Adler, Elizabeth - Invitation to Provence torrent

Invitation to Provence by Elizabeth Adler (2004)

Take a journey with internationally acclaimed bestselling author Elizabeth Adler to one of the most sensuous places on earth--a place where lavender-filled fields meet an azure sky, where rosemary scents the air, and where love and intrigue are just around the corner.

Franny Marten's life is unraveling--after arranging to meet her boyfriend, Marcus Marks, for dinner, she finds his wife waiting for her instead. After the initial shock wears off, Franny finds she has more in common with Clare Marks than she could ever have imagined. And, amazingly, the women become fast friends. But even more surprises are in store for Franny Marten: She is unexpectedly offered an all-expenses-paid invitation to a reunion of her estranged family in Provence. And Clare decides to charge the trip to Marcus (for his sins) and come along. Franny knows very little about the French side of her family, but how stressful can meeting long-lost aunts and cousins be after what she and Clare have just gone through?

Provence is everything Franny pictured, but nothing at all what she expected. There are dangerous family secrets buried deep in the lovely, lush landscape of Provence, and there's also a person who will go to any lengths to keep Franny from uncovering them. Jake Bronson is an American with ties to the Marten family, and he seems to know more than he's saying. He's the most intriguing and compelling man Franny's ever encountered, but there are treacherous currents surrounding him. And at the center of it all is the matriarch, Rafaella Marten, a woman with secrets going back decades. Her two sons have caused her both heartache and joy, but Franny may ultimately be the key to truly reunitingthe Marten family--and putting to rest the shadows, scandals, and the rivalry of a dynasty. Evoking the lush descriptions of everything that is Provence, Elizabeth Adler casts an unforgettable spell as Invitation to Provence transports you to a truly magical place.