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CC #2
The French House
CC is trapped by a job she no longer loves in an unfriendly city. So when her new boyfriend decides it's time to sell up and move to the South of France, she decides in seconds to change her life. After all, who wouldn't pick an azure sea, aperitifs and sunshine over a dreary commute and a rainy climate?
She hadn't expected a tumbledown farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. Or a motley assortment of surly builders, eccentric farmers and a resentful, terrifying neighbour - who happens to be her boyfriend's aunt.
Suddenly, CC's dream of a place in the sun is looking more like a nightmare. Does she have the courage to stick it out, and make a home of her French house?
She hadn't expected a tumbledown farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. Or a motley assortment of surly builders, eccentric farmers and a resentful, terrifying neighbour - who happens to be her boyfriend's aunt.
Suddenly, CC's dream of a place in the sun is looking more like a nightmare. Does she have the courage to stick it out, and make a home of her French house?
432 pages, Unknown Binding
First published April 1, 2013
380 people are currently reading
693 people want to read
About the author
Nick Alexander
32 books661 followersMy novels:
Where Do We Go From Here (2025)
The Imperfection of Us (2023)
Perfectly Ordinary People (2022)
From Something Old (2021)
The Road to Zoe (2020)
You Then, Me Now (2019)
Things We Never Said (2017)
The Bottle of Tears (2016) (also published as Let the Light Shine).
The Other Son (2015)
The Photographer's Wife (2014)
Two novels featuring Hannah:
- The Half-Life of Hannah.
- Other Halves (Dec 2013)
Two novels featuring CC:
- The Case Of The Missing Boyfriend
- The French House (May 2013)
The Fifty Reasons Series, following the life of lovelorn Mark
- 50 Reasons to Say Goodbye
- Sottopassaggio
- Good Thing, Bad Thing
- Better Than Easy
- Sleight Of Hand
And the standalone novel
- 13:55 Eastern Standard Time
The Case Of The Missing Boyfriend, The French House, and The Half-Life of Hannah have all been huge kindle hits, reaching number #1 in Amazon's kindle chart.
I live in the southern French Alps with three mogs (Mangui, Pastel & Pedro) and a very special ferret.
Where Do We Go From Here (2025)
The Imperfection of Us (2023)
Perfectly Ordinary People (2022)
From Something Old (2021)
The Road to Zoe (2020)
You Then, Me Now (2019)
Things We Never Said (2017)
The Bottle of Tears (2016) (also published as Let the Light Shine).
The Other Son (2015)
The Photographer's Wife (2014)
Two novels featuring Hannah:
- The Half-Life of Hannah.
- Other Halves (Dec 2013)
Two novels featuring CC:
- The Case Of The Missing Boyfriend
- The French House (May 2013)
The Fifty Reasons Series, following the life of lovelorn Mark
- 50 Reasons to Say Goodbye
- Sottopassaggio
- Good Thing, Bad Thing
- Better Than Easy
- Sleight Of Hand
And the standalone novel
- 13:55 Eastern Standard Time
The Case Of The Missing Boyfriend, The French House, and The Half-Life of Hannah have all been huge kindle hits, reaching number #1 in Amazon's kindle chart.
I live in the southern French Alps with three mogs (Mangui, Pastel & Pedro) and a very special ferret.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews
September 24, 2020
After giving the first book in this series 4 stars, I was quite looking forward to this one.
Alas, it proved to be a big disappointment. I am a bit of a believer in hangovers from previous books - the recency effect (my words). I have no evidence for this, but the bubble of euphoria (or less often - emptiness) from a recently finished book can contaminate your feelings about your new book.
In this case, my previous book was wonderful, so bloody good - anything immediately after was always going to seem anaemic.
The French House by Nick Alexander, was exactly that, underwhelming.
The plot was paper-thin with a very, very predictable thread and ending. The characters, were shallow and really superficial. I found myself just wanting it to finish and I wasn't looking forward to my next sitting. I am so glad it's over.
What a relief.
Sorry Nick, I think we need to have a break from each other at the moment. Its not you, it's me.....or perhaps it is you!! I don't know....
Next!!!
