I loved it! I have read all of the Couers des Rose series and this felt like meeting up with old friends. Sad to think that this is the last in the series. I hope the author changes her mind.

Emmy is happily planning her wedding to Alain - how different her life is now living in France helping Rupert to run his guesthouse - and this summer should be perfect.....as long as she can cope with her mother wanting to take over the wedding preparations and needing updates every five minutes!

Everything appears to be on track until Alain's ex (now married to his brother) drops a bombshell - can things now go ahead or will all the arrangements fall apart. Emmy and her mother desperately try to calm everything down to get Emmy the day she has been so desperate for.

Great to be back with all the old friends and see new relationships forming til everything falls into a nicely tied up ending - perfect light reading for the beach.

This book is like a holiday between two covers. If you love descriptive books set in idyllic locations, this is the one for you. I now want to spend my summers at the little French guesthouse. I love it when you can become so absorbed in a novel that you forget everything else and I was able to do that with this book. I spent most of a night finishing it although I knew that I should have been in bed long hours before.

The characters in this novel are great and I could see each one clearly in my mind, thanks to the author's gift of being able to differentiate her characters through the way they speak and the descriptions she offers of them. You never have to question who is who when reading her work and that makes it so pleasant to read.

This plot never wavered, getting more and more interesting as the page number grew. By the end of this book, I had forgotten to have dinner, to let the dog out and that I had to work the next day. It ruined me, in a good way. I definitely recommend this book to others who enjoy more complex romance stories with lots of great characters.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I was sad to realise that this is the end for Emmy and the Guesthouse, having read the previous 2 books I had fallen a little in love. Emmy Jamieson is running La Cour Des Roses the guesthouse set in the French countryside and it's only a matter of weeks until her wedding to the lovely Alain. Rupert is the man who she runs the Guesthouse with and I was thrilled to be back in their lives as they are wonderful characters. This main storyline centres solely around the run up to her wedding with the addition of the overbearing Mother/Bridezilla . The thing that made me fall for these books is the characters and once again Helen Pollards skill of drawing you into their lives is what makes these such an enjoyable read.

Her descriptive ways explaing how beautiful it is where they are in France is also an added bonus. From the guesthouse, to the foord and drink, to the wonderful characters she has created. We see the return of characters from books one and two but we also meet some new family members which always makes books like these all the more interesting. With Emmy mother causing mayhem it seems that nothing is going right for her and you spemt the whole time praying that things worked out.

I don't want to mention too much more of the storyline for fear of ruinig it for those who have yet to read it. What I will say is that although you could read this book as a standalone, why would you want to? This trio of books is absolutely wonderful and they could be read back to back for pure enjoyment and total escapism. I once again was transported into another world, one which I wish I could have been a part of. As much as I am sad to see the last of the Guesthouse and it's owners, I am so excited to see what Helen Pollard comes up with next. This is certainly an author that I would highly reccomend.

The Little French Guesthouse in question is La Cour des Roses and Emmy is still working there, with the wonderful Rupert who has become a firm friends since circumstances brought them together in the first 'French Guesthouse' book.

They are as busy as every and Emmy is settling very much into village life and is enjoying the guests staying and also expanding her own business as well. But most of all Emmy is enjoying being with Alain, the man she is about to marry.

Surely she can organise a wedding to the man she loves. Well she can and she could if her mother did not keep stage managing it from a distance. Emmy's patience is tested, trying to please and placate everyone as she has to check, double-check and then check again that the flowers are right, the bridesmaid dresses match, the cake will work.

However there are somethings that are going to not run smoothly, no matter what Emmy or Emmy's mother thinks and demands.

The past is generally never far behind and when it becomes ever-present, it means that the wedding is suddenly not the most important thing on everyone's mind. Surely happiness is not that far away.

Helen Pollard has not lost anything in her writing and she manages to drip the sunshine into the pages and the rolling hillsides, even the delicious food prepared in the guesthouse has you salivating as you can almost taste the chilled white wine, easing away your troubles.

This is the third in the trilogy of books, which I confess to being sad about as I would love to see the guesthouse in the autumn and winter, but nonetheless, this book does bring a lot of the story to a fitting conclusion for the characters.

I have loved spending time in The Little French Guesthouse and I am sure you will too.

I'm actually a little bit annoyed with myself as I didn't realise that the 'Little French Guesthouse' series couldn't really be read as standalone novels. Well, they can, nothing is stopping you from doing so, however, the full enjoyment wasn't there for me because I hadn't read the previous books. Bit gutted to say the least.

So, in my personal opinion, make sure that you have read the previous two novels in the series BEFORE you read this one. Trust me, the first quarter of the book will make so much sense if you do.

It took me a good 20 or so percent before I was able to gel with the storyline without feeling like I was missing something. But, after the rocky start, I became hooked on the storyline extremely quickly. Emmy is such a breath of fresh air when it comes to living life and grabbing the bull by the horns, especially as I from what I could work out, she hasn't exactly had the smoothest of life journeys so far. 

I loved how all the characters treat one another like family (if they're not related, obviously), and how they all pull together in difficult situations. Without sounding daft, it really was such a beautiful thing to read, I was pretty envious I must admit.

Without giving too much away, there was one part of the storyline that made me extremely emotional. The whole situation completely caught me off guard, I think I spent that portion of the storyline with my hand over my mouth!

Helen Pollard certainly knows how to enchant her readers with her mesmerising, and eye-opening descriptions of La Cour des Roses and the French countryside. Such beautiful, beautiful writing which made me want to pack a suitcase, hop on a plane and fly to such a beautiful sounding destination. I wanted a piece of the serenity that Emmy had found. Honestly folks, granted I have never been to France, but I truly believe that the author has captured the true essence of beauty with her stunning words. At that point in the book, it no longer bothered me about my misunderstanding with this series, as Helen Pollard blew me away.

Full of heart-warming and emotional situations, care-free and spirited characters, and jaw-droppingly, beautiful surroundings; 'Summer at the Little French Guesthouse' needs to be devoured. How could you NOT want to read this book?

I'm off to go and buy books 1&2 in the series, and if I was you, go and buy this book. You'll be a fool to miss out, just like I was.

Thanks Bookouture.

I enjoyed this well written book. The book has a good storyline and a beautiful French setting. The characters are well developed and entertaining.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author Helen Pollard and the publishers Bookouture for this review copy and for inviting me to part of the Book Blog Tour for this book.

First things first – this book is the 3rd book in the La Cour Des Roses series. Whilst you can do what I did and read it as a standalone book, I would recommend that you read the series in order. There are lots of characters in the book which were obviously in the other two books, and their back story would be more understandable. Saying that, I read this one first and it certainly didn’t detract from the enjoyment of the book – in fact, it’s made me all the more determined to go and get those other two books and read the series properly!

In this book, we return to Emmy Jamieson, who is managing La Cour Des Roses, a guesthouse in the beautiful French Countryside. It is weeks to her wedding to the handsome Alain, and life couldn’t be better. But as the wedding gets nearer and her mother going into full wedding planner mode, things start to go wrong! Then a secret from the past threatens to throw everything off course. Will Emmy and Alain have their perfect day?

I’m ashamed to say this was the first book by this author and the first book of the series that I have read. I thought it might hamper me slightly by coming in at the end of the story, but once I got used to who everyone was I slotted right into it like I’d been reading the series all the way through. The lovely Emmy is marrying her handsome French beau. She’s obviously not been lucky in love in the past, but has met her perfect man with Alain. Perfect man, perfect job, perfect life…..that is until her mother wants to plan her wedding. As the time gets nearer, her mother becomes the mother of the bride equivalent of Bridezilla! Constant phone calls about the cake, the venue, the favours and of course the dresses! After failing to find dresses to compliment her varying array of bridesmaids’ sizes and shapes, Emmy decides to let the bridesmaids find their own dresses, which is proving a problem for Kate and her over-ample chest! As you can imagine, this doesn’t go down very well with Emmy’s mum!

As the book continues, we not only get to wallow in the forthcoming wedding plans, but also in the beautifully descriptive images of the French Countryside and the guest house that Emmy manages. It sounds so perfect that you just want to hop over the Channel right now! The little villages and shops sound wonderful, perfect for an afternoon of wandering around in the sun! I wasn’t sure whether I would like this book, as I prefer to read books that are set in the UK, but I thought it was wonderful!! It was romantic, picturesque and funny. I love the relationship that Emmy had with all her family and friends (even with her husband to be’s ex-wife - I’m not sure I could be that friendly!!)

It was a lovely easy read, perfect for those summer evenings or holidays (all the more better if in the French countryside!) Well recommended – even better if you go and buy the other two books as well!! 5 Stars!

I have to admit I didn't realise this was part of a series until the end. But it didn't stop me enjoying the story anyway, in fact if anything it just makes me want to go back and read the previous ones just for my own curiosity.

The characters are fun and I would definitely love to stay at the guesthouse since it seems that there is never a dull moment. I also loved the French characters too, maybe a little stereotyped but in a light harmless way.

Definitely one to read with a good glass of wine.

So it is with tears in my eyes that I come to write my review for our last visit to The Little French Guesthouse and I am so sad to say goodbye to this lovely series. The characters have come to feel like friends and the first thing I wanted to do when I finished reading this book was to get online hoping to magically find the best little guesthouse in France and book myself a week away from all my own stresses at home and spend time being looked after by Emmy, Rupert and the others. I have absolutely loved being part of their lives and will miss them even though I like to imagine them continuing to lead their lives in a parallel universe somewhere!

Helen Pollard has created some very memorable characters here and placed them in a setting that francophiles especially will love! Having spent many holidays in France and visited the country regularly since the age of 14, I have a personal love affair with it myself and Helen has captured the scenery, the people and the food perfectly. I always end up popping out and treating myself to a loads of French delicacies while reading Helen’s books (if I lived in France I would be constantly gorging on Croissants, cheese, bread and my absolute favourite Tarte au Citron!!) to keep myself in the mood and I do have to agree with Emmys brother when he says that no matter how expensive the coffee here, it never tastes as good as it does in France.

Although there is romance in these books, this one felt much more “grownup” as Emmy is preparing for her wedding to Alain, her delicious English/French fiancé but as with nearly all weddings the path to commitment never seems to run smoothly! Emmys relationship with her mum is one speed bump that needs to be carefully negotiated and as I know that I would probably be a “mother of the bride from hell” myself I thought it was handled with just the perfect balance between humour and drama as we watch them clash.

All the ends are ties up neatly and it was a joy to watch how all the threads came together in the build up to the big day, which had some jaw dropping shocks in store for some of the friends and family attending! I found myself totally lost in the plot as it wound its way towards the wedding day which was definitely memorable but if you want to know for what reasons then you need to read this book!

This a perfect summer sunshine read-just be prepared to laugh, cry and crave pain au chocolate dipped in a cafe au lait when you do!

Loved being back with Emmy, Rupert and friends. Fantastic summer read. Sad it's the last in the series as I've really enjoyed this series. Lots of ups and downs this year. But glad to have a happy ending. Really hope the author changes her mind and returns for another book

There are books that take you on vacation from the moment your eyes fall on them. The first two books in Helen Pollard's series had had this effect on me. I am glad to inform you I took off safely and happily to La Cour Des Roses again and had the best of times!

Emmy has it all! A beautiful guest house, a wonderful partner with whom to make it the best place for travellers, a handsome and everything-but-boring accountant soon-to-be husband, a new and promising business... I could have just read her every day life in Pierre-La-Fontaine forever! Helen Pollard has the key to the French paradise and opens the door with an easy-flowing and charming writing style that makes you want to wish you could book a room until the end of time!

I admit that among the hundred reasons why I was eagerly waiting for Summer at the Little French Guesthouse, the main excitement came from knowing I would embrace and share wine with some of the best and most realistic characters I have encountered. Personalities, hair, jobs, everyone has a role, everyone is equally important to make this close-knit community the wonderful place it is and this time again, there is room for everyone, as well as surprises! Some I saw coming, some that made me gasp, some that made me smile! Helen Pollard brilliantly depicts a life with its ups and downs, its sudden changes of plan, and offers a large part of the cake to some of the most hilarious situations ever! I could picture everything so vividly I felt I had never left the place, and I became a part of this vacation too. That's how magical this series is. It shows you a messy and crazy life, but with croissant and a strong coffee so you don't ever want to leave, no matter what happens!
I am so used to all those characters by now that my heart was filled with love, with pain, with worry, as I read page after page about a simple French life.

Well, not so simple!!! I adored every subplot!

Yes, Emmy is our main character and I wish we were friends in real life. She's adorable, her relationship to her mother is as complicated as mine, and she can't make eggs! She has a way to make the simplest thing funnier, brighter, and yet, she does have her problems and she is the perfect example of a young woman relying on a fabulous set of friends, trying to make sense of life, and wearing her heart on her sleeve. Here, she has so much in her hands I felt she was a wind passing by and I was waiting for the moment she would explode! I just cannot express how refreshing it is to have a story that gives you holidays as they truly always happen: disasters, arguments, misunderstandings, you have them all. Then you are reminded of the true meaning of a holiday, and how your loved ones can turn everything around and make the world a better place.

I felt Rupert had a slightly lesser but just as interesting part in this third installment, looking over things with wisdom and always the right thing to say to make the reader laugh! Rupert being Rupert is what I wanted, and I was not disappointed! I used to see Ms Dupont very clearly in my mind, and her story just pulled at my heartstring in a way I wasn't expecting. She is a lot like a wonderful aunt I am lucky to have, the “perfectly strict on the outside, but with a heart of gold and the French wisdom that comes with a life under our sun” on the inside. I wished I could squeeze her tight, a lot. No, I mean it, really, even if neither her or my aunt are very touchy-touchy!!!!

Everyone moved me in a different way. I think what makes this life story work so well is how Helen Pollard takes the best of France, splashes it with the best of England, and sparkles the mix with humor, hardships, surprises, and feelings, all it takes to realize what happiness is!

No holiday is perfect, no plan is perfect, that's the lesson I learned during this Summer at the Little French Guesthouse! You can plan all you want, have your mother nagging and nagging you, check and double check everything, there is always something that comes in the way, and it's okay. It's okay in the end. Just as long as you don't lose sight of what is important. And keep working on your garden!

I fell in love all over again with Summer The Little French Guesthouse, the absolute best vacation read. Helen Pollard is a magician holiday-maker, and she takes you with her on an amazing, genuine and unforgettable trip to La Cour Des Roses.

nother instalment in the Little French Guesthouse series. I really enjoy these books - they're so evocative of the Loire Valley. It's the characters that make these books - from Emmy and her gaggle of girlfriends to Rupert and his faithful Gloria (the dog, not the ex-wife)! Put your feet up, get yourself a glass of wine and immerse yourself in French country life.

4.5* stars from me - an easy, enjoyable and summery read.

When I read about the third book in the La Cour des Roses series by Helen Pollard I was really delighted. Although I'm not that into France and the French language I enjoyed reading the first two books. They felt like a holiday and books which make me feel comfortable are good ones. So you can guess that I was happy that I was allowed to read the advanced review copy thanks to NetGalley.

Maybe you feel the same way about reading a book from a series: it's like meeting old friends. Set again in France at the countryside and with a mix of English and French people, but more English, with good food and wine, the series is a perfect summer read. It's about family, friendship and helping them.

In the last book Alain, the handsome half-English, half-French new boyfriend of Emmy, proposed to her. In my opinion, that was a bit early since they met only a few months before, but okay. So "Summer at the Little French Guesthouse" is mainly about the wedding and the planning of it, but also about trouble in the family. Emmy's mother wants everything to be perfect and so the only thing she has on her mind is the wedding. Emmy feels again like a teenager when her mother told her what to do or what not to do. But instead of talking to her mother about her feelings, Emmy doesn't say a word about it to her mother.

The other trouble is in Alain's family. As we learnt from the previous books, his ex-wife, Sabine, is married to his brother, Adrien, and they have two children. Something is bothering Sabine and the children are often with their grandparents or, just for a few days, with Alain. The children beginn to love Emmy und she appreciates that. So Emmy learns from them that their parents are arguing and feel very sad and confused about it. So with the wedding just a few weeks away and a bossy mother Emmy has much going on in her head.

I think the story is a bit too long as it drags on and on. But there was a twist I didn't see coming near the end. It caught me by surprise but finally there was a bit more tension.

I would love to give the novel 5 stars out of 5, because I love Helen Pollards books, but I can "only" give it 4 - or 4 and a half.

The book will be published next week.

This was a lot of fun! I hadn't read books 1 and 2 but didn't feel I'd missed out at all! It's a typical French village in the Loire Valley with fields, meadows, bicycle rides and French hunks. There's a lot of warmth and a nice storyline which bubbles along like a stream just off the main Loire River. Lots of little subplots which add interest and drama, the main story may have been about wedding preparations but it was so well rounded it didn't seem as if it took over everything else. A typical mad preparation was fun to join in with and it was all done with such charm and fun. Yup - this novel will transport you - it's a lovely French affair!

Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher. Wow what a book. Please please let there be another installment. A very easy, enjoyable and a book that you won't want to put down. Brilliant.

So much fun - this series has been a joy to read and its such a shame its over - but it's a lovely end.

Love this book! Emmy and Rupert have been thrown together once his wife ran off with her boyfriend. Not the French vacation she imagined, but life turned out even better. This is the third of three, of the same story, but each is a different part, so it works well. I barely got the first one done and I grabbed the next two to continue with Emmy and Rupert's story (they are not together that way, but work together). Fun characters, fun story, and makes me want to pack a bag and head to the Loire Valley in France. Highly recommend this story, this series and this author. Well worth the read, and perfect for summer. Now I just wish there was a lavender field nearby.

Return to the Little French Guesthouse as Emmy Jamieson prepares to marry the love of her life, Alain. Life should be perfect, Emmy is managing La Cour des Roses in the French countryside and her mother has arrived to help plan the nuptials. Um, let’s rephrase that, her mum has come to take over the wedding plans. And if that isn’t enough to give Emmy an anxiety attack, the odd behavior of Alain’s ex certainly will. Suddenly, Emmy wonders if her fairytale is just that, and if it will all go up in a puff of smoke. This is a delightful series filled with eccentric characters and the lush beauty of France

I'm utterly bereft that this fantastic book has come to an end, and that I have no idea if there will be another book in this series, have I have been hooked on from the start.

There is just such a charm to La Cour des Roses that suckers me in, grips my heart and won't let go, I absolutely adored being able to catch up with Emmy, Alain and their friends and family. One of my favourite things about reading series is that you find out so much more about the characters than in just one book, and I couldn't think of a better group of characters to keep returning to.

The entire book centres around the run up to the big wedding between our main characters, and as you may expect from a book dedicated to just that topic, plus some subplots, things don't necessarily go as smoothly as you may want!

From Emmy's overbearing mother who is driving the bride mad with daily calls and emails, to a disaster involving the wedding favours, to all manner of last minute problems, plus the run up is affecting the happy couple's relationship.

I really enjoyed getting to know Emmy's niece and nephew-in-law a lot better, they are adorable children that do play a fairly important part in some of the storylines in this book. I loved seeing more of ife at the guesthouse, especially a year on from that fateful holiday of Emmy's that was the catalyst for well...books 2 and 3! There was a good variety of guests for Emmy and Rupert to entertain.

I was enjoying the story so much I didn't even think if it could be read as a standalone.. I suspect it can be but please don't quote me on that! I was just so happy to be back amongst my French friends at the guesthouse that I can safely say its a brilliant book for fans of the series!

I could potentially wax lyrical for far longer about various aspects of the book, but really I may start spoiling it for you, as it really is an enjoyable story that I could talk about for the rest of the evening! There was just so much to enjoy about this book from the writing, to the characters, the setting, the funny bits plus a very fitting finale!

Summer at the Little French Guesthouse is a wonderful way to escape your own life, while devouring a great story that should have you grinning for the majority!

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.