So many things about this novel appealed to me, the plot, the characters and the setting. And although I’m not a cook and don’t have a green thumb or speak more than a few French phrases, I could see heading off to Provence in a heartbeat! Merci pour le livre and bon voyage!

Tempèsta is a New York food critic with an unhappy family life. Her French-born mother died when she was 13 and she doesn't feel accepted by the rest of her family who own a huge Foundation. Her father and his mother always preferred her brother Wal and made no secret of the fact that they felt like she was too much like her mother for her to be a real part of such as prestigious family. When her father died, his entire estate is left to her brother - no surprise there - and it makes her want to make some changes in her life. She has a bit of money that was left to her by her mother so sight unseen she buys the house where her mother was born in Sainte-Colombe, a small village in Provence. When she arrives at the house she questions her decision to buy the run down and cluttered house where no one had lived for years. A local builder assures her that the house has good bones and that it will be magnificent when it's cleaned out and updated. She's also surprised at some of the negative feelings from the local residents who seem to be harboring bad feelings and memories about her mother.

Despite the shape the house was in and the negative feelings from some of the people in town, she decided to stay. She gradually makes friends and becomes romantically involved with the builder who is helping her renovate her house. She also finds that she has a special talent for growing herbs in her greenhouse that amazes her. The small town is close to losing its school which would mean more of the young members of town would be moving away when Tempesta has an idea that she thinks will save the town. Will the people in the town who dislike her go along with her plan and will her plan even work to help save the town?

This is a lovely book about family, friends and community and about learning more about previous generations of your family. It was great to see the main character change from feeling unloved by her family to creating a new family of people not connected by blood but made up of the people who cared the most about her.

What a gorgeous cover. It’s a damn shame the ARC is unreadable. Please fix formatting so we can actually read the books.

The Memory of Lavender and Sage is a remarkable story that reminded me why I love reading so much! The joy I got from turning each page is something I can’t quite explain but it’s a joy that I hope to carry with me throughout my 2024 reading journey!

This is a story about Tempesta and her desire to find a place and a family where she belongs. This journey takes her from the concrete jungle of New York to her late mother’s birthplace in a small Provence in France. There she discovers things about her mother she never knew from the very people who knew her as a child. It’s in this small village that she discovers she has quite the green thumb and she turns the things she grows in her greenhouse into delicious food and products that not only help others but bring them together. The more time she spends in this place, with these people…she realizes that she has finally found her home and calling in life.

I loved each and every page of this story! It’s a very immersive story as you find yourself wanting to smell the lavender that was planted to keep the scorpions away, the basil that is loving harvested to make a decadent pesto, the lemon verbena cookies as they bake and see for yourself the antiques in a local shop that each have a story to tell.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Harper Muse and most of all Aimie Runyan for allowing for to read this gem of a novel before it hits the shelves! What a great way to kick off 2024!

Loved, loved, loved! What an escape! After reading quite a few serious books in a row, this way a joy! I wanted to live this woman’s life!!! A touch of magic, a beautiful setting, a grown up romance ooh it was wonderful!!

After really enjoying A BAKERY IN PARIS and THE SCHOOL FOR GERMAN BRIDES, I had no idea what to expect of Aimie Runyan's debut contemporary novel. THE MEMORY OF LAVENDER AND SAGE showcases Runyan's gifted versatility as an author. Like her historicals, it's filled with sharply observed details and memorable characters you want to root for. Reading it felt like taking an immersive trip to Provence—you can smell the lavender blooming, feel the warm sun, hear the clatter of footsteps on cobblestone streets. When I wasn't reading it, I found myself wanting to return to the charming world Runyan created. Bottom line: THE MEMORY OF LAVENDER AND SAGE is a delectable comfort read, like a warm bath with a glass of French wine after a long day.

Tempesta has always felt left out in her wealthy family because her mother, who was French, died when Temp was 13. Once her mother was gone it was as if Temp was also removed from the family, and particularly by her paternal grandmother, who came to live with them. When her father died and his estate was left entirely to her brother, she decides to take the bequest from her mother and move to France, where she found a new family. The story was a bit formulaic, but the people were interesting and likable. A good beach read.

“…there has to be more ways to live a life than cramming yourself into a tiny apartment and living shoulder to shoulder with people you don’t care about and who don’t care about you, all in pursuit of a job at a corporation that would happily replace you within two weeks if you died at your desk.”

Atmospheric, comforting and wholesome; this book was a wonderful way to start the year.

Tempèsta lost her mother at the age of thirteen. Her relationship with her father and paternal grandmother had been strained ever since and after her father’s passing she decided to leave the city life in New York and to travel to her mother’s home town in the south of France.

There were secrets to be discovered, some of which heartbreaking, but the idyllic setting, combined with the soothing life wisdom, balanced out the heaviest details.
I loved the community, the found family aspect, and the subtle hint of magic that made the book even more charming. Even though this was not exactly a romance novel, there was a love story that won over my romance loving soul.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I am used to Aimie K Runyan writing pure historical fiction and she always knocks it out of the park. She's amazing at it. This is the first modern story of hers that I've read and it was nothing short of amazing. I absolutely loved the setting and the characters (except the few I hated). Tempesta was such a strong relatable character and her new community was just one I'd love to live in. I loved the sense of community, once they decided to accept her as one of their own. I loved watching how each character grew and developed as the story progressed. I truly enjoyed reading the entire process of restoring the house and getting to know Tempesta's mother's history. While I hope Aimie doesn't stop writing historical novels, I truly hope this isn't her last contemporary story. Clearly, it's a genre that she excels at. And, I've added another place in France that I need to visit.

A strong, Tempesta Luddington has felt lost since her mother died when she was 13. An outsider, even in her own family, to no fault of her own, she can't seem to find footing in this life she lives. When her father dies, she receives a small inheritance from her mother. After a little coaxing, she decides she must go see the quaint village in France where her mother grew up. But the pull she feels is strong and she jumps with both feet, buying a home there, sight unseen, that could modestly be described as a "fixer-upper." She soon learns her mother's past and her legacy hold a very different story than she ever imagined. Her life, once void of affection and connection, begins to fall into place and she finds the home, and the people, she was always meant to know.

This book was un-put-downable! Aimie K Runyan's first attempt at contemporary fiction was a massive success. Having read her previous historical fiction, I knew this would be stepping out of the norm for her and she hit it out of the park. The vibrant details are woven beautifully throughout the pages and you can't help but fall in love with the place and the people she's created. (And you may get a little hungry because all of the food she creates sounds INCREDIBLE.)

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the ARC. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

When Tempesta’s father dies suddenly, he leaves everything to her younger brother. However, she does inherit her French mother’s much smaller legacy. When her mother died, Tempesta was only 13. Her paternal grandmother took up residence with the family, and Tempesta’s life was altered even more. No longer was she welcome and loved in her own home. Her mother’s bequest allows Tempesta the opportunity to find out who her Provençal mother was, and, perhaps, answer her questions about why she was persona non grata to her grandmother. Tempesta decides to buy a ramshackle farmhouse (sight unseen) in Provence and find out everything she can about her mother. In the process, she finds herself. I loved reading about the herbs and their uses. I could smell the lavender, rosemary, and sage.

This is a feel good book with its share of unlikeable characters. Full disclosure: I am not a romance reader. The romance is subtle and fairly predictable. However, it is subtle enough that I enjoyed every page of this book, and it’s now on my list of feel good books that I love to recommend. As I write this, I’m smiling. Doesn’t that tell you everything?

This is a simply beautiful story of a woman finding her roots and true home in the village of her mother. The characters are written carefully to display their good and bad traits. The story flows easily and magic and truth blend seamlessly. An enchanting story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My thanks to NetGalley and Harper Muse for allowing me to read an ARC ofthis book.

The title of this debut novel evokes the scent of spring herbs, and these scents, along with those of lovingly cultivated gardens, vegetables and flours, ervhr eperfumes, old houses and antiques, permeate Tempesta Luddington’s life Hwhen she impulsively leaves New York to resettle in Provence. Initially intending to use her mother’s bequest, released to her on her father’s death, just to visit her mother’s Provençal village, she soon finds that “Provence took every ounce of what was good and somehow made it…more.” It’s hard to argue with that, even if you haven’t been there, so rich is the lore of Provence.

Sainte-Colombe is charming, warm, relaxed and friendly, everything her New York life, where she worked as a restaurant critique, is not. Nor did that life offer her much likelihood of finding those things. Born into a wealthy and influential family, she had never felt true bonds with her younger brother or their father, and least of all with her cruel and domineering paternal grandmother. The death of her beautiful, artistic and enigmatic mother, Nadaleta, when she was thirteen, left her feeling all the more estranged and alone. She hoped that Sainte-Colombe, a tiny Occitan village where everyone knows her mother’s family, will help her understand why Nataleta tore herself away as a teenager and departed for New York when she met Walt Huddington. Her mother clearly loved the home she left behind, yet rarely spoke of it, or of the reasons behind her impulsive marriage to a virtual stranger. She wants to find her mother and herself, connecting to the scents, and the seeming magic she has inherited.

Not all the villagers welcome her into their fold. The stubborn, elderly and anti-progress mayor immediately takes umbrage when he sees her, the very image of her mother, proclaiming her to be a witch like Nadaleta, and ordering her to leave Sainte-Colombe before she causes harm. The handsome village carpenter, whose mother was Nadaleta’s childhood friend, is clearly attracted to her but very wary and often distant. And even the villagers who are happy to accept her as one of them, especially when she buys an empty old manor and proceeds to restore it, share the old mayor’s view that she is a “brueissa,” a witch, as were all her female ancestors. For the most part, however, they appreciate the old world gifts that allow her to grow herbs of phenomenal healing properties.

Tempesta’s experiences, good and bad, her developing trust in her feelings for the young carpenter as he learns to trust his own, allow her to finally deal with the truth about her origins. Although her father, younger brother and vicious grandmother had always known, it had somehow been kept from her, ostensibly to ‘protect’ her but really to protect the family’s wealth and standing. She summons the courage to confront her brother and grandmother, own her Provencale identity, and free herself of the chains of family and the big city corporate life all at once. There is a lot of sadness and loneliness in this story, but Tempesta truly does find her mother and her ‘self’, the real meanings of family, and a lifestyle that satisfies her far more than the life she thought she had to take.

Thank you to Harper Muse and Net Galley for the chance to read and review this book. The opinions expressed are my own.
Food critic Tempest Luddington has always been somewhat of an outcast in her family. Her mother loved her, but she died when Tempest was 13. When she gets a little older, she decides to buy a house in her mother's home village, Sante-Colombe She wants to learn more about her mother and gain some independence from her family. Along the way, she grows up and begins to discover her place in the world. This is a very well-written story with likable characters. I liked the information about the plants and how Tempest used them to make healthy products. I recommend this book if you like a sweet, story with the main character learning a lot about herself. .

Tempesta never could seem to fit herself into her family. Her mother died when Tempy was a teenager and her grandmother made life as difficult as possible. Upon her father's death, her brother Wal is given the entire estate. To Tempy's surprise, her mother had a small estate of her own which is left to Tempy. Tempy pulls up stakes and moves to Sainte Colombe in the Provence, France region. Buying a small, rundown house may or may not be a mistake. She meets Tiberi who helps her get the house pulled back together and Jenofa, who had watched Tempy's mother grow up, befriends her. Gradually, Tempy fits herself into the community. Her new greenhouse bursts at the seams with plants and Tempy learns how to make all kinds of herbal concoctions.

The village is dying, the school is in disrepair. There are few tourists and no place for them to eat or stay when they do come. Businesses are gradually going away. Tiberi and Tempy set plans in place to hopefully let the community grow. As with any new thing, the community has mixed feelings about this.

