A Review By Wendy
4.5 Making Lists, Letting Go, Kissing in the Rain Stars
* * * * 1/2
All of us have habits which give us comfort... some people like to make sure at the end of the day their desk is clear and all is in order. Others are ok with little piles of papers, looking to some disorganized; but to those who are the keepers of said pile... they know exactly what is in each one. There are also those who by making lists of what to do; things to purchase and what experiences to have are necessary... Mia, our main character in Frenched, would fall into that group.
This is a tale of discovery, understanding, and taking the real risk.. to love freely.
We have Mia, an event planner, who after planning the wedding beyond any normal wedding would be in NYC, no less, gets dumped by her fiancee by TEXT. Yes, Text... that in and of its self should give you an indication of what a jerk this guy is.... and in reality.... how lucky she is not to be marrying him. We are with her... in her head... feeling sorry for ourselves ... and her list making is going full blast with all the reasons why or how she is handling this turn of events. (These lists are hysterical... and they are the thread throughout the book where we get to feel everything Mia feels...they were perfect).
Luckily, Mia's friends help her see clear to taking her honeymoon trip to Paris; the place she has dreamed of going all her life. They explain... you can be miserable here in your bed... or go to Paris and see if you can just take in the sights, at least. Smart girl get's on the plane and goes.
There she is being the grown- up.... trying to overcome her sorrow... but everywhere she turns... love is in the air and couples are kissing or worse getting proposed to! She finds a "sports" bar...goes in and takes a look around the place ... making sure there are no lovely-dovey couples plastered to each other... and the bartender, Lucas calls out to her. This one interaction sets off the entire book.
Lucas sees this woman... she seems lost and as she sits and has wine... she tells him her tale of woe. It is all about how this happened to her... how the wedding was supposed to be wonderful... all of her talking is about how miserable she is but nothing is about the loss of the love of her life or how she is so heartbroken....
Lucas finds this very interesting and offers her a chance to see Paris... really see it with him. He offers because she says she is leaving and going back home... he will be her tour guide for the day in hopes that she will stay. Mia takes him up on the offer and by doing so... ends up getting much more than she bargained... she ends up learning about herself... what a real life full of caring and love can feel like; and most importantly... she learns not everything needs to be on a list or follow a plan.
This book made my heart sing. The chemistry between Lucas and Mia... perfection. He was a man comfortable with himself... he didn't need to rush things or push... he heard what she had told him about her past relationship (it was nothing anyone with a brain in their head would want, IMO) and let things just happen between them. She talked to us... she was realizing her attraction to Lucas and we were there every glorious step of the way....
And glorious were what all of the connections were.... from the first brush of their lips together to the steamy, overwhelming touching and tasting of each other. Mia's past history collided with Lucas' talented ability to make Mia feel all woman... it was if she was Christopher Columbus discovering America for the first time... and we got to experience it with her. All of us should have a Lucas in our lives at some point... But she was not the only one to discover something from their experience... Lucas did too... and he was man enough to admit it.
There were secondary characters and they did their jobs well. Paris, of course, always knows how to set the mood and pace... and for someone who still has not had the pleasure to meet her personally... well... at least I got a little glimpse through Mia's and Lucas' journey.
Kissing is an art form...loving, as well. Frenched brings all of this to the forefront as how we must be open to moments and let things happen... there are no guarantees... only the guarantees of not having things happen if we are too afraid to try...
I have never been afraid to try... if you read Frenched... maybe you will be brave, as well.
A gifted copy was provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review
Melanie Harlow
likes her martinis dry, her lipstick red, and her history with the
naughty bits left in. She lifts her glass to readers and writers from
her home near Detroit, MI.
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