Wednesday 13 January 2021

New Book Release Spotlight: One Summer in Monte Carlo by Jennifer Bohnet

One Summer in Monte Carlo by Jennifer Bohnet

Monte Carlo means different things to different people; a billionaires playground, overflowing with glitz and glamour but also where dangerous secrets hide.

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.

https://amzn.to/3cqDnQh

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***

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.

http://www.jenniferbohnet.com/

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