And so we come to the end of Paris in July for another year. I think this is my favourite part of my blogging year. It is certainly my most prolific in terms of the number of posts that I do!
Below is a list of all my Paris in July posts for this year.
You know I love a foreign film festival and make an effort to see at least one film from each festival during the year. If I had to pick a favourite film festival, the French Film Festival would be right up there!
In order to gently encourage my husband to come with me to see festival films, I thought I would start this year's French Film festival viewing with a film he should really like so we went to see the The Three Musketeers: D'Artagnan. After all, the story should be at least somewhat familiar given how many adaptations there have been over the years.
Whilst I am not sure how faithful the adaptation was to the original book, it was certainly entertaining. There were sufficient levels of buckle and swash, derring do and fair maidens! There was also humour, adventure, glamour and dirt! In short, it was a lot of fun.
I am not going to recap the story, because I can't talk about the second film without spoiling the first one!
This film was one of the highest grossing films in France in 2023 and it was nominated for a number of prizes.
Here's the trailer for D'Artagnan
It is fair to say that we enjoyed the movie as the next week we were back at the same cinema to watch the second movie, The Three Musketeers: Madame. Interestingly these were both filmed back to back, and you can tell. There were some really lovely locations used across both films, and there were no problems with continuity.
The story was engaging and entertaining! The door has well and truly be left open for another film, and we will definitely be lining up to watch any sequel that comes out!
Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme Books I Wish Had More/Less [Insert Your Concept Here] In Them (for example: more/less romance, more/less world building, less info dumping, more/fewer pages, more character development, fewer characters, fewer descriptions, more suspense, etc.)
We are, however, getting to the tail end of Paris in July, a month long celebration of all things French. One of the posts that I try to do for every Paris in July is a look at what is currently on the bestsellers list in France. I call this feature Bestsellers Around the World. I roll it out infrequently, but I do like sharing it so here are the bestsellers for this week based on the bestseller list at Sens Critique! And my post for this week's Top Ten Tuesday.
The Midwife of Auschwitz by Anna Stuart (La Sage Femme d'Autwitchz) - Interesting to see a WWII historical fiction novel at number one on the list.
A Beautiful Life by Virginie Grimaldi (Une Belle Vie) - I read and enjoyed a Virginie Grimaldi book last year and enjoyed it. I will be looking for this one when I can.
Angelique by Guillaume Musso (Angelique) - This is a crime novel, featuring a cop who has a heart attack and then meets a woman who needs help.
The Bartender at the Ritz by Philippe Colin (Le Barman du Ritz) - This is another WWII novel. It does sound interesting!
Women from the End of the World by Melissa Da Costa (Les femmes du bout du monde) - Melissa Da Costa regularly appears on this list, but I don't think that she has been translated into English yet.
I feel like this was a good reading week. I finished Poppy's Parisian Patisserie by Daisy James, and then I went back and finished reading The Stolen Hours by Karen Swan. This was my read on a theme book club book for this month, with the theme being Scotland. The third book in the Wild Isle series has just been released so I will be keen to see how the story resolves itself.
I am also trying to squeeze one more book in before the end of Paris in July, so I started reading French Windows by Antoine Laurain.
I'm watching
If you had of told me 5 years ago that I would be happy to sit and watch multiple episodes of Gogglebox I would have laughed at you. And yet, that is exactly what I have been doing a lot of this week.
Of course, we have also been watching a fair bit of Olympics. As I type this I am watching some of the men's diving. It is a bit weird to hear one of our cricket commentators doing the commentating on the diving though.
Over the weekend we also watched The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, which is the new Guy Ritchie WWII movie. It reminded me a lot of the TV series we watched last year called Rogue Heroes. The movie is loosely based on true events....very loosely I would suggest.
Here is the trailer
Life
It is starting to get close to our holiday so I am trying to keep things low key at the moment
Antoine Laurain is a French author who I was introduced to as part of previous Paris in July events. I read my first book last year, but then in the last 12 months I have read 3 more of his books, and I am now halfway through the fourth. I think I have also bought all of the books that I can get in English, except for one. I feel like I should have been more across this author well before now, but better late than ever I am sure!
