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French Kissing #19-22

French Kissing: Season Five

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ASIN B07S73K4SR moved to the more recent edition

Paris... City of lights, City of love... City of drama!

With a year remaining on Dominique's first presidential term, the Laroche camp is gearing up for her re-election campaign. Dominique herself, however, doesn't seem so keen on going through it all again.

Aurore and Solange's relationship has been on and off so many times, nobody can keep count. The prospect of being on opposing sides of an election campaign is proving too difficult to overcome. Unless one of them can find it in her heart to make a sacrifice.

Claire is showing signs of a midlife crisis. Rather than test her marriage to Margot, her behaviour puts in danger Barbier & Cyr, and her friendship with Juliette and Steph.

Partnerships will be questioned, loyalties will shift and priorities will be reassessed as favourite characters, and old foes, return for a new season of Parisian drama and intrigue.

Warning: This title contains sensual language, ladies making love, copious wine consumption and the occasional bout of political backstabbing.

262 pages, ebook

Published June 18, 2019

41 people are currently reading
157 people want to read

About the author

Harper Bliss

138 books2,361 followers
Harper Bliss is a best-selling lesbian romance author. Among her most-loved books are the highly dramatic French Kissing and the often thought-provoking Pink Bean series. She is the co-founder of My LesFic, a weekly newsletter offering discount deals on lesbian fiction.

Harper lived in Hong Kong for 7 years, travelled the world for a bit, and has now settled in Brussels (Belgium) with her wife and photogenic cat, Dolly Purrton.

Together with her wife, she hosts a weekly podcast called Harper Bliss & Her Mrs.

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5 stars
203 (60%)
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95 (28%)
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32 (9%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
Profile Image for Corporate Slave.
358 reviews5 followers
June 2, 2019
Oh how I’ve missed this group of unbelievable, powerful, sexy and entertaining women! This is an incredible series. I’ve been hooked on it for a while and was extremely happy to find that there’s a 5th season! The Drama never stops :)
It reminds me a lot of The L Word even though it’s skewed more towards politics. But the relationships between the MCs (I think around 4-5 couples) is very engaging and full of drama! It somehow feels it’s been years since I’m following this group, and to see them grow, succeed, fall and come back again stronger is pure pleasure :)
Obviously my favorite couple: Dominique and Steph still kick ass in this book. You also get to see a lot of Solange (the definition of an ice queen). Margot is still there, still boring as hell hahahahah ..
If you haven’t started this series, I highly highly highly recommend it! You will not be able to let go of this group :)
I was expecting a little bit more Wine and Sex though (whoever read this series before will understand the importance of those 2 hahaha).
My rating would be a 4.5 rounded up to 5.
Profile Image for Angel.
334 reviews23 followers
June 18, 2019
If you've read the other books in this enthralling series you would know why I was so keen to devour this story because it has everything that I could ever want or need in an angst filled romance sequel. This story brought back all of the beloved women from the previous books and I had the pleasure of following their personal growth and their biggest mess ups. I could easily understand why Dominique had mixed feelings about putting herself out there again to run for president because she knew what it would cost her and the impact it would have on every area of her life. Mid life crisis or not, I must admit that I was really upset with Claire because she caused a lot of trouble for her friends and her actions endangered the Barbier and Cyr public relations firm. Besides all of the political drama within the story I loved the way Harper Bliss portrayed each couple without focusing too much on one or the other because I got a front row seat to the good, the bad and the heart-tugging moments when emotions ran high and things went awry despite each person's best intentions. This is a wonderful follow up and conclusion to this awesome series and it was definitely worth the wait.
Profile Image for currentlyreadingbynat.
871 reviews103 followers
March 20, 2023
Another great instalment and I'm sad to see this series end. Although this book featured heavily around Dominique's re-election for President, I lived for the drama and felt for Claire so, so much ❤️

Abby Craden did a superb job with narrating this fifth instalment. There's a strong possibility that I'm going straight into Marie Dievart's story in That Woman Next Door next.
Profile Image for Nikki "The Crazie Betty" V..
803 reviews128 followers
June 18, 2019
Buckle in for another drama fueled season of Harper Bliss’ French Kissing!

In this season we see Dominque and Steph must deal with what it means to run for a second term as the President of France when it means that old secrets are about to be revealed to the world, and the little bit of privacy you thought you held was nothing more than an illusion. Intentions and beliefs are tested, and ultimately both women must decide what kind of person and future wife they want to be.

Margot and Claire are dealing with their own drama. After losing both parents back to back, Margot is struggling to remember who she is and trying to figure out if she really wants to go back to that, or if she has been permanently changed forever. She’s also having to figure out what it means to be the wife of someone that could do something so drastic and so out of character that it will have lasting effects on every one of their friends and their lives. On that note, I absolutely hated Claire this season. I’ll try to refrain from spoilers, but I ultimately just found her to be so selfish this season. She acted like a spoilt child who refused to fully accept the responsibility of her actions. I in no way found any of her friends’ reactions to be overreactions and fully approved of how they felt and acted when Claire’s was found out.

Nadia takes a back seat in this season as we see Juliette really take on an even more so leading role in her company. Some of her closest friendships are tested, as well as her commitment to her job and her company that she started with Claire. And as with all lesbian dramas, a past mistake rears her ugly head in an attempt to take on the fabulous women of French Kissing and overthrow them.

Last, but definitely not least, we see new couple Aurore and Solange slog their way through a relationship where either party are sitting on opposite sides of the fence of their very open and opinionated political views. Can they overcome their obstacles and finally be together all in? Or will they sacrifice their relationship to the alter of politics?

Overall, I can’t say that this was my favorite season of French Kissing, but I think a lot of that is just how pissed off I was at Claire through so much of the story. To that point, Harper does write very real characters that pull at very real emotions. I’m not sure how long Harper intends on writing the women of French Kissing, but I’m definitely in it for the long haul.

ARC received from author. All reviews and opinions are expressly my own
Profile Image for Allison.
117 reviews5 followers
July 4, 2019
I love this group and always look forward to the next season. The last 2 season pale in compared to the passion and powerful ness of the first 3, but still enjoyable none the less.
617 reviews21 followers
July 2, 2019
Season five is told from Claire, Margot, Steph, Dominique, Solange, Aurore and Juliette(I don't recall her having many segments) perspective. It focuses on betrayal, support, love and if Dominique will run for president for a second term, etc. This started slightly slow for me, and I thought I wasn't going to like it as much as Seasons 1 - 4. It did pick up for me around 35% into it. Once, I got over the initially hump, I could not wait to see the out come of Season five. If you have read Season 1 - 4, you should for sure pick this one up. If you haven't read any of the other seasons, you really need to read them first before this one.

One thing to note is that I listened to the audio book and the narrator does a really good job portraying all the characters. I will rate this one 4 stars.

Profile Image for Em Lewis.
369 reviews17 followers
June 19, 2019
Season 5 is more political drama with some very steamy hookups and it is a really good read. All our favourites couples are featured and its starts with the recent pairing of Solange and Aurore splitting due to what they perceive as insurmountable political differences and this political atmosphere permeates each couple. But the stand out hero of this season is Dominique Laroche what a woman, I was on tender hooks wondering what position she would take and how would she would handle the personal attacks and this made for a real page turner.

You must read Seasons 1 to 4 then pick up Season 5 it is worth the read.
Profile Image for Jo.
208 reviews21 followers
June 30, 2019
3.5 🌟
Profile Image for Odd Bin.
278 reviews14 followers
August 3, 2020
I need this to be a tv series.
Profile Image for Sam.
837 reviews114 followers
June 8, 2019
After reading the 4 other instalments of this series I was a bit surprised about this one. The previous books had a lot of sex scenes and wine (a lot of alcohol I general actually), and this book really seems more about the mental state of the couples and the presidential elections.
I actually liked the change, however unexpected, this book really is more about the bond between all the women. And of course our favourite ice queen Solange coming to terms with her relationship and softening up.
I appreciate Harper including more of the original couples in this book, as I kind of disliked the previous book that was more about the new characters.
I do hate that salope Sybille and I don’t really care for the drama that was started by Claire again.
Claire’s drama and the reaction of the friends to this is what I didn’t like in this book. We all make mistakes and how can you let a friendship of a couple decades just crumble like that. Not see each other for a year, that just doesn’t make sense to me.

*I received an early copy of this book in return for an honest review*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Maz Tucker.
297 reviews7 followers
June 9, 2019
Another great instalment from our favourite french team. There are a few bumps in the road for Dominique and her last year in power before the new elections. I really enjoyed this and hope there is more to come.
Profile Image for Mx Phoebe.
1,446 reviews
December 10, 2019
Paris changes from the "City for Lovers" to the "City of Betrayers".

President Dominique Laroche has a year left to her candidacy and everyone is assuming that she is going to run again except the President herself. When she shares her doubts with Solange, her Chief of Staff, and her partner Steph, a partner in Barber & Cyr the President's PR firm, she gets completely opposite reactions. Solange responds typically as she has given her life and her relationship with Aurore to give her best to her position and Dominique. Solange has to rethink her entire life, but before she can take her next breath there is a leak and it comes from an unexpected source. Everyone is surprised when Dominque's private thoughts end up in a Socialist's hands to do with what she will. The betrayal ends up affecting everyone from the new relationships formed to old relationships at Barber & Cyr. What does Dominque decide? Whose relationship survives the betrayal? Then Sybille joins the Socialist campaign and throws more fuel on the fire by sharing secrets she learned at Barber & Cyr. Can Dominque and Steph's relationship survive the stress and the press under fire?

Harper Bliss can create the drama and she does in French Kissing: Season Five. Writing the above was recreating the stress for me that reading it did and I know the ending (laugh). There is a lot going on in this book and it makes for an exciting read, but...and there is actually a "but" here. I think some emotions could have been made clearer with a paragraph or less of information, for example Claire and Margot have a sexual dominance relationship. Margot realizes at one point that she has been neglecting Claire in this area, but I think for people who are not experienced with this type of relationship they may not realize why Claire and Margot need this and how it helps them individually and as a couple. This was mentioned in a previous book, but in the situation that develops in this book an explanation would actually help people to understand this type of relationship in a healthy way - an opportunity missed. This book also felt a bit rushed though it takes place over a length of time to show that decisions and events were not made over night, the impact of the betrayal between a particular couple that was heading one way and then ended up going the complete opposite way - no mention of how they're relationship survived that year when they literally were reliving all of their previous problems and having lost even more time. This book was exciting for it's drama and Bliss writes emotion filled sex scenes. I loved being in Paris again and cannot wait to see what Bliss has in store for us again next time.

#Bookstagram #FridayReads #BookReview #LesbianBookReview #HarperBliss #FrenchKissing #SeasonFive #LesbianRomance #Lesbian #Romance #LesbianFiction #LesFic #LesbianLove #BooksOfInstagram #3Stars #PhoebesRainbowWorld #FlippingRainbows #RatedRSex #LGBT #LGBTQ #BookReviewer #LesbianBooks
Profile Image for Twyrine.
1 review
September 25, 2025
I really dislike Claire.

I don’t know how to feel after reading this series. Since the very first book I really liked Steph and Dominique’s relationship, and surprisingly, I was more invested in the political drama… but overall I think this just wasn't for me.
123 reviews
June 18, 2019
This is a fabulous book which tied together many characters that were introduced in the first season of the book. My favorite characters have always been Stephanie and Dominique. They figure prominently in this book and as usual there’s a lot of emotional and political drama that goes on given that Dominique is the president of France and Stephanie is her fiancé .
Claire, Juliet, Stephanie are partners in a law firm that Claire and Juliet started and they worked hard to get Dominique elected for president however there becomes a major rift between Claire and Juliet leaving Claire and Stephanie to run a second campaign if and when Dominique decides to run for a second term.

I liked the addition of Aurore and Solange as they are political opposites working on opposite teams and despite the fact that they love one another deeply their political life drastically interferes with their personal life. It was great to see that Margo and Claire are still happily married and Juliette and Nadia, well together begin to have problems because Juliette wants something else professionally.
As is typical Harper Bliss writes an incredible series with characters that you fall in love with from the first page because they are relatable and yet flawed. She has a way with spinning a tail that is superb. This is an excellent book and I highly recommend it.

Profile Image for Mari Stark.
257 reviews6 followers
June 18, 2019
Every book of Harper Bliss is guarantee of an excellent read. The French Kissing series is one of my very favourite. This is the fifth instalment of the series (they’re subsequent, so I recommend to read them all in order). This has been eagerly awaited and the wait was definitely worth it.

We’re back to the high drama, love and sexy times in the city of lights. It’s great to see our favourite characters and a few new ones back. This book will keep you engaged all the way through while witnessing betray, hard decisions made upon love, dirty political games, sexy times and a lot of intrigue.

Grand to see these beloved characters back, I’ve missed them and Harper didn’t disappoint.

I love to see how they all have changed through the years, they’ve have grown whether by learning from their mistakes or because sometimes that’s just the way life is. Middle crisis appears and put a long-time friendship in risk. The perfect amount of drama and intrigue that will keep you engaged.

Great story, the plot as usual is flawless, got me reading basically in one sit.

Another great book by Harper, I highly recommend this book and the entire series.

 

I received an ARC copy of this book from the author and voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Karen.
887 reviews11 followers
June 18, 2019
Wow! This was a ride. Harper Bliss kept me reading and reading when I should have been doing other things. This author is a skilled writer. At first, I was a bit lost because of all the characters, even having read all the previous French Kissing books. You definitely have to read the other books first. There were a couple of times I thought I might have to take notes on each character to remember who was who and had done what, but the more I read the more I remembered everyone and their place in the Barbier & Cyr world.

It was a lot of fun revisiting these women, catching up with old friends. Harper gives us glimpses into the lives of each couple as the point of view switches from character to character. I like the Pink Bean series a lot, but I hadn’t realized how much I missed the women of French Kissing. There are some sexy scenes but not much, just enough to assure me that mature women over 50 still have sexy time together.

I was not sure what the ending would be. I could see events going in different ways. I liked the ending but I think I would have been just as satisfied if it had ended another way. I did wonder where Harper was going sometimes, but I like it when books aren’t too predictable.
106 reviews
June 26, 2019
I’ve really enjoyed this series and this season brings more depth to the characters. From the beginning I’ve found Dominique to be fascinating in her balance of personnel life and profession that is so glaringly in the public eye. I honestly don’t follow politics but the rights being fought for in season four and then continued emphasis on changing dynamics within each political party, actually really captivated me. For me, Dominique made this season. Of course I was also psyched that Aurore and Solange’s relationship survived though bummed that they were on-off-on again (thankfully didn’t have to see that part!). But Claire being Claire, brought the drama which was entertaining in its own way. It also allowed the reader to see how small the world is and how everything will come full circle. It has been a very fun and engaging series and I highly recommend Season Five- especially if you are a Dominique fan like me!!
Profile Image for Vanessa Mace.
23 reviews
June 19, 2019
Harper Bliss does not disappoint!! French Kissing Season 5 is filled with a great deal of shocking twists and turns. This book will keep your eyes glued to the page. I stayed up way longer than I should have reading this book because I couldn't put the darn thing down, ok I didn't want to put it down is more like it. The characters are true to themselves as they were in the previous books. You will need to read 1-4 to follow along with the storyline and the character development and group dynamics, it won't be a chore to do so, trust me! I'm not a reviewer who goes to explain what happens in a book...that's for you to read and find out on your own. But what I do is tell you this story moves along at a great pace. There are plot twists I didn't see coming. It is a well written book with a strong storyline. You will not be disappointed in reading this book, it is a great read!!
33 reviews
August 25, 2019
Ok first off Harper Bliss has a fresh writing style incomparable to other authors in the same genre. This point alone makes her works a must read!

