Cute romantic book to read if you are needing a good palette cleanser. I found it quirky and funny in some instances where it kept me entertained enough to ensure I finished it and gave my honest review. A book I may not necessarily buy, but will definitely recommend to readers I know would appreciate this type of book.

You had Me At Chateau will have you laugh out loud. If you need a little uplift read this book. I also love the cover. The characters are always so beautifully written, with lives so interwoven, that as the reader, you just cant help becoming invested in what happens next. A must read.

I have been enjoying catching up on Portia MacIntosh's books, but this is her newest published in August. I really enjoyed this romance. Amber Page is a romance author, but wants to write romantic mysteries. Her publisher tells her she needs to finish the book they agreed on, but to up the spice. Amber has no idea how to write spice without making it sound icky. When an opening comes up in the publisher's writing retreat, Amber is slotted in to attend. She is off to an exclusive château in the beautiful French Alps with some other romance writers who are well known and have never given Amber the time of day. The other women convince her to see which of them can snag the handsome manager of the resort. Amber already has a friendship with him, but she also meets up with an influencer who has been contracted by her publisher to write a mystery novel. Amber wants nothing to do with a celebrity that thinks he can write a book, but as they get to know one another, they try writing together and one thing leads to another. Can Amber finish her book? Will she finally let down her guard and find romance?

First I want to say that I am not a fan of love triangles, but this works. I don't think Amber sees either of the men as a potential partner, which certainly helped me to accept it. There is humor, frustration, friendship, mean girls and more. Amber has a lot on her plate. Her parents are splitting up and she is getting calls from them as well as her brother. She is trying to figure out what to do about her book, worried that the other authors won't work with her, and then being invited to spend time with both men. I thought the many tropes in this one were a hoot. We have fake relationships, one bed, friends to lovers, and even the dreaded miscommunication. I really liked getting to know Caleb and his backstory, it made him the guy that I was rooting for. So, who does Amber fall for? Does she finish her book? Does Caleb finish his book? You will have to read this fun story to see what happens and how it all plays out.

Amber Page, romance author extraordinaire, finds herself stuck in a creative rut (we’ve all been there, right?). Her editor, the well-meaning, yet terrifyingly blunt type, demands she spice up her writing (because "hot and steamy" is apparently the vibe now). Enter the French Alps: to recharge and find some inspiration, Amber begrudgingly heads to a super swanky writers’ retreat at a château, because, sure, that sounds like the place to fix your writing block. But, oh no, it gets better: she’s about to get tangled in a romantic comedy in real life, with two eligible (and very different) men. Buckle up, folks!

This book is like a cozy blanket, if that blanket was made of French Alps scenery, quirky characters, and a steamy love triangle. MacIntosh’s witty writing and zany plot twists had me laughing out loud more than once. Amber’s struggle to find her own voice, while navigating the chaos of her retreat, feels like the ultimate mix of heartwarming and hilarious. Plus, the backdrop? Absolute perfection. You’ll almost want to pack your bags for the French Alps by the end (but, like, make sure your editor is paying for it, right?).

I’m giving "You Had Me at Chateau" a solid 4 out of 5 stars. Romantic, funny, and slightly swoon-worthy, it’s got all the elements of a great rom-com—minus the predictable plot twists. The ending ties everything up perfectly, leaving you with a warm fuzzy feeling and maybe a new fantasy of attending a writers’ retreat. Definitely grab this one if you want to curl up with a book that’s got humor, romance, and a little bit of French flair!

What a lovely, fun story!

When Amber struggles to write her latest book, her editor suggests adding in some spicy scenes! Feeling unable to do this, Amber sets off to a writers retreat in France, which she really doesn’t want to go on! We follow her trip as she spends time with other ‘friends’ who are authors too but also meets some new people along the way.

This is well written and very humorous, but also shows the importance of really getting to know someone and not assuming you know them just because of what they do or how they initially come across.

