The perfect feel good summer read (La Cour des Roses) (Volume 1)

Five stars for being a good chicklit story that doesn’t touch on themes that usually grate my nerves. Instead we are introduced to likable characters and realistic situations, with a strong (though not invincible) female lead.

Emmy catches her long-term boyfriend cheating on her on the first page, while they’re vacationing at a little French guesthouse. After Nathan leaves with his new floozy, the guesthouse manager suffers an injury and Emmy decides to stay on to help with the guesthouse duties. During her time there she learns to love the French countryside and the small town people who reside there, while also trying to make sense of her broken relationship. As she realizes how happy this different life makes her, she wonders if she should give up the entirety of her old life to stay on in France.

This is not a new plot, but it is done in a different way. The choices Emmy must make are not clear cut. There’s no question that she’s better off without Nathan, but her job is another story. She enjoys her career and is good at it. Giving it up would mean giving up security and all the years she has put in. Though it’s not a perfect situation, it’s not the usual “She has an awful job anyway so there’s nothing stopping her” that you usually see in this case. And Emmy is so realistic and logical about her decision making that it’s definitely not certain how this story will end.

Second, while Emmy seems to have no shortage of desirable suitors, from casual to serious, there is never any question that she will make this major life decision based on someone she’s maybe spent 24 hours total with. There is some romance in this story, but the story is not a romance. It’s a semi-realistic story about a time when a woman has reached a crossroads in her life. And this woman is not going to give everything up for someone with whom she maybe, one day, might fall in love.

If I wanted to be really nitpicky, I could take a few points off here and there, but it’s a light chicklit story, and there are no grievous errors. Nathan is a bit one dimensional, and so is Gloria, but they are the bad guys in the story and not a lot of time is spent on them. Would packing up and moving from England to France really be as easy as Rupert makes it sound? Most likely not, but we don’t need those complications in this story, Emmy is taking enough things seriously.

Just before I began reading it I heard there is a sequel to be released soon. I would definitely read it, just to revisit all these lovable characters again. If you’re looking for some light summer beach reading, this is definitely a book for you.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for allowing me an early copy in exchange for an honest review. This book really is delightful.

A well-earned holiday in France is just what Emmy and Nathan need. Their relationship is struggling, but Emmy is sure it’s something that time away from work and routine can fix, until she finds Nathan and their B&B owner Gloria on the terrace in a rather compromising position. Angry and upset, Emmy tries to talk to Nathan, but instead he drives off into the distance, with Gloria.

I liked Emmy, she was a genuinely nice person, wanting to make those around her happy and avoid conflict if possible, which wasn’t easy in the situation she found herself in. She needed to keep busy, which she did by helping owner Rupert, who had been abandoned by Gloria, to cook, clean and look after the guests, something he was struggling to do on his own. Rupert made me smile, his heart was always in the right place, but his ways and means were sometimes a little devious. Although Emmy and Rupert make an odd couple, they worked well as a team and slowly, life in rural France began to weave its magic on Emmy.

Helen paints a lovely picture of the renovated stone guesthouse, La Cour des Roses, and I felt its charm and like Emmy, I fell in love with it and the flower filled gardens. In fact I was ready to pack my bags and head off for a few nights away, where the food and wine seem to be as good as the company. Emmy becomes part of Rupert’s social scene and appreciates the friendships she makes, and here Helen introduces a great fun mix of characters in the form of the locals and other expats. With a bit of scheming from Rupert and some unexpected interest from his gardener and accountant, Emmy begins to feel she has unexpectedly found somewhere she belongs. Reality for her though, is returning to a stark flat, a job (in the same company as Nathan – awkward) and no one to share her life with. She certainly has lots to think about, but will it be her heart, her head or Rupert that influence the decision to be made about her future?

This book offers lots to make you smile at as you read and once I stepped in, I didn't want to leave. It is warm, cosy and will fill you with summer sunshine and unless you are going away as a last ditch attempt to salvage your relationship, will be a perfect holiday read!

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Little French Guesthouse, written by Helen Pollard, is the first book in the La Cour des Roses series. This is a beautifully written story about love, loss, and friendship. This is the first book that I have read by this author, and I can't wait to read more in this series.

