This Foreign Affair Review — Is It Worth Reading?

Verdict: A sexy, low-angst holiday fling that turns into a long-distance love story between two grown women near fifty — mature and warm, with some of Harper Bliss’s hottest scenes, but light on plot and fast on the falling.

Best for: Readers who want mature leads, open-door heat and a romance where adults actually talk to each other.

Heat level: Explicit (readers call it very erotic; no romance.io steam rating)

Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.9/5 — a 4.19 Goodreads average across 1,007 ratings, 3.84 on StoryGraph from 148 reviews, and 4.7 stars across 443 Amazon ratings)

Tropes: Holiday fling, one-night stand to love, long-distance relationship, both leads 40+, instalove, series (Pink Bean #4, readable as a standalone).

This Foreign Affair is Harper Bliss’s 2017 contemporary lesbian romance and the fourth Pink Bean book. Zoya Das, an Australian television presenter, is still reeling six months after her partner of sixteen years left her. Then she is called to her rental flat to fix a problem for her French guest, Camille Rousseau.

It holds a 4.19 average across 1,007 Goodreads ratings, with 79% of them four or five stars, 3.84 on StoryGraph from 148 reviews, and 4.7 stars across 443 Amazon ratings. It was on Kindle Unlimited at the time of writing.

What Is This Foreign Affair About?

Camille, recently divorced with her children grown, is travelling to work out what comes next. She has a week left in Australia. Zoya, who is not looking for a relationship, is not against a fling. The week turns out to mean much more than either expected.

The second half is about the hard part: whether two women with full lives on opposite sides of the world can make love work at ten thousand miles, and who has to give something up.

What Works in This Later-in-Life Romance

Grown-up leads: Readers love two accomplished women near fifty figuring out their next chapter.
Heat: Reviewers across the board call it sexy, and many single out the love scenes.
Communication: One reader calls it rare to see grown characters who actually communicate and make sacrifices.
Camille: A favourite for several readers — honest, confident and very French.
Long distance done honestly: Readers who have lived it say it rings true.

Book Synopsis

Zoya Das is still recovering from a painful breakup when a problem at her rental flat puts her face to face with her French guest, Camille Rousseau. A short holiday fling before Camille flies back to Paris seems like just what Zoya needs.

But feelings deepen quickly, and soon the two women face a harder question: what happens when you fall in love with someone who lives on the other side of the world?

My Review

Bliss does something here that plenty of romance avoids: she lets two mature women skip the games. There is no manufactured misunderstanding — the only real obstacle is geography, and the book is at its best when Zoya weighs what she would risk for a woman she has known a matter of days. Told entirely in Zoya’s first person, it still gives Camille enough depth that readers say they never doubted her.

The flip side of low conflict is low plot. The most common reservation is instalove — falling in love inside a week — and several readers call the book fluffy, predictable or, in one case, a snoozefest by the end. Series fans note it strays from the Pink Bean café more than the other books, which some enjoy and some miss. Half of StoryGraph respondents said the character development was not strong.

My honest note: A short, hot, comforting read for anyone who wants mature heroines; do not come for plot twists.

Element	In This Foreign Affair
Central relationship	Zoya Das (Australian TV presenter, late 40s) & Camille Rousseau (French, recently divorced, late 40s)
Core tropes	Holiday fling, long distance, both leads 40+, instalove
Setting	Australia, with Paris on the other end of the phone
Heat level	Explicit
Length	About 64,000 words; 6 h 32 min audiobook
Series	Pink Bean #4 — standalone romance, happy ending
Content notes	Sexual content, infidelity in Zoya’s past relationship, alcohol

How Spicy Is This Foreign Affair?

Very, by readers’ accounts — “sexy with a capital S,” says one, and others call it very erotic and hot. Romance.io has no steam rating, and StoryGraph users flag sexual content.

Other content is light: Zoya’s ex cheated on her before leaving, and there is some drinking. It is otherwise angst-free.

Who Should Read This Book?

You’ll likely love it if: you want hot, low-angst romance between two women in their late forties. It is on our mature lesbian romance and women over 40 lists.

You may want to skip it if: instalove is a dealbreaker, or you want a plot-driven book.

In short: A warm, sexy long-distance romance for grown-ups.

What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)

On Goodreads the split is 44% five stars, 35% four, 16% three, 3% two and under 1% one. On StoryGraph, 88% tag it lighthearted and 88% call it character-driven. The Lesbian Review praised the couple as accomplished women in their late forties. The audiobook is narrated by Angela Dawe, whose French accent for Camille listeners single out.

Why readers love it (according to the discourse): The mature leads first. Second, the heat. Third, mature communication. Fourth, the audiobook.

What readers argue about and complain about: Instalove, above everything. Second, thin plot. Third, distance from the rest of the Pink Bean series.

The comparison worth making first: For another Harper Bliss romance with mature leads, try Our Secret Summer or If You Kiss Me Like That.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you read This Foreign Affair as a standalone?

Yes. It is Pink Bean #4, but readers say the series books stand alone. Zoya first appears in book three, and characters from Bliss’s French Kissing series also show up.

How spicy is This Foreign Affair?

Spicy. Readers call it sexy, very erotic and “smoking hot,” though romance.io has no steam rating for it.

How old are Zoya and Camille?

Both are close to fifty. The Lesbian Review describes them as accomplished women in their late forties.

Is This Foreign Affair on Kindle Unlimited?

Yes, at the time of writing, or $7.99 to buy on Kindle. The audiobook, narrated by Angela Dawe, runs 6 hours 32 minutes.

Is This Foreign Affair instalove?

Largely, yes. The fling lasts about a week before Camille flies home, and several readers who dislike instalove say that is their main complaint.

If You Loved This Foreign Affair, Read These Next

Try Our Secret Summer or If You Kiss Me Like That for more Harper Bliss, or Late to Love for another romance with a lead in her forties. For more, browse our mature lesbian romance list or the full Book Reviews archive.

The Bottom Line

This Foreign Affair sets out to be a sexy, grown-up long-distance romance, and it is exactly that. What holds it back is how fast the love arrives and how little else happens. For readers who want mature heroines and heat, it is worth it. Check This Foreign Affair on Amazon →