Book review of Sisters Making Mischief by Maddie Please

Sisters Making Mischief by Maddie Please

Sisters Making Mischief by Maddie Please

Joy Chandler has had enough!

All she wanted was a lovely family Christmas with perfect turkey and luxury crackers. Instead, daughter Sara announces she’s getting divorced...and where is the fizz? And son, John and perfect wife Vanessa announce they are leaving for New York… and are the vegetables organic? And not one of them has made her a cup of tea!

So Joy decides she’s going to leave them all to it and head to France to visit her younger sister Isobel - a break from it all is just what she needs!

Isabel’s potato farm in France might be rustic, but Joy is hoping to find a bit of the old her again. Do her family really only think she's their dogs body? Where has Joy’s joy gone?

Being with Isobel is loud and chaotic and being together brings out both sisters’ mischievous side! And being in France adds a welcome touch of ooh la la to Joy’s life again. Soon, she has a new job, a new man and maybe even, a second chance at living!

An uplifting and hilarious story about living life to the full and always, always having fun! Perfect for fans of Judy Leigh and Dee Macdonald.

Sisters Making Mischief by Maddie Please

My review

I couldn’t help but feel for Joy as this book launches into a nightmare of a Christmas, which is anything but joyous and leaves her expectations of a fun, festive, family time in tatters. I was exhausted by it all and couldn’t wait for her to set foot in France in the hope she would find some peace from the chaos back at home. With the rest of her family about to embark on new beginnings, that was what I wanted Joy to find too. 

Sisters Making Mischief by Maddie Please

Joy and her sister Isabel are totally different, but with sixty years of experience, they knew how to work well together. Joy soon found her place in the heart of Isabel’s chaotic kitchen and her pottering around in the brocante barn and bookshop was beneficial for them both, as was the challenge of finding out more about their new neighbour Luc.

Eugénie was one of my favourite characters, a Frenchwoman of a certain age and with her own unique way of living – from dressing, to voicing her opinions, to romance, I loved it when she appeared for her morning coffee ritual.

As this gentle, great fun read played out, watching a new Joy emerge, with a fresh way of thinking and feeling about herself and her family, put a huge smile on my face.

If you need an escape this Christmas, head to Brittany with Joy, you won’t regret it.

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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.

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Maddie Please

Author Bio  

Maddie Please is the #1 bestselling author of joyous tales of older women including The Old Ducks’ Club and Sisters Behaving Badly. She had a career as a dentist and now lives in rural Herefordshire where she enjoys box sets, red wine and Christmas.

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Here are my reviews of two of Maddie’s previous novels set in France:

Sisters Behaving Badly 

Old Friends Reunited 

Sisters Making Mischief by Maddie Please

Book review of The Sea House by Louise Douglas

The Sea House by Louise Douglas

The Sea House by Louise Douglas

A mysterious bequest and the legacy of a tragic love – only one person can unravel the hidden secrets of the past before it’s too late…

When Elisabeth Quemener dies she leaves a small parcel with the instructions that it must only be opened by Astrid Oake. The trouble is, no one knows who Astrid Oake is…

Elisabeth’s family turn to Touissants detective agency for help but, when Mila Shepherd and Carter Jackson try to track Astrid down, their frustration soon mounts. Their only clue is a photo of two young women holding the hands of a tiny child. The women are smiling but Mila is haunted by the sadness in their eyes. Is this Astrid and Elisabeth and if so, who is the child? And why are there signs everywhere in Elisabeth’s home that the old woman was frightened despite her living a quiet life with no known enemies?

As Elisabeth and Astrid’s story slowly unfolds, Mila feels the walls of her home The Sea House closing in. And as the secrets finally begin to reveal themselves, she is ever more determined to carry out Elisabeth’s final wishes. Because what is inside that unprepossessing parcel might just save a life…

Louise Douglas is back in the Brittany seaside town of Morranez with a heart-stopping, heart-breaking, brilliantly written and utterly compelling mystery. Perfect for fans of Kate Morton, Eve Chase and Lucinda Riley. 

The Sea House by Louise Douglas

My review

The Sea House is the third book in a brilliant series set on the wild Breton coast, an area that can be dark and unpredictable, especially when the storms roll in, much like this book. 

I couldn’t wait to get back into the action and discover the latest about the mysterious and tragic loss of Sophie and Charlie, a storyline that has run throughout all the books. Mila, who put her UK life on hold to look after her orphaned niece Ani, is no nearer to deciding where her future lies, and the current investigation she and Carter are working on for the Toussaints detective agency, is the most frustrating yet. As they endeavour to find the elusive Astrid Oake, to fulfil a final request, Mila finds herself in a dark and dangerous place where lives are at risk as family secrets and friendship pacts that lasted a lifetime, were slowly revealed.

