Lea may have been a great success at work but personally, her regimented and structured life allowed no one to get close to her. I think David said it best that she is a victim of self sabotage and she pushes people to the extent of anger that they begin to believe how she thinks about herself. She may create items of true beauty; however, her life is completely empty and void of emotion. It is only when she meets Theo and lets herself open up that she realizes what is the purpose of life. It is love. She realized why Stephanie chose Alain despite what she went through with Marcus. Yes at times it was hard to emphasize with Lea due to her bouts of crying when it was her actions that caused it but the end made it all worth it. There is such a thing as a second chance.

Absolutely flew through this one - it's a winner. I was drawn in by the strong characters and irresistibly messy plot and quickly found A Perfect Vintage impossible to put down. I even brought it on my honeymoon so I could keep reading! The writing is fantastic, and just such a pleasure to read. I sincerely look forward to whatever Chelsea Fagan writes next. This is without a doubt one of my favorites of the year - highly recommended!

This was a great read and my only complaint is that I wanted more!!

This was a fun read with an older women and younger man (slightly taboo and off limits), that was slightly spicy. The French culture and descriptions of the revitalization of the French chateau where the perfect treat in this story. At ti,es it felt like a little taste of hogtied in book form, and I loved it!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orsay Press for gifting me this ebook, all opinions are my own.

I have followed Chelsea (and The Financial Diet) for years so firstly I want to congratulate her on this incredible accomplishment! Romance author seems like the perfect next step for her.

Chelsea's writing style is beautiful and exquisite. She sets the scene in grave detail that is never overdone. I feel like I could picture the Chateau in my mind and was instantly transported to France.

I especially loved all the supporting characters like Stephanie, Marie, Nico, etc. I feel like so many romance novels focus solely on the couple that's falling in love and in this book we get to see other important relationships like Lea and her cousin Stephanie, Stephanie and her new love Alain, and many more. I felt like Stephanie was a really important character to include as I'm sure many women can relate to being with a narcissist for many years and finally feeling free when they leave that relationship.

Lastly, I want to touch on Lea and Theo. I absolutely adored Theo. He was well beyond his years, which I think came from taking care of his mother in hospice. He is a gentleman, but not a pushover. I love that he had his own boundaries and life and didn't just bend for Lea at every turn. Lea was a little uptight in my opinion, but I don't think she was meant to be this perfect, carefree 30-something woman. She was meant to be flawed and in the end, she realized that her flaws don't need to define her and she doesn't need to waste time hating herself, especially when no one else does. I personally couldn't relate to Lea all that much but I have to say- she has impeccable taste in clothes and interior design.

A Perfect Vintage written by Chelsea Fagan is everything one could want in a summer read and the idyllic French countryside featured with a chateau.

Lea's career meeting her friendships and love life make for ensuing drama. Leaving a constant ticking clock for her summer and her career. Read to find out how it all goes down.

Great summer read by the pool or beach and a representation of culture.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orsay Press for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Such a fun read! This is the romantic escape of the summer. I fully expect (and hope) to see this book at beaches and poolsides across the country.

We follow Lea, a 30 something with a thriving career and a less than thriving romantic life. Lea specializes in turn old worn down, typically French, properties into modern charming venues. Type A Lea has everything planned for her upcoming summer in the Loire Valley, but through unexpected circumstances she ends up taking along her cousin Stephanie and Stephanie's daughter Maya for the summer. Antics ensue.

The setting of the book was absolutely dreamy and anyone who has a fantasy of running away to a French chateau (and really, do some people not have that fantasy?) should find themselves transported away. The characters aren't the most complex people, but they are more than empty stereotypes. The inevitable conflicts are realistic and more complex than the typically rom-com misunderstanding.

While I wouldn't recommend this for people who want a life changing literary revolution, I will enthusiastically pass it along to anyone looking for a light and fun little romp to take on vacation. With the correct expectations this is a 5 star read. Recommended to enjoy with wine (if that's what you're into).

Thank you to NetGalley and Chelsea Fagan for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book did not work for me at all. I felt like the French characters were caricatures of French people - like I'm not even sure that the author has met a French person. Also, the scene where a 30 something aunt is ogling the love interest of her teen aged niece was more uncomfortable than I know how to describe. The characters were one dimensional, and the plot felt forced. I just did not enjoy this reading experience at all.

I so wanted to love this! The cover, the premise, the author — all great. The story fell a little flat for me, unfortunately. I felt like there were pieces missing, like how fast Stephanie and Alain coupled up. Lea vying for Theo’s approval despite her being such an accomplished professional was a little unsettling to me as well. Gabriel hitting someone with a car? Bubble bath with candles during a party? Lots of left-fielders for me. A little long in the middle. Some very cute parts and great descriptions!

Lea has it all together and always has a to-do list to stay on point. Some family members decide it would be a great idea to go on a work trip with her to France. Lea is hesitant about this, but ends up taking them anyway. Lea never lets herself stray away from work, which is the most important thing in her life. A couple of weeks go by and she can’t help but notice this handsome, younger guy who happens to also be her bosses son. It is normally frowned upon when an older woman is in a relationship with a younger man. She knows deep down this will never work, but can’t help herself. You will find yourself rooting for Lea and Theo until the very end.

I don’t normally reach for a book with romance in it, but I couldn’t resist this book with its gorgeous cover. I couldn’t put this book down and would highly recommend to everyone!

Thank you to Chelsea Fagan and NetGalley for the ARC!

