Great writing and strong voice. Recommend if looking for a story that is as captivating as it is well-written.

A cute story with a wonderful setting! The Provence setting is what really drew me to this book and hooked me in. It made me wish I was strolling through a French village and eating croissants! I loved the food descriptions!

I thought the formatting of the book didn't seem very cohesive. It was a bit confusing how sometimes it seemed the book was like a letter to her mom and sometimes it wasn't? That may be cleared up more in a final copy. The characters themselves and the relationships didn't really grab me, but I thought it was a sweet story.

Thank you to Sea Breeze Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this!

A modern quest in the French countryside . . .
I love how this novel was imbued with episodes from the author's childhood in the provincial French landscape. It is evident that Anderson experienced the destinations firsthand instead of diving into web research for towns like Aix and Provence. Her vivid descriptions of the nature scenes are a highlight of the book: the land of lavender . . . lovely!

Unfortunately, I felt like the novel's resolution was a bit rushed, and some of the relationships felt unrealistic or hurried in development. The novel's treasure hunt and interwoven letters provided a boost to the book's momentum, but I felt myself wishing for an alternate timeline, possibly a historical fiction/contemporary YA timeline?

This book succeeds in stirring wanderlust + many Google Image searches of the beautiful French countryside.

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
When I was looking through NetGalley’s Read Now selection, I was immediately intrigued by the title of this book. You see, I’m French, so when I see people talking about France without it being centred on Paris, I’m pleased. Not that I don’t like Paris, but the country has some much more to offer than the Eiffel Tower. And this is one of the strongest messages I got from this book.

Jamie’s dad is French and he and her mom met in Aix en Provence while going to university. But neither of them has been back since before Jamie was born and they moved to Philadelphia. Her dad hasn’t even spoken to his mother in seventeen years. But when Jamie’s mother gets in an accident and needs space to go through Physical therapy, Jamie is sent to spend her summer with her French grandmother, whom she has never met and can’t even communicate properly with. As she readies herself for the worst summer of her life, Jamie meets Valentin, a local French boy who agrees to help her retrace the steps of her parents falling in love.

If you’re looking for a book that will make you leave reality to go traipsing around the south of France, this is it. In it, you’ll find family drama, language confusion, south of France scenery, falling in love, a treasure hunt, and most of all, a lesson on the importance of communication.

All in all, this was a pretty good book. I loved getting to see a bit of my own country through the eyes of a newcomer, it made me want to plan a trip with friends to see all the place mentioned in the story (maybe that’ll happen once this whole covid thing is over, who’s with me?). Anderson’s writing sucks you in and makes every landscape extremely vivid, I could hear the cicadas chirping in my head and smell the lavender all around me.

This might be the perfect book if you’re longing for summer adventures and a lovely love story spanning two generations.

This is my first book gifted to me for a review by net galley.
This book was beautiful. It showed every emotion in great detail. You could tell the author has great knowledge of provence. This made me want to cry and smile all at the same time. A very accomplished piece of writing

**2.5 stars**
I received a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley!

This book was alright for me. On one hand, I'm a sucker for a YA romance in a foreign country, especially during the summer. On the other hand, I found myself struggling to like Jamie at all. I was constantly irritated by her, as she continuously said things about her parents sending her away because they hated her. Despite not knowing what had really happened up until the end, I knew right off the bat that they did not, in the slightest, hate her; it felt extremely childish and overdramatic to me. Not to mention, I hated how she treated Valentin at times (and I even hated how he acted sometimes. I can't say I didn't understand her frustrations, but the way she reacted to things made me want to stop reading at some points.

HOWEVER(!!), I LOVED the setting. Does it get much better than the countryside of France? I could truly tell where the author's personal experiences living in France pulled through; at parts, it felt like I was there with Jamie because of the sheer detail that Anderson used. I thought the setting was extremely well done, and it was definitely my favorite part of the book. I felt like I was sightseeing with them!

While the letters didn't do much for me (I found it a bit absurd that they were able to find the letters after 17 years without much difficulty at all), I did like the idea of the treasure hunt allowing Jamie to see France from her mother's eyes. It felt really special that she got to recreate some of her parents' favorite adventures and see the reasons why they loved it there so much. I really started to get more invested in the story at the end, but the ending was so abrupt and quick. I wish there had been more of an explanation about what happened after the initial reunion, as the ending felt too rushed to successfully conclude 17 years of not speaking.

Overall, it was enjoyable, but there were some things that I personally wasn’t a fan of. However, if you are looking for a fun, summer YA contemporary featuring a foreign romance, I definitely suggest checking it out.

Spending the summer living in your father’s childhood home with your French grandmother in Provence, France sounds like an amazing adventure! Unless your grandmother is estranged from the family, and your reason for being sent there is due to a car accident that was your fault, leaving your mother paralyzed.

Jamie’s summer was not turning out how she’d envisioned. She felt exiled from her parents, and unwelcome in her grandmother’s house. To stave off boredom, Jamie shuffles through her father’s old books, where she discovers a hidden love letter from her father to her mother with clues to a treasure hunt. With the help of Valentin, a local boy Jamie befriended in the town’s market, she hunts down clues left 17 years ago, with the hope of lifting her mother’s spirits and speeding up her recovery.

