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Trouble Finding Blondie
Life experience taught Simona to be tough and self-reliant, but underneath she is more vulnerable than she likes to admit. Finally living in Paris, and hiding behind the ‘mysterious stranger’ facade, Simona has her perfect life. She has great familial support, fulfilling friendships, and an exciting job. That is until he walks back into her life, and with him comes trouble.
Andre Zatopek has spent a year looking for Simona since her complete disappearance following the discovery of his betrayal and her desperation to start over. In that time apart, both Simona and Andre grew into themselves and learned what they want out of life. Now can they make it together?
Their journey takes them to the beautiful old cities of Europe as they set out to rediscover each other. This time they have to get past their mutual passion to delve into each other’s souls, but does Simona’s rich and mysterious friend Philippe Bouchard own too much of Simona’s soul? Can true love conquer Andre’s betrayal and the secrets in Simona’s life? Is Simona willing to compromise her perfect life for a little trouble?
Andre Zatopek has spent a year looking for Simona since her complete disappearance following the discovery of his betrayal and her desperation to start over. In that time apart, both Simona and Andre grew into themselves and learned what they want out of life. Now can they make it together?
Their journey takes them to the beautiful old cities of Europe as they set out to rediscover each other. This time they have to get past their mutual passion to delve into each other’s souls, but does Simona’s rich and mysterious friend Philippe Bouchard own too much of Simona’s soul? Can true love conquer Andre’s betrayal and the secrets in Simona’s life? Is Simona willing to compromise her perfect life for a little trouble?
376 pages, Paperback
First published October 13, 2015
3 people are currently reading
760 people want to read
About the author
Mimi Marten
6 books138 followersMimi is a Hawaii based author of two series — The Tiarra Series and The Blondie Trilogy. She writes about strong women put in impossible situations, women who may sometimes seem too perfect, too sexy, or too flirty. Ultimately the heroes in her books are the better versions of ourselves, who try to find love, respect their moral codes and their ever-present large families, and live lives full of meaning.
Her books will read as large family sagas with a romantic twist, but also a deep sense of analysis of basic human desires and flaws. They typically take the readers on a journey across oceans and continents, with descriptions so credible that you’ll feel like you’re sitting right there, in Paris — Barcelona — or Prague.
Please note that Mimi’s books sometimes end on a cliffhanger. Unfortunately sometimes the story needs to be cut at some point; it will however continue in the next book. Also, these books may not be suitable for readers who object to a woman flirting with men while being married.
Finally, Mimi’s books do not always necessarily have the classic happy ending. You have been warned! :-)
Join Mimi’s newsletter at www.mimimarten.com for updates on new upcoming books or giveaways. Connect with Mimi on her Facebook and Twitter accounts — please see her website for links to these platforms. Aloha from Maui, Hawaii!
Her books will read as large family sagas with a romantic twist, but also a deep sense of analysis of basic human desires and flaws. They typically take the readers on a journey across oceans and continents, with descriptions so credible that you’ll feel like you’re sitting right there, in Paris — Barcelona — or Prague.
Please note that Mimi’s books sometimes end on a cliffhanger. Unfortunately sometimes the story needs to be cut at some point; it will however continue in the next book. Also, these books may not be suitable for readers who object to a woman flirting with men while being married.
Finally, Mimi’s books do not always necessarily have the classic happy ending. You have been warned! :-)
Join Mimi’s newsletter at www.mimimarten.com for updates on new upcoming books or giveaways. Connect with Mimi on her Facebook and Twitter accounts — please see her website for links to these platforms. Aloha from Maui, Hawaii!
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 16, 2015
Trouble Finding Blondie: A story rich with culture, elegance, and strong moral themes. It’s a love story, but has so many tidbits of “life advice” that it feels like more than your typical romance. The passion in the book is just right, not too raunchy, but still spicy. At times I felt like I was living in a fairytale with all of the fancy dinners and places the characters traveled to in Paris. As a struggling writer, I always tell myself that money isn’t everything, but this story sure made it look fun! A fun, quick, beach read for readers who love romance and women’s fiction.
