Member Reviews

A quick and easy read about a brother and sister Freddie and Sasha who escape to the completely change their life and move to start again in the french countryside . Beautiful setting following their journey about family ,friendship and second chances. A fun and feel good read .. A bit of secrets and mystery thrown in for good measure . I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

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

I enjoyed this book a lot. It was a lot of fun to read!

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A gorgeous story about Sasha and Freddie, brother and sister, who decide to make a complete change in their lives and move to two rundown cottages on a chateau estate in the French countryside. This is a story of family, friendships and second chances. It was an easy read that was great for a relaxing afternoon. Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Always love a book set in the beautiful French countryside, this was a wonderful holiday read, a real tale of second chances - loved it

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A wholesome read with a feel good factor. A good holiday read and an easy page turner. Thank you for letting me read in advance of publication.

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Such a fun read! Highly recommend.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

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I read this as an ARC on NetGalley. I adored this book! Family connections, a mystery, 2nd chances and finding where you truly belong!

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Easy to read book about fresh starts, friendship and love. The words really do flow so well you forget how long you have been reading for, nicely descriptive. Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy

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BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'A French Country Escape' by Jennifer Bohnet.

WOW!!!! What can I say?!?! Yet another absolutely beautiful book that I fell in love with!!! I cannot wait to read more books by this extremely talented author!

This book is stunningly written with vivid descriptions setting the picture perfectly in the readers mind. The title, description and cover works perfectly with the storyline.

If you are looking for a gorgeous escapism storyline to get lost in then ladies and gentleman this is the one for you!!! In this gorgeous book we meet Peter and Ingrid Chevalier who own a gorgeous chateau in France with plenty of land and even a few houses on the estate. However, the running costs are very high so they decide they need to sell two of the cottages on the estate. Sasha and her brother Freddie need a new start and with some money that was left to them by their mother they decide to buy the two cottages and renovate them. Peter and Ingrid & Sasha and Freddie become friends and Freddie starts helping out on the estate and Sasha helps Ingrid with the B&B. When Sasha has a fall and Ingrid and Peter's daughter Penny arrives after escaping a controlling relationship and a mystery parcel arrives secrets start to come out. Will the peace that Sasha and Freddie found be shattered? Grab your copy of this gorgeous page turner today to find out for yourselves. I guarantee you will not regret it!! It is an absolute rollercoaster ride of emotions filled with heartbreak, romance, secrets, second chances, family, love, loss, friendship and so much more. I was completely swept on the storyline and loved having a holiday in Château du Cheval in rural France. I absolutely loved each and every single moment of this beautiful read. I loved the amazing sights, adventures and the fantastic characters who I was devastated to say goodbye to as they had become like friends to me and they would make absolutely amazing best friends in reality! This book really is a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Jennifer's stunning vivid and evocative descriptions ensures you see and feel everything that each of the characters are seeing and feeling. I was utterly glued to the pages and I could not bring myself to put it down. I was carrying my phone and kindle around every chance that I got. I adored the gorgeous ending and would love to see this book turned into a series. I also loved the French phrases that Jennifer included with some clues as to what they may mean which I thought was a brilliant idea so thank you Jennifer for that as I really enjoyed trying to work them out! I don't want to say anything else about the storyline as I don't want to give to much away but I do want to mention one more thing. I would seriously recommend this book to anyone and everyone!! A gorgeous uplifting page turner that will warm your hearts 💝.well done Jennifer on yet another stunning and unputdownable success!!

Clear your schedules as this is one gorgeous and unputdownable stunner ❤️

I absolutely loved these amazing, strong women who captivated my heart from the very first moment I met each of them. Jennifer does an absolutely fantastic job creating this stunning storyline and bringing it alive to the readers with the multiple protagonists of Sasha, Freddie, Peter, Ingrid and Penny. Jennifer weaves their chapters together absolutely superbly to give us a deeper insight into each of their lives and the emotions they are feeling. They are all very relatable, strong, realistic and I became completely invested in each and every one of them. They all had their own problems, secrets, feelings and all had unique personalities and I just absolutely loved getting to know them all. I felt each of their love, friendship, pain, heartbreak, happiness, sorrow and so much more. I really was rooting for each of them throughout the pages and hoping they each found the happiness that they more than deserved. I loved seeing their personalities, and characterisations change and develop as individuals as well as watching them bond with each other as the storyline went on. I also adored their relationships and friendships with the other characters that we make on this journey. Jennifer does an absolutely amazing job of bringing the story to life and the characters leap out of the pages as your turning them thanks to her amazing evocative writing skills!! It is so hard to say more about what I feel about the characters without giving anything away so I won't say anymore about them as I don't want to go into too much detail at the risk of spoiling it for other readers but Jennifer really has done an amazing job at bringing each of the characters to life and I am missing them already. Well done Jennifer!!!