Along the way, Jamie falls in love with France, battles her own fears and guilt, and tries to build a relationship with the grandmother she’d never met before.

Having taken French throughout high school and college, I have always loved the language and the culture. I’ve visited a couple of times, but have not been to the countryside or the towns described in the book. I enjoyed the journey along with Jamie, and the snippets of French dialogue in the story. The entire book made me want to surround myself with buttery croissants and tiny cups of espresso.

I give this one 3.5 stars, only because Jamie often frustrated me with her self-depreciation and the way she sometimes interacted with Valentin. Otherwise, overall story is very cute, and this would be a fun read for teens who are taking French or just interested in French culture.

Rating: 2.75/5 Stars

I went into this book expecting a super cute, fun, and feel-good love story about a treasure hunt in France. Some of that I got, and some I didn't. I'll start with what I enjoyed about this book. I loved how it took us to so many beautiful cities across France. The descriptive writing in these sections was spot on. I have never been to France, yet I felt like I could see and feel what France is like.

I liked the character of Valentin. He was exactly what I expected him to be from the description of this book: a quirky, cute French boy that wanted to help Jamie on her journey. You could tell how much he loved his country in a lot of ways, and I think that was an excellent addition to his character. The treasure hunt gave him a reason to show that love in a great way that felt very natural in the story. I also loved, LOVED, Jean-Pascal. I thought his character was the best, even though he doesn't show up much. He just seems like the cutest little old man with a heart of gold.

Now for the things I didn't like as much. Emotions as a whole seemed pretty forced to me at times. You can see it in Jamie and Valentin's relationship. Her feelings for him only ever came up when it was convenient, so it felt weird when they kissed. I had barely realized they both liked each other at that point.

Honestly, I couldn't ever connect with Jamie. Maybe that's why I didn't enjoy this story as much as I thought I would, but she was just confusing to me. There were points in the story where she seemed very mature, and then others where she acted like she was 13. It gave me whiplash how fast she would switch, especially when she was angry. She got mad at the weirdest things, and not just mad, furious. All of the characters in this story were extremely mean to each other when they got mad and it didn't seems realistic to me how quickly they would move on.

Overall, this was a quick read. I didn't love it and I didn't hate it. I probably won't ever read it again, but I might just to relive the scenes of beautiful French scenery.

Thanks to Netgalley and Seabreeze Books for providing me with the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

this book was great but it handles some deeper subject situations.I was really excited to read this book just for its title. The play on words is what picked my interest.as soon as i started reading i couldn't stop reading the first chapter that is how hook i got on this book!everything is well detail and keeps you understanding every little thing throughout with Jamie loved the treasure hunt aspect of this book,it was a really romantic gesture from parent to the other.this book would keep you on your toes and leave you breathless and longing for more you better check it out for yourself.

Reading this book totally makes me want to go to France myself. Aix Marks the Spot is set in Provence, where the main character Jamie is spending the summer there, not as a carefree tourist, but as someone who is trying to atone for past mistakes that she made. While hoping to somehow set things right by finding long-lost letters scattered across Provence, she also takes the chance to bond with her grandmother, who she has never met before. I enjoyed reading about Jamie's journey toward self-forgiveness. While she is not a perfect person, being rather emotional at times, she tries hard to be a good daughter, constantly reminding herself of why she's in France in the first place.

I also enjoyed reading about her interaction with Valentin. He's funny and kind-hearted, diligently helping Jamie find the clues she needs throughout the book. They fit well together despite their cultural differences. Valentin's not perfect, either, which is a good thing because there are way too many characters these days who don't have a single flaw. He's flawed in a way that I can imagine to be possible.

This book takes on deep topics while maintaining an overall light and humorous tone. Its descriptions of Provence and its culture are also wonderfully written.

This was absolutely captivating! I loved going on adventures with Jamie and Valentin, while also seeing the inner emotional turmoil of Jamie throughout the course of her novel. Sarah Anderson does very well in expressing how the guilt Jamie feels affects the way she interacts with others, especially at times when she ended up coming off like a brat. While I was annoyed, as the novel progressed, I began to see why she acted the way she did!

** A free copy was provided in exchange for an honest review

The synopsis held a lot of potential and I was definitely intrigued, but unfortunately it just fell short for me. I didn’t really connect to any of the characters and I just couldn’t get invested in the story. However, I can see how the writing and the story could be enjoyable for the right reader and so I hope others enjoy it!

Excellent book, really well written, likeable characters who are easy to relate to. I would definitely read more from this author.

I loved this book, it was the best I have read for a while. I loved the Provence setting, fell in love with Valentin and really felt for this poor girl who felt that everything was conspiring against her.
The book was heartwarming, charming and I could almost taste the rose and smell the pastries.

This arc copy was provided by netgalley for free in exchange for an honest review.

