Three generations living now together in France, can they become closer after being adrift for so long?

Synopsis

A family reunited after a twenty-year estrangement, will discover secrets that change their lives forever…

Gabriella Jacques, is happy to be back in her childhood home, Villa Espoir in the South of France ready to embrace fresh experiences with friends new and old and to heal some deep family scars.

Recently widowed Harriet Rogers, hopes to rebuild her family life and reconnect with Elodie, the daughter she abandoned into her mother Gabby’s care to follow her heart. But when an acquaintance from the past seeks her out, Harriet fears a secretfrom her past will ruin her plans.

Elodie Jacques, adores her new life in her Grandmothers old home as a freelance journalist. Her relationship with her mother is tense as she struggles to understand why her mother won’t talk to her about the past, as until their past is resolved, there can be no future.

Will these three women, all living under the same roof after two decades adrift be able to put aside the past and find harmony in the present together?

My review

After spending last Christmas in the South of France, Gabriella and her granddaughter Elodie have finally moved permanently to Juan-les-Pins in the South of France. Even if the relationship is still strained, also Gabby’s daughter, and thus Elodie’s mother, Harriet is moving to Gabby’s childhood home.
Harriet hopes that she can have a chance to make amends, and make Elodie forgive her for abandoning her daughter.
But all that Elodie want is to understand why she was left behind. Because no matter how amazing Gabby looked after her, a young girl always wants her mother.
And all that Gabby truly wants, is that the people she loves the most find their way back to each other.  

After finishing Christmas On The Riviera, I was left with many unanswered questions. While it ended on a rather happy note, there were still unfinished business, and I needed to know what would happen once the women made their move.
Yes, I know these are all fictional characters, but it only shows how easy it is to get invested by the characters written by this amazing author. 

And obviously, I didn’t get disappointed! 

After finishing this lovely book, I honestly cannot say who my favourite character is. Because they are all three amazing, lovely and strong. Yet they are also vulnerable in their own specific ways and have all endured hardship one way or another.
I thought I would struggle more to like one character, yet having her full story, made me realize that not everything is always as simple as it looks. 

Having three generations living together under one roof cannot be easy, as there is obviously a generation gap. And then there is also the issue of Harriet’s past behaviour.
At first I hade my own judgement ready, yet the more I got into this story of three women trying to reconnect somehow, I could understood each woman separately so well.
I comprehended Elodie’s need to know, but also her keeping her distance and not fully trusting her own mother. 

But I also understood Harriet, after knowing what she has been through, trying to bond again with her daughter. But also with a blast from her past, her wish to do the right thing and respecting Elodie’s boundaries, and not rushing into things, made me see Harriet in a whole different, better, shinier light. 

And then there is Gabby, the matriarch of the family, whose greatest wish is to see her family united again. But as being older, she is also wiser and knows such things need time, from each side.  

It was lovely walking around in Juan-les-Pins again, discovering new places, meeting new and old friends and most of all seeing three women building a new life, starting a new adventure, together.
This story felt like while going back to the past, it allowed the characters to make great positive steps towards the future. 

Obviously there is some romance in it too, some not so surprising, yet others were. But the focus of love was that between these three women. Love that despite error and trial never disappeared but also love that needed to be reconquered. It made me realize that  love comes naturally, but also needs to be fought for. It can be a difficult fight, yet the result is a very rewarding one. 

I found this a wonderful return, where many burning questions were answered but also with several beautiful surprises. There were also some developments that weren’t that surprising however still amazing to read them.
It was truly marvellous to read how the strained relationships between these women slowed changed and it warmed my heart to see that in the end, it’s never too late…