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Welcome to the Blog + Social Blitz for the French Twist series by Sandra Byrd, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
ABOUT THE BOOKS
Download and devour this delicious series, lashed with romance and fun, and then spiced with a lightly Christian world view. Bon Appétit!
Title: Let Them Eat Cake Series: French Twist #1 Author: Sandra Byrd Publisher: Quaystrokes Release Date: 2012 Genre: ChickLit
What do you do when you’ve got a degree in French and absolutely no job prospects? You slide into your favorite French bakery, of course! When a lighthearted conversation with the manager of the local patisserie turns into a job offer, Lexi Stuart gladly accepts. She indulges in tasty pastries and wins over skeptical coworkers, but the actual glamour is minimal and the pay less than generous. Trouble by the handful is stirred into her life as she juggles the flirtatious baker she has her eye on and a handsome young executive who likes Lexi even more than her Napoleons. As she folds together dilemma and delight, Lexi learns that it’s not satisfying to try to fulfill everyone else’s expectations. Instead, she embarks on an adventure in trusting herself and God with her future.
February 11-15 Let Them Eat Cake Kindle edition is FREE
PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookDepository | IndieBound | BookBub
Title: Bon Appetit Series: French Twist #2 Author: Sandra Byrd Publisher: Quaystrokes Release Date: August 25, 2016 Genre: ChickLit
Lexi Stuart is risking it all. Saying au revoir to the security of home, her job, and could-be boyfriend, Lexi embarks on a culinary adventure in France to fulfill her life dream of becoming a pastry chef. Life in her new quaint French village should be everything she dreamed of, but settling in isn’t nearly as easy as she imagined. Her optimism is greeted with both acceptance and resistance in the people and culture around her—soft and crusty at the same time— like the very best baguettes. Determined to gain her footing, she finds a church, meets new friends, and makes the acquaintance of a child named Celine – as well as Celine’s attractive, widowed father. As Lexi lives her dream, she realizes she can have anything from life’s patisserie display window, but not everything. How will she choose?
PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookDepository | IndieBound | BookBub
Title: Piece de Resistance Series: French Twist #3 Author: Sandra Byrd Publisher: Quaystrokes Release Date: August 25, 2016 Genre: ChickLit
Having earned her chef’s hat, Lexi Stuart bids au revoir to her glamorous and deliciously satisfying pastry mentorship to find life unexpectedly complicated. She’s put in charge of a high-end catering bakery, but there’s a catch: she has to make this lavish bakery into a successful business in just a few, short months. In over her head and at a loss for creative marketing ideas, Lexi can’t compose the perfect recipe for success. Stir in a complicated relationship with her French beau, then add a dash of romance with her down-to-earth lawyer, and life suddenly contains more ooh la la than Lexi can handle. With the fate of her career and her love life hanging by a thread, the phrase “piece of cake” has never been more daunting. Lexi finally trusts the dreams in her heart to the God who put them there.
PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub
Excerpt from Let Them Eat Cake:
The tour complete, Luc showed me to a table in the café section, made two coffees behind the counter, and brought them to our table.
“Mademoiselle, à vous,“ he pronounced with that Gallic grin. I took the coffee with both hands, in the French manner.
“I see on your resume that you have a college degree and have already worked at a few jobs, corporate jobs,” he started. “Can you tell me about that?”
I read between the lines and felt infused with confidence. “Yes, I can,” I said. “I have a degree in French studies and tried to find a job that would match my interests and experience after college. I was unable to do so right away. After giving it some thought, I realized that I don’t want to be in an office all day. I enjoy cooking and baking and an environment where that’s happening.”
Luc looked at me with a bit more appreciation. “You understand this is a counter job. You’d be serving customers, boxing their purchases, helping to box or deliver special orders. Clearing the dishes in the café and bringing them to the kitchen. That kind of thing. No baking. No cooking.”
“Yes, I understand.” I did, and that was sad. But it was a place where people spoke French, where they appreciated food, where bakers were baking, and people were eating and enjoying life. I could hear laughter in the background. There were photos of the Arc de Triomphe on the wall. There were no cubicles. And who knew what the future held here?
Also, I was desperate.
“The pay is ten dollars an hour,” Luc continued. “Reviewed after three months, but even then, there won’t be a big raise. I’m asking for a six-month commitment. We’re growing, as is our sister store, La Couronne, and I’d like there to be some stability in the shop.”
“I understand.”
A phone rang in the small office off the café. “Je m’excuse,“ he said, excusing himself to answer it.
I leaned forward. Well, who wouldn’t eavesdrop if she could? I mean, just a little. And he seemed to have forgotten I spoke French, or else he didn’t care if I overheard.
“Yes,” he said to the person on the other end of the phone. “I am getting the staffing set here. Everything needs to be running well when Margot and the others come over. Patricia, of course, will return to France. I’ll return for the summer too or at least part of it. We’ll figure it out. We’ll have to find someone to manage L’Esperance while I’m gone. It’s time to hire an assistant manager, anyway. I can perhaps promote someone from within. That will free me to bake and supervise the growth of the shops.”
I sat back in my chair. Mais oui!
Maybe I wasn’t really overqualified. I could be an assistant manager! The potential was there, at least. I’d learn all I could as fast as I could. The accounting class in college wouldn’t be wasted. I’d take human resource seminars online. I knew I could do it! Given a little time, I’d prove to Luc that I was up to the task.
Want to see what Lexi baked and cooked in the series? Visit the series Pinterest page, here: https://www.pinterest.com/sandrabyrdbooks/recipes-from-the-french-twist-books/
Want to check out two of her recipes, as posted on Allrecipes, with real reviews? Pop over here: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/142015/boyfriend-bait-beef-stroganoff/?internalSource=hub%20recipe&referringContentType=Search
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
TOUR GIVEAWAY
(1) winner will receive a $75 e-gift card to MarieBelle!
Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight February 11, 2021 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on February 18, 2021. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
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The French Twist series sounds like great reads for me! Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful holiday season!
This series sounds so romantic. Love the covers.