I think that randomly inheriting a French chateau would be incredibly stressful, but I also think that it would be a dream for a lot of us. Celebrations at the Chateau is the perfect book to read if you have ever watched a restoration show on HGTV and dreamed of doing it yourself, or if you are like me, you spend time looking at abandoned castles that you can buy. I felt like I was exploring and restoring the chateau along with Fliss, and I think Watson did a wonderful job of writing secondary characters- there are a few that I wanted to spend a lot more time with (a good sign for me). This is a fun, entertaining, and heartfelt holiday book!

Jo Thomas has set this novel in the French countryside in a crumbling old chateau on the outskirts of a Village which seems at first to be hostile towards newcomers. There are some marvellous characters amongst the villagers and you can really picture life there. Why they are so suspicious of the new owners of the chateau slowly comes to light. I enjoyed unravelling the mystery about how the chateau cam e to be in the possession of the sisters along with Fliss.
Fliss has sensed that there is something missing in her life and is at a crossroads in her life. There is a strong theme of starting over and making a fresh start in the story. Being set over the Christmas period means that there is a lovely Christmassy feel as the story develops and at the New Year, a sense of renewal and fresh starts.
It is a warm, escapist read which involves the reader to the end and is well worth a place on your Christmas reading list.

In short: Starting over and moving on.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Transworld Digital for an advance copy of #CelebrationsAtTheChateau by#JoThomas
When their grandpa died Fliss, and her sisters Nellie and Lizzie discover they have inherited a house in France. So they set off to see it but it’s not a nice little house it’s a chateau with a sitting tenant and bills to be paid. The story the unfolds in a delightful if slightly predictable way
A lovely warm-hearted read, perfect for curling up by the fire on a cold day.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When three sisters head to France to see the property their granddad has left them in his will, they are left in shock at the size of the place, especially as he had never mentioned anything about it to them. They think, at first, that all their dreams have been answered, as the sale of the château will put all of them on their feet financially back home. There are a couple of problems though. The first is the amount of work that needs doing, and the second is the sitting tenant with strings. What begins as a dream come true soon flips into a nightmare.

Even with all the problems that were going on with the chateau, I couldn’t help getting carried away with the whole idea of the place. I liked the small town where the residents would close in to look after their own, even if it did make it hard for the sisters. There is, of course, a sweet story of how their granddad came to be the owner and why it has a sitting tenant. Everything that could go wrong with this place does. It is eating money, and a solution needs finding that suits them all.

Two of the sisters had to return home to family life and work, but the youngest of them was in between jobs and had broken up with her boyfriend. She had never been able to settle into anything she had put her hand to in the past, but all the things she had learnt, were now skills she needed for the tasks she had to face.

The setting is the perfect scene for romance to blossom, no matter what age. It has happened before. It is a lovely light read that made me laugh and swoon. A great pick me up story, any time of the year.

I wish to thank the publisher and Net Galley for an e-copy of this book, which I have reviewed honestly.

Fliss and her sisters have inherited a chateau in France and they plan to sell it and use the money to sort their own lives out but its not that simple. The chateau has a sitting tenant who can't be moved out so Fliss decides to stay to try and make the a B and B to generate money but she has to win the locals over first.

Aww what a lovely story this was. The location is beautiful and you can just picture the chateau in all its glory. The plot is a slow burn but a satisfying read. The ending is really well done and I like how everything came together especially between the three sisters. Fliss is brilliant and you can't help but love her drive. I liked Jason too and of course Charlotte. The writing is detailed and fun. A sweet story with a festive ending,

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily.
Fliss and her sisters arrive at the chateau at the start of the book, and confusion reigns about whether this is the property they have inherited, who the caretaker is and how their grandfather came to own it. The details of the inheritance were very unclear as they were not provided with proper explanations about the ownership; this seemed unrealistic as there was a will. The decision to leave Fliss at the property to commence selling it seemed ill-conceived when the sisters knew nothing about French property law. I thought the story jumped sometimes without proper explanations, such as when the blogger left but there was very little about what he wrote after his visit or how this was shared with the village inhabitants.
The book was a pleasant, escapist read with a feel-good ending, but I wouldn't describe it as one of the best contemporary reads.

You know what you are getting when you start a book by the talented author Jo Thomas and this one definitely did not disappoint.

