About Books#83: A Very French Affair

I don’t know what it is with me and the books that take place in France – honestly. Nonetheless, though, I appear to have been reading my fair share of those lately. And in the case of A Very French Affair? Well, there’s even an old romance thrown in for good measure – along with some great-sounding food!

The story

Life just got a whole lot more complicated for thirty-eight-year-old single mum Liv. Her son Jake is practically perfect in every way, but he’s started asking some difficult questions, and the answers lie in a holiday romance twenty years ago. Back when Liv was staying with her aunt on the French Riviera…

Returning to the Cote d’Azur, with its white sandy beaches, her supportive aunt, and exquisite wine and cheese is harder than it sounds though. Because – if she’s going to give Jake the answers he needs – Liv knows she has to hunt down her first love Andre. And since she’s a professional baker rather than a professional investigator, she doesn’t even have a clue where to start.

At first, finding the one that got away proves even trickier than she thought. And if she succeeds, how will he take the bombshell secret Liv has been keeping? Liv has to do the best thing for her family, but does that mean closing the door on this very French affair?

If you liked this, you might also like The Summer Getaway

The opinion

First things first. There is so much – so much – food in this book. Honestly, it should come with a warning: do not eat in between meals. You will end up snacking. Or, at the very least, craving a serious amount of French pastries!

As for the actual story, though, the food is not the only thing that is described with mouth-watering detail. I mean, I’m not too big on travelling south (not a fan of the heath) but after reading this book? Well, I was just about ready to book a flight to Nice or something like that!

I will say that I’m personally not that big of a fan of first-person narration, so that was a definite down side for me. In spite of that, though, I did really appreciate the way the relationship between Liv and her son and parents, as well as the one between her and her friends was created.

It’s usually the lack of a good relationship with your parents or the people around you that leads to the start of a book. So to say it was a pleasant change to have a book where people support each other, and root for each other? Probably a bit of an understatement.

The rating: 3/5

All in all, A Very French Affair was a really enjoyable read. As I said: I’m not that big of a fan of the first person narration. That’s probably the only reason I’m not giving it a 3.5 or even 4 star rating, honestly. If you’re in the market for a book that captures the spirit of the South of France perfectly? And especially if, like me, you’re something of a baked goods aficionado? This should absolutely be your next read! (Goodreads)

-Saar