Thanks to Netgalley , Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Corgi for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review.

We follow the story of Fliss and her 2 sisters who have inherited a chateau from their Grandfather. Unfortunately the chateau isn't quite as glamorous as they hoped and it comes with a sitting tenant and lots of bills. What is the story behind the inheritance? Why is there a sitting tenant and why are the locals positively hostile towards the family? You'll need to read it to find out but I highly recommend you do as this as a hugely enjoyable tale from Jo Thomas.

Christmas in a chateau what more could you ask for! This was well written and loved all the characters and the stuff they get up to! Loved the feeling of getting ready for Xmas with all the food and parties too. A perfect story to start Christmas.

If you are looking for a feel good Christmas read then look no further. Light the fire, curl up under your nice warm blanket and make yourself comfy because Jo Thomas has written the perfect escape from reality to while away a winters day.

It is a story of family, friendships, community and love and I totally recommend it!

This was very good, and I enjoyed reading it. It was one of the best novels I read over the summer and it made me want to be in France. I would recommend this.

When her grandfather dies, Fliss and her two sisters are amazed to find that he has left them a chateau in France. They visit the chateau and find it's run-down and has an elderly chatelaine in residence. Fliss stays on to clean the chateau up and prepare it for sale. Finding that this won't be a simple process, ideas start to form in Fliss' mind...B&B, wedding venue, apple festivals...but will Fliss be able to persuade the reluctant villagers that this is a good idea, in particular the handsome mayor, Jacques?
This is a lovely, cosy, feelgood book. The settings are great and bring a real, traditional French feel.
Naturally books like this are a little predictable but are huge fun in reaching the conclusion!

I found this book hugely enjoyable. Waiting to see how the girls were going solve the tax/sitting tenant problems and integrate into a foreign community kept me turning the pages. Also seeing how romance could blossom with an ex wife still interested trying to interfere. Enjoyable, sitting in the garden, read!

I really enjoyed this book; Celebrations at the Chateau follows the trials as Fliss and her sisters inherit a Chateau they didn't even know existed and discover their Grandfather's past.

It's an easy read that is detailed and descriptive thus a treat to read! It's easy to follow and interesting; I think any fans of 'Escape to the Chateau' on telly will love living vicariously through this book. The characters are likeable (where they're meant to be!), the only downside is that it might leave you wanting to eat rather a lot of french cheese.....

A slightly run down French chateau, an unexpected inheritance, conflict with a grumpy neighbour and a little mystery to boot makes this the perfect Sunday afternoon read as the nights draw in.
Fliss is great and her ways of coping with the many obstacles put in her path make her engaging abs likeable and the descriptions of her lovely food made me very hungry. This was my first book by this author but definitely won’t be my last.

Thank you Penguin Random House Uk for providing me the opportunity to read this fabulous book.

I absolutely love Jo Thomas books and this did not disappoint!
I was hooked from the start with mystery, a bit of mayhem, winning over a hostile village, making friends and a little bit of romance.

Fliss and her sisters inherit a chateau in France when their beloved grandad dies, they had no idea it existed, or why he owned it!
Fliss takes on the challenge to make a success of their inheritance and to solve the mystery.
Food is always a joy, even if not made by Fliss, and the dishes served up in the chateau are good home cooked comfort food served with a fine wine or cider from the chateau’s own orchard, which in itself has caused problems between the village and chateau.

I devoured this book within a weekend and was left feeling warm and satisfied.

Jo Thomas is on top form with her latest novel #CelebrationsattheChateau. Once more she manages to provide a lovable and relatable female lead in Fliss, along with a likable and entertaining cast of characters in her family and the community. Her brilliant descriptions of food made my mouth water and we want to get on a ferry to France immediately.
Inheriting a beautiful French chateau sounds like a dream come true, but for Fliss and her sisters it brings worry and responsibility they are not sure they can handle. Going on the journey with them was like spending an afternoon with an old friend. Jo Thomas always delivers a warm and comforting story that I am sure will be enjoyed by all who who read it.
Thank you so much to the author, her publishers and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this feel-good and comforting tale.

An absolute gem of a read from Jo Thomas, I’m not normally keen on books set in a different country, but this had me falling in love with the chateau and the secrets it holds. Three sisters suddenly find themselves in France after their grandfather passes and leaves them a house in a small village in France that they never knew he had. Set to visit & put it up for sale, they find obstacles in their way, that can’t be sorted in a weekend. Lizzie stays on to try & sort the sale, but the house holds secrets that need to be resolved. Throw in a mystery tennant, a village that don’t welcome newcomers, a wayward nephew and a grumpy neighbour and you won’t want to put this book down.

The story differs from the usual moving to an inherited cottage and falling in love story, that’s what makes this book so special, it’s the story behind the house and how it fits into the village. A great read for all fans of female fiction.

Fliss and her 2 sisters have inherited a home in France, but far from the small villa they expected they have actually inherited a castle like Chateau which has seen better days. Thoughts of selling however have had to be cast aside as part of the agreement of the inheritance was to continue allowing a tenant to remain in the chateau.
Fliss decides that having had a tough discussion with her boyfriend, who it transpires, doesn’t share the same ideas as her, she may as well stay in France and try and repair the chateau and possibly turn it into a bed and breakfast.
There are lots of obstacles thrown in her way however but Fliss is determined to overcome these and to try and get to the bottom of the relationship between her Grandfather and the tenant and make a success of the new venture to help all the family.
Due to some trouble at school she has some assistance from her Nephew and throw into the mix her grumpy neighbour Jacques and lots, and I mean lots, of references to delicious food which will make your tummy rumble, and you have a lovely festive read (but can be read any time of the year).
A wonderful feel-good book which doesn’t disappoint.

I have read (and enjoyed) a number of Jo Thomas books now, so I was pleased to be invited to review a copy of Celebrations at the Chateau.

I really enjoyed reading this book. Three sisters unexpectedly inherit a Chateau, and Fliss stays to sort out selling it. There are a number of hitches, not least her neighbour. The whole story has a great atmosphere of warmth and family.

It was lovely to read about Fliss’s journey to finding out what she really wanted from life, and the book is peppered with lots of interesting characters. The setting (both the Chateau and it’s surroundings) is really fun, and feels homelike from very early on.

Overall, this is a great story, full of warmth and family, and the romance is lovely. I really hope there will be a sequel, perhaps focussing on one of Fliss’s sisters?

I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

I always look forward to reading a book from Jo Thomas; they inevitably hold the promise a trip to somewhere new and exciting accompanied by some tasty food and drink, and hopefully romance. As the title suggests, this one takes the reader on a trip to France and the lovely building pictured on the cover. As expected, I found it a captivating story that I finished very quickly.



When Fliss and her sisters, Nellie and Lizzie, travel to Normandy to view the house they have unexpectedly inherited from their grandfather, they are amazed to find that they are now the owners of a spectacular, if slightly rundown, chateau. Nobody in the family had any idea that their grandfather owned this grand residence, and the sisters are all keen to find out how he had come to buy it in the first place. While the others return home, Fliss stays behind to organise the sale of the chateau, but is met with problems. A sitting tenant who needs to be paid a monthly salary and a huge tax bill due any time mean that it cannot be sold. If the payments are missed, ownership of the building will revert to its previous inhabitants. Fliss decides to clean up and repair the chateau and try to run it as a bed and breakfast property, but is met with resistance from the town mayor, Jacques, and many of the local town’s business people. It appears that she must find a way to win them round if she is to succeed in returning the chateau to its former outstanding appearance and run a flourishing business.



