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Tash French #1
French Relations
A summer holiday with her eccentric, infuriating family and assorted glamorous hangers-on is the last thing Tash French would usually volunteer for. But her mother is insistent and, out of a job and recently ditched by her boyfriend, Tash decides that spending July in the vast rambling Loire chateau might have its compensations.
It's a summer of lust, bed-hopping, unresolved sexual tension, horses, dogs, bolshy kids and lots of bad behaviour. And in the midst of bedlam, at least two people fall in love . . .
It's a summer of lust, bed-hopping, unresolved sexual tension, horses, dogs, bolshy kids and lots of bad behaviour. And in the midst of bedlam, at least two people fall in love . . .
816 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
June 26, 2023
Reread round 3
This is such a comfort read. Whenever life gets too hard, I flee to the eccentric but charming French family.
Tash French, highly neurotic and freshly kinda-broken-up-with, spends a summer vacation in her mother's estate in—you guessed it—France.
There she meets her old crush, Hugo Beauchamp, and family friend and actor, Niall O'Shaughnessy.
Romance and drama ensue.
There's also a sequel. We don't talk about the sequel.
I love Tash's chaotic family, I love the weird and funny high jinks they get up to, I love how events are viewed so differently depending on whose head we're currently inhabiting.
Fiona Walker is amazing at bringing her characters to life.
I also might be a tiny little bit in love with Niall, sooo..
Tash ultimately has a choice to make. On the one hand we have tall, dark and handsome, gentle, book-addicted sadboy Niall O'Shaughnessy.
On the other hand we have animal abusing, mysoginistic, treating her like dirt, once literally pulling her out of a pool by her hair, Hugo Foechump.
Such a hard decision, amiright?
I mean who in their right mind would choose Hugo Toestump, right? Right??! *angrily side-eyes the sequel which shall not be named*
The only reason I can't rate this book any higher, is that some of the extended family get way too much screen time, like I'm sorry but I don't really care that much about Tash's uncle's bathing rituals.
I would've liked some more Tash and Niall instead. A lot more, actually. All of it.
But yeah, I can definitely see myself rereading this one when in need of some heavy-duty distraction.
This is such a comfort read. Whenever life gets too hard, I flee to the eccentric but charming French family.
Tash French, highly neurotic and freshly kinda-broken-up-with, spends a summer vacation in her mother's estate in—you guessed it—France.
There she meets her old crush, Hugo Beauchamp, and family friend and actor, Niall O'Shaughnessy.
Romance and drama ensue.
There's also a sequel. We don't talk about the sequel.
I love Tash's chaotic family, I love the weird and funny high jinks they get up to, I love how events are viewed so differently depending on whose head we're currently inhabiting.
Fiona Walker is amazing at bringing her characters to life.
I also might be a tiny little bit in love with Niall, sooo..
Tash ultimately has a choice to make. On the one hand we have tall, dark and handsome, gentle, book-addicted sadboy Niall O'Shaughnessy.
On the other hand we have animal abusing, mysoginistic, treating her like dirt, once literally pulling her out of a pool by her hair, Hugo Foechump.
Such a hard decision, amiright?
I mean who in their right mind would choose Hugo Toestump, right? Right??! *angrily side-eyes the sequel which shall not be named*
The only reason I can't rate this book any higher, is that some of the extended family get way too much screen time, like I'm sorry but I don't really care that much about Tash's uncle's bathing rituals.
I would've liked some more Tash and Niall instead. A lot more, actually. All of it.
But yeah, I can definitely see myself rereading this one when in need of some heavy-duty distraction.
June 7, 2011
One of my favourite books of all time. I've read it so many times that the pages started to come loose and had to buy a new copy.
Tash is one of the most likable heroines I've ever read. Desperate to leave a devastating breakup behind, she agrees to spend the summer at her Mother and step-father's chateau in France. What happens next is a hilarious saga of family drama and new love.
Some warnings: the book is LONG! Be prepared for an incredibly large cast of characters. Also, the majority of characters are British, so be prepared for slang and English jokes.
A bonus: There are TWO sequels, the most recent being KISS & TELL which was just released. The second is called WELL GROOMED which is equally as good, but focused more on the world of eventing and horses.
Tash is one of the most likable heroines I've ever read. Desperate to leave a devastating breakup behind, she agrees to spend the summer at her Mother and step-father's chateau in France. What happens next is a hilarious saga of family drama and new love.
Some warnings: the book is LONG! Be prepared for an incredibly large cast of characters. Also, the majority of characters are British, so be prepared for slang and English jokes.
A bonus: There are TWO sequels, the most recent being KISS & TELL which was just released. The second is called WELL GROOMED which is equally as good, but focused more on the world of eventing and horses.