The Sea House by Louise Douglas

This book took the events in the first two books and raised them, so much so, there were times when I wasn’t sure I could read on – heart stopping it most certainly was, but I was also too hooked to put it down. In this multi-plotted mystery, the more that is uncovered about the past, the more questions are raised. 

As this series has evolved, so too have my feelings for some of the characters and the direction I want them to move in – I will say no more, just that I’m enjoying being fully immersed into a really gripping series of novels where the dynamics of the characters change from book to book, as do my reactions to them.

I reached the end thinking oh no! This hasn’t given me enough, I have so many questions. The relief to then read a teaser of the next book in the series was like exhaling a long-held breath, but as the action and tension has notched up steadily in each of the three books so far, will I cope with book four? I’ll do my best, so bring it on Louise.

I can’t recommend this series enough, but it’s always best to start at the beginning, so here my reviews of books one and two to whet your appetite:

The Lost Notebook 

The Summer of Lies 

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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.

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Louise Douglas

  

Author Bio  

Hello! I'm Louise, author of 12 novels mostly set in the Somerset countryside close to where I live and Sicily. I'm thrilled to have won the RNA Jackie Collins Romantic Thriller award 2021 for The House by the Sea which has sold more than a quarter of a million copies.

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The Sea House by Louise Douglas

Book review of A French Country Escape by Jennifer Bohnet

A French Country Escape by Jennifer Bohnet

A French Country Escape by Jennifer Bohnet

A fresh start in the beautiful Brittany countryside is what dreams are made of...

Buying and relocating to the Château du Cheval in rural France has fulfilled one of Peter and Ingrid Chevalier’s lifelong ambitions. Despite never being able to trace a missing link in Peter’s French ancestry he feels he has finally come home. Now they must renovate the Château to its former glory and make it pay for itself…

With money getting tight, they take the decision to sell a couple of cottages on the estate. Can the Château begin to pay for itself and be sustainable for the future?

Divorced Sasha Heath and her brother Freddie decide to sensibly invest their mother’s inheritance into property and buy the two rundown cottages on the Château’s estate. Putting the past behind them, a new life in France beckons, but will it live up to their dreams?

As they relax and settle into their new idyllic lifestyle, their new lives throw up several surprises, and all they can do is cross their fingers and hope everything will turn out well in the end.

An uplifting tale of new adventures and second chances. Perfect for the fans of Jill Mansell and Fern Britton.

A French Country Escape by Jennifer Bohnet

My review

As always, being back between the pages of a Jennifer Bohnet book is like a comforting hug from an old friend, as well as a fizz of excitement and anticipation about discovering new characters, whose lives will be forever changed with a touch of magic only France can provide.

A French Country Escape didn’t disappoint and one of the first things I loved about this book were the strong family links between the characters. From brother and sister, Freddie and Sasha, making the move to France together at a difficult time in their lives, to Ingrid and Peter, doing everything they could to support their daughter Penny but also determined to solve a family mystery from the past. 

As the book progressed, we learned that both Sasha and Penny have taken bold steps to free themselves of troubled pasts and I enjoyed witnessing them create the next chapters of their lives. Sasha blossomed through her art, Penny through her love of food, but they both soon found the Breton village community, with the château at its heart, a welcoming and healing place to be.

A French Country Escape by Jennifer Bohnet

There were unexpected twists, plus the romance of bringing old buildings back to life, creating new possibilities for everyone involved. I smiled a lot whilst reading this book, and not just at the antics of the various animals, who play as important a role as any of the other characters.

If you are looking for an escape to France, with plenty of humour, but that doesn’t shy away from difficult emotional situations, then I am sure you will enjoy A French Country Escape.

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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 purchase link  

Jennifer Bohnet

 

Author Bio  

Jennifer Bohnet is the bestselling author of over 14 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.

Here are some of my reviews of Jennifer’s previous novels (all of which I recommend).

A French Adventure 

Summer on the French Riviera 

Christmas on the Riviera 

Villa of Second Chances 

Summer at the Château 

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A French Country Escape by Jennifer Bohnet

  

Book review of The Golden Gals' French Adventure by Judy Leigh

The Golden Gals' French Adventure by Judy Leigh

The Golden Gals' French Adventure by Judy Leigh

Sixty-nine-year-old Fliss has lived a life!

