Tajemná vila na Riviéře

by Jennifer Bohnet

Carle Sullivanové se blíží padesátiny, když se jí celý svět zhroutí do základů. Ve chvíli, kdy má plné ruce práce s vyřizováním pozůstalosti své matky Amélie, přijde na to, že ji už poněkolikáté podvedl manžel. Jakmile jednoho večera narazí na obálku, kterou její matka posmrtně adresovala své sestře Josette, s níž se ještě za Améliina života vzájemně odcizily, uzraje jí v hlavě dokonalý plán – sbalí si kufry a vyráží za svou záhadnou tetou do Antibes v jižní Francii, aby jí obálku předala osobně.

Carla s Josette naváže nesmělý vztah. Jak se vzájemně oťukávají, roztočí se vír událostí, během nichž vyplave na povrch staré rodinné tajemství. Carla je postavena před osudovou výzvu – dokáže se vyrovnat s pravdou a přijmout, že její život ve skutečnosti není to, za co jej celou dobu považovala?

Genres: Audiobook, Romance, Fiction, Chick Lit, France, Contemporary Romance, Roman

296 pages, Paperback

Published June 5, 2024

About the author

Sixteen years ago Richard and I, with our then dog, 14 year old Holly in a trailer attached to Richard's bike, cycled down through western France via the canal paths, arriving in Antibes in July. With the exception of two fleeting visits back to the UK we have lived in France ever since.

For the past five years we have lived in a small cottage in central Brittany with one large collie dog called Viking, one fat cat known as Little’un and a young tortoiseshell cat called Missy. Oh, and there are various ducks and chickens in the garden, and a large pond with about a hundred fish in!

I have contributed short stories and serials to many of the UK women's magazines including, The People's Friend, Candis, My Weekly, Best, Yours and my stories have been published in Australia, Sweden, South Africa and Ireland.

I also write magazine features and my work has been published in national magazines and newspapers like, The Sunday Times, The Sunday Telegraph, Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, Home and Country, Devon Life. For over three years I had my own newspaper column in the South Hams Group of Newspapers, that took a wry look at family life.

I am a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association and the Society of Authors.

Reviews

[Stace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carla Sullivan has just buried her mother and upon clearing out her house she discovers a letter addressed to her mother’s sister, Josette. She is not sure what to do with the letter as a big family rift caused the family to fall apart years ago. Back home, she discovers that her husband David is cheating, once again.

On impulse, she decides she has had enough and buys a ticket to the South of France to visit her Aunt Josette. Josette and her mother hadn’t spoken for many years and Carla doesn’t know that much about her or the French side of her extended family but with recent events, she has decided it is time to find out about them and the rift that pulled her extended family apart.

Josette, whilst happy to see her niece would rather keep the past where it is and doesn’t want to get too close to Carla. Some secrets should stay just that, but can Carla get her Aunt to open up to her and sort out her marital issues too?

Villa of Sun and Secrets is an adorable book with the most gorgeous scenery as we not only visit Antibes with Carla but also Monaco and Cote d'Azur.

Both Carla and Josette were tough women who have had their problems in life. Carla is used to relenting to her husband David but this time it’s different, not only with the new woman Lisa but in Carla herself. She somehow feels stronger and more determined to change her life, especially as she is nearing fifty.

Josette has run a rather carefree life. The secrets of the past have made her harden her emotions, like building a brick wall around herself. She has lived an extraordinary carefree life which we get to read in snippets.

The book is simply beautiful and I loved getting to know these two women as well as wanting to stay at Villa Mimosa. As the secrets unravelled I felt for both women, especially Josette, having to relive the past and Carla having to hear it for the first time.

This is a beautiful book full of life and intrigue. It was an easy read and the pages just flew by as I couldn’t put it down. Jennifer Bohnet has created a story in the most stunning of place and that along with the plot make this a must-read novel.

