"Meet Me in Monaco" by Hazel Gaynor is a charming and evocative historical fiction novel that transports readers to the glamorous world of 1950s Monaco. Through its richly drawn characters, including the captivating Grace Kelly and the endearing perfumer Sophie Duval, Gaynor brings to life the allure and intrigue of post-war Europe. The atmospheric setting of Monaco, with its opulent casinos and sun-drenched shores, serves as the perfect backdrop for the novel's romantic escapades and dramatic twists.

Gaynor's writing style is elegant and immersive, effortlessly transporting readers back in time to a world of high society and romance. The plot of "Meet Me in Monaco" is filled with intrigue, as Sophie and Grace's lives become intertwined in unexpected ways, leading to a series of captivating encounters and heart-wrenching dilemmas. While the logic behind some of the relationships may feel somewhat contrived, the overall enjoyment of the novel is undeniable, as readers become fully invested in the fates of its characters.

Overall, "Meet Me in Monaco" is a delightful read that will appeal to fans of historical fiction and romance alike. Gaynor's skillful storytelling and attention to detail make for a thoroughly engaging experience, while the novel's lush setting and memorable characters ensure that it will linger in readers' minds long after they've turned the final page.

This was such a beautifully written account of Grace Kelly and her meeting of the Prince of Monaco. It’s been a while since I’ve been in a world told from Hazel Gaynor’s perspective but it didn’t disappoint! And the partnership with Heather Webb, made me want to go out and read more books by them!
This book is definitely for fans of The Gown. It made me want to look up all the history about Gracy Kelly, her movies, her clothes and especially her perfume! This weaves the true love story of Grace Kelly and the fiction story of Sophie and James. It pulls at all the right heart strings and I can not recommend enough!

When I saw the title Meet Me in Monaco by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb, I had to read the synopsis. I was a little girl in the 1950s and my mom was drawn to everything Princess Grace. I knew I had to read this book while wishing my mother was still alive so we could chat.

First, I loved, loved, loved, the beautiful cover of this book. While Princess Grace is really not the main character in the story, she and Sophie Duval, a perfumer, develop a long term friendship over the years. I had learned about perfumers who develop scents for clients in Erica Baumeister’s book, The Sent Keeper. Grace met Sophie when she ran into Sophie’s shop to get away from photographers who followed her.James Henderson, a British photographer happened to be the one chasing Grace to get picture. So besides Sophie developing a friendship with Grace, we see a relationship form between
Between Sophie and James. This was a fun book. I just wish I could have shared it with my mom.

Meet Me in Monaco is a luscious, gorgeous piece of writing, expertly weaving truth and fiction into a love story full of evocative images and wonderful characters. Nothing is overdone or so far outside the realm of possibilty that it becomes too far fetched. After all, who's to say these things didn't happen behind the scenes? Even a princess is entitled to a few secrets, and who better to help keep them than a member of the paparazzi? I absolutely loved this book and the characters in it.

Meet Me in Monaco was an interesting look at Grace Kelly becoming Princess Grace by the lives she has touched. This fictional account of a historical event brought the history to life.

I just love historical fiction especially when it's about a "real" person in history. Princess Grace is definitely a favorite of mine, so this was a great read for me. Highly recommend!!

*Thank you @williammorrowbooks for the copy in exchange for an honest review.*

A combination of the fairy-tale wedding of actress Grace Kelly and Prince Rainer and a fictional love story between a French perfumer and a British press photographer who is trying to get a good picture of Grace Kelly while she's attending the 1955 Cannes Film festival.

This book addresses a lot of important societal topics such as healthy romantic relationships and women trying to balance career and family obligations. I loved the setting of the French Riviera - I have visited before and this took be back there. This book was a perfect blend of romance and historical fiction with a bit of Hollywood glamour.

An utterly engaging historical fiction set in the 1950s against the backdrop of Grace Kelly's meeting of and marriage to Prince Rainier of Monaco. The novel is told in alternating chapters from the perspective of an English photojournalist (James "Jim" Henderson) and a French perfumer (Sophie Duval) whose lives are forever changed by their respective encounters with the future princess. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with each character and felt that Grace Kelly's cameos in each of their chapters and their interactions were believable. Although Jim's and Sophie's stories were more inspired by actual events than based on actual events, I felt that I had been transported back in time and was completely swept up in the story. I could not wait to find out what came next and how the story would end. I was truly invested in the lives of both characters and hoped that they would both end up with a fairy tale happy ending. If you enjoy historical fiction with a touch of romance and Hollywood glamor, this is the perfect choice.

The authors provided an excellent reading list at the end and an explanation of how the book idea came about, as well as what elements of the story had been changed and what had happened in real life. The edition I read also included a Reader's Guide which would aid a book club discussion.

Many thanks to William Morrow and the Book Club Girl Free Reads Friday program for the NetGalley copy I received.

A meeting in Monaco ! This book title set in gorgeous Monaco grabbed me enough to want to read this. An added bonus was the story of Grace Kelly and Prince Ranier’s romance that served as a backdrop element throughout the novel. The story begins when Grace Kelly hides from a tabloid photographer in a small perfume store owned and run by Sophie. This chance encounter begins the story of Sophie and the tabloid photographer James that had been trying to photograph Grace Kelly. We follow their romance with its ups and downs and thrown in family issues. I found this to be a very sweet story in a lovely setting that is a perfect summer read.

This was such a unique storyline. It takes place during the royal wedding of Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly and involves a strong female lead, Sophie Duval. Sophie is in charge of the family business, a perfume house named Duval. Her father, who died in World War II, taught her everything about perfume, scents, memories, and the complicated and emotional way we associate with our sense of smell. Sophie is a stunning example of a strong, intelligent, and independent woman in the 1950s. Having lost her father at a young age, it's Sophie alone who runs the company. She is also responsible for her alcoholic mother - a woman she loves out of obligation more than any fond memories.

One day, Grace Kelly rushes into Sophie's boutique, trying to escape the prying eyes of a photographer. Sophie ushers her into the back office and when the photographer comes in looking for the celebrity, Sophie plays dumb and deals with him. But fate (and Grace Kelly) keeps pushing Sophie and the photographer, James, together.

Eventually the pair develop a friendship which lasts through absences, grief, letters, and long distance. They make plans to meet up again after a long time away in Monaco at the Royal Wedding. James is photographing the events and Sophie has become the perfumer of wedding.

Interspersed between chapters are articles written by the fictional Angeline West, a fashion reporter for the Philadelphia Herald as she follows Grace Kelly's career and life. I loved this extra because it further immersed you into the time period and maintained a connection with Grace Kelly even though she wasn't a main character in the book. This historical fiction is a piece that juxtaposes with actual events and people and makes you interested in the side stories as well. I learned more about Grace Kelly than I had known and certainly more about perfumes and how they are created.

Overall it was an enjoyable read that was well written. I felt connected to the characters and engaged in their stories. It definitely made me yearn for warmer months and traveling!

A very interesting book with fascinating characters. The interactions are very interesting and so many emotions as your read. It’s beautifully written.

Set with the Grace Kelly's wedding, we follow the hesitant love story of Sophie Duval and James Henderson. I do like when fiction novels have a realistic setting. But it droves me crazy wanting to google everything to see what is real and what isn't. The pacing was a little slow for me.

I was absolutely drawn to Meet Me in Monaco based on the cover. Going into this book, I knew very little about Grace Kelly, both as an actress or as Princess of Monaco.

Heck, living outside of Philadelphia, you would think our very own native-born PRINCESS would be honored here more than she is!

That said, this fictional work around the life of Grace Kelly was an interesting read. I didn’t much care for Sophie throughout the book, even though she was the main character. That said, the side characters and the story was enough to keep me focused on finishing the book.

To me, Sophie is very selfish-centered and hyper-focused on herself and her business. I definitely felt like Sophie and Lucien were well paired since they were so alike.

On the other hand, I liked James a lot, and wished his story had been a happier one.

The authors were very good at transporting the reader to 1950s Cannes and Monaco without spending too much ink describing every detail.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the review copy.

This was indeed an enjoyable read. The telling of the romance between Grace Kelly and Prince Ranier as an almost backdrop to the main storyline of Sophie Duval and James Henderson was an interesting method of bringing forward the royal historical romance and yet telling it through other characters. The locations of the story, the lifestyles of the "rich and famous", and the choices to be made can lead to great discussions in a book club...as this did for my group.#NetGalley #MeetMeinMonaco

Meet Me in Monaco first, and foremost, tells the story of Sophie and James, a perfumer and a photographer, who meet in Monaco at the same time that Grace Kelly is also meeting Prince Rainer. Although the main story is Sophie and James, the Princess Grace story is told, filtered through the eyes of James and Sophie.

This story is one of spectacular historical fiction, with the two stories interwoven expertly, and although the story is not told through Grace Kelly's eyes, her story is told through that of other characters in the story. I learned a lot about what I didn't know about the love story of Grace and the Prince, so that added an extra layer of "wow" factor when this book was over. Sometimes, I feel like historical fiction falls solely into a category of WWII historical fiction, and not many authors break out of that. This book was a great "non WWII" book that will catch and hold your interest throughout the story.

This book would be ideal for lovers of historical fiction, those who enjoy reading about royals (or how they began) and those who like a good, old fashioned "star crossed" love story. This writing was engaging, and I really enjoyed every moment of this book.

Thank you to the authors, publisher and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my, I just LOVE anything by the Hazel Gaynor/Heather Webb duo! Meet Me In Monaco is the enchanting tale of the romance and royal wedding of Grace Kelly and Prince Ranier. More than that, it is a delightful story of Sophie, a French parfumeuse and James, an English photographer. While Sophie and James are fictional characters in this story, they are based on actual people involved in the royal wedding. I enjoyed this story and definitely recommend it to anyone that likes historical fiction, romance, and the Royal family. Thank you #Netgalley for allowing me the honor or previewing this book.

I enjoyed reading this historical fiction about how Grace Kelly touched the lives a
Of many different people in .Monaco. I also enjoyed reading about being a nose of a perfume maker.

A very enjoyable read especially since I love historical fiction that makes me google to find out more about the real life events and story.

I love the historical fiction by this duo. The story is centered around the wedding of Princess Grace, and has wonderful characters and a great plot. I definitely recommend it.

When actress Grace Kelly is chased into a perfumery shop in Cannes, France by a photo-journalist, many things are set in motion. One of them, that Grace and parfumeur Sophie Duval become life-long friends. But there’s more. Sophie and that photographer, James Henderson, also find themselves forming a relationship.

On this trip to France, Miss Kelly will also meet her future husband, the Prince of Monaco. That meeting changes her life, but doesn’t diminish her glamour. She will go on to have a wedding that set the world talking. That wedding will involve Sophie and James as well.

This was a lovely read. It portrays Grace Kelly in the best light possible, and makes her seem real. But more than her story, it also brings to life the world of perfume: the growing of flowers, the slow and careful development of new perfume formulas, and the challenges that modern, chemical perfumes brings forth for the small, traditional parfumer. Sophie, like her father before, her, believes that the traditional way is the best. And this book is more about Sophie, her traditions, and her life, than it is about the future Princess of Monaco.

This book was sweet and wonderful. It was a quick and easy book to read, and I enjoyed it very much.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley. I thank all involved for their generosity, but it had no effect on this review. All opinions in this review reflect my true and honest reactions to reading this book.