Review: Aix Marks the Spot by S.E. Anderson

So happy to share my review for Aix Marks the Spot by S.E. Anderson

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Pages: 380
Pacing: Normal
Publisher: Seabreeze Books
Published: June 16th 2020

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Amazon / Book Depository / Barnes & Noble / Indigo

Jamie has been dreaming of this summer forever: of road trips and intensive art camps, of meeting cute boys with her best friend Jazz. What she didn’t count on was the car accident.

Exiled away from her family as her mother slowly learns to walk again, Jamie is sent to Provence and trapped in an isolated home with the French grandmother she has never met, the guilt of having almost killed her parents, and no Wi-Fi. Enough to drive a girl mad. That is, until, she finds an old letter from her father, the starting point in a treasure hunt that spans across cities and time itself. Somehow, she knows that the treasure is the key to putting her shattered family back together and that whatever lies at the end has the power to fix everything.

Armed only with a high-school-level of French and a map of train lines, she must enlist the aid of Valentin, a handsome local who’s willing to translate. To save her family, she has castle ruins to find and sea cliffs to climb; falling for her translator wasn’t part of her plan… – synopsis from Goodreads

“France: where even your cheap breakfast is a delicacy.”

I love to travel. Well not so much these days for sure but usually I try to at least go on one vacation abroad a year. When I see a book that combines my two passions, books and travel, you can bet I will be all over that.

The first thing that called to me in Aix Marks The Spot by S.E. Anderson was the name. The play on Aix-en-Provence’s name, the gorgeous city in South of France, automatically grabbed my attention. And from the synopsis it let me presume that we would be travelling this gorgeous area. So I packed my imaginary bags and boarded the imaginary plane to France. I was not disappointed.

Aix Marks The Spot reminded me a lot of Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch. It had the same type of feel to it. This teenage girl sent abroad where she will live with a family member she never met before. Where while discovering the country she will also discover part of her parent’s past and her own heritage. It was a super fun book that also had a lot of heart. I loved the blooming relationship between her and Valentin and their adventures throughout the area.

I have to say that I was googling each place the characters visited along the story. And if I’m being honest I am now planning a trip to South of France, haha. The way S.E. Anderson described each place really brought me to them. It was like being there. I was also super happy to read some French in a book as it is my main language. We can really see the love for France in the author’s writing. And what to say when the characters go to a bakery, my word how I miss France!

If you liked the series Love & Gelato I think you would love this one too. And if you want to travel without leaving your home this book is a great way to do it.