I was quickly drawn into this compelling tale of the once magnificent chateau and the sisters’ attempts to keep their grandfather’s property in the family. I loved the way in which the mystery over how the man had come to buy the chateau and his link with the area is gradually solved as the story progresses. There are so many surprises in store for Fliss as she tries to overcome the many obstacles that arise during her attempts to find a way to make the chateau pay for its upkeep. Only once some of its secrets are revealed can she make significant headway. I admired her determination to keep forging ahead in the face of resistance from the local people, and in particular mayor Jacques. I wasn’t sure what to make of him, or his grandmother Charlotte to start with, but warmed to both as Fliss got to know them. Since the story is set in France, there is, of course, lots of delicious food and drink mentioned in the story. There is a particular link with cider, as the chateau’s orchard produces apples that are famous for their cider-making properties. This is a book that I can certainly recommend, with its lovely setting, interesting characters, air of mystery, and, of course, promise of romance.

A wonderful story full of hope and love. Three sisters are left a beautiful albeit rather dilapidated chateau in

France, their inheritance from their beloved grandfather. Lovely Fliss wants to open it as a B & B but encounters

many obstacles on the way including a sitting tenant, unfriendly locals, a hostile mayor, and financial problems.

However, Fliss shows perseverance coupled with a sense of humour in bringing people together and

despite hardships finds acceptance and the love of her life..

This tale has it all -mystery, optimism, and romance. A heartwarming read.

This is the first book I have read by this author and it will not be the last. Great characters, a wonderful setting and a heartwarming story. What more could the reader want. I couldn’t put it down and was sad when the story ended. Wholeheartedly recommended.

Jo Thomas at her best. What a lovely story of siblings coming together and a town pulling together again..Love all the food descriptions . Charlotte was one strong lady and I am glad she found peace in the end. I loved how Jacques character became more likeable as the book went on. The baker selling Fliss stale bread was funny in a sad way. Ty was a user and I am glad Fliss realised it eventually . A happy ending as well . It made you want to go to France. A must read

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. I have read most of Jo Thomas's books and this one i enjoyed as well. Felicity and her two sisters inherit a chateau in France that has seen better days. It will take everything they have to make it liveable again. This book was a quick read.

Fliss and her two older sisters travel to France to see the property their grandfather left in his will. Never having even heard about the property they are expecting a holiday cottage of some description, not a full-blown chateau. Unfortunately, the sisters' plans to sell the chateau are thwarted when they discover they have a sitting tenant, not only that, but they have to pay this tenant a monthly stipend otherwise the chateau reverts to the previous owners!

When her sisters return to England to their jobs and families Fliss is left in France to try to resolve the situation, not helped by the moody guy next door or the hostile townspeople. A chance broken-down car outside the chateau offers Fliss the opportunity to let a family spend the night and that gives her the idea of starting a bed and breakfast operation, assisted by her teenage nephew who has been excluded from his school in England for selling drugs.

Fliss has always felt herself to be an underachiever, hampered by dyslexia at school, she has held a series of fairly menial jobs, when she got the opportunity to buy the café she worked in, she was too timid and ended up working for the new owners instead, and her long-term relationship appears to have hit the rocks as soon as she mentioned the future possibility of children. But what seemed to Fliss and her sisters as lack of direction is perfect training for running a chateau. She can direct cars into parking correctly, she can cook breakfasts for lots of people, she knows how to clean, and she knows how to grow vegetables.

Jo Thomas has freely admitted that this book is inspired by the delightful TV series Escape to the Chateau and this is a charming story wound around that delightful premise. I will warn you that the frequent descriptions of amazing food will have you salivating all over your Kindle though!

This might be (100% definitely is) somewhat idyllic, the hard graft of cleaning an old, neglected chateau is brushed aside in a few words, there's no mention of the back-breaking amount of laundry required to strip and wash several sets of bedding and towels after each change of guests, interspersed with cleaning and washing up and repairing the house. Fliss manages to do all these things effortlessly. But that is all part of the charm of this feel-good romance.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Another great book from Jo. Full of fun and laughter and festivities. Great book to curl up with this winter season