Facing the past in Cannes.

Synopsis

A sweeping, bittersweet love story amidst the glitz and the glamour of the French Riviera.

Two very different women are starring in their own real-life dramas behind the scenes of the Cannes Film Festival.

Newly in love, Anna Carson returns to the Festival for the first time in nearly 40 years hoping to reconcile her past with her present-day happiness. 

Journalist Daisy Harris is looking for a big scoop at her first Festival and is determined to embrace her new single status amongst all the glitz and glamour.

Behind the champagne and parties, secrets from the past are bubbling to the surface and difficult decisions need to be taken.

One thing’s for certain – by the end of the Film Festival their lives will have changed forever…

My review

When you think of Cannes, there is 1 event that you think of: the Film Festival.
Anna Carson returns to the Festival after nearly 40 years avoiding the place. But this year she cannot runaway, as her film will be projected.
Daisy Harris is a young journalist, grabbing the opportunity to write about the Festival.

Anna rented the cottage of Daisy’s sister, so by sheer coincidence the two very different people meet.
Behind all the glitter and glamour of the Film Festival, Anna must face her past she avoided for so many years, while Daisy is figuring out what she really wants from her personal life and her career as a journalist.

A story taking place around the Cannes Film Festival, it’s like combining 2 of my favorite things: books and movies. So I immediately jumped to the opportunity to read this book. And I got more than I thought!

From the first time we meet Anna, we know she has a big secret. And her resolution is to come clean about with the involved people. But tragedy strikes again and Anna feels she lost the opportunity. Luckily for her, she can rely on Leo, her unexpected love of her life.
But when we get to know her secret, it’s not the end of the book.

The burdens Anna is carrying for so many years are not so easy to be exposed. But you see the difference in Anna once it’s out there. She is no longer ashamed of what happened 40 years ago, but is ready to embrace the past and build a future together with her love Leo.

Daisy is at a crossroad: she is enjoying her life as a single woman, but as her work is not such a certainty anymore, she has to decide what her next step will be.
Is chasing famous people to find a scoop her true calling? Or is it time for her to pursue her dream and just work freelance?

I truly enjoyed reading this book, as it was nice to grasp the excitement of the Film Festival. The energy just came out of the book!
But not only the excitement of Cannes was what I liked, also the way the author exposed each and every feeling.
I felt the pain Anna was having, and understood why it was so hard to come clean about everything.
Also Daisy’s enthusiasm was contagious. While she was writing her own finding about Cannes, I could sense her excitement.
But the way Daisy dealt with her discoveries was admirable. Being a journalist, it would have been so easy to take advantage of the situation and make it easier for her. But this would have been so out of character, as we get to know Daisy as a lovely, caring lady. And her meeting with a ‘nanny’ was just adorable!

An amazing story taking place in an amazing setting, which made me feel like I was finding myself in Cannes!