Book review of Poppy's Place in the Sun by Lorraine Wilson

Poppy's Place in the Sun, Lorraine Wilson

My review today is for the brand new release from Lorraine Wilson, Poppy’s Place in the Sun.

I loved this book! Poppy came alive from the pages and I took to her immediately. Sometimes you meet a character in a book who either reminds you of yourself, or who you know you would be friends with if they were real or (in my dreams) who you feel you could have created – Poppy was all of these to me and I didn’t want the book to end.

Poppy finds herself alone in France where her plans to renovate her newly purchased house and outbuildings, with the help of her boyfriend, are in tatters as she discovers her French dream is not one that is shared by him. Not to be defeated, and despite the wishes of her parents, she begins to create a life for herself in the sun, tackle the decorating and continue her work as a children’s book illustrator.

She soon makes a few friends in the village, although not everyone is as welcoming or friendly as she hoped, and she senses that there are undercurrents of tension between some of the villagers. It was obvious to me that the author has experience of living in a French village as she describes the oddities of village life perfectly and I couldn’t help but smile and nod in agreement.

Through Poppy’s art I was able to visualize the rural landscape, the chateau next door and the antics of her dogs and the donkeys in the fields. Through her new friendship with a like-minded history buff, I learned about the history of the Languedoc area and through her emotions I could empathise with her hurt and rejection, but also felt the excitement and passion her new life gave her. 

There are mysteries to be solved, from unexpected finds in the chateau to strange behavior from some of the villagers, but her dogs prove to be great listeners when she's not sure who else to turn to. The dogs played an important role and often made me laugh, but there is so much to smile about in this book, it can’t fail to cheer you up. Don't miss out on this perfect summer read.

Poppy’s Place in the Sun is available in ebook format and a link to Amazon can be found below. The paperback will be available at the end of June and is available to pre-order at Amazon now.