This is a story of two women set apart by centuries but who desire the same thing when grief enters your life, and you need to make a fateful decision. To find success on their own merits. It’s the early 1800’s and Barbe Nicole Clicquot is newly widowed but refuses to be set aside and have someone else make her vineyard and fine champagne famous. She knows it is her strength only that will make her grapes the finest around.

It’s present day and Natalie Taylor has been tossed aside by her husband for a younger version, and out of the desire to find a new life and a new self, runs off to Paris. There she finds the story of the Widow in a bouquiniste along the Siene. Using Barbe Nicole’s book as a road map for her new life, Natalie finds herself in hands of two con- artists who think Natalie to broken to put up a fight. Little do they know that with her background in risk assessment and the bold words of the Widow Clicquot, Natalie not only turns the tables, but also holds a better hand in this game.

Kate MacIntosh does a great job writing 2 fine characters. I found Natalie’s exploits more appealing to read and its caper is what kept me going. The Widow is a great character and I think a whole book could be dedicated to her endeavors. This would be a great beach read for the summer of 2024.

4 stars! What a fabulous historical fiction novel this was. I am thankful to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to ARC read this book. I always enjoy historical fiction and stories set in Paris.
The story was engaging and I enjoyed the plot. The dual timeline and how it was connected was done well. I did find the twist to be predictable but it didn’t take away from the experience.
The present day story line follows Natalie who is divorced and takes an impromptu trip to Paris to rediscover herself. There she reads about a famous wine maker who is also the secondary timeline set in the early 1800’s. The female characters in this story are strong, creative, and resilient. The messaging was also important for any female as a reminder that we can do anything we set our minds to!

This novel sucked me in from the beginning. I am a sucker for books with narratives split across time and this book delivers. I thought Natalie’s modern narrative and how she interacted with the historical fiction narrative of Madame Clicquot’s was effortless. While not a romance, I loved watching two strong female characters learn to love, trust, and rely on themselves. I know I will be asking myself what would the widow do for years to come.

I absolutely LOVED this novel! The story is told in alternating perspectives and time periods. Barbe-Nicole Clicquot lived during the 1800s in France and Natalie lives in the present era in Chicago. I have found in the past that when there are dual narratives, one seems to be much better than the other. Here we have two equally compelling narratives. When one chapter ended, I groaned. However, when the next chapter ended I groaned again.

I loved that as Natalie's story was told, she kept a biography of Clicquot in her bag. She referenced it as she hit lows in her post-divorce vacation in France. Madame Clicquot inspired her to live differently than she had before. In the past Natalie always served others. She began to put herself first by being as bold as Madame Clicquot was. I myself was inspired by Natalie's musings over how to change her life by acting as Clicquot did. I, too, am in a transition period as Natalie. One of the sayings that she especially loved from Clicquot was her definition of strength. Madame Clicquot thought that strength was a series of choices. It is not a state of mind. I like this definition!

During Natalie's stay in Paris she meets two people who swindle her out of her money and assets. Believing that these two are not connected to each other, Natalie fell prey to a wine fraud scheme and was questioned by the police. After reviewing the biography Natalie found a way to get her money back that was ingenious. It was risky because the police would then assume that she was involved in the fraud from the beginning. She wasn't. However, Madame Clicquot took huge risks with her business in order to be on top of the champagne business. We all know how successful she was.

The Champagne Letters is a must read. I recommend that you pre-order the book. Amazon will allow you to do so even though the publication date is six months away. I assume that other booksellers will offer pre-sales too.

Loved this book. Set in a dual timeline - a modern divorcee trying to rediscover her purpose in life and a historical look at the life of France's most accomplished female champagne maker - I loved the contrast of the stories and I learned a lot about champagne and France. Highly recommend!