For today's post, I thought I would share a couple of mini reviews of the books that I have read, which I am sharing with my fellow participants of Paris in July, hosted at Words and Peace, and with Sunday Salon, hosted at Readerbuzz.
The first Laurain book that I read was The Red Notebook. When Laurent Letellier finds an expensive handbag when he is on his way to work, he is determined to return it to it's rightful owner. The only problem is there is nothing in there to help him find out who that it is. Instead, there are a number of random looking items which helps him track her down. Lauren is a bookseller, and one of the items in the bag is a copy of a book by Patrick Modigliani. There are therefore plenty of literary references, lots of Paris and a fun story. Obviously I enjoyed it, otherwise I wouldn't have continued onto read so many more of his books.
The next book I read was Vintage 1954. An eclectic group of people find themselves sharing a bottle of vintage 1954 Beaujolais. There is Hubert who owns the building, Magalie who is an antiques restorer, Julien who is a mixologist, and finally there is Bob, an American widower who is on his dream first trip to Paris. When the group wake up the next day, they find themselves back in 1954. Their mobile phones and credit cards don't work, Paris is very different to the Paris of 2017. The group needs to figure out a family mystery and then how to get back to 2017.
The Reader's Room is more of a mystery, but with a twist. Every one gets excited when a debut novel is found and published to great acclaim. It is a bit odd though. The editor, Violaine LePage, doesn't actually know who the author is, and when there are series of murders that echo those that appear in the book, the police come knocking.
I have enjoyed all of the books, but if you were forcing me to pick a favourite so far it would be An Astronomer in Love, which I reviewed earlier this month (review here). One of the reasons when I like the books so much is that everyone of them is different. There are some commonalities (for example, there seems to be something about smoking in his books, his characters often have interesting occupations, and Paris comes to life in the pages of his books. There are often unexpected connections between the characters which only come to life as you keep on reading the book.
I am currently reading the latest book, French Windows, and then I have The President's Hat, French Rhapsody, The Portrait and Smoking Kills waiting for me on my Kindle. Yes, you can now call me an Antoine Laurain fan!
I know I am not alone in planning my next trip to France in my head, even though we have no plans to do so just yet. Last time we went to Normandy and the Loire Valley, as well as Paris. Next time we go I suspect we might go back to Normandy and I would love to spend some more time in the Loire, but I would love to go to the Champagne region. Oh, and Paris! Never forget Paris.
One of the things I would love to do is visit one of the great champagne houses. After reading this book, maybe I will ensure that it is Veuve Cliquot.
Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin has grown up in the Champagne region of France, and she has inherited (genetically) Le Nez from her grandfather. Le Nez means the nose, and she is exceptionally sensitive to smells which in turn enables her to be able to smell and taste grapes and wine and be able to tell exactly how ripe they were, where they were grown etc. Her family is keen to marry Barbe-Nicole off but Le Nez is a curse, something to be hidden. Imagine having such a sensitive nose but then being sent off to marry a pig farmer? The only man that Barbe-Nicole wants to marry is her childhood sweetheart, Francois, but he has disappeared while off fighting for Napoleon.
When he returns, he is a changed man. He is haunted by the things he has seen and done, but they marry. Francois wants to make champagne and Barbe-Nicole has the perfect skills to be able to assist in this regard. When he dies, Barbe-Nicole can inherit the business, but the Napoleonic code is clear - if she remarries then all of her assets transfer to her new husband.
This is not the only way that Napoleon impacts the new widow, who is now known as Veuve (widow) Cliquot. With his never-ending march across Europe, the market for French champagne is constantly proving more challenging, bringing her into direct conflict with Napoleon. Fortunately, Barbe-Nicole's chief sales manager is a very canny and clever man who finds a way. With Barbe-Nicole's talent, sheer hard work and determination and Louis' ability to make a sale, they persevere, sometimes more successfully than others.
Years ago I did a wine tasting in California where they talked to us about how you can have different tasting versions of the same type of wine depending on where the grape grew. The harder the vine had to work to survive, the more robust the flavour, and I think this is probably a good way to describe Barbe-Nicole. She had to struggle against her families wishes, against societal expectations, against nature, war and more, but she persevered and today Veuve Cliquot is one of the most famous brands of champagne in the world!
