Hi everyone! Today I’m excited to participate in the bookstagram & creative blog tour for Aix Marks the Spot by Sarah Anderson organized by MTMC Tours! Sent to live with her estranged grandmother in Provence, 16yo Jamie finds her parents’ old love letters – and clues to a secret treasure hunt that could save her family after the accident that tore them apart. This YA Contemporary Travel Romance releases on June 16th, 2020 from Seabreeze Books
Aix Marks the Spot by S.E. Anderson
Series: The Bitter Sea Trilogy #1
Published by Seabreeze Books ISBN: 9781734449
on June 16, 2020
Genres: YA, Contemporary Romance
Pages: 380
Format: Hardcover
Goodreads
Buy on Amazon|Book Depository|B&N
Source: MTMC Tours, Author
I received this book for free from MTMC Tours, Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Jamie has been dreaming of this summer forever: of road trips and intensive art camps, of meeting cute boys with her best friend Jazz. What she didn’t count on was the car accident.
Exiled away from her family as her mother slowly learns to walk again, Jamie is sent to Provence and trapped in an isolated home with the French grandmother she has never met, the guilt of having almost killed her parents, and no Wi-Fi. Enough to drive a girl mad. That is, until, she finds an old letter from her father, the starting point in a treasure hunt that spans across cities and time itself. Somehow, she knows that the treasure is the key to putting her shattered family back together and that whatever lies at the end has the power to fix everything.
Armed only with a high-school-level of French and a map of train lines, she must enlist the aid of Valentin, a handsome local who’s willing to translate. To save her family, she has castle ruins to find and sea cliffs to climb; falling for her translator wasn’t part of her plan…
… Why You Should Read Aix Marks the Spot …
Hi friends! So today I thought to write in my review differently. I will give you my reasons WHY you should pick up Aix Marks the Spot because it is a lot more fun. 😀
1. Set in France! If you are a fan of Anna and the French Kiss, then you will enjoy visiting Provence in Aix Marks the Spot. The sights! The imagery! Definitely a place I must visit sometime in the future (they have Castles!!!!).
2. It has a TREASURE HUNT. Or as Valentin would call it: A chasse au trésor! This treasure hunt was planned by Jamie’s father for her mother 17 years ago, but for reasons, it was never solved. Jamie now has the opportunity to solve the clues after she finds the first letter in one of her dad’s old books. It’s the perfect opportunity to get to learn more about her parents’ earlier years and possibly breach the distance that has grown between them. ♥
3. Enters Valentin! This charming local French boy is set out to give us the best Provence tour! I adored him so much. ♥ He’s such a fan of history and honestly, my heart always goes soft for soft, nerd boys. (Why don’t we have more characters like him?!)
4. You will learn a bit of French. What I really love about reading books set in another country is having the language play a big role in it. Jamie travels to Provence for the first time, and despite being the daughter of a French man, she doesn’t have a firm grasp on it. It’s understandable. As a bilingual person, even having a grasp of a second language will not stop you from doubting about using it! But worry not, the point of this book is for you to feel Jamie’s struggle to understand her Mamie and everyone around her. Aix, of course, gives you context so you won’t feel lost! (And if you read via Kindle, then the app gives you translations as well).
5. The swoons! And of course, Aix Marks the Spot is a great summer read full of feels. Jamie and Valentin set out on a fantastic treasure hunt around a romantic setting which of course is the perfect place to fall in love. ♥
There’s of course a lot more to Aix Marks the Spot, so make sure you pick up your copy on June 16th! For now, read on to meet Jamie and Valentin from Aix Marks the Spot by Sarah Anderson!
Meet the Main Characters!
Hi Jamie and Valentin! How are you doing today?
Jamie: I’m pretty anxious! It’s always a little nerve-wracking to put yourself out there, and in just a few days people are going to read some of my most intimate thoughts – someone please tell me why I agreed to do this?
Valentin: And I am good, keeping this one stable. I’m excited to see what people think of my home.
On a scale of 1-10, how good are you at speaking French?
Jamie: Um, maybe a five? A ten at reading it, but I suck at actually speaking.
Valentin: You underestimate yourself. You speak so much better than when you first came.
Jamie: Around you, maybe! I still feel strange trying to speak to strangers.
Valentin: Meanwhile, I am a ten.
Jamie: But you’re already French, that’s cheating!
Valentin: Just acknowledge my perfect English and we can move on.
If you could trade places with your favorite bookish hero/heroine, who would it be and why?
Jamie: Oh that’s a hard one. I’m not saying I’d like to be Hermione, but book smart and magical? I could get into that!
Valentin: I refuse – my favorite character is Professor Aronnax from 20,000 leagues under the sea, but I do not think I would do well in a submarine.
What’s your favorite thing about road trips?
Jamie: The surprise! I love seeing places I couldn’t imagine were right around the corner.
Valentin: It’s a good excuse to eat snack food? Is that valid?
Can you tell us what is your favorite memory?
Valentin: For me it’s when I visited New York! I got to eat the hot dogs!
Jamie: Seriously? New York Hot dogs?
Valentin: Why? What is yours? Me saving you from embarrassment in the market, the first day we met?
Jamie: *groans* my knight in shining armor. No, mine was – oh wait, that’s a big spoiler. Suffice to say chapter eighteen.
Valentin: I should have said that!
What’s one random thing about yourself?
Valentin: I love books and history, and would like to study letters at university one day.
Jamie: he means he wants a French lit degree.
Valentin: it’s what I said, no?
Jamie: Well now that things are better with my family again, I’m back to painting. And I’m getting better at it!
What can we expect from you in Aix Marks the Spot?
Jamie: *laughs* a whole lot of personal growth, that’s for sure. I was such a mess when I came to Provence.
Valentin: But that’s not the fun part! Aix Marks the Spot shows you the nicest places in Provence: you have some chateaux, the calanques, lavender –
Jamie: see asked what to expect from us, Val.
Valentin: From me? A personal tour of my home! With historical footnotes.
Jamie: You are making it sound, so, so dry.
Valentin: French history is never dry. Not when I tell it.
Jamie: Fair enough. So prepare for some emotional soul searching on my part while this guy regales us with a thousand reasons Provence is the best place in the world.
Valentin: Is that sarcasm? I can’t tell with your accent.
INTL Tour-Wide Giveaway!
Head over to my Instagram account to win a hardcover copy of Aix Marks the Spot + woodmark and postcard included.
Tour Schedule:
June 8
@paperfury – Bookstagram + Blog
June 9
@rebireads – Bookstagram
June 10
@thereaderandthechef – Bookstagram + Blog
June 11
@linathebookaddict – Bookstagram + Blog
June 12
@tainasbookadventures – Bookstagram + Blog
June 13
@womanon – Bookstagram
June 14
@bookphenomena – Bookstagram + Blog
June 15
@tata.lifepages – Bookstagram
June 16
@l.m.durand – Bookstagram + Blog
June 17
@ve_xo – Bookstagram
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