Book Review: JoJo's French Escape by Lorraine Wilson

JoJo's French Escape

by Lorraine Wilson

Amazon US / UK /B&N / GP / Apple

‘She had me at Bonjour! Warm, funny, deliciously French…this lovely story filled my heart with sunshine’ Jane Linfoot

Imagine yourself in beautiful France with the sun warm on your face and a glass of wine in your hand…Jojo’s French Escape is the perfect summer read!

Trapped in paradise…

For twelve months JoJo Grant has been hiding from a secret too shameful to share. And whilst her sanctuary might be the beautiful French countryside, JoJo has a horrible feeling that her peace is about to be shattered…because bursting into her life is the hottest celebrity chef around – Callum O’Connor.

Callum knows all about JoJo’s past, her time as a reality star, the scandal that has dogged her, but he isn’t sure why she’s still hiding? After spending time with Jojo, it’s obvious to him that she has nothing to be ashamed of – she just needs to be a little braver…

But as much as JoJo likes Callum, he thrives on the glare of the outside world. Can JoJo let go of her past…with Callum by her side?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes: 

The only love Aiden knows involves the use of a mirror or a TV camera. 

"You know if anyone ever gives you any grief we'll set the dogs on them, celebrity chef or not." I look down at the two tiny chihuahuas, one miniature Yorkie and the blind ex-hunting dog who happens to be a total softy. My mouth quirks involuntarily into a smile at the idea of them defending me, though I'm sure they'd all give it a good go. The chihuahuas in particular are utterly fearless. 

Who was it said that a life without passion is a slow way to freeze to death? 

She blinks, her false eyelashes make her look like she’s being attacked by spiders. 

I really am trying to wish them well but mostly I’m just wishing them well away from me.

My Review: 

Holy smokes, this was not what I was expecting but an engaging and relatable tale nonetheless. The premise had a British reality TV star escaping unwanted notoriety to the south of France after she was “officially disgraced” when her then-boyfriend, a publicity, and fame-obsessed reprobate and scum bucket, leaked a sex tape she was unaware he had created. Oh, and he was also cheating on her with her best friend, ouch. It was no wonder she wanted nothing to do with social media or men in general, much less a well-known TV chef who happened to have escaped to the same French locale. Yet their chemistry overcame their misgivings and – gasp – their connections were so erotic I was gasping like a fish out of water. 

The writing was easy to follow and predominately the inner musings and observations of JoJo as she navigated her transition from disgraced to empowered with the support of her new friends and heartthrob. I was quite taken with the cleverly chosen quotes used to start each chapter and also the timely and insightful inclusion of The Power of Now, which I confess requiring Googling to accurately recall.  

About The Author

Lorraine Wilson writes flirty, feel-good fiction for One More Chapter - a Harper Collins imprint - and is unashamedly fond of happy endings. She loves hearing from readers and feels incredibly grateful to be doing the job she always dreamt of.

She splits her time between the South of France and Cambridgeshire and is usually either writing or reading while being sat on, walked over or barked at by one of her growing band of rescue dogs.

Social Media Links – 

Amazon author page:

 http://bit.ly/lorrainewilsonamazon

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LorraineWilsonWriter

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Romanceminx

Book Review, Giveaway: Poppy’s Place in the Sun by Lorraine Wilson

Poppy’s Place in the Sun

by Lorraine Wilson

Goodreads

Amazon US / UK  /   B&N 

‘She had me at Bonjour! Warm, funny, deliciously French…this lovely story filled my heart with sunshine’ Jane Linfoot

Sometimes you need to lose yourself to find your way home…

With only her trusty dogs Peanut, Treacle and Pickwick by her side, Poppy Kirkbride could be forgiven for having doubts about her move to a quiet village in rural France. But as the sun shines down on her ramshackle new home, Poppy knows she’s made the right decision. A lick of paint, and some TLC and her rustic farmhouse will be the perfect holiday retreat – Poppy’s dream come true.

Poppy is welcomed by her fellow villagers, except for brooding local vet Leo Dubois, who makes it clear Poppy isn’t welcome in his village – or his life! Leo might be gorgeous, but Poppy won’t be told what to do by an arrogant Frenchman – no matter how kind and gentle he is to her dogs!

Determined to stay, Poppy tries to understand the enigmatic Frenchman better. But as the two get closer, Poppy sees another side to Leo – a man with heartbreak of his own. Falling in love with Leo is easy, but can he ever return Poppy's love? And what would this mean for her dream life and place in the sun?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

Pete will laugh when I tell him about this. He’s never been one for the jealous boyfriend act. Which is good, sort of, but maybe a little bit unflattering. He usually makes a joke out of it, asking whether the other man had a white stick or a guide dog.

She’s certainly the smallest dog I’ve ever seen, but with a personality so huge I don’t know where she can possibly be keeping it all.

Not only does close proximity to him does funny things to my body chemistry, but it seemingly reduces my IQ at the same time.

He seems anxious, not so much worried about treading on eggshells as stepping into a man-trap with iron teeth.

My Review:

I enjoyed this refreshingly sweet and amusing tale; it was just what I needed for a genre cleanse after reading heavier fare.  It was a light and humorous read with some heart-squeezing moments and a few bursts of romantic sizzle.  I adored the character of Poppy, an illustrator of children’s books, a daydreamer, and rescuer of abused and abandoned animals and people.  I frequently smiled at the levity provided by the descriptions and hijinx of Poppy’s tiny canine companions as well as the antics of the nearby assortment of football playing “delinquent donkeys” and demonic goats.  The storylines were easy to follow, engaging, entertaining, and lively, while the characters were endearing and alluring, with the exception of the cranky Madame Gilbert and Pete the Prick.  Poppy had been devastated to be dumped by text but she came out the better for it with an upgrade to a tall, dark, and handsome Frenchman.  I picked up a few additions to my Brit Vocabulary list with “being bolshie” (being deliberately combative or uncooperative) and “calling bagsy,” which would be what we Americans do when calling dibs.

Empress DJ

Author Bio

Lorraine Wilson writes flirty, feel-good fiction for Harper Impulse - a Harper Collins imprint - and is unashamedly fond of happy endings. She loves hearing from readers and feels incredibly grateful to be doing the job she always dreamt of.

She splits her time between the South of France and Cambridgeshire and is usually either writing or reading while being sat on, walked over or barked at by one of her growing band of rescue dogs.

You can find her online either via her website: http://www.lorraine-wilson.com or on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LorraineWilsonWriter and Twitter @Romanceminx

Giveaway 

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