Review: The French Chateau Dream

Title: The French Chateau Dream

Author: Julie Caplin

Publisher: 30th June 2023 by HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter

Pages: 377 pages

Genre: romance, contemporary, France

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

You are invited to a summer of sparkling champagne, warm buttery croissants and a little bit of je ne sais quoi… With a broken heart and a broken spirit, Hattie is in need of a summer escape. So when an opportunity comes up to work at a beautiful, stately chateau in the Champagne region of France she books her flights quicker than the pop of a cork. Romance is the last thing Hattie is looking for but then she wasn’t expecting gorgeous Luc to stroll into her life. With picnics in the warm French sun and delicious foodie trips to the local market, Hattie starts to wonder if a holiday fling – or maybe even something more – might be just what she needs.

My Thoughts

I have read and enjoyed some of Julie’s previous ‘Romantic Escapes’ (this one is #10) as they offer great escapism to some wonderful world locations. Each of these novels are stand-alones (although there are characters from previous novels that may make fun appearances) and this time around I was fully ready for a stay at a French chateau in the Champagne region.

‘This wasn’t real life, it was an interlude. A long holiday. Hattie had never even thought about the possibility of staying. Living abroad was one of those pipe dreams.’

As I have come to expect from the previous ‘escapes’, Julie offers a story filled to the brim - this is certainly no one dimensional chick lit tale. Yes, there is the requisite romance but Julie always provides a cast of characters and locales that guarantee to add real depth to the story. On this occasion Julie takes us to rural France and the wine making region. With the exception of a few days shopping in Paris (ooh la la!) the bulk of the tale is set in the Champagne region of France and she immerses you in all things French - oui! What’s not to love? If you are a foodie you are sure to lick your lips with all the scrumptious food and baking on offer. I also enjoyed learning about the vineyard and wine making, the upkeep of a chateau and a bit of a history mystery. All up, who would not want to spend some time in a French chateau (vicariously of course!) and have family and friends, love and laughter, French cuisine and champagne? 

‘… no one should be dependent on someone else for their happiness. You have to be happy for yourself.’

The French Chateau Dream is the perfect recipe for light escapism. I like how Julie’s heroines tend to be at the crossroads of both career and love life, attempting to be bold enough to take strong steps to live their best. So, wait no more ... grab a glass of bubbles and snuggle up in your favourite reading spot to spend a few hours in France with this comfort read. If you are looking for the ultimate French Chateau Dream experience be sure to grab Julie’s latest romantic escape book.

‘You should slow down, enjoy life, savour things, enjoy lunch … the French way. You take things too seriously.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: The Girl Who Reads on the Métro

Title: The Girl Who Reads on the Métro

Author: Christine Féret-Fleury

Publisher: 29th October 2019 by Pan Macmillan Australia

Pages: 192 pages
How I Read It: ARC book
Genre: fiction, contemporary, France

My Rating: 2.5 cups

Synopsis:

In the vein of Amelie and The Little Paris Bookshop, a modern fairytale about a French woman whose life is turned upside down when she meets a reclusive bookseller and his young daughter.

Juliette leads a perfectly ordinary life in Paris, working a slow office job, dating a string of not-quite-right men, and fighting off melancholy. The only bright spots in her day are her metro rides across the city and the stories she dreams up about the strangers reading books across from her: the old lady, the math student, the amateur ornithologist, the woman in love, the girl who always tears up at page 247.

One morning, avoiding the office for as long as she can, Juliette finds herself on a new block, in front of a rusty gate wedged open with a book. Unable to resist, Juliette walks through, into the bizarre and enchanting lives of Soliman and his young daughter, Zaide. Before she realizes entirely what is happening, Juliette agrees to become a passeur, Soliman's name for the booksellers he hires to take stacks of used books out of his store and into the world, using their imagination and intuition to match books with readers. Suddenly, Juliette's daydreaming becomes her reality, and when Soliman asks her to move in to their store to take care of Zaide while he goes away, she has to decide if she is ready to throw herself headfirst into this new life.

Big-hearted, funny, and gloriously zany, The Girl Who Reads on the Metro is a delayed coming-of-age story about a young woman who dares to change her life, and a celebration of the power of books to unite us all.

