Delighted to be one of the stops on this final day of the Blog Tour
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| Boldwood Books My thanks to the publishers and to Rachel's Random Resources for my ecopy of this book and the invitation to be part of the blog tour |
What will be will be...
Belinda Marshall’s idyllic teenage life in Brittany, France, fell apart when her parents dramatically separated and her mother took her back to England.
Fast forward thirty five years when Belinda’s world is once again turned upside down. It’s the week before Christmas and Belinda's employer 'surprises’ her by asking for her help to rejuvenate their latest investment, a rundown campsite in Brittany.
Memories and anxieties that had lain dormant for years suddenly begin to resurface. As secrets from a lost life threaten to overwhelm her, there is a realisation that maybe she wasn’t told the whole truth by her mother all those years ago. Can Belinda reconcile her emotions and find happiness once more in the place she so loved and called home?
What did I think about it..
It's been an absolute treat to read A French Affair as its setting in the Finistère district of Brittany reminded me of a camping holiday spent at La Forêt Fouesnant on a camp site very similar to the one featured in A French Affair.
Belinda Marshall is a successful troubleshooter working with a small chain of UK based hotels and is alarmed when her employers suddenly announce that she is to travel to northern France to oversee the develop of a new enterprise, that of a small camping area in Brittany. Belinda is sceptical about the project for reasons of her own and especially when she receives a cold welcome from Alain, the son of the previous camp site owners.
This is a really lovely story which looks at all the pitfalls of opening up a run down camp site especially when there is animosity and distrust but it's also about friendship and the gradual thawing of relationships. There are old secrets which are surfacing in Belinda's life and the author does a great job of bringing all the pieces of this particular puzzle together in a lovely warmhearted way.
This is my first book by this author and I am impressed by her easy style of writing and the way she brings all her characters very much alive in the imagination. I have enjoyed spending time with each of them especially Belinda who I warmed to from the start but also I also loved getting to know Fern who runs the local Auberge and whose delicious meals... and cakes made my mouth water 😊
Such a delight to read, I raced through A French Affair in an afternoon and thoroughly enjoyed being back in Brittany with the scent of pine and the rustle of leaves and of being immersed in a lovely, heartwarming story about love, life and friendship.
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.
Twitter @jenniewriter
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