One Summer in Monte Carlo by Jennifer Bohnet
For Nanette Weston, and her then fiancé, F1 racing driver Zac Ewart, their dream life came to an abrupt halt 3 years ago following a car accident which Zac walked away from, but left Nanette being airlifted back to the UK, never to return and never to see her fiancé again.
Monte Carlo was a place she wanted to forget, not revisit. But when her friend and employer, Vanessa asks Nanette to look after her children in the Principality for a few months, Nanette knew she had no choice but to return.
As the F1 circus once again comes to town, with Zac in pole position, mistakes of the past, leave legacies for the future...
This book was previously published as Follow Your Star by Jennifer Bohnet.
I've
been lucky to have visited Monaco numerous times and I'm also a fan
of Formula One Motor Racing. Therefore Jennifer Bohnet's new romance
set against a backdrop I love was a "no-brainer" to pick up
and read.
Nanette
Weston's not happy when her friend and employer, Vanessa asks her to
travel to a place which holds painful memories. Three years earlier,
Nanette's life fell apart while living in the Principality of Monaco.
Now as the nanny to Vanessa's twins, she needs to take the children
to their father's home and stay with them while Vanessa accompanies
her new husband overseas. It's a challenge she doesn't want to
embrace. However, she decides it's an opportunity to revisit a place
she loves and to finally find closure…for the event which changed
her life.
The
names of the corners and landmarks along the street circuit of Monte
Carlo and the glamour of the backdrop made it easy for me to devour
this novel and reminisce about the historical landmarks. Although
there's a link to F1, this isn't a motor racing themed novel,
although a secondary character is a driver. Yes, the famous Grand
Prix features, but it's in the background and doesn't take precedence
or detract from the drama.
A
surprise is a secondary plot-line,
although it ties in at the end in
a predictable way.
Unfortunately, it didn't add anything worthwhile to the narrative for
me. I would have preferred the focus to have concentrated more with
Nanette and less so with Vanessa. Other secondary characters are
charming… and rich and I envied how Nanette blended into a world
most of us can only dream about.
The
overall "feel" of this book is fun, entertaining and my
personal favourite by Ms Bohnet so far. It captures the essence of
Monte Carlo and definitely makes me want to visit this small area of
Southern Europe again. Upbeat, with several highs, the author did
make me shed a tear or two during one poignant scene, so be prepared
to experience an emotional journey to a more than satisfying happy
ending.
***arc
generously received courtesy of the publisher Boldwood Books via
NetGalley***
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