I enjoyed this book - wanted a happy ending for the main character which wasn’t a straightforward story by any means. Wanted the dodgy characters from the past to be left behind.

When Ava inherits a vineyard in beautiful Provence she has some lifechoices to make. Charming and warm, the snippits of French life will delight and will transport you to sunnier climes for a short while. An engaging, escapist read.

After a slow start this book became much more exciting and interesting to read. The characters do inspire some quite strong feelings and this helps to move the story along. Overall I enjoyed it none the less and found the ending quite satisfying.

This was a fantastic, heartwarming read that would be great to enjoy in the sun this summer.

I’ve always loved the idea of starting completely anew in another country so the blurb of this book really appealed to me. The descriptions of Provence were vividly described so I could picture the vineyard in my mind. I loved learning more about it and watching Ava do it up. It’s definitely something that I would love to do in the future.

I absolutely adored Ava and warmed to her instantly. She is such a plucky, brave lady who is trying to make the most of a bad situation. It was great to see her come out from her husband’s shadow and make new friends. She goes through such a journey of discovery in this book as she works out who she is and what she wants in life.

This was a thoroughly compelling and absorbing book that I quickly found I couldn’t put down. I so enjoyed reading about Ava’s new life and her revamp of the farm that I found I didn’t want to leave their world. There is lots happening to keep the reader’s attention including dodgy friendships and new rivalries that added a lot of tension to the book. I was sorry to leave Ava and her vineyard behind.

Huge thanks to Tracy Fenton for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Orion for my copy of this book via Netgalley.

What a lovely book
When reading it I felt transported to France.
A perfect summer read. It was well written and a lovely story

I enjoyed this charming book set in a French vineyard. A story of relationships, family, new beginnings and romance. The setting in Provence was lovely. I enjoyed the descriptions of the wine making process and really wanted to be tasting the rose wine with the characters!

A perfect summer holiday read or for a wet afternoon on the sofa.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! The body of the book was totally different to what I expected from the start.

This embodies the passion of Provence echoing Ava’s passion coming back to life.

I loved learning about the wine-making process and the real family environment that the chateau and vineyard had.

Are you still looking for that perfect summer read that sweeps you off of your feet and leaves behind your worries? Look no further than The Little Vineyard in Provence by Ruth Kelly, which will have you pouring an incredibly large glass of chilled rosé while imagining you’re in immersed in the beautiful vineyards of Provence.

The story opens with Ava’s world collapsing around her. She learns that her husband Mark is in severe debt and has gone to bed with loan sharks. They lose their house, which forces Ava to crash in her best friend’s spare bedroom. To make matters worse, her spoiled daughter Sophie blames Ava for not wanting to patch up her sham of a marriage.

While staying with her best friend, Ava learns that her beloved grandpapa, who she hasn’t seen since she was a small girl, has died leaving her to inherit his vineyard in picturesque Provence. Ava decides to go to Provence to the vineyard she loved so much as a child to find that it has been left in quite a state. Even though she has her doubts, with the help of new friends, Ava decides that she is going to revitalize the vineyard and enter the Golden Grapes competition to by recreating her grandpapa’s award winning rosé.

This story is about Ava’s brand new self-discovery. While making a life for herself in Provence, Ava relearns her passions and desires (especially with the gorgeous Jacques who is 16 years her junior) as well as finding her inner strength, which Mark consistently tried to mute. She also must learn who to trust especially when the future of the vineyard is at stake, and there are devious characters who would rather see her vineyard eliminated from the competition.

Additionally, there are points in the story where we see flashbacks to when Ava was a child. It’s through these flashbacks that we learn the truth of behind Ava’s mother’s motivations to Ava from her grandpapa.

Overall, this story was such a fun and inspiring read. Ava will have you rooting for her from the beginning as well as wanting to try some of the delicious wines that are mentioned.

Thank you again to Tracy Fenton and Trapeze Books for providing an eARC. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

I was reading this book when it was the hottest day of the year and Edinburgh actually had the top temperature of the day in Scotland, quite unusual since we are on the often cooler East Coast. I felt as though I'd actually been transported to France! Many years ago I spent a few weeks on holiday in Provence and just loved it. This book brought back many memories of the beautiful countryside, the pretty villages, the delicious wine - and the heat! With so much about making rosé wine in the book, I just had to pop a bottle in the fridge which we enjoyed later.

