I very much enjoyed reading this lovely summer women's fiction book, which was set in France.

The story is about a woman called Hattie, who is a wedding planner at a gorgeous French chateau, as her cousin is getting married there. She is recuperating after a bad breakup, and this is helping her to recover. She meets a man called Luc, who she gets on really well with. Will she be able to open her heart to him, after all she has been through? Both Hattie and Luc are adorable, and I really liked them.

This is a great holiday read, which I recommend highly.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

Another great read by Julie. I never fail to enjoy any of her books.

This was a wonderful setting, i could picture myself there very easily. A great cast of characters, the story flowed really well and i thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thank you NetGalley and one more chapter for sending me this ARC. I absolutely love Julie Caplin books and this didn’t disappoint definitely recommending to friends

This was actually just so cute. I enjoyed it even more than I thought I would. I liked the characters and the storyline. I read it quickly and wasn’t bored. 4.5 stars:) Going to keep an eye out for this author.

It has been far too long since I picked up a book by this author. As soon as I started this one I knew I was not putting it down until I had finished. Read in one glorious sitting.

Hatties has taken on the task of organising a wedding for her cousin, money is no object and the location is a French Chateau. When she arrives no one is expecting her, it is Luc who meets her on the doorstep and shows her around.

As the story continues, Hattie is in the midst of organising but finding things are not as she thought they would be. She is finding it difficult to get people on board but then it has also been left very short to get sorted. With the wedding looming Hatties is doing what she can to get the chateau up to speed.

Luc is too busy to help as he is trying to get the vineyard ready to start producing their own champagne again. There are heated discussions between various other people in and around the area. All in all a very fraught time.

The author brings the charm of the chateau right out of the pages, while it may be a little tired it does sound wonderful. The mentions of markets and food definitely made an impact and there are mentions of wine as you would expect.

The story has such a feel-good vibe to it and once I began I just had to keep reading. Everything about this book is fabulous from a wonderful storyline and romance to a mystery and the odd surprise.

Ideal for fans of romance, contemporary fiction and for those who just want to get away vicariously for a few hours. It is one I would definitely recommend.

I almost DNFed this on finishing the first chapter with its cliche dialogues and the insta love scene. Well, 'almost' is the keyword here and I am glad that my persistence paid off. Soon we are transported off to the Chateau in Champagne province and as expected we get to learn a lot more about wines.
Hattie is taking a break from an unwanted relationship and her cousin's wedding gives her some alone time and also a career boost as a wedding planner. However, things are not as smooth as anticipated in sunny France as someone is trying to sabotage her wedding plans. Thankfully, things begin to perk up with the arrival of Floss, her friend in charge of food. Soon we see the indomitable duo breaking down obstacles and finding love amidst adversity.
The vivid descriptions of delectable food and the accompanying wines are as tantalizing as they are mouthwatering. Caplin has once again crafted an unforgettable gem that will leave a lasting impression.

This is a wonderful holiday read.

I was fully engaged with the story from the start.

The characters are well developed and the plot moves along at a nice pace.

A smashing romance that left me wanting to know how it continues.

Hattie has been given the job of planning her cousins wedding at a chateau in France. Unfortunately her partner gave her the ultimatum him or the job so with relief she chooses the job as the relationship was stifling and she wasn’t happy
As she arrives she meets Luc who is the son of the owner of the chateau and not very happy it was about to be taken over for a wedding
Will Harris be able to win Luc over and pull off the wedding ?
Loved it

Great book, loved the setting, makes me want to visit!

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

The French Chateau Dream is the 10th novel in the Romantic Escapes series by Julie Caplin. Although there are overlapping characters in these stories, you can easily read it as a standalone. It is important to say that I’ve loved all ten books in the series and it’s one of my favourite series.

In The French Chateau Dream, Hattie heads to the Champagne region to prepare a French Chateau for the dream wedding of her cousin Gabby. What she doesn’t count on is finding that the person living in the house is the owner’s son, and model-like sexy Frenchman Luc. As they prepare the house for the wedding, things seem to be getting in Hattie’s way to prevent her work as the wedding planner. It seems like no one wants the wedding to go ahead.

This was a lovely romance between Hattie and Luc, but with complications in the form of another wedding planned for the same day at the same location. In addition, Luc has a mystery of his own, firmly linked to his 95 year old great aunt Marthe who changes her mind about what she wants him to do with the vineyard attached to the Chateau.