[Berit☀️✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gorgeous setting and an abundance of secrets. Jennifer Bohnet swept me away to the French Riviera in this stunning tale. Carla has recently lost her mother and now she finds out her husband is cheating on her. Needing a getaway Carla remembers a letter she found in her mother’s belongings addressed to her mom’s estranged twin sister Josette. Josette has always been a bit of a mystery to Carla, she never knew what caused the rift between her mother and her sister. So Carla packs her bags and heads to France to clear her head and get to know her French side of the family. What she finds in France is a lovely aunt, a gorgeous villa, and a lot of secrets.

Julia Franklin did a wonderful job of pulling me into the story with her vivid narration of the audiobook. She did a wonderful job with giving the perfect voice and accent to each of these colorful characters. And there were quite a few accents English, French, American. My only teeny tiny complaint is occasionally especially with the male French accent I had a harder time understanding, but that’s probably just my American ear. I loved the warm sunshiny feel of this story. The Villa, the food, the sun, the wine, the romance... and of course the secrets. The overall vibe of the story was quite heartwarming although there were some definite moments of heartbreak. I was pretty impressed with how Carla handled everything being thrown at her. She was a great character, and I love that she along with the majority of the characters in the story were over the age of 50. A Beautifully told French escape.

This book in emojis 🇫🇷 ☀️ ✉️ ⚱️ 🌻 🍷 🫖

*** Big thank you to Boldwood Books for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

[ꕥ Ange_Lives_To_Read ꕥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

FINAL REVIEW - well, great literature it was not, but this book ended up being super fun! It's from a genre that I think we could use more of, which I will call "Old Broad Wish Fulfillment."

4 stars is probably generous but when I've harshly misjudged someone, I like them even more after I realize my mistake, and there’s a similar principal here.

This is a drama about family secrets. The action takes place mostly on the French Riviera, where the family in question owns the lovely Villa Mimosa. The two main characters are Carla, age 50 and her aunt Josette, age 74. In case you missed it, these are not young women. But they are both excited about where they are in their lives and looking forward to new adventures. They both have attractive, eligible, age-appropriate men lining up to take them out on dates and to provide friendship with or without benefits.

I am generally turned off by book subtitles like this one: "A warm escapist read that will keep you guessing." (Don't tell me how to feel!) But damn! stuck in my coronoavirus lockdown, that is exactly what this book provided. The story was ridiculous but I enjoyed the lovely location, the likable characters, and the increasingly preposterous plot twists.
-------------------------------------------
UPDATE - so here's a surprise, I don't think this ever happened to me before so I'm not going to create a new "Resurrected from the DNF Heap" bookshelf.

I had quickly given up on this as noted below. But last night during a bout of coronavirus-induced, what-is-the-world-coming-to insomnia, I picked up the kindle and this one was still loaded. I just didn't have the energy to look for another book so I kept going; and now I'm kind of hooked. We'll see if it turns out that I should have left it at DNF.

--------------------------------------------
I didn't get very far into this before realizing that it is not going to work for me. Fortunately it was a free read from Amazon Prime so no harm, no foul.

[booksofallkinds · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I voluntarily reviewed this book via Netgalley

A beautiful story about fresh starts and discovering who you really are with the stunning setting of the South of France as a backdrop, VILLA OF SUN AND SECRETS by Jennifer Bohnet is simply wonderful.

Carla has just buried her elderly mother and while clearing out her things, uncovers a letter from her Aunt Josette in France whom they are all estranged from. Wondering about that side of her family, it may just have come at the perfect time because when Carla discovers that her husband has cheated on her, yet again, she is no longer willing to look the other way. Packing up her belongings, Carla sets off to find her Aunt in France and a journey of a lifetime awaits as secrets, heartache, and hope will all come to bloom in a villa that will take your breath away.

This lovely book has got it all - drama, loss, secrets, and love, and I was hooked as soon as I read the first page. The characters are well-developed and I felt for Carla as she yearned to forge a relationship with Josette, who has her guard up and tries to keep Carla at a safe distance, but as we get a glimpse into Josette's past we begin to understand this woman a little better. This writer has a fabulous way of bringing a setting alive and after reading VILLA OF SUN AND SECRETS, I wanted to book a family trip to France asap!