The story is about Emmy Jamieson, and her boyfriend, Nathan. They seem to have hit a rut in their relationship, and decide to take a two week vacation in the French countryside. They are staying at a beautiful guesthouse called La Cour des Roses, which is owned by Rupert and Gloria. The vacation was meant to strengthen their relationship, but actually, it has the opposite effect. One evening, Emmy thinks Rupert is having a heart attack, and runs off to find his wife, Gloria. Unfortunately, what she finds is Nathan in a compromising position with Gloria. To make matters even worse, Nathan and Gloria run off together. Rupert is left needing help with the guests, and Emmy decides to fill in temporarily. This is where the story truly begins.

As the story unfolds, we follow Emmy's journey to finding her new path in life, and ultimately, her new beginning. The author writes in vivid detail, bringing to life not only the characters in the story, but living life in the French countryside as well. You feel as if you are experiencing life along with Emmy because of the writing style of the author. The other characters in the book add a lot to the feel of the story...some are down to earth, some are quirky, but all brilliantly written. The friendships Emmy makes along the way are heartfelt and genuine. Overall, the author weaves a beautiful story of love, loss, and friendship in this amazing story. I would strongly recommend this book, and look forward to reading more by this author.

I was given a digital copy of this book from Bookouture and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a somewhat odd account but maybe there are people who, on their first evening in a foreign guesthouse, get up to amorous activity with the owner's wife while their own lady partner is in another room. End of a poor relationship, I would think. The ending, and confusion over what must surely be looked at as a new beginning, occupy the rest of the book.

Our English heroine is left in the guesthouse with her host who has just suffered a heart attack and has to take it very easy. This could deteriorate into a farce but the lying to him doesn't continue for long and the heroine stays on to help this older man for the rest of her holiday. While she's initially in shock this dissipates and she starts to re-evaluate her life and work.

At heart this is a light read about serious personal issues and I was reminded more than once of Shirley Valentine. I like that the lady has skills beyond the kitchen - website creation and admin among them. We meet a few people in the local French community but the guesthouse owner is English. I liked it, I didn't love it but some readers would find this the perfect summer holiday read.
I downloaded a copy from Net Galley for an unbiased review.

Emmy Jamieson has finally persuaded her boyfriend Nathan to take some time off and book a holiday. They decide to go to La Cour des Roses, a beautiful guesthouse owned by an English man named Rupert, in a small French village. Before Emmy can start enjoying her holiday she catches Nathan cheating on her with Rupert's wife, Gloria. Nathan doesn't seem to feel guilty at all and Emmy is shocked when he takes off with Gloria. Now Emmy is on her own at La Cour des Roses.

Rupert is ill and can't handle running the business by himself. Emmy doesn't have the heart to let him struggle on his own, so she decides to stay and help out for the duration of her intended holiday. Emmy soon discovers that La Cour des Roses has found a way to her heart and she enjoys the positive vibes of the place. She starts making friends and the work really suits her, so even though she doesn't have the relaxing holiday she planned to have she's having a great time. Eventually Emmy has to leave France though, to go back home where she has to face the end of her relationship with Nathan. Emmy feels sad to leave all of her new friends behind and is seriously thinking about changing her, until now, secure life.

Emmy tries so hard to make other people feel better that she sometimes forgets herself. Her boyfriend Nathan is a complete jerk and I was hoping Emmy would toughen up so she could take him down. Luckily being in France has a positive influence on her character and being there gives her the strength to deal with the issues at home. Emmy is a great person and I immediately loved her. Emmy is a smart and intelligent young woman with great ideas and I wasn't surprised that the people in and around La Cour des Roses opened their hearts to her as well.

Helen Pollard has written a wonderful story about taking chances when they present themselves to you. The characters of The Little French Guesthouse feel so real. I could perfectly imagine the scenery and I wished I could book a gîte or guestroom at La Cour des Roses. I want nothing more than to sit in the beautiful garden, smell the flowers and enjoy the stunning surroundings Helen Pollard writes about. The Little French Guesthouse is an enchanting and heartwarming story that will have you mesmerized from beginning to end. This story is the perfect read for a lovely day in the sun.

Does La Cour des Roses, the perfect French getaway worthy of rekindling waning love, have more amenities than meets the wandering eye?