The side characters added depth to the story, and I particularly warmed to housekeeper Solange. In addition, the love hate relationship between chef Fliss, and Solange’s son Alphonse brought a humour to the story that had me giggling at them both.

The French Chateau Dream was a dreamy romance with a reverence for French cuisine that will have your mouth watering as you read.

I adored this wonderful romcom set in a gorgeous chateau in France.

Hattie arrives at Château St Martin, her fairytale home for the next two months, to plan her cousin Gabby’s wedding - and desperate to do a good job.

She is one confident lady who can stand on her own two feet. She is faced with problem after problem, mostly those arranged by Yvette who is trying to scupper Hattie’s plans as she wants to hold her wedding at the chateau on the same date! Not realising this, Hattie efficiently solves everything thrown at her including flying a friend over from England to do the catering! Fliss arrives and the cooking commences. We are introduced to many delicious sounding French dishes which will make your mouth water.

The most concerning thing is the bride to be, Gabby, is being elusive. Will the wedding even go ahead?

Of course you need to read the book to find out! If you want to be whisked away to France, with a few days in Paris, all beautifully described, and meet some interesting characters along the way, then this is the book for you!

Just in time for the heat of summer is Julie Caplin’s latest novel, the bubbly (but not too fluffy) romance, The French Chateau Dream.

In this installment of her Romantic Escapes series, author Caplin follows Hattie to an estate in France where she’ll be taking over as her cousin’s wedding planner. There she meets the owner’s son Luc, and hijinks ensue. Except it isn’t all hijinks. There’s some very real family drama which has French history, especially where champagne and World War Two are concerned, cleverly woven into a plausible story where secrets abound but love is also strong.

I loved Hattie’s no-nonsense English style and the way it brushed against Luc’s thoughtful French aesthetic. I liked that each of these lead characters was strong enough to have an independent storyline, but that they meshed well, and worked together well to further a plot that had just the right pacing. Like the perfect champagne, the dialogue in this novel was crisp, with just a hint of saltiness at times – but that only added character.

I appreciated the character of Marthe, the doyenne of Luc’s family, as well. It can be challenging to write older women as both fragile and strong – the contradiction is hard to capture – but Caplin has done so very deftly, and she quickly became one of my favorite supporting characters.

I also liked that the chateau itself was a non-speaking character in this story. Old houses hold more than secret rooms, they absorb the energy of those who dwelt within them, and this house was the ultimate backdrop for Caplin’s blend of secrets, romance, and history.

Overall, this novel was a delightful read, light enough for beach reading, but not so frothy it felt saccharine.

Goes well with: chilled champagne and fresh strawberries still warm from the sun.

I have read and enjoyed some of Julie’s previous ‘Romantic Escapes’ (this one is #10) as they offer great escapism to some wonderful world locations. Each of these novels are stand-alones (although there are characters from previous novels that may make fun appearances) and this time around I was fully ready for a stay at a French chateau in the Champagne region.

‘This wasn’t real life, it was an interlude. A long holiday. Hattie had never even thought about the possibility of staying. Living abroad was one of those pipe dreams.’

As I have come to expect from the previous ‘escapes’, Julie offers a story filled to the brim - this is certainly no one dimensional chick lit tale. Yes, there is the requisite romance but Julie always provides a cast of characters and locales that guarantee to add real depth to the story. On this occasion Julie takes us to rural France and the wine making region. With the exception of a few days shopping in Paris (ooh la la!) the bulk of the tale is set in the Champagne region of France and she immerses you in all things French - oui! What’s not to love? If you are a foodie you are sure to lick your lips with all the scrumptious food and baking on offer. I also enjoyed learning about the vineyard and wine making, the upkeep of a chateau and a bit of a history mystery. All up, who would not want to spend some time in a French chateau (vicariously of course!) and have family and friends, love and laughter, French cuisine and champagne?

‘… no one should be dependent on someone else for their happiness. You have to be happy for yourself.’

The French Chateau Dream is the perfect recipe for light escapism. I like how Julie’s heroines tend to be at the crossroads of both career and love life, attempting to be bold enough to take strong steps to live their best. So, wait no more ... grab a glass of bubbles and snuggle up in your favourite reading spot to spend a few hours in France with this comfort read. If you are looking for the ultimate French Chateau Dream experience be sure to grab Julie’s latest romantic escape book.

