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See the Stars by Eleanor Ray #Review

  See the Stars by Eleanor Ray will be  published on February 5th 2026 by Piatkus .  Do you ever feel that life isn't going to plan?   When Alice Thorington collapses in the street after a particularly hellish day at work, she must finally admit to herself that her outwardly happy life - steady relationship, well-paid job, beautiful flat in the city - isn't everything she'd hoped it would be. Burnt out by long hours and living a life that doesn't fulfil her dreams, Alice returns home to Yorkshire.  Her childhood home brings complicated family dynamics, a rediscovery of her passion for stargazing and two new friends: Berti, a boy who finds it easier to count the stars than interact with people, and Matt, her brother's best friend and Alice's teenage crush. With each of them facing their own struggles, can the stars that meant so much to Alice in her past help them to find their way in the present?  Filled with heart and warmth, this uplifting novel...

The French Chateau Dream by Julie Caplin #Review #RomanticEscapesBook10

 

Today I am delighted to be featuring the tenth in Julie Caplin's Romantic Escapes series : The French Chateau Dream.  It was published  by One More Chapter on June 30th.

 
When wedding planner Hattie signs up for her dream job, organising her cousin’s wedding in France, it offers the perfect escape from a relationship that’s been going south for a while.

Unfortunately when she arrives at the idyllic Chateau St Martin, not everyone is as enthusiastic about the forthcoming wedding, including Luc Bremont, son of the owner of the chateau. 

Luc has finally been given the chance to make his own champagne at the family vineyard and everything rests on making it a success, the last thing he wants is the distraction of a big wedding at the chateau.

Will Hattie be able to build bridges between the inhabitants of the chateau in order to allow the wedding to go ahead?


 My Thoughts

This was such an enjoyable story to read, with a gorgeous setting and a rich cast of characters. Having met some of the characters in The Christmas Castle in Scotland, I loved seeing why Hattie and Fliss did next. Hattie  has escaped to beautiful France, to follow her ambition of being a wedding planner. Luc has also returned to his Chateau home to pursue his dream of setting up the production of Champagne once more, at the vineyard in the grounds. There is a huge mystery at the centre of the family which remains hidden for most of the story. 

    There are some amusing moments, to go alongside the rich seam of romance. The antics of the brides and Hattie's attempts to get the chateau ready are quite comical at times. I did find myself getting impatient with Hattie at one time, when her loyalty to people in her past life seems to dominate her thinking. The commonsense of Luc's grangmother and the housekeeper keeps the story grounded, as does Fliss’s love of cooking. However and throughout, you are hoping that the budding romances will bear fruit.

In short: romantic moments and bridal dramatic

About the Author

Julie Caplin, formerly a PR director, swanned around Europe for many years taking top food and drink writers on press trips (junkets) sampling the gastronomic delights of various cities in Italy, France, Belgium, Spain, Copenhagen and Switzerland. It was a tough job but someone had to do it.

 

These trips have provided the inspiration and settings for the highly successful Romantic Escapes series which have hit the best seller charts in Italy, Germany and the Czech Republic and have sold a million copies worldwide.

The first book in the nine strong series,The Little Café in Copenhagen, was shortlisted for a Romantic Novel of the Year Award.

You can follow Julie here: Twitter @JulieCaplin  
                                        |  Twitter @Juleswake |    Facebook 
                                        |  Instagram

Book link: Amazon UK  
 
Thanks to Julie Caplin, One More Chapter and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources  for a copy of the book and a place on the tour. 

Follow the rest of the tour!
 

 

 

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