August 10, 2021
Tash's mother, Alexandra, divorced her rather stiff father eight years ago and has gone onto marry the far more exotic Pascal d'Eblouir, and take up residence in a very beautiful part of the Loire Valley. Feeling as though she is losing touch with the various members of her extended family, and wanting to welcome back her long-lost miscreant of a brother, Alexandra invites numerous Frenches and assorted hangers-on to a long, lazy summer holiday in Pascal's chateau. Tash is all set to refuse, but when her relationship with boyfriend Max reaches a cold spell of arctic proportions and the possibility of old crush Hugo Beauchamp being present, she heads to France. Over the course of the summer, there is bed-hopping, swearing (in French, natch), parties galore - and, in the midst of the French bedlam, at least two people fall in love...
I love French Relations. It is far from perfect, sprawling on at times for way too many pages, introducing subplots for no good reason, changing the very nature of some characters - and yet I devour it hungrily every single time I read it. Yep, this is one of my go-to re-read gems. Any time I need a palate refresh from some difficult books, or just need a boost reading wise, I will pick up French Relations without hesitation.
In some ways it is hard to say why I love French Relations so much - it does have plenty of faults. And yet the characters are all so charmingly-written. The prose is so compulsively readable. The pages practically turn themselves.
Tash herself is a big draw - she's a dreamy and self-conscious individual who you want to shake at times, but also can't help wanting to protect and look after. Each of the characters are realistically written, in as much as they have high points to their personalities and low points. Indeed, if a character is generous with money, they can often be a little spiteful with gossip, for instance. Hugo Beauchamp is a real Rupert Campbell-Black sort of chap - frightfully snobby, arrogant to all hell, and yet impossibly warm-hearted at times. He is the model male lead, in my view, and I wish I had my own Hugo!
By far my favourite character in French Relations is the horse that Tash is gifted by her mother and stepfather in a rash moment - the Foxy Snob. He is deliciously French in attitude, snooty and disdainful about Tash and her efforts to ride him. He is a wonderfully brave and courageous horse across country, he comes to adore his scatty owner, and is just so brilliantly written. I am a massive fan of horses - was a reader of many pony books during my childhood - and Snob is one of my very favourite literary equine heroes. Here's a snippet:
"Tash had read the books Niall had given her from cover to cover and was sticking to their advice diligently. One said to build a relationship with one's horse out of as well as in, the saddle. Treat him like your best friends, it read between large glossy pics of children clearing three-feet fences on ponies with long eyelashes, confide in him and never allow him to feel neglected and lonely.
So Tash had been dropping in to see Snob every ten minutes like an unwelcome neighbour shouting 'Coo-ee!' and holding out an empty sugar-bowl as a feeble excuse while the occupants of the house tried unsuccessfully to hide. Not that Snob could exactly hide. He just sighed mournfully and ignored her.
The book also told you to take your horse out for walks like a dog, showing him that you weren't frightened of the things he spooked at. Be Mum to him.
Snob was having none of that. He knew better than Tash that a plastic bag caught in a hedge was actually an axe-wielding equine murderer cleverly disguised. Similarly, he was far too sensible to allow Tash to persuade him that a passing high-bodied tractor from the vines with a flashing orange light on top wasn't several thousand horse-eating Martians kerb-crawling in their flying saucer in the hope of spotting their din-dins."
Apologies for the extensive quote, but I was hoping to also use it to point out the good-humoured nature of Walker's prose. You end up reading French Relations with a massive smile, thanks to snappy dialogue, wise internal monologues from characters and some rather slapstick situations with a swimming pool. Walker writes with no pretensions - she is having fun with the story, and wants you to as well.
I am an unashamed fan of Fiona Walker's stunning examples of summer bonkbusters. They are witty, deeply clever at times, and always, but always, contain a wonderfully satisfactory love story. Novels best accompanied by a massive bar of chocolate for complete bodily satisfaction! You will not regret picking up French Relations: go to it! Buy!
I love French Relations. It is far from perfect, sprawling on at times for way too many pages, introducing subplots for no good reason, changing the very nature of some characters - and yet I devour it hungrily every single time I read it. Yep, this is one of my go-to re-read gems. Any time I need a palate refresh from some difficult books, or just need a boost reading wise, I will pick up French Relations without hesitation.
In some ways it is hard to say why I love French Relations so much - it does have plenty of faults. And yet the characters are all so charmingly-written. The prose is so compulsively readable. The pages practically turn themselves.
Tash herself is a big draw - she's a dreamy and self-conscious individual who you want to shake at times, but also can't help wanting to protect and look after. Each of the characters are realistically written, in as much as they have high points to their personalities and low points. Indeed, if a character is generous with money, they can often be a little spiteful with gossip, for instance. Hugo Beauchamp is a real Rupert Campbell-Black sort of chap - frightfully snobby, arrogant to all hell, and yet impossibly warm-hearted at times. He is the model male lead, in my view, and I wish I had my own Hugo!
