When Summer Doesn't Go as Planned

Every summer, my family gathers somewhere in the world.

It's one of those traditions that has become the heartbeat of our year. We rent one big house and, for three glorious weeks, we all live under the same roof. It's loud. It's chaotic. Someone is always making coffee, someone else is cooking, the kids are running barefoot from room to room, and the conversations somehow continue until well past midnight.

It's my favorite time of the year!

Our little crew is spread across the globe these days. There's my mom, my brother, my sister, her husband and their three daughters, my younger sister who now lives in Australia, and us three, living in Arizona. Somehow, despite the miles between us, we've always made it work. We still make our annual winter trip back to Europe, plan one big family vacation together every summer, and my mom comes to spend a month or two with us in the U.S. twice a year (It's a huge privilege, i know).

We've made memories in the South of France, Spain, Belgium, Florida... and each year we start counting down to the next one before we've even unpacked our suitcases.

But this year was different.

Life had other plans. Between schedules, logistics, and a handful of unfortunate circumstances, our annual trip simply didn't happen.

I'll admit it, I had major FOMO.

Not because I missed a destination, but because I missed them. Time with the people you love is one of those things you can never get back. Children grow, parents get older, nieces become teenagers, and somehow another summer slips by.

So, instead of boarding a plane, I did the next best thing. I opened a book, and for a few hours, I could almost convince myself I was there.

If you're craving a little escape too, here are a few of my favorite books set in France that might transport you there :

Happy reading... and here's to next summer.

1) My Own Magic: A Reappearing Act by Anna Kloots

Despite what appeared to be a glamorous existence full of globetrotting adventures, behind the scenes, Anna felt invisible in her own life. Consumed by a marriage that left no space for her own desires and creativity, she chose to reframe the failure of her marriage as an opportunity to begin again.

It was Anna’s innate sense of adventure and love for the unknown that led her to move abroad; travel around the world, visiting 80 countries; start her own business; and marry a magician, all before her mid-twenties. From the outside, her jet-setting lifestyle alongside her husband looked perfect. But though she appeared to have all the freedom in the world, in reality she was trapped in a slow-motion disappearing act.

When her marriage collapsed, she decided to use her unhappy ending as a chance for a new beginning—a reappearance into her own life and sense of exploration and discovery, letting each destination challenge, change, and shape her.

She then decides to settle in Paris to start over!

2) The Languedoc Trilogy by Kate Mosse (not the iconic model from the 90'S)

The three novels in the series are Labyrinth, Sepulchre, and Citadel. I was hooked almost from the first paragraph. The trilogy weaves a tale of courage and mystery that spans centuries, with Mosse’s deep historical research adding intrigue to each narrative.

In Labyrinth, Alice Tanner stumbles upon two skeletons during an archaeological dig and is thrust into a 13th-century quest for the Holy Grail, with enemies from both past and present chasing her.

Sepulchre follows the story of Meredith Martin, whose research on Debussy leads her to a mysterious estate in southern France, where a dark family secret and a haunted past come to light.

In Citadel, Sandrine Vidal is drawn into the French Resistance, where she and a group of women fight not only against the Nazis but also a hidden power tied to an ancient manuscript.

The action in all three books is propelled by ancient artifacts, cryptic codes, and the ever-present threat of forces determined to control history’s hidden secrets. As the stories unfold, the characters’ personal struggles mirror the larger battle for truth and survival.

3) My Good Life in France by Janine Marsh

This is another book about a British woman leaving the UK for France, only this time in a rural village in northern France. I first came across Janine through her blog, The Good Life France, and when her book came out, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. I wasn’t disappointed.

The book starts with Janine’s decision to leave her corporate London life for the tranquility of rural France. After a spontaneous trip to the north of France, Janine impulsively buys a dilapidated farmhouse in the Pas-de-Calais region. What follows is her journey of transforming the house, and her life, while embracing the quirks of French village living.

From navigating the challenges of renovating an old home to adapting to the French way of life, Janine’s story is filled with humor and warmth. She shares the ups and downs of her new lifestyle, from dealing with eccentric neighbors to caring for a growing number of rescue animals.

4) The Little French Bistro by Nina George

Known also for The Little Paris Bookshop. It tells the uplifting story of Marianne, a 60-year-old woman who leaves her unhappy, loveless marriage of 41 years after a dramatic turning point in Paris and travels to the rugged coast of Brittany, France. Cute and fresh. An easy read!

5) The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

The story follows Jess, a broke young woman from England, who travels to Paris to stay with her half-brother, Ben. When she arrives, Ben is missing, and his upscale apartment building is full of secretive, hostile neighbors who all have something to hide. Jess arrives in Paris with no money and no job, only to find Ben gone and his apartment empty except for signs of a hurried cleanup. Jess starts asking questions and searching his things. She learns Ben was a journalist working on a dangerous story. The chapters switch between different narrators. Readers see the events through Jess, select neighbors, the building concierge, and flashbacks from Ben. A gripping thriller that I finished in 2 days!