2 Stars
Alas, it proved to be a big disappointment. I am a bit of a believer in hangovers from previous books - the recency effect (my words). I have no evidence for this, but the bubble of euphoria (or less often - emptiness) from a recently finished book can contaminate your feelings about your new book.
In this case, my previous book was wonderful, so bloody good - anything immediately after was always going to seem anaemic.
The French House by Nick Alexander, was exactly that, underwhelming.
The plot was paper-thin with a very, very predictable thread and ending. The characters, were shallow and really superficial. I found myself just wanting it to finish and I wasn't looking forward to my next sitting. I am so glad it's over.
What a relief.
Sorry Nick, I think we need to have a break from each other at the moment. Its not you, it's me.....or perhaps it is you!! I don't know....
Next!!!
2 Stars
July 22, 2015
I really thought I'd like this book but I just didn't.
The idea of it was lovely, a new couple starting a new life in France... Sounds ideal. In reality i didn't like any of the characters and the whole thing felt like a struggle to get through.
The idea of it was lovely, a new couple starting a new life in France... Sounds ideal. In reality i didn't like any of the characters and the whole thing felt like a struggle to get through.
June 6, 2016
I'm again reproaching myself for selecting a book based on beautiful cover and 4star reviews, but what other option do readers have for choosing which book to read?, an occasional recommendation maybe. While reviewing this book words like 'could have' and 'potential' come into my mind. It started with a promising layout of one modern couple trying to restart their life by renovating a run-down farm building in (extremely) rural France. Quickly enough it loses the steam of an uplifting start and ventures in to couple troubles triggered by a mysterious neighbour aunt. The characters are insubstantial and by the 3rd half of the book, it feels the writer is trying to increase the length of book by venturing into unnecessary characters and their branched out lives. A small laugh here and there and occasional fluent use of language makes me finish the book at least (although I almost skimmed through last 1/5 of the book to give it 'closure'.. :P)
February 7, 2016
Set in a part of France I know well - Cote d'Azur and Alpes Maritimes - a story of a couple facing various setbacks while trying to renovate an old house. Makes me want to get back to the South of France....
April 26, 2013
This book is the second novel with the lead protagonist CC. But don’t be concerned if you have not read the first, because with Nick’s wonderful way of writing, this story happily stands alone and you will not be left behind! You will soon get to know the lovely CC, who wants nothing more than to be happy with a long-term boyfriend/partner (having already had a disastrous stab at marriage earlier on in life) and to start a family. So when her boyfriend of a couple of months, Victor, inherits a dilapidated farmhouse in the south of France and decides to quit London to go out and rebuild the house and live his dream life in the country, CC makes the big decision to go with him.
Cue a very bumpy journey with mad, witch-like neighbours, building disasters, plots to scare CC away and freezing-cold water issues.
Told purely from CC’s point of view, Nick Alexander has a fabulous way of describing CC’s thoughts and emotions that really makes you feel like she is your best friend and you are discussing her life over a cup of tea or a bottle of local French wine:
When I was single – which went on for a very long time – I remember having wished for a man who was capable of sharing the simple pleasures of life with me. I remember imagining a virtual boyfriend lying on the lawn with me, watching ants dragging breadcrumbs through the jungle of blades – a childhood memory, no doubt. Watching the sparkle and melt of the frost until the smell of coffee joins the buttery burn of the croissants is close enough for me.
Everything about him is different in French, from the timbre of his voice to his body language, to the way he moves his hands; it’s like watching a stranger, which is a little unnerving, but also rather exciting. It’s like having two boyfriends for the price of one.
That Monday night, spent eating pizza amid a sea of boxes, turns out, unexpectedly, to be a wonderful moment of friendship, the kind of moment in fact that you truly never forget. It’s the type of scene that, hopefully, when you get to the end of your life, flashes back past you.
But he also has a lovely way of describing some wonderful and poignant moments that make you smile and feel warm inside:
Just as I was describing Orion, with Victor’s head squashed against mine so that I can point out the individual stars, I am overcome by a deep sense of belonging, an overpowering and rare sensation of being in exactly the right place at the right time within this vast universe, and, for once, of being with the right person too. It hits me unexpectedly just how improbable this is in this infinite space, how stunningly lucky we are to have bumped into each other, and the realisation is so moving, so humbling, that my voice cracks and my vision blurs, and I have to wipe away an unexpected tear before I can continue stargazing.