By far my favourite character in French Relations is the horse that Tash is gifted by her mother and stepfather in a rash moment - the Foxy Snob. He is deliciously French in attitude, snooty and disdainful about Tash and her efforts to ride him. He is a wonderfully brave and courageous horse across country, he comes to adore his scatty owner, and is just so brilliantly written. I am a massive fan of horses - was a reader of many pony books during my childhood - and Snob is one of my very favourite literary equine heroes. Here's a snippet:
"Tash had read the books Niall had given her from cover to cover and was sticking to their advice diligently. One said to build a relationship with one's horse out of as well as in, the saddle. Treat him like your best friends, it read between large glossy pics of children clearing three-feet fences on ponies with long eyelashes, confide in him and never allow him to feel neglected and lonely.
So Tash had been dropping in to see Snob every ten minutes like an unwelcome neighbour shouting 'Coo-ee!' and holding out an empty sugar-bowl as a feeble excuse while the occupants of the house tried unsuccessfully to hide. Not that Snob could exactly hide. He just sighed mournfully and ignored her.
The book also told you to take your horse out for walks like a dog, showing him that you weren't frightened of the things he spooked at. Be Mum to him.
Snob was having none of that. He knew better than Tash that a plastic bag caught in a hedge was actually an axe-wielding equine murderer cleverly disguised. Similarly, he was far too sensible to allow Tash to persuade him that a passing high-bodied tractor from the vines with a flashing orange light on top wasn't several thousand horse-eating Martians kerb-crawling in their flying saucer in the hope of spotting their din-dins."
Apologies for the extensive quote, but I was hoping to also use it to point out the good-humoured nature of Walker's prose. You end up reading French Relations with a massive smile, thanks to snappy dialogue, wise internal monologues from characters and some rather slapstick situations with a swimming pool. Walker writes with no pretensions - she is having fun with the story, and wants you to as well.
I am an unashamed fan of Fiona Walker's stunning examples of summer bonkbusters. They are witty, deeply clever at times, and always, but always, contain a wonderfully satisfactory love story. Novels best accompanied by a massive bar of chocolate for complete bodily satisfaction! You will not regret picking up French Relations: go to it! Buy!
January 7, 2021
I still remember the first time I saw the sequel to this book, in glorious excessive hardcover, in my tiny local library as a teenager. I read Fiona Walker before I read Jilly Cooper, which is important, because while Walker is an (and possibly the only true) heir to the Cooper crown, in my mind Walker came first.
The fact that I read the sequel to 'French Relations' - 'Well Groomed' - before FR is also important. In fact I believe several years elapsed between borrowing WG multiple times from the library and coming to know some bits - like Hugo's 'conker-brown' arm in his green jumper at the NYE party, which still haunts my dreams - by heart, and reading FR. In between I also found and adored 'Kiss Chase'. I would still be hard pressed to pick between Hugo Beauchamp and Felix Sylvian as the imaginary boyfriend of my dreams aged 15 to (let's be honest) 25. The time in my life when I read and imprinted on this books was a time I was gloriously free of bringing to them any irony, insight, or indeed judgement of any kind. To me they were perfect. Even those unbelievably dumb 'hi, I'm a posh dick' names brought me unending joy. Still do, a little bit.
FR was something less than perfect, though, even for teenage me. (I'm not sure entirely when I read this first, but my copy still has a price tag on it, and it has both euro and punt on it. So: a long time ago.) This was mainly to do with the fact that, as I referred to in such mild terms above, Hugo is the ULTIMATE DREAMBOAT (despite being a genuinely terrible person). I knew what happens in WG, which is – spoilers – that Walker walks back (heh) literally everything that happened in FR. It would be one thing if I didn’t know that going in, but I did, and furthermore had – still have – a slavish devotion to the outcome of WG, which makes FR an also-ran before it even started. Add that to the fact that a lot of the action in FR renders the facts of WG – particularly the timeline – even more unlikely, and it’s not one for the legendary section.
Still, I saw this languishing in hardcover in a Lion’s Club library on the last day before lockdown three and couldn’t resist putting a fiver into the honesty box to give it a home. I had forgotten, at the time, that I already owned the aforementioned punt/euro copy, which is the one I ended up using to re-read it.
This time around I was struck by two things. First, everyone in this book, regardless of stated age, is twenty-five. That’s probably because, as the gushing bio declares, the author was twenty-five when it was published in 1994. This didn’t make any odds to me when I was fifteen, but by god when I’m nearly ten years older than twenty-five it puts these irresponsible and inconsiderate characters on a nasty spectrum that ranges over the narrow ground of ‘unbelievable’ to ‘kill them with fire’. Tash is the archetypal clumsy, unwittingly beautiful heroine so popularised and subsequently despised by Twilight. This I could live with, but she’s such a complete slob in a way that’s genuinely unclean. Like, shower much, Tash?