My Thoughts

‘She had always loved the smell of books, especially when she bought them second-hand. New books had different smells too, depending on the paper and glue used, but they said nothing of the hands that had held them, the houses that had been their home; they had no story of their own yet, separate from the one they told–a parallel story, hazy, secret.’

The Girl Who Reads On The Metro is aimed at fans of The Little Paris Bookshop and aimed at all book lovers. The whole passuers was fabulous - giving out books to strangers or leaving them in particular places - I loved this bookish ploy, especially with how the story ends with the minivan. Books can help you through life.

The author does an exemplary job at presenting contemporary issues, such as the recent terrorist attacks in France, and the impact this has on people wanting to hide away from the world and live rather in books. It would have been good if the author had expanded on this and really developed both plot and characters on their journey - more emotion was needed with less time spent in superfluous moments or conversations. 

So whilst the concept and  potential was there - that being the power of books to transform people - I cannot help but feel it was lost in a story that did not correlate well enough. Some characters fell rather flat for me and the story somewhat disjointed. 

I do love a book about books and although this short story and easy to read,  it lacked depth and was a little too slow at times for me. I appreciate that the lead character truly believed that you could find yourself in books and help people through life. I just wished more from this book. 

‘ ... he at least made no pretence of leading a ‘normal’ life. He had chosen to hide away in a fortress built of books, fragments of which he regularly sent out into the world, like sending messages in bottles across the sea, offerings and gestures of affection destined for kindred spirits, those who, outside the walls, were confronted with real life.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: Girl in the Afternoon

Title: Girl in the Afternoon: A Novel of Paris

Author: Serena Burdick

Publisher: July 12th 2016 by St. Martin's Press

Pages: 288 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: historical fiction, romance, cultural-France

My Rating: 3 cups

Synopsis:

Born into a wealthy Parisian family at the center of Belle Epoque society, 18-year-old Aimée Savaray dreams of becoming a respected painter in the male-dominated art world; and secretly, she also dreams of being loved by Henri, the boy her parents took in as a child and raised alongside her.

But when Henri inexplicably disappears, in the midst of the Franco-Prussian war, the Savarays’ privileged lives begin to unravel. Heartbroken, Aimée tries to find him, but Henri doesn’t want to be found—and only one member of the family knows why.

As Aimée seeks refuge in the art world, mentored by the Impressionist Édouard Manet, she unwittingly finds her way back to Henri. With so many years gone by and secrets buried, their eventual reunion unmasks the lies that once held the family together, but now threaten to tear them apart.

A rich and opulent saga, Girl in the Afternoon brings the Impressionists to life in this portrait of scandal, fortune, and unrequited love.

My Thoughts

"Girl in the Afternoon' is a historical fiction set in Paris and England in the 1870's during the impressionist movement and revolves around a well off family, their secrets and ensuing scandals. The title of the book is based on a painting that proved pivotal to the story.  The main focus is on the daughter, Aimee, attempting to be her own person but often conflicted with outside circumstances. Overall, this was a good,  but a somewhat predictable mystery.

The writing is at times poetic and the character I enjoyed most was Madame Savaray for the depth she bought to the story.

"Dust floated like a strip of tulle in the dull light. Colette swirled her arm through it, scattering the motes with her open hand."

Unfortunately this books suffers for a few reasons. Burdick launched straight into it, attempting to create intrigue, however, I was not yet invested and for me, it fell flat. I also found the going back and forth between points of views challenging at times, especially within a short passage. This did not assist the story, often feeling like it wasn't going anywhere, and contributed to my lack of involvement with the characters at times. Everything explained, no guessing as told in the third person too often. 

There is a lot of future forecasts interspersed throughout, when all you really wanted was for the story to be told, not inferenced. The preemptive took all the angst, drama and anticipation out of the story.

"he had no idea of the crippling events that would unfold over the next few months" 

Finally, with one third of the book remaining, a compelling story began to unfold and we have raw emotion. Now I was invested, but a little too late. Still, it helped make it a three star, worthwhile read.

"He turned onto his side, feeling the tremendous expanse of Aimee's grief as if it were his own."

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.