Title: Tout Sweet: Hanging Up My High Heels for a New Life in France
Author: Karen Wheeler
ISBN: 978-1-4022-6118-3
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Pages: 320
Format: Trade Paperback
$14.99 US
How I read It: Trade Paperback ARC sent from Publisher
Rating: 4 Crowns
Thirty something fashion editor Karen has it all: a handsome boyfriend, a fabulous flat in west London, and an array of gorgeous shoes. But when her boyfriend leaves, she makes an unexpected decision to hang up her Manolos and waves good-bye to her glamorous city lifestyle to go it alone in a run-down house in rural Poitou-Charentes, central western France
Acquiring a host of new friends and unsuitable suitors, she learns that true happiness might be found in the simplest of things--a bike ride through the countryside on a summer evening, or a glass of wine or three in her neighbor’s courtyard.
(from the back of the arc)
My Thoughts:
There is a blurb on the back of the book that states:
Tout Sweet is the perfect read for anyone who dreams of chucking away their BlackBerry in favor of real blackberrying and downshifting to a romantic, alluring locale where new friendships, and new loves, are just some of the treasures to be found amongst life’s simple pleasures.
Tout Sweet is indeed the book to do just that. A memoir in novel form, this book chronicles Karen’s move from her crazy London life to the peaceful countryside of France. Having finally had enough of her life as a fashion editor, she decides that there must be more to life than putting up with spoiled photographs and the hubbub that comes with a high profile job. Accepting an invitation from a friend she made in a writing course, Karen realizes that she has truly fallen in love with the French countryside and purchases a rundown house. We see the formation of the house as well as that of her new life in France.
I have to say I had a hard time finding a bit of peace and quiet so that I could sit down and read this book due to a new roof being installed. Although once I finally was able to escape from the noise, I found that I could not put this book down. A very charming book truly makes you want trade in your city lifestyle for that of the countryside.
Being both a contemporary and French themed, I was surprised that I liked this book as well as I did.
About the Author:
Karen Wheeler is a former fashion editor for the Mail on Sunday and currently writes for the Financial Times How to Spend It magazine and London’s Daily Mail. Her work has appeared in the Evening Standard and You magazines, Sunday Times Style, and numerous international publications. A three-time winner of the prestigious Jasmine Literary Award for writing about perfume, she specializes in fashion, beauty and luxury goods trends. Karen also has a great blog at www.toutsweet.net and Twitters @mimipompom1
Visit Angela Renne @ Renee's Reads
1 comment:
I think I would like this one too!
Thanks for the review.
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