Whilst this is ostensibly Barbe-Nicole's story, it is interspersed with aspects of Napoleon's coalition wars, which provides interesting context for the rest of the story.
I also loved the humour in this story, including the names of each chapter which are sayings that are presented in both French and English. For example, one chapter's title is "Un barbe ne fait pas le philosope" which translates as "A beard does not make a philosopher."
A note about the cover.... I think it is a really fun cover. It gives off 1920s party girl vibes to me, which is great except...this book is not 1920s vibe. So this is definitely a case of don't judge a book by it's cover. Although it would have caught my eye in a bookstore, so it works from that aspect.
I have the next Champagne Widows book here to read at some point. It is called Madame Pommery, Creator of Brut Champagne. I am looking forward to reading it.
I am sharing this post with my fellow participants of Paris in July, hosted at Words and Peace, and Foodies Read, hosted at Based on a True Story.
Weekly meals
Saturday - Out for dinner Sunday - Fennel Pork roast and lemon and oregano potatoes Monday - One Pot Pastitsio Tuesday - Enchiladas Wednesday - Pepper Beef Pie Thursday - Takeaway Friday - Eggs, bacon on toast
Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page
Oh no! I've been seduced into reading the fourth sixth book in a series when I haven't read the first three four books. What was it that seduced me?
Picture of Paris on the cover
Paris in the title
Patisseries
Proliferation of alliteration in the title
And it turns out this is my second book in a row that has a main character called Poppy!
Poppy is having a run of bad luck. Her chocolate making business has closed due to a fire, she still hasn't really moved on from her disastrous last relationship, and she has well and truly withdrawn from dating anyone. When she finds herself with a few weeks spare, her brother asks her to pop over to Paris and help out in his friend's patisseries. Olivier has had an unfortunate accident which left him with two broken arms and so he needs all the hands he can get (pun intended) to keep his patisserie running.
Poppy quickly makes friends with her eccentric landlady, with the her co-workers, and the shop owners from the surrounding shops. Soon, Poppy finds herself seeing Paris through the eyes of her French friends, enjoying events that would be unusual for a normal tourist to experience. And as for romance, well Poppy is now living in the city of love. Of course there's romance in the air.
I normally try not to read books in a series out of order. I do think this is a book where it would have benefitted to have read the earlier books. It feels like there were a lot of loose ends that were tied up in this book, and there were quite a few references to people where I had to wait to try and figure out what was going on. I guess the gauge is whether I would go back and read the earlier books in the series, and I think I would!
I love escapist reads which take you to somewhere else and Daisy James is great at this. There were multiple times where I caught myself thinking either oh my goodness this brings back such great memories from our visit to Paris, or, oh my goodness I wish we had of visited there. I also loved the way that James spoke about food and books! All my favourite things to read about!
So, while I did really notice the reading out of order thing, I did find the rest of the story to be a lot of fun and entertaining.
I am sharing this review with my fellow participants in Paris in July (hosted at Words and Peace) and the New Release Challenge, hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog, and Foodie Reads hosted at Based on a True Story. Thanks to the publisher and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy!
I thought I would finish by sharing a photo that I took the night we went to dinner at the Jules Verne restaurant at the Eiffel Tower.
About the book
Poppy’s Parisian Patisserie
Escape to chic
and glamorous Paris!
When Poppy Phillipson loses her
chocolate-making business in the Blossomwood Bay fire, she’s heart-broken; all
her hopes and dreams wiped out in the space of an hour. As if that wasn’t
enough, her last three dates were a complete disaster – one two-hour lecture on
the intricacies of the off-side rule, one no-show, and an embarrassing
abandonment mid-date – and
she’s having a hard time not to take it personally.
So, when her brother asks her to come to the rescue of his friend Olivier Bourdain, owner of Pâtisserie Madeliene, following a freak
skiing accident, she decides it’s the perfect way to escape the Devonshire
drizzle and enjoy a petit sojourn
from all-thing romance exploring the boutiques and boulevards of elegant Paris.
However, when she meets handsome French chef Fabien
Dumont, with his sexy accent and dark brooding eyes, her
determination to take a dating hiatus is severely tested. Should she
concentrate on improving her skills as a pâtissière, or should she throw
caution to the wind and embrace everything the City of Light has to offer…
including the possibility of love?
Join Poppy as she heads to the dazzling city of
Paris, and enjoy a story filled with delicious French pâtisserie and a soupçon
of heart-warming romance.
Daisy James loves
writing stories with strong heroines and swift-flowing plotlines. She
especially likes to create sunshine-filled settings in exotic locations - the
Caribbean, Tuscany, Cornwall, Provence - so she can spend her time envisioning
her characters enjoying the fabulous scenery and sampling the local food and
drink.
When not scribbling
away in her peppermint-and-green summerhouse (garden shed), she spends her time
sifting flour and sprinkling sugar and edible glitter. She loves gossiping with
friends over a glass of something fizzy or indulging in a spot of afternoon tea
- china plates and teacups are a must.
Daisy would love to
hear from readers via her website – daisyjames.co.uk, or her Facebook page or
you can follow her on Twitter @daisyjamesbooks, or on Instagram
@daisyjamesstories.
After a late night working with her boss,vAnjali, Greta shares that she is a bit lonely and worried that she will never find love. Luckily Anjali has an in with a professional matchmaker at the Ever After agency. Enter Poppy Dean. Of course, Greta cannot know that she is being matched so they need to come up with a cover story.
Greta is a rising star in the magazine world, and is just about to launch a new online magazine. She is the editor, and the buck stops with her. When her boss suggests that maybe a series of articles on dating would be a good idea, Greta is on board, even though she sees through the ruse relatively quickly, but she cannot let Anjali know she knows. Yes, its all a bit complicated. Of course, it would be no good to go on just one date and meet your dream man so first step is to go on some disaster dates first. Perfect fodder for a column in the magazine. Let the fun begin!
I love the way that Sandy Barker writes female friendships. Greta's best friend is Tiggy and the way they support each other is so good. There's even a surprise reveal of a friendship for Anjali.
Poppy and her colleagues at the Ever After Agency work tirelessly for their clients, and contribute some fun to the story, especially George with his love of fashion. I am also quite partial to the agency's French PI. I also love being able to see how Poppy's own relationship is going!
I have now read all three books in this series and I think this was the best of the three. Yes Greta is quite anxious at times, but she is in a stressful job, trying to navigate dating disasters and trying to find love. It's probably understandable. You'll notice that I haven't mentioned much about who Greta ends up with, and that is deliberate, not because he's not a lovely hero, and that it isn't relatively obvious where things are going, but I don't want to spoil too much.
If you follow Sandy Barker on socials you might be aware that she is currently travelling around the world, writing as she goes. I can't wait to see how some of the locations she is visiting find themselves in future books. There are a lot of different locations portrayed through her previous books! Whatever comes next, I am looking forward to it.
Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog
Rating 4.5/5
About the book
The One that I Want
Greta Davies, the features editor at a
women’s magazine, is accomplished and successful. That is, in all areas except
her love life.
Determined to help, Greta's boss - and
friend - secretly enlists the help of the Ever After Agency, and sets out to
make her dreams come true.
Work-obsessed Greta is nothing if not
stubborn, so it’ll take some creative thinking, which leads to a lightbulb
moment: a new column focused on dating in the city.
With date after disastrous date,
things are not looking rosy for Greta. But little does Greta know, the perfect
man has been there all along. Will she realise it’s more than friendship before
it’s too late?
A fun and sexy rom com inspired by the
classics How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days, Thirteen Going on Thirty and Sex and
the City.
I’m a writer, traveller and hopeful romantic with a
lengthy bucket list. I love exploring new places, outdoor adventures, and
eating and drinking like a local when I travel, and many of my travel
adventures have found homes in my novels. I’m also an avid reader, a film buff,
a wine lover and a coffee snob.