Three sisters at varying stages of their lives/careers travel to France to view the property that their late grandfather has left them in his will. They knew nothing about it nor that he owned any property there and to find a huge chateau in need of some tlc was really unexpected. Complications mean that the ownership is subject to a mysterious French lady as a sitting tenant and she must be paid rent. One of the sisters Fliss has no children, no partner now her ex had decided he wasn’t exclusive and no job so she stays in France to make a go of starting a business there.

The story covers family, love, hard work and a beautiful back story as to how the grandfather had owned the house. Well told and with interesting characters who interact well makes a good read which I would recommend to others who like this genre.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a lovely story that re-affirms the importance of family and friendship. Set in a beautiful sounding chateau, the author’s descriptions of the building, area and fully-formed believable characters held my interest and had me fully invested in what happened for main character, Fliss as she attempts to begin to transform the chateau and try to become accepted by the locals, organise a wedding for a guest, and make sense of the feelings she is developing for her neighbour, and Grandson of the chateau’s chatelaine.
I really enjoyed reading this book, the layers of the story kept me interested throughout and I felt myself rooting for Fliss.
A lovely read at any time of year, but perfect for Christmas-time.

This is a really exciting book. I would so love to Inherit something like the sisters have.

I love the dynamics between the sisters, they all have there own skill sets and work well together. After an extended period of being apart they fit back in together so quick and I loved seeing there relationships fit back together.

Jason and Fliss' relationship and Aunt and Nephew is so special, I love it and it's relatable too to me because my I have this sort of relationship with my eldest nephew.

There is more than one occasion In this beautiful book where I welled up with emotion. It's such a happy emotional book and made me smile throughout.

This is a feel good book with brilliant content. It's festive, heartwarming, exciting and so so cosy.

Such a lovely book to settle down with in a cozy chair, a fuzzy heating blanket, warm spiced cider, a candle flickering on the side table, overlooking the view of autumn leaves as they fall off the trees. At least that's what I did and thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it.

I would like to thank Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for providing me with an advance readers copy via access to the galley for free through the NetGalley program.

I'd recommend this book to anyone looking to get into the cozy spirit of getting lost in a story that is heartwarming, village sentimental, romantic, and has a touch of mystery to celebrate the season of nicely changing ambiance from autumn into winter.

<b>The Story</b>
The storyline was sweet, fun, engaging, and grounded in a bit of unspoken rich depth of character as life decisions unfolded into a greater part of village life. It had all the inviting community aspects of township that made this one a type of story that you can sink into and finish with feelings of hope, joy, and warmth that isn't over indulgent.

The inheritance was a bit dramatic, was a bit less realistic from a legal standpoint, but I didn't get caught up about it as I read along further.

<b>The Writing</b>
The standout for me was the food and drink. Apples, apple cider, Kir Royale, Crémant with drop of créme de cassis, crepes, cheeses in a basket, crisps, breads, fish pie. All the lovely sweet and savory treats I feel like enjoying right now.

I liked the POV as simplified. The pacing was nice in the beginning with this hint of mystery about certain characters and behaviors which I felt was consistent in revealing backstory of writings by Jo Thomas, yet unique in how the atmosphere was set up to add some intrigue scenes appropriate for this autumn reading season. The pacing did slow a bit in the middle but I ultimately ended up entertained by the slowing of time, made it somewhat of a why should I be in such a hurry anyway type of read experience.

<b>Characters</b>
The characters were interesting on an individual level and their individuality showed among their interactions with one another in both action and dialogue which I much appreciated.

<b>Descriptions</b>
I did tire a bit about cars and machinery starting to life. Once mentioned was enough, but I could do without reading such a description in any book for the rest of my life at this point.

Back to the food and drink, the descriptions of all the courses was the bow on the top for me.

Always looking forward to more, the stories and writing are such a relaxing treat.

<a href="https://ericarobbin.com/celebrations-at-the-chateau-by-jo-thomas/">Blog post</a>

This was such a delighful read.
I was captivated by the characters and found them to be likeable. I loved the character of Madame Charlotte Cadieux who was quirky and with a lot of secrets that she keeps closely guarded. I enjoyed seeing the relationships that developed over the course of the book and all their ensuing tensions as well. It goes to show that a lavish inheritance is not always plain sailing!!
Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC to review.

