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377 ratings | 92 reviews | avg rating:4.31

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Effie Kammenou

Goodreads Author

Born

in New York, The United States

December 29

Website

http://effiekammenou.com

Twitter

EffieKammenou

Genre

Romance, Fiction, Contemporary

Member Since

April 2013

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/effiekammenou

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Effie Kammenou believes it's never too late to chase your dreams, follow your heart, or change your career. She is proof of that. At one time, long ago, she'd dreamed of a successful career as an actor. Instead, she worked in the optical field for over forty years while raising her two daughters.
In 2015, three years after her mother died from pancreatic cancer, she published her debut novel, Evanthia's Gift, the first book in a women's fiction, multigenerational love story and family saga inspired by her mother and her Greek heritage. Kammenou continued to pick her father's brain for stories of his family's life in Lesvos, Greece, and their journey to America until his recent death in November 2022 at the age of 100. Her interview with him Effie Kammenou believes it's never too late to chase your dreams, follow your heart, or change your career. She is proof of that. At one time, long ago, she'd dreamed of a successful career as an actor. Instead, she worked in the optical field for over forty years while raising her two daughters.
In 2015, three years after her mother died from pancreatic cancer, she published her debut novel, Evanthia's Gift, the first book in a women's fiction, multigenerational love story and family saga inspired by her mother and her Greek heritage. Kammenou continued to pick her father's brain for stories of his family's life in Lesvos, Greece, and their journey to America until his recent death in November 2022 at the age of 100. Her interview with him was published in the nationally circulated magazine Reminisce.
Evanthia's Gift: Book One in The Gift Saga was a 2016 finalist in the Readers Favorite Book Awards. Book two, Waiting for Aegina, was awarded finalist status in the 2019 International Book Awards. Chasing Petalouthes, the last book in the trilogy, also placed in the Readers Favorite Book Awards in 2018.
Love is Worth Fighting For won silver, second place for contemporary romance in The Readers Favorite Book Awards, and most recently won first place in the BookFest Awards.
Kammenou's latest series is The Meraki Series. Love is What You Bake of it, Love by Design, and Love is Worth Fighting For are available in print and Kindle formats. Book four, Love in Plain Sight, will finish the series. Each book focuses on a sibling and their quest for love and professional success despite a sometimes stifling and meddling family. A mystery shadowed by a historical event in recent Greek history is slowly uncovered throughout the series.
As a bonus, each book contains the traditional Greek recipes featured throughout the novels, many of which were passed down from her Athenian mother.
Kammenou’s latest novel, The Magic of Robola, a captivating second-chance romance that unfolds across dual timelines, is set to release January 30, 2026. This story weaves poignant moments with swoon-worthy scenes through a forced proximity scenario that pulls at the heartstrings.

Effie Kammenou is a first-generation Greek-American who lives on Long Island. When she's not writing or posting recipes on her food blog, you can find her entertaining family and friends or traveling for 'research.' She recently returned to her theatrical roots by occasionally working as a background actor in film and television productions.
She’s a member of the Romance Writers of America, the Women Fiction Writers Association, Long Island Authors, Long Island Authors Group, and Long Island Romance Writers.
For updates on promotions, events, and new releases, follow Effie on social media. Sign up for her newsletter to receive a free copy of her novella Don’t Want to Leave Her Now.
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Combine Editions
Effie Kammenou’s books

Average rating: 4.47 · 1,824 ratings · 852 reviews · 9 distinct works • Similar authors

	Evanthia's Gift (The Gift Saga #1) 4.39 avg rating — 563 ratings — published 2015 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Love is What You Bake of it (The Meraki Series #1) 4.36 avg rating — 331 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Waiting for Aegina (The Gift Saga, #2) 4.59 avg rating — 258 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Love by Design (The Meraki series, #2) 4.48 avg rating — 187 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Chasing Petalouthes (The Gift Saga #3) 4.65 avg rating — 149 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Love is Worth Fighting for 4.40 avg rating — 126 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Magic of Robola: A second-chance forced proximity romance set on a Greek vineyard. 4.51 avg rating — 113 ratings — published 2026 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Gift Saga Trilogy (The Gift Saga #1-3) 4.73 avg rating — 51 ratings — published 2018	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Paperback Writers Anthology by Jennifer Locklear (Goodreads Author), Morgan Locklear (Goodreads Author), Beck Anderson (Goodreads Author) 4.59 avg rating — 46 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Effie Kammenou's Blog

I think it’s time for a cocktail

If you’ve read my books, then you know I insert recipes between some of the chapters. But this is the first cocktail I’ve added rather than food or desserts. I love anything cherry-flavored. Visinatha is the syrup made from cherry preserves. It can be purchased as a syrup alone or in a jar with the cherries. My mother and Yiayiá would stir a few tablespoons of this confection into a glass of cold

Series by Effie Kammenou

The Gift Saga (3 books)
by

Effie Kammenou (Goodreads Author)

4.50 avg rating — 1,021 ratings

Meraki (1 book)
by

Effie Kammenou (Goodreads Author)