Every year I when I do this post, I wonder if this is going to be the year that I run out of new Paris songs to share, but somehow I always find some more to share, although a few of the ones that I have on my list are now French songs about Paris, but lets start with some more familiar names.
The first is Paris by Taylor Swift
I wasn't all that familiar with Corinne Bailey Rae other than her song Put Your Records On, but this song, Paris Nights, is lovely
Apparently this Elton John song, simply titled Paris, was released as a single in France, but I don't remember hearing it before finding it for this post.
Les Nuites Parisienne by Louise Attaque - You might have been expeecting to see a female singer for this song, but Louise Attaque is actually a four piece folk rock band
And I'll finish with Paris Summer by Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood
Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Debut Novels I Enjoyed (A debut novel is an author’s first published book. You could also choose to share genre or age group debuts if you’d prefer, such as an adult fiction author’s first YA book or a mystery writer’s first romance.) (submitted by Angela @ Reading Frenzy)
I keep track of a lot of things on my two spreadsheets, whether a book is the author's debut or not is not one of them. So I am going to twist the topic a little bit and share the last ten books that I have read where I hadn't read the author before.
Champagne Widows by Rebecca Rosenberg - If all goes to plan I will be reviewing this next weekend.
The Itinerary by Penny Pentley - This was a fun trip through Europe
Family Tree by Susan Wiggs - I can't believe I hadn't read this author before now. (My review)
A New Dawn at Owl's Lodge by Jessica Redland - I would like to read more from this author (My review)
Come Fly With Me by Helen Rolfe - I will be reading my next book from this author soon (My review)
The French Cookery School by Caroline James - This was so much fun! Made me want to do a cooking course in France. (My review)
Invitation to Italy by Victoria Springfield - I'd be happy to visit Italy or France. Either one really. (My review)
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman - i can't wait to see the movie of this! The cast looks stellar.
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa - I have the next book on my Kindle already.
The French Adventure by Jennifer Bohnet - Say yes to adventure! (My review)
On Sunday we went to a cafe in the inner city suburbs where they were advertising Parisian Hot Chocolate, and I have to say it was worth the drive. What is that, you may ask? Well, it was a very thick drinking chocolate that comes with a big serving of cream. We had a ham and cheese croissant and then shared a banoffee cream croissant which was oh my goodness good. The cafe only does the Parisian Hot Chocolate during winter, but all the food looks so good, we can see ourselves going back again.
It did make me reminisce on all the delicious hot chocolates we had when we were travelling through Europe, which I posted about here.
This follows our visit to a German Christmas Market on Saturday which I am counting as our Christmas in July for this year. It was a bit cold and rainy (it is winter after all) but we got to enjoy some mulled wine and there was a nice vibe. We intended to grab some dinner there but the queue for the Bratwurst sausages was at least an hour long, so we ended up going to the local pub for their Christmas in July menu. We do try to do something for Christmas in July most years!
I also had a work offsite this week which was in a gorgeous location and with great food! It was an enjoyable couple of days but quite full on!
I'm reading
After a slow reading week last week, this was a much better week in terms of the number of books read. I read both Secrets in Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen, which I reviewed last week here), and The One That I Want by Sandy Barker which I will review this week. I also started reading Poppy's Parisian Patisserie by Daisy James
I finished listening to Sidelines by Karen Viggers, which was an interesting read. It's not my normal type of read but I did enjoy it in the end. It covered a number of issues. I then wanted a change of pace and so I started listening to Funny Story by Emily Henry.
I'm watching
It was the finale of Masterchef Australia this week. Whilst I am not going to spoil the results, I can say that I wasn't the biggest fan of the winner. Never mind. Bring on Dessert Masters!
I did start watching a British show called Extraordinary Extensions. The show is basically a home renovation show. It is hosted by rapper Tinie Tempah, which gives the home renovation genre a bit of a twist. The renovations they are featuring are amazing, featuring people who make very brave design decisions and do something different with their houses. Oops...apparently the host just goes by the name Tinie now.