A lovely book set in Normandy in a Chateau and with wonderful descriptions of French village life. I loved the characters and the relationships between them and was dying to find out Fliss’s grandfather’s link to the Chateau.

A well written story that keeps you interested all the way through.

"I felt that this story took longer to engage me than others I have read by this author. However, I soon fell under the spell and really enjoyed the fun with the cows, peacocks and temperamental boiler.
As the Hope sisters work to keep their inheritance, a beautiful but dilapidated chateau in Normandy, which has a sitting tenant, they learn of old loves , secrets and goodwill.
Fliss attempts to turn the chateau into a B and B and wedding venue and must get the villagers onside to make this possible.
I love the characters and descriptions in this book. Jo brings them and the rest of the story to life.

I will be honest I haven't finished this book yet, it is very repetitive, how many times can the same line be written, i am about a 1/4 way through and feel like i have been reading for days, I think I will skim towards the end and then leave it at that.

I don't like leaving reviews of this nature as the author has taken time to write but I just cant get on with it.

I always look out for books by Jo Thomas, they guarantee some travel, fabulous food and romance. Celebrations at the Chateau provided all of the above and added Christmas to the mix!
Fliss is instantly likeable, and I was glad that she would be taking the reins in this story. She’s still smarting from her casual romance with surfer guy, Ty. Out of work, so at a crossroads both professionally and personally, her ability to close the door on her life at home makes her ideal for the task in hand. She doesn’t make the shift easily, as memories of living with her grandfather hang heavily upon her.
With an array of wonderful characters, including a peacock and a horse, this story was a joy to discover as I found it impossible to stop reading. Another late night saw me reaching the end with a smile. My favourite character, without a doubt, was Madame Cadieux, Chatelaine at the Chateau des Arbes. She was equal parts soft and acerbic and made me think of Maggie Smith’s Dowager character in Downton.
Jacques was not a character that I warmed to immediately, it didn’t take long, but I think that was the intention. With his gorgeous daughter and estranged wife in the mix, he’s a slow burn, but worth the wait. Once he mellowed, he was adorable, and I found myself hoping for romance.
A special mention must be given to the Chateau, with Boris the grumpy boiler, Fliss has her hands full as she battles to bring new life into the once grand building. Jo Thomas described each room perfectly, and I felt like I’d visited myself.
As Fliss makes progress with her renovations, she is able to uncover more of the secrets from the past. Each bottle of Apple Cognac brings her closer to her grandfather, without her knowing it. As Christmas draws closer, there’s a lot to do and the added pressure of a wedding could be too much for her to handle.
With a nod to the TV series, Escape to the Chateau, this charming story will leave you feeling joyous.

I liked it, sadly I didn't love it. This is only my second book by Jo Thomas, but I'm starting to think they're all very similar, and, while I think it's important for an author to have a style unique to them, it becomes rather formulaic. It also means that characters can become stereotypes, and I felt that here with both Jacques and Fliss.

While I was initially charmed by the plot, I found myself skim reading a lot (particularly the parts reminiscing about Ty, Fliss's ex) because I just got a bit bored, and found some scenarios, such as the entire practicalities of inheriting an overseas property over-simplified. I imagine those who regularly read Jo Thomas's stories will find much to like, but for me, it was just OK and not memorable. I did really want a crepe after reading it though!

Have now also reviewed on Amazon. Thanks for the opportunity to give an honest review

Thank you to the publisher net galley and the author for allowing me access to the book.

I thought this was a wonderful Christmas romance it was laugh out loud funny enjoyable and the characters were relatable I thought this was a great twist on a overused trope as I usually don’t enjoy Christmas romcom is as they all seem to blur into one but they seem to stand out to me and I enjoyed it very much

This is a lovely and enjoyable read. The setting in Normandy was wonderful. It was intriguing to here about the castle and how it came to be owned by the family.
There were lots of fabulous food descriptions that made me feel very hungry.
This is an entertaining feel good read. Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

When three sisters unexpectedly inherit a Chateau they only plan a flying visit before selling up and getting back to their lives at home.

When Fliss stays on to sort things out she finds things aren't as straightforward as she expected and she gets much more than she bargained for.

This story has all the marks of a good Jo Thomas story - a woman starting again, an evocative European location, hard work and some love!

Read and enjoy!

Another stunning book by Jo. Lovely setting at the chateau and narratives with twists and turns. Highly recommended.