The Provence Cure for the Brokenhearted

November 22, 2010
A wicked sense of humor and multilayered characters redeem Asher's otherwise standard tale of vacation romance and family redemption. Heidi, a recent Florida widow, is struggling to raise her overly anxious eight-year-old son, Abbot, when she receives word that the family cottage in Provence, where she spent vacations as a child, has been damaged in a fire. Heidi and Abbot, along with Heidi's teenage niece, Charlotte, travel to France to oversee the repairs. Heidi dives wholeheartedly into painting, renovating, and reconnecting with the family next door. In particular, she hits it off with her former childhood playmate, Julien, who has grown into a handsome, witty, and newly single man. But surprises abound. Before the end of the summer, Charlotte, Julien, and even Heidi's mother will have to face earth-shattering secrets while Heidi works to regain her sense of self and build a new future for herself and the people she loves. Asher (The Pretend Wife) is especially adept at portraying Heidi's dry wit and Charlotte's sullen sarcasm.

February 15, 2011

After nearly two years of mourning her late husband, Heidi is still unable to function, and her eight-year-old son, Abbott, has become a germ-phobic obsessive-compulsive. Heidi's mother and her sister, Elysius, devise a plan they hope will help Heidi move on with her life as well as rid Elysius of her problem teenage stepdaughter for a few weeks--Heidi, Abbott, and Charlotte must travel to the French countryside to care for the family's old house. Things do not go well for the trio, as their belongings are stolen before they can make it to the house. Enter Julien, the handsome Frenchman whom Heidi has known since her childhood summer vacations in France; he is also suffering a heartbreak owing to the recent breakup of his marriage--and it starts to look like things might get better for Heidi. But not before Charlotte is revealed to be pregnant, and her eccentric baby daddy shows up unannounced. VERDICT Readers who enjoy widow lit like Lolly Winston's Good Grief and Jane Green's The Beach House or travel-induced transformation books like Frances Mayes's Under the Tuscan Sun and Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love will find common themes in Asher's (pen name of Julianna Baggott) engaging third novel after My Husband's Sweethearts and The Pretend Wife and become quickly invested in the lives of the deftly drawn characters. [Library marketing.]--Karen Core, Detroit P.L.

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