In the beautiful village of Chamillon lies the Café Belle Vie, where you’ll always find croissants and friends when you need them the most – and where Elle is hoping to uncover the truth about her past…

Thirty-year-old Elle Matheson has decided it’s finally time to find the mother who gave her up as a baby. With a faded postcard from the Café Belle Vie in hand – one of the very few things she has from her mother – she heads straight to the Île de Ré to begin her search.

With only the postcard and the ivory shawl she was wrapped in as clues, finding her mum is like trying to find a needle in a haystack, even with the help of friendly – and gorgeous – café-owner Charlie. And since Elle hasn’t exactly told her younger sister what she’s up to, the little white lies about where she is are starting to add up…

But Elle is really starting to feel at home on the beautiful island. The locals are welcoming, the café is homely, and Charlie is always there with a helping hand, a listening ear, and a pain au chocolat.

Is Elle about to discover not just where she came from – but where she belongs?

This was a fun summery book about family and love. I enjoyed the writing style a lot.

*Book received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

What an absolutely adorable and laugh-out-loud funny book. I loved joining Elle on her search for her biological mum, & as luck would have it she travelled to a beautiful place and met some amazing people on the way at an adorable little café. This is one of those books that has it all, romance, humour and just down right loveliness. It’s a book that is very easy to fall in love with and imagine that you are there in the middle of it all. I love how Dolly tries everything to push Elle and Charlie together as any mum would want the perfect partner for their child. She made me laugh with her not-so subtle attempts to get them together. I’m a little gutted it’s ended as I want to know what happens next for Elle and everyone at the café. I have seen there is a book telling more about Natalie’s story so I may have to read that next. Thank you to NetGalley for once again giving me the chance to read another amazing book before publication day. I love finding some absolute gems of books and love being able to review them after. A little note to Karen, please can we have another book so I can find out what happens next for her?

Books by Karen Clarke always have those gorgeous covers that take you away to some idyllic spot somewhere :) The story inside is also lovely indeed!

Elle is on a quest to find her birth mother. She doesn't have much in the way of clues: an old postcard of a cafe in France, a bracelet and a shawl. Off she goes and somehow finds herself working at the cafe on the postcard (yes, you have to suspend belief just a little bit here - after all, she is so clumsy she would probably be let go pretty quickly, under normal circumstances). Nevertheless, the people in this book and the people who work in and visit the cafe are SO nice, you just wish it was a real place so you could go there and immerse yourself too.

Dolly and her son Charlie run the cafe and they are sympathetic to her quest. Charlie is dating Aussie Teagan, and before too long, local fella Henri is trying to persuade Elle on a date or two as well, with mixed results. Elle is a modern woman who is trying to make sense of her world. Luckily, she has a loving and supportive sister and lots of people in this French town who take her under their wing too.

All in all, this whole story is utterly charming, and full of emotion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.

This is the second book in Karen Clarke’s series set in the pretty village of Chamillon and at the heart of this book is the Café Belle Vie. The café is where Elle Matheson ends up agreeing to work for the week that she’s booked to stay on the island of Ile de Re, and were she begins the search to trace her birth mother who gave her up as a baby. All Elle has to go on is an old postcard showing the café that she found in her dead father’s possessions and a shawl that she was wrapped in when her mother arranged to meet her father and handed baby Elle over to him.
She also knows a couple of vague things about her mother and although Elle’s not used to sharing her thoughts or feelings about her mother, she is grateful when Dolly, the owner of the café, offers to try and help her solve this mystery.
This book is part of a series, but can be read as a standalone. That said, it does add to the story to know the backgrounds of the characters that you meet in the first book of the series. I especially love Dolly’s son, Charlie.
This story made me laugh, but it was also one that made you think about how it must feel to not know who one or both of your parents are. This is a delightful read that made me want to travel to Chamillon and Dolly’s café to meet the cast of characters in person.
I loved this book and look forward to reading the next in this brilliant series.

