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Nice #3
A Nice Cup of Tea
In this witty third novel in the Nice series, from beloved actress Celia Imrie, the retired expats in the South of France must rally to save their failing restaurant, and protect Theresa from an unsavory stalker.
The beautiful town of Bellevue-sur-Mer, tucked between glitzy Monte Carlo and the plush red carpets of Cannes, is home to Theresa, Carol, William, Benjamin, and Sally: five retired expats who have pooled their resources to set up La Mosaïque, a divine little restaurant. But there is trouble in paradise: the friends are desperately struggling to make ends meet. It will take every bit of their talent and gumption to save La Mosaïque. With fussy customers, obnoxious cruise parties, and a failing delivery van, it's certainly not going to be easy.
On top of this, Theresa and Sally have their own distractions. Theresa's teenage granddaughter has run away, and Theresa herself has been getting mysterious phone calls and the strong sense that someone's watching her. Meanwhile, Sally's run into a nasty couple from her acting days, and their barbed jibes are enough to send her on an ill-advised search for the limelight.
A Nice Cup of Tea is a delightful cozy mystery, a wickedly fun page-turner that's sassier than a cup of tea, no matter how Nice!
The beautiful town of Bellevue-sur-Mer, tucked between glitzy Monte Carlo and the plush red carpets of Cannes, is home to Theresa, Carol, William, Benjamin, and Sally: five retired expats who have pooled their resources to set up La Mosaïque, a divine little restaurant. But there is trouble in paradise: the friends are desperately struggling to make ends meet. It will take every bit of their talent and gumption to save La Mosaïque. With fussy customers, obnoxious cruise parties, and a failing delivery van, it's certainly not going to be easy.
On top of this, Theresa and Sally have their own distractions. Theresa's teenage granddaughter has run away, and Theresa herself has been getting mysterious phone calls and the strong sense that someone's watching her. Meanwhile, Sally's run into a nasty couple from her acting days, and their barbed jibes are enough to send her on an ill-advised search for the limelight.
A Nice Cup of Tea is a delightful cozy mystery, a wickedly fun page-turner that's sassier than a cup of tea, no matter how Nice!
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 16, 2019
665 people are currently reading
1845 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews
May 3, 2021
The third title in the series by Celia Imrie that centres around a group of retired ex-pats living on the French Riviera. Honestly, I doubt if I would have read these if they had not been written by a favourite actress of mine. Her wonderful personality and humour translate well to the written word.
‘A Nice Cup of Tea’ is like the previous two maybe a little far fetched at times, but it is such an engaging comical read. Celia Imrie has obviously drawn on her life experiences as an actress whilst writing these novels. The characters are a great eccentric bunch. Theresa, Carol, William, Benjamin and Sally are co-owners of a restaurant, a business they are all desperately trying to prevent failing.
If you are looking for a light-hearted read, then this is worth picking up. It does not matter if you have not read the earlier two, ‘Not Quite Nice’ and ‘Nice Work (If You Can Get It)' as they are separate adventures. However, the earlier ones are about the same set of expats and are just as enjoyable.
‘A Nice Cup of Tea’ is like the previous two maybe a little far fetched at times, but it is such an engaging comical read. Celia Imrie has obviously drawn on her life experiences as an actress whilst writing these novels. The characters are a great eccentric bunch. Theresa, Carol, William, Benjamin and Sally are co-owners of a restaurant, a business they are all desperately trying to prevent failing.
If you are looking for a light-hearted read, then this is worth picking up. It does not matter if you have not read the earlier two, ‘Not Quite Nice’ and ‘Nice Work (If You Can Get It)' as they are separate adventures. However, the earlier ones are about the same set of expats and are just as enjoyable.
February 9, 2024
For my full review, visit me at https://mrsbrownsbooks.wordpress.com/...
I found this book to have an awkward plot, dislikeable characters and a chaotic pace. What saved it for me were the descriptions of the French coast because, otherwise, this was a mystery that left me far from cosy.
