The Road to Stagnant (Unabridged‪)‬

Once a famous artist’s model, Valérie’s allure hasn’t diminished–unlike her bank balance. Swapping her chic Paris apartment for a country chateau causes consternation among her coterie of admirers: a diffident philosopher who thinks smoking in cafés will lend him an air of sophistication, a philandering fraudster who doesn’t care who he pursues as long as they have a healthy bank balance, and a retired soldier whose bony backside is his only character flaw. 

Will Valérie survive her move to the countryside? Which of her coterie will win her affection? And just what was in those chocolate muffins that led to midnight skinny-dipping? A satisfying romp through the joys and pitfalls of reaching a certain age.