Yet another amazing trip with Jo Thomas, this time to Provence. Brilliantly written as always, made me want to visit a Lavender Farm and just walk through it enjoying the heady aroma. In true Jo style there was plenty of wonderful food on offer.
This book was worthy of my 5 star review.

I was surprised that there was a follow up to Del's story. I don't think there needed to be one. There was some angst in this story yes, but it felt contrived. I did read the first book, so the sequel jogged some memories, but for Henry to be mentioned so many times was boring. Del was the main culprit. The point was laboured. I am also disappointed in the writer for giving Del and Fabien the ending she did (I can't say any more otherwise it would be a spoiler), but I felt it to be a cliche. I think if a sequel had to be written, then Del and Fabien should have been supporting characters, and a new character should have been the main focus. Some of the people staying at the farm could have been featured far more. Plus points are the food descriptions and the scenic descriptions. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a super read for a sunny beach, you could almost smell the lavender. Made me laugh and even managed a tear. Great summer read. I haven’t read any of this author’s previous books- I guessed that she’d written about the characters before, but it didn’t spoil it for me- definitely a stand alone book

Another gorgeous story from Jo Thomas revisits the characters in Escape To The French Farmhouse, and introduces us to a whole set of new ones in the pickers who come from the UK and Australia to Provence, to help UK-born Del harvest the lavender. But can they also help Del face the challenges of losing a beloved friend, the demise of her livelihood, and the possible end of her relationship with sexy French musician Fabien? Not to mention face and overcome their own challenges.
This can be read as a stand-alone novel, and I really enjoyed the characters, the atmosphere and the suspenseful plot. As always, Jo Thomas makes me laugh and cry with the mix of human emotions she brings to all her stories. Not to mention all the delicious food content, that has me reaching for my own recipe books, and wondering how I can incorporate lavender into fish finger sandwiches ,,,
Another winner for me.

This is another great Jo Thomas book. The beautiful descriptions of Provence and the lavender fields took you there straight away. The main characters were very likeable and the lovely way the lavender pickers came together to help Jo when problems started mounting up was heartwarming. The romance with Fabien was charming and romantic. Highly recommended.

A story full of love, laughter, friendship and cooking, seasoned with heartache, jealousy and tragedy.
I loved the easy going nature of this book, easy to read, which doesn't spoil the story.
I could smell the lavender and marvelled at the menus. Thoroughly enjoyable couple of hours

Sun, Lavender, Love, Friendship, Family & Food! Perfection, however when a loved one dies it turns life upside-down.
As soon as I started this book the characters seemed familiar. I love Jo Thomas' books and soon realised that this was a sequel to Escape to the French Farmhouse which I had read and loved previously. However saying that this could easily be read as a stand-alone book.
As always Jo's books are wonderfully descriptive, I read this on a rainy Bank Holiday feeling like I was in sunny Provence.
Beautiful book!

I was so excited to receive an invitation to revue this book. Having read Jo Thomas’ other books I knew I had a treat in store. I was right!!
From the beginning, when the Mistral upturned everyone’s lives, I was there in amongst the lavender fields…..seeing and absorbing the fragrance! Jo’s writing is so gently evocative and compelling. Her story lines, as they weave amongst the fields of Provence, capture attention
I am not going to spoil the plot by repeating it, but just say that this is a story to be savoured and enjoyed!

If you ever wondered what happened to Del and Fabien and their lavender farm in Provence, wait no longer because here it is.

Things are going pretty well, Henri and Rhi are travelling the world together while Del manages their restaurant Henri's, she and Fabien are busy, although his brocant is not as busy as they would like. Then the infamous mistral descends leaving behind it a literal trail of destruction and some tragic news. Afraid she might be holding Fabien too close, Del encourages him to go on tour with his old band when one of the band members injures himself, but that leaves her alone to manage the lavender harvest and the itinerant pickers at a time when her brain feels totally foggy.

AS Del lurches from one crisis to another her livelihood and her romance appear to be at risk, can she, her friends, and a bunch of misfits here for the lavender picking make everything right?

