I literally love Tilly Bragshaws books and this one is no exception. This is a historical book which is set in the 1920s and moved on to the second world war. It is about the love, and secrets that are held within a family and what you would do to protect each other. It is well written with great characters.it is filled with love, lies, family troubles, and a sweeping love story.

Elise loves Laurent but she loves her beloved Sainte Madeleine more. Follow Elise and her family through the years 1923 to 1971. I loved Elise, I hated her, I understood her, I didn’t understand her. What would you do to get what you wanted? An amazing story of love, pain and loss

Elise would do anything to inherit Sainte Madeleine, the vineyard that’s been home to the Salignacs for generations. Only Laurent Senard, a distant cousin, is a rival for her heart – yet when a family rift sends her on a new and dangerous path, she risks losing them both . . .

An interesting family saga drawn through the troubles of inheritance of a well established vineyard. Inheritance always causes trouble and for this vineyard more than most. The characters are well drawn and flow through the timeline, leading you from generation to generation. The plot incorporates historical points easily and it feels natural. The twists surprise and delight.
An exciting book to read

The Secrets of Sainte Madeleine is a historical family saga centred on a vineyard in Burgundy, and three generations of the Salignac family and their distant relations, the Senards.

Elise Salignac feels an affinity with Sainte Madeleine from an early age. When she stands to inherit the vineyard, she'll do anything to make it hers.
Elise's older brother, Alex, turns his back on the vineyard after a family fallout, opting to open his own vineyard in Napa, California. With new ties in the US, will he ever return to France?
Elises's first love, distant cousin Laurent Senard, returning from the war in Spain, also has his eyes set on the chateau.
Through a maze of secrets, family friction, love, death and arguments, Sainte Madeleine remains the central character of the story.

The book is epic, spanning over 500 pages, 50 years, three generations and 5 countries. Despite this, as the reader you never feel that it's too long or too detailed, or that there's too many characters to keep up with. Like Tilly Bagshawe's other novels, the writing is fluent and engaging, but the historical angle is something new for fans of this author.
Definitely a holiday read you'll find yourself engrossed in!

Perfect escapism! I fell in love with Sainte Madeleine and the Salignacs from the first couple of chapters - exuberant Elise, the measured Alex and the more sensitive, quiet Didier, along with Laurent and Thierry their distant cousins. With just the right amount of historical detail, but never getting too bogged down, the action moves swiftly around France and Europe, and ranging further afield, whilst following the lives of the family through the turbulence of the 20th century, always keeping you guessing as to what twists and turns of life await everyone, as characters spin in and out of others lives. A book to curl up with, with the sun on your face and a glass of something lovely by your side.

Captures the conflict and complexities of human relationships with historical flavour. A riveting read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

I have read Tilly Bagshawe's previous books and I am a massive fan of hers. This book did not let me down.

This book follows the story of three generations. Even though this book is quite large, it grips you from the very start. I loved the descriptions and the characters. There were a few parts that were a little predictable but that being said it was a real escapism read. Like all of Tilly Bagshawes book, this book is extremely well written and has a lot of twists and turns that will keep you wanting to read on!

Overall I enjoyed this book and I would love to thank the author, netgalley and harper collins for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Starting in the 1920s and spanning over 50 years, THE SECRETS OF SAINTE MADELEINE sizzles with its tale of lost love and second chances. It introduces the Salignac clan who are proud owners of a rich vineyard in Burgundy, France. When the goings get tough early on into the story, the egotistic, irresponsible alcoholic patriarch has no choice but to sell off the many farms around the vineyard, a decision that does not bode well for the family, especially the middle son who ends up making a fast getaway to the States. Soon the younger daughter follows suit, landing up in Paris, eventually marrying a wealthy but domineering Greek playboy whom she comes to hate. That leaves the introverted and misunderstood older son who just happens to be gay and who finds himself having the hots for the local priest. All this is just a smidge of what awaits the reader. Add an impossible love affair between a French woman and a Nazi officer, the lost of a child from a fatal disease, the execution of a wannabe lover for high treason... and you got yourself one juicy family saga you won’t want to miss.


Tilly Bagshawe has certainly made a thorough research, since the novel is filled with many insightful historical moments (mostly of war and politics) which naturally add a touch of realism to the already engaging plot and subplots. As expected, the narrative is top notch, as are the characters who may be abundant in supply but always remain authentic and transparent. Even the chateau of Sainte Madeleine is a character on its own, with its magnificent splendor; the many acres of vineyard surrounding it and its in-book alliance to The Legend of the Butterfly allegory (beautifully told, I might add). Suffice to say the reader is in good hands with this epic, well-paced, fascinating novel. My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This is a fabulous book which spans many decades and follows the lives of, predominantly, the Salignac family. It is a true family saga with the ups and downs of life and the effects on each family member. The main female character, Elise, had me shouting and screaming at her (obviously in my head) for her incredibly selfish and childish ways and then absolutely rooting for her and on the verge of tears when things were bad. The story had some great highs and lows but was a good read and I wanted to carry on reading to find out what happened. I am hoping that there may be a follow up to this book which follows the younger members of the family and the fortunes of Sainte Madeleine

A tale spread over 3 generations and much of the 20th Century, focused around the love or should that be infatuation for a French vineyard. I enjoyed the free flowing writing with a story that was easy to follow but had plenty of twists and turns to keep my attention. Strong recommendation to read.