I found this book to have an awkward plot, dislikeable characters and a chaotic pace. What saved it for me were the descriptions of the French coast because, otherwise, this was a mystery that left me far from cosy.
December 29, 2020
A light, easy to read novel. Bit far fetched in places, but an ok read. Not sure if I would read another Celia Imrie though.
Read
February 3, 2020I enjoyed this book immensely \. Made me want to go to the South of France even more. Bit convoluted in the end but still lots of fun
April 28, 2020
Great actress but not a writer.
February 2, 2020
Four ex-pat friends (Theresa, Sally, William, and Benjamin) are watching trade fall off in their Cote d'Azur restaurant, La Mosaique. When they discover that the mosaic that gives the establishment its name was created by Pablo Picasso, they figure their problems are solved; they'll auction off the art work. Picasso's estate steps in, and now they feel really stuck.
Numerous schemes to keep the restaurant afloat go awry, from a shore-to-ship delivery service to assisting the kitchens in other hotels. The owner of a neighboring brasserie wants to buy them out at an absurdly low price ... and he's not taking no for an answer.
In the mean time, Theresa's got a secret admirer whose attentions are disconcerting ... and her granddaughter has run away with an admirer of her own. Sally's a former actress who has a gig land in her lap that will help them keep the restaurant going -- but that means having to work with some awful people from her theatrical past.
All of the threads come together in unexpected ways, making for a delightful romp that, while not quite a fair play puzzle, still leaves the reader satisfied at the end. Highly recommended.
Numerous schemes to keep the restaurant afloat go awry, from a shore-to-ship delivery service to assisting the kitchens in other hotels. The owner of a neighboring brasserie wants to buy them out at an absurdly low price ... and he's not taking no for an answer.
In the mean time, Theresa's got a secret admirer whose attentions are disconcerting ... and her granddaughter has run away with an admirer of her own. Sally's a former actress who has a gig land in her lap that will help them keep the restaurant going -- but that means having to work with some awful people from her theatrical past.
All of the threads come together in unexpected ways, making for a delightful romp that, while not quite a fair play puzzle, still leaves the reader satisfied at the end. Highly recommended.
August 19, 2023
And so ends the trilogy.
Just as easy to read as the first two, and more amusing.
A Nice book to read.
Just as easy to read as the first two, and more amusing.
A Nice book to read.
June 5, 2019
This title was not what I was expecting - it was described as a cozy mystery and there really isn't any mystery (unless you count someone sending photos from a lost photo album to one of the characters as a mystery). There isn't much of a plot, either, just some of the women characters having issues in their lives. I would classify it as contemporary fiction or possibly women't fiction. It's a quick read, and I read it in one day while I was on jury duty. Very nice descriptions of the Cote d'Azur.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
February 29, 2020
Utter drivel
June 27, 2019
The beautiful town of Bellevue-sur-Mer is home to Theresa, Carol, William, Benjamin and Sally: five retired expats who have pooled their resources to set up La Mosaïque, a divine little restaurant. But there is trouble in paradise: the friends are desperately struggling to make ends meet, and when the much hoped for sale of their Picasso mosaic falls through they realise it will take every bit of their talent and gumption to save La Mosaïque. On top of this, Theresa and Sally have their own distractions. Theresa's teenage granddaughter has gone missing. Meanwhile, Sally's run into the Markhams: a grisly husband and wife pair of luvvies from her acting days, whose jibes are enough to send her on an ill-advised search for the limelight.
Look you know what you are getting with an Imrie book, they are enjoyable, very entertaining and witty but they are nothing particularly special. The writing is a bit basic and the plots are repetitive. Up to this book, I adored the characters and found them charming as well as a source of entertainment, but in this book I was bored with the lot of them and the plot. This is very samey with not a lot of new ideas involved, this does not feel fresh or unique and dare I say it, but I think this series is done. There is nothing else Imrie can really bring to it.
Not a very good start to the review, but I return to my starting point of you know what you are getting, and you do. 'A Nice Cup of Tea' is set in a beautiful location that provided the perfect escapism, the read is enjoyable with moments of hilarity and I liked the jovial feel to the read. I did enjoy this I just think Imrie needs to mix things up, introduce someone else, split people up, anything but keep the same old things going.