4.36 avg rating — 331 ratings

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Effie’s Recent Updates

Effie Kammenou liked Skylar Daniels's review of Love by Design (The Meraki series, #2): "This is the second book in the Meraki Series and I loved it. I feel in love with this book as I did with the first one. The author has done it again with the beautifully written plot and characters. I’ve fallen in love with this authors way of writin" Read more of this review »
Sep 10, 2026 07:04PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Love by Design by Effie Kammenou. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Love by Design by Effie Kammenou <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Effie Kammenou liked Fictionlove_alwaysforever 's review of Love by Design (The Meraki series, #2): "Why should you read this book?🤔 👇🏻 It has those “awesome” 4💫💫💫💫 • 👍🏻Author Effie Kammenou has done an amazing job with the background of the story, the plot and storyline🤩 The book has yumm-licious characters as well as droolworthy desserts! Yummmmmm..." Read more of this review »
Sep 10, 2026 07:04PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Love by Design by Effie Kammenou. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Love by Design by Effie Kammenou <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Effie Kammenou entered a giveaway The Women by Kristin Hannah (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 06, 2026 12:26PM · like · see giveaway · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Women by Kristin Hannah. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Women by Kristin Hannah <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Effie Kammenou rated a book it was amazing The Wishing Stone by Stefanie Nici (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 02, 2026 07:23AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Wishing Stone by Stefanie Nici. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Wishing Stone by Stefanie Nici <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Effie Kammenou rated a book it was amazing Love is Worth Fighting for by Effie Kammenou (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 24, 2026 08:04PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Love is Worth Fighting for by Effie Kammenou. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Love is Worth Fighting for by Effie Kammenou <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Effie Kammenou rated a book it was amazing Love by Design: A grumpy/sunshine workplace romance (The Meraki Series Book 2) by Effie Kammenou (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 20, 2026 06:59PM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Love by Design by Effie Kammenou. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Love by Design by Effie Kammenou <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Effie Kammenou rated a book it was amazing Love is What You Bake of it (The Meraki Series #1) by Effie Kammenou (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 17, 2026 08:53AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Love is What You Bake of it by Effie Kammenou. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Love is What You Bake of it by Effie Kammenou <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Effie Kammenou rated a book it was amazing The Summer I Found You by Jennifer O'Brien (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
What a wonderful summer read! It's a great read for any time of the year. This story is set on the East End of Long Island, and as a Long islander, I love a book that takes place where I live. I spend a lot of time during the summer in the Hamptons, ...more
Jul 05, 2026 07:44PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Summer I Found You by Jennifer O'Brien. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Summer I Found You by Jennifer O'Brien <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Effie Kammenou rated a book it was amazing This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I saw this cover at my favorite indie bookstore and was drawn to it immediately. The premise of the book was sweet and heartwarming, though I had a feeling it would bring tears. And it did at times. But what a gift it was to view the love between a d ...more
Mar 24, 2026 09:29PM · 2 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by Effie Kammenou (?)

“Everyone’s experience is unique to them. Don’t minimize it.”
― Effie Kammenou, Evanthia's Gift

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“Whenever I was going through a tough time he knew just what to say. I’m going to pass some of his wisdom to you. Everything you went through may have been painful at that time, but it led you to this moment. There is a reason for everything. Out from the storm, the sun will shine. You’ll see.”
― Effie Kammenou, Waiting for Aegina

tags: customizeurcover, fictionlove_alwaysforever, fromauthorstoreaders

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“If nothing ever changed, there would be no such thing as butterflies.” —Wendy Mass”
― Effie Kammenou, Chasing Petalouthes

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Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Goodreads Authors...: Know of any great book publicists or PR reps?	7	48	Mar 12, 2016 09:54AM
Readers & Writers: BOTM for October 2016 - Evanthia's Gift by Effie Kammenou	1	10	Oct 01, 2016 08:48AM
Review Group: * Birthday hop is on!	20	129	Oct 02, 2017 10:50PM
Review Group: * Group 154. DONE. Mod K.A.	155	103	Nov 08, 2017 11:40AM
Romance Audiobooks: Evanthia’s Gift by Effie Kammenou	5	46	Feb 07, 2018 08:18AM
Romance Audiobooks: Evanthia’s Gift by Effie Kammenou	12	91	Mar 30, 2018 08:13AM

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Effie’s Quotes

“Why not think that sometimes—just sometimes—you can overcome evil with silence? And let people hear their hatefulness in their own ears, without distraction. Maybe goodness is enough to expose evil for what it really is, sometimes.”
― Sylvain Reynard, Gabriel's Inferno

787 likes

“Kindness is never wasted.”
― Sylvain Reynard, Gabriel's Inferno

647 likes

“Sometimes goodness doesn't tell everything it knows. Sometimes goodness waits for the appropriate time and does the best it can with what it has.”
― Sylvain Reynard, Gabriel's Inferno

477 likes

“Look at me. Look into my eyes." His eyes fixed on hers as they fluttered open.
"I'll give you anything. My body, my soul, Take them. Take everything.”
― Sylvain Reynard, Gabriel's Inferno

400 likes