Jamie's perfect summer is uprooted after a car accident seriously injures her mother. Her parents send her to Provence to stay with her estranged paternal grandmother while Jamie's mother recovers. Jamie doesn't speak French very well and has never met her grandmother, so her summer seems off to a rough start. Until she discovers a letter in her father's room that leads her on a treasure hunt across Provence and down memory lane of her parents love story.

This was an adorable yet heartbreaking story. I loved the trips around Provence; I felt like I was experiencing the real Provence, and not just the touristy bits. I also really liked the discussion of tourists, and Americans especially, and how they are viewed by the French. As an American and someone who loves traveling to other countries, I try not to be "that American" but instead be both respectful and appreciative of the culture I'm interacting with.

Aix Marks the Spot also deals quite a bit with guilt and miscommunication, or maybe lack of communication would be a better phrase. Jamie has a lot of internal guilt to work through and I loved the journey of self-discovery she went on throughout the novel. As the end drew near I found myself crying at several different points, as people finally communicated and issues were resolved. On a lighter note, there's also a pretty cute romance between Jamie and a French boy. There's also a lot of French interspersed throughout the novel, without translation, which I enjoyed because it really brought to life the feeling of alienation that Jamie experiences. She's half-American, half-French; speaks almost no French and has never been to France; and feels like she isn't wanted in either country. I really loved this aspect of the book, especially after reading the author's note at the end. It made the book feel even more real to me.

Things I liked about the book:
- The fact that it's set in France because I've always loved anything related to France
- The descriptions of the food are so amazing that my sweet tooth craves to eat a croissant
- Provence is beautiful in the author's words which makes me want to go there
- The scavenger hunt idea was fun
- Valentin was cute
- Everytime someone says whiffy instead of Wi-Fi I had to laugh

Things I didn't like about the book
- I didn't like how controlling the main character is. She shouldn't be forcing a complete stranger to help her in something he doesn't want to do.
- I have already mentioned that I'm obsessed with France but I don't understand the language! There should be translations in the book rather than assuming that the readers know French.
- The main character's grandmother keeps speaking in French which was getting annoying after a while because even the main character doesn't understand what she's saying. Because of the language barrier there's a huge communication issue in their house and I, as an English reader, could only understand one side of any conversation between these two.

Overall I would only recommend this book if you know a little bit of French too.

This was absolutely adorable and such a great surprise of a book! After a horrible accident, Jamie's mother is left injured and unable to walk. To make room in the house, Jamie is sent to the south of France to spend time with her grandmother (Mamie), who she has never met, due to family problems and Mamie not approving of her son's relationship with Jamie's mother when they were kids.

Mamie isn't very nice, and doesn't communicate with Jamie unless it is in French, which Jamie can't speak well. My own limited French helped me navigate some of the speech which felt good! Jamie meets Valentin, a French boy who can speak some English, and the two become friends. Jamie finds a letter in one of her Dad's old books, and she embarks on a treasure hunt he set for her mother 17 years ago. Valentin helps her work out the clues, and together the two visit all the spots her parents fell in love.

What I really enjoyed about this book is the characters acted their ages. Jamie definitely had a few stroppy teenage moments which was nice to see, because her situation was super difficult! I loved the culture, the characters learning about themselves and each other. I liked that Jamie grew more confident with her French, and that she got to visit so many cool places.

The book discusses the affects of tourism, and why tourists aren't always appreciated. I've not been to the places in the book, but have been to other places in the south of France, and this book brought me right back there (we were there outside of tourism season and it was so quiet).

From the food to the art to the history, this is a really stunning read and I adored the writing style! So easy to read.

Thank you to the publishers for the arc via NetGalley
I found this book okay. It was written really well I like the style a lot the author draped me in within the first page I like how you went straight into the plot. The characters were all likeable Jammy was so selfish at times I felt bad for Valentin when Jammy would take her anger on him, he was really nice and I liked how he was very kind accepting and eager to help Jammy on her mission. The hunt was a nice premise to and was nice knowing about different parts of the town and the letters were a nice feature. Overall it’s a nice read I got bored during some parts but i pushed myself and the outcome was pretty pleasant. Recommend for a quick summer read that’s cute and got a nice travel aspect.

Omg I enjoyed reading this book. I enjoyed following Jamie's treasure hunt journey in France that involves her parents 17 years ago. Btw I don't like the way she treated Valentin when she is frustrated. Goshh Valentin help translating and he even followed her journey.

At first I feel kinda frustrated because I don't understand France but then that make feel related to the character. She couldn't communicate with her grandma because of the language barrier.

I love the way the author describe the places, bread and crepe lol I mean I feel like I'm tasting it too 🤣

Thank you Netgalley for Aix Marks the Spot

Communication plays an important role in this story. Whether it's because you don't share or ask questions or you don't know the language (culture) it provides for a lot of misunderstanding. Teens are the best at expressing their feelings/troubles and Jamie seems to excell at it. Sent to France to live with her grandmother who she has never met so her mother can recover from the car accident Jamie insists she caused. Grandmother speaks very little English and Jamie, very little French. Enter that handsome French boy and Jamie excludes him in her treasure hunt she believes her dad wrote for his mom. Mamie blames Jamie's mom for stealing her son. Can Jamie solve everyone's problems with this treasure hunt?