Emmy is a marketing whiz with a good job back home who thinks her life is going fairly well. She doesn’t even worry too much about the fact that she and Nathan, her boyfriend of five years, have no real marriage plans. They work together. They co-own a chic apartment. They have lots in common. Their relationship is just missing that “spark” it used to have and she is sure a two-week vacation in the lovely French countryside is exactly what their hearts need.
But just four days into their vacation at the breathtaking La Cour des Roses guesthouse, Rupert, its silver-haired owner, has an episode that resembles a heart attack. Emmy rushes to find Gloria, the man’s svelte wife, only to discover her in the throes of unbridled sex … with Nathan! What transpires after this incident is life changing for Emmy.

The main characters are expertly drawn, while the many secondary players in the book are given just enough life for us to know them without overburdening the story. There are also sprinkles of French phrases throughout adding an authentic flavor to the dialogue. The pieces are so well written they simply flow onto the pages without causing difficulty to the reader, even for those of us who do not speak French. As an added delight while reading this story, I found myself countless times saying, “what a lovely way to say that!”

The descriptions of the Loire region of France are wonderful and written in a style reminiscent of the finest travel brochures. This is the third book I’ve had the pleasure of reading by this author. All three have given me the same “traveling abroad” feel whilst still at home in my own reading chair enjoying a light romance. Her stories have the ability to whisk me away setting me down amidst the lives of people I’d enjoy knowing myself.

If you’re looking for the “perfect feel good summer read” then this book should be at the top of your list!

originally posted at long and short reviews

Meet Emmie Jamieson. Worn-out and in dire need of a change of scenery, she leaves her London life for a two-week vacation with her longtime boyfriend Nathan, hoping a break in their routine would reignite the spark. Never had she imagined the spark would involve the guesthouse’s wife and that she would see Nathan running away with a much older woman!
Now alone and heartbroken in a foreign country, Emmie decides to stick around and team up with Rupert, the abandoned husband, to take care of the house. What starts as a way to take her mind off her broken heart quickly evolves into a way of life. What if all she needs to be happy is a beautiful home lost in the French countryside, bottles of the best wines, and a few friends to share it with?

The opening takes you right to the heart of the action, with Emmie being the unfortunate witness of her boyfriend’s activities with Gloria, the lady of the house. I could not help but fall for Emmie right away. I got mad with her, I felt hurt with her. The way Helen Pollard wrote her main character leaves you with no other choice than to become Emmie’s friend from the start. I went through the whole range of emotions as the story progressed. My heart broke again when Emmie’s efforts to save her relationship failed. But don’t be afraid, this book is not the sad story of a betrayed girlfriend. This is the story of a strong woman in her thirties who discovers her haven in a gorgeous corner of the French countryside. This is the story of a warm and lovely woman who discovers a family away from home.

Every character has their charm, every character brings something to this summer to make it unforgettable. I was under Rupert’s spell very early on, despite his tendency to stick his nose in people’s business. I never knew accountants could be sexy and charming. I wish my gardener was an Adonis too. Well, if I had a garden. I truly believe this is the first story in which I can say without lying that I like every single character. This itself is an achievement. Helen Pollard created a family, a bunch of longtime friends it feels good to have by your side.

As a French girl tired of hearing clichés about her country, I was amply satisfied by the author’s portray of France and its winding little roads, its cafés and markets, its way of living. I felt transported to Pierre-la-Fontaine as if it were I had spent my holidays there as a kid. Her detailed writing gives you a chance to taste the amazing food, feel the breeze on your face, smell the gorgeous flowers, and just be in the moment.

With a breathtaking setting and lovely characters you feel you’ve known forever, The Little French Guesthouse is the perfect read for an afternoon at the terrace of a café on a beautiful summer day, although unlike Emmie, I would order a diabolo violette rather than coffee! If there is room for only one book in your suitcase this summer, The Little French Guesthouse is the best candidate!

Emmy books a vacation for she and her boyfriend to a B&B called La Cour des Roses in the French countryside, hoping to regain a little passion and excitement in what has become a rather stale relationship. Unfortunately for her, he gets caught en flagrante with the B&B owners wife, Gloria, while her husband, Rupert, is having a heart attack downstairs. Nathan ends up leaving Emmy for Gloria, and Emmy, having the majority of her vacation left and also feeling guilty about Gloria leaving her older, ailing husband behind, stays to help him run La Cour des Roses. A story that starts out feeling like a romance ends up becoming a story about finding yourself, not settling, and going after your dreams.