A great, feel-good summer read. Now I desperately want to go to France. Loved this one!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy in return for an honest review
A very good read and one I can highly recommend to others.
I could not put this down.
Thoroughly enjoyable with an amazing cast of characters that you cannot help but engage with.

Lovely feel good story. It was well written and flowed well. Easy to read and hard to put down. Perfect on these summer nights

It’s so lovely when you connect with an author’s writing and they keep the novels coming. Karen Clarke’s books are like a breath of fresh air - perfect summer reads. Beautiful characters, atmosphere, food, and drama sprinkled with a dash of humor. I thoroughly enjoyed Elle’s story and can’t wait for the next installment in the series.

This book hooked me so quickly and I read it in one sitting.
There was a lot of humour and some fabulous moments.
This book was a pleasure to read

This is and easy and enjoyable read that fills you with happiness. We follow Elle to France where she embarks on a search for her mother after finding a postcard and a shawl amongst her father’s belongings.
This book has some tender and emotional moments, lots of laughter and a little romance thrown into the mix. There’s also an unexpected twist at the end.
I really enjoyed reading about the location in this story, it made me feel like going there to see it in person. The characters are also relatable.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys lovely, feel-good stories.

I like the cozy writing by this author. I enjoyed the characters and find them interesting as well as the setting.

I received Summer At the Little French Cafe by Karen Clarke as an ARC from NetGalley. This book is the perfect summer read - full of romance and mystery. Elle decides to travel from England to the Village of Chamillon in France after discovering a postcard when clearing out her father's things after his death. She is hoping it is a clue to finding her mother who left her on her father's doorstep when she was a week old. This was a quick read & I was engrossed in discovering Elle's secret.

This was a great character driven story and luckily Elle, our protagonist, is a great character to follow. She's bright and charming and funny. I love the idea of this book too, the whole plot line I found to be quite original and unique. Very refreshing. If you want a fun engaging read - look no futher.

I was sent this book by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the 2nd book in the series, but can be read alone. I actually liked this one better than the first one, as the story was more interesting for me. Ellie is from England, and after the death of her father she finds a postcard from her biological mother from the French town of Chamillon and the little French Cafe of Café Belle Vie. Getting a place for a week, and asking questions it becomes bittersweet about what she finds. I also like Charlie and his mother Dolly, the ones who run the cafe. Overall, a fast paced and fun summer read, and one I highly recommend.

Summer at the Little French Cafe has a little bit of everything- mystery, romance and exploration of family dynamics- all while satisfying your wanderlust with rich descriptions of a little French beach town. A great, quick read!

As Elle arrives in the French village of Chamillon in search of the birth mother she has never known, the reader is taken on a wonderfully poignant and sometimes funny journey of discovery along with her. She immediately finds herself a job in the local cafe, ideal for people-watching as any one of the customers might hold the key to the mystery woman who is her mother. Of course, cake, pain au chocolat and croissants feature heavily making this a yummy book in more ways than one. Beautifully written, this book will transport you to the Ile de Re - another place that is now on my wish-list.

Elle Matheson is 30 years old and she is determined to find her birth mother. All she has to go on is a faded postcard. This leads her to the beautiful village of Chamillion. Will she find the answers she is seeking? When she approaches a lady that runs a café, and her son, she begins to get the help she is looking for.

The café owner's son, Charlie, affects Elle on a visceral level. However, she is certainly not focused on romance at the time. Meanwhile, Charlie doesn't seem apparently available, so Elle does not understand why she is so drawn to him.

Elle fits in on the island, even working in the café. It is beautiful, and the people are lovely. However, finding her mother does not go so smoothly. How will this bode for her future and for her happiness?

One enjoyable thing about this book it is more than a romance. It contains a bit of humor that certainly made this book far more enjoyable to read. I do wish I had read the first book in this series, and definitely hope that I will be able to read more about this little village and its genuine people.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a honest review.

