I loved this book so much! This is not an action-packed book, but you are looking for something to read with vibes - this is a fantastic choice.

I loved reading about the village, the "magic", the village traditions and superstitions, the herbalist vibes, etc. The writing was beautiful and magical. I was swept away with all the descriptions and I didn't want this book to end.

I found myself googling similar places so I could picture the village in my head. The characters were also amazing and stole my heart (LOVE Jenofa).

If you want a slower paced, vibey read - pick this one up ASAP.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Muse for a digital advance reader's copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

This feel-good novel checked several of my boxes – magical realism, small town in France, a life reboot, found family, romance, food and even a few tantalizing recipes thrown in.

After Tempesta’s French mother dies when she is thirteen, she is left living in New York with her workaholic father, younger brother, and vindictive grandmother. Fifteen years later her father dies, and Tempesta decides to take a leave from her newspaper food critic job and visit the small French town her mother came from.

This is the beginning of Tempesta’s revival – with her inheritance she buys a fixer-upper manor house in the small town of Sainte-Colombe, in Provence, makes new friends, develops a romance with a hunky carpenter, learns about her French family and heritage from the village elders, and discovers her mystical talent related to growing herbs and preparing food.

This may sound typical and predictable, but it’s really so much better than the usual. The novel was well-written, the characters authentic, and I found myself quickly turning the pages to find out what would happen next. Juxtaposed with Tempesta’s personal growth was the story of the small village on the brink of ruin being saved by the villagers using the tools at their disposal, and Tempesta was the catalyst to get the village to see the dire situation they faced while providing a creative solution.

After the life-changing decisions Tempesta makes throughout the novel, not only has she blossomed in her new environment and become more assured and confident, but she has made a difference in the life of the village. As another character tells her, “You deserve to feel at home. You deserve to feel like you belong. That you’re valued.” She had spent so many years convinced that she was unlovable and unworthy, that she began to think it was true. It was heartwarming to see Tempesta flourish and to carry on her family’s legacy.

I highly recommend this feel-good novel of revitalization (both Tempesta’s and the village’s), family, and realizing that more important than making a living, is to take the time to make a life.

I loved this story, one about a brave woman who changed her life. Beautiful setting and loved the characters. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. great story!

I’ll have to admit that I struggled with this one for the first 20-30%. This was my first book by this author so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I love a story when a person finds themselves, so I really enjoyed that element of the book. I also loved the fact that it took place in France. Overall, it was a good read

I really enjoyed this book. The story was inspirational and the interactions between the main characters was believable. I loved the slight touch of whimsy with Tempy possible having a bit of magic for plants. It was just an enjoyable read and hard for me to put down.

Loved it! I thought it was going to be a historical fiction story, like the author's previous books that I read. It was completely different in a wonderful way. Loved that there was a bit of magic. Tempèsta definitely needed to get away from New York and her mother's village was the perfect place for her. It felt like Walt and his mother tried to erase Nadaleta's existence from her children. It was obvious Grandmother Luddington despised Tempèsta. She did everything she could to exclude her granddaughter from the family. Walt should have been stronger and stood up to his mother. The family pretty much chase Tempèsta out of the house after the funeral, but want her to return when they need her. Loved the relationship Tempèsta and Wal end up having once he visits her in France. He needed to get away from the Luddington control and embrace his French roots. I couldn't wait to find out why Nadaleta left France and never returned home. Learning about Tempèsta's mom was heartbreaking. It had to be destiny that she ended up buying the Bastida house. Loved getting to know the people in Sainte-Colombe. It was wonderful when they finally acknowledged as one of their own and not an outsider. Tempèsta definitely found the family she needed there. There's no way Tempèsta would have been able to afford all the work that the house needed. She was lucky to find Tiberi. It was easy to see they were perfect for each other. Although, Tiberi did accuse her of putting a love spell on him. Astre the cat was the perfect companion for Tempèsta. Every village witch needs a black cat.

Definitely recommend the book. Loved the characters, writing style and story. Look forward to reading more books by the author. Loved the cover of the book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harper Muse through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was the first book I have read by Aimie K . Runyan and it won't be the last. This was a well done book, I loved the small town village where this took place and made you want to be there to enjoy this experience. This is a slow build, teasing us with a little more in each chapter. The characters were written and felt realistic. I would definitely recommend this beautiful story!!


Thank you NetGalley and Harper Muse for allowing me to read this ARC in advance for my honest opinion.

Tempesta is at a crossroads with her job and family. She lost her beloved mother at an early age, her father has just died leaving her younger brother his full estate, Tempesta only receiving a small inheritance from her mother. Her grandmother is cold, always making Tempesta feel unwanted, unloved, an outsider. Tempesta is a food critic who is cautioned about writing an honest review. This leads her to taking time off to reevaluate her goals and life and in this leap, finds herself and a new passion.

From the beautiful cover to the descriptive writing of a small village in France, this is a treat to the senses. From the food to life in a small, struggling village to finding one’s passion, and add a little magic to the mix. This is a slow build, teasing us with a little more in each chapter. The characters are realistic, their personalities coming thru strongly. However I felt a sort of disconnect in their interactions, not truly feeling the relationship developing between Tempesta and Tiberi, or Tempesta and Wal. The characters on a whole felt one dimensional. The ending felt slightly rushed, trying to tie things up neatly in a bow. When I think of France, my thoughts are always of Paris, but after reading this book, I want to visit the small villages to get the full experience. I look forward to reading this author again, will definitely look into her historical fiction.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Muse for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

The Memory of Lavender and Sage is a tender story of a young woman trying to find herself. This is a different kind of story than my usual picks, but found it a nice change. I did struggle a bit in the beginning but Aimie Runyan creates a lovely tale.

This is a story about Tempesta and her journey that takes her from New York City to a small town in Provence, France. When her late mother leaves her a small inheritance and with her father passing away she embarks on this journey to France where her mother grew up. The more time she spends there with these people the more she realizes that she has finally found a place where she feels at home and loved.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Muse for an advanced copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the advanced copy of this book! It is out on February 13!

I really enjoyed this book. It takes place mainly in small town France, and it’s very atmospheric. I loved the connection between Tempèsta and her mother and how Tempèsta was able to explore her mothers native city and learn more about their family history. I also really liked the magical aspects, especially Tempèsta’s talents with plants. Tibèri was also an amazing character! I thought the first few chapters were a little out of place and perhaps we could have learned of the Luddington family history in flashbacks or something, but once the main character moved to France everything flowed nicely. I definitely recommend checking this book out!

Extremely slow moving plot where not much of anything happens. I found it difficult to stay engaged and started skimming the chapters.

The Memory of Lavender and Sage is an enchanting novel about friendship and family with a hint of magic in a French countryside setting. Tempèsta Luddington has finally found the home she has always longed for when she leaves New York and moves to a small village in Provence where her mother was born. The book has a wonderful feel of community and neighbor helping neighbor. I loved this book. The beautiful cover drew me in, and Tempèsta and Tiberi's love story held me captive to the last page. Thanks to author Aimie K. Runyan, publisher Harper Muse, and NetGalley. I received a complimentary copy of this ebook. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

A lovely story about finding your history and then yourself, Tempesta inherited from her mother, who died when she was a teen, but she's not been to Provence before, Now, she's there and discovering there was more to the woman than she knew or was told. It's atmospheric and engaging with a well drawn protagonist. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

With THE MEMORY OF LAVENDER AND SAGE, bestselling historical fiction author Aimie K. Runyan takes readers on a journey to contemporary Provence in this heartwarming comfort read that had me wanting to jump on the next flight to buy a petite maison in a charming provincial town. Having traveled extensively in the locations she writes about, Runyan captures the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of Provence perfectly.

This is a book that not only engages the senses, but also has great emotional payoff as main character Tempesta travels to France after her father’s untimely death and discovers secrets hidden in her Occitan mother’s past as well as the magical gifts she inherited from the generations of women before her.

Runyan marries touches of sparkling fabulism with healthy, grounded romance, relatable family dynamics, and a sense of cathartic self-discovery as Tempesta uses her skills to bring new life and purpose to the sleepy hamlet of Sainte-Colombe and its citizens. If you enjoyed Chocolat and Practical Magic, you will love this feel-good novel.

