I didn’t realise this was the second in a series when I started it. I still enjoyed reading Dels story.
Jo describes Provence so well it sounds lovely and welcoming I could almost smell the lavender.
Filled with love and sadness that results in new friendships being made.
Thank you NetGalley for another lovely book by Jo Thomas

Moving to France, becoming single and finding a job all fall into place for Del, she does not imagine falling in love with a younger man in her future but it is when she meets Fabian. Their lives fall into place with her cooking for a local restaurant, growing her Lavender and making a living from it. Things change very quickly when Fabian is asked to go back and join the band to help them out for a few weeks, Del thinks he should go. Then things start to go wrong in the village where they all live. This is about friendships, helping people and trusting in your instincts to overcome life’s problems. A delightful read, perfect for a summer vacation book as easy to get back into when you pick it up.

What an outstanding novel. Nothing but praise for Jo Thomas’ articulate writing and her descriptive writing is stunning.

This book shows the love of true friendship. It made me laugh and cry at times. It is quite sad at times and I felt like I wanted to go and give the main character, Del, a huge cuddle. You can’t but feel that you are living the story as you are reading it.

I will never look at Lavender in the same light again. I didn’t appreciate the hard work that is 8nvolved in growing and harvesting it is.

Great to read that Provence does get some awful weather at times and can cause chaos.
It is sad in parts and I felt I wanted to go and cuddle the main character, Del.

Characterisation and descriptive writing was brilliant. You will certainly not be disappointed in this Jo Thomas novel. Once again she has nailed another hit.

Thank you Jo Thomas.

Another lovely romance set in a beautiful location from Jo Thomas. From the first pages the description pulled me into the story and the stunning location. This easy read was a pleasure to lose myself in. Looking forward to reading more from this author.


Thank you to Net Gallery for a free copy. All thoughts are my own and I leave them voluntarily.

I had no idea when I started this one that it was another book about Del and Fabien so I was very excited when i realised!

As with every Jo Thomas book there was a wonderful setting, lovely characters and of course we cant forget the mouth watering descriptions of food!
I love the added touch of the recipes at the end.

Highly recommend!

I enjoyed my first visit to Provence with Del when she escaped her life in the UK for a rundown French farmhouse (Escape To The French Farmhouse). This sequel has adequate backstory to be enjoyable as a standalone. Settled into her new life with friends and a supportive community, Del needs them when Le Mistral strikes, bringing tragedy and other unsettling events. It explores loss and love and what transpires in relationships after the initial attraction dims and life happens. I enjoyed seeing how Del developed as a character. I like the cast of characters, the evocative descriptions of culture, food and location and the story's uplifting quality.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

My Thoughts :
This book is a sequel to Escape to the French Farmhouse, which I didnt know and I am a little sad not to of read the first book as I am sure it would of established the story a bit more for me but not to worry as it can be read as a standalone.
We are back with Del who moved to the south of France three years ago to live on a Lavender farm.
There she met her boyfriend, Fabien and started cooking at her friend Henri's Bistro. Life couldnt be better for Del but that is until Henri suddenly passes away.
When Henri's son Zacharie turns up and takes over running the business which does not include Del, she needs to try hard to make some money fast and she also has to employ some new people to help with the lavender harvest. Which we soon learn all have a story to tell.
Fabien is also unable to help as he has gone on a tour with the band for the Summer.
As things suddenly turn bad for Del after the mistral turns up, can the help of her new friends and the community pull together and get her back on her feet again!?.
Jo Thomas has a knack of transporting the reader to beautiful places. She will immerse us into the story and its always full of delicious mouth watering cusine, idylic sunny surroundings and real characters to fall in love with. Escapism at its best.
A great story once again, looking forward to more from Jo Thomas in the future.

I had a hard time getting into this story. There were a lot of characters and back stories to understand. I found out at the end that it's a sequel so that explains why.

After the death of their beloved Henri, the townsfolk had to find a way to move on. Del, his business partner, was at a loss especially when Henri's son disrupted the way of life without a care in the world.

There was also Del's younger partner/boyfriend who went on tour with his former bandmates at Del's urging since she was already so insecure about their ten-year age gap. Missteps here and there made them question the validity of their relationship but I'm glad they made it through.

Nothing much stood out and I was mostly skimming towards the end but it was a nice story. Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautifully written book
It’s a sequel and I hadn’t read the first however it was still lovely to read.

Great characters and very heartwarming
Loved it

Wonderful, just wonderful! I loved ‘Escape to the French Farmhouse’ and was delighted to find this sequel to Del’s story. It was so good to catch up with all the characters and meet a few new ones along the way. It made me laugh out loud and also I admit to shedding a tear or two. The whole ambiance is wonderful and it is a thoroughly heartwarming story. Delightful!

After three years on a lavender farm in the South of France, Del enjoys her life with younger boyfriend Fabian and her cooking passion at Henri's bistro. However, her happiness is disrupted when Fabian is called away, Henri's ambitious son Zacharie plans changes that exclude her, and Del faces a challenging lavender harvest alone. As she struggles with these new difficulties, including a loss of confidence in her cooking skills, the community, including new lavender pickers, comes together to support her.

This book explores themes of love, friendship, and second chances, featuring rich character development and a heartwarming resolution. Del realizes she has been neglecting important aspects of her life, particularly her relationship with Fabian, but with the help of her community, she finds a way forward. The story is filled with emotional highs and lows, misunderstandings, and ultimately, a heartwarming conclusion.

I LOVED this return to Provence and the story of Del and Fabien. Set three years after the first book, things are changing for Del and Fabien. The quick reprise of the first book at the start was fantastic for anyone who hasn’t read the first book. Del has a number of volunteers arrive to help with the lavender harvest. Each of them has their own back story and problems. Each character is beautifully written and I adored them all. This book features lavender, good food and growing friendships and love. The perfect story to make you fall in love with Provence and its food.

This is such a great summer read and won't be my last by this author!!
Such a happy, feel good, beach read, which I really loved.
The characters were great and I just loved the story.
Buy it for that summer holiday reading choice!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is actually the sequel to ‘Escape To The French Farmhouse’ but can very easily be read as a standalone without any problems at all…

Jo definitely has a way with words and through her beautiful, descriptive writing i was easily transported to the heavenly South of France and could honestly smell those beautiful Lavender fields. It was pure escapism and a well needed immersion of armchair travel…

This book was a perfect Summer read and i thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a wonderful, heartwarming story, featuring friendship, romance and an overwhelming sense of community too - i loved it…..

I read Escape to the Farmhouse during lockdown and it was a true escape from reality and it’s been wonderful being back in Provence with Del.
This is book to savour - to lose yourself in.
Jo Thomas writes about such beautiful settings and being back amongst the lavender fields has been lovely.
The descriptions of the foods Del and the pickets share have made my mouth water and I loved how the sharing for the food for all the characters was so emotional- bringing back memories of loved ones and times linked to the meals shared.

Love in Provence by Jo Thomas

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Random Things Tours and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

Escape to the beautiful lavender fields of Provence this summer

Del moved to the south of France three years ago and hasn’t looked back. She’s found new friends, new purpose, and new love with gorgeous Fabien.

But just as harvest on her little lavender farm is due to begin, Del gets some shocking news. With no time to dwell as she welcomes a new crew of lavender pickers, she unexpectedly waves goodbye to Fabien for the summer.

Usually cooking – the thing she loves best – would help soothe her troubles, but Del doesn’t remember how . . . And then chef Zacharie comes to town, dropping another bombshell!

Over one summer in Provence that’s full of surprises, friends old and new rally round. Can they complete the harvest and pull the community back together? And if Fabien returns, will Del finally get her happy-ever-after?

My Opinion

Love in Provence has a lovely cover, it really appealed to me. Jo Thomas is an author that I just enjoy reading - so this was a must read for me.

For me, the sign of a good book is if I can't stop thinking about it. I read the first four chapters of this book and then had to put it down - I spent the whole day wishing I could return. Full of friendships and a sense of community this was a real page-turner. A charming tale, with some great descriptions.

With this book Jo Thomas has taken me on a trip - I feel like I have had a short holiday without even needing to pack a suitcase.

Rating 4/5

An easy and enjoyable read with the feel good factors of life in Provence and delicious food. Del's doubts and misgivings keep us guessing wether it will be happy ever after right until the last few pages. The good characterisation adds to the pleasure of the novel.

I was drawn to this title by the inviting cover and the name of author Jo Thomas. Thomas writes books that are perfect for a bit of escape in a gorgeous setting. This title set in Provence is everything a reader could want for a summer read.

In these pages readers meet Del, Stephanie, Rhi, Fabien and many others. Each has a story to tell and a connection with Del. Del, herself, moved to Provence hoping to repair her marriage. When that did not happen, she chose to stay in France where she is both a chef and the proprietor of a lavender farm. As the story opens, it is time for the harvest.

A harvest is a time of hard work, accomplishment and celebration. Will these same characteristics influence the people in this book? Readers will hope so.

The nice thing about a summer read is that it does not always have to be happy and yet readers can feel safe in the author's hands. That is certainly the case here.

It is easy to recommend this title to those who enjoy women's fiction and well told stories.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK-Transworld Publishers for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 06 June 2024

This is a sequel to a previous book, Escape to the French Farmhouse, which I only realised after a few chapters. I’ve read and mostly forgotten the first book, so I’d say it doesn’t matter if you have or not, because this story stands alone.
Del is running a bistro, and a lavender farm in Provence. At the start of the book the Mistral blows in and starts of a run of bad luck and challenges for Del. As someone who makes a living from food, she is horrified to find that after a couple of emotional disasters, she no longer seems able to remember how to produce any of her favourite dishes. Luckily the disparate group of travellers who have come to help with the lavender harvest, are all happy to pitch in, and some have real talent. Del must help them to find themselves, save the bistro and her relationship..
There’s quite a lot going on in this book. Luckily, you know where you are with Jo Thomas, and there is a lot of hope and reassurance contained within the pages of this novel, alongside some delicious sounding food, and some romance. An enjoyable summer read.

Yet again I've managed to read the second book in a series before reading the first - despite that one languishing in my TBR list. This wasn't a problem as there is sufficient background given to give an idea of what happened and, in any case, works well as a standalone book. The description of the area made me almost smell the lavender, and the food definitely made me hungry.
Del is left to run the lavender farm just when the harvest is due when Fabien is called away, just after a key person in their life passes away.
Although there is much description of the food for me the main takeaway from the book is the friendship and companionship that develops between Del and the group of seasonal pickers. There is a "baddie"who tries to upset the status quo in the village just to have an edge in the story. I really must and go back and read the first book, however would score this book 4.5*, rounded up to 5* because I don't round down.
I did receive an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however did purchase my own copy as well.