Book review of L'Amour Actually by Melanie Jones

Summer reading

I’m having a great summer reading some fantastic books that are just perfect for amusing the mind and letting it wander from the sunlounger, but without it having to do much thinking. L'Amour Actually: Falling in Love in the Heart of France by Melanie Jones is one of these books.

There are not many books that have me laughing from the start, but Melanie managed it with this one. I enjoyed her writing style, which is very funny but it also felt like catching up with an old friend, as she really opens up and lets you into her life. Disastrous is about the only way to describe the start of her new life in France, but as one embarrassing situation/mishap rolls into another I laughed along with her and was hooked into reading more to find out what could possibly happen next. As well as the humour there is a good mix of characters from sexy French farmers to odd expats and friends from UK who think she has lost the plot to genuinely nice locals who look out for her.

I’ve always admired the young, single woman who totters to France on her own, wearing her Louboutins and dragging a makeup bag heavier than my suitcase, rural France must seem so much more daunting than it did for me as I’ve always been happy in wellies. For us the most important item off the removal lorry was Ed’s bike, as a month without your bike when you are only three is a very long time. There are obvious similarities to other books out there already, (here and here) but unless you are totally sick of them (and I don’t think I ever will be) don’t let this put you off. There are many similar spy plot or detective books, but they all have their own style and twist and this is true for Melanie’s book too. I’m certainly glad she wrote it as she writes a very entertaining account.

As I reached the end of the book I thought ‘funny how things turn out in life’ and I do hope she is planning on writing the next instalment as there must be more to tell. I’d also like to thank her parents too, as she credits them with encouraging her to write down her experiences.

L'Amour Actually: Falling in Love in the Heart of France is published by Summersdale and is available in both paperback and ebook from all good outlets. Links to Amazon.co.uk are below. Thanks for getting in touch and sending me a copy Melanie.