Learning Curves Bundle: French Cooking 101 – Advanced French Kissing – Detention – Graduation ♥♥

Synopsis

Ariane is a cooking instructor in Paris, France. Of her students, sparks fly with Peter, US man on vacation with his sister. His sister pairs off with another student from the class (side story which had little point to me, but any way). Ariane decides to have an affair with Peter. By the end of the first book, Peter is going to move to France to see continue the relationship.

It seemed that there would be happy-ever-after ending.

Wrong.

While Peter is in the US arranging his affairs so that he can return to France, Ariane is having conflicting emotions concerning her “friend-with-benefits” Patrick.

By the end of the second book, Peter returns, displaying disturbing behavior (red flag for the beginnings of an abusive relationship).

Opinion

The story started okay. I thought the romance was moving too fast but some harlequin-style stories are like that. By the end of French Cooking 101, I thought this was the standard novella.

In Advanced French Kissing, the storyline took a deep downward dive. It was tantamount to a car driving off of a cliff instead of into the sunset.

Yea. It was that drastic.

The person that Peter seemed to be in the first book was totally different from the jealous, controlling, borderline violent person in the second book.

Considering how hesitant Ariane was to begin the relationship, I would have thought that she would not have tolerated his behavior. She should have kicked him out and sent his packing back to the States. It seems that she is not the same person from the previous book either. She ignores the warning signs and almost appears to embrace them. The wording that sticks out in my mind is when she said she was “craving his violence”. I did not like that AT ALL. Domestic violence should in no way be romanticized.

When I finished reading Advanced French Kissing, I was confused.

I was disgusted with Peter. I felt sorry for Ariane because she obviously made an incorrect relationship choice. I wished she had kept it going with Patrick.

I think the author is trying to set up the story to have plot twists and turns so that you want to read the next installment.

I was DONE.