February 29, 2016
Firstly, I would like to thank Mimi Marten for sending me a copy of 'Trouble finding Blondie' in exchange for an honest review.
Wow, what a wonderful love story! A very easy read and very well written. Without giving too much away as I never like to spoil a story for others, the main character (Simona) went to live in Paris to hide from her lover's betrayal. With her ex tracking her down to beg forgiveness and wanting to re-enter her life, a love triangle ensues. Decisions, decisions! Loved the culture, the scenery details and how I would love to be there to sample the food. This would make a wonderful holiday read and although I don't usually read a book twice, I may re-read this book whilst cruising later this year. Recommended.
Wow, what a wonderful love story! A very easy read and very well written. Without giving too much away as I never like to spoil a story for others, the main character (Simona) went to live in Paris to hide from her lover's betrayal. With her ex tracking her down to beg forgiveness and wanting to re-enter her life, a love triangle ensues. Decisions, decisions! Loved the culture, the scenery details and how I would love to be there to sample the food. This would make a wonderful holiday read and although I don't usually read a book twice, I may re-read this book whilst cruising later this year. Recommended.
November 21, 2015
"Trouble Finding Blondie" by Mimi Marten is a noteworthy book. While on the surface somewhat of a love triangle spread across various cities with a lot of back and forth, there is much more to the story and the characters. Can old lovers reconnect and rekindle their romance or has too much time passed? The thought that went into the character creation and their depth reminded me pleasantly of one of my favourite books: "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" by Milan Kundera. Not in the sense of imitation but in the sense that it uses similar sharp observation of human beings and the same moral questioning.
Enjoyable and easy to read all the same this is a pleasant read and an impressive debut novel.
Enjoyable and easy to read all the same this is a pleasant read and an impressive debut novel.
March 13, 2016
Trouble Finding Blondie gives readers an escape to a world most of us will never see. From the first pages readers are catapulted into the lives of Simona and Andre and others who inhabit a world where private jets, luxurious hotels and sumptuous dinners in five-star restaurants are the norm. But glitter aside, there’s a lot of depth here that is revealed in Simona's intense passion for life and love and the philosophical conversations that drive the narrative. Despite their wealth and privilege, these characters are mere mortals trying to find their way in a story about love, passion, family and betrayal.
The book opens as Andre tracks down his former lover Simona, detonating in her a landmine of emotional upheaval and soul searching. He’s searched the world to get her back, her first impulse is to flee. Simona has rebuilt her world, has a fantastic career and doesn’t want to get hurt again. What I really like about this book is the way Simona and Andre’s relationship evolves. The story of their past is skillfully woven, we don’t learn everything at the outset, and some of my initial feelings about the main characters changed dramatically over the arc of the story.
I loved the international flavor of this book, beautiful settings in Paris, Barcelona, New York and other venues. Barcelona is described as a “sun-kissed seaside city with endless culture and fabulous architecture.” In one of my favorite scenes in the book, Simona takes her friend Jada for a helicopter tour over the Grand Canyon, where they enjoy a sunset dinner and wonderful conversation, the kind only two women who really know, love and trust each other can have. It’s a pivotal turning point in the story as Simona reveals the truth about her past with Andre.
Another great moment is when Simona, confronted by an angry, jealous sister-in-law, does not return the vitriol but tells Margaret she will welcome her with open arms if she’s coming in “peace and kindness” but not if she’s coming with “negative energy and hate.” Simona’s refusal to succumb to the harsh attack from her sister-in-law embodies her value system that is rooted in love and morality.
This novel has a relentless energy fueled by the engaging conversations that dominate the narrative. The dialogue is very well done and kudos to the author for creating so much depth and meaningful discourse.
Trouble Finding Blondie is an entertaining read and great escape from everyday life!
The book opens as Andre tracks down his former lover Simona, detonating in her a landmine of emotional upheaval and soul searching. He’s searched the world to get her back, her first impulse is to flee. Simona has rebuilt her world, has a fantastic career and doesn’t want to get hurt again. What I really like about this book is the way Simona and Andre’s relationship evolves. The story of their past is skillfully woven, we don’t learn everything at the outset, and some of my initial feelings about the main characters changed dramatically over the arc of the story.
I loved the international flavor of this book, beautiful settings in Paris, Barcelona, New York and other venues. Barcelona is described as a “sun-kissed seaside city with endless culture and fabulous architecture.” In one of my favorite scenes in the book, Simona takes her friend Jada for a helicopter tour over the Grand Canyon, where they enjoy a sunset dinner and wonderful conversation, the kind only two women who really know, love and trust each other can have. It’s a pivotal turning point in the story as Simona reveals the truth about her past with Andre.
Another great moment is when Simona, confronted by an angry, jealous sister-in-law, does not return the vitriol but tells Margaret she will welcome her with open arms if she’s coming in “peace and kindness” but not if she’s coming with “negative energy and hate.” Simona’s refusal to succumb to the harsh attack from her sister-in-law embodies her value system that is rooted in love and morality.
This novel has a relentless energy fueled by the engaging conversations that dominate the narrative. The dialogue is very well done and kudos to the author for creating so much depth and meaningful discourse.
Trouble Finding Blondie is an entertaining read and great escape from everyday life!
May 13, 2017
This is book one in the Blondie Trilogy and really started the series off with a bang. Recovering from Andre's betrayal, Simona has created a wonderful new life for herself in Paris. Then he shows up after trying to track her down for over a year. this is a beautifully written book with great characters and a wonderful story. We are transported into a life of luxury and beautiful destinations. A world of suspense, lots of drama and an abundance of drama. Andre' attempts to wine back Simona's heart and we get involved in a love triangle. A great story that was a fun easy read, I look forward to the next book in the series. I received an arc and voluntarily chose to review it.
June 3, 2017
This story was quite the adventure with lots of twists and turns, ultimately ending on a cliffhanger (expected, as it’s the first in a trilogy). It’s well done, if a little dark and drawn-out. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
August 13, 2017
I finally got round to reading this, I loved it, frustrated at times but would love to know what happened after. Is there a sequel?
April 1, 2016
First of all, got this book from a giveaway here on Goodreads so yay Goodreads! (Note: Separate thank you note for the author at the end of this review hehe)
Trouble finding Blondie is about Simone and Andre's story. It has been two years since Simone last saw Andre. It has been two years since Andre broke off their relationship and also Simone's heart. It has been two years since Simone left Andre and packed up her bags carrying a big secret. Now, Simone has her new life in Paris; new job, new friends, and a possible new lover, Philippe Bouchard, and she is loving every single day and enjoying every bit of her life-- that is until Andre's reappearance. With Andre back in her life, she's left with decisions that can possibly change her life. Is she willing to let some Trouble back in her life?
I have to admit, I had a lot of trouble (See what I did there, haha) with the first 100 pages. I couldn't find myself getting into the story at first. I hardly knew the two main characters and I have yet to really know the depth of their past, so their big emotional reunion didn't feel so emotional for me. It felt a bit rushed. I wish I had even just one chapter of how it was between them before to start everything off. A short peek of how Andre once made Simone happy to get a feel of why it broke Simone when things ended between them. Just to have a better feel of where Simone was coming from that's not necessarily overly revealing.
I also thought the writing was quite inconsistent at first. For emotional moments, the writing felt too intense, or rather, energetic. Sometimes overwhelming emotions leave you speechless and I would have liked it if their emotional moments where filled with more silence instead of hearing the turmoil inside their heads. Feeling their emotions, rather than reading about them. Also, telling a scene from different perspectives sometimes works but in some instances in this book, it didn't do the trick for me.
AND THEN. Everything finally clicked together after the first 100 pages. The writing and the pacing of the story became more consistent and I felt like I was finally reading and getting into Simone and Andre's story. I felt the strong connection between them and the passion and they have for each other. Their story was electric and their conversations was showing more of their feelings towards each other, all of it coming from beyond the actual words that they are saying.
I also loved reading about the bigger story in general; including Philippe's character, and the different interactions between all the characters in the story. I enjoyed really getting to know even the supporting characters. Reading about Francois was a joy. Every mention of Francois amazed me; Francois amazed me. Hahaha. So many great dialogues between different characters that were so enjoyable to read. Although, there were also a lot of great dialogues that had depth, like Simone and Margaret's conversation.
Thoughts about the ending, possible spoilers ahead:
PS. I also loved the Eat,Pray,Love references. I kept thinking, ah yes, Attraversiamo! indeed, every time it was mentioned.
Thank you, Mimi Marten, for the book! It was a lovely read. Looking forward to your future books, definitely keeping my eye out for them!
Trouble finding Blondie is about Simone and Andre's story. It has been two years since Simone last saw Andre. It has been two years since Andre broke off their relationship and also Simone's heart. It has been two years since Simone left Andre and packed up her bags carrying a big secret. Now, Simone has her new life in Paris; new job, new friends, and a possible new lover, Philippe Bouchard, and she is loving every single day and enjoying every bit of her life-- that is until Andre's reappearance. With Andre back in her life, she's left with decisions that can possibly change her life. Is she willing to let some Trouble back in her life?
I have to admit, I had a lot of trouble (See what I did there, haha) with the first 100 pages. I couldn't find myself getting into the story at first. I hardly knew the two main characters and I have yet to really know the depth of their past, so their big emotional reunion didn't feel so emotional for me. It felt a bit rushed. I wish I had even just one chapter of how it was between them before to start everything off. A short peek of how Andre once made Simone happy to get a feel of why it broke Simone when things ended between them. Just to have a better feel of where Simone was coming from that's not necessarily overly revealing.
I also thought the writing was quite inconsistent at first. For emotional moments, the writing felt too intense, or rather, energetic. Sometimes overwhelming emotions leave you speechless and I would have liked it if their emotional moments where filled with more silence instead of hearing the turmoil inside their heads. Feeling their emotions, rather than reading about them. Also, telling a scene from different perspectives sometimes works but in some instances in this book, it didn't do the trick for me.
AND THEN. Everything finally clicked together after the first 100 pages. The writing and the pacing of the story became more consistent and I felt like I was finally reading and getting into Simone and Andre's story. I felt the strong connection between them and the passion and they have for each other. Their story was electric and their conversations was showing more of their feelings towards each other, all of it coming from beyond the actual words that they are saying.
I also loved reading about the bigger story in general; including Philippe's character, and the different interactions between all the characters in the story. I enjoyed really getting to know even the supporting characters. Reading about Francois was a joy. Every mention of Francois amazed me; Francois amazed me. Hahaha. So many great dialogues between different characters that were so enjoyable to read. Although, there were also a lot of great dialogues that had depth, like Simone and Margaret's conversation.
Thoughts about the ending, possible spoilers ahead:
PS. I also loved the Eat,Pray,Love references. I kept thinking, ah yes, Attraversiamo! indeed, every time it was mentioned.
Thank you, Mimi Marten, for the book! It was a lovely read. Looking forward to your future books, definitely keeping my eye out for them!
March 28, 2016
Trouble Finding Blondie
Simona’s boyfriend, Andre, has betrayed her and now she is living in Paris starting a new life – a new job, new friends. Then one day when at work, completely out of the blue, having tracked her down for about a year, who should show up wanting her back but Andre. One of the first lines of the book is: “Mademoiselle Simona, you have a visitor.” And so the premise is set but unfortunately for Simona, with this premise comes trouble. There is action from the very first page, and the story wastes no time unfolding with all its many twists and turns and difficult situations.
Though Simona on the outside appears tough, it’s all just a show – on the inside she is vulnerable, susceptible, and full of emotion. Things pick up steam when her rich and handsome lover, Philippe, enters the picture; however, this is not necessarily a love triangle, rather, it is about human relationships and the complexities that come with it – love, betrayal and pain.