I came across this series after reading a few of the authors other stories and wow... I couldn’t put it down. I binge read Season 1 to 5 in less then a week. The complex characters had my attention right away as the first story unfolded and only continued to gain speed from there.

Their flaws, ideals and drive make them relatable and realistic. I’ve fallen in love with these characters which is what had me coming back for more.
I love that we get to read from each characters perspective, it allows us to know them intimately while merging it all together into the main story line.

This series is a must read and I can’t wait for the next to come out
Profile Image for Kim.
280 reviews10 followers
June 18, 2019
Does she win or doesn’t she? Ah, politics. Aren’t they a mess? Friends will be pitted against friends. Lovers will be forced to choose sides. Can relationships survive the turmoil caused by an election? This is another great installment in the French Kissing series. Harper made us wait for this one and it was worth it! All the ladies are back and it’s great to visit with them again! I won’t say anything about the outcome of the election, oh no, you need to read the story to find out if Dominique is triumphant. It’s the campaign that’s fun to read about! Enjoy Harper’s latest addition to French Kissing!
36 reviews
June 20, 2019
You won't want to put this book down!

Seasons 1 to 4 are excellent filled with plenty of drama and intrigue. Could season 5 live up to it's predecessors? Not only is the answer a resounding yes but it by far eclipses the previous four seasons. All the main characters return and are written so well that you're drawn in completely to the lives of these people. The plot twists were so good I just didn't want to put this book down.
Profile Image for Fran Sappharc.
818 reviews46 followers
July 2, 2019
This is highlighted as part of a series and is not a Stand-alone. If you try to read it as such you will get lost and miss some of the context for events in this book. You will also lose the chance to see how the characters got to where they are and why they are there. Bliss is a good writer – why would you deprive yourself of that? Those that have read what came before – you do not need me to tell you this is worth your time – more than reading this review!
Profile Image for Andrea Lovette.
83 reviews4 followers
June 20, 2019
Had been waiting for the next season and was not disappointed! I got to catch up with my favorite ladies once again and see them bloom more into their lives personally and professionally. Harper Bliss takes you on another roller coaster ride of emotions and eagerly await the arrival of the next season!
31 reviews
June 26, 2019
Awesome!

My goodness, it was great to reconnect with old characters and enjoy the new ones. Can’t beat political mischief which bleeds into personal relationships. These women represents wonderfully flawed folks we meet everyday. Thanks Harper Bliss for your words and Abbey for tour epic narration. ❤️
Profile Image for Dalin.
127 reviews
November 14, 2019
First thing first, I pride myself for having this book read and finished in a day. All thanks to the audio version, I could drive and work while listening to it, then read it when I had time.

Still one of the bests. Couldn’t put it down even if when I had to. So readers be aware. If you’re about to read this series, set some time, yeah?
618 reviews
June 24, 2019
Great read

I just love all of Harper’s books. All of the characters are so much fun to read about. I really hope there is a follow up. The story is well written with a great ending.
Profile Image for JERRY L. DOUGLAS.
17 reviews
October 27, 2019
Loving it.

I truly did not want this to end
The more I read the more I wanted to read.
If the rest of your books are as good as French kissing. Then i am in for a wonderful ride in all your books.
182 reviews4 followers
June 18, 2019
Harper found the perfect conclusion to her French Kissing series.
All the main characters reappear and make this conclusion just right.
I highly recommend this Finale....
9 reviews
June 22, 2019
Another hit

Never a disappointment when Harper publishes a new book. Even better that it is a continuation of a great series!!
13 reviews
June 28, 2019
Great Read

Once again Harper Bliss knocks it out of the part. We can only hope we get #6. Great great book
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews

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