"A Rather Charming Invitation"

A Rather Charming Invitation by C.A. Belmond

In this, the third book of four, Penny and Jeremy are engaged and planning their wedding. Sort of. Penny is procrastinating, putting off choosing invitations, ordering flowers and planning the reception, and is aided in her stalling by a number of family disasters.

When a young female cousin she's never met, and who is currently being arrested, calls her for help, it drags her into the personal lives of a whole new-to-her section of family in France. The family invites them to dinner and offers to loan Penny and Jeremy a priceless family heirloom for their wedding, and of course things go downhill from there.

In the ensuing chaos they rush madly around Europe - this time England, France, Monte Carlo and Switzerland - following leads and getting themselves into some pretty hair-raising situations from which they only narrowly escape.

This book has some interesting history, great locations, and gives the reader a glimpse inside the perfume-making business. There are some memorable characters, like two formidable women, a French aunt and an English grandmother, both of whom are accustomed to having things their way, but who also, even with their quirks and foibles, do have redeeming qualities.

As in the first two books I found the dialogue a bit weak in places but it doesn't matter at this point. The books are fun. I'm having a very nice, very cheap, European vacation brought to me by C.A. Belmond.