'A Nice Cup of Tea' is not the most enthralling read and it definitely could be improved but it is entertaining, it is a light-read and it made me smile.
Look you know what you are getting with an Imrie book, they are enjoyable, very entertaining and witty but they are nothing particularly special. The writing is a bit basic and the plots are repetitive. Up to this book, I adored the characters and found them charming as well as a source of entertainment, but in this book I was bored with the lot of them and the plot. This is very samey with not a lot of new ideas involved, this does not feel fresh or unique and dare I say it, but I think this series is done. There is nothing else Imrie can really bring to it.
Not a very good start to the review, but I return to my starting point of you know what you are getting, and you do. 'A Nice Cup of Tea' is set in a beautiful location that provided the perfect escapism, the read is enjoyable with moments of hilarity and I liked the jovial feel to the read. I did enjoy this I just think Imrie needs to mix things up, introduce someone else, split people up, anything but keep the same old things going.
'A Nice Cup of Tea' is not the most enthralling read and it definitely could be improved but it is entertaining, it is a light-read and it made me smile.
February 19, 2020
I enjoyed this book about senior citizen ex-pats living in the south of France, where they are trying to keep their restaurant afloat.
This book focused on Theresa and Sally, both English divorcees who were disappointed with their children and eager to carve out lives for themselves. It's so refreshing to read about older people and see them described as vibrant and thoughtful, not as dried old prunes,
The cover said the book was "wickedly funny," but that's a stretch. "Mildly amusing at times" would be more accurate IMHO.
Still, I could see a Hollywood director punching this up into a great caper movie. What do you say -- Helen Mirren as Sally and Judi Dench as Theresa?
This book focused on Theresa and Sally, both English divorcees who were disappointed with their children and eager to carve out lives for themselves. It's so refreshing to read about older people and see them described as vibrant and thoughtful, not as dried old prunes,
The cover said the book was "wickedly funny," but that's a stretch. "Mildly amusing at times" would be more accurate IMHO.
Still, I could see a Hollywood director punching this up into a great caper movie. What do you say -- Helen Mirren as Sally and Judi Dench as Theresa?
May 20, 2023
This read made me want to move back to the Mediterranean *sighs*
I love books that include the intermingled stories of several characters. This story was intergenerational, intercultural and interclass, which I found to be wonderful!
The only reason I gave this book 4 instead of 5 stars is because I wish the characters of the other members of the friend group were more developed. The focus is very much on the stories of 2 out of 6 people in the group.
Other than that, I enjoyed the read and would recommend it.
I love books that include the intermingled stories of several characters. This story was intergenerational, intercultural and interclass, which I found to be wonderful!
The only reason I gave this book 4 instead of 5 stars is because I wish the characters of the other members of the friend group were more developed. The focus is very much on the stories of 2 out of 6 people in the group.
Other than that, I enjoyed the read and would recommend it.
April 20, 2022
The third book in the Nice Series by Celia Imrie continues the story of our group of ex-pats living in Bellevue-sur-Mer. It continues the often hilarious romp through life following the characters through three storylines that merge at the end. This is an engaging and comical book - perfect for the holiday read.
October 17, 2022
This is the second book I have read by Celia Imrie the first being Not quite Nice. We continue the story of Theresa and her expat friends set in the South of France. A cosy mystery which has everything from a failing restaurant to a missing grandchildren and a stalker to name a few . An enjoyable read as always would recommend
June 30, 2019
A warm hearted, far fetched farcical read. Finished in 2 days! I needed a very easy book to read, something that would make me chuckle every now and then. Something that would not make my nerves grate or send me to distraction. This was just the ticket. A simple read for those who just want to read a mature silly romp about a very non believable life in France.
August 29, 2021
I think she should stick to acting. Love her to bits as an actress but as an author definitely not.
