Now this is a series of 3 so I read them on 3 consecutive days to gel them together in my mind.

As this series in ‘The French Connection Series’ it is no spoiler to say that the main venue is France. Here the author is obviously very familiar with France, the people and French ways. She weaves it into everything with the easy familiarity of someone that not is is very comfortable within French culture, but also remembers a time when she wasn’t. It is beautifully written.

This story starts 12 years before the main story and a drinking game culminates in 2 women dancing blindfolded. They do not know the identity of the other. After the drinking game they probably don’t even know their own name, so the identity of the other remains a mystery as at the end of the song 1 of them states simply ‘mon dieu’ and leaves. Sam, the main character instantly feels bereft.
The 2 women Sam and Anna (now 12 years later) have both told others of this dance they had ( thus telling us what we already knew – these are the main characters and they will find each other again during the story).
The story centres around photography – which is a small community – with more than their fair share of lesbians which inevitably leads to a situation where Sam goes to France to work and instantly hooks up with Helene. So far so good. Helene’s boss is the woman who Sam’s girlfriend left her for and she has already had a relationship with Helene which is most distasteful for Sam.
As Sam left the station she bumped into a woman who she could not stop thinking about.
Fast forward a while and Sam meets Anna – the publisher of the book of photography she is contracted to do – and she’s the woman from the station.
There’s a lot of coming and going and Sam and Anna have a relationship.
They are happy but then Sam knows she will have to go home to England eventually so she breaks it off. Cue heartache all round.
When Sam is in England she looks through some old photos and sees Anna in the background at the drinking game and realises it is her. She asks Kim, Anna’s PA, to help Sam return to France for the launch of the book and they get back together. Kim is a key character to this story.

Epilogue – They are together. Sam is at the station to go to Texas for 3 months to take photos. ( yes, her photography is more than just taking a few photos) and Anna surprises her by meeting her there and going with her. There is a proposal but at least there’s no immediate wedding and children. I suspect they will happen within the next 2 books though.

Now onto Book 2