Other than that, I did watch a couple of movies. I watched the new Harry Connick Jr movie set in Cyprus - Finding Me Falling. It was pretty standard rom com and it was ... you know...fine. Harry Connick Jnr stars as a faded rock star who buys a house on a clifftop in Cyprus. When he runs into an old flame, things change more than he could ever imagine.
After our fancy brunch, we went to see Arctic Convoy (Konvoi) which is showing as part of the Scandinavian Film Festival. This is a Norwegian film which tells the story of an Arctic convoy which plied the seas from Norway to the USSR, providing much needed provisions in the depths of WWII. It was a pretty good movie, although it did lose it's way a little bit at times. It was certainly dramatic. Here's the trailer.
There is a regional city a couple of hours away from us called Bendigo, and it is a place I love to visit. At the Art Gallery, they often have really interesting exhibitions. In the past they have held exhibitions about Elvis, Wedding Dresses, British Royal Portraits and more. This year, the exhibition is called Paris: Impressions of Life 1880-1925 and of course we had to visit.
There were several themed rooms for visitors to walk through, starting from the Market Town Show, through Public Gardens, along The Seine, into Montmartre via the Eiffel Tower and the Champs Elysee. There was a really interesting mix of art, promotional posters, fashion, and historical photos of some of the most familiar landmarks, although they looked a bit different .
My favourite room, and the one that I want to share the photos of today were all the different signs that used to be outside shops to tell people exactly what was sold in the shop! Some of them are more obvious than others! I love the ornate key, and the snails, and yes, the shop sold snails!
The items in this collection come from Musee Carnavalet which is the museum of the history of Paris. When we visited Paris, I did hear about this museum but we were unable to squeeze it in. We had already added it to the list for the next time we visit Paris. This exhibition has definitely ensure that will be a must do!
After a quick lunch, we were also lucky in that we got to attend a fascinating talk by famous French Australian chef Gabriel Gate.He was talking about both the history of restaurants and food and his own career in food, using some of the illustrations from the exhibition as well as others.
Among the various things he talked about, including the different types of restaurants, and how the movement of people have bought different types of dining to Paris. For example, the Prussian wars which caused people from the Alsace-Lorraine area to move to Paris, and with them they bought brasseries, which originally was where beer was made. He also spoke about other types of restaurants such as bouillon restaurants, some of which are still open today, as well as much fancier restaurants like Le Cafe Riche
The 1900 World Exhibition was another key event bringing millions of people into the city and creating work. He shared a photo of a banquet that was held in 1900 was the Banquet des Maires where 22000 local maires were invited to Paris for a 6 course meal, served over the course of 90 minutes.
One of the statistics shared was that in 1789 there were around 100 restaurants in the city but by 1900 there was around 3500 eateries in the city. A lot of those very early restaurants were opened by the chefs who worked for the aristocracy but the French Revolution saw those chefs moving to the city.
In terms of his own history, Gate started working in kitchens in 1974 and he talked about how different that world was. When he started work there were still ovens that were heated using fires, you had to break up your own chickens and there were very specific rules about behaviour. For example, he worked in a restaurant where the kitchen was downstairs and under no circumstances were the downstairs staff allowed in the dining room. The only time he even saw the dining room was on his last day working there.
There were so many interesting stories that were shared as part of this session, and I am so glad that we took this opportunity to hear Gabriel Gate speak. I could have listened for much longer!
For a couple of years now, I have tried to see at least one movie at each international film festival as it comes to town. For example, recently I watched a couple of Spanish movies, and this weekend I am going to see a Danish movie. Earlier this year, it was the French Film Festival and I managed to see three movies, one of which was The Taste of Things, also known as The Pot-Au-Feu.
This movie was the French submission for the Oscars last year and won a couple of French awards as well, and you can see why. It is a beautifully shot, very emotive story and the two stars shine on the screen. It is interesting that Juliette Binoche and Benoît Magimel are former partners and share a daughter. I am not sure I could work with my ex for months on end. Actually, I 100% could not work with my ex under any circumstance.
If you like food, or you like French movies, or indeed if you like both, watch this movie!
I am sharing this post with my fellow participants in Paris in July, hosted by Emma at Words and Peace.