A career running her own successful business, a beautiful home, a wardrobe full of designer clothes – Fliss has everything she ever wanted. So why does she feel so lonely?

Sixty-six-year-old Shirl didn’t expect to be looking after a baby again, let alone a grown woman who should know better. But with her daughter Gemma struggling to adapt to motherhood, and her boss Fliss increasingly reliant on Shirl to run her life, Shirl never gets a moment to herself.

Fliss might not be great at life’s chores, but she is great at seizing opportunities, so when the chance for a jaunt to France’s beautiful Brittany comes her way, she decides it’s just what she and Shirl need. And as the sun-soaked town of Plouvannec-Sur-Mer begins to work its magic on the women, they realise there’s another way to live.

From cake-laden patisseries, to joyous local fetes, from food, views and beaches to die for, to a community quick to embrace them, not to mention some rather fine French men for company, perhaps it’s not too late for Fliss and Shirl to embrace a new adventure and look forwards to a totally different future.

The Golden Gals' French Adventure by Judy Leigh

My Review

As we join unlikely travelling companions Fliss and Shirl, plus their not so insignificant baggage, I honestly had no idea where this book would take me, aside from a small coastal town in Brittany. The two women are not close friends, neither are they returning to somewhere that has meant a lot to either one of them, and Fliss, who is the instigator of the holiday, seemed initially to float from one flaky plan to the next. 

Shirl had reached a point in her life where she knew the value of hard work, had accepted her lot and had no desire to change. Fliss was lost. Her retirement was not what she had envisaged, she missed the sense of purpose working had given her and she soon realised ex-colleagues weren’t the same as friends. While I adored Shirl from the beginning, Fliss took a little time to grow on me, but a little bit of Breton magic certainly helped us both.

The Golden Gals' French Adventure by Judy Leigh

This book plunged us into life in Brittany where food was served with love and laughter, there was a real sense of community spirit and even some colourful local characters that put a huge smile on my face. Whether the scene was an extended family meal, served outdoors with a view of the sea, or an organised event with music and dancing into the night, everyone was welcome and there was always lots of laughter, fun and friendship. It was a delight to lose myself in as Judy beautifully entwined the lives of old and new friends, French and English customs, and four generations from baby Macey Roux to Maurice in his nineties, mourning the loss of his wife but happy to have his house full once again.

The Golden Gals’ French Adventure is another great read from Judy Leigh that will leave you with a wide grin on your face and either remind you of time spent in Brittany or have you planning your next holiday there – I’m packing my bags.

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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.

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Purchase here 

Judy Leigh

About the author

Judy Leigh is the USA Today bestselling author of The Old Girls’ Network and Five French Hens and the doyenne of the ‘it’s never too late’ genre of women’s fiction. She has lived all over the UK from Liverpool to Cornwall, but currently resides in Somerset.

Here are two other books written by Judy (and set in France) that I have also enjoyed:

Lil’s Bus Trip

The Golden Oldies Book Club

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The Golden Gals' French Adventure by Judy Leigh

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.  

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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

Book review of The Lost Notebook by Louise Douglas

The Lost Notebook by Louise Douglas

The Lost Notebook by Louise Douglas

A notebook full of secrets, two untimely deaths – something sinister is stirring in the perfect seaside town of Morranez…

 

It’s summer and holidaymakers are flocking to the idyllic Brittany coast. But when first an old traveller woman dies in suspicious circumstances, and then a campaign of hate seemingly drives another victim to take his own life, events take a very dark turn. 

 

Mila Shepherd has come to France to look after her niece, Ani, following the accident in which both Ani’s parents were lost at sea. Mila has moved into their family holiday home, as well as taken her sister Sophie’s place in an agency which specialises in tracking down missing people, until new recruit Carter Jackson starts.

 

It’s clear that malevolent forces are at work in Morranez, but the local police are choosing to look the other way. Only Mila and Carter can uncover the truth about what’s really going on in this beautiful, but mysterious place before anyone else suffers. But someone is desperate to protect a terrible truth, at any cost…

 

My Review

This book is a gripping mystery with lots going on and a cast of strong characters. I loved the location, that for me, really added to the foundations of the story. Set on the wild Breton coast, the landscape, the sea, the ancient dolmen and over a thousand years of history, all have a part to play. 

