Monday, May 4, 2015

Review: The Frenchman (Crime Royalty #1) by Lesley Young

Book coverThe Frenchman (Crime Royalty #1) by Lesley Young
Purchase link: Amazon

My rating: star star star star

Heat rating: Flame  Flame  Flame  Flame


From bestselling Soulmate author of the Cassiel Winters Series

"This is certainly a 'STOP EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING, AND BUY THIS NOVEL' read!"--eReading Addict

Fleur Smithers rarely veers off the straight and (excruciatingly) narrow. So moving to the seaport town of Toulon to live with her newfound biological mother--an inspector with the French National Police--for one year is a pretty major detour.

Son of France's crime royalty family and international rugby star, Louis Messette, is devoted to his sport, famille and nothing else. But the carefree American he meets one night changes everything. She sparks a desire in him like no other. Possession takes root. She will do as he commands.

Bit by bit Fleur slips into the Frenchman's realm of wanton pleasure agreeing to his one condition: that she keep their affair secret. She serves up her heart without reservation in the hub of the glittering Côte d'Azur, and the along the soulful Seine in Paris, unaware of the danger she is in. For her new lover's family business will pit her against her mother, the police woman sworn to bring down the Messettes. And by then, far more than Fleur's heart will be on the line.

PRAISE FOR THE FRENCHMAN

"Louis is the kind of guy who makes you shudder with a simple touch and a fleeting glance. The kind of guy who, when he looks at you, makes you feel like the most beautiful and most precious person in the world. The kind of guy you'd easily and undoubtedly get lost in. MY KIND OF GUY. (sigh)" --Chaotic Reader

"I have a feeling I am going to say "Oui" more often now!"--Adventures in Bookland

"This was my first read from Lesley Young and it certainly won't be my last." --Little Miss Trainwreck

"If you liked Kresley Cole's "The Professional" then you'll love this." -- Jedi Kitty, Goodreads Member

Woo wee! A steamy read! Great characters, you won't put this book down. A perfect mix of sexiness, passion and mystery. You won't regret this choice, do it, DO IT!--Kristy Myers, Goodreads Member

I am delighted with this story.

When I started reading it, I thought it was cute. Well, I thought Fleur was cute and she was but she was also naive and innocent. Say what you like, but I have a soft spot for a naive virgin. I enjoyed Fleur's naiveté and her rose colored view of the world. She might have been naive but she was not stupid. I liked that even as her world crumbled around her, she found the strength to carry on. When you think she is facing her hardest challenge yet and she's going to give up, she finds an inner strength that surprises you, all the while maintaining a hope and freshness in her view of her world. She believed in the world she wanted to live in and she fought for it. For that, she makes a great heroine in my book.

Louis was a caveman. He was dark, broody and mercurial. His mood swings gave me whiplash and if he was a total alpha male. If I had to interact with him in real life, he would drive me batty. I can't handle a man who does not communicate and who speaks in riddles but when it comes to a book boyfriend, I melt just a little bit inside. With Louis, you need to read between the lines. You need to see past what he doesn't say and look at his actions to see how much Fleur means to him in the things that he does. There's not a lot of detail but there's enough to draw a pretty romantic conclusion.
A favorite moment in the story: Fleur sends Louis an email asking for help. Her response is rather unconventional and one that would spark a reaction from Louis. Instead of Louis, someone else responds. "Dear Fleur: He left in a a hurry. He says to tell you it's taken care of. Laetitia. PS. I am sorry for delay. My phone was in the wall." ... As I said, you have to read between the lines.

There are some unexpected twists in this story that surprised me. I enjoyed those twists in the story as they gave it more depth and flavor.

I loved that Fleur is a food blogger as it falls close to home since I write a cooking blog. I found it amusing that she didn't like the cleaning up part and neither do I. I'm fortunate that my husband does the cleaning up when I cook. :-)

The only criticism I have of this book is how Ms Young handled the French translations into English so that the non-French speaker knew what the French words meant. I thought that she could have found a more inventive way of translating the words for the reader than she did. She's a tad too fond of putting things in parenthesis for my liking but it didn't interrupt the flow of the reading. I guess I was somewhat impatient with it as I speak a little French and understood most of the French without translation.

I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

View all my reviews


Other books in the series:

bk2


About the author
auLesley Young is a genre-defying author of unforgettable heroines who experience thrilling life- and love-altering journeys. Her debut novel was Sky's End; her most recent stand-alone series, Crime Royalty Romance, includes The Frenchman and The Australian. She loves to hear from readers.

Author links: Website - Facebook - Twitter - Goodreads





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