French Fry ~ The French Twist Series #3

• Author: Glynis Astie
• Publication: May 2015 by Tikinou Publishing
• Category: Contemporary Fiction, Romance
• 

Sydney Durand had finally achieved the perfect life she had always wanted. After a whirlwind romance with a charming Frenchman, she endured the three weddings it required to satisfy the members of the newly formed Bennett-Durand clan. All she had left to do was stroll into the sunset with Louis to enjoy their long-awaited happily ever after.

Sydney Durand, in just over fourteen months, has met, fallen in love with and married (three times!) handsome Frenchman, Louis. The course of true love has not run completely smoothly, but now the ceremonies are all over Sydney feels she and Louis can relax and enjoy married life. Unless, as her father said jokingly at the final wedding reception ‘you’re dumb enough to get pregnant.’

Yes, you guessed it! French Fry opens on the last day of Sydney and Louis’ honeymoon with Sydney having a slight, ok a bit more than slight, meltdown in the hotel bathroom after three pregnancy kits test positive. 

I got up and started to pace the room. How did this happen? I mean, I know how it happened, but HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? Everything had been going so well. Louis and I had finally gotten back to a good place…and now…and now…I have to scare the crap out of my husband on the last day of our honeymoon. 

Sydney’s world is rocking on it’s axis again. With a new mantra; ‘it’s not good for the baby’ and the need to make serious life changes, mainly to ‘rid myself of my neurotic (bordering on psychotic, if I’m being truthful) tendencies,’ she must practice wearing her mature and rational head…after she’s faced telling her family about the baby, that is. Oh, and her best friend, Maya, whose wedding day is a week or two before Sydney’s due date, and Sydney is matron of honour.

Sidney and Louis have encountered lots of stumbling blocks in their short time together and it seems they’re not over yet. Maya and Devon’s upcoming wedding is causing major headaches for all concerned. Maya has morphed into Bridezilla, the wedding is off then on again. Sydney gets a surprise, and not altogether welcome, visitor and, combined with strict instructions for complete rest, events don’t bode well for the expectant mother or those around her.

As we follow Sydney’s pregnancy trials and tribulations with some hilarity, several serious and heartfelt moments and hormones gone wild, I couldn’t help but laugh although I can absolutely relate and sympathise. Sit back and be entertained by Sydney’s offbeat perspective on life and situations, her attempts to remain unfazed by Maya’s antics and coping (or not) with her mother-in-law. But when Sydney and Louis’ little French Fry makes an appearance, fried nerves notwithstanding, all is forgiven and forgotten even though Sidney’s longed for slide into a peaceful and calm married life didn’t quite materialise.

I really enjoy the casual, conversational style of Glynis Astie’s writing, the incidental remarks that make it relaxed and friendly, and the authenticity. A really good mix of well-developed and engaging characters with their diverse personalities and interactions. Great family dynamics and a lovely conclusion to Sidney’s wacky world.

My thanks to Glynis Astie for sending an ARC in return for an honest review

About the author

Glynis never expected in her wildest dreams to be a writer. After thirteen years in the Human Resources Industry, she decided to stay at home with her two amazing sons. Ever in search of a project, she was inspired to write the story of how she met and married her wonderfully romantic French husband, Sebastien, in six short months. The end result became her first novel, French Twist. As this was just the beginning of their epic love story, Glynis continued to chronicle their adventures in the sequel, French Toast and the final installment in the series, French Fry.
When Glynis is not writing, she is trying to keep the peace amongst the three men and two cats in her life, finding missing body parts (Lego pieces are small!), supervising a myriad of homework assignments and keeping a tenuous hold on her sanity by consuming whatever chocolate is in the vicinity.