Congratulations Jennifer on yet another absolutely gorgeous, escapism filled with everything you could one in a page turner!!! I am looking forward to reading more of your previous and future books. I would absolutely love to see this book turned into a movie!!! This is the exact reason you are on my favourite author list and here's to your next success 🥂

Overall an absolutely gorgeous book that will take on holiday to France and warm your heart ❤️!!!

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When Sasha and Freddie’s mother passes away, she leaves them a modest amount of money and buys two cottages on a chateau estate in France. They befriend the owners of the chateau, Peter and Ingrid. Sasha is getting over a contentious divorce and Freddie is looking for a fresh start. Slowly they start getting to know the locals and rebuilding their lives.


I enjoyed this refreshing story. I love reading anything about new starts in France, and this was no exception. This is the second story I’ve read by this author and I enjoyed them both. This was a fun, refreshing read with romance, a beautiful setting, great food and wine, and fresh starts for many characters.
I look forward to reading more of this author's stories.


Thanks to @boldwoodbooks, @netgalley, @rachelsrandomresources and the author for this ARC

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This was a rather lovely and gently told story of fresh starts and second chances, fresh opportunities and new relationships, centred on the estate of a château in beautiful and vividly drawn rural Brittany.

When bought by Peter and Ingrid, the Château du Cheval itself was in need of fairly extensive renovation – a work still in progress, as they hope to make it available to the community for events, as well as hosting guests and events of their own so that it begins to generate much needed income. Shortage of money drives their decision to sell two cottages on the estate – the perfect choice for brother and sister Freddie and Sasha, wanting fresh starts of their own, using the funds available from a recent inheritance from their mother. The cottages need some work too – but Freddie has the skills, which also come in useful in doing work for Peter and within the neighbouring community. Sasha has recently been neglecting her art, but she hopes to start selling it online again as her own main source of income – but with a wedding reception planned in the château’s unfinished orangery she acquires a major project too, an tromp l’oeil art work on one of its walls.

While the relationship between them all is steadily and beautifully developed, there’s a wider focus too on the relationships with their Breton neighbours. There are friendships – there are ways of getting past the language barrier, and Sasha’s certainly glad of some help with training the two puppies she can’t resist bringing home, and in finding bargains in the local sales of bric-a-brac and furniture. There are the beginnings of some romance too – although Freddie’s perhaps gets off to a slightly shaky start. And a few family complications for Peter and Ingrid – some welcome and opening up new opportunities, some distinctly unexpected and with a touch of mystery attached. And through it all, there’s a lot depending on the success of that first wedding reception.

If you’re looking for a fast paced story, this just might not be the book for you – but I really liked its tangled threads and cast of engaging and likeable characters. And there’s a real depth of detail in the ongoing work to update the chateau – including the links to its equestrian past – and following the siblings’ steps both with their own renovation work and becoming comfortably part of their new community, which I very much enjoyed.

This really is escapist reading at its best, nicely uplifting, and with some lovely storytelling – I have no idea whether the author plans to return to the château in a further book, but, if she does, I’d be more than happy to visit again and find out how everyone is getting on in their new lives in this gorgeous location.

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A relaxing and heartwarming read. Seemed to move a little too fast for me since the author chose to include so many points of view and stories, but it worked out ok. Nice to read about everyone being nice to each other for a change. Only a smidgen of nastiness from an ex partner is included. Doesn’t really taint the story too much. Looking forward to reading more about these characters.

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Jennifer Bohnet is the queen of gentle second chance romance novels set in France. I have read many of her novels, and just like those, A French Country Escape is a gentle story set in an idyllic location if you are a Francophile. I loved the comforting nature of the story, with many different branches and multiple romances.

The story centres on the Château du Cheval, owned by Brits Peter and Ingrid. In order to continue renovating the château, they sell two adjoining properties on their land to siblings Freddie and divorcée Sasha who decide to have a new start in Brittany following the death of their mother. Their inheritance allows them to buy the cottages and allows them the chance to do something different with their lives.

Gradually a number of characters are added to the story, providing love interests and friendship groups that are completely heart-warming. I have to say I adored the book club that was hosted at the château, taking place in both English and French, with books that have translations so everyone could be included in the local area. I desperately wanted to join the book club, it sounded wonderful.

