French Relations [Paperback]

Fiona Walker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 7, 1994

A summer holiday with her eccentric, infuriating family is the last thing Tash French would usually volunteer for. But her mother is insistent and, out of a job and recently ditched by her boyfriend, Tash decides that spending July in the vast and rambling chateau in the Loire might have its compensations. Gawky, shy, funny, intensely bright and talented but completely lacking in self-confidence, Tash finds herself reduced to a quivering jelly in the company of her fashion model sister and assorted glamorous hangers-on. The arrival of dishy event rider Hugo Beauchamp, object of Tash's teenage fantasies, only makes her insecurity worse; craggy actor Niall O'Shaughnessy sets a further cat among the pigeons. It's a summer of lust, bed-hopping, unresolved sexual tension, horses, dogs, bolshy kids - and lots of bad behaviour. And in the midst of bedlam, at least two people fall in love...

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Romps along with plenty of self-deprecating wit' -- Sunday Times 'A sizzling summer read of love, sex, passion and soaring temperatures' -- Sun ' Raunchy:..An explosive debut' -- Daily Mail 'Romantic, intelligent, steamy and really rather wise' -- Bookcase

About the Author

Fiona Walker, whose novels have been Sunday Times bestsellers, leads the field as the voice of young, media-aware women. She lives in Somerset with her partner and two children plus an assortment of horses and dogs.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd; First Edition edition (July 7, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0340632461
• ISBN-13: 978-0340632468
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,838,308 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Most Likable Heroine - Tash French, April 27, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: French Relations (Paperback)

I got into Fiona Walker after reading Jilly Cooper (another English author). I had bought all of Jilly's book and was hoping to find another Brit author as good as Jilly and Amazon recommended Fiona Walker.

I then went on a shopping spree and bought most of Fiona's book. I started with French Relations since it was her first book. At first I was disappointed because it did not "suck" me in like Jilly's book but I perservered and struggled throught the first chapter. I don't know what happened but once I got into reading the book, I could not stop.

The book is about a girl named Tash who is asked to spend the summer with her family in a French chateau. She really doesn't want to spend the summer with her neurotic family but decides to do it when she breaks up with her boyfriend.

You then move on to the Chateau where you will meet her family, friends and foe. The main characters in this book are Tash, a dashing actor named Niall and a gorgeous sportsman named Hugo. I won't give the plot away only to say that Tash is torn between these two men.

This book is different because Tash is unlike most heroine. She is not described as beautiful, graceful or feminine. She is actually klutzy, shy, tomboyish and thinks of herself as a freak because she has different colored eyes. I like the fact that the author has made a heroine that we could relate to. The fact that she has such a dysfunctional family and is so unsure of herself makes me root for Tash.

Buy this book and read it along with Well Groomed. You will thoroughly enjoy Tash and her family and you will get a taste of Fiona Walker. I love her......

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book to lose yourself in., April 21, 2005

By 

Tracy Martin "Grammar Geek" (Washington DC, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: French Relations (Paperback)

French Relations is Fiona Walker at her best. The title of this book refers to two things: Tash French, the novel's heroine, and the fact that she spends her summer in France at her family's beautiful, but slightly run-down, mansion.

Fiona Walker's writing shines because of her characters, and Tash French is a great, well-rounded heroine. Tash is incredibly shy, insecure, and overweight; yet through the summer she's able to find her own type of strength. The heroes are equally likeable: Hugo, a rich, smug playboy who treats Tash (and all other women he comes across) horribly, and Niall, a heartbroken, drug-addicted Irish actor, who's almost as insecure as Tash. You're bound to find yourself rooting for Tash to get together with one of these men.

The book has an incredibly large cast of supporting characters, which can make it hard to follow. At the same time, the large, zany group of people staying at the French mansion gives the book much of its charm. There's Alexandra, Tash's well-meaning but somewhat oblivious mother, Sophia, Tash's beautiful, disapproving stepsister, a randy Australian with an enormous dog, and several others.

Keep in mind that this is really only half a book. You may think the story has ended, but you need to buy Well Groomed to see how things really turn out. Buy this book, you'll read it over and over again.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun reading!, July 28, 2005

By 

Trenterelli (Scottsdale, AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: French Relations (Paperback)

Reading this book isn't going to solve the world's problems; but it will make you forget about them for a few days. At 800 pages, it can look daunting, but you won't want it to end. Tash French is a great heroine, not beautiful, not perfect, not trying to be. The whole cast of characters is really well defined. The book takes you through a summer holiday in France with the French family and miscellaneous friends, and all of the wacky things that happen to them. It was just plain fun to read. I liked it so much, I ordered all of Fiona Walker's books - she has a really good sense of humor. There are certain scenes that had me laughing out loud because you could visualize them happening, they were written so well. I highly recommend and have passed my copy on to friends.