VILLA OF SUN AND SECRETS by Jennifer Bohnet is an engaging and entertaining story with characters that will warm your heart and I highly recommend it to all fiction fans.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Turning 50 can be exciting... I'd love for positive big changes to come my way too when I reach that age in 3 years. This book though I can only describe as very wordy, 50 chapters!! I was not expecting the ending at all it will leave you content with the story.

[Kirsten · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dragging, and I didn't like the narration, too much French accent.

[Rachel Gilbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well there is a title that completely sums up the book, there is a villa that is key to the story, its set in the South of France in summer, so loads of sun.... and secrets....

...wow, that family is hiding a lot of secrets for many many years. Aunt Josette has been cut off from her family for many years, but when her twin sister Amelia dies, and niece Carla comes to visit, well she knows its only a matter of time before the truth will out.

There is such a lovely feel to this story, its, warm, had me smiling and gasping.

I loved that it featured older characters, and how Carla is finally fed up of her cheating husband and is determined to start a new life for herself.

Although I don't think anyone would be able to predict how different Carla's life would be by the end of the book compared with the start.

It's a story that kept me on my toes and I couldn't stop reading it, determined to find out more the whole time.

Just a really lovely story, and just what I've come to expect from this fabulous author.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

[Andie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A woman whose mother has just died also learns that her husband is having yet another affair and finally decides not to be a doormat, but to go to France and visit her aunt who has been estranged from the family. And isn't it convenient that there's always s relative in France in these kinds of novels. Once there, she decides to stay because the family also conveniently owns a villa that can be turned into a bed &{ breakfast.

From there, the plot gets more and more sudsy with each page until all the family secrets are revealed and everyone lives happily ever after. Pretty much trash.

[Yeliz YILDIRIM · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.7⭐️

[Mahayana Dugast · Rating 5 out of 5]

Villa of Sun and Secrets was a quick and delicious read, maybe emphasized by the fact that it reminded me of my home country, and that I also had an aunt called Josette although the likeness stops at the name! :-)
This novel is full of south-of-France warm weather, family drama and dinners, outrageous family secrets uncovered, separations and engagements, and the good life!
It ends well and is very pleasant all around.

[Silvia Devitofrancesco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recensione presente nel blog www.ragazzainrosso.wordpress.com
Alla soglia dei cinquant’anni per Carla Sullivan le cose non sembrano andare per il verso giusto: i suoi figli gemelli sono lontani, sua madre è appena morta e suo marito la sta tradendo per l’ennesima volta. Desiderosa di cambiare aria, Carla decide di lasciare momentaneamente l’Inghilterra per volare in Costa Azzurra dove vive zia Josette, sorella gemella di sua madre, da tempo lontana dalla famiglia. Di per sé non è facile creare un rapporto zia-nipote, il tutto è reso ancor più complicato dal peso di alcuni segreti di famiglia destinati a essere riportati a galla e a sconvolgere ulteriormente la vita di Carla.

“L’arrivo di Carla nella sua vita, anche se solo da pochi giorni, le aveva mostrato quant’era facile che delle onde inaspettate giungessero a increspare le acque finora indisturbate del passato. Un passato che avrebbe potuto frammentarsi in mille pezzi se le onde fossero cresciute, facendo riaffiorare nel presente dolore, risentimento e rimorsi.”

Età delicata quella dei cinquant’anni, un importante giro di boa che per Carla è un vero e proprio tzunami. Il senso di solitudine col quale convive è enfatizzato dal sentirsi messa da parte e sostituita dal marito. Forse fuggire non è una soluzione ma quantomeno può rivelarsi un ottimo moda per evadere e per liberare momentaneamente il cervello dai tanti pensieri angosciosi. L’arrivo in Costa Azzurra e la decisione di stabilirsi nella villa di famiglia, rappresentano per lei la novità della quale necessita oltre che l’occasione per recuperare i rapporti con quella zia che è quasi una sconosciuta.

Josette è una donna anziana che per cinquant’anni ha vissuto da sola, lontana dalla famiglia e che si è rifugiata nella carriera di fotografa freelance per non pensare alla sua misera condizione. Indipendente, apparentemente forte e sicura di sé, ha giurato di non rivelare mai a nessuno quale segreto l’ha costretta a vivere da “eremita”.

