I love this author's books, as they are so easy to read, immediately transporting you to their setting and location and giving the reader a story to escape into.
Here we meet Pixie. After the sudden death of her husband Frank in an accident, he leaves her the villa in Brittany they were supposed to retire to. Now she finds that instead she has to revaluate life and make a decision on what to do with the property. However, all is not found as expected when she arrives and possible secrets have to be unravelled whether she likes it or not. Again with the wonderful use of middle aged and older characters which I love about these books, (there are also young ones too!) I escaped with this book for a couple of days and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Pixie and her husband Frank had plans to retire to Brittany in northern France but when Frank passes away in a sudden and tragic car accident, Pixie must reassess life.

She is determined not to give up and goes to France with her mum Gwen in tow. Pixie and Gwen are excellent characters and I loved their journey of discovery, lies hope and secrets as they both try to move on.

There are so many emotions in this novel and Jennifer Bohnet makes the setting make an impression right from the start. I felt completely invested in each character’s arc and could not get through this quick enough in my quest to find out what was going to happen.

Thanks to Jennifer Bohnet, Boldwood Books and Rachel’s Random Resources for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

4 stars.

Love this author. She always manages to pull a hit out the bag Lovely feel good book to read. It was a joy to read. Lovely characters. Great plot. The book was charming. Very well written. I’d definitely recommend this book

I loved this story, the setting was an absolutely gorgeous destination, I wanted to go myself and it has such amazing and intriguing characters. With a wonderful storyline, full of emotion and drama, this is a delightful story that I thoroughly recommend.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

What a delightful book this was! Not only is the setting delightful and magical in its own right, but the characters, particularly Pixie are wonderful, The host of characters and interactions which ensue are entertaining and real to where they seem like old friends experiencing something we might discuss during a fun lunch to catch up on everything going on lately. I highly recommend this as it is entertaining and engaging in an entirely soothing and delightful way!

This was a really good read. Easy story to follow, charming setting and great characters. Really enjoyed it.

This fun beach read is a novel of love, adventure and travel all mixed together. It is pure escapist fiction. I received this novel as an advanced reader copy from net galley in exchange for an honest review.

Jennifer Bohnet is the queen of escapist, glamorous and feel-good women’s fiction and she is back with a terrific new novel that sweeps readers off to Brittany: Summer at the Chateau.

The tragic death of her husband knocks Pixie Sampson for six, but there is more shocking news on the way when she discovers that she has been left a beautiful chateau in Brittany. Accompanied by her adventurous mother Gwen, Pixie packs her bags and heads off to France where she fully intends to put the chateau on the market before returning back home to grieve for her husband. However, on her arrival in Brittany, Pixie finds another surprise that leaves her with her jaw on the floor: mysterious lodger Justine and her four year old son Ferdie.

What are Justine and her son doing at the chateau? More importantly, what is their connection to her husband? Just who is this mysterious woman whose destiny has become inextricably linked with that of Pixie’s? As the two women begin to get to know one another, mysteries from the past begin to come to the light that will compel them to dig deeper into the secrets which this majestic and beautiful place they are calling home is slowly unearthing…

Under the beautiful French skies, Pixie, Gwen and Justine begin to find the courage to lay old ghosts to rest, heal from the past and forge ahead into the future that is theirs for the taking – but only if they are willing to let go of their fears and insecurities and embrace this chance at happiness.

Jennifer Bohnet is on top form with Summer at the Chateau. The sights, sounds and scents of this breath-taking part of the world are so exquisitely described that readers will feel as if they are living the story alongside the novel’s characters.

Summer at the Chateau is a wonderful story about forging your own path, finding your own happy ending and shaking off the past that sparkles with humour, warmth and honesty.

A writer who never fails to write involving, absorbing and highly enjoyable page-turners, Jennifer Bohnet’s Summer at the Chateau is the next best thing to owning your own French castle!

This book was so lovely from the story to the settings in France! This book is all about forgiveness, family secrets, kindness and second chances. I wasn't expecting that, and it was a really good suprise! I really enjoyed this book and I am very glad i read it (as to be honest I had some doubts if I would like it or not). I warmy recommend this book, it will be perfect to read it when you will need a bit of an escape or a vacation!!!! 4 stars out of 5!