November 5, 2023
It’s a good book and there were twists and turns (I even figured out the plot half way through the book before it even happened!). Celia has written the book really well, especially when her words makes you feel like you’re in France and I am now wanting to go to the places that was mentioned in the book. The reason why I gave 4 stars is because this book is not my type to read but it’s worth a read!
July 3, 2025
Autographed copy from meeting her on the Queen Mary 2
Cosy fun read.
Cosy fun read.
November 3, 2021
My second Celia Imrie book. Wondered if this would be better than the previous one however for me it proved to be the same. Too many far fetched and fanciful storylines for me. Sadly I wont be pursuing any more of her books.
May 19, 2022
A well written romp. Just right for holiday reading.
January 11, 2020
Fabulous read! Entertaining with a mix of humour amongst the emotional fast paced storylines. Well written, the third in this series. Great book to relax with and gives a ray of warm sunshine from the French Riviera!
August 3, 2021
Having read the previous two books based near Nice it was good to catch up with the characters. With up to date references to events it was easy to slip back into their community. With lots of twists and turns, some slightly bizarre, it was an enjoyable escape from cloudy skies to the sparkling Mediterranean.
September 7, 2020
Picked this up in a bookshop because I love Celia Imrie and wasn't aware she'd written any books!
Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this very much.
There were some amusing moments and I was occasionally endeared to the characters, but overall I found the writing, pacing and plotting very clunky. There is not much atmosphere or narrative voice to speak of, and it feels as though things just keep happening rather than being part of one cohesive story.
The two focal characters, Theresa and Sally, are essentially the same person but with different backstories and with different things happening to them throughout the story. What I mean by this is, there is nothing to distinguish them apart from their circumstances - after finishing the book I don't feel like I know anything about them beyond the fact that they were present. All of the other characters are frequently unpleasant and not in a way that contributes to the plot; just unpleasant.
There's also quite a lot of serious, potentially traumatic stuff happening in it that just isn't given the emotional weight that would make it seem realistic. This allows the book to maintain a light-hearted tone, but at the cost of feeling ingenuine and apathetic toward the subject matter and the characters experiencing it.
I really wanted to like this book because the premise sounded fun and rompy, but there's just so much missing! I'll have to rewatch Dinnerladies again to soothe myself.
Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this very much.
There were some amusing moments and I was occasionally endeared to the characters, but overall I found the writing, pacing and plotting very clunky. There is not much atmosphere or narrative voice to speak of, and it feels as though things just keep happening rather than being part of one cohesive story.
The two focal characters, Theresa and Sally, are essentially the same person but with different backstories and with different things happening to them throughout the story. What I mean by this is, there is nothing to distinguish them apart from their circumstances - after finishing the book I don't feel like I know anything about them beyond the fact that they were present. All of the other characters are frequently unpleasant and not in a way that contributes to the plot; just unpleasant.
There's also quite a lot of serious, potentially traumatic stuff happening in it that just isn't given the emotional weight that would make it seem realistic. This allows the book to maintain a light-hearted tone, but at the cost of feeling ingenuine and apathetic toward the subject matter and the characters experiencing it.
I really wanted to like this book because the premise sounded fun and rompy, but there's just so much missing! I'll have to rewatch Dinnerladies again to soothe myself.
July 26, 2019
1 1/2 stars.
The premise of this book was interesting -- a cozy mystery about a group of older British expatriates living in France and trying to make a living and stay financially sound.
This appears to be Book 3 in a series, and this is the first I have read.
A few of the characters are interesting, and I might have enjoyed a book about the characters and their life in France. However, this book just doesn't work for me, and does not seem like a cozy mystery at all. A potential mystery is introduced in the beginning of story, but is dropped fairly quickly. I kept waiting for the mystery to be tied in to the rest of the story, but -- nope.
This story just feels like a big mish mash of different events -- there is not a lot of cohesion in the plot. Even parts in the ending contradicts pieces in the story.
An Advanced Reader Copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of this book was interesting -- a cozy mystery about a group of older British expatriates living in France and trying to make a living and stay financially sound.