I loved this book. I'm always searching for the perfect light beachy read, but find that "fluff" often feels frivolous and low stakes. This book strikes the perfect balance between stress-free reading and actual tension. The characters feel complex, smart, and likeable. A delightful mix of "Call Me By Your Name" and "The Idea of You".

Lea was a very relatable character for me which can sometimes be hard to read but I enjoyed this book and thought about staging a career change because of it!

A Perfect Vintage written by Chelsea Fagan is everything I was looking for in a summer beach read. From a beautiful French chateau, wine, delicious food and family drama this book has everything.

A Perfect Vintage made me want to devour a bottle of crisp Sauvignon Blanc on the beach or better yet, in a French chateau on a vineyard!

Lea transforms French chateaus in to luxury hotels. This summer, she is working in Loire Valley. After Lea’s best friend, Stephanie,(and college age daughter) need an escape from her cheating husband, they decide to tag along with Lea to the French countryside and get swept up in the family drama.

Without giving too much away, if you’re looking for a fun beach read this summer, A Perfect Vintage is ideal!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orsay Press for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

13/55: a perfect vintage by chelsea fagan

“Life is long, second chances are many, and our stories are only over when we decide to stop writing them”

I’m calling it now - this is THE book of the summer. Chelsea created a beautiful story set during a tempting summer in France. I loved the main character, Lea, and despised her cousin, Stephanie. A good book always has characters you love and characters you question! As I made my way through A Perfect Vintage, I found myself understanding Lea more and more; her motives, her thoughts, and her choices. We stan a 30-something childless woman in this house! I really enjoyed the touch of spicy romance and will-they-won’t-they throughout the story. I also really loved how Chelsea wrapped up the ending. I’d love to see this adapted for the screen because I need to see all the beautiful scenery instead of imagining it!

I can’t wait to see what Chelsea writes next.

Pre-order A Perfect Vintage now and immerse yourself in gorgeous France on June 6th!

This was a fun first novel by Chelsea Fagan. She did a great job of describing the locations in the book and setting the scene. It wasn't my favorite group of characters - they didn't feel fully fleshed out - but the plot kept me interested. A fun summer read with a glass of wine.

I heard about this book and the author on the So Money Podcast, and was intrigued by the author's self-publishing story and dedication to a creative project.

While I was intrigued by the storyline, I ultimately didn't find myself relating to the characters strongly enough to want to finish it...the storyline felt a little flat to me. That being said, I did enjoy the writing style and perhaps at a different time (maybe on a beach vacation), this one may have hit the mark more for me. I'm sure many will enjoy it!

Thank you to NetGalley for my free review copy.

A perfect summer read complete with an idyllic setting, plenty of family drama, and a steamy romance. Lea is a consultant helping a wealthy French family convert their Loire Valley estate into a luxury hotel property. She brings along her cousin and her niece for the trip, and the trio spend the summer getting embroiled in the complex family dynamics including Lea falling for the much younger son of her employer. This book was absolutely lovely- I read it on vacation and I highly recommend that everyone does the same this summer! The pace was perfect and the story was complex enough that it didn’t feel like just another romance.

This one is out June 6! Thank you so much to NetGalley and, of course, the author, Chelsea Fagan, for the opportunity for the early read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Chelsea for the ARC!

This is a fun (and spicy!!! 🔥) summer read. As someone who doesn’t read a lot of romance genre books it definitely made me blush, but it’s not crazier than like, Bridgerton (the show), for reference.

I loved the Loire Valley setting, and I loved getting insight into French culture through an American’s perspective. That might’ve been actually what I liked best about the book. I also really liked how fully formed of a character Lea was, she felt very real to me. I also found the age-gap romance to be compelling—it was taken seriously and not just for ~spice~

Sometimes the romance elements felt a little gratuitous to me. I also felt that sometimes everything halted so that a room or a person or a food, etc. could be described—this is a pet peeve of mine. But that tapered off as the book went on. I also felt like the character of Maya got lost in the second half. None of these issues got in the way of my overall enjoyment.

I am a huge Chelsea Fagan fan and would have read anything she put her name on, but I definitely enjoyed this book! I recommend it to people looking for a quick and flirty summer read, especially if you already like romances.

3.5 stars

I think I was born to do the exact same job as Lea. Except maybe without the work, just the wine.

This book was a slow start for me, but it definitely picked up in the second half. At first I didn’t really buy in to Lea and Theo’s relationship, but they eventually won me over and that was the turning point for me.

It is definitely not an outright spicy book, but still managed to have the passionate moments you would expect to see in an ~affair~. There were some really great storylines throughout - such as Steph leaving an abusive marriage, Lea reflecting on her past relationships and going to therapy, and the overall societal stigma placed on age gap relationships. Not to mention it was set at a super dreamy chateau in France. What more could you want!

A great summer read for sure. Make sure you check out the curated Spotify playlist to accompany it, and pour yourself a glass of the good stuff.

A gorgeous cover had me swooning and anxious to dive into this new book by Fagan. Well done on the French scenery and female main character story. I didn't connect with her as much I had hoped but overall it's a good romantic book - perfect for a beach read indulgence this summer. Three stars. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC for the purpose of this review.

What a delight. I don't read a lot of romance, but Fagan's love story is sophisticated, sensual, and chic. I appreciated the taste that not only went into the setting of the novel, but also the protagonist's career as a professional hotelier with an eye for design. This was the perfect getaway and I can't wait to discover more romance with depth.