This was a light, refreshing novel of relationships, families and second chances.

After the sudden death of her husband, writer Pixie discovers she owns a chateau in western France. Taking her elderly mother with her, she spends Easter, then the entire summer at the Chateau, unearthing and unravelling the threads of her husband's secrets and her mother's hidden past.

Some thoughts:
Firsty, the protagonist is not the usual demographic for this genre of story. Rather than being a typical 30-something at a crossroads of life, Pixie is in her late 50s,.widowed and childless. Not your usual heroine, and thats not a bad thing.

Secondly, its clear the author loves France, the lifestyle, the language, everything. We had aperitifs every time the characters stop to talk; French phrases and an approximation of accents thrown in. Having recently read another book set in France, with a very different feel, this felt a little too contrived.

Finally, there was SO MUCH going on: plots and subplots and hints and whispers and a cast of characters that made brief appearances then disappeared. Three hinted romances, secrets within secrets, comments and plots that started off as ideas but were left unresolved. It felt almost like the author had jotted down actual events ad conversations as they happened (with all the usual hanging threads that entails), and forgotten to weave them into the storh properly.

For all the criticism, it was an enjoyable book. It was a quick read, and would be a good one for vacation/holiday/lockdown.

*Many thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

📖 Book Review 📖

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Publication Date: May 13th, 2021

What a lovely book! Just what I needed to start my summer. Ms. Bohnet took me straight to the French countryside. This is a great summer read. The themes in this book are that of grief, forgiveness, new beginnings, family both new and old, second chances, as well as all things French Château. I loved reading about the French way of life, the setting, the food, etc. I would love to be transported into this setting and become friends or better yet, neighbors with Pixie and Gwen. One can dream they are on the patio enjoying a pizza with Pixie and Gwen. I can’t wait to read more from Ms. Bohnet, and enjoy a beautiful setting, likeable characters, and such a refreshing, enjoyable read.

Thanks NetGalley, author Jennifer Bohnet, and Publisher Boldwood Books for giving me a free arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

#SummerattheChâteau #NetGalley

I adored this book. A perfect summer read. But it's so much more than that, too! Upon the sudden death of her husband, Pixie finds herself living the the chateau in France that they bought together with plans for retirement. However, without Frank in her life, moving forward with their grand plans for retirement seems impossible. Add to that a web of family secrets that begins to unravel and Pixie is unsure how to navigate her future and the future of the Chateau.
Summer at the Chateau is filled with heart Its characters are rich, complicated, and wholly realistic. As each secret is unravelled, the story gains dimension, and complication that makes you want to see the story through. The book is beautifully written with just the right amount of detail. Enough that we can see ourselves at the chateau but not too much that it becomes redundant and boring.
While it's not what she envisioned when she purchased the Chateau with Frank, Pixie creates a wonderful life at the chateau with the family that she never thought she'd have. It's a deeply satisfying read to see such a beloved character get an unexpected happily ever after.
Thank you tp NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and Jennifer Bohnet for the ARC in exchange for an honest review of this delightful read.

I am relatively new to the world of Jennifer Bohnet’s books, but they are fast becoming a huge part of my Francophile heart. I spent many holidays in Brittany when my children were young, so reading this book felt like something of a homecoming to me.

I enjoyed the fact that Pixie was an older woman, and that Pixie and her mum Gwen were the main characters in this book, and I think it opened the story up to multi-generations, as the summer progressed and Pixie was joined by children and grandchildren at the chateau.

I found the fact that the chateau was purchased under the viager system really interesting. It was something we decided against, when we bought a house in Northern France. It is a system where the house is technically yours, but you cannot gain access until the previous owner who has sold the property to you dies. It is a way of affording to buy a larger property, but with the risk that you may not be able to move in for many years.

Still grieving for the loss of her husband Frank, Pixie is shocked to find out that the chateau had been available to move into for more than a year, but that her husband had prevented her from finding that out. When she heads to France to see the chateau, with a view to selling it because her dream of living there had always included Frank, she finds that there is a mysterious young woman living in a cottage in the grounds of the chateau with her four year old son.