Emmy and Rupert, the owner of La Cour des Roses end up becoming great friends and Rupert becomes a life mentor of sorts. Emmy, away from her marketing job in the big city, enjoys the friendships she makes in the small French village. Can she go back to her old life? She and Nathan were not only a couple but also worked together, so there is the possible embarrassment of their broken relationship waiting for her back home also hanging over her head. Once Emmy got over wining about Nathan cheating on her, got on with life and discovered who she was without Nathan, I really enjoyed this book. Rupert had a sly wit, and brute charm that made him completely likable. In my mind I pictured a Gerard Depardieu type swilling wine and doling out advise to a young naive Anne Hathaway.

There was a bit more to this book than the cover led me to believe I'd find inside of it and I was pleasantly pleased!

When Emmy arranges a holiday for herself and her boyfriend of 5 years Nathan, the idea is it will revive their relationship. Things have become a bit mundane and boring, but two weeks in an upmarket guesthouse 'La Cour de Roses' in the heart of France should help them relax, recharge the batteries and rediscover some of the old magic. But the only thing Nathan discovers is Gloria, their predatory cougar of a hostess, who he promptly run off with. This leaves Emmy and Rupert, the elderly and ailing cuckolded host to hold the fort. With hotel and gite guests arriving the pair knuckle down to present a united front and try and work out a way forward for each of them.

I loved this book, and for once it did exactly what it said on the cover because this is a perfect feel good summer read. Or in my case a wet bank holiday Monday with the husband watching snooker read. From the start I was hooked by an opening that is nothing short of a French farce, as Rupert falls off a stool with a suspected heart attack and Emmy goes to find his wife only to discover Gloria and Nathan in flagrante on the balcony.

What follows is a heartwarming read that introduces a range of characters who are all instantly like-able except our pantomime villains Gloria and Nathan. As Emmy refuses to be defined by Nathan's treachery and mucks in to help, Rupert becomes increasingly avuncular and determined to find a suitable match for Emmy. With an attractive accountant and a sexy gardener as possibles to fill the void, we get to enjoy the possibilities as much as Emmy.

Reading the descriptions of the local area, with it's chateaux, markets, cafes and of course the food, made me nostalgic for the many years we used to spend in France on our holidays. Sadly our gites never came with a sexy gardener. As the holiday comes to an end, it's impossible not to want things to work out for Emmy and Rupert whose growing friendship is a delight to behold. But whether they can salvage something from the wreckage left by Nathan and Gloria, is something you'll need to find out for yourself.

I've never read anything by this author before but I'll certainly be looking for more in the future. On that front the good news is that this is the first book in a trilogy, so hopefully it won't be too long to wait to catch up with what is happening in the lives of Emmy and Rupert.

I received a review copy via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This is a lovely story about love and loss and friendship. It is definitely a feel good book. On of those books that won't really set my world on fire as I am reading it but I know will leave me with a warm, snuggly feeling at the end. Or I hope it does!
We meet Emmy who is staying with boyfriend Nathan in a guesthouse in the French countryside. The place is run by Rupert and Gloria and one evening, as Rupert is merrily having what he thinks is a heart-attack, Emmy runs upstairs to find Nathan "with" Gloria. A few days later, they leave together. Deserting Emmy and Rupert who, good news, it was angina, bad news he hurt his leg when he fell! Emmy feels a little responsible for Rupert's predicament and so she decides to stay on at the guesthouse but offers to help Rupert out with the other guests that have been booked in.
And so the lovely warm hearted tale really begins. Emmy pretty much goes through her own personal voyage of discovery with a little bit of excitement on the way. There are lovely glimpses into the ways of life in a small French countryside village and the descriptions of the countryside really enhance the book. That is a big thing for me to say as I usually require my books to get on with the story rather than waffle on. I especially liked the descriptions of the food, and the sights, smells and sounds of the market and what I would give to share a coffee in one of the market coffee shops watching all the hustle and bustle. At times I really felt part of the action. All the characters were simply brilliant. Some deliciously quirky but all of them very well described. I wanted them all to be my friends!
This book had me every which way emotionally. I laughed, I cried, I cringed, I shouted at the characters but at the end it left me both satisfied and wanting more.
All in all, this was a quick and easy, feel good book that I thoroughly enjoyed. I see there is a sequel coming soon and I will definitely be interested in what happens next!

I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Look at the cover of this book and ask yourself, how hard would it be to leave a place like that to return to the mindless rat race? Yeah. Me, too. And doesn’t it just scream “summer read”? It reminds me of a brightly colored watercolor I got from a street artist in Florence many moons ago. It lightens my heart just to look at it. Probably I shouldn't start by blubbering over the cover art, but I'm just so in love with it. ;)

In the first few pages of the book, I honestly thought I wasn’t going to like it. This big dramatic scene happens and I didn't even know the characters yet, so I didn't really know how to feel about any of it. But in hindsight, I understand why it begins that way. That one incident unravels Emmy’s entire life in one fell swoop, and it is through the aftermath of that event that we really get to know – and truly love – her, to root for her as she works through what comes next. What does she really want? Has she been on autopilot her entire adult life? Does she have the guts to take a risk and chart a new course? What is truly important to her?

The cover is so warm and inviting, and there is a lot about this book that is as well, but it isn’t fluff. It’s a little escapist and a lot thoughtful. It’s fun and endearing whilst taking a good luck at the assumptions we make about what our lives are supposed to be composed off, about taking stock of our lives before it’s too late to turn back.

Once you get to know the community surrounding La Cour des Roses, it is difficult to leave them. Who wouldn’t want to be surrounded by such a loving and accepting group of people? And if I read correctly, there is a sequel in the works, so if you were as sad to leave this story as I was, you can sleep easy knowing another trip to La Cour de Roses is on the way.

Note: I received this book for free from Bookouture in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Twenty-something Emmy Jamieson can't wait to spend two blissful weeks at La Cour des Roses, a beautiful French guesthouse in the countryside, with her boyfriend of five years, Nathan. However, what is supposed to be a relaxing break to fall in love with each other again turns out to be quite the disaster when Emmy catches Nathan in bed with their hostess Gloria. After the two of them leave the guesthouse, Emmy is left behind to take care of the owner, Rupert, and the guesthouse itself. But what initially seems as a disaster soon turns out to be a blessing in disguise as Emmy meets some great new people and starts to feel quite at home in the French countryside. Question is: what does she really want to do with her life at this moment and is she really ready to make some life-altering decisions while she's far away from home and everyone she loves?

'The Little French Guesthouse' is my first Helen Pollard novel and I have to say I enjoyed it a lot! The book is promoted as a great read for fans of authors such as Lucy Diamond and Jenny Colgan and I definitely agree with that; it's a novel I can recommend to all chick lit fans. I really liked Helen's writing; she even made me fall in love with the setting of the book, particularly the guesthouse, and I'm really not a fan of France usually! The descriptions of the lovely house, the scenery and Emmy's adventures really made me long for summer (and a holiday!) and resulted in a lovely and wonderful read which I really enjoyed.

Emmy was a great main character that I easily warmed to and felt for. Part of the warmth of the novel comes from the wonderful secondary characters, though, which really created that lovely small town feeling where everyone knows and helps each other. I did feel that at times the book could have been a bit more fast-paced, or perhaps another small storyline could have been added to keep the reader entertained at all times, but I do understand this smaller pace of life fits the holiday/summer/French lifestyle. I actually read somewhere that this is the first part of a series and I am really excited to see what the next instalment is going to bring us and I'm sure I will be picking it up. Overall, 'The Little French Guesthouse' is the ideal chick lit read to pick up when you're longing for your summer holiday; a warm, well-written, fun read which I enjoyed from start to finish!

**I was given an ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

I felt this story had a slow start. I don't know...it wasn't badly written. It just felt a little overdone, cliché. We've got Emmy, a good English lady who is in a long-term relationship with a blockhead named Nathan. The story starts with Emmy looking for Gloria (Rupert's wife) to get her to call an ambulance for Rupert and she walks in on her boyfriend and Gloria going at it. Well, that actually is a unique way to start a break-up. They are on holiday in France and this is what he pulls?

