the real draw of the book, and I loved that she eventually came to enjoy running.
Weaknesses: Having been 14 a long time ago, I understand why Kat would want to change for a boy she had a crush on, but it also made me a little angry! She and Theofilus don't have much in common, and their relationship seems mainly based on making out, some of it under the shirt. For actual teens, this is great stuff, but I just wanted to slap some sense into her!
What I really think: This is a great choice for readers who want a vicarious trip to Greece like Welch's Love and Olives or Zeitlin's Sophomore Year is Greek to Me, and had the feel of a classic romance, like Dessen's Along for the Ride (2009) which is still popular in my library. I would definitely purchase this for a high school or 7-8 intermediate school library!
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