I loved the spiritual element of the story, and loved that there were moments when Pixie feels completely connected to Frank, even though they had never lived together in the chateau. I felt that her anger at Frank, when she finds out that he kept things from her, and made her question their entire relationship, was perfectly understandable.

I enjoyed the glimpses of Brittany within the pages of the story, from the sunshine to the beautiful sights and smells of the markets. I really felt transported there.

The mystery surrounding Justine was well thought out and I liked that it was not predictable. I also liked the side story of Pixie’s mother Gwen and her past in Brittany. There is romance within this lovely, gentle story, although not necessarily for Pixie who was still grieving for her husband. I thought that the ending left wonderful possibilities for the future, and it really felt like the story had reached the perfect conclusion.

Summer at the Chateau was a story of grief, forgiveness, family and second chances, all in a wonderful setting.

Life changes in a blink of an eye and Pixie Sampson finds that out when her husband is killed. I think we all have grand plans for our retirement. Pixie and her husband bought a chateau in France. Now she has to take care of what was she supposed to do with two homes.
When she goes to check it out again there is a woman in the guesthouse and her husband knew her.
Questions and figuring out out how her husband fits in with this young lady is going to be a challenge.

This book has charismatic characters with powerful personalities and the author has a great perspective on life. The storyline is credible and eloquent with twists and super impressive!
I read the book from first page to the last page with no break because the author kept my interest with such compelling characters!

I highly recommend this book!

I received a free advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions .

A Jennifer Bohnet novel is always guaranteed to provide me with a holiday without leaving the house, new friends and cosy warm feeling all over. Summer at the Chateau gave me all of this and I thoroughly enjoyed reading every word of it.
Set in beautiful Brittany, I loved how some of the smaller characters are from A French Affair. It was like seeing old friends again and returning to a familiar place. The novel is stand alone though and there’s no need to have read A French Affair before. The setting is so idyllic and picturesque and although I have never been, I felt as though I have when reading.
Jennifer Bohnet always goes beyond a simple romance story, and this story is no different. She has woven layers of friendship, family, dilemmas and dramas throughout the story making it thought provoking and difficult to put down.
Pixie has a lot to deal with in such a short space of time and after the death of her husband and other revelations, she has a lot of soul searching to do in order to grieve and move on with her life. Her journey and how she navigates everything that is thrown her way makes for a really interesting plot and I was with her all the way. The drama is emotional but gentle and doesn’t detract from the cosy and heart-warming vibe of the overall story telling.
Lovable characters, a stunning setting and a plot with gentle tension and drama makes this great escapism and a wonderful book.

The setting in a chateau in France guarantees my escape from rainy England, but this book has so much more to give. It's a multi-generational family story of loss and secrets leading to ultimately uplifting forgiveness and healing.

Pixie and her mother travel to the chateau to give Pixie respite from the shock of her loss. She doesn't realise her emotional rollercoaster is just beginning. A heartfelt story with gentle humour to lighten the mood and a multi-layered plot that hides a myriad of secrets. Each revelation has an emotional impact as the fallout is explored in a way that allows character development. The result is an engaging family drama with relatable female protagonists and a well-plotted mystery.

I received a copy of this book from Boldwood Books via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This was a lovely, summery read and I felt truly whisked off to the French countryside with Bohnet’s story. Falling in love with the setting, I yearned to join Pixie and Gwen at the Chateau and create the perfect summer break.

Pixie’s return to the Chateau brings a swirl of emotions. Following the recent death of her husband, Pixie has returned in order to get the Chateau in some sort of state that she can sell and return to England. Although she and Frank had plans to move out to France, Pixie no longer feels she can uphold this dream without Frank by her side. However, when Pixie discovers that a young woman and her son are living at the Chateau’s side cottage, and that Frank was completely aware of it, Pixie soon realises that there is more to this property than she realises. What follows are some tough decisions and discoveries that has Pixie questioning the truths of her marriage.

