There are some books that I just really wish got more love and attention and Light Through the Vines is one of those for me. What an absolutely splendid read this was! I can’t describe how much I loved being whisked away to the beautiful France countryside through the pages. This book was the perfect escape and cap to my summer reading.

In a nutshell, this lovely story centers around Gina who appears to have lost everything, from family members down to her job and boyfriend, and is embarking on a completely fresh start in the Bordeaux wine country. Things seem to be just dandy and yet when she believes she’s settled into a charming new life, an uncovered secret comes her way that shakes up everything. Hear me out here, please. Yes, I know this could be considered a slightly overdone plot line amongst the women’s fiction/romance genre, but the storytelling was utterly fantastic here and the writing so well done that it felt fresh and not as if I was reading “just another typical story”.

Gina was such a lovable character and definitely a highlight of the book for me. Her character felt authentic and her story compelling, so much so that in the end it was as if I had met a new friend. In fact, I was truly sad to turn the last page!

Romance, wine, likeable characters, a heartfelt sorry, and an atmospheric setting all combined here to make this one memorable read. If you are looking to get utterly lost between the pages of a great story, I highly recommend this book! It’s one you do not want to miss.

Many thanks to Amazon Publishing UK/Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the gifted e-copy.

This book was a very easy read, however I do have to agree with what a few others said, the romance part did seem rushed at the end. It was still very cute.
As a wine lover I appreciated all the information and found it fitting with the books setting.
I do wish there had been a little more personal growth for Gina, but even with what we saw it was enough to know that she was headed in the right direction. It would have been nice to see Cedric open up a little more as well, but I think that plays right back to the rushed romance.
I also would have enjoyed more focus on the aunt/father relation! I feel a little more time could have been spent on that story too!
Overall a really cute read! Perfect for a relaxing evening - obviously with a glass (or two) of wine!

This reminded me of Under the Tuscan Sun but set in France. Enjoyed the main character and the people she met and learning about wine process. Will continue reading the series.

I loved this book so much. After Gina finds out her live-in boyfriend has been cheating for months and then she loses her job, she decides to go and live in France at the cottage her beloved Aunt Liz leaves her. As she’s doing work to the place, she keeps seeing Cedric, but she fights her attraction because she thinks he’s married. This book is strong on family, but expect some angst due to misunderstandings. I’m so glad I found this author and I look forward to reading more of her books.

I received an advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley and this is my voluntary and honest review.

Fiona Valpy has become my new favorite author! Her stories are always full of exquisite details and well done research. Her characters are complex and interesting. This book is no exception. I loved the unexpected plot twists and the family relationships in this book. I especially appreciated the important lesson of not looking to the past but always to the future. Loved the book! Thanks #NetGalley #LakeUnionPublishing #FionaValpy

Gina's life has turned upside down. Her father died, she lost her job, and she found out her boyfriend has been cheating on her. Then her favorite aunt died and leaves her house in Bordeaux, France. Gina moves in and tries to mourn all that's been lost.

This was a quick read with some fun romance and learning about how wine is made. I can't wait to read more by this author.

This is a good book. The two main characters are Gina and Cedric. Gina has moved to France into her deceased aunt’s house, studying for Mw qualification and Cedric is a stonemason.there is an instant attraction. They each have issues that together they work out and fall in love.

I read this as a Read now book on NetGalley. While the description and beautiful settings are greatly done and kept me entertained, there’s nothing much happening in the story for me to say that I really felt engage with it unfortunately. There are some nice characters and just as most literally fiction books, it’s a story that will make you feel good about enjoying a quiet life in a beautiful setting.

Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy

Satisfying

I read every 'my move to France adventure' book that I can find! I totally enjoy the vicarious peek into the trials, the culture, the scenery, the lifestyle. "Light Through the Vines" doesn't disappoint me. It moves quickly and kept me hungry (and thirsty) for the next pages. I am looking forward to reading the rest in the series!

Thank you to the publisher who lent me a time-constrained e-arc via Netgalley. This review is optional and my own opinion.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

There was nothing remarkable about this book, but it was a pleasant enough book to read.

This was such a lovely read. Pure escapism and a perfect summer read. The main character has some disappointing news in her life and when her Aunt dies she discovers she has been left the house in France. A great chance to escape and get a new life. This was such a satisfying read I’m looking forward to reading the others. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

This is the first book that I have read by Fiona Valpy. I really enjoyed it. Her characters have depth and are relatable. Gina's life is falling apart. She is a wine buyer for a company in London. She has lost her dad and an unfaithful boyfriend. While Gina is in France to buy wine, she visits her aunt that she is very fond of. Not long after she returns home, she finds out that her aunt has passed and then loses her job. She inherits her aunt's house. She decides to live in the house and find a new path for her life. Gina finds a secret that has been hidden from her for her entire life. She will find more than she ever thought possible. Will she be able to let go of new and past hurts and find the courage to grab happiness when she finds it?

I love love quick fun reads that will whisk you away to another part of the world and this just did that! Enjoyable.

Part one of a trilogy of novelettes/novellas by Valpy. I only found out it was part one, after I'd already read part three. I wish the order the books should be read in had been made clearer. That said, they can be read standalone, it's just for me, some of it was out of sync. But it didn't detract from the story. I really enjoyed Gina's story. It was a relaxing, summer read. The romance was subtle. Loved Mireille's character, and the cat! With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A wonderful feel good read. The descriptions are so enticing I want to visit! It was lovely to visit the French countryside and the little village of Sainte-Foy and spend time with the locals. A lovely escape.

Great, quick read.
Although it was a little predictable is was a nice escape to France. Characters were lovely and relatable. Great read for those looking for a quick, easy book to escape.

Nightingales “are the only bird to sing through the night, Gina. And they only sing while their babies are in the nest. Once they fledge, the parent is silent again. But it’s as if, while their children are with them, they can’t help but express the joy in their overflowing hearts.”

I’m thankful for the opportunity to grab a glass of French wine and escape to the deck for a few hours with Fiona Valpy’s first book in the ‘Escape to France’ series, Light Through The Vines. It truly was an armchair journey to the town of Sainte-Foy-la-Grande in southwestern France. Everything that you’d imagine would be found in this story is there - wine, cheese, sunshine, seasonal produce, French language, and stone homes with shutters. It truly was a delightful read.

I’ve noticed that sometimes when my life seems to be in tatters, I’m given an opportunity to see the light through the vines - and this is the case with 29-year-old Gina Peplow. When she discovers that she’s inherited a crumbling but charming house in the heart of Bordeaux wine country, Gina leaves behind Ed-the-cheater boyfriend and their life in London to take a chance on new beginnings in rural France.

Valpy has pulled from her own experience of relocating to France and running a successful B&B. Her personal struggle with becoming absorbed into the tight-knit community, culture and language is evident in Gina’s experience. Both Gina and Fiona appreciate the community network that is the essence of rural French life. Valpy’s time working a Cabernet Sauvignon harvest plays out in the book, making it more authentic as the author knows what hard graft it is.

I loved being immersed in the wine culture for a few hours this afternoon. I learned about the vintners who practice culture raisonne and try to keep French wine a more natural product, about the premier cru chateaux, as well as a little about what it takes to harvest grapes and produce wine.

The characters were fabulous. I saw a lot of myself in Gina; for example, when I’m frustrated, I clean. Like Gina, it gives me a sense of control when I’m feeling like I’m losing it! Cedric Thibault was dreamy, and I hope he shows up in book 2 but Nigel-comb-over-Yates was icky, and I don’t expect to see him re-appear.

I also enjoyed the mystery! Why were there negatives missing? What is the connection between her aunt and the mystery man?

Previously published as ‘The French For Love,’ this is one book you’ll want to have when a trip to France seems impossible!

I was gifted this advance copy by Amazon Publishing UK, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Another great easy read.
This is the second time I've met these characters and it was great to see their relationships came together.
Once again good descriptions of the local wine making community and the process of making wine.
Gina works with a wine company in the UK but visits her aunt Liz in France. After her return to London she finds herself circumstances change and she heads back to France, where her new chapter begins.

Light Through the Vines is the first of Fiona Valpy's Escape to France trilogy of books that I understand was previously published under the title French for Love. Gina is struggling through some serious losses in her life: her father had recently died, her long term boyfriend turns out to be cheating asshat, she is laid off from a job in the wine industry that she enjoyed, and then her favorite aunt dies and leaves her French cottage to Gina. Through this novel, Gina grows as a person as she undertakes fixing up the cottage and starting a new life in France, including meeting a cast of interesting and likeable characters. Highly recommend!

This is a lovely look into a vineyard in France. As Gina deals with the loss of her father and her aunt, but the inheritance of the vineyard. She finds out more about herself and her family while becoming friends with the neighbors and making a place for herself in the small community.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC