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One Winter at the French Chalet by Mandy Baggot #Review

  We are travelling to France for Mandy Baggot's latest romcom, One Winter at the French Chalet which was published by Boldwood Books on October 4th. Things aren’t going well for travel writer Orla Bradbee. With Christmas fast approaching, her boss is insisting Orla must travel to a rural village in France to interview a man who doesn’t speak. But with trouble at home – her teenage sister Erin is in a ‘situationship’ with a man online – Orla’s only plan is to take Erin with her. Get the interview done, find out more about this online Romeo and still be back in time for Christmas dinner. Easy, right? Saint-Chambéry is a picturesque French village nestled in the snow-capped mountains, but Jacques Barbier – gorgeous and brooding, yet a man of few words – makes it clear that Orla is wasting her time here. Orla can’t deny that Jacques intrigues and infuriates her, but what is the mysterious Frenchman hiding exactly? And can she get close enough to uncover his secrets with

In From The Cold by Sarah Bennett #Review

 

I am delighted to be on the tour to celebrate the second in the Juniper Meadows series by Sarah Bennett. Set in the Cotswolds, In From the Cold  was published on Septemver 21st by Boldwood Books. You can read my review on the first in the series, Where We Belong, here.

 
Amelia Riley and Ben Lawson have something in common – fathers who have kept secrets.

On the day of his father’s funeral, Ben’s life changes forever when a woman he’s never met shows up claiming to be his sister. As he investigates the past, Ben is shaken to discover that much of his life has been built on a carefully constructed foundation of his father’s lies. Needing answers, he agrees to visit Juniper Meadows, the ancestral estate owned and run by his long-lost relatives, the Travers family.

Arriving in the pretty Cotswold countryside, the first person Ben meets is Amelia Riley. They are immediately drawn to one another, but Amelia has her own complicated ties to the Travers family. Her only goal is to set the past to rights so she can move on with a clean conscience.

As Ben starts to see the events of his childhood more clearly, he allows the warmth and fun he finds at Juniper Meadows to draw him in from the cold. But just as he’s contemplating setting down roots, Amelia is making plans to leave…

Bestseller Sarah Bennett is back with an irresistible, feel-good, page-turning escape, perfect for fans of Cathy Bramley, Katie Fforde and Phillipa Ashley.


 My Thoughts

Juniper Meadows is such an appealing setting with lots of potential for new characters to appear. In this second in the series, we meet more members of the family and discover more about the Travers' family history. There is a multitude of potentially awkward situations when Ben arrives but the Travers' attitudes show us a lot about what sort of people they are. 

    Amelia is  closely connected with the Travers family but wants to get by without accepting help and is desperate to atone for her father's past actions.  Nevertheless, her friendships support her and she has to learn to accept help and to distance herself from her father. Juniper Meadows has a healing quality and you can see this in its effect on her mother who has been in denial and relied on Amelia to take the hard decisions. I always enjoy reading Sarah Bennett's stories with their appealing characters and brilliant settings. Family, friendship and community are at the heart of the story and make for an uplifting read.  

In short: heartwarming- a gorgeous read

About the Author

Sarah Bennett is the bestselling author of several romantic fiction trilogies including those set in Butterfly Cove and Lavender Bay. Born and raised in a military family she is happily married to her own Officer and when not reading or writing enjoys sailing the high seas.

 

You can follow Sarah here: Twitter   |  Facebook|  Amazon Author Page  |  Instagram  |   Bookbub


 
Thanks to Sarah Bennett,  Boldwood Books and Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for a copy of the book and a place on the Tour.
 
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