This was a story of second chances, and not just with romance, but with families and careers too. This gentle story was an absolute joy that was the perfect escapist read.

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A French Country Escape was everything I hoped for! One of the standout features of this book is the strong family bonds between the characters. Siblings Freddie and Sasha embark on a move to France together during a tough time in their lives, while Ingrid and Peter do everything they can to support their daughter, Penny, all while trying to solve a long-held family mystery.

As the story unfolds, we see both Sasha and Penny take brave steps to free themselves from their troubled pasts. Watching them write the next chapters of their lives was truly rewarding—Sasha through her blossoming art, and Penny through her passion for food. The tight-knit Breton village and its charming château provide a warm and healing backdrop for their journey. There are a few surprising twists along the way, and I loved the romantic touch of restoring old buildings, which opened new possibilities for everyone involved. Plus, the antics of the animals brought plenty of smiles—they’re as much a part of the story as the human characters!

If you’re looking for a heartwarming escape to France filled with humor and emotional depth, this is sure to delight!

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You know I am a sucker for a new start in France story, and Jennifer Bohnet delivers a good one with her latest book A French Country Escape.

Sasha and her brother Freddie inherited a modest amount of money following their mother's passing. While it wouldn't be enough to start a new life in England, it is enough to buy two cottages on the estate of a French chateau. Moving to France works pretty well for Freddie. He is a gardener and it isn't long before he is very busy working. For Sasha though, she needs to reestablish herself following her divorce, and throwing herself into renovating the cottages keeps her busy, as does the arrival of two dogs!

The chateau itself belongs to Peter and Ingrid Chevalier. They know that Peter has some French heritage but it's all a bit vague. Peter and Ingrid have spent a lot of time getting the Chateau du Cheval ready but now it is time for it to start producing an income. In addition, they are very worried about their daughter back home in the UK. It appears that her relationship has taken a turn for the worst and they are worried about her safety.

I really liked that we got to see people who are at different stages of their story. The French life is all new for Sasha and Freddie, but Peter and Ingrid are more established. I also really enjoyed watching this group of strangers gradually build relationships and start to work together, to all of their benefits.

If I had to use just one word to describe this book it would be easy. It was a very easy, comfortable read, and sometimes that is exactly what you need!

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy.

Rating 4/5

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Sasha and Freddie are siblings who together have made the decision to move to France and they then bought to cottages in Brittany. They began to build a new life, and they discovered they made friends quickly.
The characters all fit together so well, and this made it so easy for me to fall into the story and become a part of the happenings. The words just flowed off the pages as I was reading. I know that this is one book that will stay with me for a long time. I wonder what each of them are doing long after finishing this book.
This was a heartwarming feel good book that I highly recommend others to read.
Thank you NetGalley, Jennifer Bohnet and Boldwood Books for the copy of A French Country Escape. This is my personal review.

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A French Country Escape by Jennifer Bohnet

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

A fresh start in the beautiful Brittany countryside is what dreams are made of... Buying and relocating to Château du Cheval in rural France, has fulfilled one of Peter and Ingrid Chevalier’s lifelong ambitions. Despite never being able to trace a missing link in Peter’s French ancestry he feels he has finally come home. Now they must renovate the Chateau to its former glory and make it pay for itself…
With money getting tight, they take the decision to sell a couple of cottages on the estate. Can the Chateau begin to pay for itself and be sustainable for the future?

Divorced Sasha Heath and her brother Freddie decide to sensibly invest their mother’s inheritance into property and buy the two rundown cottages on the Château’s estate. Putting the past behind them, a new life in France beckons, but will it live up to their dreams?

As they relax and settle into their new idyllic lifestyle, their new lives throw up several surprises, all they can do is cross their fingers and hope everything will turn out well in the end.

My Opinion

A French Country Escape was an easy read and a way to escape as the weather has begun to change. I have read a few books by Jennifer Bohnet and they have all been simply delightful. A beautiful, uplifting read.

Sasha and Freddie have decided that they would like to relocate to France following the death of their mother. On their adventure they both learn so much and it was great to follow them on their journey.

Rating 4/5

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A French Country Escape by Jennifer Bohnet was a captivating escape that takes readers on an emotional ride.
A lovely story with great characters.

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I enjoyed reading A French Country Escape by Jennifer Bohnet. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

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As the title suggests, this story explores Sasha and Freddie's escape to rural France. It is an emotional and heartwarming tale with some lovely multi-generational characters. Whilst immersing you in the culture, food, language and location through its lyrical descriptions, it explores ancestry and loving and toxic relationships. I love the characterisation, the gentle romance and the escapist setting.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

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