I enjoyed this, but I felt some of the drama was a bit manufactured, I would have enjoyed seeing Del and Fabien again without the angst.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

From the highly talented author of so many women's fiction books, Jo Thomas, we have this the latest of hers "Love in Provence ".
Stephanie was a single mother who would do whatever it takes to provide for her son Thomas, but now she is married to JB and has two further children. She lives in the South of France and runs a successful baking firm. Her best friend Del is always there for her, Del's marriage to Ollie is over, he has returned to England and she stayed in Provence and became a partner in her friends Henri's bistro. Henri also looked out for Stephanie but when he had a heart attack and decided it was time to slow down a bit everyone stepped into help. At that same time Del also found love again with Fabian, and as JB works with Fabian, they all work happily together as friends. The mistral (a very strong wind) has caused havoc in the square and uprooted a massive tree, breaking windows of the shops. But this is not the only devastation, and when Henri unexpectedly dies his wife Rhi is understandably devastated, he died whilst they were on holiday in New Zealand and she has returned home with his ashes.

Everyone staying and working on the lavender farm has there own personal stories and as you read on you become involved in them, understanding and sharing is one of the guests main attributes too. Full of friendships old and new, all brought together in a gorgeous location full of fragrant lavender, and gorgeous sounding dishes. This is truly a superb story.

Love in Provence by Jo Thomas



This is a sequel to an earlier book by Jo Thomas, entitled Escape to the French Farmhouse. I always look forward to Jo Thomas’s books, sure of a compelling story, and this title definitely did not disappoint. As usual, she transports her readers to a beautiful location, this time a charming village in Provence. The stunning, bright cover of the book beautifully illustrates what to expect from the story within; you can almost smell the lavender. I enjoyed meeting up with many familiar faces and finding out what had transpired in the period between the two stories, but you would not have needed to read the previous book to enjoy this one.



The story once again centres on Del, who moved three years ago from England to Provence, where she now lives with partner Fabien (previously spelt Fabian) in a large farmhouse surrounded by lavender fields. She has made many friends in the village where she lives and, with support from a local chef, has developed a love of cooking, incorporating the local herbs and lavender into her dishes. As the lavender harvest is almost upon her, the Mistral sweeps through the village, bringing with it great changes in Del’s life, mostly unwelcome ones. It seems there is one blow after another, and she must face most of them without Fabien by her side. Luckily, she finds support from some unexpected sources as well as her old friends. There are so many worries over and above whether the harvest can be completed, and, most of all, will Fabien come home?



I highly recommend this latest book from Jo Thomas. Whether or not you have read her previous story about Del and her new life in Provence, this charming and romantic tale is bound to prove an enjoyable read. I loved so many of the characters in this book. Del herself certainly had a hard time of it and I felt for her facing so many problems as they stacked up. However, the sense of community in the village came across once more. The surprise for Del and the reader was the way in which the itinerant lavender pickers came to the fore and pitched in. They were a really interesting group, and often a source of humour. As I usually find with Jo’s marvellous writing, I really felt that I was there in the village with Del every time I sat down to read. Of course, there was also all that lovely food that was being produced and described all through the book, making even me want to go into the kitchen and cook.

I was happy to find that del and fabien had a sequel - I loved reading about all the old characters again and being introduced to the new ones. A lovely summer read full of love, loss and laughter

The book is the ideal summer read set amidst the lavender fields in Provence, and Jo's writing effortlessly transports you there as you read!

Del relocated to the south of France three years ago and hasn't looked back since. She's discovered her new 'family', her purpose, and her life partner. It's a tale of love not only between Del and her partner but also between Del and the community of people she has cultivated!

The book serves as a sequel to "Escape to the French Farmhouse." While it's not essential to read this book first, it does aid in character development.

