The French for Always
Fans of Katie Fforde, Carole Matthews, Victoria Connelly or Erica James – and everyone who enjoyed Nick Alexander’s The French House – will love Fiona Valpy.
Five weddings. The perfect venue. One little hitch…
Leaving the grey skies of home behind to transform a crumbling French Château into a boutique wedding venue is a huge leap of faith for Sara. She and fiancé Gavin sink their life savings into the beautiful Château Bellevue – set under blue skies and surrounded by vineyards in the heart of Bordeaux.
After months of hard work, the dream starts to become a reality – until Gavin walks out halfway through their first season. Overnight, Sara is left very much alone with the prospect of losing everything.
With her own heart breaking, Sara has five weddings before the end of the season to turn the business around and rescue her dreams. With the help of the locals and a little French courage, can she save Château Bellevue before the summer is over?
What people are saying about The French for Always
‘This was set in the gorgeous French countryside which, itself, was another character in the novel, I honestly felt like I was there drinking in the sunshine, the atmosphere and the wine! The description in this book was just beautiful full on wonderful metaphorical language and adjectives that tasted wonderful in the mouth!
Overall this novel would be a lovely summer read, you will feel the heat emanating off the page and so will definitely put you in the mood for barbecues and a glass of wine or two alfresco. This is a stand along novel, so if you haven’t read anything from this author before, it would be a great introduction to her lovely writing!’ 4/5 Fabulous Book Fiend
‘I fell in love with this novel as soon as I had read the first few pages. I am a sucker for any story that in one way or another has to do with weddings, but I have to admit, I’m not a particular fan of France. Yet, the descriptions of Chateau Bellevue, the surroundings, the small village and its inhabitants… I loved it and the whole atmosphere in the novel immediately made it feel like summer, even though it was raining where I was! The main character, Sara, was easily likeable and I felt myself rooting for her and her wedding business, especially after her fiancé Gavin decides to leave her and she suddenly has to set up the business on her own. Luckily, Sara is surrounded by a great cast of supporting characters, including the trustworthy Karen and handsome and charming Thomas.
The storyline, which revolves around Sara and her attempts to save Chateau Bellevue, was really enjoyable, especially because of the five weddings that are organised at the venue while the story enfolds. Each of the weddings featured a specific couple, all of them different from one another with their own background. Fiona Valpy’s writing is great; well-paced, detailed, and captivating, and I definitely look forward to reading more of her work in the future. ‘The French for Always’ is a wonderfully warm and thoroughly enjoyable read, and definitely the book to pick up if you are looking for your first taste of summer!’ 9.5/10 Spoonful of Happy Endings
