Such an enjoyable book -a sweet love story in an intriguing time and setting. I must admit - I googled throughout reading it to see pictures and read accounts of actual events that took place in the book. It kept me entertained from beginning to end.

Meet Me In Monaco by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb is a delightful love story revolving around the romance between Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco, but not really about it. Sophie Duval is a second-generation perfumer working out of Cannes with her laboratory on a property owned by her family in Grasse. James Henderson is a photographer, a good one, but not really cut out to be paparazzo. He chases Grace Kelly into Sophie's boutique in Cannes. Sophie has hidden the actress and Jim leaves without a photo. Thus begins a friendship between the perfumer and the woman who is to be a princess. Through a twisted road, Sophie ends ups designing the perfume Grace wears on her wedding day, and also meets Jim and begins a short, but sweet love affair, which is torn apart by misunderstanding and tragedy.

This was absolutely a sweet story as well as a tragic one. The romance, wedding, and death of Princes Grace were traced through "newspaper" articles sprinkled throughout the book. It was nostalgic for someone who remembers much of it, but it was not really the story. The story was one of heartbreak and sadness for each of two people: Sophie and Jim, and a romance that wasn't practical. Jim's ex-wife and her husband were killed in a car crash that left, Jim's daughter, Emily, injured. Sophie had to rescue her dream, which was to salvage what was left of her nearly bankrupt business. These things and geography kept the two apart, but their loved never faded. It was a charming story. I recommend it.

I was invited to read Meet Me In Monaco by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #meetmeinmonaco

Meet Me in Monaco, by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb, is an enjoyable summer read. Set in 1950s the action takes place in the south of France. A young woman who has inherited her father’s famous perfume company unexpectedly becomes acquainted with America’s glamorous actress of the moment, Grace Kelly. The ensuing tale nicely meshes fascinating details of the perfume business with the romance and wedding details of Grace and Prince Rainier of Monaco. It is a very readable historical fiction novel, with some intrigue, and charm and romance in abundance.

I love all of Hazel Gaynor's books and this one was just as wonderful. I'll admit that I didn't know much about Grace Kelly, but I learned so much about her in this book. It was romantic and inspirational. I also loved the love story between the two main characters. I would definitely recommend this book! I received a free copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

An enjoyable quick read. The description of the fragrances were so realistic- I felt like I could smell them! The scenery was beautiful as well.

The story of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier is the quintessential princess story. The Hollywood icon who met a prince and gave it all up to become a princess. I lived through the end of Princess Grace's death and the investigation that followed. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this version of the royal romance.

This book has a parallel romance between Sophie Duval, the perfumer who designs a special fragrance for Princess Grace, and James Henderson, a reporter assigned to cover the royal wedding.

The interweaving of the interactions between the two couples and their individual life lessons and difficult choices keep the story moving towards a satisfying ending.

Thank you NetGalley and Book Club Girls for this Free Reads Friday. It is a pleasure to write an honest review in exchange for a free copy of the book.

Meet Me In Monaco was filled with beautiful descriptions of the scenery, the scents of the perfume which the novel centered around, and the amazing fashion of the time. It tells the story of the fictional perfumer, Sophie Duval, who created the signature scent for Princess Grace’s wedding. While I enjoyed the book, I was frustrated throughout by the main character as I felt she was too accepting of her fate. I would recommend this if you like romantic historical fiction.

I enjoy historical fiction and this one did not disappoint. Set in Monaco as a parallel story to that of Princess Grace and Prince Ranier, it tells the tale of James Henderson, a former war photographer, and perfumier Sophie Duval. Their relationship develops along with that to Princess Grace and Prince Ranier. From a chance meeting to missed opportunities, the story travels through thirty years. While the ending for Princess Grace and Prince Ranier is not a fairy tale one, the one for Sophie & James reminds one that true love finds a way.

This book was set in one of my most favorite spots in the world, the French Riviera. I fell in love with the story of two star-crossed lovers whose chance meeting during the Cannes Film Festival set off a multi-year love story that traversed the French countryside, New York City, London and Monte Carlo. Set against the romantic backdrop of Grace Kelly's royal wedding, this love story for the ages engaged me throughout. That said, I withheld one star from my review because I wasn't a fan of the ending, which I found a bit rushed.

Beautiful historical fiction novel set in France along the Côte d’Azur. The novel follows Sophie as she develops a friendship with Princess Grace. The reader sees how the power of love and friendship can change a person and make them into a better version of themself.

This lovely escapist historical romance is a feast for the senses. If I closed my eyes, I could see the striking blue Mediterranean Sea, taste the champagne, and yes, smell the perfumes. It is sweet, old-fashioned, and very romantic. I really enjoyed the parallel love stories between Sophie and Jim, and Grace Kelly and Price Rainier. (Although the story is told from Sophie and Jim’s POV, Grace Kelly has a very strong presence and does interact with them on multiple occasions.) It was also very refreshing to read a historical fiction book without a dual timeline. It was an enjoyable read, although, surprisingly, not a quick read.

P.S. – Alfred Hitchcock makes a cameo appearance in the book. Now I feel the urgent need to go watch “To Catch a Thief,” the movie Grace Kelly was filming in Cannes in the spring of 1955.

Love!!! What a delightful story! I loved everything about it. Read this book! You won’t be disappointed.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I had no idea about Grace Kelly’s marriage. I loved how this story included her within the story line. This book captured my attention from the beginning and I couldn’t wait to see what happened with Sophie and her business. I was thrilled to see her get her happy ending.

It's 1955 in the south of France and love is in the air. Beautiful American film star, Grace Kelly, unexpectedly falls in love with little known Prince Rainier of Monaco after a meeting at his palace and decides to end her flourishing career to become the prince's bride..
Covering the actress' visit to France is British press photographer, James Henderson, a divorced war veteran who is hanging on to his job by a thread. While trying to get a career advancing photo op of the starlet, James follows Grace into the perfume shop of Sophie Duval. The beautiful, yet struggling French perfumier strikes up a friendship with the actress that will change her life and fortunes. As the wedding date nears, both Sophie and James' lives become entwined with that of the future princess. Can they too find love? What sacrifices are they willing to make?
This story is filled with glamourous locations, interesting characters and thought provoking storylines. It is a satisfying read providing insight into Grace Kelly's life and the art of perfume creation.

Loved the behind scenes of the wedding of Princess Grace and Prince Ranier. - A lovely story of a parfumerie and photographer who develop a relationship with Grace Kelly and each other. A little slow at times but a pleasant diversion.

This book is a fictional account of a Cannes perfumer, Sophie, British photographer James, and Grace Kelly. I enjoyed hearing about Grace Kelly as I was not familiar with her wedding other than the dress. The author also did a wonderful job of describing Sophie's work as a perfumer. I found Sophie's boyfriend an obnoxious character and I don't understand why she kept him around for so long in an odd are they or aren't they situation. James was not a particularly interesting character and the turn with his story line at the end with his family was odd. This was an overall enjoyable book.

I requested this book as a freebie through a Facebook book group, primarily because my elderly mother was always interested in Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier. Although it was a pleasant, fast read, it wasn't my usual type book. I wish my mom were still around to read it because she would have loved it.

The premise of this book is that Sophie Duval, a young perfume developer, and James Henderson, a divorced photographer meet just before Grace Kelly meets Prince Ranier and they fall in love as they participate as extras in the wedding of the century.
I liked the story line and the characters, although James was not my idea of a hero, but the story took too long to tell. The authors went back and forth between James and Sophie's viewpoints, telling the story, but they threw in too much extraneous information. It might have held my interest more if I was a great aficionado of historical fiction. Alas, this was not the book for me.

This was a very enjoyable book. I thought the premise of using a perfumer and her connection to Grace Kelly quite clever. There is a love story involving the perfumer, but I most enjoyed learning about Grace Kelly and her marriage to Prince Ranier. Good summer read

I really enjoyed this novel! It's hard not to love a story about America’s princess, Grace Kelly. The details leading up to her wedding in Monaco covered in the story were fantastic! As someone who enjoys perfume I was especially interested to read the details of the perfumery and how the character develops scents and the formulas. The characters are well developed and it's hard not to be pulled into their life story. I found myself really pulling for the main characters and relating to her battle with her heart and her head.