This was a light, enjoyable, romantic read. Lily is a filmmaker who, after an accident, has returned to her grandmother's house in France to recuperate. Lily spent a wonderful childhood at the house in the constant company of her partner in crime, Olivier. Lily has a wanderlust which keeps her permanently on the move, while Olivier longs to settle down. Neither can deny the attraction they feel for each other but with such different lives do they have a chance of a future together? This is a real will they, won't they?

What really makes this novel so good are the characters and their dynamics. The interplay between Lily and Olivier and Lilly's relationship with her grandmother, Mamie are a delight to read. The backdrop of the French countryside is evocative and beautifully created, conjuring up the sights, tastes and aromas. The writing is excellent, full of warmth and depth. The story is heartwarming and uplifting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Warning!- I suggest that you don’t pick this book up if you are short of time. From the first page I was hooked and didn’t want to put it down. I could feel the sunshine on my face the beautiful scenery all around me, made me want to jump on a flight to France right now, and had to instead binge on cheese and red wine 🍷 whilst devouring the pages, delicious addictive

Summer at the French Olive Grove by Sophie Claire Pub Date 27/5/21
Filmmaker Lily's life is all about work and adventure. So when she suffers an accident on her travels and finds herself recuperating in the quiet French seaside village where she spent her childhood, she can't wait to escape. Not least because Olivier - Lily's childhood friend and former crush, who she has spent the last thirteen years avoiding - is staying next door . . .
Strong-minded master baker Olivier is happily settled in St Pierre, preparing to marry and put down roots. But Lily's return to the village risks turning his carefully laid plans upside down, and as the pair rediscover their familiar rivalry and fun, sparks fly.
Is Lily really as fearless and independent as she seems on the surface - or is she just running from the past? And what if Olivier is the only one who can teach her what it really means to be brave?
Lily's love for her grandmother and her childhood friends is immeasurable, and that is why this novel has so much depth to it; the characters are all convincing and engaging.
Love, loss and self-discovery are the themes running throughout the story.
A compelling read that I am happy to recommend.
I want to thank NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton and author Sophie Claire for a pre-publication copy to review.

Thanks to Hodder& Stoughton and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review.

A lovely story of Lilli who is spending the summer back with her beloved grandmother in St Pierre after an accident at work forces her to slow down and take things a little easier but she has itchy feet and is finding an enforced stay difficult.

Really enjoyed this book and am quite sad that I can no longer feel the French sun emanating from the book on my face. This is my first read by Sophie Claire, but I feel sure it won't be the last.

Lily has ambitions to be a prize winning film maker and show injustice to the world. When she is attacked and robbed during filming in Columbia, she returns to her childhood home in France to recover and spend the summer with her grandmother. Here she reunites with her childhood friend and faces up to some unpleasant memories.
Beautiful settings and characters who become friends make this an enjoyable read. The story brings France to life and offers another great holiday destination to visit.
When ambition is put before love is there a way forward?

Gotta love a book that gets off to a dramatic start, and this really did have that. Had me interested in the story right from the first few pages, and I was curious as to what would happen next.

I loved the dynamics between Lily and Olivier especially when they are reminiscing about their childhood antics. But yet they are very different people, want remarkably different things from life, however there is clear chemistry between them, even if neither seem to want to notice it!

The further we get, the more understanding I had of Lily and her motivations for her various choices. It was good to see her try to settle into life back in France while her arm recovers, and it is clear she cares for Mamie a lot.

At a time where it felt like I had completely lost my concentration to read, the further I crept into this story the more I wanted to read and the more I was happily reading for longer, as I really cared about the characters and wanted to know how the plot would unfurl.

At times I had tears in my eyes, such is the brilliance of the writing that I was getting rather emotional, and by the end I was smiling! It's another incredibly enjoyable story from Sophie Claire.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily,

Following an incident whilst filming her latest documentary in South America Lily returns to her grandmother's house in France. There she meets up with her childhood friend and crush Olivier, who is staying with his parents next door.
I found it difficult at first to relate to the two main character's, Lily's need to be constantly away from home and Olivier who desperately wants a family. As the story develops the reasons for their needs is gradually revealed and I could start to understand what was driving them. It was frustrating how difficult it was for them to open up about their feelings for each other, but this is a reflection of real life. The setting certainly sounds idyllic and the closeness of the families something to appreciate.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

With a broken arm to heal, film maker Lily Martin is forced to leave her current project in Columbia and return to her Grandmother’s (Mamie) house in France for the summer. Mamie is a reminder of her happy summers as a child, with best friend Olivier by her side; memories she has worked hard at pushing to the back of her mind for many years now. With the knowledge that Olivier is also home for the summer, she is determined to keep her focus, get better and get back on the road with her camera.

Lily and Olivier were interesting characters, and right from the beginning of the book there was so much bubbling under the surface, I just knew there would be tension and turbulence as their stories were revealed. Lily is feisty and fiery, Olivier is calm and calculated, and together they bring out the best and the worst in each other.

With a bit of help from Mamie, Lily and Olivier are thrown into daily contact once more and they try to re-establish their shared bond of childhood friendship. However, lots has passed in the intervening years, from a disastrous teenage kiss to family traumas that have left both physical and psychological scars, resulting in them wanting very different things from life. Can they reach an understanding of each other’s point of view, or with the heat of a summer in Provence, will things spiral out of control? I can honestly say I had no idea how this book would end.

I fell in love with Sophie’s writing when I read her first novel A Forget-me-not Summer and now I’ve finished her fourth book, I’m an even bigger fan.

With Summer at the French Olive Grove, Sophies has done it again; this is a book full of passion that really packs a punch of heart-hammering emotions as you read it.

For a hot summer read, that brings alive the villages of Provence, look no further.

When Lily breaks her arm she is forced to return to her Grandmothers home to recuperate. Whilst there she has to confront her feelings that haunt her from the past and in doing so allow her to re-kindle a childhood friendship, which in turn develops into a romance. A delightful tale full of “will they won’t they moments”. This would be a great holiday read but equally fantastic on a dreary night as the author’s word sum up the beautiful landscapes of a sun- soaked vista.

Fantastic fun, great characters, amazing setting, it really made me want to hire a villa in France and spend months eating cheese and drinking red wine. Good read, i really enjoyed it.

Thank you NetGalley, Sophie Claire and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC of Summer at the French Olive Grove. This is my personal review.
Lily and Oliver have given me a second chance story that was easy to read and left me glad I did.
The setting of the story just adds to the comfort and ease of reading this book. It does not have any startling twist or turns but for me a smooth easy page turner. This book was a perfect get away for me for a day.

Lily returns to her grandmother's french home to recuperate following an accident. She does not expect the strength of her feelings for her childhood friend Olivier, who is happily engaged. Really enjoyable ,if somewhat predictable ,storyline which transports the reader to an idyllic area of France.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

For Freelance filmmaker Lily her life is about her work and the adventures. But when she suffers an accident and has to recuperate in the French seaside village where she spent her childhood, she’s not happy and obviously can’t wait to escape.

Her childhood friend Olivier is settled there, and already getting ready to marry. Her arrival turns his plans upside down.

Lily believes she’s fearless and independent. But is she? Or is that her way of running from the past? Is it time for Lily to face her past demons...?

Recommend It

A beautiful love story of Lily’s love for her grandmother and her childhood friends. Lily is extremely independent but a broken home brings her home to her grandmother. Her grandmother is her world as is the home she lives in, but Lily finds it difficult to ask for help. Due to a fire, her father’s death and the burns she sustained, she believes she is not good enough for anyone. However having to rely on her grandmother and childhood sweet heart. She begins to open up her heart and welcome in some love.

What a wonderful book about love, loss, friendship and self discovery.

Lily and Olivier are beautiful together, as friends and as a couple. The farm house and whole village are beautifully described and made me feel like I was there. The twists and turns in both Lily and Oliviers past kept me turning the pages.

The self discovery of Olivier admiring that he’d rather have Lily in his life that children so he chases her was beautiful, made even more so as Lily had similar thoughts and was on her way back to him. They are perfect together, both perfectly fine and independent on their own, but so much better together.

When Lily is forced to return to stay in France with her Gran looking after her, she plans for it to be only for a short time. However, an old friend is there to help in any way possible despite Lily wrestling with her feelings that go way back.

When tragedy strikes Lily has to make decisions that will affect her whole life. With twists and turns and some frustration this book sends yoiu to the beautiful French countryside and a believe that conquers all. A fantastic read.

This is my first Sophie Claire book, and I was not disappointed, at all.
Lily has been transported back to her grandmother's home to recuperate, after a nasty accident during work.
Back to where she spent idyllic childhood times before her world crumbled around her.
But not a place she calls home, herself.
Though they say home is where the heart is, and her heart seems to be pining for someone, equally attached to that same place.
Olivier grew up with Lily. Craving a family of his own, and that anchor that makes you feel at home, he is constantly pulled back to where his parents live, despite being a successful baker in Paris, with a chain of bakeries.
This was a love story, but not as traditional as some. It involved a whole lot of accepting yourself, and self-love, as well as the romantic kind.
Lily is a character damaged, physically and emotionally by the events of her past.
Olivier's own experiences growing up and coping with knowing no one was really 'his', shape him to be the man he is today, and the dreams he holds for the future.
And then we have Mamie. Lily's grandmother. She is an anchor for both these lost souls and wants to use her power over them to protect them in a way only she knows how.
A beautiful story, a compelling read and definitely recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Great but pretty predictable story. Typically happy ending that everyone wants.
The characters were loveable but the story quite basic - the last quarter repeated the word wanderlust lots of times, as though the author couldn't think of any other word.

A perfect summery read and ideal to escape with on a cold day. A story about love and values on many levels, personal, family and community, set in the South of France in an idyllic coastal village. A little predictable but nonetheless exudes wellbeing and happiness. The characters are well drawn although I did find the main character Lily a little annoying and frustrating at times but she had many issues to work through.

An enjoyable light read although packed with intense emotions.

Childhood friends who liked exploring adventures are disconnected due to a terrible tragedy. Circumstances bring them back together and this time they can’t deny their passion. A romantic escape. Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for letting me review this book.