Ava's world has crumbled when her husband Mark drops a bombshell or two. She loses her home and her marriage and is reduced to staying with a friend. Her husband was a really horrible character, I found it impossible to find any redeeming features in him. Their daughter Sophie wasn't much better! She was so self-absorbed and showed little sympathy towards her mother. At least by the end, she was showing more kindness and understanding.

Things begin to look up when Ava hears she has inherited her grandfather's vineyard in Provence. She heads there with every intention of selling and solving her money worries. When she gets to the vineyard, she finds it and the house very different to her childhood memories, but as those memories flood back she becomes rather attached to the place.

All those A Home in the Sun type programmes make it seem like a dream to move to a hot country and live a life of leisure. This book showed that it's not always that easy and it can sometimes involve a lot of hard graft. The village near the vineyard sounded just like the places I remember from when I visited Provence. It was full of quirky characters and one thing I enjoyed about this book was that Ava became involved with the people in the village. She didn't keep to herself or just befriend ex-pats as so many people seem to do when they move abroad. Mind you, I'm not sure she had much option as the area was most definitely very French and didn't appear to have many foreign residents. When she meets hot young waiter Jacques, there is more than a hint of romance!

There was a mystery to be solved in this book too. Why had Ava's mother taken her away from her grandfather's vineyard so suddenly when she was a little girl and why had there been no contact since? Ava clearly had fond memories of a loving grandfather and it was touching to read about how he had always loved her and about the secrets which had been kept from her.

What I really enjoyed about this book, apart from the wonderful setting, was Ava discovering what she wanted in life, the strength within herself and doing what she wanted for once. The Little Vineyard in Provence is perfect for summer reading with a glass of something chilled close by. Just the thing to read in the garden or by the pool on a lazy day. And if it's not a hot, sunny day? Well, this book will make you feel like it is.

After devouring this gorgeous book I feel inspired to pour myself a cold, crisp glass of wine. With a French vineyard posed as the backdrop to this beautiful book how could I fail to be whisked away on a stunning adventure? I was hooked from the very first page and couldn't have enjoyed it more if I tried.

The narrative had an addictive nature with a story line that oozed charm and personality. The writing was warm and welcoming with heart and soul jumping off each and every page, creating a special story on every level.

Ava's journey was certainly a bumpy ride with many twists and turns in the road. I adored her tenacious outlook on life and her self belief and determination to succeed at all costs. She was one classy leading lady and an incredibly likeable character.

The Little Vineyard in Provence was bursting at the seams with charm and appeal. This is certainly one addictive read you don't want to miss this summer that's for sure. So grab your nearest copy and dive in without delay....you won't be disappointed in the slightest.

With a charming cover, this lovely summertime novel is a perfect read.

Ava has a bit of a tough time, with a rather unlikeable husband, Mark and a disrespectful daughter….

Ava then receives a letter, she owes a vineyard !! The excitement and joy was palpable and contagious….so off she goes to France and new adventures. Maybe a bit of distance between her and Mark will help…

But, this isn’t going to be easy, the vineyard and farmhouse are in a state of disrepair, and the gardener and housekeeper are struggling.

There’s a friendship with Jacques, a waiter….but does he have an ulterior motive? Poor Ava…..she’s such a likeable character and deserves a little happiness…

Set in an idyllic location, with great characters and a great story. A perfect beach read.

Thank you to The Author, the publishers and NetGalley for a free copy of the ebook. This is my honest, unbiased review.

What a gorgeous book!

At the start of this story, things are not so good for Ava. She discovers that her husband has got them into serious debt with the bank and loan sharks. They separate, lose the house and she ends up in her friend’s spare bedroom. She hates her job in a car sales room.

She then discovers that she has inherited her grandfather’s vineyard in France. However the vineyard of her youth is now in a very sorry state and needs a lot of work to turn it around.

During this time we see a new Ava blossoming, she makes new friends, and discovers what she really wants from life.

