Lea Mortimer owner of LeMor Consulting, is leaving in exactly three weeks for the Loire Valley in central France to work with the Lévesque family. She’s been hired to transform the neglected country estates and vineyards of defunct French aristocracy into a trendy boutique hotels.

But then she receives an urgent phone call from her friend Stephanie who confides in her that she’s finally left her husband and is staying at an Airbnb. Lea offers Stephanie her place since she’s traveling to France for work. But Stephanie insists that she and her daughter Maya could use a change of scenery and then asks Lea to take them with her to France.

An interesting contemporary read with beautiful characters and lovely setting. I enjoyed this book
Thank you to Chelsea Fagan, NetGalley and Orsay Press LLC – Orsay Press for the arc of this book

The setting, a French countryside, is what drew me to read A Perfect Vintage. I’m always looking for books set in places I want to visit. Lea is a thirty six year old woman who owns a business focused on transforming old chateus into chic boutique hotels. Her best friend/cousin is in the depths of a messy divorce and asks to tag along with her daughter on Lea’s summer project at a chateau in the Loire Valley. The friend falls for the chateau owner while Lea secretly dates the owners son. Not surprisingly it turns messy and Lea’s career and relationships are on the line.

This is Chelsea Fagan’s debut novel and there were elements I really enjoyed so I’d consider reading another book by her. I appreciated that the main character was 36. It’s nice to have a slightly older protagonist. I also liked the setting but felt there could be more sense of place. Besides Lea’s age there wasn’t much to like about her. I found her to be self absorbed, particularly in her actions following a family feud and again when she details her “life saving sex” to her ex partner. Overall it was on ok read and I’d recommend it someone who loves France and is looking for a predictable, light read.

If you like French Countryside settings, summer romance, reverse age gap, and messy problems, look no further, this book is for you.

Lea was 36yo, a successful career woman, perfectionist and independent. Unfortunately, she was not lucky in the love department since she had trauma from her mother’s relationship with men. So she kept herself guarded with high walls, only to fall in love with a man 12 years younger than her, whom her niece had a crush on.

Theo was 24yo and one of the youngest sons of the French family, where Lea was working as a consultant in their chateau. He’s thoughtful, helpful and lively, not forget to mention handsome.

The first half of this book was kind of a struggle for me to read. I thought I would see how Lea fell in love with Theo in more depth, but I felt the chemistry was just not there. By the second half, I was getting more frustrated. How Lea dealt with the complications of her relationship with Theo also felt immature. And I’m not a believer in insta love, so when Lea’s cousin, Stephanie, fell head over heels for Lea’s boss during her ongoing divorce battle, I was put off by this book. It’s like, hello mistake, please meet bad decision.

It could be bad timing when I read this book. I don’t hate it but I don't love it either.

Thank you NetGalley, the Publisher and the author for the eARC, in exchange for my honest review

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing this read. All opinions are my own.
First, I'd like to acknowledge that I follow the author on her social media platforms and through her career in podcasting, on Youtube, and as an author for her company The Financial Diet. As a fan of her work for a long time, I was thrilled to hear she fulfilled a personal goal by writing a novel. Truly a gift to us all!
APV hit me at the sweet spot for recreational reading; funny, sexy, smart, engaging, plus that elusive quality of escapism wherein I want to be Lea Mortimer and live her life in France.
On the surface, Lea appears chic and effortless; underneath she's keeping tight control through her spreadsheets and timelines. Her business life and personal life collide while Lea is leading her current project towards completion. The stunning backdrop of a hotel in the Loire Valley sets the scene for sultry flirtations to develop into deeper romances. Lea's self-imposed high expectations and stringent deadlines are threatened every time she relaxes her guard. Interpersonal relationships are a key element to plot development, and Lea and her cousin/bestie Stephanie navigate complex situations with the raw emotion that often accompanies our closest relationships.
As if that weren't enough, rich descriptions of clothing and food paint a visual picture. The vocabulary and writing style are delicious. The sexytimes are just spicy enough. The ending, while not quite what I expected, delivers!
Highly recommend for any summertime/vacation reading; it's getting a place on my library's shelf!

