Maggie Does Meribel by Nicola Doherty

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The Blurb:

The third instalment in this hilarious, romantic and unputdownable five-part series. Perfect for fans of Lindsey Kelk's I Heart... novels.

Maggie can't wait for her first ever skiing holiday. New Year's Eve in the French Alps with her boyfriend Leo and two other couples: what could be more romantic? She's picturing hot chocolate, romantic snowball fights and evenings snuggled together in front of the log fire. What she didn't picture is near-death experiences on the mountains, falling out with Leo and sharing a chalet with the unbearable Jenny. When she meets Sylvain, a gorgeous ski instructor, the line between harmless flirting and full-on misbehaviour becomes ... well, blurry. Will Maggie stay on the nursery slopes, or go seriously off-piste?

Girls on Tour is an irresistible series of interlinked stories about four friends, ordinary girls who have extraordinary fun in faraway places. Expect the unexpected, the utterly hilarious and unforgettable, on this rollercoaster ride of love, laughs, surprises and sparks. You have a VIP pass to join each girl's adventure, so pack your bags and buckle your seatbelts, because just about anything is possible...


My Review:

I love Nicola Doherty's books and am really enjoying the Girls on Tour series. So far we have been to Paris and LA and now the third instalment whisks us off to Meribel for a Christmas skiing trip.

Maggie and her boyfriend Leo are heading off to the slopes with a group of his friends. Maggie has high hopes of a wonderfully romantic trip where he teaches her to ski, and they spend hours sipping hot chocolate and being all loved up.

Oops, even from the start things aren't going quite to plan. Before they even set off Maggie stumbles across Jenny who seems rude and nasty, and has quite the eye for the men. She is the only single one in the group but that doesn't stop her flirting ways with the men of the group.

Oh Maggie, I loved you as a character. You felt like a Bridget Jones. A non skier, and hopefulness romantic. You believed that the skiing holiday would be a wonderful new year break with the man you love, and the start of a serious future together........

Oh dear, the holiday turns out to be anything but! It lurches from one disaster to another. Will the dramas make them closer or drive them apart? I am dying to tell you but don't want to give any spoilers away!

What I will say is that this is a brilliantly written, fun, and enjoyable story. If you are like me you will love Maggie and be rooting for her to have a great holiday, and upset when things don't go to plan. I have two villains in the book....Jenny and Leo. Jenny sets out to make things as uncomfortable as possible, and Leo appears to have no back bone and just a bit of a wimp to me.

I laughed whilst reading, but also found it easy to become attached to Maggie, which made the story engrossing. I wanted to know how it would all end. I knew quite early on what I wanted to see happen, but wasn't sure if I would get my way or not. It was so funny reading about Maggies attempts to ski. I spent some time wondering how awful I would be at it too. And how I would probably end up either in a body cast, or in the cafes drinking hot chocolate all day whilst the others hit the slopes. Talking of skiing, I loved the introduction of Sylvain, a ski instructor who sounds very hot and attractive. After all the misery Leo and the group are bringing Maggie, she finally has some fun with Sylvain. Hooray! But will she resist his charms?

I read the whole story in one day and would recommend others to read it too. It will make you laugh, have you riled and frustrated in parts, but will leave you with a warm glow. A very enjoyable read. I now want to head off for the slopes and try giving skiing a go (although I think I would be a disaster!).