A French
Affair by Jennifer Bohnet
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 run-down 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?
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 run-down 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?
I
adore novels set overseas and although the backdrop for A French
Affair is only a hop, skip and a jump away, it still left me wanting
to buy a travel ticket, pack my suitcase and go searching for my own
adventure in
a part of France I've yet to explore.
When Belinda Marshall's employers ask her to oversee the renovation of a camp-site they've just bought in Northern France, the idea fills her with horror. It brings long-buried memories to the surface, a reminder of the turbulent time she spent in Brittany when she grew up, resulting in her parent's divorce. However, as she embarks of her work project and settles into life in the area she knows well, it becomes apparent, details from her past are not quite as they seemed.
The first surprise was the narrative came from a duel point of view. When I began reading about Belinda and her ties to Northern France, I believed the focus would be solely on her. So, when we're introduced to Fern, I liked we hear her voice too. The second is knowing two middle-aged women, are not too old to have another chance at a happy ever after.
When Belinda Marshall's employers ask her to oversee the renovation of a camp-site they've just bought in Northern France, the idea fills her with horror. It brings long-buried memories to the surface, a reminder of the turbulent time she spent in Brittany when she grew up, resulting in her parent's divorce. However, as she embarks of her work project and settles into life in the area she knows well, it becomes apparent, details from her past are not quite as they seemed.
The first surprise was the narrative came from a duel point of view. When I began reading about Belinda and her ties to Northern France, I believed the focus would be solely on her. So, when we're introduced to Fern, I liked we hear her voice too. The second is knowing two middle-aged women, are not too old to have another chance at a happy ever after.
The
narrative is busy with lots of plot lines to keep readers invested
without getting overwhelmed. It's
sprinkled with
some
French too, which got my rusty brain working. The
author brings
to our attention
the emotions felt by Belinda and Fern as they handle
their problems while
friendship grows between these
two women. There's a
balance between sadness
and happiness
as truths from the past are revealed. Additionally,
Belinda and Fern finding
romance highlights
the point you are never too old to fall in love, thanks
to Alain and Scott.
Overall,
a captivating novel to escape into by
a new to me author.
***arc generously received courtesy of 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.
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