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I am sure that you all know that I am a sucker for anything to do with France. It turns out I am a sucker for Judy Leigh books too, so a Judy Leigh book set predominantly in France....winner, winner!!
69 year old Fliss appears to have it all. Appearances can be deceiving though. She has run a successful business, she has amazing shoes, a glamourous wardrobe, a lovely house, she can pop over to Paris whenever it suits her, and she can attract unsuitable men without even really trying. What she doesn't have is any true friendships, or anyone to share her life with.
Thankfully Fliss has a Shirl. Shirl is her cleaner, driver, confidante and anything else that she needs. Shirl is also a mum, and grandma. She is the kind of woman who will do anything for anyone, to the point that it might seem as though she is being taken advantage of. She's been known to pick up an inebriated Fliss from late night drinking session, and still be on call to be chief babysitter for her cute granddaughter, Macey Roux.
Shirl also challenges Fliss to do better, to be better. After Fliss meets an old flame in Paris, she is impressed by his change of outlook. Manu invites Fliss to his hometown of Plouvannec-Sur-Mer in Brittany, and so she convinces Shirl to come with her, even if it means that Macey Roux has to come with them.
In the town of Plouvannec-Sur-Mer, Fliss and Shirl get to meet a wide array of French characters including Manu's feisty father Maurice who is doing his best to hide from Clotilde, who wants to kiss him whenever she can, Manu's grumpy brother Theo, Joel who owns the local restaurant, and not to forget Bernard who learnt English from an old novel and therefore has quite an odd grasp of the language.
We get to explore the food and culture of Brittany through Fliss and Shirl's eyes, and this is one area where the author excels. It is not her first book where the characters end up in France and her love of the area shines through. I also enjoyed the way that learning the language was portrayed. I am currently learning French through Duolingo, just a few minutes each day, and I found myself able to follow on with the basics at times, which was lovely.
Whilst some of the characters have some real soul searching to do, it is done in such a way that it is balanced with humour and charm!
This is another fun read from the prolific Judy Leigh, who writes under more than one name! She is described in her bio as the doyenne of the ‘it’s never too late’ genre, and it is in apt description.
I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog.
Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. Check out some of the other stops on the blog tour.
About the Book
The Golden Gals' French Adventure
Sixty-nine-year-old Fliss has lived a life!
A career running her own successful business, a beautiful home, a wardrobe full of designer clothes – Fliss has everything she ever wanted. So why does she feel so lonely?
Sixty-six-year-old Shirl didn’t expect to be looking after a baby again, let alone a grown woman who should know better. But with her daughter Gemma struggling to adapt to motherhood, and her boss Fliss increasingly reliant on Shirl to run her life, Shirl never gets a moment to herself.
Fliss might not be great at life’s chores, but she is great at seizing opportunities, so when the chance for a jaunt to France’s beautiful Brittany comes her way, she decides it’s just what she and Shirl need. And as the sun-soaked town of Plouvannec-Sur-Mer begins to work its magic on the women, they realise there’s another way to live.
From cake-laden patisseries, to joyous local fetes, from food, views and beaches to die for, to a community quick to embrace them, not to mention some rather fine French men for company, perhaps it’s not too late for Fliss and Shirl to embrace a new adventure and look forwards to a totally different future.
Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/thegoldengalssocial
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About the Author –
Judy Leigh is the USA Today bestselling
author of The Old Girls’ Network and Five French Hens and the doyenne of the
‘it’s never too late’ genre of women’s fiction. She has lived all over the UK
from Liverpool to Cornwall, but currently resides in Somerset.
Social Media Links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/judyleighuk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JudyLeighWriter
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/judyrleigh/
Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/JudyLeighNews
Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/judy-leigh
Thanks so much for this lovely review. I can tell that you really enjoyed the novel, and that makes me really happy. Sending warmest wishes, J x
ReplyDeleteIt's weird, but our public library system, State of Hawaii!! doesn't have one of her books. None. And especially for a best selling author.
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