What a treat it was to discover Love in Provence was a follow up to Escape to the French Farmhouse by Jo Thomas. It was an utter delight from start to finish to once again catch up with Del who resides in her farmhouse, Le Petit de la Mer, in the French countryside surrounded by lavender fields. I adored the first book and the plot, setting and characters came back to me quickly. New readers needn’t have read the first book as this can easily be read as a standalone and you’ll quickly get sucked into the story. Three years have passed since the last book and a lot of has happened. There is a lovely, relaxed feel to the story and there is enough backstory/recap provided so that you won’t feel as if you have missed out if you are new to these characters.

Del is happy living at the farmhouse and working at Henry’s Bistro in which she is now a partner. She is in a relationship with Fabien who runs the local brocante which is like an antiques business and he clears out houses and sells on the items for sale. Things are going well for Del but as the mistral wind blows through the village and the window of the bistro is shattered when a tree falls, Del feels changes are a foot and they mightn’t all be good or wanted. Del has learned and will come to comprehend even more throughout the course of the book that life is to be grabbed by both hands and the most must be made of every opportunity. Rhi, her best friend, arrives back to the village from her travels with unsettling and upsetting news which as well as the mistral is the catalyst for much change. Is Del ready to cope with everything that is about to be thrown in her path? Just when she thought things were settled in her new life in France. A life she had once never dreamed possible.

Rhi is distraught and brings the devastating news that her partner Henri, the stalwart of the village and owner of the bistro, has passed away. He was the heart of everything and now the soul has been ripped from the bistro and village not to mention Del has lost a dear friend who was a support and guide for her. They do say trouble comes in threes and with the bistro out of action until repairs can be made to the window and with Henri so abruptly taken from them Del is disgusted by the arrival of Henri’s son Zachaire who intends on turning the bistro into a fancy upmarket restaurant. So very different from what has been at the heart of the village for years. Everything she has worked for will be gone as he has scant regard for what Del and Henri achieved there.

I felt so sorry for Del in that things had been running smoothly for her and her love of cooking and food was being called into question. Ever since she had discovered a lavender cookbook on Fabien’s brocante her life had been turned around and now her security was being taken away from her. Her professional life is not off to a good start in this book and the personal side takes a nosedive too when Fabien is given the opportunity to go on the road with the band, he once played with. This will take him away from the village and as they have both already been so busy the opportunities to spend time with each other seeming to be growing slimmer and slimmer.

It soon became clear that Del had an awful lot of balls to juggle and even more so when the lavender harvest is ready and despite the fact she has seasonal workers coming she feels she can’t do it without Fabien by her side. She is scared that with Fabien gone they will drift apart. That perhaps they haven’t worked hard enough on their relationship. Throughout the book she is anxious and filled with doubt and when her love and inspiration for cooking abandons her and threatens to make the workers leave she is in a very desperate situation. Can she make the harvest a success? Can she prevent Zachaire from turning the bistro into something totally unrecognisable from its previous incarnation with all its associated history? Will her relationship withstand distance and rumours?

Lavender and cooking play a huge role in this story and once again Jo Thomas will have your mouth watering at all the fabulous descriptions of French home cooked food. Food becomes a source of healing for Del as she attempts to get over the loss of Henri and power on with the harvest. But she can’t do it alone and the varied cast of characters that come to help each have their own little story too tell. There are too many to individually mention here but suffice to say the author worked her magic and made it feel as if each character had their own story and personal journey to share. There was a reason they were all gathered together to work the lavender season at the farmhouse and they arrived at just the point when Del needed guidance and support. There are many ups and downs for Del and it's as if she is navigating a stormy sea and riding the crests of waves. One minute she is up and positive and the next something occurred which brought her right back down again struggling to grasp for air.

Without Fabien by her side she feels adrift, but I loved how old familiar faces made reappearances as well as the new workers at the farmhouse and together they spurred Del on when she had reached her lowest point. The ideas that unfolded in order to try and get the bistro up and running again were fabulous and I could envision it all happening so clearly in my mind thanks to the wonderfully descriptive writing from the author. There was a real sense of community spirit, friendship, helping others and being united as one for a common cause and it did so very naturally. That’s how the pace, the plot and character development felt overall. Just so very natural , engaging and enjoyable and that’s what made the pages fly by and had me feeling as if I had been whisked away to France when in reality I was sitting on the couch as another grey and dreary day lingered outside. I loved the ending. It was pure perfection and these words were so apt for the themes explored in the book and readers will take great comfort from them.’Don’t wait for things to get better - to be less complicated. Learn to be happy right now.’

Love in Provence is pure escapism and the most perfectly holiday read. Jo Thomas never disappoints and her twice yearly publications are always something I look forward to immensely. This is a wonderful, feel good story that has an air of magic about it where the characters are likeable and relatable and you’ll be rooting for them the whole way in the hopes of them achieving a happy ending. Some authors write a sequel to a story where it is not needed at all but here this was such a fabulous story so well told. Del and her friends and family certainly deserved a return visit. I wonder will Jo revisit old characters in her next summer book? But in the meantime Jo ‘s Christmas book, Christmas in the Swiss Alps, will be with us later this year and I know it’s way too early to be thinking about Christmas books but I have to do say I do love a Christmas themed story from this author and I already have it on my wishlist. In the meantime you won’t go far wrong with this treat of a read so do yourself a favour and grab a copy as soon as you possibly can.

A lovely tale of love, loss, friendships and new beginnings.
The author has a really good way of describing everything so you really feel you are walking up towards the house, walking amongst the lavender and meeting all the people along the way. I could see in my mind the places they visited in this book and imagined the smell of the food they are cooking.
It was well written, maybe a little slow in places but all in all a nice read. A must admit it wasn’t my favourite by this author but would be keen to read more of her stories in the future.

C'est magnifique!
This book will whisk you away to Provence, amongst heady lavender scents as well as the glorious description of French cuisine.
The story is multidimensional and a complete page turner.
I definitely recommend this book.

Love in Provence is the follow up to one of my favourite Jo Thomas books, Escape to the French Farmhouse and I was absolutely overjoyed to know we would be revisiting Provence once again.

Things have settled into a lovely routine for Del, Fabian and their friends. Henri, her business partner and her best friend Rhi are travelling the world and Del is busy with the restaurant ‘Henri’s’ along with Fabien and the lavender harvest is due to start. Things are looking good until the mistral blows into town. Things start to slowly unravel in Del’s happy life and when they all receive some heartbreaking news from Henri and Rhi, Del knows things will never be the same again. When Fabien gets the chance to go on tour over the summer with his old band, although Del is desperately sad to see him she knows it will be good for them and also bring them such much needed money following the abrupt closure of one of her livelihoods. Suddenly Del is not only battling to save her livelihood but also battling her own body. Aware of the age difference between herself and Fabien, she tries to battle on despite forgetting recipes that were once second nature to her.

Despite all of this, the Lavender season is upon them with the promise of pickers arriving, Del struggles to even remember the simplest of recipes, the group pull together and learn how to work together.

Love in Provence is an absolutely beautiful follow up with an even bigger cast of characters for you to get to know. Some old and some new, it was wonderful to get to know them all and learn about their lives and let the magic of the lavender farm work on them.

The ending was perfect (and I did slightly guess some of it for a change!) and I really hope we get to be reunited with the characters once again as there is still so much to learn from them!

Absolutely perfect and highly recommended from me!

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