‘You and me in the middle of all this,’ Victor whispers, and I know that he is feeling it too.
The book is mainly set in the picturesque south of France, although the farmhouse that CC finds herself rebuilding is not the lovely or quaint rural idyll she imagined. She is separated from her friends and family, who are all back in London, and so the only person she has to rely on in France is Victor. That said, there are a host of weird and wonderful characters in this book – from the somewhat scary aunt and her weird companion living on the adjacent land, to CC’s fabulous best friends in London and her eccentric but loveable mother.
True to genre, there is a suitably happy ending for CC and Victor, although it is not clear where they are going to end up living – another book perhaps?
The reason I chose the book was for the setting and the focus on renovation, because I expected the story to appeal to me, given that my husband and I followed the same path: renovating a mas near St Tropez. I especially loved this element of the book, and naturally I completely bought into the idyllic lifestyle CC and Victor are looking to create, and championed their cause throughout. It’s worth it; I know!
I really enjoyed this story, with its lovely descriptions and often funny situations. It is a lovely, light-hearted, meandering read, with a heart-warming message that love is worth every bit of the fight.
Cue a very bumpy journey with mad, witch-like neighbours, building disasters, plots to scare CC away and freezing-cold water issues.
Told purely from CC’s point of view, Nick Alexander has a fabulous way of describing CC’s thoughts and emotions that really makes you feel like she is your best friend and you are discussing her life over a cup of tea or a bottle of local French wine:
When I was single – which went on for a very long time – I remember having wished for a man who was capable of sharing the simple pleasures of life with me. I remember imagining a virtual boyfriend lying on the lawn with me, watching ants dragging breadcrumbs through the jungle of blades – a childhood memory, no doubt. Watching the sparkle and melt of the frost until the smell of coffee joins the buttery burn of the croissants is close enough for me.
Everything about him is different in French, from the timbre of his voice to his body language, to the way he moves his hands; it’s like watching a stranger, which is a little unnerving, but also rather exciting. It’s like having two boyfriends for the price of one.
That Monday night, spent eating pizza amid a sea of boxes, turns out, unexpectedly, to be a wonderful moment of friendship, the kind of moment in fact that you truly never forget. It’s the type of scene that, hopefully, when you get to the end of your life, flashes back past you.
But he also has a lovely way of describing some wonderful and poignant moments that make you smile and feel warm inside:
Just as I was describing Orion, with Victor’s head squashed against mine so that I can point out the individual stars, I am overcome by a deep sense of belonging, an overpowering and rare sensation of being in exactly the right place at the right time within this vast universe, and, for once, of being with the right person too. It hits me unexpectedly just how improbable this is in this infinite space, how stunningly lucky we are to have bumped into each other, and the realisation is so moving, so humbling, that my voice cracks and my vision blurs, and I have to wipe away an unexpected tear before I can continue stargazing.
‘You and me in the middle of all this,’ Victor whispers, and I know that he is feeling it too.
The book is mainly set in the picturesque south of France, although the farmhouse that CC finds herself rebuilding is not the lovely or quaint rural idyll she imagined. She is separated from her friends and family, who are all back in London, and so the only person she has to rely on in France is Victor. That said, there are a host of weird and wonderful characters in this book – from the somewhat scary aunt and her weird companion living on the adjacent land, to CC’s fabulous best friends in London and her eccentric but loveable mother.
True to genre, there is a suitably happy ending for CC and Victor, although it is not clear where they are going to end up living – another book perhaps?
The reason I chose the book was for the setting and the focus on renovation, because I expected the story to appeal to me, given that my husband and I followed the same path: renovating a mas near St Tropez. I especially loved this element of the book, and naturally I completely bought into the idyllic lifestyle CC and Victor are looking to create, and championed their cause throughout. It’s worth it; I know!
I really enjoyed this story, with its lovely descriptions and often funny situations. It is a lovely, light-hearted, meandering read, with a heart-warming message that love is worth every bit of the fight.
January 6, 2015
One word: Wow.
