Gold – digger or no gold – digger?

Synopsis

Lesley has always fancied herself as an amateur sleuth, a sort of modern day Miss Marple without the support stockings.

So when Al wants to hire her to investigate his elderly uncle’s young fiancée, she jumps at the chance. It doesn’t hurt that the job will involve posing as Al’s girlfriend and joining his glitzy, star-studded family on holiday in Nice.

Stella still can’t quite believe she’s engaged to legendary actor Sir Peter Bradshaw. She accepted what she thought was a deathbed proposal. Now she has a living, breathing fiancé and a wedding to plan.

First, though, she has to get through a holiday in the South of France with Peter’s extended family, who all seem convinced she’s a gold-digger with her sights set on the family fortune.

As Lesley bonds with Stella over shopping trips and bottles of rosé, she thinks she has it all figured out. After all, it’s no great mystery why a young woman would marry a fabulously wealthy seventy-two-year-old with a heart condition, is it? It’s an old story.

And Al may be the nicest boyfriend she’s ever had (even if he is fake), but Lesley believes in instant attraction and there’s just no spark … no matter how fit he looks in his swimming trunks. So there’s no chance he’s going to grow on her.

But people have a way of surprising you, as she’s about to discover …

My review

Lesley and Al meet at a Dinner Date, but from her side there is no spark, even if Al wants to have an actual date with her.
As she believes that the attraction has to be instant, she quickly dismisses Al, making it clear that there is nothing between them.

When after a while Al reappears, it’s not because he’s a stalker, but because he wants to hire her as a private detective, as that’s what Lesley told what her profession was.
For her it’s a dream coming true, because not only she will finally be able to be real detective, but she also gets to investigate Al’s Uncle’s fiancée. This because his uncle is not only an elder, but also famous and rich actor Peter Bradshaw.
Together with Al, they decide to pose as a couple and go together to Nice where the whole Bradshaw family will enjoy a holiday.

Slowly Lesley and Stella (being the Fiancée) befriend each other, but also between Lesley and Al seems to be growing something.
Will Lesley find out the truth everyone is so certain of? And what about her feelings for Al?

I truly enjoyed reading this story!
Reading about Lesley made me really laugh, as she has so strict ideas about falling in love, which are in truth so absurd!
Al gave me initially the creeps, but when he returns in the story, he’s just this great guy just wanting the best for his family.

Lesly her doubts about Al are typical for someone who is looking for love, but also afraid to give her heart away. Will her heart be broken?
Things only get more complicated for Lesley when it seems that Al his ex is still around… is it really over between the 2 of them?

From the start you get the idea that Stella is truly a gold – digger, but when we get to know her better, there is this sense of not understanding.
Stella has a deep secret, she wants to prevent to come out. But Peter’s family will do what they can to expose her. And even his sons won’t be afraid of playing dirty to prevent their father from being played by a gold – digger.

It seems a story where you know what the result will be, the only question is when.
But don’t get fooled, as I was left flabbergasted as I didn’t see that one coming at all! (NO SPOILERS!!!).

This book is categorized as a romantic comedy, but in my opinion, it was more than just a comedy…
It isn’t afraid to talk about negative aspects in life and its consequences.
But it also talks about a heavy subject being more and more accepted by society, with the exception of several people with blinders on…
But the author managed to write about this so respectfully that my esteem just grew bigger than before!