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Opportunities in Brittany
Opportunities in Brittany is a contemporary romance novel that follows a wide cast of characters whose lives intersect across Brussels, London, and, most vividly, Brittany. It begins with Félix Lemestre helping a mysterious young woman on a Eurostar platform, and from there the story branches into intertwined arcs: Eleanor escaping her controlling family, Yasmin fleeing an arranged marriage, and the many members of the Lemestre and Cavendish families whose histories, choices, and secrets gradually come together. The novel moves through travel, family intrigue, marriage negotiations, career shifts, and cultural crossings, eventually landing its characters in Brittany, where futures open, relationships deepen, and long-awaited opportunities finally take shape.
The writing is patient, almost procedural at times, as if the author trusts the reader to follow each careful step. It made the characters’ decisions feel grounded rather than dramatic for the sake of drama. When Félix helps Yasmin cross the border, the scene unfolds with a surprising amount of detail, but I found that detail comforting because it showed how much thought the characters give to each other’s safety and dignity. The same tone carries into the later chapters set in Brittany, where homes, rooms, and meals are described with a kind of affectionate precision.
What struck me most was how intentional the author is about choices. Eleanor’s backstory, for example, is not rushed. Her decision to escape her family carries weight because we’ve watched her strategize for years. Yasmin’s storyline works the same way: her flight from her father’s plans is not impulsive but careful, painful, and hopeful at once. Even secondary characters, like Agnès and Mathieu in Corseul, are given enough texture that I understood their influence on everyone around them. I also enjoyed the quieter cultural notes woven into the book, especially the sense of community in Brittany and the way the region feels both inviting and rooted in its own identity. By the time weddings, job offers, and new beginnings unfold near the end, the emotional payoff feels earned.
This is a romance novel, but one built more on steady interpersonal changes than on sweeping melodrama. If you like stories where relationships develop through trust, competence, and small acts of loyalty, this will likely speak to you. It’s also a good fit if you enjoy ensemble narratives, slow-burn connections, or settings that feel lived-in. Readers looking for fast conflict or high-tension twists might find it too gentle, but for anyone who enjoys thoughtful characters finding their place in the world, Opportunities in Brittany is a warm and satisfying read.
Pages: 390 | ASIN : B0DJF9JQ82
Starting Over
Second Chances in Brittany follows a retired professional who expected a romantic adventure in France with her husband but finds herself in a quiet battle for her own autonomy and identity. Where did the idea for this book come from?
Shortly after moving from Brussels to Brittany, I joined a group of English ex-patriates who met regularly for lunch. Their different motives for moving to Brittany were fascinating, as were their original expectations of what it would be like to live here, and their different ways of adapting (or refusing to adapt) to what they found. When driving home, I found myself working through storylines about people moving to Brittany.
What character did you enjoy writing for? Was there one that was more challenging to write for?
The two characters I most enjoy are the backbone of the series – Charles Pullen and Gérard Lemestre – but in this book they are in the background.
The most difficult character to write was Sarah herself. I wanted someone capable of planning and organising the perfect move to Brittany, but that’s a dull story on its own. I needed to create a flaw in her character to ensure that things didn’t go as planned, and settled on her adoration for a disastrous husband. Sarah wasn’t initially a sympathetic character, too business-like, too efficient, and yet stupidly deferring to James. But the more I understood her, the more she rounded out into someone worth knowing.
Did you plan the tone and direction of the novel before writing, or did it come out organically as you were writing?
The setting was planned and has never changed. But I initially wrote just to get all the stories I’d thought up interwoven into one coherent whole. That proved to need more than one book. Splitting my initial ideas into separate books entailed moving incidents to different dates and times of year. Something like arranging a large bunch of flowers between six vases!
What is the next book we can look forward to seeing from you?
The second book in the series is Pasts Present in Brittany, following a Canadian woman who moves to France and suffers too much bad luck before coming to Brittany and finding friends and Charles Pullen.
Author Links: GoodReads | X | Facebook | Website
A second honeymoon in France was supposed to save Sarah’s marriage. Instead, it changes her life forever.
Sarah Pullen arrives in the enchanting coastal town of Saint-Malo, ready to rebuild her relationship with her husband, James. With a dream penthouse, charming neighbors, and the romance of Brittany all around her, she dares to believe their love can be rekindled.
But then the cracks begin to show. Painful headaches. Lingering doubts. And finally, one devastating truth that shatters everything she thought she knew about her marriage.
Left alone in a foreign land, Sarah must summon the courage to start over. As she discovers friendship, resilience, and a hidden secret that reaches far beyond her own life, she realizes that endings can also be beginnings… and that hope has a way of finding you when you least expect it.
Second Chances in Brittany is the unforgettable first novel in Anne Morenn’s Romance in Brittany series, a poignant, uplifting story of love, betrayal, and the healing power of starting again.
Recipient of the Literary Titan’s Book Award
Second Chances in Brittany
Second Chances in Brittany follows Sarah Pullen, a retired professional whose life in France with her husband James is anything but the romantic adventure she once imagined. What begins as a medical mystery about Sarah’s relentless headaches slowly unfolds into a deeply personal struggle for autonomy, identity, and renewal. Through Sarah’s quiet courage and resourcefulness, the story shifts from despair and control toward resilience and rediscovery, set against the evocative backdrop of Brittany’s landscapes, communities, and rhythms of life.
The writing itself struck me as unpretentious, direct, and steady. At times, the prose felt plain, but that plainness carried its own weight. It mirrored Sarah’s methodical thinking and gave her voice a grounded, believable tone. What I enjoyed most were the moments where the local community came alive, like the social clubs, the Qi Gong classes, and the warmth of neighbors. Those glimpses of ordinary joy felt like bursts of fresh air in Sarah’s otherwise suffocating marriage. I did wish that the book lingered a little more in those brighter spaces, but perhaps the contrast is what makes them stand out so strongly. It reminded me that healing often starts in small, overlooked places.
I found James exasperating. His constant belittling of Sarah and his obsessive control were difficult to witness. Yet this very reaction shows how vividly the author sketched him. Sarah, on the other hand, grew on me page by page. Her quiet defiance, her small acts of rebellion, and her longing for connection outside of her marriage carried a raw honesty that made me root for her. I admired the way she strategized like a project manager even while navigating deeply personal pain. It felt relatable in a way that made me both ache for her and cheer her on.
By the end, I found the book both sobering and uplifting. It’s a quiet story of a woman reclaiming herself after decades of silence, which I found moving. Second Chances in Brittany reminded me of The Awakening by Kate Chopin, since both novels capture a woman’s quiet but determined journey toward reclaiming her independence and sense of self against the weight of a controlling relationship. I’d recommend Second Chances in Brittany to readers who enjoy character-driven stories about resilience, reinvention, and the complicated textures of later life. It’s especially powerful for anyone who has felt overshadowed in a relationship and is looking for a narrative that validates the strength in carving out a new path.
Pages: 394 | ASIN : B0DTBZTH65
LITERARY TITAN 