A French Pirouette: A laugh out loud, uplifting romantic comedy

brilliant

Last year I had the great pleasure of discovering the lovely writing of Jennifer Bohnet. I thought The Little Kiosk By The Sea was really something rather special. At the back of Kiosk were a few chapters of A French Pirouette, and I did mention at the time that I wanted to read on and find out what happened to Libby as she took on the auberge...and now I have. And do you know, this book was every bit as lovely.As a child, I had a dream of being a ballerina. I had the poise and build of a small elephant, but I still think I could have made the grade if I'd had the right encouragement (instead of the stifled laughter that greeted my efforts). As Suzette bathes her calloused feet, wondering what will become of her when she retires from the ballet, it put a smile on my face and took me right back... and I was hooked from the opening pages, transported into a different little world.The characters in this book are wonderful. Suzette herself tugs at your heartstrings as she struggles to recover from a bruising fall that might end her dancing career sooner than she planned - she needs a refuge where she can hide out for a while, decide what she plans to do. Libby has her scars too - the sudden death of her husband, a daughter moving on with a new life of her own, fears about her future, but taking on the auberge in Brittany as her fortieth birthday approaches offers her a fresh start along with a whole new set of challenges. And then there's Brigitte and Bruno, handing over the reins of the auberge to Libby, wondering exactly what the future might hold for them. Throw into the mix two gorgeous and available men - one who runs a garden centre but has a rather unfortunate controlling mother, the other the handsome and rather smooth local vet - and you have the makings of a perfect story just waiting to be told.And the author tells it so well. Her characters are totally real, people you might just know - I particularly loved Libby and Suzette, and really wanted them both to have the happy endings they deserved. And she is so very good at creating a sense of place. The auberge and its grounds become totally real with her vivid and detailed descriptions - I'd really like to move into the gite alongside the auberge, especially after the little extra touches added by its new resident. She has a gentle flowing style that's so easy to read, and a natural storyteller's skill in weaving together the different threads of her story. There's romance here, but there are also lies and a bit of deception, family issues, problems to be overcome - but it's all wonderfully gently done, nothing that's going to really upset your escape into the Brittany countryside, sheer enjoyment from beginning to end.OK, so I read it on a grey and wet day in Yorkshire - but this really would be a perfect book for an afternoon in the sun, maybe with a glass of wine to hand (would an accordion player in the background be too much, do you think?). It's a teeny bit lighter than The Little Kiosk I thought - maybe slightly fewer threads to the story - but it's a simply gorgeous read all about healing, starting over, putting away the past and moving forward. And I loved every single moment.

The ‘laugh out loud’ description nearly put me off, as I often fail to see the humour. However, as I love Brittany and have spent many happy holidays there, I downloaded the book. I really enjoyed it and it brought back happy memories. I wanted something fairly light and cheerful to read in these difficult days and this fitted the bill.

Excellent read thanks

A good and enjoyable story.

When I was a little girl, I would trawl the library and bookshops for any stories about the ballet...I devoured them in hours, but as the years went by and the little girl grew into an adult, ballet stories became few and far between. As a teenager, I discovered embroidery which is still my biggest hobby now, and as a grown up I developed a love of France and all things French, so imagine my delight when I picked up this book and it contained all three of my favourite things!!! See! I told you it was written just for me!!The descriptions in this book are second to none...myself, Libby and Evie are now the best of friends, and I could see us all sitting outside the auberge, on the terrace by the canal on a warm summers evening, drinking a few glasses of chilled rose and discussing life, Lucas and Pascal!!!! Instead I was curled up on my sofa in Kent on a drab, grey February afternoon!!!I don't know what I'm going to do now that they are no longer part of my life, but what I do know, is that I adore Jennifer Bohnet's story telling and that she has become a firm favourite of mine, and I will be reading a load more of her books!For the price of this book, I got an all inclusive trip to Brittany, and the great thing was, I didn't even have to pack a bag, cancel the milk, or get someone in to feed the cat!Encore s'il vous plait!!!!!

Three different women reach a crossroad in their lives.In Britain Libby's daughter is about to start university and Libby realises that she'll now be on her own. Since the sudden death of her husband two years ago she hasn't thought about the future but with her fortieth birthday approaching, she wants to realise their dream of moving to France.In Brittany Isabella's husband wants them to sell their auberge, move to his family home and enjoy their retirement.In Nice, Suzette was rehearsing for her performance when a bad landing results in a sprained ankle. Unable to dance she returns to Paris, aware that her career as a prima ballerina is coming to an end. Although she left Brittany as a child at thirty-eight she feels a need to return there to contemplate the next stage.The storylines are gentle with no great surprises but it's a relaxing journey in the country. And, due to current lockdown, it's a chance just to experience ordinary life again.I'm looking forward to trying the recipes given at the end of the book.

Utterly charming! From the first page we are drawn into the lives of the various characters as they make a fresh start in a french village. Each one has a personal reason for her life change and we feel emotionally involved in their choices as we watch them embrace the possibilities of a different role. Each takes a risk and we are with them every step of the way as we wish them well in their new lives. The french village with its well drawn inhabitants, its beautiful scenery, atmospheric buildings and mouth watering dishes is almost another character in itself and we feel as though we sit down to one of the many delicious meals with them! The final delight is a range of traditional recipes...delicious...and now we only need a sun- dappled terrace with beautiful views, the smell of lavender and some rose wine to make the dream come alive...ah well, I'll just have to re-read the book instead!