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 Perfect Match by Dandy Smith #Review
Best friend or boyfriend, who would you believe?
Zara has always felt a little ordinary next to her spirited
best friend Ivy. Even her dreams seem mundane: a boyfriend, marriage,
children... Besides, who would pick her when they could choose Ivy?
So when Zara meets Henry and there's an instant spark, she
can't believe her luck. A wealthy CEO who wants to settle down? He's perfect...
until Ivy insists he's too good to be true.
As Henry and Ivy repeatedly clash, doubts creep into Zara's
mind. Could it be that Ivy just doesn't want to share her best friend with
anyone else? Or does Henry have a hidden agenda? Zara is caught in the middle,
constantly trying to prove who she loves more.
Then someone winds up dead, and Zara realises there's more to this than jealousy...
My Thoughts
If ever there was a story which takes you on a twisty journey, this is the one. It is all about a complicated web of relationships with people who can manipulate and others who wander into their orbit. Zara and Ivy have a complex dynamic and their friendship feels obsessive at times. You are kept guessing as to what is actually going on in their friendship but they seem to recognise in each other, vulnerabilities which are the result of their childhoods.
There are plenty of red flags in the story and points which you hope that Zara will notice. I liked how all characters have a purpose in the story. Nobody is in there as padding. This is a page turner of a thriller and right to the end, you aren’t quite sure how it will pan out. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you engaged and quite a few surprises.
In short: a pacy, entertaining thriller
About the Author
Dandy Smith lives in the Somerset market town of Frome with her fiancé and cocker spaniel. She has an undergraduate and master’s degree in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University and enjoys all things aerial fitness, true-crime and chocolate orange.
You can follow Dandy here: Twitter
Book link: Amazon UK
Thanks to Dandy Smith, Embla Books and Tracy Fenton of Compulsive Readers for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.
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