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Same Circus Different Clowns: The South of France - A Sunny Place for Shady People
Following his first book Cookham To Cannes, Brent Tyler continues his mad adventure in the south of France along with his wife, Debbie, and their dog, Guss who is as baffled at what happens to them as everyone else. The lunacy continues as in the early hours of one morning, Brent finds himself in the middle of a lawn with nothing to protect his dignity but a mop. As lights flashed everywhere and with a villa full of rental guests, would he have to explain himself or had he managed to get away with it? Just managing to slip the grasp of one mentally deranged employer, Brent and Debbie set about finding someone to work for who had at least a modicum of sanity. As you’re about to discover, this was not going to be an easy task. Desperately wanting to stay living and working in their adopted home of the south of France, would Brent and Debbie finally get settled?
289 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 14, 2018
51 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
About the author
Brent Tyler
2 books3 followers“Let me tell you a few things about myself. Since moving to France, I have compared my life to that of a ball spinning on a roulette wheel. I have absolutely no idea where I am going to land up next and it still comes as a complete surprise when I find myself there. Debbie and I have been living in France now for six years and in each of those six years we have spent Christmas in a different place.”
“My father was a man who found it very difficult to settle in a job, so much so that when he got up in the morning, his mother used to say ‘What are you going to be today, son?’ Perhaps, it is no wonder that my CV is, how shall I say, so chequered.”
“I live in the south of France with my lovely wife, Debbie, where we seem to hop from working for one stupidly rich lunatic to the next.”
“During our time here we have been adopted by a wonderful dog, Guss, who is not only an amazing footballer but is also both adorable and affectionate. I have never seen a dog who understands people so well and can melt hearts within moments of meeting him.”
“My short-term memory is a shocker and although I have no problem recalling people’s faces, mannerisms and moods, extremely vividly, I couldn’t tell you the colour of the walls in this room, as I type. I have never kept a diary but as someone once put it, I don’t bear a grudge, I just remember the facts.”
“In my spare time I like to walk the hound, write, play games and eat nice food. I am useless with technology. I have no idea what an app is and haven’t a clue how to use social media. I don’t own a Smartphone – I have a brick.”
“My father was a man who found it very difficult to settle in a job, so much so that when he got up in the morning, his mother used to say ‘What are you going to be today, son?’ Perhaps, it is no wonder that my CV is, how shall I say, so chequered.”
“I live in the south of France with my lovely wife, Debbie, where we seem to hop from working for one stupidly rich lunatic to the next.”
“During our time here we have been adopted by a wonderful dog, Guss, who is not only an amazing footballer but is also both adorable and affectionate. I have never seen a dog who understands people so well and can melt hearts within moments of meeting him.”
“My short-term memory is a shocker and although I have no problem recalling people’s faces, mannerisms and moods, extremely vividly, I couldn’t tell you the colour of the walls in this room, as I type. I have never kept a diary but as someone once put it, I don’t bear a grudge, I just remember the facts.”
“In my spare time I like to walk the hound, write, play games and eat nice food. I am useless with technology. I have no idea what an app is and haven’t a clue how to use social media. I don’t own a Smartphone – I have a brick.”
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 17, 2019
I loved this book as much as his first. No spoiler here but there was a bit of a shock about 2/3rds of the way through but it seems things go okay after a really rough patch. I hope Brent continues sharing his and Debbie’s adventures with us! One bone to pick - I live in Lausanne, Switzerland and there is no way that Customs was unmanned in Lausanne because the border is nowhere near here and there is no Customs. Coming from Annecy they would have gone through someplace near Geneva, not Lausanne which is surrounded only by Swiss towns except for the middle of the lake and they were driving. Also, a Swiss French speaking border officer would never say autobahn. We say autoroute here. Maybe fix in future editions.
March 5, 2019
Having read the first ....
Needed to continue on to find out if the author and his wife make it through and find a decent life without crazy employers. Well as the title says the clowns are still out there and make good fodder for more nutty stories, which the author does so well.
Such hard working people to have to live with such selfish, demanding and demeaning people. And to have a health scare and treatment while doing this work seems so difficult. But the ending seems to be leading up to another book.....?. Well written and a good read.
Needed to continue on to find out if the author and his wife make it through and find a decent life without crazy employers. Well as the title says the clowns are still out there and make good fodder for more nutty stories, which the author does so well.
