A French Wedding

Book excerpt: For fans of The Vacationers and The Little Paris Bookshop: A delicious novel full of romantic entanglements, fiery outbursts, and a range of secrets, about six college friends reuniting on the coast of Brittany to celebrate one of their own's fortieth birthday. "A delightful escape to the French seaside that I, for one, never wanted to leave."—Elin Hilderbrand, #1 New York Times bestselling author of 28 Summers Max is a washed-up rock star who's about to turn forty and feeling nostalgic for his university days. All he says he wants for his birthday is to host his old friends at his house in the French countryside for a weekend of good food and reminiscing. But he has an ulterior motive: Finally ready to settle down, this is his chance to declare his undying love to his best friend, Helen. Max's private chef, Juliette, has just returned to her hometown after a nasty breakup and her parents' failing health move her to sell her dream restaurant in Paris. Still reeling, Juliette throws herself into her job, hoping that the peace and quiet it offers will be the perfect cure for her broken heart. But when Max's friends arrive, the introverted, dreamy Juliette finds herself drawn out of her orderly kitchen and into their tumultuous relationships. A weekend thinking about the past spurs more than one emotional crisis, as the friends take stock of whether they've lived up to their ideals. Together for the first time in years, it's not long before love triangles, abandoned dreams, and long-held resentments bubble over, culminating in a wedding none of them ever expected.