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Sweet Valley High #132
Once Upon a Time
Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield are spending their summer as au pairs—for a royal family! When Jessica sees the beautiful European chateau where they'll be staying for the summer, she feels like she's living in a fantasy world—complete with a prince, a royal ball, and a guarded castle. Is there an evil stepmother too?
Elizabeth adores her young charges at Chateau d'Amour Inconnu. The only problem child is Pierre, a 6-year-old who loves to hide from her. While trying to find Pierre one day, Elizabeth gets lost in a vast topiary maze on the castle grounds. What she discovers at the maze's end just might turn her wildest fantasies into reality!
Elizabeth adores her young charges at Chateau d'Amour Inconnu. The only problem child is Pierre, a 6-year-old who loves to hide from her. While trying to find Pierre one day, Elizabeth gets lost in a vast topiary maze on the castle grounds. What she discovers at the maze's end just might turn her wildest fantasies into reality!
199 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
16 people are currently reading
333 people want to read
About the author
Francine Pascal
1,139 books1,843 followersFrancine Paula Pascal was an American author best known for her Sweet Valley series of young adult novels. Sweet Valley High, the backbone of the collection, was made into a television series, which led to several spin-offs, including The Unicorn Club and Sweet Valley University. Although most of these books were published in the 1980s and 1990s, they remained so popular that several titles were re-released decades later.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 16, 2019
So you know this is another one just about Jess & Liz meeting guys in a place away from Sweet Valley, right? I mean, they are also au pairs and kids are involved, but that's besides the plot.
So once in France and on a train to their location as au pairs, Jessica meets Jacques and his weird dad, Louis. I think that's his name. It's stereotypically French, anyway. While stealing away for a quiet moment Jacques gives Jessica an emerald that she assumes is fake. This is the most obvious plot point of all time, so my eyeballs were already in the back of my head at this point and we weren't even to page 100 yet. It's clearly not fake. He and his dad are shady, and Jacques confirms it later when he muses that he really likes Jessica but he's sad that when he next meets her she will "never be innocent again." Hakuna matata, Jacques. She was never innocent. She doesn't see him again until the very end of the book when she goes upstairs after a long day to find Jacques in her room rifling through her drawers... clearly looking for the emerald, but Jess buys the story that he was looking for something to indicate the room was hers. Good lord. Jess ignores Anna's warning about Jacques being a smooth-tongued rogue and shares a passionate kiss with him.
Liz, meanwhile, has a hilarious plot with Todd in the beginning before they leave for France. He sits her down and earnestly tells her that they should see other people over the summer because of the whole Montana camp thing and her fling with Joey. But Liz is incensed! Todd wants to break up with her?! How dare he?! That is probably the smartest thing Todd's ever done, though, and it's so nice to have a book where Liz doesn't feel guilt over cheating on Todd. Because she would and does, obviously. She dreams on the plane about meeting a dashing and handsome man with dark hair on a white horse. This feels dangerously like an early T. Swift song. One day when she's chasing her charge, Pierre, through the maze at their chateau she comes across Prince Laurent. He, too, has had a dream about a golden-haired beauty with eyes the color of the ocean. Barf. But she disappears with Pierre and he thinks she's a mirage. Until! It's raining one night and she gets lost in the maze and when she finds her way out she ends up knocking on a cottage door that happens to be his. He lets her warm by the fire and gives her towels to dry off. He invites her to stay the night and fixes her an omelet in the morning. Liz! This was the time to lose your virginity! Then he gallops up to her on a horse the next day, right as she's supposed to take over watching the kids from Jessica. He has a picnic prepared and they go to a secluded place at night and share a fiery, passionate kiss.
In between we get a wonderful (sarcasm) twin fight. Liz didn't even want to go on the trip to France (girl cray cray), but Jessica "made" her. So when they get there and Jess is a little less enthused with doing what she's supposed to, as she always is, Liz flips out and calls her irresponsible and a bunch of other things she knows will go in one of Jessica's ears and out the other. And one day, when Liz gets a letter from Todd but Liz isn't there, Jess intercepts it and starts to deliver it to Liz's room until she has a change of heart and throws the letter into the fire (because she's mad at Liz and because Liz is finally feeling happier without Todd). But then, the day after Liz has been missing all night with Prince Laurent, Jess is frantic and so happy when Liz shows up. They resolve to make up and not stay mad. But Jessica decides there isn't really any need to tell Liz about the letter because she will just get upset again. She's certain that Todd will write another letter.
Oy. These girls.
Quotes:
Liz's thoughts: Thank goodness I'm from America- where everyone is equal!
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. HAHAHHAHAHAHAHA.
[Jessica] had never seen a more spoiled girl in her whole life.
Except herself, that is.
So once in France and on a train to their location as au pairs, Jessica meets Jacques and his weird dad, Louis. I think that's his name. It's stereotypically French, anyway. While stealing away for a quiet moment Jacques gives Jessica an emerald that she assumes is fake. This is the most obvious plot point of all time, so my eyeballs were already in the back of my head at this point and we weren't even to page 100 yet. It's clearly not fake. He and his dad are shady, and Jacques confirms it later when he muses that he really likes Jessica but he's sad that when he next meets her she will "never be innocent again." Hakuna matata, Jacques. She was never innocent. She doesn't see him again until the very end of the book when she goes upstairs after a long day to find Jacques in her room rifling through her drawers... clearly looking for the emerald, but Jess buys the story that he was looking for something to indicate the room was hers. Good lord. Jess ignores Anna's warning about Jacques being a smooth-tongued rogue and shares a passionate kiss with him.
Liz, meanwhile, has a hilarious plot with Todd in the beginning before they leave for France. He sits her down and earnestly tells her that they should see other people over the summer because of the whole Montana camp thing and her fling with Joey. But Liz is incensed! Todd wants to break up with her?! How dare he?! That is probably the smartest thing Todd's ever done, though, and it's so nice to have a book where Liz doesn't feel guilt over cheating on Todd. Because she would and does, obviously. She dreams on the plane about meeting a dashing and handsome man with dark hair on a white horse. This feels dangerously like an early T. Swift song. One day when she's chasing her charge, Pierre, through the maze at their chateau she comes across Prince Laurent. He, too, has had a dream about a golden-haired beauty with eyes the color of the ocean. Barf. But she disappears with Pierre and he thinks she's a mirage. Until! It's raining one night and she gets lost in the maze and when she finds her way out she ends up knocking on a cottage door that happens to be his. He lets her warm by the fire and gives her towels to dry off. He invites her to stay the night and fixes her an omelet in the morning. Liz! This was the time to lose your virginity! Then he gallops up to her on a horse the next day, right as she's supposed to take over watching the kids from Jessica. He has a picnic prepared and they go to a secluded place at night and share a fiery, passionate kiss.
In between we get a wonderful (sarcasm) twin fight. Liz didn't even want to go on the trip to France (girl cray cray), but Jessica "made" her. So when they get there and Jess is a little less enthused with doing what she's supposed to, as she always is, Liz flips out and calls her irresponsible and a bunch of other things she knows will go in one of Jessica's ears and out the other. And one day, when Liz gets a letter from Todd but Liz isn't there, Jess intercepts it and starts to deliver it to Liz's room until she has a change of heart and throws the letter into the fire (because she's mad at Liz and because Liz is finally feeling happier without Todd). But then, the day after Liz has been missing all night with Prince Laurent, Jess is frantic and so happy when Liz shows up. They resolve to make up and not stay mad. But Jessica decides there isn't really any need to tell Liz about the letter because she will just get upset again. She's certain that Todd will write another letter.
Oy. These girls.
Quotes:
Liz's thoughts: Thank goodness I'm from America- where everyone is equal!
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. HAHAHHAHAHAHAHA.
[Jessica] had never seen a more spoiled girl in her whole life.
Except herself, that is.
July 3, 2025
4.5 stars and not just for the sake of nostalgia! Really enjoyed this reread.
April 30, 2012
How can sweet valley high get so stupid???? this book didnt live up to my expectations. the only Sv books i like are the junior ones. They TOTALLY rock!!!!
And why on hell should those two sisters always fight??? elizabeth is a real arrogant fool and jessica seems such a flirt!!
i liked it better when they were 14. SO THERE!!!
And why on hell should those two sisters always fight??? elizabeth is a real arrogant fool and jessica seems such a flirt!!
i liked it better when they were 14. SO THERE!!!
July 9, 2010
This is the second time I've tried to read a Sweet Valley High and couldn't do it. Too dull for me. Not enough action.
Oh well. Moving on.
Oh well. Moving on.
June 21, 2013
I remember the cover just not the story.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews