by Jennifer Bohnet, narrated by Julia Franklin

An Audiobook review by Jackie Houchin

I enjoyed ONE SUMMER IN MONTE CARLO, especially having just visited the Principality in the last few weeks. Jennifer Bohnet brought the setting alive, particularly with the yachts in the harbor, and the set-up and anticipation of the Monaco Grand Prix Auto Race.

One of the main characters – Zack Ewart – is a top driver in the Grand Prix circuit and Nanette’s former fiancé. But that was three years before and it ended badly in a monstrous auto crash. When her memory of the crash begins to come back, she has many questions, but Zack refuses to answer them. The truth finally comes out in two emotion-packed scenes.

Nanette took the job in Monte Carlo as a nanny to her best friend’s school-age twins while Vanessa and her husband spend three months in the rain forest of Brazil filming a documentary. The book bounces back and forth between Nanette in Monte Carlo and Vanessa in Brazil. At first this is confusing, but it all comes together at the end and works well.

While Nanette is enjoying the twins, and especially their grandfather Jean Claude, danger, intrigue, and mystery spin around her. Eventually she is caught up in the whirlwind. Will she be able to escape unscathed this time?

I recommend this book to those who enjoy settings in other countries, a bit of intrigue and mystery, gentle romance, and a look at “green” concerns in the world.

The one thing I wasn’t thrilled about was the narrator. In trying to change her voice for the different characters, and attempting the foreign accents she made whole sections of the story very hard to understand. In this case, a print book might have been better.

FOUR stars.

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