Daphne Le Marche is the owner of a successful cosmetics business, Le Marche, to which she has dedicated her life. However, now she’s almost 80 years old, it seems her time has come and she will need to hand over the business to someone else. While her oldest son, Robert, has his eyes set on the business, Daphne surprises everyone by leaving the company to her two grand-daughters. Robert’s daughter, Celeste, lives a seemingly glamorous life in Paris where she mainly spends her days shopping, while Sybilla, known as Billie, works as a scientist in Australia. The two girls haven’t seen each other since they were kids and do not seem a likely pair to take over the big family business. It seems Celeste and Billie have some important decisions to make; decisions that will not only affect their lives, but the entire Le Marche family and legacy.
The Last Will and Testament of Daphne Le Marche focuses on the story of a successful businesswoman, and tells not just her life story, but also the history of some of her family members and important decisions made after her passing, based on her will. The chapters are told from different points of view, such as Daphne herself, her granddaughters Celeste and Billie, and her son Robert, and are set in various time periods. This meant there were lots of things going on and I really just wanted to keep on reading to discover everything there was to discover about the Le Marche family. This novel really ticked quite a lot of boxes for me. It has an intriguing storyline, some interesting characters (with a few strong female characters in there), a great setting (both Paris and London), and includes a good dose of romance and family. It is a captivating, well-written and simply great family saga I couldn't get enough of; a book that comes highly recommended! (JoH)
The Last Will And Testament of Daphne Le Marche, by Kate Forster, takes readers from 1950s Paris to the modern-day. The summary says: "Paris, 1956. Eighteen-year-old Daphne may be from a tiny French village, but she knows she's destined for more. Stepping off a bus into bustling Paris with a suitcase full of her home-made beauty products, she's ready to do whatever it takes to claim her stake in the world.
London, 2016. Scandalous love affairs and an iconic cosmetics brand have kept Daphne Le Marche in spotlight - but her darkest secrets have never come to light. Now, in her London penthouse, enveloped in her rich signature scent, the Grande Dame of glamour has died. But not even those closest to her could have been prepared for what came next." The Last Will And Testament of Daphne Le Marche is out in September 2016.