Title: Cocktails at Le Carmen
Author: Isabelle Andover
Publisher: Simon & Fig
Publication Date: 19th June 2015
Twitter: @IsabelleAndover
Blog/website: http://isabelleandover.com/
I am very happy to be assisting on the blog tour for Isabelle Andover’s debut publication Cocktails at Le Carmen, published by Simon & Fig on 19 June 2015.
Blurb
When job cuts at Chloe Saddler’s London communications firm result in an unexpected transfer to Paris, she finds herself leaving behind her friends, family, and boyfriend Scott to start a new life in the City of Light. Getting to grips with La Vie Parisienne and keeping a long-distance relationship afloat is not made any easier by the culture shock. Committing the odd French faux pas and inadvertently indulging in a few too many flirtations with her very sexy (and very taken) boss, Jean-Luc, is just the start of it. Factor in her bridezilla of a sister’s wedding (the hottest event of the year in the Saddler family’s social calendar), an unexpected session of hot, naked yoga, a slightly psychotic stalker, and one incredible kiss at an infamous Montmartre nightspot, and Chloe can say au revoir to her old, safe London life and bonjour to the romance, splendour, and glamour of Paris.
A delightful debut that harks back to the early days of Chick Lit when heroines were flawed, funny, and forever battling for love and happiness. With quirky characters and classic comedic charm, Cocktails at Le Carmen is pure fun from page one.
Review
Thank you to Isabelle Andover and Simon & Fig for providing me with a copy of Cocktails at Le Carmen in return for an honest review and a spot on this blog tour!
The first thing that drew me to Cocktails at Le Carmen, other than the delightful cover, was the setting. I love France and I would relish the opportunity to spend some time in Paris. As such, I was excited to read about an English girl moving to Paris, how she sees the city and how she fits in with the locals.
Instead of the glamorous life imagined by her friends and family, Chloe Saddler ends up in an unknown city, without friends and without a place to live. I found the situation to be realistic and I enjoyed reading about her exploration of the city and about her gradually fitting in with life in Paris. I found myself caught up in the excitement of Chloe’s experiences and wished that I was along side her experiencing those moments with her.
The book concentrates not only on Chloe and her love life, but also throws in some great moments with her friends, old and new, and her demanding family.
The plot is straightforward and easy to understand. It is light and easy read, full of humour, romance, mishaps, misunderstandings, heartbreak…. all the factors which make a thoroughly enjoyable story!
The characters are varied and great. I loved Chloe, the protagonist of the piece. I found her to be a realistic and appealing character. I could sympathise with her struggle in leaving her boyfriend behind to start anew in Paris. I particularly enjoyed reading about Chloe’s relationship with her more demanding sister Celine (I like the addition of a French name here!) and mother, as well as meeting her friends/colleagues, both English and French, with all with their different characters. The relationship between Chloe and her English boyfriend Scott, and her crush on her hunk of a boss, Jean-Luc, was particularly fun to read about.
I really enjoyed Isabelle Andover’s style of writing and found myself completely absorbed in Chloe’s story. I liked to references to fashion/clothing speckled throughout the book and I’m guessing that the author is quite a fashionista herself?
I found myself reading Cocktails at Le Carmen in two sittings, racing through it, and I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. The book was a fabulous piece of escapism, albeit the ending seemed to work out just a tad too perfectly for my liking. For the romantics amongst us, Cocktails at Le Carmen is truly a modern-day fairytale!
Overall, I thought Cocktails at Le Carmen was an easy, entertaining and fun read. I’m looking forward to the next offering from Isabelle Andover.
Buy Links
Amazon UK: Kindle – http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00XZS6EAO
Paperback – http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0990984842
Amazon US: Kindle – http://amzn.com/B00XZS6EAO
Paperback – http://amzn.com/0990984842
About the Author
Originally from England, Isabelle Andover moved to France after graduating from Durham University with a degree in Modern Languages. She lives in Paris with her tabby cat Oscar, who occasionally blogs about apartment-style living in the City of Light, and who also inspired a prize-winning short story when he was a kitten.
Following several years as a media analyst, Isabelle now works at a Paris-based media company specialized in the international beauty market. In addition to fully embracing the culture of her adopted country by way of consuming plenty of French wine and cheese, Isabelle can also be found indulging in the typically British pursuits of shopping at Marks and Spencer on the Champs Elysées and drinking copious cups of Earl Grey.
Like this:
Like Loading...
The Curious Ginger Cat 