There are three main characters in this story: Pixie, Gwen (Pixie’s mother) and Justine (living in the cottage). Bohnet shifts the focus to the different women throughout the story, allowing us to discover more about each of these characters. Significantly, all three have some sort of secret that they are hiding and I think it is here that Bohnet could have capitalised on this further. I was really hoping for a shift in time frame to explore more about Pixie, Gwen and Justine. They each have an interesting past and I was a bit disappointed that this was only revealed through conversation in the narrative. Instead, I yearned to be transported back to the past to fully see events unfolding and how they informed the present day situation.

Despite this never happening, it was still a lovely story with a growing character list along the way! Sometimes I felt it a bit tricky to keep track of all the characters and their connections, but it certainly did not stop me from enjoying the story. Overall, it felt like an extended family holiday and I liked how Pixie grows over the story to embrace new challenges. Even though she is constantly deliberating whether to sell the Chateau is actually the right decision, she remains determined to create some wonderful family memories in the process.

Another element to this story is the presence of Frank. His ghost haunts the narrative – unsurprising considering that Pixie is still grieving for him. However, I also liked the supernatural touch that Bohnet weaves into the narrative. It was not a chilling haunting, but more for reassurance and to help guide Pixie into making the absolute correct decision over the fate of the Chateau. I liked this element and thought it added another dimension to the story.

Although this book did not have a shift in time frame, I think it will delight many readers. The story provided perfect escapism and I could vividly picture myself on the terrace with Gwen and Pixie, indulging in some wonderful French cuisine. It is presented in a truly idyllic way and, although several characters have ghosts in their closets, the end result is a tight family that is even tighter than before.

With thanks to Boldwood Books, NetGalley and Rachel’s Random Resources for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/2Pdvk1B
In short, I loved this book. A beautiful, timeless read; a story spanning several generations; a feel-good, sympathetic story, set in the most amazing location, about love, friendship, betrayal. About family and their relationships current, lost and found again. About forgiveness and how knowing the truth can help you build upon the positives. The author builds up the tension with regard to the unknowns and then gradually releases the truth to us, the readers, leaving us desperate for more. The resultant happy extended family situation is just perfect. I would love to read more about what happens to the family.


I always find that death is a sad way to start a book, but from that dark kind of situation one hopes that things can only get better! Pixie is trying to decide what to do now her Husband has died unexpectedly, when she gets some news from their bank manager. With her Husband, she had bought a chateau in France a decade or so ago, under a French scheme whereby you only actually gain title to the property when the current owner dies. She finds out that the previous owner has been dead for over a year and Frank, her Husband has neglected to tell her this. As to why, this is surely a mystery worthy of the novels that Pixie earns a living writing; unfortunately she doesn’t write mysteries though.

The author quickly establishes an air of mystery and builds upon the intrigue in layers, for example when the local B & B owner reveals that Frank stayed there the previous year, unbeknown to Pixie, and the fact that there is no key to the cottage in the chateau grounds. The plot thickens even more when it transpires that Frank had visited with a woman the previous year and had installed this non rent paying woman and her young Son into the cottage. My heart sank at this revelation as despite not having met Frank, I wanted him to have been a good man; I didn’t want him to have had a love child, especially since he had been unable to conceive with Pixie, despite several attempts at IVF,

Other puzzles come to the fore – who is doing the gardening and cutting the grass? Why is there a stash of Frank’s clothes in the wardrobe? What’s in the locked barn? Why are there British brands of food in the larder. I did find the woman in the cottage the most compelling mystery – is it Frank’s ‘other Woman’ or perhaps a long lost Daughter?

The truth is delivered suddenly, but causes immediate pain to Pixie. Can she recover from this shocking revelation? It never ceases to amaze me, the propensity we have to hurt the ones we love most dearly yet still we find the strength to recover and I feel that the author caught this balance of emotions perfectly. Please do read this book for yourself, to find out what has been going on, you will not be disappointed.

Jennifer Bohnet’s books are always one of my favourite ways to escape from life – her books are always guaranteed to make me feel I’ve been away on a really enjoyable holiday with their wonderfully drawn locations, the stories gently told but with plenty of intrigue to keep the pages turning, with characters I can really identify with and believe in, filled with friends and family, and a few surprises along the way.

