Meet Me in Monaco

May 6, 2019
With glamour, perfume, and romance, Gaynor and Webb’s second collaborative novel (after Last Christmas in Paris) is a scrumptious concoction served up with delectable descriptions and heaps of emotion. James Henderson, scrabbling by as a tabloid photographer in 1955 London, is 35, divorced, and uncertain in his parenting skills. Visiting Cannes, he ignominiously fails to snap a red carpet photo of Grace Kelly; while chasing down the elusive star, he follows her into the shop of 33-year-old Sophie Duval, a second-generation parfumeur, whose livelihood is on the brink. Grace gains sanctuary, Sophie gains an influential client, and Jim negotiates access to a photo op between Grace and Prince Rainier. His irate editor fires him anyway, freeing Jim to pursue the photos that interest him—and reconnect with the “intriguing” Frenchwoman who thwarted him. Sophie, meanwhile, must navigate the demands of her widowed, alcoholic mother and businessman boyfriend as she tries to parlay Grace’s patronage into new life for her business. Jim’s occasional reappearances warm Sophie’s heart but distract her from her goals. He is in love, yet constantly tugged homeward by ties to family and friends. Sweet, then bitter, then sweet again, the love story is woven through with Grace’s fairy-tale romance with Rainier and its devastating ending
, snatching redemption from tragedy in the best Hollywood style. Agent: Michelle Brower, Aevitas Creative Management.

June 21, 2019

France's Côte d'Azur and the original "wedding of the century"--the 1956 nuptials of American actress Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco--are the setting for this jewel of a novel by the authors of Last Christmas in Paris. The intermingled narratives of Sophie Duval, a struggling French perfumer; James Henderson, a British press photographer; and the future Princess Grace of Monaco conjure a heady blend of romance, tragedy, and period detail. When Grace Kelly pops into Sophie's shop in order to escape the pursuing paparazzi at the Cannes Film Festival, they start a friendship that will last a lifetime. James Henderson, one of the pursuers, follows Grace into the shop and is smitten with the charming and clever Sophie, who has hidden the actress in her office. Their friendship and eventual romance, too, will endure a long time. VERDICT A sparkling tale that will delight Francophiles and fans of historical fiction alike. These characters are engaging and expertly drawn, and their story is as evocative as the lingering traces of a fine eau de parfum. [See Prepub Alert, 1/7/19.]--Carolyn M. Mulac, Chicago

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2019
Gaynor and Webb's second collaboration (Last Christmas in Paris, 2017) is set among the glitz and glamour of the Cannes Film Festival. When Grace Kelly enters Sophie Duval's family perfume shop looking for a place to hide from a persistent American photographer, Sophie gives Grace shelter and sparks an unexpected life-long friendship between the two women. While James doesn't get the photograph he wants that day, he never forgets his brief encounter with Sophie. But with a young daughter at home and a career to pursue, James can't afford to be distracted by a charming French woman. When James later accepts an assignment to travel from New York to Monaco aboard the SS Constitution with the Kelly wedding party, he dreams only of seeing Sophie again. Gaynor and Webb make history come alive with a beautifully crafted and expertly paced story of one of history's most celebrated stars. Their artful blend of history and imagination is a deeply satisfying tale of love and friendship, and a reminder of the power of second chances to determine our fate.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)