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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a fun story of food, art, and mystery that playfully jumps between two continents and eras. I preferred the Picasso-era story line more than the current day characters, but - in the end - I enjoyed how it all came together.
This book came highly regarded from two separate sources. I’ll admit, I approached this thinking it would be a fluff read. It was far from it though. I spent an entire day combing through the majority of its pages, hooked on the ‘is this all going to pan out okay like I want it to?’ writing style.
Split between two storylines of a Grandmother and Granddaughter on the Côte d’Azur, I was enraptured by the crossover in Ondine and Celine’s separate paths. Some authors take the two timeline approach, and leave you feeling disjointed and wanting more. Luckily, I felt equally drawn to both stories, and enjoyed seeing things escalate to a satisfying conclusion.
Please read this book if you want to lose yourself in a delightful story of art, history, and Provençal French cuisine. I very much so did.
Split between two storylines of a Grandmother and Granddaughter on the Côte d’Azur, I was enraptured by the crossover in Ondine and Celine’s separate paths. Some authors take the two timeline approach, and leave you feeling disjointed and wanting more. Luckily, I felt equally drawn to both stories, and enjoyed seeing things escalate to a satisfying conclusion.
Please read this book if you want to lose yourself in a delightful story of art, history, and Provençal French cuisine. I very much so did.
This book was warming and endearing. The beginning was rather slow and I struggled to want to read it, but about half way through it pulled me in and I couldn’t stop. It was a beautiful tale.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.
In 1936 Juan-Les-Pins France, 17-year-old Ondine is instructed to take lunch daily to a new Patron at his villa – a man traveling under the name Mr. Ruiz but who is in fact Picasso. Picasso is at a crossroads in his life both personally and professionally. Ondine, on the cusp of adulthood, is dreaming of how she wants her life to be, and the two inspire each other. In 2014, Ondine’s granddaughter, Céline, is an Oscar-nominated Hollywood make-up artist. After her mom has a stroke, Céline discovers tickets her mom had to go to a cooking school in Provence in the same area where Ondine lived. Céline decides to go with her aunt and take her mom’s place on the trip.
I have to say I liked Ondine’s story line a lot better than Céline’s. I would have loved to see some of the recipe’s in Ondine’s notebook! The writing itself is splendid, though the story has too many coincidences to be real. If you enjoy light fanciful reads with amazing sounding food, this book is for you. The book would also be good who enjoy historical fiction, art history, or stories with both mystery and romance.
In 1936 Juan-Les-Pins France, 17-year-old Ondine is instructed to take lunch daily to a new Patron at his villa – a man traveling under the name Mr. Ruiz but who is in fact Picasso. Picasso is at a crossroads in his life both personally and professionally. Ondine, on the cusp of adulthood, is dreaming of how she wants her life to be, and the two inspire each other. In 2014, Ondine’s granddaughter, Céline, is an Oscar-nominated Hollywood make-up artist. After her mom has a stroke, Céline discovers tickets her mom had to go to a cooking school in Provence in the same area where Ondine lived. Céline decides to go with her aunt and take her mom’s place on the trip.
I have to say I liked Ondine’s story line a lot better than Céline’s. I would have loved to see some of the recipe’s in Ondine’s notebook! The writing itself is splendid, though the story has too many coincidences to be real. If you enjoy light fanciful reads with amazing sounding food, this book is for you. The book would also be good who enjoy historical fiction, art history, or stories with both mystery and romance.
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
inspiring
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A perfect summer read that will transport you to the French Riviera.
Sure, a lot of it was predictable, but I very much enjoyed reading through to have my suspicions confirmed. It's a fictional story, but it felt so real.
I saw other comments that said they didn't like the book because the characters were weak minded, and that was definitely the case for two of them, but it was explained in the story how they came to be that way (one through trauma -fawn is a trauma response just like fight, flight, or freeze- the other was raised by the meek mother, so she picked up all the same traits). They both were too easily manipulated, but I enjoy characters having flaws that they themselves are even aware of.
Sure, a lot of it was predictable, but I very much enjoyed reading through to have my suspicions confirmed. It's a fictional story, but it felt so real.
I saw other comments that said they didn't like the book because the characters were weak minded, and that was definitely the case for two of them, but it was explained in the story how they came to be that way (one through trauma -fawn is a trauma response just like fight, flight, or freeze- the other was raised by the meek mother, so she picked up all the same traits). They both were too easily manipulated, but I enjoy characters having flaws that they themselves are even aware of.
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix