I simply adore how Sophie's books pull you in, heart and soul, from the opening breath...for me that's a tell tale sign of a stunning story and boy was I not disappointed.

The beginning moments had me wondering if I had opened the right story as I was launched into danger and drama, which is quite the juxtaposition to the romantic offering I was expecting. I'm not complaining though as I love a bit of the unexpected and it shined the spotlight on our leading lady's characteristics to perfection.....and what a lady our Lily is. Brave, resilient, stubborn and scared all rolled up into one complex character with layers that ran deep. It was a pure joy to travel on this journey as we witnessed her guard break down, inch by tiny inch, to become the gorgeous woman, ready for love, that we see in the concluding pages.

This is the joy with Sophie's writing that both character and story entertwine perfectly and compliment each other with such ease and familiarity. It creates the perfect recipe to draw a reader in and hold onto their intrigue and attention throughout. I was fully invested in this narrative and found myself silently willing Lily and Olivier to throw down their guards and realise that they are meant to be....after all, who doesn't love a happy ending. But this story kept me guessing all the way to the acknowledgements.

I hand on heart loved this story and can't recommend it enough. It has heart, love, loss and a delightful cast of characters all waiting to meet you, especially Mamie. So don't be shy - grab your copy and dive in, the ride is worth every moment.

Such a good read!

I loved this story, it had everything I look for in contemporary fictions, laughs, tears, family and love.

Our main character Lily is a conflicted soul, for as much as she loves her family in France, her past haunts her and she rarely returns, that is until she is injured whilst working.
After years of burying herself in her job, she is like a fish out of water when she has to rely on others whilst she heals. Her discombobulation intensifies the moment she lands in France when her childhood best friend Olivier meets her and all the feelings, she has been avoiding return.

The pull and push between Lily and Olivier is magnetic, even when the stars look aligned, Olivier has history of his own.

It’s a problem that many of us can relate to, especially after the last 18 months but Lily needs a break to understand a work/life balance, which gives her time to learn to trust and grieve.

My thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review #SummerAtTheFrenchOliveGrove by Sophie Claire

I really enjoyed this book, it had a lovely summery feel and was lighthearted and uplifting. There were some touching moments that had me almost in tears but also lots of gorgeous heartwarming moments following the ‘will they, won’t they’ relationship between Lily and Olivier. I found the way the narrative switched between the points of view of both central characters a little bit disjointed at times, there didn’t seem to be as much revealed about Olivier’s past and I felt the realness of his character was affected a little by this. I found Lily frustrating as a character at times as she was such a closed book and very cold outwardly at times towards Olivier. I adored the books ending though and would recommend this book as a nice romantic read for Summer.

A feel good romance with a gritty back story ,this is a great read that transports you to a lovely part of France . Sometimes home is where the heart is after all but it can take a tragedy for us to realise that. Sophie Claire is good at describing settings and feelings that transport you to the heart of the book

The perfect summer-y read exists. Clare's latest novel is oranges & peaches and picnics & adventures. Books that explore relationships in an easy-going, relaxing way are probably my guilty pleasure. Lilie's chemistry with Oliver and her adorable relationship with Mamie-her grandmother was heartwarming.

Definitely recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of Summer at the French Olive Grove by Sophie Claire.

Sophie Claire’s book begins in Columbia where the protagonist, Lily, is making a film about the lives and careers of some Columbian women in a world where women don’t really have careers. Lily is attacked and suffers a broken arm, returning to her home village in France to recover. Moving back in with her elderly grandmother, Mamie, Lily catches up with her oldest friend Olivier and enjoys the slower pace of life in this peaceful place. Torn between returning to her nomadic lifestyle and spending more time with Mamie, Lily has a decision to make.

I love a story set in sunny, seaside villages with idyllic views and villagers who all know each other and this is no exception, The author takes us into the heart of the French village with her descriptions of the olive groves, the boats in the marina and the tantalising aromas of Mamie’s cooking, making us wish we were there.

Olivier and Lily both want very different things from life which seem to stem from their childhoods, and the author keeps us guessing throughout the novel how their past relates to their outlooks on the future, Both characters frustrated me and at times I just wanted to bang their heads together and simply tell them to talk to each other!

If you enjoy a delightful novel with a happy ending, then you’ll enjoy Summer at the French Olive Grove. Slip your sunhat on, grab a cold drink and settle under a shady tree. This is a lovely book for an afternoon in the sun.

Another fun read that I enjoyed, I liked the characters and really enjoyed the setting of the book. One thing I love was the character bonds they felt real and definitely recommended.

A good rom-com that made me smile and root for the characters.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, loved the descriptions of the setting and the characters.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This is the first book I have read by Sophie. It is a nice, light and easy read, with lovely scenery descriptions. You could easily image you are a character in the book.

Lily is an intrepid filmmaker with a conscience. Whilst filming at a coffee cooperative run by women in Columbia filming Lily is courageous in protecting the women when they are threatened but doesn't come out of the incident unscathed. Returning to her grandmother in Provence has bittersweet memories, especially when she is met at the airport by Olivier, her best friend and teenage crush.

The friends to lovers romance between Lily and Olivier is conflicted. It develops realistically with many heartwarming, humorous and heartbreaking moments. Lily's grandmother is a lovely character who has always positively influenced her life. The story flows well with an absorbing setting and believable cast of supporting characters.

The romantic tension is intense, and the reader realises how important the couple's friendship is. Lily and Olivier undergo significant character development until they reach a dramatic and satisfying conclusion.

Friendship, family romance and self-realisation make this an engaging summer read.

I received a copy of this book from Hodder and Stoughton via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I love a good prologue and Summer at the French Olive Grove has a dramatic one! It’s a great reflection of who Lily believes herself to be … As a result, she recuperates with her grandmother ‘Mamie’ in St Pierre. Childhood pal Olivier is there to pick her up at the airport and it’s obvious how uncomfortable she feels.