Perfect Vintage: if you’ve ever wanted to run away to France and own a vineyard and open a chic boutique hotel, this is the book for you! 36 year-old Lea is an interior designer who finds herself in the Loire valley in France, working on the grand opening of a new hotel, when she finds herself attracted to her client’s 24 year old son

I did not like Lea - I like that she’s smart and driven but I hate how insecure she is. She frequently comes across as incredibly whiny and immature and she’s a bit of an asshole to Theo. I almost quit multiple times, but I’m glad I stuck with it for a satisfying end.

This novel is really well-written. It flows nicely and the character interactions are enjoyable, Its a charming book with just enough tension to keep you turning the page. However, I didn’t find myself rushing to turn the page. I kept reading a chapter, then putting it down. Reading, then putting it down. The writing was great, I just found myself struggling to stay excited about the story.

5⭐
PG-13 for a sexy book that isn't that spicy (like you could probably give it to your mom and it would be NBD)

If you read one book this summer, it should be this one. Americans in France, home (read: chateau) remodeling, a mature heroine, age gap romance, clandestine meetups in vineyards and lots of family drama. Also good therapy representation! What more could I want from a book?!

This book is smart. It's dramatic. It's French (bien sur). It's sexy. It's complex. It has these incredible characters that I'm now deeply obsessed with. This book was basically Emily in Paris's posh cousin who can actually speak French but still has fab outfits and messy relationships.

In the end, this book left me with the overwhelming emotion of a cathartic ending. I had to know what happened and was left with the right level of satisfaction where I truly so these characters grow and earn their endings. A Perfect Vintage was a perfect book and an absolute must read it when it comes out.

Thank goodness I pre-ordered this book because it will be taking a place of honor on my bookshelves.

4.5 stars - A perfect read for your summer vacation, paired with a glass of wine. There is truly nothing I hate more in a novel than an age gap romance, but I have to admit this one worked. While a bit cringey at moments, I couldn’t help but root for Theo & Lea.

I loved reading about life in the chateau, ongoing construction (the way to my heart), wine tasting, and messy relationships. Chelsea Fagan’s debut is a hit!

I *loved* this book. It was a gorgeous blend of a fun romance with the depth of a more serious novel dealing with difficult situations. A bit slower paced than I typically like in the first portion but it absolutely paid off. Lea is fabulous and raw and real and relatable.

First of all, what a fun way to spend a few hours in the Loire valley! If you want to forget your troubles, this is the perfect beach read. I have a few criticisms, mostly that this book resembles a hallmark christmas movie that takes place in the summertime. The main character is literally a single childless woman in her thirties who hasn't found love because she works too much. It's just too much of a cliche for me!! I would've loved more depth and development from every character, and I also would've loved more descriptive prose about the location - it was hard to tell if the author had ever even been there? Overall not a life changing book but a fun mindless romp.

This is a perfect summer read. I loved the details and pictures the author created. I loved the attention to detail for French culture. It has convinced me to seek one of these chateaus out (recommendations welcome!). I loved the MC’s clear flaws and being able to work on them.

I do think there were a few too many characters - Chloe versus Gabriel, multiple workers the MC would talk to that I could never keep track of, etc. but this wasn’t a dealbreaker.

I think my biggest thing is the disrespect of her niece. I know that’s why everything blows up, but it’s still very irksome. I wish it could’ve been written slightly differently where she fell for Gabriel (and he wasn’t as much of an ass) so each of the women got a man.

Anyway, cute book!

5 stars- i couldn't love this book more if i tried. i don't know who i have to beg to bring this to the big screen so i can see my beloved characters come to life. thank you netgalley & the publishers for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

This was definitely a good beach read. I don't love age gap romances and this one was tolerable for me (which is saying a lot). However, not sure that I was rooting for the main couple or even the couple that wasn't central to the plot. The characters definitely were not unanimously likable to me. The setting in the Loire Valley was lush and dreamy, and I did really enjoy the concept of the plot (family rebuilding hote, woman comes into consult)..... (maybe I just want to be a vineyard hotel consultant....)
I can see some people absolutely loving this, and it was a good read, just not 100% for me.

