I absolutely loved this book. I am a massive Katie Fforde fan and this was her at her best. The food and place descriptions , Alexandra was a great character. I would have loved her as my nanny. Katie Fforde is one of the first writer of modern love stories and she has just hit the nail on the head with this .The book is is set in France . Loved it.

A Wedding in Provence was a joyous read for the most part but there were some issues. Alexandra was overly quick to fall in love with Antione. Their relationship 'arrived' at romance, but there was barely any development towards it. Although it had the backbone of a romance, there just wasn't any chemistry between Alexandra and Antoine. Antoine came across as quite a static character with little personality, who was sparsely interjected throughout the storyline. Many times he chose not to defend/protect Alexandra from several bitchy women.
Despite his looks & his kids, it made me wonder why Alexandra was in love with him. There were also obvious similarities to Jane Eyre, the author even mentions the connection. This is not necessarily a bad thing but there are no surprises as this which book plays out in similar fashion.

However, I very much enjoyed the characters, including the horrible ones which greatly contributed to my interest in this book. The author was very descriptive about French and English cuisine which was constantly focused throughout the book. It certainly influenced my grocery list for the week.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it with the caveat not to expect a full blown romance.

Alexandra was on her way to a finishing school in Switzerland when suddenly she found herself Nanny to three children at a chateau in Provence for a month.
She tells herself it will be easy to get to know the children but its the father, the count, who may be the difficulty..

In her new book, out in February, Katie Fforde moves away from cosy British villages to France in the 1960s. Alexandra, is a twenty-year-old orphan who has been left to the mercy of rather vaguely described ‘relations’. Their idea of bringing her up was to send her to boarding school and provide her with a series of governesses or companions. She is living happily in the family home in Belgravia (!) with two girlfriends, while upstairs are David and a couple of his friends. When ‘my relations’ discover that she is apparently sharing the house with a man (gay and lovely), they decide to pack her off to a finishing school in Switzerland. Isn’t she rather old for that? En route, she stops off in Paris, meets a young married woman with whom she strikes up an immediate friendship and in no time is applying for a job with a friend of the friend. What she doesn’t know is that the job is in Provence and her employer a French Comte.

Arriving at the chateau, she finds three hostile children who say they don’t need a nanny, a vanished housekeeper and nothing to eat but stale bread and cheese. Is she downhearted? Of course not. In no time she has won over the children and is preparing meals. Finding that they don’t go to school and that the youngest can’t even read, she sends for David to tutor them in English and his friend Jack to teach music and maths. David is a wonderful cook and they soon form a happy little household. (These people who love to cook enormous meals for large numbers of people always seem to me the most fantastic element in romantic fantasy. I suppose they do exist.) Papa is often away (and hasn’t he been rather seriously neglecting his children?) but when he arrives, oh dear. Alexandra falls madly in love with him and spends the rest of the book arguing with herself that he’s her employer, he’s too old for her, he has a terrible ex-wife and so on. Did I mention that Alexandra is beautiful and also an heiress? ‘My relations’ pay a flying visit in a Rolls to check up on just what she’s doing and inform the Comte that Alexandra doesn’t come into her fortune until she’s twenty-five, just in case he should be a fortune hunter.

Of course, one gobbles up all the French atmosphere, the chateau, the delightful characters and the one to hate but the ending is obvious from the moment Alexandra is offered the job in Paris. I can’t understand why the book was set in the sixties; it’s not as if anyone meets Mick Jagger in the local market. Apart from the clothes, I can’t see anything sixties about the way of life. It is, nevertheless, great fun. I read it thanks to NetGalley.

I normally love anything written by Katie Fforde but this one didn’t work its usual magic for me. It’s the story of Alexandra, a 20 year old orphan who manages to fall into a job as a nanny to three children in Provence. Alexandra is a lovely character and her relationship with the three children is lovely although slightly reminiscent of The Sound of Music. The Chateau where they live is almost a character in itself and definitely feels like a real place that I can imagine visiting and the surrounding area of Provence is also well detailed. There are a host of other characters who are all lively and interesting in different ways too.
My main problem with the novel was the character of Antoine, the children’s father. He wanders in and out of the story but there isn’t really any depth to him. To me, the romance seemed a bit contrived and not very convincing. The novel is set in 1963 and I can certainly see the benefit of setting the novel in that time period before mobile phones etc. However, there wasn’t anything in the story to make it feel as though it was set in that period apart from several references to Audrey Hepburn.
It is an enjoyable story and the kittens almost make it worth reading by themselves but to me, it all seemed a bit predictable with too many stereotypes.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I used to love Katie Fforde’s stories, but I guess I must have outgrown these easy, feel-good novels. During the Covid19 pandemic I have read a considerable range of books from different genres and now look for books that are going to exercise my mind and broaden my horizons. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy this novel, which is akin to a fairy story, with a predictable ending. It’s well written with adorable characters and the portrayal of the young children is charming. A book to snuggle up with on a cold winter’s evening and forget our troubles.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have been reading Katie Ffordes books for years and she is truly a master of a feel good romance! Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book early!

A delightfully gentle romance set in the early sixties. Wonderfully nostalgic and slightly naive in keeping with the era. I think this is the first book I've read from Katie Fforde which is set in the past but this didn't matter at all. Her writing just allows the reader to escape, this time to France and Provence. Charming characters, even the more unlikeable ones, perfectly depicted. Another definite read especially for Katie Fforde fans and perfect for a light book to escape with.

Another delight from Katie Fforde.
Set in Provence that I know well with classic French food and beautiful antique markets, along with food and clothing markets that are a joy to wander round. Add a touch of romance for the perfect read

The Perfect Feel Good Romance!

It’s 1963 and Alexandra is on her way to a finishing school in Switzerland after her relatives decide she is being improper. She has one day in Paris and makes a new friend Donna who changes everything. She finds herself suddenly in Provence in charge of three children and falling in love with their father a handsome French count.

This book is full of fun, quick humour and genuine love.

I love the way homosexuality is explored across countries in two very different ways and relationships between Alexandra and her surrogate father David. It’s really beautiful the way the author depicts different kinds of love in different way. The characters are three dimensional and you easily become quite attached to them whilst developing a deep annoyance for others.

Although this book is set in 1963 it’s largely timeless and although accurate reference is made to fashion and customs of the time it is very current and relatable to many families today.

I loved this book and I challenge anyone not to read this then indulge in wine, cheese and bread. I devoured this in a day!

I have been a fan of Katie Fforde’s books for a very long time, so I was pleased to receive an ARC of A Wedding in Provence.

I loved this book. I really liked Lexi, who was both sensible and confident, but also still very young. I loved Felicite, Henri, and Stephie, they were delightful. I enjoyed their different characters, and the way they slowly came to trust Lexi. It was great to see more of David, who was in the previous book.

The setting was great, the slightly run down chateau, and the surroundings. I really enjoyed the subplot involving Jack and Penelope. And of course the main romance was lovely too.

Overall, this was a joy to read, the perfect way to relax and escape for a few hours.

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

An absolutely brilliant read. It was beautifully written and was difficult to put down. A beautiful romance and I loved how the story unfolded. Loved the characters.

This is a sweet, if somewhat long romance novel, which contains an interesting mix of characters from mostly privileged backgrounds. From the blurb, I can see the book is set in 1963, but despite this being the big Rock 'n' Roll era and it being a year experiencing several huge historical events, there is no mention of anything historically memorable happening during this story to help give it a sense of being in that time period. In terms of the romance itself, I didn't feel the relationship development or chemistry between Alexandra and Antoine - it all felt very clinical and unemotive; although I did enjoy the developing relationship between Alexandra and her young charges.

Many thanks to NetGallery and Random House UK, Cornerstone for granting me a copy of the book.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to disappear into another wonderful Katie Fforde novel.

