“A fragrant French bonbon of a book: love, glamour, perfume, and paparazzi all circling around the wedding of the century…”–Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of THE ALICE NETWORK and THE HUNTRESS.
Named one of InStyle’s best books to put in your totebag for the summer!
Named one of Popsugar’s best books to put in your beachbag this summer and one of the best books of July!
Set … best books to put in your beachbag this summer and one of the best books of July!
Set in the 1950s against the backdrop of Grace Kelly’s whirlwind romance and unforgettable wedding to Prince Rainier of Monaco, New York Times bestselling author Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb take the reader on an evocative sun-drenched journey along the Côte d’Azur in this page-turning novel of passion, fate and second chances…
Movie stars and paparazzi flock to Cannes for the glamorous film festival, but Grace Kelly, the biggest star of all, wants only to escape from the flash-bulbs. When struggling perfumer Sophie Duval shelters Miss Kelly in her boutique to fend off a persistent British press photographer, James Henderson, a bond is forged between the two women and sets in motion a chain of events that stretches across thirty years of friendship, love, and tragedy.
James Henderson cannot forget his brief encounter with Sophie Duval. Despite his guilt at being away from his daughter, he takes an assignment to cover the wedding of the century, sailing with Grace Kelly’s wedding party on the SS Constitution from New York. In Monaco, as wedding fever soars and passions and tempers escalate, James and Sophie—like Princess Grace—must ultimately decide what they are prepared to give up for love.
more
Fall into the world of fashion and beauty while learning more about the wedding of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco. I could not put this book down until I had finished it. Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb will take youon journey and immerse you in the world of coastal France in the 1950’s. And what a wonderful journey it was as I could see the beauty and feel the excitement of the wedding of the century! Highly recommend this book!
Just fun! Very quick read but written in a way that you can picture every scene in beautiful France!
I. Tried
Biographer Donald Spoto once said, “From such casual, spontaneous decisions does one’s destiny take shape, and what seems but a confluence of distractions alters the course of life.” (1) In their novel Meet Me in Monaco, authors Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb giver the reader a taste of how casual, spontaneous decisions change the destiny of the lives of four individuals: James, Sophie, Grace and Rainier. The novel’s plot transports the reader to the Cannes Film Festival of 1955. It is during the film festival a news photographer named James Henderson pursues American actress Grace Kelly in hopes of getting a photograph of her. Grace takes refuge in a small perfume boutique owned by parfumeur, Sophie Duvall. James follows Grace and makes the acquaintance of Sophie. It is kismet for James and Sophie. Shortly thereafter, Grace Kelly meets Prince Rainier III of Monaco for a photo op courtesy of Paris Match magazine. Grace and Rainier amiably converse as he gives her a tour of the palace zoo and gardens. Pleasantries are observed as the two conclude their meeting and part ways. It is kismet for Grace and Rainier.
What follows next is a whirlwind courtship and engagement for Grace and Rainier. What follows next for James and Sophie is a blossoming friendship. As Grace and Rainier are reunited in Monaco for their eminent nuptials, James and Sophie are reunited. Grace and Rainier’s lives are joined in marriage. Grace becomes Here Serene Highness, Princess Grace of Monaco. James and Sophie’s lives are torn apart by misunderstandings and a family tragedy. In the end, Grace and Rainier are separated due to her untimely and tragic death. James and Sophie are reunited in Monaco during the week of at Princess Grace’s funeral. Rainier, his family and country are left mourning the wife, mother and princess they have lost. Grace was a friend to both Sophie and James. Grace saved Sophie’s perfumery by commissioning her to make a bespoke perfume for her wedding day. Grace gave James the confidence and opportunities he needed to become a successful news photographer. James and Sophie wed quietly in the French countryside, dedicating their wedding service to the memory of her Serene Highness, Princess Grace of Monaco.
Footnote
(1) Spoto, Donald. High Society: The Life of Grace Kelly. Crown Archetype; First Edition (November 3, 2009).
The cover of this book drew me in initially. I love the color green, so the cerulean green dress of the lady on the cover caught my eye. When I read the story revolves around Grace Kelly’s wedding to the prince of Monaco, I was all in.
Despite her mother’s interference, Sophie Duval runs the family perfumerie and walks in her father’s footsteps by crafting fabulous scents honed to the unique personalities of their wearers.
James Henderson, a journalist covering the royal wedding, accidentally meets Sophie when Miss Kelly seeks refuge from the press in Sophie’s shop.
James and Sophie strike a chord with each other, and a love affair develops. Whether their relationship will survive the overtones of a wealthy man who stakes his claim on Sophie remains to be seen.
Miss Kelly commissions a special scent for her wedding day, but will the extra attention be enough to save the Duval legacy?
Being a dabbler of mixing natural essential oils for scent, I loved the scent crafting details in the story and how Sophie throws her heart into her job.
Grace plays a secondary character but the authors craft Grace as glamorous and sweet-hearted as her Hollywood persona implies.
Meet Me in Monaco met all my expectations for a romantic, classy read.
for plot and characters
for some language and sexual encounters
for author voice and style
It’s like going on vacation and all the characters are best friends. Hazel Gaynor is a remarkable writer.
The perfect book to read on the beach while sipping Mojito’s. Meet Me in Monaco is an amazing story, with characters I fell in love with. An absolute delight.
As a fan of Grace Kelly, I enjoyed the backdrop of the historical events surrounding her marriage to Prince Rainier of Monaco and the tragedy of her death. And I was completely captivated by the characters of Sophie and James and became quickly invested in both their individual and joint stories. A wonderful tale of hope, perseverance, and love that I was sad to leave behind.
Charming story, with an interesting back story.
Meh. Just meh. It has a great premise but nothing really happens. I kept waiting for something to happen…and was disappointed when it didn’t. There’s a ton of great historical fiction out there. Ignore this one.
Meet Me in Monaco is a fluffy read, good for airplanes and beaches and those last few minutes before bed. Co-authors Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb have created their story by imagining the life and times of the (fictional) struggling perfumer whose family workshop was saved when Grace Kelly commissioned her to create a singular scent for her wedding to Prince Rainier.
The women are thrown together when Grace, still a film star, seeks refuge from a photographer in Sophie Duval’s small Cannes shop during the 1955 Cannes Film Festival. The photographer, James Henderson, stumbles in moments after Grace is safely hidden away. From these two, small encounters are born relationships that will ebb and flow through the decades, until Grace’s untimely death in 1982.
While one images that Gaynor and Webb set out to create in Sophie a character who was sympathetic and likeable, I found James outshone her in that regard. In many ways, Sophie was actually one of the least enjoyable aspects of the book – James Henderson topped the list, but so did much of the narrative (Grace’s journey to Monaco, the making of a scent, Cannes in winter).
Ultimately, Meet Me in Monaco is a three-and-a-half to four star read, easy and fun, no deep thinking required.
(This review was originally published at https://www.thisyearinbooks.com/2019/11/meet-me-in-monaco-novel-of-grace-kellys.html)
A cheerful and interesting read. I said tear-jerker because it ended with a time jump to Princess Grace’s death (sorry spoilers but really you could just do a very basic google search to find that out), which I was not expecting and did not appreciate. The main characters live happily ever after though.
Thanks to LibraryThing and publisher HarperCollins Publishers for a copy of this book. All comments and opinions are my own.
This was such a good story! A young perfume maker in Cannes meets a British photographer trying to capture photos of Hollywood’s Grace Kelly, who is visiting the prince in Monaco. Their lives all interconnect around the royal wedding – will they live happily ever after? The writing is exceptional (co-written by two authors), the characters unforgettable, the descriptions of scents, landscapes, shipboard life, emotions – all portrayed so realistically I felt like I was right there. There is no doubt you will enjoy this book!
This is an entertaining story set in the south of France in 1950-1956 during the time of the royal marriage of Grace Kelly and Prince Ranier. Its interesting and informative, a gentle historical romance.
I loved it! Thank you so much Hazel and Heather for this remarkable true and timeless love story. This is a must read book!
I started reading Meet Me In Monaco by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb with the impression it was Historical Fiction. Although it takes place in Monaco in the mid 1950’s, technically fitting into the genre, it is definitely a love story.
Also to my surprise, it is not the story of Grace Kelly meeting her prince. Grace is present – the story opens with her sliding into a perfume shop to avoid a persistent photographer – but the shop owner and photographer take it from there.
I was swept away in the beauty and romance of the countryside, and enjoyed learning about the art of making fragrances.
This is a sweet, romantic story that will have you hoping for a happy ending, but maybe not the way you expect.
You may be disappointed if you are expecting the depth and drama of a typical Historical Fiction novel. Regardless, I really enjoyed this light, fun read, and would recommend if you are looking for something with old world romance.
A sparkling gem of a novel! Delightful from start to finish!
@hasmadmarp I spent an entire afternoon reading this book! I simply couldn’t put it down! I was a child of 7 when Grace Kelly married her Prince and I remember sitting in front of the tv watching the wedding, in black and white. Her dress took my breath away and made me decide that I would one day wear a dress just like hers. This book took me to Monaco and to Provence. I could smell the lavenders, the roses, and the feel the sunshine, even though it was raining outside my window. What a wonderful treat to give oneself, a book that just makes you breathe and enjoy the ride. You so enjoy meeting Sophie and learning about the process of perfumery, James is torn between his love of his daughter and his love for Sophie, the story of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier and finally, the beauty and romance of Monaco and Provence!
Charming, engrossing, atmospheric, surprising, and escapist! It’s the perfect summer novel
While this isn’t my favorite book from Hazel Gaynor that I have read it was still very good. I love the descriptions of the French countryside, Cannes, and of course Grace Kelly. I loved Sophie, I though she was a good strong young woman. She had the art of perfumes like her father if only her mother would have left her alone. I think Sophie and James are perfect together and I hate what they have to go through. Sit down with a nice cool drink and enjoy!