Such hard working people to have to live with such selfish, demanding and demeaning people. And to have a health scare and treatment while doing this work seems so difficult. But the ending seems to be leading up to another book.....?. Well written and a good read.
July 15, 2025
Brent, Debbie and their big furry dog Guss are house 'guardians' .. couples who look after rich people's second homes and look after the rich people on the occasions they visit their second homes.
Brent is stoic, with a great sense of humour and a very low tolerance of unreasonably demanding rich people. Debbie is long suffering, organised, a great chef and a great organiser who manages to keep Brent and the disagreeable rich people as separate as she can. I have gathered all this from Brent's funny dialogue driven stories of the highs and lows of their time in France.
An absorbing and funny read - highly recommended even if you're not currently enjoying the Cote D'Azur.
Brent is stoic, with a great sense of humour and a very low tolerance of unreasonably demanding rich people. Debbie is long suffering, organised, a great chef and a great organiser who manages to keep Brent and the disagreeable rich people as separate as she can. I have gathered all this from Brent's funny dialogue driven stories of the highs and lows of their time in France.
An absorbing and funny read - highly recommended even if you're not currently enjoying the Cote D'Azur.
February 18, 2019
A look at life thru real world eyes
Adore your books and how you see the rich and their no respect or moral compass for the rest of the population. Stories are rich and humor filled. Rich, no pun intended since most tried to scrape your earnings. Glad for your good health. Thank you
Adore your books and how you see the rich and their no respect or moral compass for the rest of the population. Stories are rich and humor filled. Rich, no pun intended since most tried to scrape your earnings. Glad for your good health. Thank you
August 13, 2019
Great book
A great book, even I was mad at their employers. You can't trust people with money, they think they own everything even you once your employed by them. The only part that threw me was how it ended. I guess I don't know how else they could of ended it since their still in the same line of business. I hope the rest of their life is good.
A great book, even I was mad at their employers. You can't trust people with money, they think they own everything even you once your employed by them. The only part that threw me was how it ended. I guess I don't know how else they could of ended it since their still in the same line of business. I hope the rest of their life is good.
October 30, 2019
Worked hard for hard people
The writing in this book is very well done. There is humor and there is hardship. But the most astonishing writing was about the extremely extremely wealthy people that this couple worked for. It was not flattering to their employers and shocking how they were expected to do the most mundane tasks.
The writing in this book is very well done. There is humor and there is hardship. But the most astonishing writing was about the extremely extremely wealthy people that this couple worked for. It was not flattering to their employers and shocking how they were expected to do the most mundane tasks.
April 1, 2020
Witty, entertaining and insightful!
Entertaining and witty insights to what the Rich's lives might have in reserve for their working people. I do not envy what Brent and Debbie had to endure and I felt many time that enough was enough! And applauded when they finally exploded!!hope they are safe now with Brexit!!
Entertaining and witty insights to what the Rich's lives might have in reserve for their working people. I do not envy what Brent and Debbie had to endure and I felt many time that enough was enough! And applauded when they finally exploded!!hope they are safe now with Brexit!!
June 11, 2020
Great read
I completely enjoyed this book and his earlier book which I recommend if you haven't already read. Brent's sense of humor is great. I loved reading about the places, the food and most of all the crazy quirky people they worked for. Reading this book felt like I was sharing a beer ( or rose) with Brent and Debbie while sharing their stories with me.
I completely enjoyed this book and his earlier book which I recommend if you haven't already read. Brent's sense of humor is great. I loved reading about the places, the food and most of all the crazy quirky people they worked for. Reading this book felt like I was sharing a beer ( or rose) with Brent and Debbie while sharing their stories with me.
September 15, 2019
Great and entertaining read!!
Different from other books in this genre. Very well written and engaging. I was sorry the book ended! Characters really come alive!
Different from other books in this genre. Very well written and engaging. I was sorry the book ended! Characters really come alive!
November 11, 2019
Greatread
Nothing worse than a pompous Brit with money.....specially if they haven’t worked to earn it. Hope Brent is free of the big C
Nothing worse than a pompous Brit with money.....specially if they haven’t worked to earn it. Hope Brent is free of the big C
November 9, 2020
Life in the south of France would seem to be idyllic, especially if one can exchange light duties in kitchen and garden for room, board and a pay-check. The duties, however, are never light and the bosses can be irritatingly fickle. I persevered as do the protagonists.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews