This was a brilliant story that I could not put down; I loved it from start to finish! It is perfect escapism and I thoroughly enjoyed being in the French countryside, surrounded by views, a chateau and a pair of donkeys. What more could you want from a summer read?!

My most favourite read from this author to date, I warmed to the characters, plot and setting very quickly. Readers follow Maggie Lemon to Provence, where she has been left a rundown hotel after her aunt’s death. It’s a mammoth task and with mountains of debt, Maggie knows that realistically, she must sell this property – despite having such wonderful memories of the place. However, guests start to turn up and Maggie finds herself absorbed into Le Figuier’s walls as she returns to her love of cooking. As Maggie works harder at the chateau, she realises her life perhaps was not as fulfilling as she had realised, and this is not helped by the unexpected arrival of handsome Gray Hudson…

There were so many layers to this story but it didn’t make it a complicated read. In fact, I think this is perfect for the beach – and when the weather is a bit dreary! The writer’s depiction of the setting – both the chateau and the surrounding area – was fantastic and I could vividly imagine accompanying Maggie to the French markets. Whilst Le Figuier is so rundown, it still seemed incredibly idyllic and, with so many stories told about Maggie’s aunt, Phil, I could easily picture how much love, warmth and fun used to take place within the walls of the chateau. It needs a bit of love and I was forever hoping that Maggie would change her mind about selling Le Figuier.

With a bit of spark between Gray and Maggie, readers are left questioning whether a relationship will develop, especially as both characters are married. In this story, Money-Coutts explores the pressures of fame and pursuing a career that you love. On the other hand, the sensitive issue of fertility is presented with Maggie and I really admired the way this was shown in her character. I really sympathised with Maggie and thought it was an accurate and sobering portrayal of what so many couples experience. However, the way that Maggie handles this made her an even more admirable character and I think Le Figuier helped with the healing process that Maggie so definitely needs.

A great summer read with a equally great cast of characters, I was quickly absorbed into life at Le Figuier. I loved how the story switched back to Maggie’s life, charting the rise of her career as a chef and how much of an influence her aunt had in her life. This became an unputdownable read and I found I was swept away to the charming countryside of Provence.

With thanks to HQ and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is outside of my usual experience in that it’s a romance, something I tend not to read. But I was seduced by the idea of a dual timeline story and an aunt leaving Maggie a Provençal hotel in her will. It was a set up that promised lots of personal growth and big life changes so that drew me on board. I’ve never read any of the author’s books so had no preconceptions and I really did enjoy it. Maggie is at a turning point, she’s been married to Mungo for a number of years and they’ve been struggling with infertility issues. I could understand Maggie’s feelings around doing IVF for the last seven years, unsuccessfully. She feels like she’s lost something of who she is in the process, having become more of a problem to fix than a person with other dreams and ideas for her life. So, the hotel comes at just the right time.

Le Figuer is definitely a challenge, with varied eccentric guests and a film star in hiding (who ends up doing renovations). There are interesting staff too and it’s lovely to see Maggie meeting new people and starting to sparkle again. A challenge really brings out the best in some people and it definitely does with Maggie. Even though she’s working the setting is so beautiful and it has some of that summer holiday feel that’s perfect for reading right now. She has a lot of thinking to do; does she want to stay and save this incredible hotel or does she want to return to London and continue to try and build a family with Mungo. Maybe she can choose a combination of both? Of course there are daily challenges with both options; a hotel never runs smoothly and there’s always something to repair. A long relationship and it’s future deserve serious consideration, but I so wanted her to stay in Provence. I did get an inkling that a different romance might be on the cards. Could she possibly return to London with some of the spirit and sparkle her adventure has given her? This was a lovely story and am easy summer read.

This was a simple, fun, easy and quick read. The perfect type of book for your holiday, beach, pool kind of read. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

2.75*

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

This book does include mentions of fertility struggles throughout, this may be a trigger for some readers.

Normally I love a Sophia Money-Coutts book but this one just missed the mark for me.

I just wasn't really invested in the characters, I didn't hate them but I just didn't really grow to care about them. I think my fabourite parts were when we flashbacked to Phil running the hotel.

I wouldn't call the book a romance, which may be where I was disappointed. It defintely felt more contemporary to me. All glimpses of romance involved having to watch the main character flirt while married to another man. These narratives just make me uncomfortable.

This book wasn't for me but Money-Coutts books have been in the past so this book will definitely be loved by others!

I read this book in one sitting, a perfect sunny afternoon read to loose yourself in for a couple of hours.

Thank you HQ Stories @ NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

This story follows Maggie as she learns of her inheritance of a hotel in Provence and meets Gray, a Hollywood star in hiding.

Unfortunately for me, there wasn’t enough of these two characters building a bond, and the flashback chapters just made me groan. They were super disruptive to the flow of the book, which I would have enjoyed more had it focused on the two main characters just a little more.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Maggie heads to Le Figuier, the hotel that's her inheritance from her beloved aunt, which is also run into the ground and up to the hilt in debt. She's meant to be winding everything down to sell it off, but the much needed break from her life in London is bringing back all the memories of summers spent with her aunt, and reinvigorating her love of working as a chef. And then a grumpy, reclusive Hollywood actor comes to stay and it all starts to feel a bit more alive.

Maggie's suffocating husband and parents are all too recognisable, as was Maggie's struggle through IVF and her need to take a break from it all, it's the perfect French setting and dream actor romantic interest that are the escapist bits. Her best friend Jamie is also a great character, albeit slightly too stereotypical. The cheating on your partner was a little too happily explained away, but otherwise it's a fun read - perfect for reading by a pool in an idyllic French hotel...

Firstly, thank you to HQ Stories via NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!
This is my first time reading a book by Sophia, and I am really impressed.
Usually I find hard when reading new authors to get in the groove of the book, but The Right Place had me hooked from the begining.

I think this book is a perfect summer read, to read by the pool, beach, on your holiday. It gives you all the feels.
I loved the way the book was written, present and past Maggie, where we could see how her past life choices and actions afected her future and you can see the growing development of her self, by opening her eyes on the reality of her life.

This book touches some sensitive subjects such as Infertality discussion, IVF, misscarriage, and not a happy marriage (It has cheating not between MC, but is justified and is nearly at the end of the book).
I really liked how Sophia managed to explain in a very sensitive way how couples who go through IVF and how this could affect the relationship, strain it and how we all should listen and voice more our feelings to our loved ones.

I loved the people in this book, it is really a found family book, Maggie did thrive better in France than in London, and while you read the book you can feel the emotions that Maggie goes through. And Grey? OMG. That man was willing to do anything for Maggie, I loved how their friendship bloomed through the book. And it was nice to see a MMC where he explains and voices his insecurities too, where men can show emotions.
And the whole slow burn, and tension between them two? HOT. It is a closed door book, so expect no spice. But it was still a really good book.

When I finished the book I needed more of them, I feel like we needed more of them after everything at the end, and I wanted to know what next for them, but I still would give it 5 starts.

I do not want to say much more without spoiling the book, but I am glad I gave it a chance.

4🌟
Thank you to HQ stories courtesy of NetGalley for this eARC in response for an honest review.

I really enjoy books set in France, with that idyllic Mediterranean heat and way of life. Popping down to the village to go to the boulangerie or go to the market and pick up fresh ingredients, which was quintessential to this novel considering the main character is a chef! The book really enraptured me and helped me feel like I was abroad on holidays at times. Not only that, but it made me feel like I really wanted to go and visit this hotel myself and to see Paul and Ringo (the donkeys) in particular!

At times it felt a little slow but I soon got into it, so that wasn't an issue at all. The character of Audrey infuriated me, let alone all the characters within the story! Not to mention Mungo irritated me as well and did not feel deserving! Safe to say, I got quite involved with the characters and the way they were written.

A feel good but also a novel with a lot of changes taking place for the character and lots of reflections, many of which are relevant for day to day living anyway or things many people might be going through.

What a perfect start of the summer read! I loved the setting and the descriptions made me long to be in France, eating delicious food and drinking wine.‘I quite enjoyed the dual timelines, but sometimes the flashbacks were a little slow and I wanted more from Gray and Maggie.
I did love the characters and was hooked until the end! Thank you so much for this arc.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

The Right Place by Sophia Money-Coutts is a most delightful contemporary novel that I read in just two sittings, pausing only to sleep!
The action is mainly set in present day, with a few flash backs over a character’s life.
Having been left a French hotel by her late aunt, thirty something Maggie flies to the south of France in order to wrap up things and sell the place. Though a shadow of its former glory, there is a charm still lurking within the walls. Memories loom large for Maggie.
Memories loom large for others too, as former guests return to celebrate special anniversaries and events. The hotel is so much more than bricks and mortar. It is a place that is alive with past memories.
Maggie awakens the hotel, whilst simultaneously awakening her life. For too long, life has been a series of doctors, IVF and miscarriages. Maggie awakens her passion for cooking as she creates recipes that awaken the taste buds.
The Right Place is a totally charming novel about learning to live again, and a series of awakenings of both characters and the hotel, where the memories are embedded in the walls.
The tone is light-hearted and fun, despite some serious themes.
The Right Place is the perfect read for a bright summer’s day or for a cosy autumnal evening. The take-away from the book is: life is short and life is for living.
I received a free copy from the publishers. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

Maggie inherits a rundown hotel in Provence from her aunt. Dissatisfied with her life in London – trying to start a family after multiple miscarriages and rounds of IVF -she has given up her career as a chef and lost her sparkle. Whilst readying the hotel for sale, she decides to keep running it for the guests who keep arriving, on a temporary basis. This turns her life around, particularly as a Hollywood actor who is looking for a place to avoid the media arrives. Then the fun begins…

Maggie’s husband Mungo is a pompous bore, her mother is insufferable and her aunt Phil (seen in flashback) is an alcoholic ex-model party girl. Add to this the enormous debt that Phil has left her, Maggie has a struggle on her hands.

This is a fun summer read, which I read at a sitting. Perfect for reading on a beach, in a hotel room, or even on a flight to Provence! Thanks to Netgalley for the proof.

I read this in one sitting- it is a good holiday read, and to be honest the ending was expected. The characters are easy to like, with the exception of the stereotyped Mungo and Maggie's mother. This is a very easy read, and the chateau sounds idyllic. If you're looking for some escapism, with romance and Provence as well, then try this.

The Right Place by Sophia Money-Coutts is a delightful, light-hearted read perfect for summer.
Maggie Lemon, once a celebrated chef, now finds herself stuck in a cycle of unsuccessful IVF attempts and a life that feels out of sync. When her estranged aunt leaves her a hotel in Provence, Maggie sees it as a chance to rediscover herself. The setting in the French countryside is beautifully described, and the story is filled with interesting and sometimes eccentric characters. The unexpected romance with a disgraced Hollywood actor adds charm and humor to the plot. Despite a very predictable storyline, I enjoyed every moment of Maggie's journey. Sophia Money-Coutts skillfully balances serious themes like infertility with hilarious moments, making this book an easy and enjoyable read.

Very grateful to the publisher for this copy, opinions are my own

This was a really enjoyable light hearted read, perfect for summer.

I have read a few books by this author now and I really enjoy the characters that she creates and in this book, I loved the setting of the story.

I knew how it was going to end but that didn’t affect my enjoyment of this at all and I wanted to keep reading.

Thanks for the opportunity to read and review

I have read all of Sophia Money-Coutts's novels and have always found them to be a real treat - funny, warm and good-humoured.

Whilst I enjoyed The Right Place I felt that it was a bit of an anomaly and was attempting to do something a bit more serious whilst still not letting go of the comic angle. Compounding this issue is the fact that there is a bit too much going on here. We've got the hotel, a back story with the dead aunt which is foreshadowed for ages, infertility, a Hollywood star, and restaurants and loads of other detail which approaches overwhelm.

This issue is most apparent in the parade of characters. Some are very broad brush in tone, such as Audrey, whilst some really just don't work at all. For example, Maggie's husband Mungo. He's introduced as a typical bumbling posho, but in flashbacks we find out more about how they met and is shown to be a decent man and both these opposing portrayals bump up very uncomfortably against the seriousness of the IVF storyline and the rapidity which Maggie deals with their relationship simply feels as it makes no sense.

The setting of the south of France is very well conjured but I don't think this is enough to save this novel which I really wanted to like more than I did.

Also, Francois Vatel was not writing in the Middle Ages.

The Right Place is a nice easy read from Sophia Money-Coutts. She is a new to me author and someone I will look out for in the future. From the lovely front cover to the synopsis on the cover I thought this book would be right up my alley.

The book starts in London where we meet Maggie who was once a celebrated chef, with her own restaurant. Married to Mungo her life isn't really going in the direction she thought it would. Desperate to have a baby she has put her careers on hold, but her life has become one big round of IVF with the disappointment of not becoming pregnant time and time again. Maggie seems to be loosing herself and fitting into Mungo's mould.

When her beloved aunt dies, Maggie travels to Provence in the French countryside to her hotel to make a quick sale, more Mungo's idea, and get everything in order, but soon starts to remember who she was there when she visited all those summers ago, and decides that maybe she wants a different happy every after, after all. How hard can it be running a hotel. Sometimes the world has a way of showing you that you are in the right place at that particular moment in time.

I really enjoyed this book and its host of interesting and sometimes eccentric characters. The book deals with infertility and alcoholism in such a way that whilst you go through the hardship with them, it is done in a comedic fashion so as not to be too heavy. Fans of second changes or new beginnings will really enjoy this book. I really enjoyed the writing style and will look out for more of the authors works.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Got this on the recommendation of a friend as she was loving it, and I thought the cover was lovely. I enjoyed it. It was a slow start, and didn’t love the flashback chapters chucked in - it kinda seemed very disruptive to the flow, though the book still whizzed by. I thought both Veronica and Mungo were the wettest rags ever, and Mungo just made my eye twitch.