I have become a fan of Jo Thomas and her delicious stories since I was first invited onto one of her blog tours. Since then, I don’t think I’ve missed a single book, but I did miss the book prior to this one that introduced some of the characters. If you’d like to read some of my earlier reviews, you can follow these links: Chasing the Italian Dream and Countdown the Christmas.
Synopsis
Escape to France with this gorgeous romantic story from the queen of escapist fiction, Jo Thomas
‘Lovely to be back in Provence with friends old and new’
Katie Fforde
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 now, just as harvest – the busiest time of the year at her little lavender farm – is due to begin, Del gets some shocking news. There’s no time to dwell on it, however: she must welcome a new crew of lavender pickers while unexpectedly waving 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 harvest the lavender and pull the community back together?
Will Fabien return?
And if he does, will Del finally get her happy-ever-after?
The perfect escape to take you away from it all – sunshine, food and romance among the lavender fields of Provence.
Jo Thomas’ new summer novel is a follow-up to her no.1 bestseller Escape to the French Farmhouse.
“A joyful and life-affirming story of love, friendship and community all wrapped up in a lavender bouquet. An uplifting delight”
Milly Johnson
Praise for Love in Provence
“A delicious escape to the sun, seasoned with Jo’s unique warmth and wisdom”
Phillipa Ashley
“This story is vintage Jo Thomas, making me feel as if I’m truly smelling the lavender and enjoying all that Provencal food! An absolute treat of a book”
Sue Moorcroft
“Jo captures the soul of sunny Provence in this heady and heartwarming story.”
Rosanna Ley
Praise for Jo Thomas
“No summer reading list would be complete without the latest from the fabulous Jo Thomas… her glorious novels always transport you to somewhere beautiful”
My Weekly
“Delicious and delightful – Jo sweeps you away to a better place with every book, which are always filled with warmth, love and a big spoonful of happiness”
Veronica Henry
“Another winner from Jo Thomas, gorgeously evocative, happy-making and full of love!”
Jill Mansell on Summer at the Ice Cream Cafe
“Full of love and warmth, tears and laughter”
Katie Fforde on Summer at the Ice Cream Cafe
“A sun-drenched treat . . . I loved it!”
Milly Johnson on Retreat to the Spanish Sun
Review
Without having read Escape to the French Farmhouse, I initially felt at a slight disadvantage but was soon comfortable amongst the wonderfully drawn characters. Jo Thomas writes incredibly compelling stories and I melted into the warm embrace of her writing.
Del is a particularly interesting protagonist, and I was moved by her struggle with her insecurities. The gentle reminders of the events in the previous books helped me clearly understand why she doubted her relationship with Fabien and why Henri’s was so precious to her. I certainly didn’t feel at a disadvantage and can happily recommend this book as a standalone story.
Fabien really caught my imagination, and I think I fell a little in love with him. His relationship with Del was filled with love and patience. Whilst not perfect, it was as close to perfection as any couple could hope for.
A character that I didn’t like was Henri’s son, Zacharie. His coldness was tangible and had me shivering at the very thought of him. Manipulation was clearly his driver, and it was difficult to read about his behaviour toward both Del and her friend, Rhi.
Lavender and food play major roles in this book, and I thoroughly enjoyed imagining the fragrances of the cooking and the beautiful, purple-hued fields. Along with the lavender harvest, we meet a collection of characters who each have their own tales to tell, which, in turn, add to this gorgeous story.
I purposely read this book slowly because I wanted to savour everything about it, and I am so glad that I did. Jo Thomas has created a rather special village with a rich collection of characters who I hope to visit again, in the future.
Author Bio
Jo Thomas worked for many years as a reporter and producer, including time at Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour and Radio 2’s The Steve Wright Show.
Jo’s debut novel, The Oyster Catcher, was a runaway bestseller and won both the RNA Joan Hessayon Award and the Festival of Romance Best eBook Award. Her book Escape to the French Farmhouse was a #1 bestselling eBook.
Jo loves to explore new countries and discover the food produced there, both of which she thoroughly enjoys researching. Jo lives in Pembrokeshire with her husband and three children, where cooking and gathering around the kitchen table are a hugely important and fun part of their family life.
Jo is available for events, features, and to write short stories.
Social Media Links
Take a look at the other stops on this delicious tour
Book Escapes with BabsW67 
Thanks for the blog tour support x
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Always a pleasure x
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