What a pleasant and, for the most part, enjoyable return visit to the French island of Ile De Re and the small village of Chamillon, Summer at the Little French Cafe by Karen Clarke turned out to be. This was a very quick, light and easy read which I flew through in a matter of hours. It's perfect for the summer when you just want to escape from it all and engage in some relaxing reading. Once again the author completely nails the descriptions of such a wonderful and beautiful setting of the island, this aspect brings some warmth and charm to the story. Again, I felt instantly transported to the island as the descriptions are so vivid and colourful. I can visualise everything so clearly in my mind and it seems that Chamillon is an ideal place to escape from it all where your worries could be potentially washed away or else any questions or worries you may have can be resolved with some help support and guidance.

Characters we have previously met all make an appearance again bar one or two but they do get a mention and we know where they have gone. But again I had that feeling that there are so many still remaining on the periphery that I would love to get to know them more and for them to play a more active role in the story. But I suppose there is the potential for several more books in this series and maybe the people I wish to feature more so I can get to know them better will get their turn in the spotlight.

As always the Cafe Belle Vie is the central focal point and more so than ever in this case as Elle arrives on the island on a mission. I loved how there was no pussy footing around the issue and the reader was told more or less within the first few pages her reasons for arriving on the island. Of curse the majority of the main characters are kept in the dark as to why she has left London and her photography business behind to come to the village but I loved how the reader was let in on her quest very early on. As soon as Elle arrives she immediately falls in love with the area and feels a connection to it. Like she is meant to be there and that all things happen for a reason but she is there on a mission and she has only given herself a week to uncover the answers in order to gain some truth which hopes will give her some closure or else will what she discovers open up a whole new can of worms?

So why exactly is Elle in France. Several months ago she suddenly lost her father and whilst sorting through his things she came across a bag which contained a shawl, a bracelet and a postcard. On the front of said postcard was a picture of the Cafe Belle Vie and a note from the woman who was her biological mother who only signed her name as M. Elle has always been aware that the woman who married her father and brought her up was not her biological mother but she may as well have been up until her untimely death. But now Elle is seeking answers, can she find her real mother? Can she discover why a one night liaison resulted in her father being handed a child nine months later whilst a woman disappeared never to be seen again?

The discovery of the postcard gave Elle the kick start she needed to go on a journey. Although this is an emotional journey and full of lots of little quirks and fun moments I don't think it ever got very very deep and given the overall light-hearted tone of the book and that it is marketed as fun and a feel good romance it really was never going to venture down that route. I would have loved just a little more deeper exploration of how Elle felt about everything and maybe she could have been more open with her sister Jess as to what she was doing.

Jess was a conservationist working in Borneo and although they are not biological sisters they do share a close bond and I think Jess would really have supported Elle in her journey instead Elle felt the need to lie about her whereabouts and got herself pretty mixed up when really there was no need for it at all. Things just felt that little bit too light-hearted for me and as Elle settles into her accommodation and meets Madame Girard (Marie) she sets about locating anyone whose name begins with an M and who might fit the criteria and time frame around meeting her father.

All the people Elle meets are so nice and willing to help particularly Dolly who runs the café. She is like a mother hen who wants to take Elle's quest and make it her own. In an exchange for helping her Elle finds herself working in the café for the week which is really ideal as she can suss out potential women who could possibly be her mother. Dolly's son Charlie makes a welcome reappearance. He was a character I loved in book one and I was delighted to see that he would feature more prominently here. Dolly is forever trying to match make him with women and she views lots of people as being the love of his life.

If Dolly could she would have Charlie married off in an instant and she never misses an opportunity to make suggestions or to throw him together with some woman who really does nothing for him at all. Charlie is charming, loyal and someone who knows what he wants in life and doesn't need other people especially his mother sorting things out for him. He will do things in his own good time when he is ready and willing to. I loved how he was so protective of Elle and although she didn't reveal the truth behind her reasons for being in France to him until much later I sensed he would do anything to help because it was in his nature and he was just that kind of guy. One with no ulterior motives.