A Perfect Vintage is a very well written and luxurious novel. It gives perspective of a mid thirties single female who is comfortable navigating her career and life as an independent, a perspective that’s not commonly written. While the writing was quite detailed, it seemed a bit overindulgent and wordy at times. The story itself was not something new, but being transported to beautiful French chateau definitely made this story more interesting.

Thank you NetGalley and Orsay Press, LLC doe this arc in exchange for an honest review.

A PERFECT VINTAGE is deliciously decadent and delectable. Sensual, sophisticated, and savory... yet at the same time I found myself devouring every page as I couldn't get enough of this story. A love affair with a younger yet mature, sexy man in the beautiful French countryside surrounded by romantically aesthetic scenery and not to mention bottles of wine. After reading, I felt tan as if it was me who was laying out in the sunshine.

Lea is always the responsible one. People go to her to fix their problems, but when does Lea get to feel alive and let loose? When does she get to acknowledge her deep desires in life and put herself first? Lea dances with the struggle of when to indulge when it is her career and close family relationships that are on the line. I so loved the resistance and undeniable connection, building up the tension between Lea and Théo. I admired and appreciated the realness of the story and characters, which is most important to me in romance novels. So beautifully written and polished. What a pleasure it was to live in Lea and Théo's world. Looking forward to reading more of this author's work!

Thank you Orsay Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange of my honest review.

Head to the French countryside when you pick up A Perfect Vintage. This is a tantalizing summertime read. The whole time while I was reading, I felt like I was in France with Lea and her friends drinking champagne and indulging in all the delish foods. I loved how this book had romance but was not over the top and cheesy with it. Very sophisticated, adult romance and content. Lea’s character was so well written. She had such great energy and you just want to be her friend and tag along with her to revamp the chateau. She is such a perfectionist with her job and she struggles trying to juggle being a great friend to Stephanie and “ aunt “ to Maya while also trying to keep being a professional at her job at the chateau for the summer. She gives up a lot of her wants and needs for her job and lifestyle and is so afraid of things going wrong and just living her best life. When she finally starts her summer fling, things really start heating up and the betrayals and conflicts between family and friends begin. I loved how the novel showed an older woman falling for a younger guy. Ageism and sexism topics are well written by the author. I absolutely loved this book and devoured it in 24 hours. I am ready for a trip to the Loire Valley this summer after this read ! I highly recommend you get a copy ! Will be letting everyone I know to read this book this summer.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Orsay Press for the Arc in exchange for my honest review.

If there’s one thing I’ve come to adore, it’s romance/women’s fic novels that provide the perfect amount of balance between romance and character development.

Set in an idyllic French countryside, our protagonist, Lea, is tasked to transform a charming family chateau into the next ‘it’ hotel. Lea is witty, headstrong, and career-driven—truly the definition of a power woman. She’s also not one to react kindly to chaos—putting much premium on her ability and desire to control everything.

The plot may remind you a little bit of Emily in Paris, although I’d argue that characters in this novel behave much more like adults (and dress like them too). What I really appreciated about the book was @faganchelsea’s ability to make them more realistic; as much as the novel focuses on Lea’s winning characteristics, there is also no hesitation to point out her flaws and remind us that she’s painfully human. I honestly resonated a lot with her character (as an A-type who goes crazy when things don’t go as planned) and I loved that she was never afraid to put her best foot forward even if others perceived her to be intimidating.

This was really well written; I felt like I was actually in some idyllic French countryside, sipping some local sparkling white wine while I repotted plants. I think most know I’m not one for romance but I really loved the romantic storyline here because it was never too much or too cheesy; just the right amount of heat and a whole lot of well-written tension. I really was rooting for them to end up together but also wishing I were Lea because the male love interest was just *le sigh* dreamy. I really couldn’t put this down (as evidenced by how fast I finished it). if you’re looking for an entertaining read by the poolside (preferably somewhere in France), I highly recommend this!

p.s. Lea actually speaks French. Emily in Paris is shaking in her electric pink dress.