The author truly did his research, and every thing he wrote was really interesting, and nice, even blends well with the story. Once I started, I couldn't put it down.
My only problem was that, if the tense was in past, I would have loved it more. Then again, I could be me. I love a book in past.
All in all, I love it.Will read it again? Definitely.
The author truly did his research, and every thing he wrote was really interesting, and nice, even blends well with the story. Once I started, I couldn't put it down.
My only problem was that, if the tense was in past, I would have loved it more. Then again, I could be me. I love a book in past.
All in all, I love it.Will read it again? Definitely.
January 7, 2023
really enjoyed the first book but this just didn’t hit the same. pretty bad plot, very rushed. scored quite high on my cringe-o-meter
March 29, 2013
I read The Case Of The Missing Boyfriend by Nick Alexander earlier this year, and very much enjoyed it, so I was looking forward to starting on the sequel, The French House.
We meet up with CC again in The French House. CC no longer loves her job in the city, her life is hectic and it just is not what she wants any more. When her boyfriend Victor decides to move to the South of France in the countryside, CC jumps at the chance for a new life! Dreaming of sunshine and relaxation, CC is brought back down to earth with a thump when she gets there – what should be a beautiful house in the countryside is actually a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere that is falling apart and seems to be lacking heating, and more importantly, some of the roof! To make things worse, their neighbour just happens to be Victor’s aunt, Distra. Can CC stick it out, and can she make the French House a home?
I really enjoyed The French House, I had hoped I would as I liked the first book, and I wasn’t disappointed by the sequel! I started it on a morning and had finished the last page by the afternoon as I whizzed through it! I fell easily back into the life of CC, and as I knew her and a few other characters from before it was like meeting up with friends that you haven’t seen in a long time – enjoyable, engrossing and exciting.
I was gripped by the story – I was hanging on to every word that Nick Alexander wrote, and I desperately wanted to know how CC and the others would get on in the book. Would CC come to love the French house? Would she make it into a home? Would she be happy there with Victor?
I loved being reunited with the characters. I had missed CC so I was thrilled to see her back in this novel! I was constantly cheering her on and I enjoyed the time I spent with her. I liked Mark as well, I felt as a reader I was able to get to know him like a best friend, his personality really came out beautifully in the book, and I liked him so much that I’d love to have a friend like him in real life!
If you have read The Case Of The Missing Boyfriend then you will love this as it is an equally enjoyable sequel! The French House is absorbing, it is funny, and it is perfect for relaxing with!
We meet up with CC again in The French House. CC no longer loves her job in the city, her life is hectic and it just is not what she wants any more. When her boyfriend Victor decides to move to the South of France in the countryside, CC jumps at the chance for a new life! Dreaming of sunshine and relaxation, CC is brought back down to earth with a thump when she gets there – what should be a beautiful house in the countryside is actually a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere that is falling apart and seems to be lacking heating, and more importantly, some of the roof! To make things worse, their neighbour just happens to be Victor’s aunt, Distra. Can CC stick it out, and can she make the French House a home?
I really enjoyed The French House, I had hoped I would as I liked the first book, and I wasn’t disappointed by the sequel! I started it on a morning and had finished the last page by the afternoon as I whizzed through it! I fell easily back into the life of CC, and as I knew her and a few other characters from before it was like meeting up with friends that you haven’t seen in a long time – enjoyable, engrossing and exciting.
I was gripped by the story – I was hanging on to every word that Nick Alexander wrote, and I desperately wanted to know how CC and the others would get on in the book. Would CC come to love the French house? Would she make it into a home? Would she be happy there with Victor?
I loved being reunited with the characters. I had missed CC so I was thrilled to see her back in this novel! I was constantly cheering her on and I enjoyed the time I spent with her. I liked Mark as well, I felt as a reader I was able to get to know him like a best friend, his personality really came out beautifully in the book, and I liked him so much that I’d love to have a friend like him in real life!
If you have read The Case Of The Missing Boyfriend then you will love this as it is an equally enjoyable sequel! The French House is absorbing, it is funny, and it is perfect for relaxing with!