You may have your suspicions of the outcome, but I thought the ending was really good, so well written to get to the conclusion of who may become Ambers love interest and help with her difficulties writing.

This was a really fun read! I enjoyed the setting, the pace, and laughed a lot! A nice cosy read for a rainy afternoon.

Ms MacIntosh is one of my favorite authors and this latest book delivers all the charm, humor, and delightful chaos I've come to expect and enjoy from her. The story follows Amber, a romance writer in need of some serious inspiration after her editor pushes her to turn up the spice in her novels. Amber's reluctance to venture into steamier territory leads her to a writer's retreat in the scenic French Alps. There, she joins a quirky group of fellow writers at an exclusive château, hoping that a change of scenery will provide her some much needed inspiration.
With a strong dose of humor, Amber's struggles are highlighted as she navigates her professional crisis while trying (and often failing) to write something more "sizzling." The real twist, however, comes in the form of a love triangle, with two very different men entering the scene, each stirring up their own brand of romantic tension. The chemistry between Amber and the two men is palpable, and the push-and-pull dynamic is both hilarious and heartwarming.
The characters are well-developed and relatable. Amber is endearing in her awkwardness and determination, and her journey of self-discovery as both a writer and as a woman is enlightening and heartwarming.
A feel-good, fun, laugh-out-loud and charming romantic comedy that is sure to satisfy any fan of the genre!
I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

A romantic comedy about a romantic comedy author who is struggling to write her next book so gets sent on a writer’s retreat where she ends up in her own romantic comedy!

I loved the main character Amber who I think Portia Macintosh made very relatable to anyone who reads the book. I really enjoyed the comedy elements of this book, it was very well written.

Another great novel by Portia Macintosh which I recommend for any romcom lovers out there.

Wonderful story, great character development, great writing! Highly recommend this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it

Portia MacIntosh never disappoints! Her books always bring a smile, and the humor in this one is top-notch. The characters are fantastic, and the story’s settings add so much charm. If you’re after a lighthearted, feel-good read, this is definitely one to pick up!

Overall a great lighthearted read following Amber who’s an author struggling with her current novel and expectations from her publishers. Ambers been given an opportunity to visit the Chateau with other authors to help complete this novel. Will she succeed in writing what’s required?….

I found this novel entertaining. It is a very light easy read. I felt that the same points were rehashed quite often, but on the whole it was fairly original and entertaining. Amber is a romance writer who has stayed anonymous because her family are all in literature and would be horrified that she is writing romance. Her first novel is a big hit and now she has to co up with a second and has been told by her editor to spice it up. This is a light but entertaining read. Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC of this novel.

'Gosh, this whole thing has put me right off my second breakfast. Don't get me wrong, I'll still eat it, but it won't taste the same'

Portia Macintosh is back in full swing with this Laugh out Loud comedy, full of chaos and an interesting plot .

Amber Page is an established romance writer and with a deadline looming round the corner she finds herself suffering with writers block and wanting to pursue a different genre, her publisher thinks spicier scenes will help her and top off her already plummeting bad mood her parents have let her know they are going through what they term a 'pre-divorce'. In light of this she is offered the opportunity to go on a writing retreat in France with some fellow writers in the hopes that it will inspire the last push for her book.

There were so many things I loved about this book, and I always find a plot more interesting when it has a character within the story that works within the book industry, the main characters were hilarious, the comedy brilliantly timed and I especially adored the sibling bond between amber and her brother., This book included so many great tropes including - forced proximity, one bed, love triangle, meet cute and friends to lovers.

This book brought up the conversation of a publisher pushing for 'spicier' scenes which I found to be very interesting, Portia Macintosh primarily is a 'closed door' romance writer. I for one love a spicy scene but I do completely agree that you don't 'NEED' one of those scenes for a book to be romantic and there is absolutely nothing wrong with a closed door romance book as long as the story is good.