The novel moves beautifully from Paris to Barcelona to NYC, and there is considerable detail in the description of culture, food, and clothing throughout. The author is a keen observer of the people she writes about, and she very vividly and effortlessly creates a sense of “place”, making one feel as if one is right there in Paris or Barcelona or NYC with her characters, and living the high life.
The prose is straightforward and unadorned, and the reader at times is taken back in time, allowing for greater insight into character and plot development. Often dialogue becomes a means of developing/furthering the plotline, at which the author is very adept.
Though fiction, there is a definite stream of emotion running through Trouble Finding Blondie, and this makes it more than a love story. But the love story is very much there and for me it was highly engaging and a perfect form of escapism.
Simona’s boyfriend, Andre, has betrayed her and now she is living in Paris starting a new life – a new job, new friends. Then one day when at work, completely out of the blue, having tracked her down for about a year, who should show up wanting her back but Andre. One of the first lines of the book is: “Mademoiselle Simona, you have a visitor.” And so the premise is set but unfortunately for Simona, with this premise comes trouble. There is action from the very first page, and the story wastes no time unfolding with all its many twists and turns and difficult situations.
Though Simona on the outside appears tough, it’s all just a show – on the inside she is vulnerable, susceptible, and full of emotion. Things pick up steam when her rich and handsome lover, Philippe, enters the picture; however, this is not necessarily a love triangle, rather, it is about human relationships and the complexities that come with it – love, betrayal and pain.
The novel moves beautifully from Paris to Barcelona to NYC, and there is considerable detail in the description of culture, food, and clothing throughout. The author is a keen observer of the people she writes about, and she very vividly and effortlessly creates a sense of “place”, making one feel as if one is right there in Paris or Barcelona or NYC with her characters, and living the high life.
The prose is straightforward and unadorned, and the reader at times is taken back in time, allowing for greater insight into character and plot development. Often dialogue becomes a means of developing/furthering the plotline, at which the author is very adept.
Though fiction, there is a definite stream of emotion running through Trouble Finding Blondie, and this makes it more than a love story. But the love story is very much there and for me it was highly engaging and a perfect form of escapism.
August 14, 2016
I received a free copy of this book from the author Mimi Marten for an honest review.
I enjoyed this book. I found the main character Simone a sweet, giving, extremely forgiving person. She is almost selfless in how she treats her friends and family. She is in the odd position of love 2 men but in 2 different ways. Her love for Phillipe is deep and true but slightly platonic. Her love for Andre is slightly reserved as far as trust is concerned but she but intense physically.
I found the story flowed well and was an enjoyable read. There are many characters involved in the story but I was able to keep each character straight which sometimes can be a difficult task.
My only, I can't really call it a complaint, point of uncomfort was during the sex scense. None were graphic but I felt the dialogue during these scenes were awkward. I felt like Marten was working to hard to find a way for the characters to talk that might sound sexy but fell flat and felt uncomfortable.
Overall I really enjoyed this story.
I enjoyed this book. I found the main character Simone a sweet, giving, extremely forgiving person. She is almost selfless in how she treats her friends and family. She is in the odd position of love 2 men but in 2 different ways. Her love for Phillipe is deep and true but slightly platonic. Her love for Andre is slightly reserved as far as trust is concerned but she but intense physically.
I found the story flowed well and was an enjoyable read. There are many characters involved in the story but I was able to keep each character straight which sometimes can be a difficult task.
My only, I can't really call it a complaint, point of uncomfort was during the sex scense. None were graphic but I felt the dialogue during these scenes were awkward. I felt like Marten was working to hard to find a way for the characters to talk that might sound sexy but fell flat and felt uncomfortable.
Overall I really enjoyed this story.
didn-t-finish
October 11, 2016Didn't finish. The story was hard to follow and the characters were very cliched and dramatic. The writing was terrible.
August 26, 2016
Really likeable characters. Good plot.Will read more by author.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews