Lizzie Summers, a magazine writer, is devastated after being left at the altar. She finds a temporary escape when she inherits a chateau in Provence, recalling childhood summers where she imagined being a princess. Initially, she intends to sell it quickly and return to London. However, the deteriorating state of the chateau demands repairs before selling. A storm pushes her to seek shelter with the neighboring vineyard manager, Luc, a grumpy figure. Realizing she needs Luc's assistance to restore the chateau, their shared journey throughout the summer not only rebuilds the property but also heals Lizzie's broken heart.

This delightful summer read exudes warmth from its vibrant characters and vivid descriptions of Provence's sun and heat. I felt as if I could smell the lavender surrounding the Chateau, taste its delectable cuisine, relish the wine, and let all my worries melt away.

A brilliant read and one I really enjoyed. The characters are loveable and varied, the plot is one that is engaging and medium paced. I found myself completely drawn into the story and enjoyed the writing style.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

This was such a great summer book. I enjoyed it a lot!

This was a lovely read and I so felt like I was in the lovely countryside. Good storyline and read it in a few days. 
My thanks as always to NetGalley and Avon books for the read

My review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is a lovely book, set in Provence, France. It is atmospheric, and made me feel like I was having a summer holiday, with great descriptions of the food, the little town, the chateau, and the vineyard!

It's a romance with a holiday away feel, so a great pick if you want to imagine yourself away somewhere warm!

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Avon Books.

Summer at the Chateau by Annabel French

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Avon and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

A newly single girl. A tall, dark and handsome stranger. A chateau that keeps bringing them together. What could go wrong?

When Lizzie Summers is jilted at the altar, she’s left completely heartbroken. But then she receives news that she has inherited a beautiful chateau in Provence, and it seems like the perfect escape.

Upon arrival, she discovers she is now the proud owner of . . . a crumbling ruin. A decrepit chateau – with nothing but dust and a goat for company.

Intending to head straight back to the airport, Lizzie instead gets caught in a freakish summer storm and finds herself trudging through a vineyard for help. Bedraggled and furious, she enlists the help of her nearest neighbour, the enchanting Luc. Perhaps she should stay and mend the chateau – and her broken heart – after all…?

My Opinion

This book has been one that has been on my TBR pile for a while, I always wanted to start it but I kept putting it off for some reason. Having finished it, I am not sure why I had been avoiding it. It was fun to read about Lizzie as her feelings about the Chateau and Sarah change as you work through the pages. This book was a lovely, feel-good read that will definitely leave you in a good mood. 

Rating 4/5

A light summer holiday read escaping to sunny Provence filled with the aroma of lavender.  A little predictable with the usual ups and downs of a romance book, being full of misunderstandings and mis/non-communication.  Slightly drawn out in some respects with the main character Lizzie regretting past events with her aunt which became somewhat repetitive.  However, other events were on super fast forward with totally restoring a chateau in a few months.  I loved the descriptions of summery France, the bustle of a market, the smells, the sounds and general ambiance.  I did, sometimes, get more than a little frustrated at times with Lizzie who seemed so naïve at times and a little self-centred.  Lots of likeable well drawn peripheral characters and with Gary the goat to add a touch of humour.  I believe this bo0k to be the start of a series and I, for one, look forward to reading the subsequent tales around the Chateau Lavande and escaping to France.

Thank you to the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book via NetGalley.

The book starts 3 months after Lizzie was jilted at the alter. She's been dealing with all the gossip that inevitably happens so when she learns that she has inherited her late great aunts chateau in France she jumps at the chance to get away even if it is just for a little bit. 

The Chateau isn't exactly what she was expecting and because of that she has to stay longer than she intended but she comes up with a story to share with her readers. She works at Lifestyle magazine in the UK. Then enter Luc. Luc is her neighbor. He runs the vineyard and while that's his job it isn't his passion. He loves building and working on things. It's this passion that brings him and Lizzie together and then the story builds from there.

I enjoyed this story. I will say there's a bit of miscommunication/lack of communication that get on my nerves a little bit but the overall story was cute. I loved pretty much all of the characters and Gary the goat brought us the laughs. When I read this I didn't realize it was the first book in a series but now that I know I definitely want to read the next one. The author does a great job with the descriptions and bringing France and the Chateau to life. I definitely recommend this book for anyone looking for a cute romcom.

I found this book to be just ok. I loved the setting. At times I felt it became repetitious with Lizzy recalling a fight she had with her aunt. The romance with Luc did not evolve as much as I would have liked. They both seemed like opposites to me.

What a beautiful story set in France. When Summer is jilted at the alter she feels it’s time for a fresh start and when she is left a Chateau by her late Aunt she soon realises this is a challenge she has to take.
I loved the description Annabelle French gives us of the Chateau and its stunning French countryside.
Sounded like the kind of place I’d like to find myself living in.
Everything happens for a reason and Summer soon finds herself moving on from her heartbreak.
Already looking forward to the next book in the series.
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

This is the first book this author has written under the name of Annabel French.  It is a brilliant debut. 

Lizzie had been left standing at the alter by Will, at the same time she inherits at chateau in France from her aunt.  The problem being they had parted on an argument 15 years previous.  Lizzie is a journalist for a home life style magazine , she asks for some time off to go to France to sort out the chateau and  to get over Will.  Her arrival in France did not begin well.  Heavy rain, she crashes her car and as she goes in search of help she encounters Luc the grumpy owner of the vineyard next to her chateau.

Over the weeks she meets the locals who all knew her aunt and loved her.  Apart from meeting the locals she also meets 'Garry'  her name for him.  Garry is a goat and certainly gives us a laugh. 

The chateau needs a lot of work, Luc and the locals all pull together to help get the roof sorted.  But then the estate agent turns up and is on about Lizzie selling it  Luc is present during the conversation.  It then begins to get complicated, added to this Will arrives on her doorstep.

 I can almost smell the French Lavender.  I can recommend this 5* read

Lizzie unexpectedly inherits a chateau in France. It is not what she expected, but soon starts to find her way and make friends. Will it be enough for her to stay?

A lovely  easy summer read with  a beautiful setting and well placed characters. As you can see it is mainly set around a chateau in France so read this lovely book to find out what happens. I highly recommend this and give it 5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

Summer at the Chateau by Annabel French is the first book in the new chateau series and I just loved it, It was a lovely romantic happy story which made it a quick and easy read from start to finish. especially as it puts you into the holiday feel. 

"A breath of fresh air "and I am looking forward to book two in this wonderful new series. 

I highly recommend this book......... I loved it especially the cover.

Big Thank you to Annabel French the author, NetGalley, and Avon Books UK for the arc of this book.

Lifestyle journalist Lizzie is focusing on her career after being unlucky in love. When she inherits a French Chateau from her great-aunt, it's a surprise as they hadn't seen each other for years, but it may give her life the boost it needs. Rundown and with some unwelcome guests, she wants to list it and run, but it's not to be, and she decides to stay and renovate. A decision that not only helps her career but brings the chance for friendship and even romance into her life. The setting is vividly brought to life and is easy to imagine. There are many comic moments and a community that cares. There are secrets, sadness and second chances in this escapist fiction. I like Lizzie's courage to try something new and her sense of humour.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Lizzie finds herself the new owner of a crumbling chateau. This was owned by her aunt, someone she had had lost touch with after an argument. So, when Lizzie goes to the chateau, it stirs up a lot of memories, some of them not so good.

Luc is running a nearby vineyard. He doesn't really have time for this English stranger who seems hellbent on making waves in his quiet life. 

Naturally enough, Lizzie and Luc meet and sparks fly, however, Lizzie needs help with the chateau and Luc reluctantly provides it. They get to know each other as friends but those sparks still continue..... Will Lizzie's past catch up with her and ruin everything? Will she figure out how the goat is accessing into her home? Will the villagers forgive her?

I really liked this story, it is a sweet romantic story that you can read by the pool in the summer. Does it have hidden depths? No, it doesn't, but that is ok, it isn't always wanted or needed :)

4 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon.

Who hasn’t thought about having a chateau in the French countryside?!? This is a beautifully written story of Lizzie, fresh from heartbreak who learns that she has inherited her great aunt’s French chateau. Thinking she will go and quickly sell it turns into a story of self discovery and new found friendships and love. This was a beautiful story and I love the growth that you see in the main character, Lizzie. There is also a “found family” type of twist in this story which I adored.

When Lizzie is jilted on her wedding day, she flees to the chateau in Provence left to her by her great aunt Sarah. When she arrives, she fi ds that it is pretty ru down and is not saleable as she had hoped. Add in the grumpy neighbour, Luc and a  big slice of Provincal life and you get a fairly predictable tale. The characters and setting are described so well you can smell the lavender and feel the rays. As problems are solved just a little conveniently, it was slightly irritating. Worth a read though.

Summer at the Chateau is a perfect addition to your summer reading list.  A romantic, feel-good story set in France that is a light and fun read.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy. 

I loved reading this book. 

Following the breakup of a relationship Lizzie receives news that she’s inherited a chateau. 

When she arrives, she’s shocked to see what state it’s in and has a lot of obstacles to get through in order to renovate the chateau. But with the help of the locals she slowly begins to make changes. 

Felt sad to read about how Lizzie and her Aunt fell out and not being able to meet again. 

It was lovely to see Lizzie and Luc’s story start and grow, as well as her finally finding out that Margot is his ex wife and that he has a daughter. 

The other sad part was when she found the letter that her Aunt wrote to her but never got round to sending it on.  

I loved the goat and its antics. 

Looking forward to the next book. 

I recommend this book.