Olivier seems to have his life all mapped out and although he has some major life changes coming up, I couldn’t help but see it as very much regimented, bland and certainly lacking in emotions. I didn’t think he was being true to himself. But then neither was Lily …

Sorting out Mamie’s art work together in the studio gives them plenty of opportunities to rekindle the friendship they had growing up. Even though they seem opposites and both want something different from life, there are glimmers of that reckless childhood pair. Such mischief simmering below the surface!

The food and settings are fantastic. I loved Mamie’s home and could picture myself there. Lil filming Olivier working his magic in the bakery is very sensory. It’s an important scene in more ways than one.

This isn’t your usual romantic read. It’s not a will they or won’t they but more of a discovery of themselves. I enjoyed how their friendship prompts them to evaluate who they are and what they want from life and relationships.

Lil doesn’t trust herself. Her emotions are so big from the trauma she experienced that she’s never learned how to manage them. But then Olivier is just as much a lost soul… I loved the character development for them both.

Summer at the French Olive Grove is the perfect escape. One for your lists.

This is an enjoyable summer read. It is set in an idyllic village in France which provides the perfect escapism.
The storyline is fairly predictable, but it is still a good story. It is good find out why Lily and Olivier both have such different goals. This is a nice and easy read.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

Summer at the French Olive Grove is a lovely feel good romance set in the idyllic sun-soaked French countryside. The author beautifully describes the scenery and conjures up the sights and smells of France with the aroma of home cooking intermingled with the scent of lavender and rosemary. The dramatic start to the book pulled me straight in to the pages.

I loved the relationship Lily had with her grandmother, Mamie, and the relationship she had with her Olivier certainly kept us guessing. There is undeniably an attraction here but they both want different things in life and you wonder if they will ever work out their differences. I found their dynamics a little frustrating, because as adults they could have sat down together and talked this through without all the dithering about in between. Lily came across as a little too stubborn and unbending and at times I found her selfishness really exasperating, however she had a lot of issues to work through and at the end of the book we discover a little bit more about why she is constantly running away from the past.

This is an enjoyable and easy page-turning story with some wonderful characters and the perfect light summer read. The writing although simple is full of warmth and uplifting and will put a smile on your face. An addictive read which will transport you to all the sights and aromas of the French countryside.

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC to review.

This was an ok read though I didn’t love it as much as many others did. At times struggled to stay interested and invested in the story. Though I liked Lily and Mamie, found Olivier annoying and was frustrated with some of his views and opinions.

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

Such a beautiful story about friendship loss and love. I loved all the characters and reading about Lily and Olivers friendship and growing up by the olive grove
Highly recommend

This book is a lovely summer read. An enjoyable story set in glorious surroundings, described in such detail you can almost feel the warm sunshine on your skin & smell the freshly baked patisserie.
Full of interesting and believable characters, I found myself really rooting for romance between the two main characters from the very beginning and shared their ups & downs.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

🎬🎥Old friends, opposing views of happiness, gorgeous setting🌄

4.5🌟 stars
Another excellent Sophie Claire novel with a beautiful setting in Southern France, layered characters, an emphasis on family and a principal character with alot to offer but major issues to confront. I wouldn't categorize this as a breezy romance because the female lead has heavy unresolved trauma that colors the whole story. The opening is exciting; the rest of the story then proceeds at a more leisurely pace.

Lily Martin, the photographer/film producer female lead, has both physical and emotional scars that she attempts to ignore but that never actually works. Her feelings for Olivier, the next door neighbor and best friend from her childhood visits to her grandmother's country cottage, roil and discomfort her. Lily was a somewhat difficult character for me because she is constantly in denial and sabotaging close relationships in the name of her career. She does not want to be like her cold, career-driven mother but she's SO moving in the same direction. She loves Mamie, her grandmother, but even has difficulty fitting that relationship into her globetrotting schedule.

I found Olivier, successful baker and good son/supportive neighbor, a much more sympathetic character. He at least is comfortable in himself and what he wants from life.

Overall, a satisfying story with plenty of emotion and a promising conclusion.

Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for providing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

A sweet, if not predictable read. The author does a great job painting a picture of the Provençal setting. It makes W you want to jet off to somewhere sunny and French and absorb the environment, culture and food. Lily and Olivier were both interesting but I did find him a little judged and her a tad frustrating. They both had to deal with a great deal of emotional baggage in their journey. A nice read. (3 1/2 ⭐️)

Lily is a filmaker travelling around the world. She has suffered tragedy in her life, losing her father and sustaining disfiguring burns to her face in a fire . Her mother doesn't want to know her.
She has always been close to her Grandmother who lives in France but her childhood friend, Olivier still lives next door and Lily has spent many years trying to avoid him.
However, when she suffers an accident and breaks her arm she has no option but to go to the place she thinks of home.
Can she avoid Olivier and his fiancee or does fate hold something up its sleeve for her?

This was a light, enjoyable, romantic read. Lily is a filmmaker who, after an accident, has returned to her grandmother's house in France to recuperate. Lily spent a wonderful childhood at the house in the constant company of her partner in crime, Olivier. Lily has a wanderlust which keeps her permanently on the move, while Olivier longs to settle down. Neither can deny the attraction they feel for each other but with such different lives do they have a chance of a future together? This is a real will they, won't they?

What really makes this novel so good are the characters and their dynamics. The interplay between Lily and Olivier and Lilly's relationship with her grandmother, Mamie are a delight to read. The backdrop of the French countryside is evocative and beautifully created, conjuring up the sights, tastes and aromas. The writing is excellent, full of warmth and depth. The story is heartwarming and uplifting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.