I liked the premise of this book but sadly it failed to deliver. The author’s obvious knowledge of France helped with authenticity but the characters were a bit two dimensional. A light hearted holiday read is the best I can say. Sorry

This was not my usual choice of book, having said that it is an easy light read and has funny moments. I found the middle chapters describing the TV game shows rather wordy. But this maybe because I find the real thing a bit tedious.

Lovely book with an interesting storyline that made me want to carry on reading and not put the book down. Definitely recommended.

Bryony Masters has been looking for her sister Hannah for years. Hannah ran away from home at sixteen and hasn’t been seen since. When their father has a stroke and becomes dangerously ill Bryony decides that she needs to pull out all the stops and make a last ditch attempt to find Hannah.

So when a new primetime game show, What Happens in France, puts a call-out for contestants, Bryony spots the ultimate public platform to find her reality TV-obsessed sister, and finally reunite their family. With the help of her teammate Lewis, Hannah is soon on a private jet on her way to France to try and beat the odds on the quiz and to find Hannah.

It’s a fun and enjoyable romp through the sights and sounds of Brittany with a great bunch of people and the unforgettable Biggie Smalls, the internet sensation and social media dog star!

This is a big departure from Carol Wyer’s crime thriller books but I guarantee that you won’t be disappointed. Some days you aren’t looking for great literature, you just want a fun bit of engaging fiction that gives you an element of escapism and interesting characters that you’d quite like to hang around with. What Happens in France ticks all these boxes.

Supplied by Net Galley and Canelo in exchange for an honest review.

UK Publication Date: Jan 28 2019.

This is a book which doesn't really fit one genre. It is classed as a Romance but for me the romance is just tiny part of the narrative. Essentially this book is about a search for a missing person, it is about the toll a missing person makes on a family's life and it is told in an unusual way through a television game show. It is a very easy read and the game show - the medium through which Bryony hopes to find her sister is well thought out. Dreams, flashbacks and diary entries all build a picture of the disintegrating family.

It is a very cleverly though out plot line and extremely contemporary in its plot lines. It isn't the next booker prize winner, at times it feels bait too nice, too "twee" but it is a good read with a great cast of characters.

thank you to net galley for the ARC

This was a lively story about a game show contestant with an ulterior motive, a romance and a happy ending, perfect for a leisurely afternoon read.

This is a fast paced amusing tale by the wonderful Carol Wyer. 

The main characters are intelligent, charismatic and humorous and as we meet and get to know the other contestants they all have their own comedy value. What Happens in France held my attention although I am not generally a fan of comedy books this one is a good variation of romantic comedy with mystery and travel all mixed up together to keep you going one chapter to the next. Having read and very much enjoyed Carol Wyer's crime fiction novels I knew it was worth having a go at reading her lighter comedy - I am so glad I did - its great!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Canelo and Carol Wyer for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

To be honest, I struggled to get to grips with the storyline initially, but stuck with it & was soon hooked & intrigued to discover if Bryony would be reunited with her sister Hannah. It's definitely an interesting journey to get to the outcome, which is literally right on the last few pages & does end rather abruptly, but with the outcome the reader will want.
Also enjoyed the authors notes about her research for the storyline

This book was easy to read. The characters were warm, each with their own story. I was unsure how this story would end, although I wasn’t really surprised. I think I went through multiple emotions whilst reading this. In parts I wondered about the ‘deep’ descriptions, although their need was explained as I read. I have never read anything else by Carol Wyer, but it’s name I’ll now look out for.

The description first drew me to request this book - it sounded interesting and I thought the cover was super cute with the dog in his little outfit. Once I started reading I couldn't stop - literally couldn't put it down. I was so exciting to read all about the game show and find out more about Bryony's missing sister. I could tell that the book would have a happy ending and Hannah would be found, but I loved hearing about her life since she ran away. The only thing that I didn't like about this book was I felt Bryony and Lewis' relationship was a little rushed for them getting together - it seemed to go from 0-100 in that one night. Otherwise I enjoyed this immensely and would definitely read something else by Carol Wyer.

A new author to me but I loved the book from beginning to end. The style was easy to read and characters quick to pick up on and easy to follow. The story is based on a competition with the main characters travelling to France and a region that I know so it was good to read about reality even within this genre. So if you love great characters, a bit of France, some crazy competition then you will love this book.

Bryony has been haunted by the loss of her sister, Hannah, who left home when she was aged 6 after feeling responsible for her getting injured. She’s been trying to find her for the last 30 years but feels even more driven as their father has suffered a stroke and constantly is looking for her. Her last resort is to enter a reality contest in the hope all the publicity will help her locate her once and for all. She teams up with Lewis who supports her throughout the competition and makes her realise there are more benefits to taking part than she realised. I really enjoyed this trip through France, it was a really good idea and carried you along enjoying their adventures and the characters they met up with. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved this book. Being a fan of Treasure Hunt way backwhen it was on the TV it was a pleasure to have the author's spin on the game show and the description of the chateau scenese came to life in my mind. I thought the ideaof the cars "dressed up" was novel and made me smile. I cannot decide on which character I liked the best or amused me but I must say the outfits for Biggy smalls made me smile as I could picture him in his french outfit. It was a sad story in some ways. Jim's story was one which made you feel heartsore but like all things you can relate to it and all comes out well in the end. What a sweet soul Bryony is and Lewis comes across as my hero. I have read this whilst travelling around New Zealand and when I get home I will read it again - that is how much I enjoyed the story.

What a great book this was to read. An overall storyline that had you captivated from the off but some nice other ones too keeping you reading on until you reached a conclusion.

I liked the premise of this book as reality TV is so much part of the zeitgeist, and I did enjoy the French setting, however, I was most intrigued to find out what happened to Hannah and got quite frustrated by the story of the TV show over the mystery. I also didn't feel that all of the dialogue was at all convincing.

If you are looking for a light-hearted, fun read with quite an intriguing mystery then you will probably enjoy this book but I wouldn't go so far as to describe it as 'laugh out loud'.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was a brilliant, easy read and is definitely a book I’d pick up again and again. Thank you for giving me the chance to read this gem!

Really enjoyed the premise of the book. The game show aspect kept the action moving along. What Happens in France... could be the start of an interesting series. In this case, the book could also have been called "Searching for Hannah." The dog, Biggie Small, was an enduring character in his own right. However, there were some editing errors that interrupted the flow of my reading. For example, Biggie Small was described as notorious, and I don't think that was the author's intention.

I requested and was given a copy of this book, via NetGalley. This is my honest review of the book after choosing to read it.

There are some authors whose books you just know you're going to love and Carol Wyer is one of them as far as I'm concerned. I love her sense of humour which really does have me laughing out loud but there's always more than just the humour in her stories. In this story it is the desperate desire of Bryony Master to discover and reconnect with her older sister, Hannah, who ran away from home when sixteen years old. Now their father has had a stroke and is always asking for Hannah. In her endeavour to gain more publicity to help find her sister, Bryony answers a call for new contestants on a game show which is being aired amongst much hype and is successful. So begins her journey to France, an eclectic mix of fellow contestants, the chance to meet and chat to one of her favourite stars and maybe the chance to finally discover her sister before time runs out for their father.

The mix of contestants in the show is brilliant and they're a great bunch together. It is a behind the scenes look at game shows and has some fantastic fun escapades in it. As well as the mystery of her disappearing sister, there's also misunderstandings, a developing romance and surprises galore in this fabulous French adventure. It is a heartwarming story and I really do hope there will be a series of further books developing from this in future that I get to read! I have absolutely no hesitation in very highly recommending this amazing story to anyone looking for an engrossing fun read that'll definitely leave you with a smile on your face and some happy memories of just what happens in France!

Bryony Masters is desperate to find her older sister Hannah, who ran away at the age of sixteen as her dad is seriously ill and doesn’t know how long he has left.

In a last ditch attempt to find her she auditions for a mysterious new game show What happens in...
Getting on the show is just the first step, she must try and win as many challenges as she can talk about the search for her sister. Can she do it with the help of her gorgeous teammate Lewis? Will she find her sister?

So this is actually my first Carol Wyer book. She’s been on my radar for a while now, I’ve been dying to read one of her books but like with a lot of authors I just haven’t had the time until now.

What happens in France is one of those stories that can make you laugh one minute, then tear up the next.

Bryony has had a tough old time of it. Bullied for a rare condition that made her lose control of her body, then almost dying in a car accident leaving her scarred and to top that off her beloved sister ran away which she blames herself for. I felt very sorry for her but she hasn’t let those hardships hold her back and has managed to go university, then has had a successful career as an English teacher.

There’s also some fabulous secondary characters, each one unique and memorable. There’s the dashing Lewis, her level headed best friend Melinda who encourages Bryony to come out of her shell and the pompous and frankly annoying Professor Potts.

There were a couple of issues, I felt like it took a little long to actually get to the game show part, which was my favourite bit of the novel. Also some of the conversations felt a little like info dumps and seemed a bit stilted and unnatural but of course that’s just my opinion.

Overall What happens in France is an uplifting and fun read that will take you on an emotional rollercoaster right until the very end.

This was a pretty good contemporary romance to pass the time during a super cold day. It was adorable and hilarious. It was definitely predictable, but then again so are all the other contemporary romances.