Meet Me in Monaco
Fiction
HarperCollins
July 23, 2019
E-book
384
Publisher via Edelweiss
Set in the 1950s against the backdrop of Grace Kelly’s whirlwind romance and glamourous wedding to Prince Rainier of Monaco, New York Times bestselling author Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb take the reader on an evocative sun-drenched journey along the Côte d’Azur in this page-turning novel of passion, fate, and second-chances. Movie stars and paparazzi flock to Cannes for the glamorous film festival, but Grace Kelly, the biggest star of all, wants only to escape from the flash-bulbs. When struggling perfumer Sophie Duval shelters Miss Kelly in her boutique, fending off a persistent British press photographer, James Henderson, a bond is forged between the two women and sets in motion a chain of events that stretches across thirty years of friendship, love, and tragedy. James Henderson cannot forget his brief encounter with Sophie Duval. Despite his guilt at being away from his daughter, he takes an assignment to cover the wedding of the century, sailing with Grace Kelly’s wedding party on the SS Constitution from New York. In Monaco, as wedding fever soars and passions and tempers escalate, James and Sophie—like Princess Grace—must ultimately decide what they are prepared to give up for love.
My review:
First off, let us take a moment to admire this gorgeous cover! I want to be where she is, and I had my chance when I visited Monaco this spring as part of a cruise I took. I knew I had to get my hands on this book pre-release to read about some of the sights and history of the place. This book was a fabulous read (much the same as this author duo's previous collaboration Christmas in Paris)! There were two story lines going on that intersect around Grace Kelly. Sophie is a perfumer trying to keep her late father's business intact despite her alcoholic mother and dwindling cash reserves. I loved all the descriptions of the intricacies of what goes into making a new perfume fragrance. James is a photographer who despite wishing he could take artistic photos must play paparazzi in order to keep his job. They meet thanks to Grace Kelly. The courtship and marriage of Grace to Prince Rainier of Monaco plays out throughout the book. I loved the descriptions of Monaco, the royal courtship, wedding preparations, and the twists and turns to Sophie and James' lives. I was a bit leery that the romance aspect was going to ruin the book for me, but because of the way it played out, I ended up feeling it was a true to life ending (as opposed to eye roll inducing fairytale romance).
A definite winner for me. Wonderfully readable, good pacing, great characters, well researched, and well written. I can recommend to all historical fiction fans, with special interest to those lovers of royal courtships and weddings, or the making of perfumes.
