Publisher: 9th July 2020 by Random House UK, Transworld Publishers
Pages: 352 pages
How I Read It: ARC book
Genre: romance, women’s fiction
My Rating: 3.5 cups
Synopsis:
Can she find her recipe for happiness?
Del and her husband Ollie moved to a beautiful village in Provence for a fresh start after years of infertility struggles. But six weeks after they arrive, they’re packing the removal van once more. As Del watches the van leave for England, she suddenly realises exactly what will make her happier…a new life in France – without Ollie.
Now alone, all Del has is a crumbling farmhouse, a mortgage to pay and a few lavender plants. What on earth is she going to do? Discovering an old recipe book at the market run by the rather attractive Fabian, Del starts to bake. But can her new-found passion really help her let go of the past and lead to true happiness?
A heart-warming tale about reclaiming your life, set amongst the lavender fields of Provence.
My Thoughts
‘I may not have everything I want in life, but I’ve got a lot that makes me smile. I have enough to be content.’
Every now and again you just need that ‘breather’ of a book. You know the type ... one that whisks you away where the sun is shining, people support each other and new ventures are undertaken. Escape to the French Farmhouse is just the fresh air I was searching for.
‘I get out my pastry and take a bite. I shut my eyes and enjoy the moment, which takes me back to a time when food was fun, when I wasn’t worried about what I ate, before food became a battle, not a pleasure.’
If you enjoy books set in France, rural France with loads of lavender, then this really is the book for you. You will find yourself immersed in lavender fields and scrumptious bakery goodies from macaroons to croissants - and that’s just the sweet items. The range of characters are good - I particularly enjoyed the author's social commentary on the English in France. Do you come just to make a ‘little Britain’ or are you there to contribute and immerse yourself in French culture? Once again our heroine is of an older age and it’s refreshing to see the journey she sees herself on.
‘I can’t help but think the people of the town must be laughing at the likes of me and Ollie. Another British couple moving here for the good life, wanting to make a Little Britain beyond the Channel, then packing up and moving back when it all goes wrong.’
This book had me to the very end when it seemed everything was tied up too quickly and too neatly. Of course this is pure escapism and who would not want to run away to a romantic and picturesque ‘lockdown’ in the French countryside! However, I just feel the ending was a bit rushed with some of the secondary characters' story arc tying together too neatly.
If you are after some pure escapism of sunny filled, lavender scented locales where your only decision is what delicacy to munch on next, then runaway to this small French village for a few hours.
‘... it’s just me, Fabien and a bottle of rosé, looking out over the valley to the setting sun. The smell of the pines and the lavender are all around us, and the cicadas are chirping in the trees. I don’t think there is anywhere I’d rather be right now ...’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
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