This appears to be Book 3 in a series, and this is the first I have read.
A few of the characters are interesting, and I might have enjoyed a book about the characters and their life in France. However, this book just doesn't work for me, and does not seem like a cozy mystery at all. A potential mystery is introduced in the beginning of story, but is dropped fairly quickly. I kept waiting for the mystery to be tied in to the rest of the story, but -- nope.
This story just feels like a big mish mash of different events -- there is not a lot of cohesion in the plot. Even parts in the ending contradicts pieces in the story.
An Advanced Reader Copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
August 2, 2019
This isn't really a cozy- there's only a minor mystery- but it is a fluffy novel about a group of women (mostly) and men who have settled in Bellevue-Sur-Mer in the South of France. Ah, the setting! They've got a restaurant and, like so many other small places, it's struggling. Also, the customers are often a pain. I had not read the earlier books so sorting people out was a bit of a challenge but once. decided to let go and live in the moment, as it were, this was a nice piece of escapist fiction where no one is really harmed and things work out in the end. Theresa's got a potential stalker and Sally's run into people who weren't then and aren't now very nice. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. One for the garden or the beach.
May 13, 2019
I’ve loved her first two books but this one is dull from the word go totally boring where’s the uplifting funny characters gone Celias books have lost the way far too serious and certainly not uplifting anymore
July 10, 2022
It's probably my fault for just reading this without realizing it was the third in a series, but I had such a hard time caring about any of the characters, and I kept mixing up their stories. Some descriptions or moments were powerful, but not as much as I'd like.
May 18, 2021
I had this on my list because one of my sisters really liked it. I loved the setting. There were funny parts, but I found half of the characters irritating and the plot ? convoluted.
February 21, 2025
Delightful read. Fallen in love with Nice.
July 2, 2021
This is fun read. Lots of very Brotish humour, it reminded me of a classic sit-com. Lots of misunderstandings, farcical situations and larger than life characters.
The book focuses in three different story lines that eventually join together at the end.
The restaurant is failing and the business partners fear that their friendship is going to be affected if they don’t pull together and find a way to salvage the situation.
At the same time Theresa’s granddaughter has disappeared and run off to France. Influenced by Romeo and Juliet, Chloe is caught up in the romance if a doomed love affair. Theresa’s daughter, Imogen is such a delightfully horrid creation.
Sally has the chance to resurrect her acting career when she is offered the part in a film being mad locally. Her co-star is Edgar Taylor-Markham, who along with his wife Phoebe, is an acting treasure. And while they away be loved by the public Eggy and Phoo are actually a nightmare. Self-indulgent and incredibly rude, Sally is less than thrilled to have them back in her life. I wonder if the writer has based them on actors she has worked with.
This is such a fast-paced story – there is something funny happening in every chapter. Imrie manages to find the humour in language barriers and clash of cultures without resorting to nasty stereotypes. She even manages to make Theresa’s stalking storyline darkly musing.
This is a light- hearted and fun read, perfect for the summer.
The book focuses in three different story lines that eventually join together at the end.
The restaurant is failing and the business partners fear that their friendship is going to be affected if they don’t pull together and find a way to salvage the situation.
At the same time Theresa’s granddaughter has disappeared and run off to France. Influenced by Romeo and Juliet, Chloe is caught up in the romance if a doomed love affair. Theresa’s daughter, Imogen is such a delightfully horrid creation.
Sally has the chance to resurrect her acting career when she is offered the part in a film being mad locally. Her co-star is Edgar Taylor-Markham, who along with his wife Phoebe, is an acting treasure. And while they away be loved by the public Eggy and Phoo are actually a nightmare. Self-indulgent and incredibly rude, Sally is less than thrilled to have them back in her life. I wonder if the writer has based them on actors she has worked with.
This is such a fast-paced story – there is something funny happening in every chapter. Imrie manages to find the humour in language barriers and clash of cultures without resorting to nasty stereotypes. She even manages to make Theresa’s stalking storyline darkly musing.
This is a light- hearted and fun read, perfect for the summer.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews