Book Review: Broken French by Tasha Boyd
The Details
Media Type: Ebook
Title: Broken French
Author(s): Tasha Boyd
Publisher: Natasha Boyd
Pages/Length: Paperback; 504
Release Date: April 26, 2021
Source: Purchased
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A widowed, billionaire, single dad romance.
Josie thought she was getting a promotion at her architectural firm, but instead her career implodes. She impulsively takes up her roommates’ offer to nanny for a little girl on a mega yacht in the South of France. Even though she can’t stand boats, this seems like fate giving her an opportunity to lick her wounds in a bucket list paradise while she figures out how to get her life back.
But this little girl she’s arrived to look after has a daddy. A widowed, hot, young, billionaire of a daddy. A man who, for all his wealth, is grumpy, conceited, and utterly closed off. But Josie can’t help but be drawn closer to this enigmatic man.
Xavier Pascale is on an emotional island of his own making. It’s just him and his daughter and he likes it that way. He works hard, his shareholders are happy, his best friends are his bodyguard, and the people who work for him. What’s wrong with that? But then he meets Josephine Marin. Her arrival in his life is like a deep ocean tremor along a catastrophic emotional fault line. And now… well, now, he’s very, very aware of his isolation and his very human need. But he can’t be distracted. When he gets distracted terrible things happen.
He should send the nanny home.
He really should.
But what if he just takes what he wants, just this one time …
The Review
I have yet to find a book by Natasha Boyd that I don’t enjoy and this one was no exception. Well thought out characters, thoughtful descriptive scenery, and interesting twists make this a fun, heartfelt read.
One of the things I love about our heroine is that while she feels deeply, Josie doesn’t just let her feelings for Xavier overwhelm her logic. When Xavier doesn’t treat her appropriately she is not afraid to call him on it and walk away. It’s such a delicate balance creating a character that is both passionately in love and also willing to stand up for herself without it feeling overdramatic. Josie is thoughtful, compassionate, and careful with Dauphine’s emotions which makes her all the more likeable.
Xavier is a guarded, grieving man. While his status makes him weary of everyone, he was definitely overly dramatic when Josie arrived. Trying to protect himself from his attraction to the nanny made him a bit of a jerk. I was actually very happy when Josie quit after the way he treated her the first few days. As the story continues, we get to see a side of Xavier that’s more thoughtful and relaxed. He certainly needed to deal with emotions in healthier ways but like all people, he’s complicated.
I really enjoyed the banter and snarkiness of Josie and Xavier’s interactions. It was witty and funny to watch the two of them trip over themselves trying to avoid their attraction. It was a lovely touch that Dauphine wasn’t just a background character too. She had her own part in the story and wasn’t used as a simple prop in their relationship. All of the supporting characters were more nuanced than other books I’ve read. It really brings the story to life when the characters aren’t two dimensional.
I highly recommend this story to those who love a fun and steamy happily ever after.
Natasha Boyd (writing romance as Tasha Boyd) is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of both historical fiction and contemporary romance. Her historical fiction novel THE INDIGO GIRL was long-listed for the Southern Book Prize and was a Southern Independent Booksellers’ Association OKRA PICK. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and lives with her husband, two sons and the cast of characters in her head.
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