I was particularly delighted that this book took us once more to Brittany: I remember a special holiday, camping in Finistère in the early 70s, and there was so much I recognised about the setting, a slice of French life perfectly recreated. And it was set in the same area as the last book I read from her, A French Affair, so there were also opportunities to meet up again with friends I remembered – that’s something I always so much enjoy – but if this is your first visit, both books are entirely standalone, and those characters are only part of the supporting cast, nothing that will spoil your enjoyment.

Pixie and Frank had always planned to move to France, running a retreat for writers, living an idyllic life in the château they’d been looking forward to owning – taking advantage of the complex system of “viager” they’d made a down payment, followed by monthly payments for the vendor’s lifetime, awaiting the time when they could finally take ownership and begin their new life. But Frank’s sudden death has rather made that dream an impossibility – we join Pixie as she’s dealing with her grief, considering her future, contemplating too whether it might be a good idea to invite her elderly mother Gwen to live with her, ready to make a start on finalising Frank’s affairs.

And that’s when she comes across the first of many surprises, a secret Frank has inexplicably kept from her – the château is theirs, the vendor already having passed away, so she’s faced with the task of putting it back on the market. With her mother in tow – and what a great character she is – they decide they can at least have a holiday while she makes the necessary arrangements. But the secrets then begin to multiply – the cottage in the grounds has a tenant, a young woman with a child, who pays no rent and might be an obstacle to the sale. But the bigger question is over her relationship with her husband – might the child be his? – when she finds that he visited the area a few times entirely without her knowledge.

That central mystery largely drives the narrative, but this is also the loveliest multi-generational story – Pixie is in her 60s, Gwen in her 80s (she has a few secrets of her own – and it’s so lovely to have older characters carrying the story so well), and when they decide to settle in for the summer they’re then joined by their sprawling family, every individual so very well drawn and developed. The storytelling is just wonderful, the pace gentle at first, focusing on Pixie’s feelings and the practicalities of living at the château, exploring their new way of life – then it increases with the family’s arrival, with new friendships and relationships, as those layers of secrets are slowly and satisfyingly resolved.

The book’s whole sense of place is simply wonderful – like Pixie and Gwen, you soon become entirely immersed in their rural idyll, with the château and its surroundings vividly drawn, gaining a strong feeling of being “home”. The background detail is excellent too – the countryside, the markets, the food and drink, the excursions to nearby towns. The characters are really excellent, and there’s a perfect emotional touch too – you can really feel Pixie’s loss and concerns for the future, her hurt at the secrets Frank kept, his possible betrayal and whether it can be forgiven, and the love there was between them.

Don’t think for one moment that the book is no more than a light read, a chance to enjoy some armchair travel with a few intriguing story lines to follow – it’s so much more than that, an entirely absorbing story that touches your heart. And you know one thing I particularly liked? I wondered where the romance would come in, and really hoped we wouldn’t see Pixie moving on too quickly, leaving her memories of Frank behind – and I was so pleased that we don’t, and the romance develops elsewhere, although the book ends with a perfect note of hope and happiness for the future.

I really loved this one, perhaps my favourite of all the author’s books I’ve read – a perfectly drawn setting, a sure touch with all the family dynamics and the emotional content, a compelling read as all the threads are untangled, and a palpable warmth to the story’s telling. One that fills your heart, the perfect escape – and highly recommended.

(Review copied to Amazon UK, but link not yet available)

Secrets from the past start to unravel almost from the start but the true picture does not come clear for quite some time. The story is full of the sights and sounds of France and I must say the chateau and its setting sound absolutely idyllic. Who wouldn't want to spend a family holiday there? Pixie is such a likeable character. More intriguing is her late husband who seems to have been keeping things from her. The most important of which seems to be a mysterious lodger and her son. However, there is more to this situation than you might guess.
I liked the whole mix of Pixie's extended family who spend the Summer with her. It seems her mother has a few secrets of her own. Pixie has the whole Summer to decide what she is going to do and whether to start over and take a few risks. This is a gentle story with warmth and variety. Just the thing to escape into, should you feel the need.
In short: Bring the French countryside into your home with a relaxing read.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book.