The only 2 characters I really disliked in this book were Ambrose, a rival vineyard owner and Ava’s husband. The daughter is also a bit of a brat at times and I wished at times that Ava could be more assertive with her.

I read in another review that this is the author’s first book and this surprises me as it is written with the style and panache of a more experienced writer.

Thank you to Orion and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my review.

I fell in love with the cover and the I fell in love with the book.
It's an excellent story, well written and engrossing, full of emotions, and in a lovely setting.
I loved the well written cast of characters, the plot that kept me hooked, and the descriptions of Provence.
It's the first book I read by this author and won't be the last.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Loved this book. Great characters, easy read, uplifting, funny, romantic and charming. A really nice story that is the perfect sumer read.

Another lovely summery novel set in the idyllic location of France. I'd never heard of this author before but the title caught my eye and once I'd read the synopsis I was sold. The cover is quite sweet too, I like the bold colours and the grapes and vines surrounding the outer edges. It gives a clear indication as to what the novel is about and I for one couldn't wait to get stuck in.

I really felt for Ava throughout this whole novel, her husband Mark was horrible to her and their daughter Sophie didn't exactly treat her nicely or with any ounce of respect either. So when Ava received the letter to explain that she now owned a vineyard, I was so happy for her! It was about time something went her way and I couldn't wait to read about her adventure in France.

Once Ava arrives at the vineyard, she soon realises it won't be a walk in the park. The farmhouse and vines are in dire need of repair and some TLC and Ava soon finds that the old gardener Bernard and the housekeeper are struggling to make ends meet. Ava soon meets younger waiter Jacques and they form a relationship (even though Ava is unsure at first because of the age difference). However, it soon comes to light that Jacques was hiding a secret from Ava that would break her. What with Jacques being secretive and with rival vineyard owner Ambrose trying to ruin her wine, Ava has a hard job of adjusting to life in France.

I did really enjoy this novel. I loved the location, it sounded so idyllic and simply delightful. I also loved the secondary characters such as Bernard and Ava's best friend from England. Some characters I didn't warm to, like Ava's daughter and of course Victor Ambrose. However, overall it was an enjoyable novel and I look forward to reading more by this author in the future. Thank you to the publisher for an advance copy of this novel to read, which I have reviewed honestly.

I’m so pleased that I got the opportunity to read this emotive story! We meet Ava who has a difficult decision to make when it comes to her marriage, her husband Mark has been lying to her about financial trouble and it takes for Ava’s grandfather to pass away for her to make some life changing decisions. Thus her journey to Provence begins to the vineyard she has inherited from him. With this story being based around a vineyard I wasn’t sure what to expect but it was a dramatic storyline which takes you on a journey full of many unexpected twists and turns. I loved how I just absolutely didn’t have a clue how this story was going to end.

It was such a delight to discover Ruth’s writing. She portrays Ava to be a character where you believe that anything can happen and that you just need to take that leap of faith to try and achieve a better life for yourself. I loved how she knew what she wanted (eventually!) this made her ambitious and very strong willed. I loved how the other characters were a great support to Ava (apart from one or two) She comes up against some tough challenges but I won’t go into specifics! I obviously really liked Jacques and of course not forgetting Ava’s daughter Sophie. I felt the different characters of this story complemented each other really well, I felt the strong bond of the vineyard family ❤️

If this is Ruth’s first novel I can’t wait to see what she writes next. Ruth is now an author I will definitely have on my TBR pile! I give ‘The Little Vineyard in Provence’ 4*/5* 😊

Thank you to Trapeze for an advanced copy of this book via Netgalley.

Thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review
A real refreshing summer read great story and good characters and and imaginative.

Lovely summer read. Must be the year for reading about wine and vineyards (Just read Cathy Bramley’s A Vintage Summer)
Ava finds herself in France after unexpectedly inheriting a vineyard from her grandfather. Will she make a success of it or return to her husband? Great read, would recommend.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I absolutely loved this book, loved the storyline and also the characters. It was a delight to read.

If you enjoyed Cathy Bramley's A Vintage Summer, you will also love this book! It's cute with characters that are engaging and a well thought-out story. Would certainly recommend it as a summer read to my library patrons.