You Had Me at Bonjour - Jennifer Bohnet (2014)

After her husband leaves her for another woman, Jessica takes off to have her own Shirley Valentine moment. But instead of heading to Greece, she rents a place in the south of France. And she's certainly not averse to meeting her very own French version of Costas during her gap year. Trouble is she doesn't speak the language and her 20-year-old daughter Katie is mad that she's left her to deal with her father's pregnant girlfriend. After befriending her older neighbour Eliosa, Jessica meets her nephew Nico. He's a rather suave captain of a yacht but he's also married and off-limits. Or is he? Written diary style over the course of the year, the story follows Jessica as she finds herself again outside her role as wife and mother. The book was way too short for my tastes, not allowing the plot to twist and turn and really challenge the reader. And all the relationships wrapped up far too neatly. But for someone looking for a light and quick holiday read, this one will definitely go down as smooth as a delightful French drop.

It's a new year and hopefully a new start for Jessica in Jennifer Bohnet, by Jennifer Bohnet. The summary says: "If you'd asked Jessica a year ago, she would have told you that her life was pretty near perfect. But one year - and one very messy divorce - later, she's not so sure. Which is how she found herself boarding a plane to the south of France, determined to put her past behind her... preferably via some deliciously chilled rose. Meeting a new man was never part of the plan. Yet when she meets Nico, her new neighbour's impossibly sexy nephew, steering clear of romance seems easier said than done. Suddenly, Jessica finds herself right back where she started: with her heart on the line. But now she's made a new start, perhaps it's time for Jessica to throw caution to the wind, take a few risks... and learn to regrette rien!" You Had Me at Bonjour is out in August 2014.

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