Having read all of Tilly Bagshawe's previous novel, its been a while since she released new work and I couldn't wait to get stuck into her novel. Fascinating… A beautiful love story that captures your attention and your heart from beginning to end.

A cosy read on a summer's beach when there is nothing else going on. It is a relaxing read and nicely put together. The story follows the Salignac family through generations. They are the proud owners of a wonderful vinyard that holds their fortunes and directs their lives. Elise who yearns to inherit; Alexandre who leaves to Napa Valley to run his own and their cousin Laurent who loves Elise but the war drags him away. Anyone who loves a generational saga will love this book.

My first Tilly Bagshawe book. This was a delight to read. A fast pace and so many different characters in this family saga. There is everything from sensitivity to heartache as well as a great story. I found it wonderful to be able to lose myself in the long lovely book. Disappointed it is now finished. However, I shall delve into some of Tilly Bagshawe's earlier books.

A brand-new novel from the international bestselling author Tilly Bagshawe.

The Secrets of Sainte Madeleine begins in 1920’s France with the Salignac Family at their home and vineyard. We follow Elise, Alex and Laurent from France to California, Greece to London. A story which spans 50 years across three generations.
Elise is a little girl in her family home at the beginning of this book and is desperate to be considered to take over the running of the vineyard even though it will be left to her brothers. She feels she is a true child of Sainte Madeleine and all the magic the old estate has within its walls.

Alex is Elise’s older brother who flees to Napa California to start his own vineyard after becoming estranged from his Alcoholic Father. Has he left the family behind for good?

Laurent is the distant cousin of Elise and Alex; the two families are very close spending summers together growing up. He decides despite his connection to Elise since they were children, he must go to Europe as a revolutionary and fight in the Spanish Civil War and then against Germany during the second World War. Will he return to France and more importantly to Elise?
Will the lure of Sainte Madeleine get all the family united and back together once more, or are their differences too great to overcome?

The plot was well written if a little convenient and predictable in places (not wanting to include spoilers) but definitely an ideal holiday read for a lovely bit of escapism as I did enjoy the story as a whole. I persevered and didn’t give up despite considering it at the beginning. However, I felt the language was overly descriptive at and was quite heavy to navigate. This wasn’t a story I was expecting when I first opened this book having read all of Tilly’s previous stand-alone novels it wouldn’t be of her normal style with a big emphasis on history and war. Also, surprisingly and in my opinion unnecessarily there was a lot of death in this story although I do understand that it was probably for character development.
Definitely one to be added to the TBR pile especially if an undertone of war and history appeals to you.
Out February 17th 2022

TW:
Alcoholism
Domestic Abuse
Infant Death

A Sweeping Saga…
A sweeping family saga, set in France, taking the reader from the 1920’s through the Second World War and further still. The story of the family Salignac and their lives, loves, secrets and their Chateau home. The tale will transport the reader through the trails and tribulations of this diverse family. An escapist and satisfying read.

My thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was a lovely read, I really felt transported in both time and location to the settings in this novel. I also loved following the stories of multiple members of the family, spanning several generations from 1920 to 1970. I was slow to start and I almost gave up about 15% in however I am glad I carried on reading as it was well worth a read.
Highly recommend.

This was very readable and great escapism during a dreary winter! However it was very predictable in places and, without giving anything away, things happen which are very convenient for the plot.
I think that the author missed a trick and could have made this a more detailed story over say two or three books. I would have enjoyed that better as the storyline would jump years ahead and I didn't initially realise (year headings on the chapters would be good!) It would have also given the reader a chance for to get to know the characters more, especially Ruth and Anne (who I especially liked but didn't really get to know).
But as a bit of escapism it's a great read and will have you up til the early hours! This would make a great beach/winter afternoon read and have you escaping to various places around the world!

This is a mesmerising saga which takes us seamlessly from one character to another as the author introduces us to two French families; the Salignacs and the Senards. They are distant cousins but their lives are closely entwined as the Salignacs face the challenges of running the family vineyard amidst sibling rivalry, alcoholism, a worid war and a major rift which threatens not only the stability of the family but also the future of Sainte Madeleine. The story just flows off the page with each personality so vividly clear it was easy to imagine they were real people.

Liked the story and the setting of the book. Enjoyed reading about all the characters that are introduced in the story too. Look forward to more from Tilly.