The book was cute - I enjoyed it but it was very predictable and somewhat unimaginative but it was sweet. The characters were well written and there was one section of the book that made me cheer for the main character -- Natalie. It's definitely a light easy read, but it is a little boring. The book was written well and as I mentioned, I enjoyed the characters though. So if you're up for something sweet and light, this is the book for you!

A lovely romance sprinkled with laughter and friendship.
This book will make you smile and make you feel all warm inside
This book is packed with amazing characters and wonderful descriptions of places

This book was so much fun! I had my doubts, it took a few slow chapters to catch my interest. Once the story really began, it was a fun light-hearted romance. Perfect beach or airplane read.

I love a sweet, slow-moving romance that has a mystery. The mystery was also light-hearted, no murder, no scare tactics, but still engaging enough to want to read the story in one setting.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC for an honest review!

Parts of this book were great. Intrigue with pace to the plot, a beautiful setting and a few twists and turns. Other bits were very slow and drawn out even a bit muddled. Overall it’s not a book I would read again and I’m not sure I would read a follow up.

The story goes thus Natalie moves to a charming village of Chamillon in France post her heartbreak wanting a new life. She sets about writing articles, exploring countryside, connecting with best friend Charlie when suddenly an old crush Jay enters into her life. And love happens... Along with a crisis.

Karen Clarke has etched her characters in a warm gentle way but coated with reality. It is easy to relate to Natalie and her ups and downs in romance. Relationships between characters have been given their space in this book. Romance is cute, but the other friendships are what caught my eye. Charlie is brilliant.

The book reads fast, the story is sweet, romance is heartwarming and filled me with longing, emotions have been conveyed well. The scenes have humor and fun; they are filled with joy. Then comes my niggles, poking me intermittently. The book is slow, took me two tries to get into it. Plot is predictable. But they are minor points as the book moves on.

Overall, a good romantic read which is light and fun with great descriptions of the French seaside

Escape to the Little French Cafe was another great book by Karen Clarke I loved it. This book is obviously set in France as the title suggests and was a great read.

My first Karen Clarke book and I have to say it was a lovely treat to read. I really enjoyed it. A light hearted story of friendship, romance and of course - love. The setting is well described and that cafe is definitely somewhere I could see myself visiting.

Its a fun story with some hilarious moments that made me laugh out loud. An easy chick lit type read - that's a positive - which would be lovely for a holiday/summer read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Charming book -- I'll definitely be reading more books written by Karen Clarke!

The story is about Natalie, a British journalist who aspires to write for one of France's number one magazine, "Magnifique." Its editor--Nicolas Juilliard--has rejected all of the story topics she has proposed to him.

Then she finds out that an action film star -- Jay Merino -- will be filming his next film on the little French island of Ile de Re, where she is currently living. Merino is a interview coveted by all of the leading journalists, including Magnifique's top writer, Fleur Dupont. You see, Jay never gives interviews and everything publication would love to feature his first interview.

Natalie approaches Juilliard and suggests that she gets an interview with Merino for Magnifique, but Juilliard already tells her that Fleur DuPont has already spoken with Jay's people and they have agreed to give her the interview.

But Natalie has something a bit different to offer -- she personally knows Jay Merino, having grown up in the same town as he. Although she only met him once when she was in high school, it was an experience that left a lasting impression on both of them.

Juilliard agrees to give her the interview. Now, all she has to do is figure out a way to get in touch with Jay! The opening scene where they first meet is definitely a "meet cute." She's walking down the street, following a man in a ballcap and dark glasses, who she thinks is Merino's bodyguard. She turns around and notices that someone is following them, and then sees the glint of a gun in that person's hands, and the gun is aimed at the bodyguard. Her only thought is to protect the bodyguard, so she jumps on him and takes him down to the ground. Which causes quite a commotion. People are yelling, but they sound angry that she foiled the attempted murder. A man tells her that they will have to do a retake, now that she's wrecked the scene filming for the movie. And she realizes that she's in the middle of a movie set, not a possible murder scene.

She gets up, and realizes that the man she plowed down was none other than Jay Merino himself. He's quite surprised and not angry at all, especially when he realizes that the person who "saved" him is the girl who he shared his first kiss with many years ago. He agrees to offer her an interview.

During the interview they reminisce about their shared past, and after talking for quite a while, Jay asks to see her again. They have several dates, and their relationship builds. But then something happens that makes Jay believe that Natalie sold him out, publicly sharing some secrets that he had told her "off the record." He thinks that she just acted like she was in love with him, just to fish for personal information. By this time, they both realize they love each other, so the supposed deception destroys both of their worlds. Natalie sets out to prove to Jay that she has true feelings for him and would never deceive him or use him just for an interview.

It is a fun story that allows the reader to experience what it would be like to have a relationship with a world-famous actor. Throughout the story, the reader is taken to quaint seaside towns and along with Natalie, visits cafes and historic sites. The supporting characters add extra color to the book. I especially liked Charlie, her male best friend, who provides some fun banter with Natalie throughout the story.

I think this would be a great spring break or vacation read, especially for those who can't go away on vacation. Instead, they can visit Ile de Re with Natalie, Jay and Charlie!

I have really enjoyed all of Karen Clarke's previous novels and I wasn't disappointed with this one.
A lovely light warm-hearted story of friendship, family, romance and love. I really liked the setting of this book and the cafe sounds just like somewhere I would like to visit! An easy read which made me laugh in places.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I quite enjoyed this book.

Natalie moves to France to go and live with her father ho has bought a house there. She writes for herself, publishing storys for different magazines by being a freelancer. Her dream is to write for a large French Magazine house.

She fids out her old childhood crush is in town filming a sequence for his new film, and Natalie uses him as a way in to the magazine by selling the ceo a story about the actor who has never given a press interview.

Things dont go according to plan and Natalies life is turned upside down.

It was a good read, i really enjoyed it.

I was really impatient to read this book from Karen Clarke. Usually I absolutely love the story from Karen but I have to be honest with you, this time I was a little disappointed. The story is ok but for some reason I couldn't engage with the characters. I didn't feel any connections with them and it was like I didn't really care what would happen to them. Even though the book is quite short, I struggle a bit to read it. But despite all of this, the writing style of Karen Clarck is still lovely and there was some parts of the book that I really enjoyed. I am giving this book a 3 stars out of 5.

Lovely feel good story. Lovely location to set it off. Easy to read and flows really easy. Nice characters and leaves you feeling happy

I was given the opportunity to read this via Netgalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review.

I found this lovely book, set in the beautiful Île de Ré, a charming romance that made me think of sunshine and pain au chocolat. I love books set in France as it is a country I have loved for many years. I haven’t been to Île de Ré myself, although I love Noirmoutier which is a similar island a little further north.

Natalie Bright wants to be a writer of serious articles, but following a bad break up, she flees to France to live with her dad in the idyllic village of Chamillon. Whilst writing a blog for an ex-pat magazine, she sets her sights on being taken on as a writer for a serious magazine in Paris. Her best friend in the village, Charlie, another ex-pat, lives with his Mum above their cafe, where Natalie goes to write most days. When Jay, someone she met at a party as a teen, now a huge movie star, comes to the Island to film his latest blockbuster, she decides an exclusive interview with him will be the making of her career in France.

The romance was charming, and the comedy was free-flowing throughout. There was one scene in particular that had me laughing out loud. This book was a light and easy read, which I finished easily within a day. For a romance in a beautiful setting, this does the job.

The book was published on 18th March 2019 and is available generally.

Firstly, isn’t that an adorable cover ?

Escape to the Little French Café by Karen Clarke is a absolutely charming, cosy and fun read.

Natalie Bright is a writer, she has run away from a broken relationship by moving to a picturesque village in France and is staying with her father… She writes a column for a magazine for expats, but spends a lot of her time at the local Cafe Belle Vie. Her best friend Charlie runs the cafe with his mum. I did wonder if romance would blossom for this pair…..!

Natalie’s Dad’s dating escapades are hilarious, his new image was a laugh out loud moment…..that brown quiff….!!!

Natalie really wants to work for Magnifique, the successful French magazine but can’t even get an interview…..but then she finds out the famous actor, Jay Merino is filming nearby, she tells them she knows him (she did kiss him once many ears ago when they lived on the same estate) and says she can get an exclusive interview…..

Luckily for Natalie, Jay does remember her and that kiss and agrees to the interview…..there is certainly chemistry here….

The budding romance falters when someone leaks Jay’s personal information to the media….will they recover?

The characters are endearing and Natalie’s mishaps are so relatable…. This is an lovely, easy read with beautifully descriptive writing and its light, fun and ultimately heartwarming. Although I do now crave coffee and a pain au chocolat…..!

Thank you to Bookouture, the Author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this and for a free copy of the ebook in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

I have loved previous books by Karen and she is fast becoming one of my favourites in this genre. Escape to the Little French Cafe is perfect and laugh out loud funny. Brilliantly written. I enjoyed every minute of it. If you need a pick me up this is the book you need, guaranteed giggles throughout.

I loved the setting of this book and the cafe, sounded bliss to me. Natalie and Charlie’s friendship/relationship is cute, I liked them both. The best bit of the book for me was the scene where she meets up with Jay, that had me in histerics, can’t forget that part. I actually devoured this book in a day, it’s an easy, light-hearted read which I throughally enjoyed. I was backing Natalie the whole way and very proud of her giving it a shot.

A well deserved four stars from me. Highly recommend. Full of fun, giggles and romance.

With a French backdrop to a story you can guarantee that a recipe for love is on the menu......and this book did not disappoint. A narrative filled with back stabbing journalism, movie stars and a self depreciating heroine - what more could you want?

The writing was incredibly warm and inviting with a side order of humour thrown in for good measure. The story line pulled me in from the opening paragraph and held my attention until the concluding page - I loved every moment of the book.

The characters were eclectic and charming and suited the story to perfection. Natalie was loveable yet naïve, which worked in her favour to create a charming and instantly likeable character. Her slapstick antics were scene stealers in their own right and she shone brightly in the leading role.

Jay Merino was Prince Charming personified with movie star looks, fame and the perfect amount of mystery to remain on the right side of intriguing. He was swoon worthy, set the pages on fire and I thoroughly enjoyed the chemistry he shared with Natalie.

Escape to the Little French Cafe is the perfect romantic pick me up with plenty of humour and comedy thrown in for good measure. It has an element of Notting Hill meets fairy tale vibe about it and I couldn't recommend it more.

So love books from Karen Clarke and this is yet another fabulous one. Loved the story and yet again found myself really invested in the characters.

I think this is the perfect book to bring on holiday.

Karen Clarke's new book Escape to the Little French Cafe is a delightful read with a beautiful, bright and colourful cover which really does catch your eye. Set on an island called Lle De Re off the French coast we follow the story of Natalie Bright. She is an ex-pat living with her father on the island. There has been trauma and upset in her past and she fled to the island to escape everything and to have time out to think about and get over the break up of her relationship with ex-Matt. That's not to say Natalie is a character full of doom and gloom and always pondering over what might have been. Instead I found her to be refreshing and a breath of fresh air and not because she had this most perfect, idyllic life living in France. Rather more that she was down to earth and honest about her situation and that she was a character that the ordinary person could easily relate to. She had her faults and plenty of worries but underneath it all I could see she had ambition and drive but she just hadn’t been afforded the chance to prove she could make it in the world of journalism which she was clearly so passionate about.

Given the title of the book I thought the sole focus would be on a cute little café in France and all the characters that go there and we'd then follow some of their storylines or maybe the café would get into trouble and need someone to come along and save it from closing. This was not the case at all and it was brilliant that this didn't happen as I am becoming ever so slightly jaded of books that recycle this storyline over and over again. The only fault I would find with the book overall is perhaps the title is misleading and I would hate for people not to pick up this really enjoyable read for fear they are going to get the type of story as outlined above.

The café was the place where Natalie did some of her work and where she was supported by friend Charlie. His mother and owner of the café, Dolly, would love for something to develop between the pair but there was no chance of that happening. Instead the book took on a brilliant slant as Natalie wants to further her career and when a person from her past makes a reappearance in the most unusual of circumstances she finds herself wrapped up in a lot more than she bargained for in her quest to write a piece for Monsieur Julliard and his well known and respected magazine Magnifique.

I loved Natalie as the main female protagonist. She herself was well aware that if she wanted to go further than the dizzying heights she has reached in her career of writing columns for the local ex pat magazine than she would have to go out there and seek the opportunities. No one was going to suddenly knock on her door or ring her phone offering her her life’s dream. If you want to achieve something you have to get yourself out there but the question remained how could she do this? Balanced alongside Natalie's plan to get the scoop of the year was lots of comedic laugh out loud moments which just added to the overall tone of the book and really one word I would use to some up this book is fun. I rarely if ever use that word in relation to a book but that's how I found this story to be, it wasn't all about the romance although there was plenty of it here. I never felt it was being rammed down my throat or there wasn't endless back and forth over will they won't they?

Yes I was interested in the final decision but I found myself far more enjoying Natalie's experiences and the emotions she goes through in order to secure the big interview. Nicolas Julliard who I found to be very sleazy and overbearing kind of had Natalie held over a barrel. Secure the interview with the elusive movie star Jay Merino or else you never stand a chance of writing for my magazine. It didn't help either that superstar journalist Fleur whose pieces have graced many a magazine and whose stories have gone viral was another source of competition for Natalie. Up against such stiff opposition would Natalie ever be able to meet Jay let alone get him to open up about both his personal and professional life?

Natalie can't believe her good fortune when she hears that Jay Merino is filming the Max Weaver series of films on the island. She sees this as her golden opportunity to impress Nicolas. She 'knows' Jay from an encounter in the past when they were younger but things have changed so much since then and did she take far more from their meeting than Jay did? Something happened when they met at a party all those years ago and the encounter has never left Natalie's mind although she may have gone on and done different things in her life there is still that niggle there.

Jay was a total enigma who was very much a closed book and kept everything to himself. I felt he was vulnerable and not always happy. I just wanted to give him a big hug. I loved how we didn't get to know too much about him and that he wasn't a male character who was always out to try and impress Natalie. He wasn't constantly running after her more so it was the other way round but for professional reasons. Jay remained true to himself throughout the book, what you saw was what you got but Natalie wants to get that little bit deeper and see beneath the mysterious shield that Jay has created for himself. Why has he done this? Why does he never give interviews? Natalie wants to get to know the real Jay. It may have started out for Natalie as just securing an interview in order to further her career but it turns into so much more. This was all just so lovely to read about and the fact Karen Clarke threw in plenty of twists and turns throughout the story really held my interest throughout. Sometimes I find myself becoming a bit frustrated that nothing is happening in a book or else little sub-plots are thrown in for no reason at all but here I felt everything was fresh and the plot moved along at a great pace.

Natalie's passion for writing shone throughout the story but when events conspire against her and things are sent her way to test her that are much more than misunderstandings I wondered would she be able to weather the storm? Her integrity and loyalty were called into question and everything that ensued had me wanting to shout out at certain characters that this isn't meant to be happening. That Natalie only had good intentions and she should never be doubted. Having said that the little twist towards the end I would never have guessed the culprit and the reasons for the mayhem and the testing times that ensued.

I can't fail to mention Natalie's Dad Marty who seems to be going through a bit of a crisis when it comes to dating and his next move on the romance front. He was just a gem of a character, a real gentleman who seemed to be fumbling along following the separation from his wife several years ago and all I wanted was the best for him. He was like a teddy bear who needed support and only to be loved. His storyline was just so touching and I was glad it didn't descend into a farce making him the fool where everyone laughs at the ridiculous antics he could have gotten up to on his dating journey. Instead it was all so lovely and real and I desperately wanted Mart to find some sort of happy ending.

I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed Escape to the Little French Cafe. The beautiful setting really helped to conjure up images of the characters and what they were going through in my head and the plot was something new and exciting. I didn't feel like I was reading a storyline that I had read numerous times over in as I do with so many books in this genre. Natalie was a down to earth girl who readers could identify with as she wasn't too dissimilar to people who would read this book. I think the fact she was a writer helped me to love her even more and that she wasn't written in a way as to be far fetched and over the top. The same could be said for the overall storyline it didn't come across as being implausible or have me throwing my eyes up to heaven at some of the madcap things that happened. Instead they were fun and hilarious and they meshed well with the more emotional side of things.

This was a quick read but despite that I felt everything ended at just the right point and that there weren't filler in chapters or scenes just to bulk up the word count. I would love to read more about Natalie so hopefully Karen Clarke may mention her in future books no matter even if it was just a brief paragraph or two. Does Natalie fulfil her quest? Does she learn some important life lessons? Can she crack Jay's tough exterior. Pick up this delightful, charming story to discover all the answers.

I’ve read so many of this author’s books, so was delighted to see she had a new book out! The cover looked so inviting that I’m sure I saw my name was reserved right there on that table, just waiting for a café au lait and a big plate of croissants!

This story immediately drew me in from the very first page. Having a definite flair for writing books which have me laughing all the way through, this author again has produced the perfect story to put a smile on my face! The characters are equally as wonderful! The main character, Natalie Bright has moved to France to put her broken heart behind her. Luckily, her dad and her best friend live there and this gives her the opportunity to try and get a job writing for the very popular French magazine, Magnifique. When famous actor, Jay Merino turns up to film his latest blockbuster, Natalie remembers how, many years ago, he promised to let her interview him! It would be the perfect scoop for Natalie if he fulfils his promise, but Jay is now shy and retiring and doesn’t like to give interviews!

The relationships between all the different characters was lovely, but I did in particular love the relationship Natalie had with her dad. Her dad was hilarious with his dating disasters, and I loved Natalie’s reaction to his new dating clothes and style! I also liked Natalie’s best friend, Charlie and we were left hanging onto the question of who would be Natalie’s love interest by the end of the book – Charlie was a great candidate, but Jay was equally as worthy as the winner of Natalie’s heart!

The story flowed well and was full of romance, family and laughter! There were so many laugh out loud moments that I lost count of them and the story reeled me in from the very first page! I became so absorbed within the storyline that I forgot where I was until I reappeared back into reality from in between the pages!

As usual with this author, when I turned the last page I was left with a feeling of happiness, contentment and a tiny little bit of frustration that the story was over! Great characters, wonderful storyline and a beautiful location, all of which get your imagination running wild with the picturesque French scenery which was described! Grab yourself a little bit of romantic escapism to France….you won’t regret it!

Oh bonjour mon ami!!! I felt as though I was on French soil whilst I was reading this!

I am a massive fan of Karen Clarke's novels as they always deliver on the cosiness factor! I did feel as though the storyline was a little bit different to the authors usual writing style, however I still enjoyed following Natalie's journey as the story progressed.

At times I forgot just how old Natalie was as, despite being in her thirties, she came across as such a naive and younger minded character. Not that that is a bad thing of course, because it isn't! I just thought that she was a bit of a lost soul who wanted to finally have their happy ending.

I adored the humour that was throughout the entire book, including Natalie's reaction to one of the characters dog! Oh I did laugh!! All of the giggles seemed so natural and unforced, it really did up the pleasure element for me, for sure.

Romance is the big theme in 'Escape to the Little French Cafe', if you hadn't guessed that already...being set in France and everything! I'm not a big slushy, romance type of person  but you know what, I absolutely bloomin' LOVED reading this Cinderella-esque, Snow White type of storyline which made me want to order a wedding hat...even though there wasn't a wedding. I believed in true love where Natalie's journey was concerned, and that's all down to Karen Clarke's delectable storytelling.

If you fancy a novel which can make you laugh, reach for the wedding confetti, AND put on ten stone just by thinking of cakes and other treats, 'Escape to the Little French Cafe' would be right up your 'rue'. Such an uplifting, cosy novel which will make your heart leap with joy...or, if you're like me, it'll make the ice around your heart melt!