Weekly meals
Saturday - Out for dinner Sunday -Chicken Kiev, Mash, Broccoli and Gravy Monday - Beef and Broccoli Noodles Tuesday - Work dinner Wednesday - Chicken Stir Fry and rice Thursday - Butter chicken and rice Friday - Takeaway
Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page
Welcome back to Pelican Crossing, an idyllic beach town in Queensland where the waves roll in, the town people are welcoming, and there is love in the air, particularly if you are a bit older and been by yourself a long time. This is the second book in the Pelican Crossing series by Maggie Christensen, which in turn is a spin off from the Bellbird Bay series, which in turn was a spin off from the Granite Springs series. I don't think that was a spin off, but I could be wrong. Granite Springs was where I started my Maggie Christensen journey, and I have been with her all the way reviewing nearly all of her books.
Liz is a divorced mother of two grown up daughters. She is the practice manager at the local medical clinic, she has a good group of friends, and she isn't really looking for love, although her daughters are encouraging her to try dating. Liz also has a secret she has been hiding for year from everyone.
Finn moved to Pelican Springs from Bellbird Bay when his son in law died in a drowning accident and he needed to move to the town to support his grieving daughter and grandson. He is editor of the local town newspaper and he also is not looking for love.
Somehow, whilst they knew of each other, they hadn't really met, but when they do sparks fly but the timing is all wrong. Liz's daughter Mandy has just moved back in, and Liz's big secret is about to come out. It could be a blessing or it could completely destroy her entire family. For Finn, he is way too busy looking after his family and trying to save the newspaper.
As you can probably tell from my intro, I am a big fan of Maggie Christensen's books, and this book was no exception. In fact, this is probably one of the better ones. Some times I find some of the secondary adult characters a bit annoying, and there was definitely the possibility of that with this book, particularly in the way that Liz's younger daughter reacted to her mother's secret. In this case though, I could see how someone would react in that way.
Finn's grandson Sandy was a big part of this book. He was traumatised from seeing his father drown the year before, and the way that this was portrayed was very sensitively handled. His determination and joy at getting a puppy was so lovely!
I feel like I don't even need to say this, but I will of course be reading the next Pelican Crossing book and the one after that and so on. We have already met a number of characters in the first two books in the series who will feature in future books!
Thanks the publisher and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog
Rating 4/5
About the Book -
Secrets in Pelican Crossing
Divorced, frustrated
by her daughter's matchmaking, and resigned to staying happily single, Liz Phillips thinks she has her life all figured out… until she
meets Finn
Hunter.
Having moved to
Pelican Crossing twelve months earlier to support his daughter after a family
tragedy, Finn finds himself juggling family obligations and a demanding job as
the editor of the local paper. He has little time for romance.
When Liz and Finn’s
paths cross, there’s an undeniable spark between them. They quickly form a
connection which neither of them anticipates.
Amidst the whirlwind
of their relationship, a secret from Liz’s past resurfaces, threatening the
closeness she shares with her daughters. Having Finn to lean on is a godsend,
but Finn is concealing a secret of his own. A secret that once revealed could undermine
the trust and understanding they share and destroy any chance of a future
together.
Can Liz find her
happy ending or is she destined to face the future with only her family for
company?
After a career in education, Maggie
Christensen began writing contemporary women’s fiction portraying mature women
facing life-changing situations, and historical fiction set in her native
Scotland. Her travels inspire her writing, be it her
trips to visit family in Scotland, in Oregon, USA or her home on Queensland’s
beautiful Sunshine Coast. Maggie writes of mature heroines coming to terms with
changes in their lives and the heroes worthy of them. Maggie has been called the
queen of mature age fiction and her writing has been described by one
reviewer as like a nice warm cup
of tea. It is warm, nourishing, comforting and embracing.
From
the small town in Scotland where she grew up, Maggie was lured to Australia by
the call to ‘Come and teach in the sun’. Once there, she worked as a primary
school teacher, university lecturer and in educational management. Now living with her husband of over thirty
years on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, she loves walking on the deserted beach
in the early mornings and having coffee by the river on weekends. Her days are
spent surrounded by books, either reading or writing them – her idea of heaven!
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