April 12, 2013
The Case of the Missing Boyfriend was the first of Nick's books I ever read and so I was especially pleased when I discovered that it was to have a sequel. While I'm sure that The French House would stand up fine as a read on its own I think you certainly benefit from reading about the life of CC and her friends that lead up to this book.
As with its prequel The French House has its fair share of ups and downs, tears and laughs... and a few odd - and sometimes outright scary - characters.
I admired (and possibly envied) CC's brave choice to take a leap of faith and follow her heart and as such I certainly felt for her when several obstacles started getting in the way of the happy dream.
I love Nick's style of writing, he brings to life very believeable and human characters and makes us care for them with ease.
Already waiting for his next book... write faster man!!!
As with its prequel The French House has its fair share of ups and downs, tears and laughs... and a few odd - and sometimes outright scary - characters.
I admired (and possibly envied) CC's brave choice to take a leap of faith and follow her heart and as such I certainly felt for her when several obstacles started getting in the way of the happy dream.
I love Nick's style of writing, he brings to life very believeable and human characters and makes us care for them with ease.
Already waiting for his next book... write faster man!!!
January 5, 2014
Just like the previous book, the book is a light hearted and frothy read that won’t tax you or strain your brain. The story picks off from where the last book ended with our lead character CC off to France to live with her boyfriend.
Life in France isn’t as idyllic as CC imagined and she has to content with the strange locals and customs, as well as sort out the inevitable problems in her relationship. The main characters from book one are all in here, and this book revisits them all and ties up all the loose ends.
Whilst I didn’t find this book as funny as the last one, I still found myself reading it for long periods of time. For that reason I’ve only given it four out of five stars…
Life in France isn’t as idyllic as CC imagined and she has to content with the strange locals and customs, as well as sort out the inevitable problems in her relationship. The main characters from book one are all in here, and this book revisits them all and ties up all the loose ends.
Whilst I didn’t find this book as funny as the last one, I still found myself reading it for long periods of time. For that reason I’ve only given it four out of five stars…
January 26, 2015
Not your usual "How we restored a ruin in Europe and lived this amazing life". They did have a wonderful life on an island in France but over decades and the house is located in town so the village was on the front door. They didn't have Peter Mayle's Provence Villa or Frances Mayes Tuscan Villa. They only had money to finish the second floor and had to block it off for the toddler son. Maybe living more common reality for most of us makes it more charming.
Make sure to get: The French House: An American Family, a Ruined Maison, and the Village That Restored Them All
The Book: The French House is a different book.
Make sure to get: The French House: An American Family, a Ruined Maison, and the Village That Restored Them All
The Book: The French House is a different book.
May 18, 2013
I read 'The Case of the Missing Boyfriend' and then went straight onto 'The French House'. I was gripped and couldn't wait to find out what happened next.
The first book is very dark and unexpected. The second however is more uplifting, although not without its drama, but slightly predictable.
Having said that I thoroughly enjoyed it and have only given it 4 stars due to the abrupt ending which for me was far too open.
I'm hoping there will be a third book so I can continue the adventure with CC and Victor.
The first book is very dark and unexpected. The second however is more uplifting, although not without its drama, but slightly predictable.
Having said that I thoroughly enjoyed it and have only given it 4 stars due to the abrupt ending which for me was far too open.
I'm hoping there will be a third book so I can continue the adventure with CC and Victor.
February 22, 2021
Having read the 1st book in this series, I honestly didn't think I would enjoy this book. I didn't like CC, the main character, and had no idea what would happen this time. While a lot of the scenarios would test anyone's limits, I was pleasantly surprised by how willing CC was at trying to adapt and help someone she loves. She and Victor aren't perfect and some of the situations they got in were ridiculous but their relationship felt real. It was nice seeing how both of them grew/matured as they figured out what really mattered.
May 26, 2019
Definitely best read as a sequel to The Case of the Missing Boyfriend (as opposed to the reading suggestion of the opposite way round). Not really that much happens in the story but the writing style keeps you going to the end. Nothing earth breaking but well written.
July 19, 2014
if you like the case of the missing boyfriend you will love the French house. lots of twists and turns. I would like to see more in this series
June 8, 2013
Good easy read. Love the fact it helped my french too!!
