Ellie Gilchrist and her two sisters, inherited a stone house in Provence, from an uncle they never met. She went to Provence to see the house with her sister, and it needed a lot of work. She decides to stay there and fixing it up to sell it, she thought staying there, she could leave her grief at home. It didn't work out that way
She met the neighbor, Julien, and his son Theo. The first meeting didn't go well. Julian was also grieving. When her sister was going back home, she decided to buy Ellie a red bike so she would have a way of getting around. When she rode it into town, a stray dog, ran right in front of her. The dog was injured, and she had a scrape on her elbow. Julian came, because he is a doctor, and took her and the dog to the vets. She decides to keep the dog temporarily.
Her plans are to fix up the house, and bring it back to life. As she brings the house back to life, will she discover, that she might be coming back to life too? Alison Roberts writes with such description, that whether it is the house, feelings, animals, the countryside, she makes me feel like I am right there, with her, and can see it all.
I received an ARC from Boldwood Books through NetGalley.

This book was a lovely read. Ellie's journey was provocative and fulfilling. My favorite part of the book was the beautiful imagery the author conveyed with her words. From a run down house to a beautiful sanctuary was quite a metaphor for Ellie's life and her journey. The romance was subtle yet impactful. Beautiful escapist romance.

Alright, alright, alright.

Take A Year at the French Farmhouse by Gillian Harvey, but add other life events leading to the year in France.

Slow, slightly predictable read.

Sad story with the MFC.

Didn't hold my attention like other books would, but it was alright and easy for a 'between books' read.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my E-ARC.

I usually love Alison Robert’s books but this was disappointing - slow, rather pedestrian and predictable

A sad little story with a heroine Ellie who’d lost a baby to cot death and the father of said baby had left her. She and her sisters inherit a cottage in France. After she and sister Laura visit, Ellie stays on to prepare it for sale.

She meets next door neighbour Julien and his son. He lost his wife in a car accident when she ran away with her lover.
Ellie struggles with her grief for a lot of the book feeling guilty that she didn’t save him.

Ellie and Julian succomb to attraction (closed door scenes which disappointed me., but agree it will be a short fling. She renovates the cottage. And makes limoncello and learns to drive the Citroen 2CV which is conveniently left in the garage and easily repaired.

There’s a third act break up and then a fast and truncated resolution and happy ending.

IIt’s a sweet and gentle story and an enjoyable read but it didn’t capture my interest as so many of her books have done.

A bitter-sweet romance set in the south of France. When Scottish Ellie and her sister go to view the run down house they inherited, Ellie finds a way to distance herself from the sadness back home. Losing her son to crib-death, and her partner leaving her when he found out she was pregnant, she is wallowing in grief. Meeting her handsome widower neighbor and his adorable son, add a new dimension to her life. Finding ways to work on improving the country house, and taking care of her two donkeys and small dog, Ellie find a new meaning for life. Julien, the neighbor also has issues to overcome. Good story, and one I highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC.

After losing her child to cot death, 29 year old Ellie is still deep in grief when she learns that she and her two sisters have inherited an old stone house in Provence from an uncle they never knew, due to their alcoholic father leaving them when they were young.

Ellie and Laura travel to Provence to take a look and start selling the house as neither wants to live in it. However, something compels Ellie to stay for the summer and renovate the building for a better sale. Soon she meets her grumpy neighbour Julien and his adorable little son Theo, discovers she owns two docile donkeys and acquires a scruffy dog she calls Pascal when she nearly runs him over with her bright red retro bike.

However, she cannot afford to fall in love again as the pain of losing people would be too big so all she allows herself is a little holiday affair.

I liked the protagonists and how they slowly fall in love with each other without really wanting to. The area and the food is described wonderfully, making you want to live there too. The cover is utterly gorgeous but I was missing an epilogue as the book ends rather abruptly.

However, it is a quick, cozy and warmhearted holiday read that will leave you wanting more.

4.25 stars

Okay, any gal that is looking for a book, this is it!!! Absolutely darling. I was just in love with the main character and her sweet story.

Es un libro sobre la sanción y las segundas oportunidades.

La protagonista, Ellie perdió a su bebé, un día se fue a dormir y al levantarse, Jack, ya no respiraba.
Durante 6 meses ha estado deprimida, su familia está muy preocupada y cuando les heredan una casa en Francia la mandan junto a su hermana para que se despeje un poco y al final decide quedarse hasta que vendan la casa.
En ese tiempo conoce a su vecino Julien y a su hijo Theo, la pobre se pone nerviosa cuando conoce a Theo porque le recuerda a su hijo, pero por ciertas circunstancias se vuelven cercanos y poco a poco abrirá su corazón.

Julien es doctor  ama a su hijo y es viudo. Su esposa lo iba a abandonar, pero mientras escapaba con su amante murió en un accidente. Ahora el no quiere saber nada del amor y quiere enfocarse en su hijo, pero la vida le tiene otros planes.

Ambos tiene povs, sin embargo, la historia se centra en Ellie por lo que ella tiene más povs.

Tristemente no tiene epílogo, espero que lo agreguen en la edición final.🤞



Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Beautifully written, should however come with a trigger warning. I've lost my first born so I know exactly how deep Ellie's grieving is. I would however loved being warned beforehand that this book covered this theme..I wouldn't have picked it up because after soon 14 years it still hurts.

The world building is magnificent, as I am living in the south of France I didn't have any problems at seeing the pittoresque villages. I would have loved to know more about how Julien was thinking about winning her back. And an epilogue to show the new family's happy ending