Elle knows actually finding her birth mother is a long shot but she feels she can't move on unless she has given it a go. She is at a crossroads in her life and as she rings her friend Toni, who also helps her out with the photography business, with little life updates I could sense Elle's unease and dissatisfaction with her life. The reader can tell that whatever the outcome of her experiences in Chamillon that they will certainly be life changing for her. I did think things got a little bit over the top that literally anyone who had the name M and was female was more or less pounced upon for information and was then interrogated without really knowing why this was happening to them. We flitted from various characters without any real stopping and thinking as to realistically could this be my birth mother?

It felt a bit unnatural and I would have loved a bit more contemplation and then digging and investigating back into the past. Distracting Elle from her main purpose was Henri, a local fisherman. I didn't like him at all. I felt uneasy when he was around like he was forcing himself upon Elle even though she admitted a frisson of attraction when she was around him. He made me feel uncomfortable and honestly I thought he was a bit sleazy and really would she have developed deep feelings for him in a day or two knowing she was only there for a week. If the Henri element of the storyline hadn't have been included the overall story would have progressed well enough because I don't think it really brought anything to the book.

Summer at the Little French Cafe was a nice enough read but it didn't blow me away. I felt the ending was all too rushed and I would have loved to see more development once the big revelation became apparent and as for the romance side of things to be done and dusted in a page or two seemed far too quick. There are lots of funny moments scattered throughout the book and I loved the setting and Elle as a character because she goes through so many changes and is really going for what she wants. She needs answers in order to move on but when she finds what she is seeking will it prove too much or will she find acceptance which will fill the hole in her heart? This wasn't a bad book overall it just lacked that little bit of sparkle that would have completely drawn me and had me totally riveted. It reads well as a stand alone but I would suggest trying out book one Escape to the Little French Cafe beforehand which follows Natalie's story.

The Summer at the Little French Cafe follows the story of thirty old Elle Matheson. When Elle was one week old, she was delivered to her father by her biological mother with only a postcard saying to name her Eloise, and the postcard was signed M. Elle finally decides that it’s time to go to Chamillon and visit Cafe Belle Vie (the cafe on the postcard) in order to get the answers that she so desperately seeks.

When Elle arrives at the cafe, she crashes (literally) into the gorgeous Charlie, who assumes that she is the temporary fill in for the cafe. Elle meets Dolly, Charlie’s mom and co-owner of the cafe, and ends up agreeing to work at the cafe for the week that she is there. With Dolly’s help, Elle is determined to meet all the women in Chamillon whose name starts with the letter M and that traveled to London in the eighties.

One of the best aspects of this story is that it is almost entirely character driven. We get to see the different relationships that Elle builds in such a short timespan, and how each of those characters become integral parts of Elle. I loved watching Elle interact with Dolly who is incredibly maternal and choses to help Elle without any judgment.

While this book says that it is a romantic comedy, I would actually say that is a bit misleading. This book definitely has some funny moments (Elle trying to eat a raw oyster on a not-date with Henri), but most of the story really pulls at your heartstrings as you embark on this adventure to seek closure for Elle.

Overall, if you enjoy French cafes, romance, and character driven plots, then definitely pick this one up! You won’t be disappointed.

Thank you to Bookouture for providing an eARC of this book for review and for the blog tour invitation. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

Blog post will go live on 01 Jul 2019.

I wasn't a fan of this one. 

We follow the main character who is on a quest to discover more about her mysterious mother who left her shortly after she was born. Right away, we are swept into the French culture where she believes her mom is roaming around. 

There, she meets an unlikely guy who helps her discover more of the secrets of her family. The romance between them was cute and light-hearted. 

Overall, this was a fun, contemporary concept that took me in right away. Unfortunately, the writing style didn't cut it for me. I felt like it was too muffled causing me to reread many passages, and I had a hard time staying on top of the dialogue which left me uninterested. 

I gave this book 2 out of 5 stars. 

I think that it would be a decent poolside read if you are looking for a lighter story to follow. Unfortunately, I wasn't invested in the story as I'd hoped.