Between The Lines

Author: Glynis Astie

Published: February 2014 by Tikinou Publishing

Category: Contemporary Fiction/Romance

I received a copy from the author in return for an honest review

'Sydney Bennett is back! And her pursuit of perfection is alive and well. Naïve to the core, Sydney believed that when she finally married the man of her dreams, the hard part was over. Following a civil ceremony as a means to keep Louis from being deported, Sydney continues to plan the fairytale wedding that she had dreamed of since the age of five. Much to her chagrin, she discovers that her mother-in-law is planning what seems to be a rival wedding in France that SHE has been dreaming about for her only child since before he was born. How will poor Sydney be able to ensure two perfect weddings in the midst of Louis’ fruitless job search? Especially when her mother-in-law’s idea of perfection appears to be having Sydney embarrass herself in front of hundreds of French people that she has never met?'

Sydney Bennet oops sorry, Sidney Durand is back with a bang! We left Sydney and Louis, after a very speedy romance and a civil ceremony, settling down to married life. Of course, being Sydney nothing is straightforward, and she now has two more weddings to navigate. One in America for her family and another, much scarier one, in France for Louis’ family. So between coping with wedding preparations, financial pressures, a very pregnant sister and a formidable mother-in-law she can’t actually talk to (think language barrier) Sidney is unraveling at the seams.

'One way or the other, I was going to have to go to France to meet the Durand family. I could pull the usual Crazy Sidney fare and freak out all over the place or I could make a serious attempt to change my perspective.'

If Sidney thought it would all be happy ever after now she and Louis were married she was about to be proved seriously wrong, one point of contention being Louis’ ‘crotch rocket!' I’m saying nothing more! Except..I laughed out loud.

There’s fun and frolics and lots of Sydney type meltdowns in this continuing story of romance tempered with the realism of marriage and the dawning awareness that it takes hard work and full time commitment.

Actually I can completely sympathise with the crazy, neurotic side of Sydney. She's totally out of her comfort zone, taking into consideration a trip to foreign country, feeling a little intimidated, unable to speak or understand the language and thrust into the middle of a large, unknown family. And on top of all that there were Louis’ ex girlfriends to deal with. There was one plus though. The French pastries!

'To say that I was a deer caught in headlights would have been severe understatement. I was a deer caught in headlights with my hind legs dangling off a precipice. Over a pit of lava. With poisonous gas rising towards me.'

This is an excellent addition to the Sydney and Louis saga and I’m looking forward to French Fry and more Sydney mania!