May 6, 2014
descptions of the area of provence were really good. Story could have moved a little faster for me - there were patches where I had to struggle to keep going.
March 5, 2020
2.5 stars. I usually enjoy Nick Alexander's books, but the last two just haven't been great. This book started well but just became a bit tiresome and I looked forward to the predictable ending.
November 15, 2020
The sequel to 'The Case of the Missing Boyfriend'. CC is on the verge of deciding to trade in her city life, cosy flat and job in advertising for a life in a remote part of France with her boyfriend - fixing up an old house and living off the land. The dream becomes increasingly more nightmarish - a lot of work to do, everything going wrong, a resentful aunt living next door who may actually be downright sinister, and an illness. To top it off, all of this starts to negatively affect her relationship. As things start to collapse around her, CC isn't sure if she'll get the dream life that seemed so close. I found this to be a slow burner but after reading the first one, I was interested in finding out what happened next for the characters. There's also a couple of side stories with her friend Mark (and his boyfriend) and her mum's upcoming wedding (to a much younger man from Morocco, which is met with disapproval); the latter in particular leads to a touching scene/outcome.
January 17, 2023
DNF at 35%
There were some dubious bits near the start, such as the mc suggesting her boyfriend of 1 month (who has apparently lived in France for at least part of that time) have a baby with her because she just wants one, but when it got to the suggestion that she felt suicidal on rainy days without a man, I was out. I'm not sure whether the author thought that was funny, but it was certainly disturbing, and as a woman entering their mid-forties I can assure you that the words 'womans lib' has never entered my vocabulary. My 70-year-old mum says even she only vaguely used it once or twice back in the day. Step for a hint, if you are actually a strong, independent woman, you kind of don't need to think about liberation...
There were some dubious bits near the start, such as the mc suggesting her boyfriend of 1 month (who has apparently lived in France for at least part of that time) have a baby with her because she just wants one, but when it got to the suggestion that she felt suicidal on rainy days without a man, I was out. I'm not sure whether the author thought that was funny, but it was certainly disturbing, and as a woman entering their mid-forties I can assure you that the words 'womans lib' has never entered my vocabulary. My 70-year-old mum says even she only vaguely used it once or twice back in the day. Step for a hint, if you are actually a strong, independent woman, you kind of don't need to think about liberation...
August 29, 2018
Confused 😕
I was confused by this book from the word go. Took me a while to get into it, good book, the main person was as confused as myself I think, she was all over the place, wanting to help Victor her boyfriend to build his house that was left to him by his mother, but his French aunt, kept sabotaging the house, until a landslide out paid to half the house, all their! hard work wasted,Victor had a row with his aunt, and told her to keep away from him and his girlfriend, she by now had come back to living in England, to deal with her mother's wedding, Victor met her at the wedding where everyone was stunned on ecstasy!Offer
I was confused by this book from the word go. Took me a while to get into it, good book, the main person was as confused as myself I think, she was all over the place, wanting to help Victor her boyfriend to build his house that was left to him by his mother, but his French aunt, kept sabotaging the house, until a landslide out paid to half the house, all their! hard work wasted,Victor had a row with his aunt, and told her to keep away from him and his girlfriend, she by now had come back to living in England, to deal with her mother's wedding, Victor met her at the wedding where everyone was stunned on ecstasy!Offer
February 7, 2021
Love is not a smooth road
I enjoyed this follow up "The French House" to "The case of the missing boyfriend" a lot more .
The whirlwind of life and the truth that the path to true love never did run smooth is portrayed well.
Mad auntie Distra and her peculiar friend Carolyn added a good twist to the entire story. All quite believable to my way of thinking - lonely old dears out in the middle of nowhere. A family with many undercurrents between them especially as Victor had not seen this m
I enjoyed this follow up "The French House" to "The case of the missing boyfriend" a lot more .
The whirlwind of life and the truth that the path to true love never did run smooth is portrayed well.
Mad auntie Distra and her peculiar friend Carolyn added a good twist to the entire story. All quite believable to my way of thinking - lonely old dears out in the middle of nowhere. A family with many undercurrents between them especially as Victor had not seen this m
March 24, 2021
Follows on from The Case of the Missing Boyfriend and features 'CC' and her life.