The other thing is the financial aspect. Again, the last time I read these books – as I came to think about it – was before the financial crash. Not on purpose; I just read other things, and I guess Amazon and access to ALL THE BOOKS happened for me around the same time. The intense re-reading of the same ten books that characterised my adolescence ended forever. But, ho nelly, Sally hiding bills from her shopping addiction by BURYING THEM IN THE GARDEN? Sophia, in general? The many casual references to lax treatment or outright destruction (LAUREN) of valuable works of art or literature? People routinely stealing other people’s possessions – mainly Sophia’s – or leaving them behind to do ‘airport run’ style romantic clinches? Tash’s super chill attitude to her massive debt and concomitant unemployment? ARGH ARGH ARGH. That lands so differently in 2021.
Still, I can’t deny, there’s a magic to the way Walker writes that isn’t just the gleam of nostalgia. The attitudes to homosexuality, sex, ‘New Men’, and consent are of their time (early nineties). At the same time, there are homosexual characters given as much of a B-role as anyone gets in this character-stuffed 800 pages, which is more than a lot of Walker’s contemporaries did for a long time. Did Walker ever question the frankly disturbing sexual mores that she writes as romantic tension (Hugo ‘pretend’ drowning Tash in the pool, for example)? Did she HELL. Still, the fact that Hugo is genuinely shitty makes a change from the therapised beauty-pageant winners that make up romantic heroes these days. Like I said, everyone in this book is twenty-five, so they all sulk and run away from themselves and base huge decisions on miscommunication rather than, like, conversations. The fifty page dénouement of crossed signals is painful in the extreme.
And yet, and yet. I personally really enjoy the misery of heroic self-denial in the face of presumed (and not actual) romantic disinterest, and this book is chock-full of it. It’s not something modern writers are particularly interested in – with good reason; it’s deeply unhealthy and non-constructive. I guess if I have to wince at everything from ‘complete disregard for good manners*’ to ‘queer as a slur’ from a book written in 1994 to get it, that’s what I have to do.
*Jesus Christ, would one person – ONE – like to offer to do the wash up or cook a dinner or hang out laundry while they stay for FREE in a FRENCH CHATEAU? No? Leave it all to Alexandra then? I mean, she’s a dick who doesn’t think that anyone wants to eat dinner before the hour of TEN PEE-EM, but the option there is … offer to cook it yourself at a reasonable hour? Anyone? ANYONE?
Walker's also got some absolutely super descriptions:
“[…] long sooty lashes and cleft shin shaped like the base of an apple.”
“He could still curdle her stomach with the merest whisp of a smile.”
“In reality it was a beautiful house with its buttery stone walls, circular towers and creamy white shutters, snuggling into its squashy fur coat of wisteria and ivy like an ageing Hollywood grande dame.”
“[…] her fieldmouse eyes bright as wet berries.”
“Thick, tawny hair pushed back from his remote, watchful face, long lean body stretched out in front of him like a languishing puma, he was the ultimate in desirable, dangerous playthings.”
I mean … I would.
“No one could mistake those broad, lean shoulders, that torso lightly quilted with muscles and the thick wavy hair which was the colour of autumn leaves.”
Pretty hilarious that Walker thought anyone but Hugo was endgame, even to herself.
The fact that I read the sequel to 'French Relations' - 'Well Groomed' - before FR is also important. In fact I believe several years elapsed between borrowing WG multiple times from the library and coming to know some bits - like Hugo's 'conker-brown' arm in his green jumper at the NYE party, which still haunts my dreams - by heart, and reading FR. In between I also found and adored 'Kiss Chase'. I would still be hard pressed to pick between Hugo Beauchamp and Felix Sylvian as the imaginary boyfriend of my dreams aged 15 to (let's be honest) 25. The time in my life when I read and imprinted on this books was a time I was gloriously free of bringing to them any irony, insight, or indeed judgement of any kind. To me they were perfect. Even those unbelievably dumb 'hi, I'm a posh dick' names brought me unending joy. Still do, a little bit.
FR was something less than perfect, though, even for teenage me. (I'm not sure entirely when I read this first, but my copy still has a price tag on it, and it has both euro and punt on it. So: a long time ago.) This was mainly to do with the fact that, as I referred to in such mild terms above, Hugo is the ULTIMATE DREAMBOAT (despite being a genuinely terrible person). I knew what happens in WG, which is – spoilers – that Walker walks back (heh) literally everything that happened in FR. It would be one thing if I didn’t know that going in, but I did, and furthermore had – still have – a slavish devotion to the outcome of WG, which makes FR an also-ran before it even started. Add that to the fact that a lot of the action in FR renders the facts of WG – particularly the timeline – even more unlikely, and it’s not one for the legendary section.
