Author: Glynis Astie

Published:  2013 by Tikinou Publishing

Category: Contemporary Romance

Sydney Bennett had spent her life in pursuit of perfection. She planned, weighed her options and made careful choices based on calculated outcomes. Through all of her efforts, she had come pretty close to perfection, if she didn’t say so herself. She had fled the cold winters in New York for sunny California, found a job that she loved and lived in the same town as her sister, and best friend, Kate. The one area of perfection that had always eluded her was her love life. No matter how hard she tried, she always ended up with a broken heart. After a particularly traumatic breakup, Sydney vowed that she was done with love. Just as Sydney threw herself into her new plan to forget about men, a handsome Frenchman tossed all of her intentions out the window as he swept her off of her feet. Louis Durand had lived a life filled with excitement and adventure. He was impetuous, intelligent and incredibly charming. So naturally, he scared Sydney half to death. From the moment they met, Louis and Sydney’s romance progressed at warp speed. Sydney did her best not to run, but her deep-rooted relationship anxiety threatened to provide an easy exit. When Louis mentioned marriage before Sydney even knew his favorite color, she was more than tempted to reach for her running shoes. Will she be able to put her fears aside to follow her heart? The one thing that Sydney will learn is that sometimes perfection comes with a twist…

 

I received a digital copy in return for an honest review

I’m not a huge reader of chick lit but having said that I found myself enjoying this one very much, more so because the story is loosely based on the author’s own whirlwind romance. It’s light, fun, written with humour and happiness and all of that jumps off the page. It’s a real life fairy tale, girl meets handsome Frenchman and it’s love at virtually first sight.

Sydney Bennett is a mix of artlessness and anxieties with layers of zany. She’s the kind of woman most of us can relate to in some way and I couldn’t help but like her. After a string of disastrous romances she has a serious lack of confidence and believes it’s too good to be true when she meets a dashing and extremely charming Frenchman who seems very taken with her.

Things happen so quickly Sidney is literally swept off her feet and has several hilarious meltdowns. Planning a wedding is fraught with dilemmas and complications at the best of times but when one partner is from another country and in the US on a visa, which is dependent on his employment, the obstacles begin to arise and add to Sydney’s nervousness and panic.

I love Sidney’s relationships with her sister, her best friend, her brother and, of course her parents, but most of all with Louis. The characters are all well written and engaging.
Looking forward to the next instalment, French Toast!