Falling for Provence is the second book in the series about Fia Jennings and her family. Fia is now working in her aunt and uncle's B&B. When a new handsome guest, Ali, checks in, Fia starts to fall for him and contemplates an affair. However, Ali is not all that he seems. Ali has a mission. To steal a valuable statue from the Louvre and return it to Iraq. He believes, that when the statue returns to it's home, peace will reign over the Middle East. When Christophe, Fia's old boyfriend shows up, the plot thickens. Mayhem ensues, when Christophe suspects Ali is a thief and Ali distrusts Fia.
I have read another book by the author, but not the first in the series. This is a standalone book and the author fills in background from the first. I love mysteries and thrillers, that have museums, as settings and plots, that involve art theft. At times, I felt like shaking Fia, but all was well in the end. Fia and Christophe make a beautiful couple. There is a twist at the end, that makes me wonder, if we are going to see a return of Ali the thief and who really won in this cat and mouse game. ( )

So, this was the second release in the New Life in Provence series, but I didn't really feel behind the curve. You get enough glimpses into what transpired previously to land Fia and her kids where they are now that you'll be on the same page...but that page is rather unusual. The story takes us along for the ride as Fia gets her feet back under her, trying to create a new life for herself and her family, while coming to grips with everything that happened not so long ago. The monkey wrench of love being thrown in sends her a bit off course, but sometimes exploring those deviations from our chosen path can have AMAZING outcomes. This time...umm, well, I can't REALLY tell you because it'll ruin the surprise, but let's just say that she DOES get closer to someone, while also cutting ties with several other someone's, and the ending sort of leaves you scrambling for solid ground. I suppose a few of the loose ends of a sort were to allow for further installments to be added to the series, but the one regarding the actual theft or rescue (depending on how you few it) of the artifact, simply left me to wonder. To me, it seemed to be more about the belief in the thing versus the actual thing itself, and how powerful that can be...at least, that's how I took it...trust me, that'll make more sense when you read it.

In the end, I enjoyed my visit to Provence, but I'm not certain I'd want to call it home. If you enjoy Women's Fiction with a bit of Mystery, and a dash of Suspense, this is definitely a book I'd check out.

**ebook received for review; opinions are my own ( )