When Ellie and her sisters inherit a house in Provence from an uncle they have never even heard of before, she can have no idea of the impact it will have on her life. The plan was to tidy the place up and sell it straight away. Ellie and Laura head to the house just for a look and then to the local town. Ellie is surprised, even to herself, when she impulsively decides to stay in the house and do the renovations herself.
Ellie hasn't been doing anything on impulse of late, lost in grief following the tragic passing of her young child. So the fact that she is taking an interest in something is a good thing, but it isn't without challenges. She can barely speak the language, she is terrified of the thought of having to drive on the wrong side of the road and she doesn't know the first thing about renovating a house.
Along with the house, Ellie has inherited ownership of two donkeys, Coquelicot and Marguerite. One night she finds a small boy near the donkeys, and soon after she meets his father, who proceeds to berate her for neglecting the donkeys and tells her to fix the fences. It's not quite the introduction you would want when you just move into a house and you know no one.
Julien, the grumpy neighbour, has his own issues to deal with. He is raising his son, Theo, after his wife died in a car accident. Whilst he has support from his family, it is still a challenge given his career as a busy doctor. He is definitely not looking for any complications that might arise with the neighbour next day.
We witness Ellie as she slowly begins to breathe again, to begin to remember who Ellie the person is. The Ellie who used to be an artist, who loves to sit outside and watch the sunset, the Ellie who can open her heart to a small boy. She also finds herself looking after a stray dog called Pascal. In other words, we see her world expanding. The question is how much can Ellie allow herself to feel, especially seeing as she knows that she is only in Provence for the summer.
Now, if I had an unknown uncle who had a house in Provence, you can bet I would definitely be on my way there in a heartbeat. The author has obviously spent some time there, and was able to bring it to life in the pages. And yes, that means lavender for example, but it also means tiny details in the tiles in the town square, visiting the town market to try the local speciality, socca and so much more.
This is a gentle read for the most part, although there are some dramatic moments, particularly later in the book. It does take a little while to pick up, but to me that is quite clever in that it ties in with Elllie's healing and growth.
It turns out that this isn't my first read from Alison Roberts. I apparently read a previous Mills and Boon book by her more than 10 years ago. I love a good "wish you were here" novel, especially when it is set in France. I think the set up was there for another book connected to this one featuring Ellie's sister, which I will be reading.
I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy.
Rating 4/5
About the Book
Falling For Provence
She came to Provence in the hope of a fresh start, she never expected she would fall in love in and find herself along the way.
Inheriting an old stone house in Provence, along with her sisters is the catalyst Ellie Gilchrist needs to put some distance between her and her grief. But when she arrives at the run down ‘La Maisonette’ hidden amongst overgrown Lavender and Ivy, she wonders if she’s made a mistake?
That is until she meets her guarded neighbour Julien and his adorable little boy, and she’s surprised by the flutters of excitement she never thought she’d feel again. Add in rescuing a stray dog and she has the much needed distraction she needs. Ellie decides to stay temporarily and work on bringing the little house back to life again. If only she can ignore the fireworks that explode every time she’s around Julien. They both have hearts they want to protect, but a little temporary affaire can’t be too dangerous, especially when Ellie has stated she will be leaving after the last summer market of the season. But something in the alchemy of what she discovers in this part of France seems to be casting an irresistible spell making it difficult to walk away.
Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/fallingprovencesocial
About the Author –
Alison Roberts is the author of over one hundred romance novels, joining Boldwood to write ‘wish you were here’ fiction set in the South of France.
Social Media Links –
Twitter: https://x.com/RobertsAli54060
Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/AlisonRobertsNews
I enjoyed this, especially having been to Provence not that long ago. I would definitely read more books about Ellie's sisters.
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