Review: When in Paris by Beverley Kendall (+ a Free Read and a Great Deal!)

Having to dodge nasty rumors and being ignored by her crush, high school wasn't all that good for Olivia Montgomery. Olivia is looking forward to a fresh start in university.

Imagine her dismay when said crush walks into her French class on the first day of university!

Zach Pearson is just as surprised to see Olivia. He purposely chose this small, quiet university to avoid the drama of dealing with his ambitious father's football plans for him -- and to avoid the drama of seeing people from high school.

Zach also wants a fresh start, wanting to be seen as more than just a football jock and, for personal reasons, Olivia Montgomery is the last person on earth he wants to deal with.

But Zach has to deal with Olivia -- not just because of French class, but also because his roommate is friends with Olivia's roommate. At first, he tries to be the same indifferent guy as he was in high school -- but the situation changes when Olivia confronts him.

When the air is cleared, a tentative friendship is formed -- but neither one could deny the intense attraction they feel for each other -- all they needed was a chance to spend more time to get to know each other.

A class trip to Paris gives them the opportunity -- and, in the city of love, anything is possible.

Beverley Kendall wrote one of my favorite historical romance novel series. When she announced that she was writing a New Adult story, I was intrigued -- so I broke my own self-imposed rule to read only historical romance novels and bought a copy.

Kendall's story encapsulates what this new genre is about. Zach and Olivia are on the cusp of adulthood -- entering a new phase in their lives: college. They deal with issues that are more complex and mature: Olivia's physical appearance made her fodder for vicious gossip, which stemmed from jealousy from other girls. She's a lovely character, very spunky and outgoing -- and she also knows what she wants. I love that she didn't allow herself to be affected by the gossip and survived high school.

Beverley Kendall's Zach Pearson could have come from her historical romance novels: a modern-day knight in shining armor. (Yes, they still exist in our modern-day world!) I love that he was a gentleman with Olivia and brought her to her door and went out of his way to help her when she had a flat tire. (See p. 160) Though Zach is a football jock (and was one of the most popular guys in high school), he doesn't let this define who he is. He has many facets and is very close to his family, even to his father who constantly pushes him to pursue football.

The supporting characters, Rebecca, Scott, April and Troy were all nicely drawn-out -- and I look forward to reading their stories. ^_^

This was a true pleasure to read. I think we can all identify with the daily travails that Olivia and Zach (and their friends) deal with -- for me, (a reader way beyond the New Adult age), it was also a walk down memory lane, reminding me of my own university days. ^_^

When in Paris is the first book in Beverley Kendall's New Adult series, Language of Love. Kendall will be releasing an e-novella, Those Nights in Montreal (Scott and Rebecca's story) by March 2013 and then April in Milan in November 2013.

To find out more about Beverley Kendall and her books, visit her website. She's also on Facebook.

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Freebie and a Great Deal! --

Beverley Kendall's All's Fair in Love and Seduction is FREE. It's part of her The Elusive Lords series.


Read my review of the e-novella here.

Beverley Kendall's When in Paris is currently on sale for $0.99 ($2.99 for international readers. Limited time only).