Runyan's characters are well-developed and the reader finds oneself wishing some of the villagers would just go away and wanting to learn more about some of the other villagers. Tempy's greenhouse seems to be the metaphor for the growth and well-being of the village.

This is a sweet contemporary novel about a woman trying to find herself. Her mother died when she was young and now her dad has passed leaving the bulk of the estate to her brother. Feeling as if she never fit in. Tempesta travels to Provence, France where her mom was from. At first she once again feels like an outsider but eventually she becomes part of the village. Magic, Good character development along with descriptions of the countryside and the food makes this an enjoyable read. Magic, secrets, love, friendship and recipes are all a part of this enjoyable novel. #TheMemoryOfLavenderAndSage #AimeeKRunyan #NetGalley

On a cold winters day, I curled up on my sofa and was transported to the South of France to delight in the scents of Provence and cooking. A hint of magic realism made this story of finding family and love a touch more special.
It is plain the author has a love of France and the small village of Sainte-Colombe is beautifully created. I so enjoyed this gentle, lush tale of an unseen child who grows up to be a strong, generous woman.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. Now I am off to make some lemon-verbena cookies.

The Memory of Lavender and Sage
by Aimie K. Runyan
Pub Date: February 13, 2024
Harper Muse
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I have read this author before and loved her books!
Runyan does not disappoint! This is a 5 star book I am happy to recommend.
Food critic Tempèsta Luddington has always felt like the odd person out in her family, ever since she lost her beloved mother at the tender age of thirteen. When her workaholic father passes fifteen years later, Tempèsta is not surprised that the majority of the considerable family money will pass to her dutiful younger brother, Wal. Still, she is left a modest remembrance from her mother, and for the first time Tempèsta has a world of choices before her.
5 star

Tempesta Luddington has always struggled to fit in and meet the expectations of her family. Her expat mother succumbed to cancer when she was a teenager, and her father locked away all her things as if she never even existed. From that day forward the only way was the “Luddington Way”. Successful and affluent, the Luddington’s have always demanded perfection in their prosperous world in New York City. Years later, when her father suddenly passes, a small inheritance from her mother, gives Tempesta the chance to explore her mother’s Occitan roots and hopefully find a home where she belongs.

Sainte-Colombe is a small town in Provence hanging on to its culture with a rapidly fraying thread. The quaint town is losing residents and even the local school is being threatened to shut down. Tempesta, in an effort to reconnect with her mother’s past buys a house in the small village looking for a new start. When the local mayor gives her a very cold reception, she wonders what in the world would cause a reaction like that. After her neighbor Josefa enlightens her to a bit of her history, and a little bit of self-discovery in her new surroundings, Tempesta finds a home where she is accepted and even welcomed. It is in her mother’s birthplace she finally finds community, friendship, and love.

In learning about her mother and her Occitan roots, Tempesta learns about herself and her capabilities. Without her father’s overbearing family, she finds room to grow. The Memory of Lavender and Sage is a poignant story that made me want to research my own genealogical history, and also made me very hungry—ha! There were so many simple, but delicious sounding recipes created by Tempesta that I now want to attempt in my own kitchen.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Muse, and the author Aimie K. Runyan for the advanced copy of the audiobook. The Memory of Lavender and Sage is out on Feb. 13th. All opinions are my own.

The Memory of Lavender and Sage makes me want to start a greenhouse and live off the land.
The synopsis is promising, Tempesta inherits a small amount of money from her mother when her father passes away (a bit confusing) and uses the money to purchase a piece of property in France, where her mother was born and raised. Trying to understand more about the mother she lost at a young age and the family that scorns her at every step, Tempesta finds more than she bargained for when returning to her mother's home town.
Filled with love, a bit of magic, and what it means to find people you connect with, The Memory of Lavender and Sage is a heartwarming quick read.
I would recommend this book to people who enjoy books that will let them escape, without too many complications or darkness in the plot.
Tempesta's problems are universal ones, but the stakes certainly are not life or death. It gives Eat, Pray, Love vibes and is ultimately about a woman (under 30) finding herself.