Love a Jo Thomas read. They are light-hearted and transport you to sunny climes.
I have not read the prequel to this, but I do have it on my Kindle.
Del shares the running of a restaurant with Henri but unfortunately has passed away.
Henri's son turns up and takes over, turning it into French cuisine. She tries to make money by setting up a supper club for the locals whilst also seeing in the lavender harvest.
At times, I found this a bit repetitive. Especially about her relationship with Fabien. He is touring with his old band as one of the members has pulled out. Del encouraged him to go, and then wishes she hadn't as she has doubts about him and the age gap. This is the thread throughout the book. I'm not sure how many times you can say the same thing, but change a few words.
As with all Jo's books, there is always a happy ending and, of course, plenty of sunshine.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House, Uk for the ARC in return for an honest review.

How wonderful it was to be back in Provence, and in Del's life. I hadn't twigged until I started reading that this was clearly a sequel to Escape to the French Farmhouse, purely as I don't read blurbs of Jo Thomas books, I just know I want to read them as she is always awesome.

And this was absolutely no exception, as I devoured this book over the course of a evening, and was very lucky to not miss my stop on the tube. I've discovered over the years that reading a Jo Thomas novel on a train / tube means the journey goes fast, the pages turn fast and I am oblivious to the outside world around me! Such is my level of immersion.

You could practically smell the lavender as you are reading this, and there are so many mouth watering meals described that it's no wonder I was hungry by the end of the book (despite having eaten not that long before!).

Catching up with old friends in this story, as well as making new ones, this is showing the Del was living her best life until a Mistral swept into town and turned things a bit topsy turvy, which added to the drama and intrigue of the book.

There is absolutely nothing going smoothly, and it takes the whole community to get involved to help her.

I just loved everything about this book, it conjures up the feeling of summer, even while reading it out of season, and is full of love. I couldn't get enough of this, and certainly would be happy if there was yet another book set here.

Thank you to Penguin and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

This is.a follow up to Escape to the French Farmhouse but you don’t have to read the first in the series to follow this book. This time Del finds herself with a battle on her hands when her business partner and friend and mentor Henri dies. With Fabian away with his band for the lavender season Del finds herself having to manage the farmhouse and catering for the lavender pickers on her own and is struggling with her worries that the age difference is starting to show in her relationship.
There are a new bunch of characters to get to know and of course food is very much part of the book. Although I found this an easy read unfortunately I didn’t find it as enjoyable as the first book and just felt it needed something to give it the wow factor of the first book.
There will be a recipe section at the end which will be a nice touch.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Uk for an advance copy of the books with all the opinions my own.

An uplifting novel full of wonderful characters and mouth watering recipes. The setting of the lavender farm in Provence is beautifully described, I could almost smell the lavender fields.
We follow Del, the owner of the farm and this seasons's pickers. Things do not get off to a good start, but we see the characters each coming into their own. I loved them all.
Essentially a light hearted tale of the ups and downs of a relationship, with some very moving moments, and at the heart, a very caring community
Just such an enjoyable read.
Thanks to NatGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

À thoroughly enjoyable book evoking al the flavours of Provence. Starting with a disruptive Mistral wind (I started reading this tale whilst in France during the Mistral !) which changes the course of, Del's, the main character, life. I could almost smell the glorious lavender which certainly calms and so much part of the area in summer. Well developed characters throughout especially within the group of lavender harvesters who all had their own personal issues. A couple of rogues in the mix for balance, certainly I could have strangled Marco! I admit I got a little exasperated with Del at times with her over thinking and reactions. I noticed that there is a section at the end of the book for recipes which I look forward to reading once the book is published.

A lovely romantic novel set in Provence among the lavender fields. Jo's Thomas' love of the area shines through. I did not realize that there was a previous novel in this series but it did not matter, this book works as a stand alone novel. Perfect for a summers afternoon by the pool.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for the advance copy of this book.

"Love in Provence" offers a serene escape into the picturesque landscapes of Provence, where lavender fields serve as the backdrop for a journey of self-discovery. The characters, each grappling with personal dilemmas, are portrayed with depth and charm, making them instantly relatable. As they navigate the fragrant fields together, they unravel layers of their true selves, ultimately finding clarity and direction amidst the beauty of Provence. A delightful and heartwarming read that captivates with its gentle exploration of love, growth, and the enchanting allure of the French countryside.