Christmas on the Riviera by Jennifer Bohnet

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

As a toddler Elodie Jacques was abandoned by her mother and left in the care of her French grandmother, Gabriella in Dartmouth, Devon.

Now 24 years old, Elodie struggles to reconcile the deep anger for the mother she has never since seen.

When Gabriella unexpectedly announces she wants the two of them to spend Christmas and her 70th birthday in her home town of Juan-les-Pins in the South of France Elodie is thrilled.

Gabriella meanwhile has her own ulterior motives for wanting to return after 40 years, a daunting homecoming potentially filled with memories, secrets and recriminations.

With Juan-les-Pins pulsing with lights, decorations and the festive spirit, Christmas promises to be filled with fun. But when Elodie learns there is the possibility that her long absent mother may join them she hides her feelings behind a show of indifference and animosity.

Will there be the reconciliation that Gabriella longs for - or will the spirit of Christmas fail to work its wonder?

My Opinion

A nice, cosy read set over the festive period. At just over 200 pages this is a relatively quick novella to read. This is my first book by Jennifer Bohnet but I already have my next one lined up. A story of hope, love and family all make for a great read.

Rating: 4/5

I absolutely loved this so much that I never wanted it to end… addictive from start to finish and I didn't want to put it down.

Wonderful feel good story around Christmas time on the French Riviera!!
Gabby wants to return to France after being away over 40 years, to go for Christmas and her birthday with her beloved granddaughter Elodie. She has 2 letters in her bag, which are full of the secrets she needs to share with Elodie........Will she find the right time in France? What will her home town be like after being away for so long?
Warm, festive, very French, and a perfect mix of family friends and life.
An enjoyable festive book! Full of hope, love and warmth, comfort and joy!!
Delightful and endearing!! Loved it!!
Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood books for the early read.

What a wonderful, warm, seasonal story. This left me with a warm glow and full of festive feelings and perhaps there could be a sequel?

Christmas is the time that Gabriella decides to return to her roots in the south of France and to introduce her granddaughter Elodie to some family history. Whilst the setting is well described and the characters credible the actual plot line is rather predictable and therefore not the most enjoyable from this usually reliable author.

A real feel good Christmas story and what could be better than spending it in France with everything that goes into a French Christmas. Curl up with this one, you won't want it to end. 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. I absolutely enjoyed this authors writing style. I enjoyed how this book is set in Devonshire, England and in France. It makes you want to visit Paris. I absolutely adored Gabriella and Elodie's characters. I would definitely highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. Guys yall need this ebook in your life it will be in stores on August 31st for £1.99 (GBP).

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I loved this book, the Christmas markets in France, the food, mince pies, Socca and mulled wine. I couldn’t put the book down.

The setting was gorgeous, the iconic Cote D'Azur Hotel Le Provencal, visiting Villa No.5.

How the family was feeling about their broken family was noticeable in the story, I felt for Gabby wanting to bring her family together after a long time.

I recommend this book.

Sweet return to her hometown for prodigal Gabriella🏖

3.5-4.0 🌟 stars
This is a cozy story of family, new friendships and new beginnings set over the Christmas and New Year's holidays on the southern coast of France. Lots of lovely French delicacies, strolls about the town and women of three generations thinking about what they want out of life. And Gabby gets the whole ball rolling by deciding to spend the holidays and her 70th birthday back where she grew up.

I've read a number of the author's novels and this one just did not elicit a strong reaction, positive or negative, from me. No real surprises or strong connection to the characters. The ending is happy and pretty predictable. But I liked the setting and the idea that we can pick and choose to keep the best parts of our past and leave the rest while building a better future at any age.

Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

This was ok but very bland. There is no real cosy feeling or romance so if you are looking for those look elsewhere. The story was a bit muddled by Gabby’s unnecessary flashbacks. Frustrating that the reader never finds out why exactly Harriet would just ditch her toddler daughter. All of the new friendships seemed too perfect and forced.

Gabby & Elodie, grandmother & granddaughter, go to France for Christmas. I loved reading about their adventure, reconnecting with old places, making new friends & meeting up with long lost family.
The description of the places, food and parties makes me feel like I have celebrated Christmas there myself, even though I have just read this book in the middle of a heatwave in August!
A warm, fun Christmas story which can be enjoyed at any time of year!

A lovely feel good read! Christmas on the riviera what more could u want! The story and the characters were great and the pace of the book flowed nice.y.

Delightful feel good Christmas read, perfect characters and a story that moves along at just the right pace. Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy

A broken family is reunited in this sparkling tale of forgiveness and acceptance. Set in Antibes Juan-les-Pins,

over Christmas and New Year celebrations, Gabby and Elodie strive to put the past where it belongs and forge

a new future. This book really is a joy to read. It is full of hope, new beginnings, and heartfelt wishes all rolled up

in one lovely story.

Christmas on the Riviera was a lovely sweet read. I enjoyed the story and thought it moved along nicely. A great Christmas read!

“Life has a funny habit of sorting things out at the right time. It might throw a couple of curve balls in your direction but in the end they can turn out to be the very thing you need, although it’s impossible to see that at the time.”

Oh my gosh…French Christmas market, Edith Piaf and “La Vie en Rose”, freshly baked socca and mince pies, mulled wine and Antibes Juan-les-Pins…I was hooked from the first few pages!

I loved the chance to explore the iconic Cote D’Azur Hotel Le Provencal (real life reno soon to be completed as luxury residences), to explore Villa No.5 (Villa de L’Espoir) which had been locked up for years, and to experience the holidays in France - a dream of mine before I knew about the 13 dessert tradition on Christmas Eve!!! The author has stuffed so much authentic French ‘flavour’ into this novel - it’s as if she took everything I love and put it in one single book. Villa No. 5 even had a pizza oven on the patio!!!!

The heartache of a fractured family was evident throughout the novel and I empathized with Gabby’s desire to bring everyone together for the first time in 20 years. I saw a lot of myself in Gabby; I, too, tend to make obstacles bigger than they really are.

In exploring second chances, lost opportunities and putting old ghosts to rest, Jennifer Bohnet has written an emotionally charged festive read full of French flavour and has truly captured the glamour and glitz of the French Riviera. Her heartfelt message for us is that home really is where the heart is.

I was gifted this advance copy by Jennifer Bohnet, Boldwood Books, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

This was a fabulous quick easy to read novella that was a story of hope, family, love and how the past can shape the future and of new beginnings

Loved the characters and the storyline was a heartwarming and cosy read and like being wrapped in a warm hug

The descriptions of the food and the sights and sounds made the readier feel like they were taking a trip down the French Riviera themselves.

This is only the second book by this author I have read and am definitely looking forward to reading more by them.

Yes a Christmas book already and a quick and easy read at the. I love Christmas and love to read any sort of book that has a Christmas theme. Gabriella and her grand-daughter Elodie head to France for a holiday in honour of Gabriella's 70th birthday.

Set in a lovely town, glowing with Christmas cheer this is a book that makes you smile and feel a bit warm and fuzzy. Family, memories, a bit of romance and a few French traditions all brought this story together for an enjoyable and pleasant read.

Read this in a matter of hours and do recommend for a quick easy read that will make you feel good.

I enjoyed this book easy to read and interesting storyline which kept me interested and i liked the front cover.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found myself rooting for the characters immediately and their story was engaging and engrossing. The setting was absolutely central: the writer takes you on an incredible journey to the vibrant Riviera, with all the colours of Christmas, the enticing aromas of food, the twinkling lights, tradition and music, the joy of friendship and the possibility of new romance. What isn't to love?