I rapporti tra le due donne, almeno in un primo momento, non sono semplici, si tratta pur sempre di due donne adulte che devono imparare a conoscersi, tuttavia, sin dal primo istante, si respira una velata alchimia che troverà una spiegazione razionale nella grande rivelazione che Josette farà dalla quale dipenderà la stessa esistenza futura di Carla. Pagina dopo pagina si assiste all’evolversi del loro rapporto; man mano che gli eventi si susseguono Carla e Josette muteranno sino ad assumere nuove consapevolezze e a essere profondamente diverse da prima.

Lo stile della prosa è semplice e diretto. Nonostante, a mio parere, alcuni passaggi appaiano un po’ bruschi e netti, il lettore riesce a essere coinvolto dagli avvenimenti – narrati da un narratore esterno in terza persona – grazie anche all’ambientazione curata nei dettagli e al contributo di alcuni personaggi solo in apparenza secondari.

Un romanzo in cui si alternano momenti di leggerezza e di malinconia. Una lettura intrigante della quale le donne sono le indiscusse protagoniste.

[Jodie (That Happy Reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

As she approaches her fiftieth birthday, Carla Sullivan’s life undergoes a lot of change. Her mother passes away, and she learns her husband is having yet another affair. After finding an envelope containing a letter from her mother, as well as the need to get away, Carla escapes to the South of France to the home of her Tante Josette to hand deliver the letter.

Carla barely remembers her Tante Josette and has not seen her in many years. As the two women get to know one another, many secrets from the past are revealed including why Carla has not seen Josette for many years. Carla becomes enamoured with Antibes and soon has made plans to return to begin a new life.
The book not only explores the relationship between Carla and Josette, but it is also a story of personal growth, forgiveness and moving on. To say Carla is thrown more than enough change for a lifetime is an understatement. She is a survivor and adapts better than most to what challenges lay ahead.

I enjoyed this book and the character development of Carla and Josette. I felt the story moved a little slow at times, but it maintained my engagement throughout. I loved the setting for this book-perfect for reading as we head into winter. There is one relationship from Josette’s past which felt a little distasteful to me. Having said that, I felt compassion for both of these women and appreciated the growing bond between them as the book progressed. I am a big fan of strong women and these two have it in spades.

I listened to the audiobook version of the book which was narrated by Julia Franklin who gives a good performance. I enjoyed her performance of Carla, but did find it a little challenging at times to understand the French accent of Josette. I appreciated the fact that the narrator had an age appropriate voice for these characters and was expressive throughout the book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books UK Audio for the ARC of this audiobook in exchange for the honest review provided here.

[Nicola Clough · Rating 5 out of 5]

My word this book is outstanding I couldn’t put it down as so good and just wanted to keep reading to find out what happened full of families lies making up and starting over again. The characters are brilliant and of course the setting is amazing and you just want to be there. It’s got plenty of romance as well and plenty about friendship as well. You certainly will want to read this.
Carla has just turned 50 and she’s lost her mother and then finds out her husband has had yet another affair. She feels she needs to get away and find herself and she finds a letter for her mother’s twin sister who they fell out with years ago so she decides to travel to France to see her and hand the letter to her in person. She leaves with only telling her children to start with and while away she gets closer to her aunt and learns that her mum and sister have a house close to the aunt and the aunt wants to sell it. She goes back to England to tell her husband she’s having a divorce but he struggles to accept this. She heads back to France as she’s decided she will move to the house there and make a new life and she has the gardener living in the house at the moment and she also is falling for someone else. Problem is as the aunt and Carla get closer family secrets start to come out and can things be repaired between them or has it gone to far and can she settle in France and be happy with a new life as her old was all a lie.
Worth far more than five stars.

[Ada Angharad · Rating 3 out of 5]

A perfect beach read. The cliche of cliches. Divorcee in her 50s, inherits half of villa in France. Opens a Bed and Breakfast. Love interest soon to enter. A not so secret family secret. Everything ia so French in France! The aunt speaks a so delicious Frenglish. They buy eclairs and baguettes from the small and quaint boulangerie. Every discussion must be accompanied by a cool glass of rose. Of course, there is an eldery gentleman with a cabrio. The farmer's markets! The gardens! The French words scattered everywhere! Monaco!
Just dive in, don't expect much of a story and enjoy the escapism.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another starting-over-in-another-country story where a 50 year old woman's life is turned upside down when she discovers her husband has again had an affair, her mother is not really her mother, and by the way, neither is her father her father. So she files for divorce, and moves to France to get to know her biological mother (her mother's twin sister) better. As always I enjoyed the depiction of starting over with an expat life. 3.5 stars

[Amy Ingalls · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a novel about family and starting over. It was a bit predictable, but the setting was lovely, and I liked that the protagonist was turning 50 and finally living life on her own terms.

[Paula Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the story may not win any literary awards, it’s a lovely summer read to let your brain escape and envision the lovely surroundings. Reminded me of the soap operas I watched as a kid with my mom. Lots of cheesy twists to the story but hooked me enough to keep reading to the bitter end.

[Pam Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the South of France, this is a novel which sparkles in the sun and paints a wonderful picture of life in the Villa Mimosa. Behind the idyllic setting however, is a tapestry of family secrets which are slowly uncovered. Carla is at a turning point in her life, as she reaches 50 and has decisions to make about where and how she wants to live her life. She re-discovers her Aunt Josette and sets in motion a tsunami in her Aunt's life. There are plenty of twists and turns in the plot as it becomes clear just how many people's lives have been affected by the past.

This is a book which is full of friends and family, of starting over and not living in the past. It is full of the colours and scents of France and has a real summer feel. There are plenty of secondary characters to spark your interest, as Carla's life opens out, as she faces the future. It is written with a light touch and some deft characterisation.

In short: Secrets surface and lives are transformed. Thanks to the author for a copy of the book

[Jeanine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book built slowly for me. I would've given it three stars at first, but near the end of part one I was so invested in this book that I loaded it onto another device to keep reading. (!) I usually have a different book on each of my devices and it has to be pretty darn good for me to load it on multiple. I just couldn't wait for the story to advance to the villa and all the people surrounding the main storyline. I wasn't disappointed and was even surprised near the end. Completely dysfunctional family (whose isn't, nowadays?) that had to pick up the pieces left from all the secrets and learn to love and move forward. Jennifer Bohnet created a gentle ride through the turbulence; very enjoyable!

[Vlada · Rating 2 out of 5]

«Чесність - найкраща політика. Легше йти вперед і будувати довіру, коли все ґрунтується на правді, а не на брехні».

Початок був багатонадійний, а потім все скотилося до дна. Такий індійський серіал не показують навіть на Інтері. Не залишилось жодного приємного після смаку або ж повчальної думки. Одне розчарування і жаль до Амелії, яку зробили мстивою жінкою, хоча це її зрадили. Я аплодую цій жінці стоячи 👏

[Lisa Baillie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This made for the perfect summer read. I enjoyed reading it very much. The perfect setting. Everyone’s dream to inherit a villa in France. Then to go and live that dream. Lucky Carla. Not quite the perfect story, she has quite a few bumps in the road. Lots of lovely characters thrown in. Easy to read and it was well written. Just sad it had to end. But could there be a sequel?

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The repetitive attempts to sound "French" annoyed me. I didn't like it. Couldn't finish it.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

recensione "a cura del blog Sognare in punta di penna" by Meg

Quando una donna arriva al giro dei 50, deve essere stata fortunata se la sua vita è andata più o meno bene, e cioè lavoro-famiglia-figli: non è quello che succede alla nostra protagonista, Carla, che dopo l’ennesimo tradimento del marito decide finalmente di divorziare.

«Ma lasciare David non rientrava tra le scelte che si era aspettata di prendere dalla vita. Niente affatto. Non sapeva se era abbastanza forte da sopravvivere da sola, anche se i giornali continuavano a ripeterle che in teoria quella era l’età giusta per dedicarsi a se stessa.»

Ma non è solo chiudere una parte della sua vita: la morte di sua madre la riporta in Francia ed ad avvicinarsi a Josette, quella zia giramondo che non ha mai avuto un buon rapporto con la madre di Carla.
Partendo da questi due momenti di svolta, la vita di Carla cambierà completamente, vivendo un cambiamento profondo che lei stessa non immagina, intrecciando presente e passato.

«Prima avrebbe dovuto sottolineare che riportare indietro il tempo non era mai la scelta giusta. Non funzionava. Il fardello del passato è troppo pesante, e per quanto le due parti in causa possano spiegarsi, scusarsi, persino capire gli errori commessi, le altre persone, quelle che stanno al margine della relazione, spesso rimangono ferite.»

Da un lato il suo rapporto con Josette e dall’altro il ricominciare proprio in quella villa dove tutto ha avuto inizio, porteranno entrambe a capire di aver incoraggiato i cambiamenti nel corso di una vita intera, e che gli stessi avevano, però, fatto in modo che entrambe vivessero una vita totalmente diversa. Il loro nuovo rapporto riparte proprio quando entrambe chiudono definitivamente con il passato decidendo di vivere nel presente, alla luce di quei segreti che hanno cambiato tutto.

«”A volte le cose di cui abbiamo più paura si rivelano delle interferenze, grandi, magari, ma comunque interferenze nel grande disegno.”»

I protagonisti maschili sono complementari alla forza di queste due donne: Joel, il silenzioso giardiniere, che si rivela un ex ufficiale di marina, attento ai cambiamenti di Carla e alla sua forza, e Gordon, il compagno di una vita di Josette, che la attende per un ventennio rispettando la sua libertà.Il libro, diviso in tre parti che rispecchiano perfettamente i tre momenti della storia e tre luoghi geografici, è costruito a POV alternati in terza persona all’interno dello stesso capitolo, così come gli intrecci temporali, risultando molto fluido e avvincente nella lettura.
Un’autrice al suo debutto in Italia con la CE che non solo ci dà una cover ideale per la storia ma anche una traduzione ed editing perfetti (cari Sognatori va detto!), e che speriamo sinceramente di leggere anche in futuro.

Cinque stelle.

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sitting next to a warm fire, staring out at the snow falling in a chilly Northern England, I was instantly transported to the warmer climes of the south of France in this delightful story of Carla and her new life.

I felt that Carla coped admirably as one secret after another was slowly revealed to her.

This is a captivating novel of 'what might have been', long-ago family secrets, romance, bitterness, friendships, love and 'what can be in the future'.

I couldn't held being impressed at the ease in which narrator Julia Franklin effortlessly switched between all the French, English, Scottish and Italian accents! This added to my overall enjoyment of the story.

From Carole's Book Corner

[Maria P · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank god this is finished!! Unfortunately this was not for me. I found the story really boring and the narration very irritating. Normally I get used to the narrator but I just couldn’t get used to this. The story was very basic and I just didn’t like any of the characters and wasn’t invested in them at all. The story would have been far better if we had been with them since they were younger and fully part of their journey. As it was it was simply like hearing the family history of a bunch of strangers. Literally nothing more to it than this.

[Linda Louch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carla discovers her husband is having an affair so she leaves him to go and stay with her aunt in the south of France. Little did she know how much her life would change. Family secrets are revealed and loving relationships develop. An enjoyable easy read and I will look forward to reading more Jennifer Bohnet books.

[Inna Zuieva · Rating 3 out of 5]

6/10! ⭐️

«Санта Барбара» відпочиває! 😖🤦‍♀️

Книжка на один раз. Прочитати і забути вже наступного дня.

Читається легко. Доволі передбачувана. Але для того щоб гарно провести час з книгою, ні про що не думаючи - чудовий варіант. 👌

[Sudesna Ghosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the French setting and constant drama.

[Adite · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read. The family drama is engaging with several twists and turns while it all takes place in the beautiful French Riviera.

[Marie Shirley Griffin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bit soppy

It's a bit soppy for me, I am 60. Folks who like rom-coms will most likely enjoy it. It's just not my thing.