When he leaves her for Gloria, she stays behind to help Rupert get better and run his business as she is still on holiday. She feels responsible as her boyfriend helped cause this mess. Emmy is really a thoughtful, lovely person. Once I got over it feeling contrived, it really did take off for me. I loved all the characters, and it was such a sweet story. I even teared up a little at a speech Rupert gives about Emmy.

I fell in love with this story by the end and I didn't want to leave any more than Emmy did - lol. I'd call this a beach read, it's quick and not too heavy and light on the romance.

I loved the cover of this book when it was revealed and was hoping the inside would be as good as the outside and I was not disappointed. This was an excellently told story that kept me engrossed from beginning to end as I had to see what happened to Emmy and Rupert and everyone else. Both Emmy and Rupert and all the other characters are well-written and realistic, I could easily imagine all of them – voices, faces, etc – which doesn’t always happen. The descriptions were so good that I was craving an ice cold drink simply because the characters were having one at that point and it sounded so nice! The author did such a good job describing the locations themselves which meant that, for me, France was bright, sunny and had a yellow/orange glow around it whereas when Emmy was back home it was all dull, drab and slate blue/grey. There was such a marked contrast in how they appeared in my mind that I felt as uncomfortable and out of place as Emmy did. The biggest disappointment with this book is that the guesthouse isn’t real! I would love to be able to spend some time there relaxing in the garden and visiting the town and the market, it sounds so idyllic and relaxing.

If you want an escape from life, however temporarily, then this is the book for you. On the cover it says this is the perfect feel good summer read and I completely agree, it transported me away from what was a cold April evening to a warm, sunny summers day. So, pick up the book, get yourself a glass of something chilled and prepare to travel without leaving your seat.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for letting me have a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed reading this tale of Emmy and her friends, set in the idyllic French countryside. I have only been to France once, but this book made me want to go back there and take a good look around, perhaps stay in a gite?

The characters were well fleshed out and believable, the story flowed nicely and even though there were some ups and downs during Emmy's time in France, it was totally relatable and I really wanted to read more.

This was a chick lit, in the nicest sense of the word. It was modern, none of that "oh here comes the local love interest and let him sweep the main character off her feet" type of stuff that is just too obvious and makes my eyes roll a little. Nope, what we got was Emmy getting through some relationship stuff, in a lovely setting, and with a host of supporting characters whom I could see quite clearly in my minds eye.

Looking forward to reading more from this author. Highly recommended read, 4.5 stars from me!

With a big thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

What a refreshing read this book was. I half expected a lovey dovey story about a couple falling in love with the French countryside and people. What I got instead was a book which started off very well, and continued that way throughout.

The main character of Emmy is written extremely well. She is engaging, interesting and her story will leave you with many different emotions as you read this book. Her interactions with Rupert, the owner of the guesthouse La Cour des Roses, are sometimes heartbreaking yet at other times extremely funny. The friendship between the pair are what makes this story what it is.

The characters are all well written, the storyline flowed extremely well and was a joy to read. I was delighted to get to the end of the book and discover that a sequel is on its way too. I cannot wait to read more about the characters I fell in love with while reading as I have ideas already of where the author may take them.

Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book reeled me in immediately. The shock of the first incident kept me hooked and it was such a lovely book. It's all about friendship and new chances.

Emmy is a lovely person and I got to know her very well through the book. She is emotional and very honest - courageously so at times. Rupert is a wonderful man and his friendship with Emmy is the core of the book. They are both cheated on by their respective partners, leaving Rupert high and dry, but Emmy steps in to help. Later in the book, Emmy's Dad explains why perfectly.

The characters in France are very well crafted and all completely believable. The trip to the zoo was a classic - I'll remember that thunderstorm for a long time!

Very very happy to read that there will be a sequel, I wasn't ready to leave Emmy, Rupert, Alain, Sophie et al and look forward to meeting them all again.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Emmy arrives in France at a charming bed and breakfast establishment expecting to spend a bit of a holiday with her boyfriend, Nathan. What starts out as a fun holiday end up being a journey in self-discovery and the true meaning of love and friendship.

It took me awhile to get into the book as the writing and the vernacular is in British English.. so some of the expressions are a bit foreign to me. But once I settled in, I enjoyed the story. It was fun to watch Emmy find her true self and realize what she truly wanted out of life.

The characters and the setting are well developed. It is not hard to visualize the beautiful flowers, the rolling hills, to smell the lavender and to hear the sounds of the marketplace.

I enjoyed the book and would love to visit Rupert at La Cour des Roses.

Disclaimer: I was gifted an ARC of this book by Net Galley in exchange for my honest review

This is exactly what it says on the cover 'A feel good summer read'

The book is set in a beautiful guest house in France.. La Cour des Roses. Emmy has planned a fortnights holiday with her boyfriend Nathan. Their relationship is in need of some TLC, so when Nathan ups and leaves with Gloria the guest houses wife, Emmy stays to look after the ailing heartbroken Rupert.

Rupert provides Emmy with lots of distractions, good coffee, Ryan the gorgeous gardener, and Alain the Accountant. Will she give up everything she has ever worked for to start afresh in a new country? Can she give up her new found friends for a different lifestyle in France?

This is a light read, with well formed characters. Emmy is very likeable, Rupert is adorable and apart from Nathan, the men are all gentlemen. I enjoyed the sense of village life, where everyone knows everyone. Rupert is obviously well respected in the community and therefore Emmy was accepted by young and old from the off. The story line was enjoyable and plodded along, I could imagine sitting at the bottom of the garden drinking coffee reading a book. Although this was a light read, the book left me somewhat frustrated. It all ended rather quickly and I would have liked to have seen more into how Emmy got to where she was at the end of this book. Saying that I will look forward to the next book to see where life takes Emmy.

I can see this being a great holiday read. Light enough to dip in and out of whilst enjoying the summer sun.

Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Helen Pollard's writing is wonderful. More than once as I was reading I found myself thinking "what a wonderful way to state this" so just speaking as someone who enjoys words, this was a treat.

I also enjoy a good story. And, this one definitely was...we meet Emmy and Nathan at the definite end of their relationship...at least at the end of their relationship as they know it. The story unfolds pretty much as Emmy decides where to go from here, with Nathan, her job, her flat (which was quite a commitment as she says) Rupert, Gloria, and what seems like everyone else who could possibly live in the small French area.

This book is less about the destination and more about the joyful journey, through food and friendship, that Emmy makes.

It was charming, fun, and it was well-written.

***ARC Provided by the publisher and NetGalley*

Loved this book! It was a delight from start to finish! I loved Emmy and Rupert. The story was definitely something I loved.

The story starts out with Emmy and her boyfriend taking a vacation in France. The boyfriend is a bit of a blah character and does not have a lot of personality. However, he's soon out of the picture and then the story really comes alive. The descriptions of the guesthouse and the other characters are perfect. I wanted to sit in that garden so much! Emmy is a wonderful character. Rupert made me laugh. All the characters fit perfectly.

I will be looking for other books by this author and plan to read the sequel when it comes out. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is a great feel-good book which is perfect for reading in the first rays of sunshine.

I really enjoyed reading this book even though the pace was a bit slow at times. The atmosphere of the French countryside, the cute little town and the little guesthouse was simply great. I also enjoyed how we got to know more and more of the people living there.
Emmy is a career woman who is finding her peace in the French countryside and doing something totally different. I liked to see how she was changing during her stay with Rupert.
I also liked that things weren't rushed with a new man and everything was developing really slowly here.

I can't wait to read more about Emmy and hope the second part is coming very soon.

Emmy's relationship with Nathan isn't what it used to be. They've grown apart and Emmy wants to make things better between them. She books a holiday in France at La Cour des Roses, a beautiful place in the Loire. They arrive at the guesthouse and everything looks fantastic. Emmy instantly loves the place, but the company is a little bit less pleasant. After just a few days Emmy gets the shock of her life and her relationship with Nathan is suddenly over.

Rupert, the owner of the guesthouse, needs to take it easy for several weeks. Nathan has left with Gloria, Rupert's wife, and Emmy is there to clean up the mess. She tries to help Rupert with his business as much as she can. Rupert is in his sixties and even though Gloria is younger, she's still quite a bit older than Nathan. Emmy doesn't have much time to cry, because running La Cour des Roses is quite a bit of work. She also makes new friends very quickly. Everyone is warm and welcoming and some of them are going out of their way to make her feel happy again. Maybe the holiday that had such a disastrous start isn't so bad after all. Only it's just a vacation, so the good times have to end at some point...

The Little French Guesthouse is a book about a topic I absolutely love, a guesthouse in France. I like nothing more than to travel there and stay at one, which is one of the reasons why I fell in love with this novel as soon as I started reading it. Helen Pollard has brilliantly captured the French countryside atmosphere and her descriptions are both detailed and accurate. I loved La Cour des Roses and would have traveled there straight away if I could. Rupert is a wonderful man and I had so much fun reading about his eccentric character and his charismatic way of dealing with his friends and his guests that I kept wishing he would be real.

Emmy is a sweet woman who's always there for others. I loved how her heart and her head constantly battle. I was curious to see which of them would win. She loosens up a little and the French countryside is good for her. I could picture the beautiful surroundings, the delicious food and the handsome men very well. I especially enjoyed the market day scenes which are so realistic. They were a lovely trip down memory lane for me.

Helen Pollard is a great writer. Her sentences flow easily and it isn't difficult to lose yourself in the amazing surroundings she writes about. Her stories come to life really well and I'm glad there's going to be a second book as I didn't want The Little French Guesthouse to end. I'm a big fan of France, I love a good romantic story and I have a weakness for mouthwatering food descriptions. This book has it all and I think it's the perfect summer read.

Wow! What a wonderful book! The first I have read by Helen Pollard but definitely not the last! From the spectacular beginning to the very last word, I was bowled over by the author’s easy and conversational writing style, and the humor peppering every page had me in fits of laughter. Loved this book populated with characters you can relate to and who by the end of the book feel as familiar as family. A brilliant, feel good read. Loved Emmy so much. Loved everything about this amazing book.

I wasn't feeling very well at the weekend - it's ok, nothing serious - but I really felt I needed a cuddle. And that's exactly what I got from this perfect book as I read it from cover to cover in one glorious sitting. The author creates the most wonderful characters. Emmy fast became my very best friend - I raged on her behalf at Nathan's behaviour, had one too many glasses with her as she put the world to rights with the wonderful Rupert, shared her admiration for Ryan's rippling muscles and way with his hands, admired her new hair-do and her new friendship, gazed into Alain's cinnamon eyes, and felt her pain as the time came to return home.

But it wasn't just Emmy - every single character in this book was quite beautifully drawn, from Madame the elderly cleaner to Framboise the inquisitive dog. And La Cour des Roses and its French countryside setting was also simply perfect - clearly pictured and vividly described in every detail, from the gardens through to the interiors to the goods on the stalls on market day.

The author writes quite beautifully - easy to read, flowing, with really natural dialogue, a gentle humour and real warmth. I'm not going to make out that The Little French Guesthouse is a work of great literature, but for sheer escapist entertainment with a really involving, enjoyable and feel-good story I think you'll find it hard to beat. And I'm willing to bet that you'll race to the end like I did to discover how it all turns out - then wish you hadn't because you really don't want it to end.

This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. This book will keep you reading long into the night. This was such a great read and full of surprises. I am looking forward to reading the next book by this great author. A Review copy was provided to me in exchange for a fair and honest review. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

This is supposed to be a feel good novel? I didn't feel good about anyone or anything in this book except the house, gardens and gardener, Ryan and some of her magically new found friends. Everyone else was a self-centered whining type just like the heroine. I kept waiting for it to get better/more interesting but it didn't. Super disappointing as the setting sounded magical.

Great setting, great characters- this was a terrific read for yet another rainy day but I bet it would be even better on the beach. Pollard has a nice way with words and her plot flows smoothly. Never trite but ultimately happy. THanks to Netgalley for the ARC. You'll like this if you enjoy well writtten chicklit featuring thoughtful women.

I really loved this story and couldn't put it down. The writing is so descriptive that I felt I was a guest at "La Cour Des Roses". Emmy and Rupert are the stars of the book, working in the guest house. Their partners having absconded with each other. Emmy who had only booked a two week holiday, steps in to help Rupert and finds herself falling in love with the village. She makes many friends and falls in love. Can she really leave paradise and return home to London.