2 out of 4 stars
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Katie’s marriage ended just one month after her wedding day. It only took that long for her loving boyfriend of over 4 years to show his cheating, manipulative side. Katie decides to put some distance between herself and her heartbreak, so she moves from her hometown of Coventry to Mouans-Sartoux, France. She has to start over from scratch, making new friends and finding a new job, but she’s determined to forget her ill-fated romance. On the other hand, French men make such tempting lovers.
Katie is a strong and independent – if not slightly mentally unstable – female protagonist. She is unapologetically sexy and alluring to men without making too much of an effort, if the number of her suitors are anything to go by. However, she is also human and makes mistakes. Her decision to move to a completely different country is burdensome and a decision that she questions often, but her genuine love for France is something that goes through the pages and into the reader.
The scenery in the novel is very vivid, most likely coming from the author’s personal experiences. From restaurant names to tourist areas in nearby towns, nothing about Katie’s journey is vague. I’m sure whatever did not come from personal experience was given proper research to add authenticity to the novel, and it truly shows.
Unfortunately, the scenic setting was not enough for me. Throughout the entire novel, I had a hard time sympathizing with Katie, even knowing all the horrible things she went through. Her tendency to adopt a blasé attitude whenever she was uncomfortable came off as almost rude, and yet men kept coming her way. Despite worrying and fretting over what she should do with the lovers in her life, she gave under very little pressure and provided the reader little in terms of reactions towards her own personal faults.
However, this may have to do with MacLeod’s unique writing style. I personally found it hard to connect with any of the characters, as they were all quite flat and 2D. Or rather, they were written to be 3D, but the bland and textbook descriptions created a barrier between the words and my imagination. I felt that MacLeod relied too heavily on dialogue to move the story along, but in all honesty there wasn’t much of a story in terms of climax or resolution. If felt as if I was reading the very long diary of a woman who strung along men while taking an exceedingly long vacation in France. There was no wrap-up or overview of past events, and no thoughtful words of advise from Katie. After the last page, there was just no more.
Because I personally had a hard time getting through the novel and didn’t particular enjoy it, I can only give Katie Cannes 2 out of 4 stars. However, fans of travel literature or those who have an interest in Spanish or French cultures might get a kick out of it. Readers who enjoy slow-burn romances might enjoy it more than the typical erotic novel. Be warned, though – there are a few quite descriptive love scenes. This novel is definitely targeted at mature audiences.
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Katie Cannes
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How confusing!
