Book info

• Title Nice Work (If You Can Get It)
• Author Celia Imrie
• Year 2016
• Genre Contemporary

Somewhere on the French Riviera, tucked between glitzy Monte Carlo and Cannes' red carpets, lies the pretty town of Bellevue-Sur-Mer. Sheltered from the glittering melee, it is home to many an expat – including an enterprising team who plan to open a new restaurant. Snapping up a local property and throwing themselves into preparations, Theresa, Carol, William and Benjamin's plans are proceeding unnervingly well. But when Theresa encounters a mysterious intruder, she begins to wonder what secrets the building is concealing.

Thoughts

I quite enjoyed the first book set on the south coast of France, wherein a small group of expats make their way through adventures involving drama, relationships, money, crime, and much more. The second is more of the same, although it has to be said the cast of characters has expanded considerably in this one.

With the world of films, television, glitz and glamour descending in nearby Cannes, there’s an added dimension to this story. It’s quite a busy book, frantic in places, with the team trying to set up a restaurant in no time flat, alongside the comings and goings of two separate tangled love triangles, plus an element of mystery and crime with Russian and Italian gangsters. It’s quite full on!

But it’s still fun, and at its heart, the group of friends who really do care for each other and want each other to succeed. That makes it an entertaining but warm and fulfilling book.

Rating: 3 / 5