My thanks to Summersdale publishers and NetGalley for a copy of “ Vive Le Chaos” for an honest review.

I hadn’t read anything by Ian Moore before this but I was drawn in by the book premise , sounding very much like the Peter Mayle “ Province “ books .
I loved the book .I really enjoyed Ian Moore’s sense of humour and his style of writing and it was a delight from start to finish. My husband is going to read it next and I’m going to read some of Moore’s previous books

Absolutely brilliant.
I have read quite a few books written by English expats who have landed in France. This is by far the funniest.
More, please, Mr Moore!

Ian Moore had an amazing command of the English language. I love his style of writing and many parts are laugh out loud funny. As my daughter married a French man, and I have a dual nationality granddaughter, I absolutely loved reading about the differences between French and English culture and customs. I’m definitely buying this for my daughter!

I started this book with an idea it might be quite funny, I had not heard of the author but on googling found he was a pretty well known stand up comedian and author, anyway I was wrong, it wasn’t quite funny...it was hilarious, I was laughing out loud with pretty much every page I read, it had me laughing often enough that Matt ( my partner )and then even Sapphire (our Ragdoll cat, with has to be said disdain) looked to see what was ‘going on’
The decision to move to Rural France from Crawley is made and it is then experience after experience of funny, sad ( but funny ) and funnier mishaps and interpretation of the foibles of French living....there are just too many great stories to list but the animals they seem to double up on weekly and that then take great joy in attacking him, some of them every time he appears anywhere close to them.the school concert about the annual school trip, an unusual choice for a concert has to be said and the ‘the UK to French’ taxation of their car notable
The camping holiday to Biarritz is also worthy of a mention for hilarity as are the musings on French food, the subtleties and complexities that must be learnt of the French kissing ritual when greeting and the general way of life but all in a good ribbing way and not in a derogatory way if makes sense, ( albeit the author is still a Mod and takes this seriously so is kinda quirky and has his own share of fascination on him from new neighbours who are at times not quite sure what to make of this Englishman abroad )
There is a more serious side with pointers to the stress his job and travel and at times life gives him but even this is done with wry insight and humour but none the less real feeling and it was a good differing side to the author that we learnt about, being a comedian has it’s ups and it’s downs
I loved loved loved it and found it a really refreshing,honest,read and Ian Moore goes straight into my ‘will read without looking at blurb’ list such is my confidence in the writing after reading this book
Essayez ce livre et vous rirez dès la page 1 ( try this book and you will laugh from page 1 )

A Joy…
Ian Moore and family in search of the good life in the rural areas of France? Hmm, what could possibly go wrong? Well, everything as it happens - and all is revealed in this extremely amusing memoir. Enjoyable and entertaining account of just those misadventures as the author takes the reader along for the ride. Sure to raise a smile, and even a guffaw or two, this well written account is an absolute joy.

I DNFed this book.
I love fish out of water stories of moving to rural France or Italy.
But this was not it for me. I wasn’t aware he was a stand up comedian, but I didn’t find the book that amusing. Might be I just don’t get the jokes, but this did not deliver on that for me.

Very funny and well written.
A more extensive review will follow
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Ian Moore is already well known for his popular cosy crimes set in France, and as a stand up comedian. This is a book about his move to France and both his writing and his life as a commuting stand up comedian . It's funny, entertaining and interesting. He comes across as a less curmudgeonly Peter Mayle. This is is a must read for fans of his crime novels, and for anyone who enjoys stories of fish out of water English men trying to fit in with the French.