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From My Balcony
Do you want to live your life or hide from it?
Diana knew she lied to her best friend when she said she wanted to live it.
Oh, how desperately she wanted to hide! Hide from her husband’s betrayals, hide from the blame and guilt heaped on her by her younger daughter’s refusal to accept the divorce, hide from the pity, the questions, the snarky innuendos from her “friends.”
Most of all, hide from herself and her failures.
Her family accepted her need to “find herself,” and this apartment in the south of France was perfect with its balcony and view of the sea and town. Low enough to be able to watch life happen below her, high enough to not participate in any of it.
Now if only the gentle people of Cassis would let her do that.
This book is available in both digital and print editions.
Diana knew she lied to her best friend when she said she wanted to live it.
Oh, how desperately she wanted to hide! Hide from her husband’s betrayals, hide from the blame and guilt heaped on her by her younger daughter’s refusal to accept the divorce, hide from the pity, the questions, the snarky innuendos from her “friends.”
Most of all, hide from herself and her failures.
Her family accepted her need to “find herself,” and this apartment in the south of France was perfect with its balcony and view of the sea and town. Low enough to be able to watch life happen below her, high enough to not participate in any of it.
Now if only the gentle people of Cassis would let her do that.
This book is available in both digital and print editions.
270 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 26, 2018
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5 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 12, 2020
I've never liked the "coming of age" label for fiction, maybe because any genre seems to pigeonhole and then limit the content. But this book has me thinking that it's not always about being young – say your college years or shortly thereafter. Why can't the awakening come in midlife or even later? This is a beautiful, compelling, and well-written story built on the common premise of taking off for a year in France or Tuscany or maybe even India and perhaps even finding true love. In this case, throw in a bitter divorce and its heartbreak as well as the children and grandchildren you leave behind. Who cares if you're already in your 50s? Especially when it's an obscure town on the Cote d'Azur? Call it a sabbatical, if you will or a time of self-discovery. Yes, you could argue that too many good things arise in a fairy-tale rightness but I find them memorably and poignantly counterbalanced. As for the inevitable romance? Why wait for the movie? This one is sweet.
March 22, 2020
First, I want to thank Patricia Bond for providing me with this book so I may bring your this review.
WNY Author Patricia Bond’s From The Balcony is the best book I have read by Patricia Bond so far!! It had an ending that totally blew my mind with that confession! Never did I think she would write something like that but she went there!! She needs to write more books like this one!! No wonder this book was named a finalist in the Pages From The Heart Contest from From the Heart Romance Writers chapter of RWA and a finalist in the I Heart Indie contest from the Las Vegas Chapter of RWA.
This book was the perfect read to escape from what is going on in the world today! For a short time I escaped quarantine in Buffalo, NY and journeyed to France. Oh the breathtaking views she described in the book were like something you would see from a painting.
Speaking of the painting and the views, the cover of the book was beautiful! The graphic artist did an amazing job capturing the essence of the book.
There were so many many times Patricia had me cracking up laughing out loud!! Other times I had smiles on my face!
Patricia had many important storylines in this book such as infidelity, a loss of someone to cancer, and finding yourself again.
WNY Author Patricia Bond’s From The Balcony is the best book I have read by Patricia Bond so far!! It had an ending that totally blew my mind with that confession! Never did I think she would write something like that but she went there!! She needs to write more books like this one!! No wonder this book was named a finalist in the Pages From The Heart Contest from From the Heart Romance Writers chapter of RWA and a finalist in the I Heart Indie contest from the Las Vegas Chapter of RWA.
This book was the perfect read to escape from what is going on in the world today! For a short time I escaped quarantine in Buffalo, NY and journeyed to France. Oh the breathtaking views she described in the book were like something you would see from a painting.
Speaking of the painting and the views, the cover of the book was beautiful! The graphic artist did an amazing job capturing the essence of the book.
There were so many many times Patricia had me cracking up laughing out loud!! Other times I had smiles on my face!
Patricia had many important storylines in this book such as infidelity, a loss of someone to cancer, and finding yourself again.
February 18, 2019
Set in southern France, this is romance about love. Well, all romances are about love, but this one is about love for family, love for friends, and love of place, as well as romantic love. The heroine is a divorcee who has come to a small French town to find herself or is it to hide? Be prepared to meet a wonderful cast of characters deeply developed and easy to love. Not your ordinary contemporary romance. A wonderful read that will make you want to fly off the southern France.
June 4, 2018
Patricia Bond always seems to transport me somewhere. Whether it be in history or like this book a place that is here and now.
One of the first things that attracted me to this story is the heroine. Diana is not young she is in her 50's and recently divorced. Now, divorced at that age is more than a challenge, she has grown children with minds of their own and opinions, some of which they really should just keep to themselves.
I could definitely relate to one of Diana's sentiments of being someone's daughter, someone's wife, someone's mother and having no idea who Diana is anymore. Even her anger and frustrations rang true to me, even at the doves that seemed to have a home on her balcony. What a balcony it is, her friend Mitzi struck gold when she found this place for Diana to rent. Wrap around with views of the harbor and the calanques of Cassis.
In spite of her intent of hiding, Diana does manage to make friends. The portrayal of the many gallant Frenchman had me smiling with every encounter.
There's a lot of inner dialog, and talking to the doves, all of it part of Diana's healing.
Some fun encounters, some touring, the jerk ex-husband and plenty of innuendo make this a delightful and at times sensual journey to finding oneself.
One of the first things that attracted me to this story is the heroine. Diana is not young she is in her 50's and recently divorced. Now, divorced at that age is more than a challenge, she has grown children with minds of their own and opinions, some of which they really should just keep to themselves.
I could definitely relate to one of Diana's sentiments of being someone's daughter, someone's wife, someone's mother and having no idea who Diana is anymore. Even her anger and frustrations rang true to me, even at the doves that seemed to have a home on her balcony. What a balcony it is, her friend Mitzi struck gold when she found this place for Diana to rent. Wrap around with views of the harbor and the calanques of Cassis.
In spite of her intent of hiding, Diana does manage to make friends. The portrayal of the many gallant Frenchman had me smiling with every encounter.
There's a lot of inner dialog, and talking to the doves, all of it part of Diana's healing.
Some fun encounters, some touring, the jerk ex-husband and plenty of innuendo make this a delightful and at times sensual journey to finding oneself.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews