Charlotte NashBesprekingen

The romantic aspect was fairly predictable, but there was a bit of mystery as well to keep me interested. The main character was appealing to me too.

The Paris Wedding by Charlotte Nash is an engrossing novel of healing and moving on.

Ten years earlier, Rachael West selflessly changes her plans to go to college after her mother after a devastating medical diagnosis. Little does she realize that this decision will cost her the future she and her high school sweetheart Matthew Grant planned together. Matthew went on to fulfill his dream of becoming a doctor but he broke her heart when he unexpectedly ended their relationship. Despite the passage of time, Rachael is stunned by how hurt she is after receiving an invitation to Matthew's wedding. It is quite clear to Rachael that while her ex has clearly moved on, she is still in love with him. Deciding the best way to get over Matthew is to watch him exchange vows with his fiancée Bonnie, Rachael and her best friend Sammy Voss are soon off to Paris for the nuptials. Will Rachael finally break free from the bonds that tie her to the past?

Rachael has absolutely no regrets about staying on the family farm to care for her mother, but an overheard conversation makes her feel very inadequate. Paralyzed with indecision about what she wants for her future, she instead focuses on trying to get over Matthew. The all expense paid trip to Paris is undeniably a distraction, but she is definitely still pining over her lost love despite the new opportunities that come her way. Rachael has many stellar qualities but her constant indecision is extremely frustrating. She also has a HUGE blind spot where Matthew is concerned and this inability to the man he has become leads Rachael down a destructive (and embarrassing) path.

Also in attendance is charming photographer Antonio Ferranti who is photographing the festivities as a favor for Bonnie. He and Rachael strike up an enjoyable friendship that has the potential to turn to romance. However, with Rachael confused about what to do with Matthew, will the opportunity for a new beginning slip through her fingers?

The Paris Wedding is a heartwarming albeit exasperating journey of personal discovery for Rachael and her friends. Rachael is a compassionate and caring young woman who is surprised by the uncertainty that plagues her after losing her mom. The story's settings are absolutely exquisite and Charlotte Nash effortlessly brings both Paris and the Australian Outback vibrantly to life. The novel ends on an uplifting note with a lovely epilogue that is quite delightful.

A light beach read that was somewhat enjoyable. I didn't like the immature heroine, her sister, her best friend and her ex-boyfriend but I loved the settings of Australia and Paris. Great descriptions that made me want to visit both places someday. There were some good characters I liked especially Yvette. I thought the plot line was rather improbable but fun to read about an all expense paid trip to Paris. This is not a romance but has a slight romantic element. Everything came together in the epilogue - heroine finally grows up. Take this book along for your next vacation trip, nothing too heavy, with a decent ending.

This book was a fun, easy, light story and I would recommend it for lovers of chick-lit and maybe even for a beach read. While I love anything based in Paris, I did find the entire premise of the book quite absurd. First off, under no circumstances should an ex be invited to your wedding, especially if it's someone you haven't even talked to in a decade. I also thought that main character Rachael was kind of pathetic and unrelateable pining over a guy who dumped her for ten years and then going to his wedding for "closure."However, if you're ready to suspend all sense of logic and reality, it can be a cute book and I wish there was a story of the sisters' relationship instead of this ex from years past.

A difficult story to get into (warning: it doesn't start off romantically at all), once Rachel arrives in Paris and starts exploring the world outside her small farm in rural Australia everything starts to come together. There's a small town aspect to the story, with the postmistress and town baker (and Elvis fan) being not only neighbors but arch-rivals. Everything comes together in Paris, though, with enough drama and emotion and twists and turns to keep the pages turning. I can't say I was rooting for Rachel the whole time, but by the end, I wanted her to get her happily ever after.½

This was a fun summer read and could be labeled as "chick lit." I haven't been to Paris, but have read other books and have seen movies set there, so I could imagine Rachael and Sammy finding their way around.½

An enjoyable quick read, perfect for vacation reading. Some interesting characters, including a strong female protagonist populate this novel about chasing your real dreams. It explores the twists and turns that sometimes surprise us as we make our way through life. After all, as John Lennon sang - "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans." I don't believe a novel about "romance" must necessarily be considered of less literary value. Also, setting a love story in Paris can be trite, but in Ms Nash's capable hands, it is charming.½

This was a good book overall. I really enjoyed the descriptions of places she visited in Paris. It reminded me of my trip there. The love story was good. A little predictable but it wasn't a perfect story all wrapped up with a bow like a Hallmark movie. The characters actually seemed real with real issues. I'm going to pass this book on to friends to read. Which is saying a lot for me :)

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Rachael West is grieving the death of her mother, whom she has helped for the past ten years as her mom lived through the worsening effects of MS. By choosing to help her mom, Rachael has missed out on attending university and starting a career like her other friends. Now she has received an invitation to the wedding of her first love, Matthew. Rachael thinks attending the wedding is her chance to finally have closure on the relationship. This was an entertaining and quick read. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Paris Wedding was all I expected it to be. An enjoyable romance with travel, past loves, best friends, and quirky small town people. It was a quick read and interesting story. Not the usual boy meets girl boy gets girl kind of romance I'm used to, which I found refreshing. Thankful for the opportunity to read this book.

I won this book in an Early Reviewers giveaway.

It turned out to be more of a romance novel than I expected.The plot was preposterous, but the places in the novel were well researched. There was also some overly purple prose which at times was laughably bad, but overall it was fairly well-written. In that sense, it reminded me of Emily Giffen's books.So, on balance it was a good beach read.

The Paris Wedding was a little too predictable and fluffy for me; it seems to scream "Hallmark Channel Movie!" I can recommend it for some easy-to-read chick lit for the beach. 3 out of 5 stars

4.5 stars I loved the story, loved the mature attitudes of the characters, and the romance was done right. This was a romance book I could believe and be surprised by. I just finished and miss this little world already. I was pleasantly shocked with the maturity this authors characters showed during some really testing moments. I expected the normal behaviors most books seem to have but no these "people" acted like adults. Amazing, yes ? I will be reading more from this author. I won this book from The Library Thing site- thank you
Racheal is left behind when her first love moves for school. She stays home on the farm to care for her ailing mother. ten years later her mother dies, she is just starting the recovering period after the funeral when she opens and envelop thinking it's condolences. No, it's a wedding invitation for her first loves wedding in Paris all expenses paid. Shocked hurt and bewildered she still goes in hope of finding closer. She finds a lot of complications, questions and truths. I had the feels all through her adventure, I was mad at her, sad for her, angry at the world for her and finally happy for her. The ending was unexpected and well done.½

Rachel West lives on a farm in a small town in New South Wales, Australia where she spent the last ten years taking care of her mother, who has just died from primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS).

When Rachel was 17, she and her boyfriend Matthew promised to love each other forever, but then Matthew went off to college in Sydney and after six months, broke up with Rachel. Although they were only together for a bit over two years, Rachel has been carrying a torch ever since.

As the book opens, Rachel is still reeling from the loss of her mother when she receives, along with a few other people in town, an invitation to Matthew’s wedding to a woman named Bonnie Quinn. The invitation includes the offer of an all-expenses-paid trip to the venue in Paris; the father of Matthew’s fiancée is very wealthy. At first Rachel doesn’t want to go, but she thinks it might give her closure and allow her to move on from Matthew. She invites her best friend Samantha (“Sammy”) as her date, and they fly off to Paris. She leaves the wheat farm, now hers, in the capable hands of her sister Tess and her husband Joel.

They all stay for a week at the swanky Maison Lutetia, and we follow Rachel and Sammy around as they fall in love with the city. Rachel, to her surprise, also receives a couple of job offers while she is there. She is a seamstress, and everyone is wowed by the dresses she made herself for the wedding week. And one of those impressed is the photographer, Antonio, a dashing photojournalist who is doing this job as a favor to Bonnie.

Although this book seemed like it would be a predictable romance, there are definitely surprises in store, with some unpredictable developments. It all could end disastrously, or not. An epilogue seven months later fills us in.

Evaluation: This book is not only a romance, but a love letter to Paris, and to pastry! Speaking of pastry, there are some delightful side characters, one of whom runs an Elvis-themed French bakery back in Australia called “Blue Suede Choux.” The book is perfect for a light - but not too light - summer read.½

The Paris Wedding is a predictable but albeit charming romance novel. Rachael West is a devoted daughter who gave up her future plans to care for her ailing mother. Coming to terms with her mother’s death, she accepts an invitation to her ex boyfriend’s Paris wedding and ventures from her home in Australia to the uncharted waters of the City of Lights. Trying to put her love for her old boyfriend behind her, Rachael searches for courage to follow her dreams, and to find her place in the world. A quick and enjoyable read with very likable characters.

I was admittedly at fault for requesting this book. I didn't realize it is a romance, which is not a genre I enjoy. The characters and situation seemed stereotypical, although the Paris setting was very well done. It is a very light beach read; just don't expect the characters to leave a lasting impression. Thank you to LibraryThing and to the publisher for providing this book.

Every now and then, it's nice to read a gentle romance. It's not a huge plot---an Australian woman is invited to her ex-boyfriend's wedding in Paris---but the book is filled with a whole slew of delightful characters and the characters are all attending the week-long wedding festivities of a millionaire's daughter, all-expenses paid and the wedding is in Paris. Who wouldn't want to attend?

After reading the blurb, I thought The Paris Wedding by Charlotte Nash would be about the main character, Rachael, putting her past behind her and finding love in Paris. In other words, a beach read that is heavy on the romance. Boy was I wrong. It is really about a young woman finding her place in the world.

Rachael West has been caring for her mother for the past ten years, ever since she was diagnosed with a rare form from MS. Rachael has sacrificed going to college, a career and her first love, all to care for and watch as her mother slowly succumb to the disease. Just after her Mother has passed away, she receives a wedding invitation to Matthew’s, her high school sweet heart, wedding. He is marrying Bonnie Quinn, the daughter of a billionaire and the wedding is in Paris with all expenses paid.

Her first thought is no way is she going to this wedding because, despite the ten years that have passed, she is still in love with Matthew. After urgings from her sister and friends, Rachael decides if she sees Matthew get married she will know he is gone from her life and can move forward at last.

The invitation includes a guest so Rachael asks her best friend Tess to go with her. Once they arrive in Paris, Rachael is awestruck by the opulence of it all and the money it must have taken to arrange this over-the-top wedding. Then she sees Matthew and she knows she should not have come and resolves to return home right away. Finally, after a discussion by phone with her sister, she decides to stick it out. She is determined that she and Tess make the most of this once in a lifetime trip. Of course, we all know what can happen to even the best laid plans…. and it does.

I mentioned at the first, the story, at its heart, is not a romance; yet, there is some of that too. Despite this, I would still put this book in the beach read category. Mainly because it was such an easy read and I breezed through it in one afternoon.

I loved the character of Rachael. Not only was she relatable, she was also believable and the author used her charter to pull me into the story. I had such sympathy for her and at the same time I wanted to shake her to make her see the reality of the situation. When I feel this way about a character, I know the author has done her job well.

There was plenty of drama to keep the story moving along. In addition, there were a couple of twists to the plot that I did not see coming but in hind sight I should have. I think I got so caught up in the story I failed to read the signs. A true case of could not seeing the trees for the woods. This is another affirmation that the author was doing her job well.

Anyone who likes a good beach read will enjoy this one.

I received a free copy from the publisher, via Library Thing’s Early Reviewer program, in exchange for my honest opinion.

For more book reviews, and author interviews, see my blog at www.thespineview.com.

Rachael is heartbroken over her mother's death. At her funeral she overhears how giving up the past 10 years to take care of her mother is time she will never get back. Rachael is trying to grieve and move on when she receives an invitation to Matthew's wedding. Her Matthew, her first love that left her heartbroken 10 years before. She makes a decision to go to Paris for the wedding and FINALLY get over him. I enjoyed reading how Rachael was fighting with herself over her feelings for Matthew. The internal stuggle was real. Matthew was my least favorite character in this story. He was immature and uncaring. If he truly cared for Rachael he would have shown up at her mother's funeral. I feel like Rachael had an excuse in that Matthew was her only relationship and she had not matured much past her high school days in regards to realtionships. I liked how this book ended. I was concerned that it was going to go another direction.

I received a copy of this book from LibraryThing and Haper Collins

Rachael has spent the last ten years caring for her mother on the family farm. After her mother dies she is not sure what she wants to do with her life. Then she receives an invitation to a wedding – but not just any wedding. Her old love Matthew is getting married to the daughter of a very wealthy man and the invitation comes with tickets to Paris as well as a week full of fun in the city. Does she really want to go and see him walk down the aisle? Or will it help her get him out of her system?

Rachael invites her best friend to accompany her on the trip and they head to Paris to explore and experience a world they’ve not seen before. Rachael is an exceptionally talented seamstress so she creates a series of stunning dresses to wear to the parties and to the wedding. She is completely unaware of how she appears to the sophisticated crowd. They all think she belongs.

Her unassuming manner endears her to a variety of people and they see her true worth and a number of opportunities open up to her but she is lost in her grief and in the past and only wants to go back to the way things were. She refuses to see what could be only what might have been.

The premise of the book had me very intrigued ’cause who wouldn’t love to find an envelope with an invitation to a week in Paris in the mail? Paris is a magical city and everyone should see it. As to the characters and their actions – I had some struggles with understanding motivations but I am old. That does not mean I haven’t experienced loss of both a parental and romantic nature. I have always been a forward looking type so the looking back part baffled me. That doesn’t take away from what was an interesting and well written story with some quirky sub plots and lots of hope.

How long would it take you to get over the guy you thought was the love of your life? Would you mourn your relationship for days, months, years? What about a full decade? And if you are still in love with him a decade on despite being dumped for no good reason, would you be able to accept an invitation to this man's wedding to someone else, even if only in hopes of giving yourself closure on your relationship? In Charlotte Nash's new novel, The Paris Wedding, main character Rachael West is faced with just such a decision.

Rachael's mother, who suffered from a fast moving and rare kind of MS, has just died when into her mailbox drops an invitation to Rach's ex-boyfriend's wedding. It's in Paris, all expenses paid. But Rachael has never gotten over Matthew and in the wake of her mother's death, a decade during which she gave up her dreams of university and a life and family with Matthew to stay on the family wheat farm and care for her mother, she is even more conscious than ever of all she gave up, sacrificing the husband and children that so many of her contemporaries now have. Initially she doesn't think she can go to the wedding. Seeing Matthew marry Bonnie, a wealthy Sydney socialite and philanthropist, would be too hard. But then she reasons that maybe actually seeing him commit his life to another woman will help her get over him and move on. So she asks her best friend Sammy to be her plus one as she and the other members of their tiny, rural Australian community travel to Paris for an incredible wedding experience.

Once in Paris, things get impossibly complicated though. Rachael is horrified to discover that she still has feelings for Matthew. She is also intrigued by the sexy wedding photographer, Antonio. She and Sammy get in a fight that tests their friendship; she meets and likes Matthew's fiance Bonnie; and her talent as a seamstress and designer, something she's always thought of only as a hobby, is recognized and applauded. With so many potential futures suddenly open to her, where will her heart lead her? Is that once yearned for life with Matthew her dream or is her dream something else entirely?

Rachael's character initially feels stuck in place. She never regretted staying and caring for her mother but she did make a huge sacrifice to do so. That she hasn't been able to move past her love for Matthew despite not seeing him for a decade is completely believable given the small town and lack of opportunities in it so the reader sympathizes with her feeling of life having passed her by. Although going to Paris is supposed to help her get unstuck, she can't quite let go of that promised life with Matthew even while she's attracted to Antonio. Her waffling between the two men is frustrating because the reader knows for sure early on what the correct choice is. She spends much of the novel wrapped up in her own troubles, without giving a thought to those around her but luckily she's drawn as kind and caring enough that the reader still wants to see her happy and moving forward. Some of the plot threads are fairly predictable (and some seem to be intentionally so), especially those around the secondary characters, but this doesn't detract from the enjoyment of the novel. When Rachael remembers her mother and the things she used to tell her daughter to help her cope with life, her mum offers some lovely, profound, and true sentiments. This is a sweet romance but it's also about facing the future and learning to let go of those who leave you, whether intentionally (a break-up or abandonment) or because they have no choice (death) and it's about figuring out and following a dream no matter how delayed.½

Thank you to Hachette Australia for the eARC of this book.

Browsing on Net Galley one day, I was instantly captivated by the beauty of Iron Junction’s cover – the magnificence of the landscape meant it had to be Western Australia’s Pilbara region, right? So I clicked on the image, hoping that it would be a W.A. based story…and I was correct! (Being my home state, I am firmly of the [biased] opinion that we need more books set here). I was worried at first that this would be in a similar vein to other novels set around the mining industry (the Pilbara is home to many mines, predominantly iron ore) but my concerns were in vain. Iron Junction combines the beautiful W.A. setting with medicine, drama and intrigue – just the kind of thing I love to read.

The book opens as Beth reluctantly attends a party. She doesn’t want to be there – she’s split with her dependable-but-boring fiancé and is not looking forward to telling her family. She’s quit her job as a resident medical officer at a Sydney hospital to try Australia wide locums. Essentially, her life is in a state of flux created by herself to find some meaning. Beth’s first locum position takes her to Iron Junction, a mine town in the Pilbara. She’s there to look after the medical needs of the workers and the town’s residents. Plus, Beth’s a keen photographer, so she can capture some of the rugged beauty of the Pilbara on real film (none of this digital business for her). As she settles into life in Iron Junction, Beth starts to notice several injuries at the mine and a reluctance of the workers to stop working. The mine manager is unsettling. But Beth pushes this aside as she becomes friends with Caitlin, a fellow photographer with life threatening bronchiectasis and Will, a new mine worker. Things start to become heated in Iron Junction and action and drama abound in a race against time…

I enjoyed this book, not only because of the familiar setting, but because of the multi-layered plot. The romance doesn’t take centre stage, but complements the other parts of Beth’s life. The medical focus was interesting with the rotation of patients and affliction that Beth treats and I liked the inclusion of Caitlin and her respiratory problems as an ongoing plot thread. (There were a few liberties taken with Caitlin’s medical condition compared to what happens in real life, but they make for a much more entertaining and intense story, so I don’t mind!) Nash also captures the beauty of the Pilbara region in some detail, from Millstream and Karijini national parks to the coast during the wet (monsoonal) season. This book made me feel proud of the region and all it has to offer (even if some of it is a bit scary). The action is also fast, but not blindingly so.

I found Beth to be an easy character to relate to. She lacks confidence (she takes her medical textbooks away for Christmas to study!) and it’s pleasing to see her belief in herself growing as she becomes independent, away from her family. This is particularly evident during the dramatic finale, where Beth really comes into her own, orchestrating a life-saving operation. The fact that she’s not as confident in her love life with Will, taking one step forward and two steps back was sweet but not annoying. This is partially because Will is such a patient character with a heart of gold. (Those who have read Nash’s previous book, Ryders Ridge, will be interested to know that Will is the brother of Mark and there are some references to him and Daniella). He’s a sweet young man who shares a strong belief in ethical behaviour with Beth, which is one of the reasons why they make such a great team.

Iron Junction is a lovely novel, capturing the essence of the Pilbara and those working there under varied conditions. Well worth a read!

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com

A contemporary rural fiction novel, Iron Junction is Charlotte Nash’s engaging second book, loosely linked to her 2013 debut, Ryders Ridge.

Fleeing a failed engagement and the censure of her family, Doctor Beth Harding accepts a locum position in a small mining town thousands of kilometers from her home in suburban Sydney. Her first week in the clinic, serving the local community and mine workers, runs smoothly but after Beth foolishly gets stuck in the middle of nowhere exploring the surrounding desert, and the mine boss starts interfering in her clinical decisions, she begins to second guess her decision to spend six weeks in Western Australia’s remote Pilbara region. Perhaps she had made the wrong choice to escape Sydney, and Richard? But leaving would mean admitting defeat… and giving up on the chance of something new with engineer, Will Walker.

Romance is a significant element of the plot but the individual emotional development of Beth and Will receives equal emphasis. Both protagonists struggle with self doubt stemming from strained family relations as well as external pressures related to their work at Iron Junction. Their budding relationship is additionally hampered by Beth having just escaped a relationship where she traded her autonomy for acceptance and Will is haunted by a tragedy in his past that has made him believe he is not a worthy of a committed relationship. It is a lot for the pair to negotiate and Nash does well to bring them together in a realistic manner.

Rural and medical romance are regarded as two sub genres of contemporary romance yet Nash successfully blends the two in Iron Junction. The reader is privy to Beth’s consultations with her patients, revealing the types of injuries common to mine workers but the most important subplot explores the limitations of regional medicine by introducing an Aboriginal woman suffering from a serious lung disease as a result of untreated childhood pneumonia. A liaison officer with a talent for photography, Caitlin Murray’s health crisis results in one of the book’s most dramatic moments.

Combining romance and drama in a vivid Australian landscape, I found Iron Junction to be an enjoyable read and I look forward to the next novel from Charlotte Nash.½