I am a fan of this author and this one was as good as the last one I read. Another great story with well developed characters, some you like and some maybe not so much. The story flowed well and I just couldn't put it down.

This is a story about family, acceptance, being the odd one out. And that is what Tempesta seems to be. Set in a small village in Provence, Tempesta sets out to find out more about her mothers past and while doing so finds friendship, a sense of community and so much more.

A great setting for this book which is in some ways magical, is very well written and brings such wonderful characters to life. The stories and characters developed throughout the story/book, flowed so well and was so easy to read but had the depth and intensity to make it a wonderful and truly great read.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Muse for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Perfectly charming and a lovely getaway to Provence, that was just what I needed in the midst of our cold, rainy and windy winter.

THE MEMORY OF LAVENDER AND SAGE, by Aimee K. Runyan, is clearly a labor of love. This author’s passion for the French countryside and small village way of life, oozes from the pages like a baguette smothered in homemade butter. It’s rich with descriptive prose, gently salted with smart dialogue and smoothly spread from beginning to end with interesting characters and relationships that are melted together with herbs and spices in tantalizing ways.

If you enjoy coming of age stories, there are arcs to please. Family relationship story enthusiasts will find lots to follow with twists and turns and a wicked grandmother…

Runyan claims this is her first foray into full length, contemporary, women’s fiction but it reads far better than most debuts. There’s nuance to relationships rather than nonstop romantic nonsense and the dialogue is intelligent, each character having an unique voice; refreshing.

Because historical fiction is her primary body of work, she was able to incorporate a deep enough sense of place for the fictional town of Sainte-Colombe that gives it qualities enough to become a character in the story. I found myself cheering for the town and wishing I could book a month in a B&B.

My only quibble with the story is the hurried ending. This author joined the current trend for speedy HEA’s that wrap up plot points but leave me feeling cheated. Would a few more chapters really have been so difficult? For me, it’s the difference between 4-5 stars📚

Read & Reviewed from a First Editions eARC via NetGalley, with thanks

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

Fans of Kimberly Brock's The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare and Frances Mayes' Under the Tuscan Sun: At Home in Italy will absolutely enjoy this read. If I were still in a foodie book club, I would suggest it to read!

It's a bit of a slow build (which works in its favor, a nice contrast to some other books I DNFed recently), and really beautifully fleshes out the Provencal region. (And, it blessedly includes recipes at the end--I'm excited to check them out soon!) I appreciated the author note at the end, and how she noted the struggle to not make it an "outsider saves the day" story--it was not that, hallelujah!

There's a bit of language, which was a bummer (and unnecessary), but other than that, it was clean. The book is not a Christian-fiction book, but I somewhat thought Runyan was an inspy-fic author as I'd read a novella collection she did with J'nell Ciesielski and Rachel McMillan, who are (or at least some of their books are). Knowing now she's not, some of the story messaging's secular perspective makes more sense.

I did like this better than Runyan's contribution to the novella collection I read last year; the full-length book allows her to pursue the plot and characters to their full capacity and not be constrained by space. It's thoughtful and intriguing, and explores both family and town dynamics in unique and fresh ways.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Sweet and charming storyline, though I do wish there were no supernatural elements. That rather took me by surprise and took away whatever enthusiasm I had to continue reading. I appreciated the community and environment the story takes place in.

Overall, not for me.

This book was the first work of contemporary fiction written by this author who usually writes historical fiction. I thoroughly enjoyed the story of Tempesta, a young food critic in New York, unhappy with her life. After her father dies, she leaves New York for the small village in Provence her mother came from, hoping to learn more about her mother and start a new way of life. As she befriends Esteva, she becomes further enmeshed into trying to help the community revive, as Tempèsta also starts her own business. The setting is perfect, the characters likable, and the story enchanting. Recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I am a huge fan of Aimee’s historical fiction books so I was so excited to see she’s writing a new genre. I adored this story from the first page! Such heartwarming characters. Highly highly recommend