‘You should slow down, enjoy life, savour things, enjoy lunch … the French way. You take things too seriously.’






This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

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

This was a pleasant, enjoyable book!

I was fortunate to read an ARC of this and I was blown away.

It's another stunning read from Julie!

Hattie agrees to take on a role planning her cousins wedding at a chateau in France, but when she gets there, no one apart from the handsome Luc is very welcoming.

As she tries to win the residents of the village over, she realises she might also want to win over the affections of Luc.

The scenery is beautifully described and this book will definitely make you want to visit a French Chateau. I loved this and ore ordered it immediately!

This is the tenth book in the Romantic Escapes series by Julie Caplin. The lighthearted romantic stories in this series are set in various destinations across the world. Each one centres on a particular character, but one or more players from other books in the series pop up on a regular basis. Although the books can all be read as a standalone, I have enjoyed reading them in order and recognising the ‘visiting’ characters. As the title suggests, this story is set in France.

The central character in the book is wedding planner Hattie, who has been sent on ahead to a French chateau where her cousin is to be married in a few weeks time. She is glad of the chance to get away from life at home, where a long association with a needy ex has left her drained. The chateau with accompanying vineyard is imposing, but very rundown inside. Hattie hopes to find assistance from staff in preparing the house for the wedding, but finds resistance to her ideas at every turn. She has to use her skills to circumvent the obstacles in her path, including bringing in her own caterer from home. Fortunately, Luc, the handsome son of the chateau’s owner, is more helpful and a relationship develops between the two which makes Hattie realise how much better life could be.

I have really enjoyed all of the books in this series, this being no exception. There is a host of interesting characters in this story in addition to Hattie and Luc. It was nice too to meet up with someone from a previous book in the series. Food plays a big part in all of the books; this one having a wedding at its centre features lots of delicious dishes, sweet and savoury, all with a distinctly French flavour. In addition, especially as Luc is a winemaker, there is lots of information about wine and specific pairings with food. I loved watching Hattie blossom as she grew in confidence and found real romance with stunning and sensitive Luc. He certainly sounded a hero that will appeal to many readers. I can thoroughly recommend this new addition to this already successful series.

A perfect escape book with flowing champagne and lots of lovely characters. Set in France I could imagine the chateau and the countryside. Hot, dusty with lots of green fields. A lovely book. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

A perfect summer love story.

What Hattie escapes a dull and stifling relationship to plan her cousins wedding in France she assumes she will be able to just get on with the job, however not everyone welcomes the intrusion….

A great read with a few twists along the way.

I have really enjoyed anything I have ready by Julie Caplin and The French Chateau Dream is no exceptionHattie Carter-Jones traded in a deadbeat boyfriend and her job in England for a chance at wedding planning for her French cousin. It was the best decision she ever made! Luc Bremont, the owner of Chateau St Martin, teaches Hattie how to slow down and take time to savour things while Hattie offers Luc a chance at seeing things from a different perspective. An unplanned aerial photo of the estate gives Luc the very thing he needed - an opportunity to fulfill his dreams. The two months in France have also given Hattie perspective and she realizes for herself that she’s in a relationship with the wrong man. Funny how distance and time have that effect!

I enjoyed the chemistry between Hattie and Luc, the friction between the two ‘events,’ and the foodie references throughout. I promise it won’t be so long between my Julie Caplin novels next time.

Luc Bremont returns to the only place he has ever felt at home, its been a long time since he'd been back and it felt different? The French Chateau that was once full of life had lost its sparkle, it was run down and along with the family business of producing the best Champagme in the region, it was redundant.

Hattie has been employed by her Uncle to plan her cousins wedding, no expense spared and its too be held at his Friends grand French Chateau. The opportunity to escape life has come at the right time and Hattie grasps the chance for an adventure.
Soon realising the inside of the Chateau doesn't match its grand exterior,

Luc wants his father to let him start producing champagne again. Hattie needs this wedding to be the start of her dream of her own Wedding business. It seems they both have a huge challenge ahead.

A wonderful summer story you won't want to put down, Julie Caplin writes exquisitely bringing the characters to life, there is humour, love and drama, what's not to love.

I am writing an honest review after being given the chance to read this book in advance via Netgalley and Harper Collins Publishers.