In the Merde for Love

Paul West returns, still living in France, his French much improved, but still not good enough to tell tea bags from bath salts, flat tires from pure exhaustion, and without the knowledge to properly translate his menu items to get the French government off his back.

Paul is even less lucky in love. His girlfriend Florence who is supposed to be helping him set up his tea shop in Paris, is quickly tiring of the project and takes offence when Paul states he is uncomfortable with the fact that she hired her ex to be the main architect on the project. To make matters worse, his own ex Alexa shows up out of nowhere with a photo exhibit at the Pompidou that features, who else, Paul himself.

Now faced with more personal matters then what readers saw in the first book, Paul needs to figure out not only where his head is in the merde, but if his heart is in it as well.

I was exceptionally excited to start this book. I was in love with "A Year in the Merde" and was excited to continue the series (after living in France myself I can truly appreciate some of the bizarre situations Paul gets himself into). "In the Merde for Love" was cute. It lacked some of the burst out laughing moments that made "A Year" so intoxicating, but it definitely had its moments.

Overall this was a pretty entertaining book, if not as fast paced as the first, and hopefully Clarke will come out with a third for me to read as well.

I read A year in the Merde while I was staying in Paris and it was the funniest book I ever read. I had to make sure I wasn't laughing so loudly to wake the neighbors. This book is just a great. It started out a bit slow and I was starting to get disappointed but then it picked up pace and kept the jokes a-rolling. A great sequel in a great series!! Make sure to pick up A year in the Merde first.

As always, Clarke seems to be very sex-focused (maybe he's just more honest about it than other guys?) -- but this was a great read, full of laughs.

I love every one of Stephen Clarke's books. I have never laughed so hard reading. Looking forward to getting his newest. I wish these books would also go to the big screen. Hugh Grant?

In this sequel to A Year in the Merde, Paul West has shrugged off the restraints of cooperate France and is now ready to open the first English tea room in Paris. Little does he realize how French he has become himself in the last year. But there is still enough for him to discover about France and the French to make his story a fun read. From his vacances with his lover Florence, to the hands-on work in his tea room, we aren't left out of his thoughts and aspirations; nor his desires when it comes to sex. This sequel is a bit raunchier than the first book and Paul's character felt different to me for that reason. The bumbling, embarrassed Englishman has become a demanding, unapologetic man of middle years.
After fulfilling his goal of professional success Paul sets out to make his private life shipshape by concentrating on winning back the love of Alexa, the French woman who had stolen his heart in book 1 and who had left him after finding him in bed with another woman.
I enjoyed reading more about Paul West but there was only one rofl scene in this book for me. I cherish the first book for its sweet and often hilarious helplessness in the face of another culture than your own and I missed that in this second book.