I am so glad this book managed to stay clear of cliché contemporary tropes for the most part, and actually delved into the character’s turmoil and growth. This involves internal monologue to her mother who couldn’t make it to the trip and captures the beauty of Provence, France, as well.

This is an emotional yet adventurous treasure hunt story that explores family bonds, self-growth, and realization as well as a reminder that the heart no matter how broken can heal again.
Jamie is absorbed in her guilt on what she believes is her fault that her mother couldn't make it to the trip with her. So rather than enjoying as she’s meant to, she decides to redeem herself in any way possible, without taking account that its not redemption she needs but just a little insight to get the real picture of not just the accident but also people around her.
We do get plenty of twists and surprises despite me finding this a predictable read, it was more than just a declaration of love but also willing to accept the differences and still walk on together.

<<What I liked>>
This book manages to capture the 17-year-old emotional overhaul and confusion quite accurately, the guild, self-depreciation and the stubborn hold onto pessimism. Jamie is by far not a charming character, she’s a fleshed-out realistic character who doesn’t think twice before embarking on a trip that might be more hurdle some than she bargained for.
Yet, throughout the quest we see everything that’s being thrown at her in midst of all strenuous search, her relationship with her grandma doesn’t seem to get better, her friendship with Valentine is sometimes strong as stone and other times as fragile as a strung wire.

And everything about that is what made this story a worthwhile read, we don’t have a Valentine who’s a saint, but a peer who can be charming and disgruntled towards Jamie when she’s being unreasonable. And I really appreciated this about Valentine’s character, He’s a nice and sweet but he can also back down when Jamie loses her cool and behaves recklessly. Or else there would be no growth for our MC just intensifying her stubborn mindset and a permanent cloud of gloom.

I loved how her guilt was dealt with and resolved when the time arrived, and how Jamie was put into her place for being blameless and at the same time given the news flash that she has been seeing it all from the wrong angle.

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I didn’t particularly dislike anything in this book, I felt like I’d already anticipated how the predicament would resolve from very early on, and what Valentine would turn out to be and the purpose behind the treasure hunt.
Jamie did suffer from the usual teenager mood swings and stubborn mannerisms, which did annoy me, especially towards the end.
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I loved how the main character's feelings and thoughts were described and worth h to be highlighted.

This was an interesting book. I really liked it in spots. But I found Jamie to be a little irritating. Normally I don’t mind books with unlikeable main characters but she just irritated me. I love all the French stuff and descriptions of food. Yum yum. The treasure hunt was just a little too convenient as unrealistic though.

This was a super cute YA romance. I loved reading about all of the towns and sites in southern France, and the two main characters were so sweet. The only drawback is that this book required quite a bit of suspension of disbelief. Overall, it was a quick and fun read!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Aix Marks the Spot is in the same spirit as the Love and Gelato books - and I adore it. It is about traveling a country - in this book it is France - to see beautiful spots. The author really made me think and visualize that I was the one that stood on the mountain top or ate that typical food. And this book, oh man, it really made me want to travel to France for real.

I adored the treasure hunt in this book, it was such a fun way of experience a country and I really think that all the information is in there to make that trip yourself. I also really enjoyed the mystery of Manie and why she was the way she was because of what had happened in the past. The downfall for this book was both the main character and the love interest. I often felt very disconnected from the romance and in some aspects it felt very forced for me. And OH MY the main character was so many time such a pain in the ass for believing that everything was her fault all the time instead of actually talking and figuring out what the other people really thought.

But I think, if you like books like Love and Gelato - you will like this as much as them.

Jamie was always told coming to Provence would be like coming home. She doesn't speak much French but her parents are French lit professors. I didn't think the tone was too childish. I wasn't a big fan of the treasure map.

I went into this book expecting a cutesy romance and that's exactly what I got. If you're someone who loves travel, particularly France, and food then you'll love this because it's filled with all the best bits of that. (Teenage me would've loved this book.) I enjoyed the fact that at times it was like Jamie was addressing her mum, but I felt like it wasn't done often enough to have a strong enough effect. So while this didn't blow me away, if you're looking for a fun, light romance then this is definitely worth a try!

Not very good. Did not like any of the characters, main character was the worst. Half of the plot was interesting but not enough to make up with the wishy-washy over the top dramatics. Its not the worst thing but it's not enjoyable.

This book was utterly moving and beautiful. The fact that everything that happened in this book was real, made it even more raw, and I found myself clinging to the words.
I have been to the provence myself, but the way Sarah describes it, makes me feel like I am reliving those hazy summer moments all over again. This was absolute perfection, and it will make for the perfect summer read.

Meh, I did finish it, it definitely wasn’t a favorite. I had several issues that really made it hard for me to enjoy this book. First of all I found the set up completely unbelievable. All of the angst could have been easily avoided had a few words been said, a question asked, anything. Next I found Jamie very unlikeable. She was selfish and inconsiderate and immature. And the end was rushed and way too easy. The idea was cute, and parts really kept me reading, but ultimately this book fell flat for me.

I really wanted to love this book, but it just didn't work for me. I think the biggest overall problem was that I found Jamie's character pretty unlikable and immature. She treated Valentin terribly multiple times, yelling at him when he was giving up his summer to help her. She had an extremely naive belief that finding these letters her father left years ago would somehow cure her mother's spindle cord injury--I understand it was more of a wish than a real belief, but the way she talked about it just seemed very young. She was rude and dismissive of her friend Jazz the second Jazz didn't drop everything to pick up her call. I also did not understand her grandmother's attitude. She was as unlikable as Jamie. The backstory of what happened at the party was confusing for me and the letters from her father (actually her mother as it turns out) were overly long and not particularly heartfelt. Overall, this book just didn't work for me although I liked the idea of what it was trying to do.

Love letter to Provence, with a young girl desperate to heal her family: moving😌

This novel is loaded with descriptions of sun-drenched Provence, its natural beauty, historic landmarks, museums, quaint ancient streets and food, glorious French food! Jamie, the American teenage narrator, arrives for a visit with her laconic French grandmother and struggles with the language barrier until she meets handsome young Valentin. With young romance brewing, the two pair up to travel across Provence on a mission Jamie hopes will restore and reunite her family.

It's great to discovery the joys of fresh baguettes still warm from the oven, French hospitality, and the towns and sights of Provence right alongside Jamie. This was my favorite element in the story. Jamie herself is a bit of a quandary for me. With a French father and a mother who met him while studying in France, it's a mystery to me why Jamie's French is initially limited to about 25 words, though it does improve through the course of her Provence adventure. Otherwise, she struck me as the quintessential overly dramatic teen. I like to read about characters who grow and Jamie definitely changes for the better, though it happens in fits and starts.

I enjoyed the story but it did take me longer than I expected to finish and I wish the reveal of events leading to her mother's injury had not been held back until almost the book's end. The ending was, however, worth waiting for and included an important twist I was not expecting.

Thanks to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and Sea Breeze Books for providing an advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

Aix Marks the Spot is a book I really enjoyed and which didn't take me long to get through! The story follows Jamie, a teenager who moves to Provence to live with her French grandmother for a while after a car accident in her home of USA. At times I wished we knew a bit more about what happened before Jamie arrived in France but I think it was good not to have more details having read to the end.

I liked Jamie as a character as she seemed very relatable and it was good to see her strengths and weaknesses as she moves to a new country. I found the relationship between her and her grandmother fascinating but also a bit frustrating at times as they always seemed to push each other away. This is good to see in a YA book though as it shows that everything doesn't always go smoothly as books can often suggest and it makes the journey they go on throughout the book so much more special. Valentin was one of my favourite characters as I like how he was so kind and understanding to Jamie and was always there for her.

The story of he treasure hunt was an interesting part of the book and whilst I was intrigued by what Jamie would find I was also happy just reading about Jamie and Valentin. I found the letters could be a little long and boring but I understand they were a crucial part of the book. My favourite thing about the book was how it showed the French culture so beautifully and made it feel so inviting. I like that it had French throughout the book which made it feel more authentic and we could understand the struggles Jamie might be facing with the language barrier and learn some of the language too with her.

I think this is a great summer book and I'm glad I've had the chance to read it. I wish there were more books to read about Jamie's French adventures!

Unfortunately, this book did not work for me and I did not finish it. I found the grandmother's behavior to be unbelievable - to have so warmly received her but then to ignore her - didn't make sense. For a girl with a French father and 2 French literature professor parents to not speak any French was unbelievable to me as well. Jamie was very obnoxious about no one speaking English, and it had only been a few days by the time she met the boy! You'd think she had been on a deserted island for a year. Lastly, the writing was unpolished and needed editing. For example: "We passed a lake that could have been called a pond." So why not: "We passed a pond." Or get more creative with your language. Perhaps it got better by the end but unfortunately it could not hold my attention long enough to find out.

Jamie goes to spend the summer in the south of France with a grandmother she has never met, after a serious accident that put her mother in a wheelchair. Feeling lost she discovers her dad's notes to a treasure hunt that helps her discover more than just a treasure.

The POV is 1st person, but it is like she is telling the story to someone, to her mother. Making it more personal and heartfelt.

The book touched my heart from the very beginning. Endearing humor and wonderfully quaint details. The French countryside made glorious through the narrative, threaded with a hint of romance but not in the way you might expect. It gave me fuzzy warm feels and there were instances when I just wanted to hug the book.

This is a quest and as with all quests you learn more about yourself as Jamie does. A journey that gifts her with hope and helps her work through unresolved feelings about the accident, her life in general. A journey of self discovery.

The 'main' romance story is a bit cheesy and predictable but still adorable. And some 'conflicts' like the one about Valentin's father seem disjointed.

I was enthralled though with how love shines from the past through the notes and helps Jamie in her uncertain present. Realizing life is a treasure is a lesson we all need. And that tear-jerking of a twist of a treasure, if possible made me adore this story even more.

Thank you so much to net galley for sending me a copy of this book. I did enjoy this book book in some ways but not on others. I felt like the MC didn’t care about almost anything and that really rubbed me the wrong way. Almost brat like

**Thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!**

Jamie was looking forward to a summer at an artists' residency program with her best friend, but after the accident, all of that changed.

Sent to her estranged grandmother's home in the south of France while her mother learns to walk again, Jamie spends her time feeling guilty for her role in her mother's paralysis, the dissolution of her father's relationship with his French mother, and for the ways in which her French and American heritages collide.

One day, she finds a love letter hidden in her father's childhood bedroom and realizes that it was from when her parents met in Provence nearly two decades prior. Determined to finish the treasure hunt laid out within the letter to save her family, Jamie confronts ghosts of the pasts and reckons with the possibilities of her future.

This was a heart-rending contemporary YA novel contending with themes of guilt, redemption, and ways in which love endures. I rooted for Jamie, soaring when she soared. It's a wonderful little escape of a book.

A severe accident has caused Jamie to spend the summer away from her Mom and Dad, Provence France, speaking barley any French, and living with a Grandmother who seemed to abandoned her father 17 years earlier. Jamie is faced with the challenges of her part in the accident that severely injured he parents, whom she loves so dearly, being in a place were everyone speaks French, and she can't seem to grasp the language, she find a boy who helps her. Finding an old mysterious letter from her dad, leads Jamie to places where her parents fell in love.

A sweet summer read that has several mysteries: what happened to Jamie's parents and what was her part? What happened to between Jamie's grandma and her father? And where does her fathers over 17 year old scavenger hunt end? An adorable read, that emerges readers into the French countryside and Provence. The narrator, Jamie, some readers may find slightly irritating at times, but is sure to win readers over. Good for the summer and Young Adults.

I have always been a Francophile, so when I saw a book where a teenage girl gets to spend a summer in Provence, I had to read it. Sarah Anderson's Aix Marks the Spot is a lovely book, filled with lighthearted falling-in-love as well as a heavy emotional toll suffered by the protagonist.

Jamie Martin's father is French, her mother American, and as the book opens, her summer plans to go to an art program with her best friend Jasmine (a.k.a. Jazz) have been thrown to the wind. Due to an accident, her mother has to learn to walk again, so Jamie has been exiled to Provence to live with her estranged Mamie, a best-selling author and her father's mother, to whom he hasn't spoken since before Jamie was born.

In exile, without wifi, without an English-speaking companion - Mamie insists Jamie speak French to her - Jamie doesn't expect to actually enjoy her summer. But a trip to the local market to do some shopping for her grandmother results in a meet-cute with a French boy named Valentin, and after Jamie discovers a letter from her father to her mother, she entices Valentin to engage in a chasse-de-tresor with her to follow her father's clues and hopefully bring her family back together.

The ending made me cry - and when an author can make me cry, it shows what an amazing story she's written - but I won't spoil it. Aix Marks the Spot is a great summer read.

I would like to thank the publisher for allowing me to read this book through Netgalley in exchange of an honest review. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to go on an adventure.

I always love a good France adventure book maybe because of my name (which is Marseille) I read a lot of books with France as the setting, I feel like I traveled across the country already. 

It is refreshing to see a place aside from Paris. Provence, in the book looks like a very beautiful, artistic and peaceful place. I get to see the culture of the place through words which I commend the author. She made me travel to Provence, France and she made me enjoy it.

Let's talk about the characters, Jaimie is a very relatable teenage girl, frustrated on the language barrier she is having with her French grandmother. I am also frustrated in how  her relationship with her grandmother is going. Their relationship made cried. Of course, it's not a good French adventure book without a beautiful French boy. In this book, we have Valentin who's been helping Jaimie with her letter hunting. I love how he is trying his best to help him, I imagine him smiling as he looks at Jaimie being happy about the letters they found. I did not notice the love that's been growing between Jaimie and Valentin because they were comfortable with each other they would pass as good friends but we all know that good friends did not stop there. It must be nice to be on an adventure with someone (not necessarily a good looking French guy, if you know what I mean)

What I got from this book? 

It made me free from the corners of my home, the way the author described every place, every story of that place makes me feel like I was there and she is my tour guide. Jaimie made me cry because I see myself to her. She made me feel what she felt which is very hard for me by the end of the book. This is not only a book full of adventures, it also tackles a lot of things that may happen if there is lack of communication in the family or the people around use, which is for me. A very important thing. I hope that most of us stuck in our home with the people we truly care about will realize this. We may seem to put our love into actions but sometimes, it is better to put it into words. 

What I don't like:

It made me miss my grandma so much. I hope she's free and traveling now.

This was an easy summertime/beach read. I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys YA books. Also to anyone who enjoys books that have traveling and a different setting.