Before I start, just a quick note. You may have noticed that things look a bit different around here. I have finally done the blog makeover that I have been thinking about for years. The design literally went live overnight so things might look a bit odd while I sort things out!
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When Waltho Williams finishes renovating his chateau it is a bitter sweet moment. He bought the property, knowing that it needed a lot of work, with his partner, but he has had to finish the project himself. He decides to use his newly renovated spaces to run a cooking school. He recruits a semi-famous chef, Daniel, who needs the money spending a week teaching will give him, and a sous chef, not really knowing how the week will go.
Luckily the week becomes fully booked, and so the participants arrive. They come from all walks of life. There is uptight Caroline, larger than life Fran and unlucky in love journalist Sally, amongst other characters who come together to learn more about France and it's food.
When I was trying to think of a word to describe Caroline, at first I was thinking stand-offish, but I don't think that is a strong enough word. Just before her trip she has found out that not only has her husband been unfaithful and leaving her, but he has pretty much cleaned her out financially as well. She is therefore on the brink of losing everything - both professionally and personally. She is one of those people who always look perfectly put together, elegant. She is, however, distant, and she is constantly aware that she needs to watch every morsel that passes her lips so that she doesn't put on an ounce of weight.
Fran is at the cooking school to see if she has what it takes to help make her husband's dream of a fine dining restaurant come true. It will be a long way from their current business which is a successful fish and chip shop. She is exuberant, dresses in loud clothes - the very antithesis of Caroline. It's no wonder they clash.
And then there is journalist Sally. She has recently broken up with someone, and so she is focussing solely on work. She is spending the week getting material to write a series of stories about attending a cooking school. The last thing that she needs is to get distracted by a handsome chef.
There was so much to love about this book. I loved reading all about the lessons, where the chef put the class through their paces, each of them making something to contribute to the next meal. Some of the dishes sounded a-maz-ing. I also loved reading about the adventures the group went on in the nearby area, seeing the sites. I wasn't super keen on Caroline, but I guess you weren't meant to be.
I am sure that I am not alone in thinking that spending a week learning to cook at a beautiful French chateau sounds like the epitome of luxury. I am not sure it would ever happen as it is an expensive exercise, but a girl can dream right?
When we visited France early last year we stayed in what the owner called a chateau in a tiny town outside of Bloise. I couldn't help but think about that experience as I read this book, particularly the section which talked about the breakfasts! They were amazing.
This is my first Caroline James book, and I will definitely read more.
I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews and with Foodies Read hosted at Based on a True Story
Be sure to check out other stops on the blog tour and see what they have to say about this book.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy.
Rating 4.5
About the book
The French Cookery School
Mix together a group of mature students:
A culinary Sloane, a take-away cook and a food journalist.
Add in:
A handsome host
Season with:
A celebrity chef
Bring to the boil:
At a luxurious cookery school in France!
Waltho Williams has no idea what he’s letting himself in for when he opens the doors of La Maison du Paradis, his beautiful French home. But with dwindling funds, a cookery school seems like the ideal business plan.
Running away from an impending divorce, super-snob Caroline Carrington hopes a luxurious cookery holiday will put her back on her feet. Blackpool fish and chip café owner Fran Cartwright thinks she’s won the lottery when her husband Sid books her on a week working alongside a celebrity chef. Meanwhile, feeling she is fading at fifty, journalist Sally Parker-Brown hopes her press week covering the cookery course will enable her to boost her career.
But will the eclectic group be a recipe for success, or will the mismatched relationships sink like a souffle?
Whip out an apron, grab a wooden spoon and take a culinary trip to La Maison du Paradis, then sit back and enjoy The French Cookery School!
Purchase Link
https://mybook.to/TFCS
Caroline James
always wanted to write, but instead of taking a literary route, followed a
career in the hospitality industry, which included owning a pub and a beautiful
country house hotel. She was also a media agent representing celebrity chefs.
When she finally glued her rear to a chair and began to write, the words
flowed, and several novels later, she has gained many bestseller badges for her
books.
The
French Cookery School is Caroline’s tenth
novel. Previously, The
Cruise, described as: ‘Girl
power for the over sixties!’ was an Amazon Top Ten Best Seller. Caroline’s
hilarious novels include The
Spa Break and The Best Boomerville Hotel, depicted as ‘Britain’s answer to the Best Marigold Hotel’.
She likes to write
in Venus, her holiday home on wheels and in her spare time, walks with Fred,
her Westie, or swims in a local lake. Caroline is a member of the Romantic
Novelists Association, the SOA, ARRA and the Society of Women’s Writers &
Journalists. She is also a speaker with many amusing talks heard by a variety
of audiences, including cruise ship guests.
Books
by Caroline James:
Contact:
Twitter: @CarolineJames12
Facebook: Caroline James Author
Insta: Caroline James Author
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Your new blog layout looks great.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great book!
It was a fun read Jackie!
DeleteThank you so much for you very kind review. Wishing you and your visitors many happy reading hours. Warmest wishes, Caroline xx
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by Caroline. I look forward to reading more of you books.
DeleteThis new design looks great!
ReplyDeleteThanks Melynda! And thanks again for creating the button for Weekend Cooking that we used for a few years
DeleteThanks for the review. The new design is too large for my screen and I cannot see how to change it on my end. The margins cut off the first and last letters of each side.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the feedback I have reached out to the blog designer to see what I can do about that.
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