Like a pair of M&S knickers, you know exactly what you're getting with Katie Fforde, and she never fails to disappoint. The colours (size!), lace and fit differ sufficiently to keep you wanting more and never becoming bored. A Wedding in Provence has a good balance of loveable characters, relationships, friendships, trials and tribulations to ensure that you keep turning the pages and the pace is proportionate that you will lose yourself at every opportunity that you create to hide yourself away. Alexandra, an orphan who finds herself in Paris on her way to aged cousins in Switzerland, displays her open friendliness to a complete stranger and then falls into a job in Provence, as a nanny to three children who can not help but be charmed. Throw in a father, a possessive girlfriend, an estranged mother, a barrel of friends and a very restrained Grand-mere and Katie weaves an enchanting story that leaves you with a smile on your face and no tweaks of unwanted elastic!

A wedding in Provence by Katie Fforde

This is a book that really aught to be a 4 Star book. The plot line isn't completely original, and there are no real surprised, but the quality of Katie Fforde's writing elevates it to a 5 Star for me. I was totally invested in the characters and couldn't put it down. So much so that when I woke at 5.30am one morning instead of going back to sleep I read until it was time to get up!

Alexandre is an orphan, and largely brought herself up when her parents died, with the aid of some remote family members, and various governesses and companions. When the family members decide she should join them to attend a Swiss finishing school, she decides to spend a few days in Paris first, visiting the city. A series of events means she end up as a short term Governess to 3 children whose mother has left, and whose father has to work away, so Alexandre at age 20 finds herself in a French chateau in Province in charge of 3 children - the oldest of whom is 15 - not too much younger than herself.

I absolutely loved the story and the way it was told, and was totally invested in the family. I'd love to know what happens next. More please.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4506234969

An easy read, but a little bit too mushy for my taste. I know it was set in the sixties, but it had a naivety of style and content that really was from that era. The characters were not fully rounded, but rather stereotypical. It was OK for light reading but lacked the bite of most of her work.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for giving me the opportunity to read this book. I absolutely loved it! Katie Fforde is a favourite author of mine and she certainly didn’t disappoint. I think this may be my favourite yet! The story follows Alexandra who is twenty, an orphan and stops off in Paris on her way from London to Switzerland where she will be with relatives. She ends up getting a job as a nanny in the Provence. I don’t want to say too much and give the story away but would highly recommend. All the characters were great and there was a couple of little subtle twists which I loved. In my opinion it is brilliant!

Second book in the series and it was just lovely, a gentle old fashioned romance but with a positive attitude to strong female characters.
I'm really hoping for more in this series.
Great characters, there was an inate honesty to the interactions with the children and it was about family as well as being a love story.

You always know that you’ll get a good read from a Katie Fforde book, and this is no exception. It features 20 year old Alexandra, an orphan who has been monitored from afar by elderly relatives, being left with a series of nannies and companions since she was very small. Now she is on her way to finishing school in Switzerland, stopping off in Paris on the way. Here, through a chance encounter, she accepts the job of a nanny to 3 children. An adventure ensues.

This is such a lovely, easy read, which brought light to the dismal January weather, and had me smiling the majority of the way through it. Alexandra is a lovely character, naive, but having had to bring herself up, she does have a strength that comes out nicely, sometimes at inappropriate moments, but the read is all the more interesting for it. She also stands up for right and wrong, and what she believes in. I enjoy knowing things will work out in the end - no spoilers - and again this doesn’t disappoint. There are even a couple of threads I hadn’t guessed the ending of. I’d also like to know what happens next to Alexandra and her friends. When you want to lose yourself in a good book, this is one to try.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Alexandra is en route to a finishing school in Switzerland and stops off in Paris, where she literally bumps into Donna on the steps of Montmatre, thus setting into motion the chain of events which will change her life. She is employed as a nanny to look after Comte Antoin’s children in Provence, despite only being 5 years older than his eldest daughter. She copes admirably with all that life throws at her; she is an incredibly accomplished 20 year old.
Fforde has created a set of thoroughly likeable characters, even the ex-wife comes across as merely selfish, rather than vindictive, as can so often be the case. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. Sometimes all we need from a novel is for it to enable us to escape for a while into a different place and time, and, for me, “A Wedding in Provence” managed to do that.
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this in return for a fair and unbiased review.