Today is the release day for The French for Always
, Fiona Valpy’s second novel set in the Bordeaux region of
France and before I go any further I must say this book is one of my top tips
for a holiday MUST read this year – you heard it here first!
I am the sort of reader who
experiences a tingle of excitement when I discover an author whose work I enjoy
has a new release pending. The tingle was so strong when The French for Always
popped onto my Kindle that I just had to have a quick peek. How silly of me! I
ended up deeply immersed and unable to put it down.
Set in a chateau among the
Bordeaux vineyards we meet Sara, a very likeable character but a bit of an
emotional wreck. Her fiancé has deserted her and their wedding business mid
season, leaving her to put on a brave face and carry on making dreams come true
for five happy couples. She also has a lot of family trauma from the past that
she’s never really dealt with which is bubbling just under the surface. With no
real roots, she feels she belongs at the chateau, but without Gavin she must
face the prospect of having to sell it.
This book transported me to
Sara’s chateau and as the guest at a great mix of weddings, under a blue sky
with plenty of sunshine, I laughed, I cried and I enjoyed every page. Each of
the couples and families we meet bring their own idea of love to the book and
brought the odd wedding tear to my eyes too. What more could I ask for in a bit
of novel escapism? Well, there is always a sexy Frenchman who could come to her
rescue, just like in a good fairytale, but although vigneron Thomas steps in to
help out, he has dreams of his own that involve getting as far away from
Bordeaux as possible.
It was also lovely to catch up
with some of the characters from The French for Love
, Fiona’s first book, who
play a cameo role in this book. This was a nice little tie in and now I want
another book please Fiona. You can read my review of book one here.
, Fiona’s first book, who
play a cameo role in this book. This was a nice little tie in and now I want
another book please Fiona. You can read my review of book one here.
Thank you to Bookoutre for my
review copy. The French for Always is available in paperback and ebook format,
links to Amazon can be found below.
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