Piece de Resistance: A Novel (French Twist Book 3) by Sandra Byrd

Book Description:
Book Three in the French Twist Series. 

Having earned her chef’s hat, Lexi Stuart bids au revoir to her glamorous and deliciously satisfying pastry mentorship outside of Paris and returns to her hometown of Seattle, Washington. There, she finds life unexpectedly complicated. 

She’s put in charge of a high-end catering bakery called Bijoux, which should be her dream job, but there’s a catch: She has to make this lavish bakery into a successful business in just a few, short months, which will require more than her ability to make an amazing wedding cake. In over her head and at a loss for creative marketing ideas, Lexi isn’t sure what the recipe for success needs to be. 

Stir in a complicated relationship with her French beau Philippe and his daughter, Celine, then add a dash of romance with down-to-earth lawyer Dan, and life suddenly contains more ooh la la than Lexi can handle. 

With the fate of her career and her love life hanging by a thread, the phrase “piece of cake” has never been more daunting. Lexi learns that she must trust the dreams in her heart as well as the God who put them there. 

This book is written from a lightly Christian world view.

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Well, things did and did not work out as I thought they might. Either way, I enjoyed this final book in a fantastic series! Getting to travel through life with Lexi, her highs, her lows, and all the new experiences was a pure delight. I look forward to reading more books by Byrd!

Hope you have or will enjoy this series as well!

Bon Appetit: A Novel (French Twist Book 2) by Sandra Byrd

Book Description:
BOOK TWO in the French Twist Series: Pastries, Paris and romance - Lexi's adventure has just begun! 

Lexi Stuart is risking it all. Saying au revoir to the security of home, her job, and could be boyfriend Dan, Lexi embarks on a culinary adventure in France to fulfill her life dream of becoming a pastry chef. 

As she settles into her new home in the village of Presque le Chateau to study and work in a local bakery, her twenty-something optimism meets resistance in the seemingly crusty nature of the people and culture around her. Determined to gain her footing, she finds a church, meets a new friend, and makes the acquaintance of a child named Celine–as well as Celine’s attractive, widowed father, Philippe. Even Patricia, the gruff pastry cook, shows a softer side as she mentors Lexi in the art of baking. 

As Lexi lives her dream, the only thing she has to do is choose from the array in life’s patisserie display window: her familiar home, friends, and family in Seattle or her new life in France. Lexi discovers that as she trusts herself and leans more on God the choices become a little clearer– and making them, well,c’est la vie! 

This book is written from a lightly Christian world view. 

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Bon Appetit picks up where Let Them Eat Cake left off. Lexi is headed to France, to learn more about baking, but also, to learn more about herself and God. Book 2, hooked me in right away and had me flying through the pages. In fact, I am so eager to start Book 3, that I am feeling like zipping through this review and keeping it brief! (Smile)

One thing you have to admire about Lexi is her hopeful, optimism.  Which at times can bless her, while at other times her expectations can let her down. Watching her navigate through all this in a new country, new job, new school, and with new relationships was completely enthralling and believable.

I can tell you, I am dreading this series coming to an end! I am enjoying watching Lexi's life unfold, her faith grow and her maturing into the person God created her to be. I can definitely recommend this series!

Bon Appetit (wink)!

Let Them Eat Cake: A Novel (French Twist Book 1) by Sandra Byrd

Book Description:

Book One in the French Twist Series. 

Lexi Stuart is at a critical crossroads. She’s done with college but still living at home, ready to launch a career but unable to find a job, and solidly stalled between boyfriends. 

When a lighthearted conversation in French with the manager of her favorite bakery turns into a job offer, Lexi accepts. But the actual glamour is minimal: the pay is less than generous, her co-workers are skeptical, her bank account remains vertically-challenged, and her parents are perpetually disappointed. Her only comfort comes from the flirtatious baker she has her eye–but even may not be who he seems to be! 

So when a handsome young executive dashes into the bakery to pick up his high profile company’s special order for an important meeting–an order Lexi has flubbed–she loses her compulsion to please. Something inside Lexi clicks. Laissez la révolution commencer! Let the revolution begin! 

Instead of trying to fulfill everyone else’s expectations for her life, Lexi embarks on an adventure in trusting herself and God with her future–très bon! 

This book is written from a lightly Christian world view.

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Let Them Eat Cake is the first book in Byrds's French Twist series. And just so you know, these are books that should be read in order.  Each book, is a continuation, flowing from book to book, with the same main character throughout. 

For me, this book is also an introduction to a new author. And as with any new book or author, you are never really sure how well you will like the writing style, story, etc. So, let me be honest, in the very beginning I just wasn't sure I was going to like this story. Some things about Lexi (the main character) bugged me but I decided to give it a chance, & am I ever so glad I did!

I loved seeing Lexi start to transform and mature, in a very honest & realistic way.  The storyline is interesting, the characters and their struggles/faults are all to real. It's is refreshingly honest, and while being that, it is not heavy or depressing but rather optimistic and uplifting. 

I am so excited to start book 2 and see what happens with Lexi next!

The Mistress of Tall Acre by Laura Frantz

 

I absolutely, loved, loved, loved this novel!!! Frantz is a very gifted writer, whose words flow smoothly, sweetly, capturing your heart and imagination; leaving you in awe and wonder. I have loved all of her novels, and this one only confirms her place as a top notch novelist and my eager desire to read her next piece of work.... I hope it will not be too long a wait!

Frantz pens characters who come to life, in a setting that is all to real and becomes vivid in your mind. You will find yourself completely immersed within this novel's pages, and hard pressed to find a point in which to set it down (if you must). Your only regret will be that it is over when you conclude the last page, and at which point you may desire to return to page 1 and start anew!

This novel is set during the American Revolution and just following it, bringing to life a time and setting not often revisited but of great interest. A time when loyalties are tested, betrayal is felt and hardships endured. However, through it all there is a shining light, a hope and for those who press on, victory. 

Oh, how I loved the characters and their interactions with one another. Both Sophie and Seamus  will capture your heart, and you will be ever so eager to see their story unfold. Frantz gives us the foreknowledge of the impending trouble that is to come and as such you carefully watch and wait for it to unfold and then wonder how this will all work out. But never fear this is an ending you wouldn't want to miss!

Absolutely top notch, fantastic, wonderful... I think you get the point! This could be the best read of the year!

Lady Maybe by Julie Klassen

Julie Klassen is one of my favorite authors, and her books are ones that I immediately pre-order. So, suffice it to say I have loved all of her previous books! And while I did end up really enjoying this latest novel, it took me much longer to get into it than it normally would have in one of her previous novels. Maybe it had to do with the characters, who are very realistically written, faults and all. There is no saint or hero to start. However, that will later be used in the story to not only show character growth but also to add some mystery and build up the anticipation for the rest of the story. 

I have to say the further on you get into the story, Klassen really throws some twists and turns! Surprising me at the end, but in a good way! I would say by the last 65 to 70% of the story she had gained my eager anticipation! I was glued to the pages. 

So by all means, do not let this review put you off! But instead spur you on to read through the first part of the story and get to the meat of it, where it starts to get really good and intriguing! It is worth the read!

To Win Her Favor (A Belle Meade Plantation Novel, Book 3) by Tamera Alexander

 

I have absolutely LOVED this series! Tamera Alexander is not only a fabulously gifted writer, but one of my favorites! I order her books, as soon as I know they are available and she has not once failed to write a novel that goes beyond pleasure. So once again, she hits a home run!

To Win Her Favor, is in that same flavor of writing as the previous novels in this series. Set in a historical setting, with some real live historical characters thrown in but still it is fiction. However, it reads as if it is life leaping off the pages. While being both a very enjoyable read, it still speaks to you on a deeper level and moves you. The characters are so well written and I enjoy the interplay between them, and not just the main characters but the secondary ones who grab hold of your heart as well. The storyline is compelling and I found the historical truths and life truths, peppered in to be of great interest.

This is one of those novels, I wish I could have set down and read straight through. However, being the mom now of three young boys (one of which is not even three months old yet), that was not possible. Still the story stuck with me and I had no trouble getting back into its flow and enjoyed every spare moment I got to spend within its' pages. I do so hope you will give this one a read! And if you haven't read the previous novels in this series, you absolutely should!