The only thing I found slightly disappointing about the book is that I would have liked to see more interaction between amber and Caleb.
That being said there is a scene in the book where Amber tries to write a spicy scene and it goes really wrong, the use of the word 'Dong' caught me by surprise and made me laugh way harder than I should have.

Overall I really enjoyed this book.

4.5 stars ⭐

Finally a Christmas book (this year) that captivated me from start to finish!!! I'd never read anything by the author before, but I'm a fan. The writing is very fluid, she writes hilarious scenes and brings us super interesting characters.

In this book we meet Amber, a romance writer who is going through a difficult career phase because of an imposition from her publisher; Caleb, an influencer who needs Amber's help to pretend to be his ex-girlfriend; and Henri, the worker at the Chateau, where Amber goes for an author's retreat, forced by the publisher. We have a book full of adventures, full of tropes we like (only one bed, fake dating, friends to lovers, miscommunication, meet-cute). It really is a rom-com about rom-coms 😂
I only didn't give it 5 stars because it also has the love triangle trope and it's not my favorite at all. And in this book in particular, I feel like we're wasting time with the storyline of one of the characters when we could have had everything from the other, if you know what I mean 😂

If you like something light to read on a Christmas weekend, this is the right choice for you! I'm definitely going to continue reading books by the author 🤭

Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the copy!

In this fun new romance novel from Portia MacIntosh, she introduces readers to rom-com writer Amber Page, who is currently stuck in a writing rut because her editor wants her to up the spice in her books -- something Amber cannot bring herself to do. Signing up for a last-minute writers’ retreat in the French Alps at a glamorous chateau, Amber hopes that the new scenery and the advice of eccentric romance writers will help her figure out her writer’s block, but she has no idea about the rom-com love triangle waiting for her in snowy France. As she embarks on her own wintery rom-com, Amber might just have that success that she needs to continue her writing career. Readers will love the wintery setting in this novel and the tropey experiences that Amber finds herself in as the novel progresses. She is a funny and clever protagonist whose growth over the course of the novel is particularly enjoyable to follow since she lives the romance tropes of her novels in this stunningly beautiful setting. Her interactions with other characters -- particularly the other romance writers at the chateau -- will really draw readers into the story and add to the fun wintery rom-com atmosphere of this fantastic new release.

Portia never misses with rom-coms! I really enjoyed Amber as a main character, she was funny and relatable. I enjoyed seeing how far Amber came as a character as well as watching her romance unfold.

What a fun and lovely read!!! I am so happy to have picked this book up! I loved everything about this book! The setting (the French alps and a castle and a very cool and luxurious ski resort), the fun characters and the storyline. I also loved the fact that it was quite a funny book, I caught myself laughing out loud several times during my read and I absolutely loved that!! And last but not least, there is a lovely slow building romance in this book! I am giving a 4 stars out of 5 for that read! I really recommend you this book! It’s a perfect and cozy winter read!

Having read and enjoyed other books by MacIntosh I really wanted to enjoy this. Sadly for me this was too much of a cliche and I found it cringeworthy. I understand the point of it was to be a bit cliche but it went too far and dampened my enjoyment of the book. I liked the character of Amber and Caleb but the other writers were annoying and seemed a bit pointless. The book is set in a wintry location which helped set the atmosphere.
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advance copy.

I love portia macintosh books and this Christmas romcom was no exception- a delightful Christmasy read full of humour, enjoyable characters and a great story

I will start this review as I always do for all Portia MacIntosh books I have read, by saying that I absolutely adore this author.

You Had Me At Chateau was an interesting concept. Romance author, Amber, has been told to spice her writing up by her agent. She is sent to France for inspiration and networking with other established authors.

Two good love interests, Henri and Caleb. All characters were so well written. I loved Caleb and the building chemistry between them. I itched at Henri’s cheesy flirting. I was defensive at fellow author Mandy’s bitchiness. However, Amber’s brother Tom was my favourite character!

Great story, awesome writing and a recommended read.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review 📚