NOT QUITE NICE is a coming of age adventure, but not the growing-up kind, the growing older kind. It's the story of Theresa Simmons, a lady of a certain age no longer content in her daily routine in the London suburbs. She's ready for a change, so she moves across the Channel to a small seaside village in France. The transition is not always easy; that's the adventure. Author Celia Imrie may give Theresa a tough time, but she also provides her with friends and supporters, along with challengers and thieves.
It's hard to categorize NOT QUITE NICE. It's not truly a comedy, although it has some good laughs. It has a mystery at its core, and although it's not a thriller, one scene made me gasp out loud in shock. It's not a travelogue, but it will give you a lovely taste of the French Riviera, and I mean that quite literally. The text is sprinkled with recipes relevant to the story, and they will leave your mouth watering.
If Celia Imrie's sounds familiar, it's because you've seen her in dozens of movies and TV shows, from "Doctor Who" and "Star Wars" to "Calendar Girls" and "Nanny McPhee." I'm sure I'm not the only one who would like to see Ms. Imrie play the title role of her first novel.
If you liked Imrie's film "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," her book will definitely appeal to you. I also recommend NOT QUITE NICE (that's "neece" like the city) for readers who may be reaching a certain level of maturity and want to read about those of a similar age. It is a delightful and entertaining read.
Theresa is desperate for a change. Forced into early
retirement, fed up with babysitting her bossy daughter's
obnoxious children, she sells her Highgate house and moves
to the picture-perfect town of Bellevue-sur-Mer, just
outside Nice. With its beautiful villas, its
bustling cafes and shimmering cerulean sea, the village
sparkles like a diamond on the French Mediterranean coast.
Once the hideaway of artists and writers, it is now home to
the odd rock icon and Hollywood movie star, and, as Theresa
soon discovers, a close-knit set of expats. There's Carol,
the infinitely glamorous American and her doting husband
David; the erstwhile British TV star Sally; the ferocious
Sian and her wayward Australian poet husband; the sharply
witty Zoe with her strangely youthful face and penchant for
white wine β β and the suave Brian who catches Theresa's
eye. As Theresa settles to the gentle rhythm of
seaside life she embraces her new-found friendships and
freedom. However, life is never quite as simple as it seems
and as skeletons start to fall out of several closets,
Theresa begins to wonder if life on the French Riviera is
quite as nice as it first appeared.
No excerpt available.
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