 

Mila was an interesting character to get to know. She was unpredictable, a bit reserved and not sure whether she belonged in France with her family or in the UK, where her life had been settled and routine before she found herself looking after her niece in France. I could feel her loneliness, not only because she was away from her partner, but also because it seemed she was the only one who believed that the strange goings on in Morranez were not quite as they first seemed. This did however give her the determined drive she needed not to give up – on the situation but also on Ani, who was vulnerable and at a difficult age, but an easy character to warm to. I could feel the grief that Ani and Mila were experiencing, trying to come to terms with loosing Ani’s parents, and a really special part of the book for me was the conversations between Mila and Sophie.

 

With so much going on, I tried hard to guess the connections between the different characters, locations and situations. As the book progressed and the plot evolved, I was totally gripped, had no idea who to trust, and despite a long list of suspects didn’t fully work things out for myself.

 

If you enjoy unravelling mysteries or books set in Brittany, I’m sure you will love The Lost Notebook.

 

 

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Louise Douglas

 

Author Bio

 

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 Lost Notebook by Louise Douglas

Book review of The Water Witch by Jessica Thorne

The Water Witch by Jessica Thorne

The Water Witch: A totally gripping fantasy romance novel filled with mystery by Jessica Thorne            

 

 

Sitting side by side on the clifftop, he turns to her solemnly and says, ‘The water witch is real.’ She rolls her eyes and grins, teasing him. ‘Sure. A psycho mermaid. Got it.’ But now he’s gone forever… will she find the truth beneath the waves?

Brittany, France. Ariadne Walker’s fiancé Simon drowned in the stormy Atlantic Ocean doing what he loved: searching for the lost underwater city of Ys. Local legend says it was destroyed centuries ago when the princess of Ys became a water witch, cursing the name of the man who betrayed her.

Ari never believed these tall tales. And the letter Simon sent before he died finishing their relationship is a devastating secret she’ll take to the grave. But arriving in Brittany, Ari encounters a man emerging from the sea in a rocky cove, saltwater dripping from his dark hair. Rafael swears the legends are true: and his ancestor was cursed by the water witch. Now, his own life is in terrible danger. And the secret to breaking the curse lies hidden in the lost city.

When Ari finds a strange engraved mask on the sea bed, and a cryptic map amongst Simon’s things, she has no choice but to believe Rafael’s plea. Can they follow the trail and save Rafael’s life? Poring over the map by candlelight, the flickering flames only add to the heat between them… but will Ari’s fragile heart soon be shattered all over again? And will they ever find Ys and break the curse – or will the water witch demand another sacrifice?

An absolutely addictive romantic fantasy read filled with passion and mystery, that will sweep you away to the wild coast of northern France. Inspired by real myths and legends from this magical place, The Water Witch is perfect for fans of Luanne G. Smith, River of Shadows and Jennifer L. Armentrout.

The Water Witch Jessica Thorne books-on-tour

 

My Review 

I can’t disagree with the “absolutely addictive” claim written in the blurb, as the magic and mystery of this book captivated me from the beginning.

 

There were so many things that attracted me to this book, from the dark but colourful cover to the wild, rugged location of Brittany, and not forgetting the Celtic myths and legends the area is steeped in. This book takes you to the heart of a centuries old mystery of a lost underwater city and the lives of a family said to be cursed. As the story unfolded, I was drawn in, as if mesmerised by a hypnotic tide, never knowing which way the current would take me. 

 

As Ari and Rafael dig deep into the past, there is passion and intense emotions, dark moments and strange goings on. The things they see often blur the line between reality and something else, an underlying magic that can’t rationally be explained. They were an unlikely match, but I warmed to both Ari, for her expertise and vulnerability and Rafael, a handsome, successful Frenchman, drawn to Ari in his desperation to survive.

 

This book really inspired my imagination and gripped my mind – it was a difficult book for my head to put down, even when I was doing other things.

 

The more I read, the more I wanted to discover the Breton legends for myself, and I got to the end feeling that I would love to sit down with the author and chat all things Breton, myth and legend. I’ve certainly followed her on Instagram and was delighted to find photos of places that inspired her in Brittany and other locations in France I know and love.

 

If you are looking for a mystery with a difference this summer or enjoy a book that takes you beyond the landscapes of a location, I’m sure you will enjoy The Water Witch as much as I did.

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Jessica Thorne

Author Bio

 

Jessica Thorne saw Star Wars at an impressionable age and life was never the same. She’s loved fantasy, romance and science fiction ever since and spends her time looking for adventure – in the pages of her books.

Sometimes she is Ruth Frances Long and won the European Science Fiction Society Spirit of Dedication Award for Best Author of Children’s Science Fiction and Fantasy, 2015.

 

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