Still, I saw this languishing in hardcover in a Lion’s Club library on the last day before lockdown three and couldn’t resist putting a fiver into the honesty box to give it a home. I had forgotten, at the time, that I already owned the aforementioned punt/euro copy, which is the one I ended up using to re-read it.
This time around I was struck by two things. First, everyone in this book, regardless of stated age, is twenty-five. That’s probably because, as the gushing bio declares, the author was twenty-five when it was published in 1994. This didn’t make any odds to me when I was fifteen, but by god when I’m nearly ten years older than twenty-five it puts these irresponsible and inconsiderate characters on a nasty spectrum that ranges over the narrow ground of ‘unbelievable’ to ‘kill them with fire’. Tash is the archetypal clumsy, unwittingly beautiful heroine so popularised and subsequently despised by Twilight. This I could live with, but she’s such a complete slob in a way that’s genuinely unclean. Like, shower much, Tash?
The other thing is the financial aspect. Again, the last time I read these books – as I came to think about it – was before the financial crash. Not on purpose; I just read other things, and I guess Amazon and access to ALL THE BOOKS happened for me around the same time. The intense re-reading of the same ten books that characterised my adolescence ended forever. But, ho nelly, Sally hiding bills from her shopping addiction by BURYING THEM IN THE GARDEN? Sophia, in general? The many casual references to lax treatment or outright destruction (LAUREN) of valuable works of art or literature? People routinely stealing other people’s possessions – mainly Sophia’s – or leaving them behind to do ‘airport run’ style romantic clinches? Tash’s super chill attitude to her massive debt and concomitant unemployment? ARGH ARGH ARGH. That lands so differently in 2021.
Still, I can’t deny, there’s a magic to the way Walker writes that isn’t just the gleam of nostalgia. The attitudes to homosexuality, sex, ‘New Men’, and consent are of their time (early nineties). At the same time, there are homosexual characters given as much of a B-role as anyone gets in this character-stuffed 800 pages, which is more than a lot of Walker’s contemporaries did for a long time. Did Walker ever question the frankly disturbing sexual mores that she writes as romantic tension (Hugo ‘pretend’ drowning Tash in the pool, for example)? Did she HELL. Still, the fact that Hugo is genuinely shitty makes a change from the therapised beauty-pageant winners that make up romantic heroes these days. Like I said, everyone in this book is twenty-five, so they all sulk and run away from themselves and base huge decisions on miscommunication rather than, like, conversations. The fifty page dénouement of crossed signals is painful in the extreme.
And yet, and yet. I personally really enjoy the misery of heroic self-denial in the face of presumed (and not actual) romantic disinterest, and this book is chock-full of it. It’s not something modern writers are particularly interested in – with good reason; it’s deeply unhealthy and non-constructive. I guess if I have to wince at everything from ‘complete disregard for good manners*’ to ‘queer as a slur’ from a book written in 1994 to get it, that’s what I have to do.
*Jesus Christ, would one person – ONE – like to offer to do the wash up or cook a dinner or hang out laundry while they stay for FREE in a FRENCH CHATEAU? No? Leave it all to Alexandra then? I mean, she’s a dick who doesn’t think that anyone wants to eat dinner before the hour of TEN PEE-EM, but the option there is … offer to cook it yourself at a reasonable hour? Anyone? ANYONE?
Walker's also got some absolutely super descriptions:
“[…] long sooty lashes and cleft shin shaped like the base of an apple.”
“He could still curdle her stomach with the merest whisp of a smile.”
“In reality it was a beautiful house with its buttery stone walls, circular towers and creamy white shutters, snuggling into its squashy fur coat of wisteria and ivy like an ageing Hollywood grande dame.”
“[…] her fieldmouse eyes bright as wet berries.”
“Thick, tawny hair pushed back from his remote, watchful face, long lean body stretched out in front of him like a languishing puma, he was the ultimate in desirable, dangerous playthings.”
I mean … I would.
“No one could mistake those broad, lean shoulders, that torso lightly quilted with muscles and the thick wavy hair which was the colour of autumn leaves.”
Pretty hilarious that Walker thought anyone but Hugo was endgame, even to herself.
September 13, 2016
This is the second book this year I have given up on, only this time I was 520 pages in and just could not be bothered to read on to the end of an 808 page story. I really didn't care enough about the characters and became so frustrated with all the padding in this book that I couldn't spend another minute plodding through it. It is hard for me to remember being so torn between not wanting to give up because I had got so far and wanting to read something else, so, after working on it for 12 days, I finally put it down.
Having said all of that, the story idea and some of the characters are really interesting in parts and some of the events are funny, hence 1 star and not zero. I am sure this story could have been told in half the amount of pages.
Having said all of that, the story idea and some of the characters are really interesting in parts and some of the events are funny, hence 1 star and not zero. I am sure this story could have been told in half the amount of pages.
July 3, 2025
270 pages in and Tash is still about as interesting as a glass of milk. Hugo is the most abominable houseguest ever - who nearly drowns their host’s daughter? It’s really stretching the imagination here. The 2 MMCs are fucking around with other women and I’ve yet to find a character I like or root for besides poor Sally. I have yet to laugh at something funny.
Moving on, Tash is a 23-year old woman who acts like a 16-year-old girl in the throes of her first crush. We’re supposed to believe this is a woman who’s been in a long-term relationship living with a man?
Page 430 and she’s still a spineless, bland glass of milk. No character.
Page 665: even worse. Tash is the weakest FMC I’ve encountered in a long, long time. She literally could be trafficked into slavery and she’d be like, “Alrighty then.” She’s not even an underdog because she doesn’t try. She’s so so bland and cowardly.
Side note: There are new characters being introduced and their stories shared in the final third of the book. What is going on?
I’m sorry but what did Hugo do to his horse after the Badminton? Is the author seriously implying that he abused this horse and then she wants us to go and fall in love with him as the hero in the next book? Absolutely f*cking not.
Page 726: Tash is still the most useless human on earth. We’re supposed to believe that multiple men love her? Really? I don’t know any women this weak-willed and whimpering.
This entire book could have been halved and way less painful if even half of the characters learned to communicate.
If you like reading about a hundred different alcoholics who are generally awful, this is the book for you. Good luck knowing who’s who. Also: the “happy ending” is a huge disappointment. So there’s that.
Moving on, Tash is a 23-year old woman who acts like a 16-year-old girl in the throes of her first crush. We’re supposed to believe this is a woman who’s been in a long-term relationship living with a man?
Page 430 and she’s still a spineless, bland glass of milk. No character.
Page 665: even worse. Tash is the weakest FMC I’ve encountered in a long, long time. She literally could be trafficked into slavery and she’d be like, “Alrighty then.” She’s not even an underdog because she doesn’t try. She’s so so bland and cowardly.
Side note: There are new characters being introduced and their stories shared in the final third of the book. What is going on?
I’m sorry but what did Hugo do to his horse after the Badminton? Is the author seriously implying that he abused this horse and then she wants us to go and fall in love with him as the hero in the next book? Absolutely f*cking not.
Page 726: Tash is still the most useless human on earth. We’re supposed to believe that multiple men love her? Really? I don’t know any women this weak-willed and whimpering.
This entire book could have been halved and way less painful if even half of the characters learned to communicate.
If you like reading about a hundred different alcoholics who are generally awful, this is the book for you. Good luck knowing who’s who. Also: the “happy ending” is a huge disappointment. So there’s that.
October 16, 2011
What a group of dysfunctional people. A large cast of characters that held my attention, but I found their actions hard to believe at times. I found myself hoping that the main character would grow and mature a bit and learn to stand up for herself, but she never did. I love big books, but even I was thinking this one could've used some editing. Overall I still liked it, but it isn't a favorite. I would read another of hers though.
July 5, 2014
I love Fiona Walker's books, even more so when I see that they are 800 pages long. This makes me happy with the thought of losing myself in her writing for as long a time as possible.
This book, as with all of her others contain a huge character list, which at first can be confusing, but for me it just shows that it isn't a boring run of the mill story. You can reread this book and pick up something different each time. Brilliant.
This book, as with all of her others contain a huge character list, which at first can be confusing, but for me it just shows that it isn't a boring run of the mill story. You can reread this book and pick up something different each time. Brilliant.
August 15, 2011
I don't usually give up on books, but couldn't get into this one at all, even after quite a few chapters. It's all very well writing a novel about a large family, but there's a limit to how many characters the reader can take on board at any one time! I have three more of her books, so hope this one isn't typical of her usual style, or they'll all be going in the charity bag!
October 7, 2014
This was a pretty good read. It did take some time to get into the book. There were at times too many characters I felt like in the book that it ended up getting confusing at times. About halfway through the book is when it caught my attention. The ending of the book I thought was pretty good and it was unpredictable. Which is always a plus. An interesting read.
May 15, 2020
A familiar old favourite read during the pandemic, as my brain couldn’t cope with anything else.
August 17, 2021
My second Fiona Walker!
Huge cast, yet again. I’m getting the feeling this is what she does best… just throws a bunch of characters into a book and plays them off of each other.
Obviously my favorite characters are Tasha, and her horse, snob OF COURSE!!! Alexandra is a DELIGHT, Sophia is a MORON and Matty is just strange.
Least favourite character is AMANDA. And that Hugo is a super dick, hate that guy as well!!!!!
Eff you Amanda!! Oh, and Lisette- EFF YOU LISETTE!!!
This author really has a way with HORRIBLE characters!!!! I hate them but I want to read about them anyway!!!!!
Overall the plot held up, the party was raucous and disturbing…. I could have done without Sally and Michael and that entire family really. And I had to keep an open mind when reading about the gay characters as this was written in the 90’s when there was still so much hate and uneducated bias around that whole scene, so some of the dialogue and wording used to describe the gay characters is just wrong!!!!!!
The book ended somewhat abruptly though, so I now need to get into book 2- Well Groomed!
4/5 stars because it was super long and one too many guests at the party!
Huge cast, yet again. I’m getting the feeling this is what she does best… just throws a bunch of characters into a book and plays them off of each other.
Obviously my favorite characters are Tasha, and her horse, snob OF COURSE!!! Alexandra is a DELIGHT, Sophia is a MORON and Matty is just strange.
Least favourite character is AMANDA. And that Hugo is a super dick, hate that guy as well!!!!!
Eff you Amanda!! Oh, and Lisette- EFF YOU LISETTE!!!
This author really has a way with HORRIBLE characters!!!! I hate them but I want to read about them anyway!!!!!
Overall the plot held up, the party was raucous and disturbing…. I could have done without Sally and Michael and that entire family really. And I had to keep an open mind when reading about the gay characters as this was written in the 90’s when there was still so much hate and uneducated bias around that whole scene, so some of the dialogue and wording used to describe the gay characters is just wrong!!!!!!
The book ended somewhat abruptly though, so I now need to get into book 2- Well Groomed!
4/5 stars because it was super long and one too many guests at the party!
September 17, 2025
Joe brought for me in a charity shop because we thought the cover was so funny, pleasantly surprised to find out it was good and funny! 800 pages is such a slog tho and I would’ve like more interactions between the main characters rather than crazy side characters she decided to introduce 500 pages in, please also flicked to the end just for tash and niall to say hello bit fuming tbh as i stormed through it in 5 days to get to the juicy bits but there were only dribbles!!! Despite this 5 stars as it was an enjoyable holiday read extra points for me being on holiday and it being set in the summer love it when that happens
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2020
Wonderful
Loved this book as much as the first time I read it years ago and all the times in between! Still makes me laugh out loud. Witty, clever and mad. Definitely having a trip down memory lane, read Kiss Chase before this and am now going to catch up with the hapless Tash, Niall and Hugo in Well Groomed. Thank you Ms Walker for keeping me so entertained over so many years. Five stars.
Loved this book as much as the first time I read it years ago and all the times in between! Still makes me laugh out loud. Witty, clever and mad. Definitely having a trip down memory lane, read Kiss Chase before this and am now going to catch up with the hapless Tash, Niall and Hugo in Well Groomed. Thank you Ms Walker for keeping me so entertained over so many years. Five stars.
June 15, 2018
Of it's time...a huge doorstop of a book published in the '90's. It was a bit too long for me...and too convoluted with too many characters who I found it hard to keep track of. I am used to shorter books now, I suppose. Need more reading stamina to get through this type of thing!
August 15, 2025
4.5 stars Loved this one ! The characters were outrageous and diverse. Swapping beds, drunken antics, horses, dogs, family feuds and a huge party. This was extremely funny I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Just missed out on a five star as was a little too long but great book x
September 2, 2017
Love it
Read this then read well groomed. My favourite author favourite characters and amazingly funny plot line. Love tash and hugo
Read this then read well groomed. My favourite author favourite characters and amazingly funny plot line. Love tash and hugo
August 3, 2018
For fans of Jilly Cooper - this is a fun romping summer read with lots of laughs.
June 26, 2021
Loved this book once, now read many times and it’s still just such great fun to read.
May 4, 2022
I think I enjoyed the different personalities of each character mostly, was just quite a long slog to read with the font being quite small.
August 10, 2022
Great summer read I was given this by another Holiday maker while sitting by the pool so glad she did
July 5, 2023
Tedious, annoying and the teenage dialogue was excruciating
July 10, 2023
such a fun romantic read
I love this book x such an easy funny page turning story x. French/horses/countryside and sexual chemistry what a fun summer
I love this book x such an easy funny page turning story x. French/horses/countryside and sexual chemistry what a fun summer
February 2, 2024
Hugo Beauchamp is the original alpha hole.
March 13, 2025
This book could have been 100 pages shorter and it wouldn't have changed the plot at all.
August 16, 2025
Could be an easy holiday read, but the main character Tash was so annoying to me I couldn’t work out the interest in her so it made it drag out a bit
September 6, 2007
Read the book while on holiday, and it really is a perfect holiday book since the family and friends of the Frenches gather in France to spend their vacation together.
Main character is Tash, who flies from London to Paris to spend the summer on the big estate of her mother and her new french husband. Her siblings and their families and friends are invited to this summer retreat. For the end of summer a big party is planned, mainly to welcome back uncle Edward, who is returning to the bosom of the family after 30 years of absence.
