Book review A French Adventure by Jennifer Bohnet

A French Adventure by Jennifer Bohnet

A French Adventure by Jennifer Bohnet 

When your old life ceases to exist, it’s time to build a new one…

 

It’s early summer on the French Riviera when Vivienne Wilson arrives for a one-woman writers’ retreat after learning that her philandering husband of 30 years, wants a divorce. There to collect the shell-shocked Vivienne is recently widowed Maxine Zonszain, who is struggling to come to terms with her empty life. To add insult to injury she receives another knockout punch with a letter from her very estranged first husband…. Florist extraordinaire, Olivia Murray, shares the Villa that Vivienne is renting. She’s content with life - but sad to add another failed relationship to her growing list and longs to meet 'The One'. Life under the summer sun in Antibes becomes a challenging time for all three women as secrets are shared, problems halved as they forge unexpected friendships and embark on new adventures. Sometimes life’s surprises turn out to be unwanted but just sometimes the ‘new normal’makes for a happier life than the one lost.

A French Adventure by Jennifer Bohnet

 

My review 

When it’s winter, and life seems a little dreary, having a brand-new Jennifer Bohnet novel in my hands was such a pick-me-up, I started this book with a huge grin on my face. 

 

It’s early summer in Antibes and I warmed to Vivienne, Maxime and Olivia instantly, and was soon drawn into their different backstories as challenges and traumas threw major life changes at them.

 

Vivienne, hit with shocking news just before she arrived in Antibes, is left reeling. I was so cross on her behalf, I began plotting my own revenge for her loathsome ex as soon as I put the book down each night. I admit this probably isn’t healthy, but it just shows you how Jennifer’s characters get under your skin. Happiness for Vivienne was all I wanted for her new chapter in life.

A French Adventure by Jennifer Bohnet

 

Maxime, still grieving for Pierre, is given the opportunity to tackle the darkest moment from her past. This might have been something she’d dreamed of for thirty years, but as it became within her grasp, it held the risk of breaking her fragile heart once more. I felt for her so much, it was a real emotional shocker as the truth revealed itself. 

 

Olivia, about to have the offer of an exciting new business project, wonders if it will be enough for her. Much as she hates her overbearing mother’s interference, and would never admit she is right, a special someone to share her life shouldn’t be too much to ask. As her story gently played out, there were so many times I was willing her to have the strength to do what her heart knew was right.

 

I loved every minute spent in this book and as their journey’s unfolded it almost felt like I was there with them. They had each other to look out for one another, but I’d have hopped into the book in a heartbeat, poured them a chilled rosé and given them all a hug. 

 

This is another uplifting book about strong women taking control of their futures, and for Vivienne, falling under the spell of a bit of south of France magic. As usual, Jennifer’s knowledge of the south of France, French culture and living here as an expat, not only brought the story and location to life, but ensured the plot was plausible as well as great entertainment.

 

It was Valentine’s Day last week, so it’s still not too late to treat yourself to A French Adventure and a mini book break in Antibes.

 

Purchase links

French Village Diaries is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk at no extra cost to you.

 

Amazon UK link 

 

Jennifer Bohnet

About the author

Jennifer Bohnet is the bestselling author of over 12 women’s fiction titles, including Villa of Sun and Secrets and A Riviera Retreat. She is originally from the West Country but now lives in the wilds of rural Brittany, France.

 

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A French Adventure by Jennifer Bohnet

 

French-themed reading bingo

This year I’ve set myself a reading challenge bingo, with twenty-five different types of French themed books to tick off. Set in Antibes, this book nicely ticks off “A book set on the Côte d’Azur”. 

French themed reading bingo challenge

Book review Saving Sophia by Caro Feely

Saving Sophia by Caro Feely

Saving Sophia by Caro Feely

Wow, what a read! This is a beautifully written memoir about an incredibly difficult time for Caro and husband Sean, that will stay with me for a while. This international, career-focussed couple decided in their thirties that parenthood was something they wanted, despite it not having been the focus of their five-year plan. Their life was in Dublin, their families in South Africa and Canada, but with a network of good friends with young children, Caro had support during her pregnancy. 

 

Following her journey from no bump to maternity leave, and then their arrival at the hospital, brought back so many vivid memories of my pregnancy, Ed’s birth and those early days of breastfeeding and motherhood. We had our dramas and tears, but nothing to compare to the devastating news Caro and Sean received that saw their baby daughter being whisked off to the special care baby unit with her future uncertain. 

 

Caro bravely shares this emotional and heart stopping time openly and honestly. The wait between diagnosis and operation, the long road towards recovery, even when reading it, time seemed to slow down, but I couldn’t put this book down. With so much to take in it must have terrifying – was there anything that could be done, would it be successful, what would her outcome be? So many questions, so much at stake and so much trust that had to be given to the incredible medical team they found themselves surrounded by. Everything compounded by pregnancy hormones. I was heartbroken for them, at the trauma and pain they had to go through at what should have been such a happy time for the family.

Saving Sophia by Caro Feely

 

Having ‘met’ the Feely family through reading Caro’s previous memoirs about their life on an organic vineyard in France, it is no surprise that a lot of this book is dedicated to their learning curve in this area. Caro questions her old lifestyle decisions, diet, and anything else she can think of to understand what could have caused baby Sophia’s problems. She shares her reasons for ditching the ready meals and going organic, backed up by her now vast knowledge in this field. She also shares her struggles with breastfeeding, giving a real account of how testing and painful something so natural can be.

It was certainly more complicated for her when Sophia was in intensive care, but the benefits to both mother and baby soon become obvious, even in these difficult and unusual circumstances.

 

Any parent will feel the tug of emotions as they read this book. I also came away with a stronger appreciation for the miracle that is life and a greater understanding of how precious it is and how every day must be treasured and lived to the full. 

Thank you, Caro for sharing yours and Sophia’s incredible story.

 

You can read my reviews of Caro’s previous memoirs here:

Grape Expectations

Saving Our Skins

Vineyard Confessions (previously known as Glass Half Full)

Cultivating Change 

My France et Moi interview

Amazon purchase links for Caro’s memoirs can be found here:

Grape Expectations

Saving Our Skins

Vineyard Confessions 

Cultivating Change

Saving Sophia 

French Village Diaries is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk at no extra cost to you.

Book review The Summer of Lies by Louise Douglas

The Summer of Lies by Louise Douglas

The Summer of Lies by Louise Douglas

The summer is the hottest yet in the Brittany coastal town of Morranez, but when a new case lands on the desk of the Toussaints detective agency, there can be no time to relax. As wild fires bear down on the town, the alert goes out for a missing girl.

 

Nineteen-year-old Briony Moorcroft has seemingly been taken from her sleepy Welsh village and brought to France. Her parents are baffled and scared – Briony needs her life-saving medicine or this case will become even more sinister, and with the police dragging their heels, the Moorcrofts are relying on Mila Shephard and Carter Jackson’s sleuthing skills.

 

Meanwhile there are mysteries troubling Mila’s life too. Two years after the accident that swept her sister Sophie and brother-in-law Charlie away and left their daughter Ani in Mila’s care, new evidence resurfaces that makes Mila doubt everything.

 

Can Carter and Mila find Briony before it’s too late? And is the truth about Sophie and Charlie finally about to be revealed…

The Summer of Lies by Louise Douglas

 

My review 

Having devoured The Lost Notebook by Louise Douglas, I was delighted to find myself reading the resume for a sequel and couldn’t wait to get back to Brittany with Mila, Carter and Ani. 

 

This book has a tricky multi-storyline plot which gave lots of fuel to feed my inquisitive mind. Starting in the UK, we discover a bit more about Mila and the life she left when she moved to France to look after her orphaned niece Ani. Much as she has fallen under the spell of Brittany, her confusion around her split life between France and the UK, as well as the shadow of what happened the day her stepsister Sophie and brother-in-law Charlie set out to sea in a storm three years ago, weighs her down. Mila’s sensitive way with Ani touched my heart as did her emotional, silent conversations in her mind with Sophie, who often seems to be the only person Mila opens up to. 

The Summer of Lies by Louise Douglas

Alongside this, Mila and Carter are involved in the agency’s search for a vulnerable nineteen-year-old, who is believed to be in the Brittany area. Time is critical in this search that is hampered by the wildfires that are ravaging inland from the coast. The more they discover, the more questions are raised, and although I had an inkling about the circumstances around her disappearance, I was still surprised when the truth was revealed.  

 

From the beginning I was hooked, from the middle I was gripped, and even if I only had a few snatched minutes, waiting for the kettle to boil, my nose was back in this book. I’d have been sad to get to the end if it wasn’t for the fact it included a huge hint that there would be a third book – yippee!

As well as the mysteries to solve and the emotional situations the characters find themselves dealing with, the authors love for Brittany is evident and an integral part to this book. I can recommend The Summer of Lies if you are looking to get drawn into a good mystery, and if you haven’t read The Lost Notebook, grab yourself both books and have a real Breton adventure.  

Purchase links

 

Amazon UK link 

French Village Diaries is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk at no cost to you.

Louise Douglas

 

About the author

Louise Douglas is the bestselling and brilliantly reviewed author and an RNA award winner. The Secrets Between Us was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick. She lives in the West Country.

 

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The Summer of Lies by Louise Douglas

You can read my review of the first book in this series, The Lost Notebook, here.

Lost Notebook Amazon link

 

French-themed reading bingo

This year I’ve set myself a reading challenge bingo, with twenty-five different types of French themed books to tick off. This book nicely ticks off “A book set in Brittany”.

 

French themed reading bingo challenge