We are returning to France for another great summer read by Gillian Harvey . The Village Cafe in the Loire was published by Boldwood on July 12th. High-flyer Becky Thorne cannot believe what she’s being told. She doesn’t need to be signed off for burnout! Life has been a bit chaotic lately, that’s all. As if dealing with her enviable job and permanent meddling from her mother aren’t enough, she’s also inherited a café in the Loire from an estranged great-aunt, complete with sitting tenant who refuses to budge. But nobody stands in Becky’s way! Ignoring her best friend Amber’s advice, she decides to storm over to France and sort the tenant out. Then she can finally get the café sold and jump back on the career ladder. What she doesn’t count on is the tenant being Pascale, who is six feet of tall, dark, handsome and extremely grumpy about her plans for change. Not to mention the village and the secrets it holds about her past. Becky’s path to succes...
The Problem with Perfect by Megan Mayfair #Review
I am delighted to welcome Megan Mayfair's third novel to the blog today. Following on from Tangled Vines, it returns to the Doyle family, concentrating this time on the eldest daughter, Marigold.
Marigold Doyle’s life was perfect, with a successful career
and wonderful marriage. But when her husband, Julian, passes away, her life is
thrown into turmoil as she discovers a trail of secrets Julian was hiding in
the months prior to his death. Struggling with her grief, she knows she needs
to find out Julian’s actions to help her move on.
Finn Schröder, a former police officer and now private
security consultant, is focused on an uncomplicated, unattached life and
growing his business. He agrees to help Marigold find out the truth about
Julian, but as they become closer, he realises his feelings for her may be
developing beyond simply professional.
As Marigold and Finn work through the web of Julian’s
deception, will they learn to face the reality that things aren’t always
exactly as they seem?
My Thoughts
I must admit that when I started this book I hadn't realised that it would carry on the Doyle family story. As aspects of Marigold's family were explained, I was absolutely delighted to realise that we were going to discover the next steps in Frederick and Amelia's lives and to see how things were working out for them. I found Marigold to be a great character. On the surface she seemed formidable but you gradually find out that she has a vulnerable side. Similarly, Finn is grappling with issues from his past which have to be resolved.
The mystery around Marigold's husband, Julian, adds another aspect to the book and I had plenty of theories as to what could have happened swimming around my brain. The story is well paced and never obvious. As the outside veneer of perfection around Marigold's life is shown to be cracked and wanting, you get to see how she is able to react to these changes.
In short: A well written and enjoyable romance with a slice of mystery.
About the Author
Megan’s stories are about families,
intrigue and love. Every book contains a bit of humour and a lot of heart.
Megan lives in Melbourne with her husband and three children, and has a background in public relations and higher education.
Megan lives in Melbourne with her husband and three children, and has a background in public relations and higher education.
She drinks far too much coffee and has an
addiction to buying scarves. She interviews with other authors for her blog
series, Espresso Tales, and loves a bit of #bookstagram.
Her debut novel, The Things We Leave
Unsaid, was released by Crooked Cat Books in 2018, followed by Tangled Vines.
The Problem with Perfect is her third novel.
You can read my reviews here: The Things We Leave Unsaid
Book link: Amazon UK
Thanks to Megan, Crooked Cats Publishers and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.
Check out the rest of the tour!
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