Tash is the youngest sibling, and still suffering from standing in the shade of her beautiful modelling sister.
To make up for that her mother buys her a horse. Initially not very enthusiastic about this gift, she develops a certain affection for her new 'pet' called Snob. Even more so when Hugh, a guy she once had a crush on, also shows an intense interest in Snob - he wants him to become a professional race-horse. Tash wants to prevent that from happening and gets backed up by Niall, an actor who wants to get over his failed marriage. Finally, Trash's boyfriend Max enters the scene as well.
I enjoyed the book very much because of its many details. There are a lot of different characters, each of them well described getting their own individual 'shape', and several storylines. Once you know everyone and get into the story, it gets really interesting. And small things, like the behaviour of the kids, made me laugh many times.
At first I thought that almost 800 pages are too much for such a book, that you can tell the story in less time. But I rather read 800 pages and have all these nice details than reading 300 pages of a straight forward but boring story. That happened in the German translation, they cut the story down to roughly 300 pages. I would recommend the original!
Main character is Tash, who flies from London to Paris to spend the summer on the big estate of her mother and her new french husband. Her siblings and their families and friends are invited to this summer retreat. For the end of summer a big party is planned, mainly to welcome back uncle Edward, who is returning to the bosom of the family after 30 years of absence.
Tash is the youngest sibling, and still suffering from standing in the shade of her beautiful modelling sister.
To make up for that her mother buys her a horse. Initially not very enthusiastic about this gift, she develops a certain affection for her new 'pet' called Snob. Even more so when Hugh, a guy she once had a crush on, also shows an intense interest in Snob - he wants him to become a professional race-horse. Tash wants to prevent that from happening and gets backed up by Niall, an actor who wants to get over his failed marriage. Finally, Trash's boyfriend Max enters the scene as well.
I enjoyed the book very much because of its many details. There are a lot of different characters, each of them well described getting their own individual 'shape', and several storylines. Once you know everyone and get into the story, it gets really interesting. And small things, like the behaviour of the kids, made me laugh many times.
At first I thought that almost 800 pages are too much for such a book, that you can tell the story in less time. But I rather read 800 pages and have all these nice details than reading 300 pages of a straight forward but boring story. That happened in the German translation, they cut the story down to roughly 300 pages. I would recommend the original!
November 21, 2011
I read this almost 15 years ago. When I saw that a new installation in the Tash series was coming out, so I decided to reread this one. I can't believe how little I remembered. My only recollection was of who she actually ends up with in the end.
To me, Fiona Walker's writing style screams classic comedy. The characters are always put in outrageous situations and hilarity ensues. Even though the stories are highly situational, you still get a strong sense of the characters. There are some characters that I just absolutely hate, like Sophia. I like it when I have strong feelings towards characters.
The writing is also very cinematic in nature. I can totally see the screen dissolving at the end of each chapter or section leading into a long shot of the setup of the next scene. These would make for funny movies. Very LOOOOONG movies. Which leads me to...
I think the book is too long. It could be several hundred pages shorter. I could have done without any of Cass's family or Todd from Australia. It was frustrating because I'd find myself skimming to get through it, then I'd missed something important.
All it all, I like the book. I'm on to "Well Groomed" now.
To me, Fiona Walker's writing style screams classic comedy. The characters are always put in outrageous situations and hilarity ensues. Even though the stories are highly situational, you still get a strong sense of the characters. There are some characters that I just absolutely hate, like Sophia. I like it when I have strong feelings towards characters.
The writing is also very cinematic in nature. I can totally see the screen dissolving at the end of each chapter or section leading into a long shot of the setup of the next scene. These would make for funny movies. Very LOOOOONG movies. Which leads me to...
I think the book is too long. It could be several hundred pages shorter. I could have done without any of Cass's family or Todd from Australia. It was frustrating because I'd find myself skimming to get through it, then I'd missed something important.
All it all, I like the book. I'm on to "Well Groomed" now.
August 13, 2016
I liked this one despite myself. My aunt recommended it. I started reading it and totally hated it for about a third - too many characters, Heroine too clumsy and immature, stereotypical French chateau scenario. Then, suddenly, it got good, so good that I had to stay up two nights in a row, laughing out-loud. Give it a chance, it sneaks up on you but its worth it. The ending is unpredictable. Secondary characters are plentiful and amazing - LOVE her hippy mom Alexandra, LOVE drunken Pascal, LOVE the evil horse and even the fickle Hugo... they are all SO REAL, despite being in France, or rich or famous!
July 22, 2011
Its a vacation read. Funny and you do fall in love with the character and her antics.the style in which the book is written is amusing and if you speak sarcasm fluently , you will thoroughly enjoy the read. However, it lacked the romance and sensual foreplay once the leads do fall in love. I was disappointed because of that.
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