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3.38 AVERAGE
3.38 AVERAGE
I enjoyed this book, it kept my interest and was exactly what I wanted from Katie's books. A happy ending, a bit of escapism etc. But some of the characters were just not quite believable. The sister who turns so nasty at one point and the evil Carmella, setting out to destroy the antique shop and own it for herself. Would have been a bit more believable maybe if they'd not been so OTT. But I enjoyed the book. I read it fast and it was some escapism in these crazy times.
The only thing I dislike about Katie Fforde is that she only publishes one book a year! Oh, and that her e-short stories/novellas aren't available in the US.
"The French Affair" is another winner. The romance progresses a bit differently than usual, but it's a great story and has all of Fforde's signature characteristics!
"The French Affair" is another winner. The romance progresses a bit differently than usual, but it's a great story and has all of Fforde's signature characteristics!
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It has been a while since I sat and read a Katie Fforde. I came across A French Affair when doing my weekly shop and couldn’t resist buying it! I’m happy I did as it was a pleasant, light-hearted break from what I have been reading.
A French Affair focuses on Gina Makepiece and how her life changes when her eccentric aunt leaves a request in her will. Gina, and her sister Sally, have to get involved in The French House antiques that she grew to love so much. The usually sensible and safe Gina throws herself into the venture (more so than her sister) after her freelance PR work isn’t as busy as she’d like it to be. This is the fresh start away from London (and ex Egan) she needed. However she gets more than she bargained for with the broody and pessimistic Matthew Ballinger.
Before I started the novel I had an idea on how it was going to end. Fforde follows a structure that she works wonderfully; I also like that I know exactly what I’m going to get when I see the name Katie Fforde on a beautiful cover. I must admit when I saw the premise centred on antiques I was slightly wary as I didn’t think I would be able to get into it. However I was surprised that despite this I couldn’t put the book down.
I greatly enjoyed the balance of personality between Gina and Matthew. Some of their interactions were humorous and had me smiling. It was nice to see the character development of them both (especially Matthew) as the novel continued. I wasn’t too crazy about the sister Sally, there were moments when I really couldn’t stand her. However I felt the sisterly relationship between her and Gina was well written. A minor character that I loved, on the other hand, was Nicholas and I would have loved to have seen more of him. Another character I would have liked to have seen more of (even though I hated her) was Yvette. She was mentioned a lot and her presence was felt, however I just would have liked to have seen her interact more with the other characters.
Despite reading this in one day I can’t quite remember if the loose ends with Egan and the money were tied up. I was so wrapped up with the ending that I forgot what happened with that particular storyline. Events towards the end of the novel felt a little rushed, however that also added to the tense feeling of time running out.
Like with other Katie Fforde books I wasn’t disappointed. I would certainly recommend this book, however Love Letters still remains my favourite Fforde!
A French Affair focuses on Gina Makepiece and how her life changes when her eccentric aunt leaves a request in her will. Gina, and her sister Sally, have to get involved in The French House antiques that she grew to love so much. The usually sensible and safe Gina throws herself into the venture (more so than her sister) after her freelance PR work isn’t as busy as she’d like it to be. This is the fresh start away from London (and ex Egan) she needed. However she gets more than she bargained for with the broody and pessimistic Matthew Ballinger.
Before I started the novel I had an idea on how it was going to end. Fforde follows a structure that she works wonderfully; I also like that I know exactly what I’m going to get when I see the name Katie Fforde on a beautiful cover. I must admit when I saw the premise centred on antiques I was slightly wary as I didn’t think I would be able to get into it. However I was surprised that despite this I couldn’t put the book down.
I greatly enjoyed the balance of personality between Gina and Matthew. Some of their interactions were humorous and had me smiling. It was nice to see the character development of them both (especially Matthew) as the novel continued. I wasn’t too crazy about the sister Sally, there were moments when I really couldn’t stand her. However I felt the sisterly relationship between her and Gina was well written. A minor character that I loved, on the other hand, was Nicholas and I would have loved to have seen more of him. Another character I would have liked to have seen more of (even though I hated her) was Yvette. She was mentioned a lot and her presence was felt, however I just would have liked to have seen her interact more with the other characters.
Despite reading this in one day I can’t quite remember if the loose ends with Egan and the money were tied up. I was so wrapped up with the ending that I forgot what happened with that particular storyline. Events towards the end of the novel felt a little rushed, however that also added to the tense feeling of time running out.
Like with other Katie Fforde books I wasn’t disappointed. I would certainly recommend this book, however Love Letters still remains my favourite Fforde!
Usually I love Katie’s books, but this one was so boring, I could barely finish it. No quick wit, very predictable plot turns and just frankly a pathetic protagonist.
ARC received from publisher in exchange for an honest opinion. This is no way influenced my review.
What worked: I'm a big fan of Katie Fforde! Practically Perfect and Flora's Lot are both on my favourite bookshelf....as much as it pains me to say it, I really didn't like A French Affair in the slightest.
What irked: I couldn't find any of the usual Katie Fforde magic in this book. The conversations were just a dumping ground of information and they didn't seem natural at all. Everything felt too stiff and disjointed, from the interactions to the journeys to the descriptions. It's like there was an impenetrable barrier that stopped me from enjoying A French Affair in any way at all.
I seriously need to reiterate that I've loved her other books and have such a massive amount of respect for Katie Fforde. This book was like a very poor imitation of Flora's Lot and it took all of my energy to finish it. Desperation dragged me through each page because I was searching for a ray of hope that Katie could redeem it for me.
There is one particular part of the book that gave me all of the rage. This is an adult book, adults have sex but in A French Affair, it felt like I was reading a kids book. Romantic scenes are completely glossed over and at one point, this lovely piece of narrative pops up, "A little while later, after a very happy time". (Quote taken from an uncorrected ARC)
I can't even go on.
Writing a low-rated review makes me feel like a terrible human being and I really don't like writing them but there were so many chances where Katie Fforde could have brought it back from the precipice.
Recommended to: Even though this book was a huge disappointment to me, personally, my love for Katie Fforde still remains. I would highly recommend you check out Flora's Lot because that is where she shines the brightest!
What worked: I'm a big fan of Katie Fforde! Practically Perfect and Flora's Lot are both on my favourite bookshelf....as much as it pains me to say it, I really didn't like A French Affair in the slightest.
What irked: I couldn't find any of the usual Katie Fforde magic in this book. The conversations were just a dumping ground of information and they didn't seem natural at all. Everything felt too stiff and disjointed, from the interactions to the journeys to the descriptions. It's like there was an impenetrable barrier that stopped me from enjoying A French Affair in any way at all.
I seriously need to reiterate that I've loved her other books and have such a massive amount of respect for Katie Fforde. This book was like a very poor imitation of Flora's Lot and it took all of my energy to finish it. Desperation dragged me through each page because I was searching for a ray of hope that Katie could redeem it for me.
There is one particular part of the book that gave me all of the rage. This is an adult book, adults have sex but in A French Affair, it felt like I was reading a kids book. Romantic scenes are completely glossed over and at one point, this lovely piece of narrative pops up, "A little while later, after a very happy time". (Quote taken from an uncorrected ARC)
I can't even go on.
Writing a low-rated review makes me feel like a terrible human being and I really don't like writing them but there were so many chances where Katie Fforde could have brought it back from the precipice.
Recommended to: Even though this book was a huge disappointment to me, personally, my love for Katie Fforde still remains. I would highly recommend you check out Flora's Lot because that is where she shines the brightest!
DNF. I really couldn’t get into this at all. Right from the first sentence I knew I was going to struggle with the writing style. Too much telling, the writing’s quite on the nose, and it needed a good editor to tighten it even if you ignored those issues. I persevered for a chapter or two because I was really looking for a light, easy read, but the characters felt flat (despite the obvious personality the sister was supposed to have) and I have hundreds of other books waiting for me.
It’s my first novel by this author, so maybe I’ll try another one. There seem to be quite a few low-rating reviews from readers who normally love this author, so maybe it wasn’t the best one to start with.
It’s my first novel by this author, so maybe I’ll try another one. There seem to be quite a few low-rating reviews from readers who normally love this author, so maybe it wasn’t the best one to start with.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book. All honest opinions are my own. I wasn't as impressed with this book as many other people seem to be. I didn't fall in love with the characters like I had hoped and I found the story to be a little slow. I loved the idea of the book, however, and the setting was dreamy. I would like to give Katie Fforde's books another chance though, because I love the sound of her other books!