The Frenchman
(Crime Royalty Romance #1)
Lesley Young
Genres: Adult, Romance
Publication Date: December 2, 2014
Fleur Smithers rarely veers off the straight and (excruciatingly) narrow. So moving to the seaport town of Toulon to live with her newfound biological mother—an inspector with the French National Police—for one year is a pretty major detour.
Son of France’s crime royalty family and international rugby star, Louis Messette, is devoted to his sport, famille and nothing else. But the carefree American he meets one night changes everything. She sparks a desire in him like no other. Possession takes root. She will do as he commands.
Bit by bit Fleur slips into the Frenchman’s realm of wanton pleasure agreeing to his one condition: that she keep their affair secret. She serves up her heart without reservation in the hub of the glittering Côte d’Azur, and the along the soulful Seine in Paris, unaware of the danger she is in. For her new lover’s family business will pit her against her mother, the police woman sworn to bring down the Messettes. And by then, far more than Fleur’s heart will be on the line.
The Frenchman is a story that resides in the grey area of right and wrong. It is a Romeo and Juliet story of two unlikely characters who fall in love, one knowing the consequences of their actions and the other catching on a little later in the game. Lesley Young brings to life a story that is full of choices, love, and the underbelly of the criminal beast.
This story was an interesting read. I enjoyed the setting, themes, and characters. Fleur is the biological daughter of one of France’s greatest inspectors, a woman who has been fighting crime for a long time and has a rate of success unmatched. These two are fascinating to read about. I loved watching Fleur and her mom learn how to interact and basically be related. Their connection is only biological so watching a friendship bond grow was nice to see. They are two very different characters. Her mother is a ruthless woman of the law, fighting with a vengeance that has motivations you would never see coming until the moment of revelation. She is a complex character and I enjoyed learning about who she was and what her past was like with Fleur. It was fascinating. Fleur is a beautiful yet naive girl who learns what life is like outside her preconceived notions. She is strong and delicate, a young woman who wants so much from life and must decide what she will do to experience it.
The mysterious Louis is everything you would imagine a French rugby player slash son of the local crime lord to be. He is smooth, sexy, irresistible, and a little bit dangerous. When Fleur and Louis start an affair together it is full of passion and irresistible lust. These two are so far apart in the social realm but they seem to click perfectly. In the world they create together they make sense, it is only when the outside world comes crashing in that they must make their own decisions and choose to be together. It was interesting to watch Fleur slowly piece together who Louis is and then watch her make her choices based on what she learns about his life and family.
The story show their romance in a world that is uncertain for the two of them. Their romance is a secret from the world and when pieces of it start to be discovered, there are consequences for them both, as well as those around them. I loved watching Fleur transform into her own person. She added another piece of her personality with the reunion with her biological mother and her heritage but she learns so much more about herself. She becomes confident in what she wants and needs. She learns to sacrifice for those she loves and fight for what she desires. This story was sweet and filled with danger, a combination that is surprisingly wonderful on the pages of a book!
The Frenchman is a story that people will enjoy. If you love a good Romeo and Juliet type story with a sense of the forbidden and danger, then be sure to check out the first installment in Lesley Young’s Crime Royalty Romance series.