Flows on reasonably well from the first book and I enjoyed the continuing story plus the trials and tribulations she goes through and how it all pans out. A happy ending is all I'll say, so you can travel in hope!
Typically readable and involving from Nick Alexander, though it didn't work quite as well for me as the first book. He's a writer I enjoy and his books make perfect lockdown reading. Light enough and involving enough and characters who feel normal.
Flows on reasonably well from the first book and I enjoyed the continuing story plus the trials and tribulations she goes through and how it all pans out. A happy ending is all I'll say, so you can travel in hope!
Typically readable and involving from Nick Alexander, though it didn't work quite as well for me as the first book. He's a writer I enjoy and his books make perfect lockdown reading. Light enough and involving enough and characters who feel normal.
August 29, 2021
Actually a 3.5.
I haven't read the previous book, but it didn't seem to matter - nothing was confusing or hard to follow. Like the other Nick Alexander's books I have read, it's well-written and the characters are mostly true to themselves. I was a bit bothered by the apparent giant shift in behavior by one of the minor characters and more than a bit dubious about what seemed like a 180° in the mindset of a major one, but love can make people do many things we don't expect them to. Still all-in-all a good book.
I haven't read the previous book, but it didn't seem to matter - nothing was confusing or hard to follow. Like the other Nick Alexander's books I have read, it's well-written and the characters are mostly true to themselves. I was a bit bothered by the apparent giant shift in behavior by one of the minor characters and more than a bit dubious about what seemed like a 180° in the mindset of a major one, but love can make people do many things we don't expect them to. Still all-in-all a good book.
May 14, 2017
I had no idea that this was a second book about CC until I came to write this review. The book stands well alone.
This is not my preferred genre as I usually choose crime/mystery and although I'm happy to read a family saga I don't enjoy reading romance books. I was concerned that I may not enjoy this book but how wrong could I be. I loved it from the start.
It is about their relationship along with the work on the house but the writing flowed and I became involved in the characters.
This is not my preferred genre as I usually choose crime/mystery and although I'm happy to read a family saga I don't enjoy reading romance books. I was concerned that I may not enjoy this book but how wrong could I be. I loved it from the start.
It is about their relationship along with the work on the house but the writing flowed and I became involved in the characters.
September 17, 2018
I downloaded this book ages ago then realised it was the second book in a series. I was keen to get to the end to find out what happened, but at times the storyline was a little frustrating. I did however enjoy the descriptions of the scenery and the overall storyline, but I'd say the first book - the case of the missing boyfriend was a much better book overall.
August 17, 2019
Great summer read
I didn't know there was a sequel to TCOTMB until I finished it this morning. I've spent a lovely lazy day reading the whole book. It's an easy read with some great lines (that I've even read to the hubby!). It was grey and miserable where I was, but this (with the 1st book) would be a fantastic holiday read.
I didn't know there was a sequel to TCOTMB until I finished it this morning. I've spent a lovely lazy day reading the whole book. It's an easy read with some great lines (that I've even read to the hubby!). It was grey and miserable where I was, but this (with the 1st book) would be a fantastic holiday read.
February 17, 2021
I loved the 1st book, but this book was really disappointing. The main character didn't feel to be the same person tbh, she seemed completely different, and frankly her boyfriend seemed to be very manipulative and bordering on emotionally abusive but that was never addressed. There also seemed to be a lot of pages for very little meaningful content.
November 20, 2023
A welcome good read and fun ending
Slightly predictable but a good read nonetheless. I like the way Nick writes it was a good follow on from the first book.
The references to France, Nice were a nice touch and recognisable if you have been which I liked.
All in all a happy read and good characters throughout.
Slightly predictable but a good read nonetheless. I like the way Nick writes it was a good follow on from the first book.
The references to France, Nice were a nice touch and recognisable if you have been which I liked.
All in all a happy read and good characters throughout.
December 22, 2019
The storyline in this 2nd book had more interest than the first in the series. Having accepted that these earlier books don't have the emotional depth and sensitivity of Nick's later work, it was easier to just go with the flow and take the story as the light read it was probably intended to be.
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