With Jo Thomas books you know what you’re getting before you open them - a female character that wants to escape and moves somewhere out of their comfort zone, finding a cute romance with some moody characters becoming her new ‘family’ at her new destination.

I liked the setting of this book, but I would have liked it to have been more French… I also found the main character somewhat unlikeable as there was very little talk of the her trying to fit in or make much of an effort with the locals, other than asking them for help with her own problems. However, I did find the supporting characters interesting and quite amusing (pretending to be a ghost to scare off guests).

It was a comfort read for the winter and although I don’t feel like I’ve wasted my time reading it, it wasn’t my favourite book by Jo Thomas.

What a delightful Christmas story. Being left a chateau is a dream, but what if it comes with a sitting tenant, angry villagers and an unhelpful mayor, who lives next door!
The characters and surroundings are brilliantly described, I felt as though I was there too.

When sisters Fliss, Nellie and Lizzie are left a house in Normandy by their beloved Grandfather they are shocked to discover it’s actually a Chateau. It’s beautiful in a faded glamour kind of way but it could be the answer to the sisters’ prayers, if only they can sell it. The only problem is, it comes with a sitting tenant, one that they have to pay to stay there! There is also a very large tax bill due and they have no way of paying it.
Fliss stays on at the chateau to try and find a way to make it pay but with unfriendly locals and a town mayor, Jacques, who is also her neighbour and opposed to her ideas it’s not going to be easy.
Fliss and Jacques will need to find a way to work together to save the Chateau but that could be easier said than done.
With great characters, a lovely story and beautiful setting this is the perfect book to warm you up on a cold autumnal day.
Beautiful setting, great characters, lovely story.

Delightful! Another scrumptious feel good book from Jo Thomas. I would absolutely love to visit the Chateau, it would fulfill so many dreams. A lovely setting, wonderful characters and an Orchard filled with happiness. Glorious.

I really enjoyed this book, it was great to see Fliss bringing life back into the château but also a bit of confidence back into herself. The way she managed to rally the troops and ask for help along the way was also really nice. Sparking life back into those walls definitely wasn’t a one woman job and as Charlotte would say, you never own a chateau, you just look after it for a short while.

When the sisters first arrive at the château it’s fair to say that they don’t exactly get a warm welcome, instead they meet the extremely grumpy Jaques and then get glared at while eating delicious pancakes in the town pub. At this point I can’t help but mention the food though… there are loads of super yummy foods mentioned in this and don’t get me started on the cheese! 🤤🤤

Intending on making a quick sale of the château, Fliss stays on and goes to visit the estate agents almost straight away, and this is where they really start hitting problems! I think it’s pretty safe to say that things aren’t going the way they were planned and Fliss will have to do something pretty special to turn around their fortunes.

The whole book was filled with those magical moments, from Pegasus and Cedric to the amazing finds in the château gardens. I think all of the characters went through a big personal change, maybe except for Clementine - she always seemed like such a bubbly, happy child, but the transformation for Jason was the one I liked the most. Seeing him become such a strong support network for Fliss was really touching and you just know he’s going onto good things!

I’ll not say much more as I’ll end up spoiling the story but there were a couple of characters I wasn’t fond on (you’ll know who I mean if you’ve read this), who ended up adding a bit of tension to the book - I mean everything can’t go without a hitch now can it!

A fantastic book that had me hooked, I really didn’t want to put this down and was so chuffed with the way the book finished, it was the perfect ending, especially the epilogue!!!

A 5 star book, beautifully written and an all round feel good book.

Fliss and her sisters inherit a chateau after their grandfather died, but it has absurdities waiting for them? Fliss stays behind and tries to help bring life and money into the chateau, will it work out for her?

A lovely romantic read.

Reading this makes you feel as though you are with the characters in France, Even the food sounds divine as does the whole story. Jo Thomas always gives us a great read as does this novel. Well worth 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this e ARC

An absolute must read! For fans of Jo Thomas, this has her hallmark stamp all through it, fabulous descriptions of delicious sounding food, an idyllic setting, interesting characters and above all, a wonderfully written, captivating story. The only downside to this book was it having to end 😉.

An enjoyable read.
Fliss and her two sister's inherit a Chateau after their grandfather's death. They all fly out to France to decide what to do with it.
As it turns out they are unable to sell due to the Chatelaine Charlotte living there.
Fliss decides to stay on and make money turning it into a B&B but she is up against the villagers who are not happy.
I really enjoyed the relationship between Fliss and Jaques the local mayor and farmer. It is quite funny how they interpret each other.
Jaque's daughter Clementine and Fliss' nephew Jason work really well together. They are great friends with a hint of a slow budding romance.
The orchard sounds a delightful place where all the locals gather to harvest the apples.
As with all Jo's books they are a delight to read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the ARC in return for an honest review.

I really liked the main character Fliss - I felt I could identify a lot of myself with her. Then Charlotte and her grandson Jacques enter the picture, and they are also really interesting and likeable characters. However, I found the two other sisters, Lizzie and Nellie, a bit hard going and I they just got under my skin.

I’ve never wanted to move abroad (as much as I like France), but I’ve always liked the idea of renovating a derelict castle to its former glory, so the general plot point was very warming and comforting to me.

The ironic thing is a lot of the story revolves around an apple orchard and cider making, and I’m allergic to apples, but the writing is so evocative, I could remember the juicy fruit I used to love eating.

When a book is marketed as a festive book, I do like it to be Christmassy right from the off, and this doesn’t get festive until over half way, which would normally sadden me, but the rest of the story is so well written and is just as magical, that I’m willing to allow it…just this once.

As expected with t type of book, it has such a happy ending, not necessarily in all the ways you expect, and it envelops you in such a warming hug.

This was my second Jo Thomas book, and it really did not disappoint! (I think I have a new favourite author here, seriously!)

We start of inheriting a French chateau, or at least Fliss and her sisters do, which they did not know about in the slightest. The chateau requires a lot of work, and even if Fliss wanted to sell, she can’t as someone is already living there!

This novel was definitely a cozy, feel-good read, and Jo manages to successfully transport us into the location and atmosphere of the novel. I’ve noted that this seems to be one of Jo’s specialties, and I absolutely LOVE it!

The characters were also written really well, and I especially loved seeing Fliss’ growth throughout the novel. Her friendship with Charlotte was heart-warming, multi-generational friendship.

I cannot wait to read more Jo Thomas books as they really (successfully) provide an element of escapism!

Jo Thomas has truely outdone herself with this one. I loved the story and the characters and really felt like I was in a small village in France!

A beautifully written Christmas book. What a wonderful world to escape into for a few hours. Who wouldn’t dream of moving to France and renovating your very own chateau. The characters were well thought out, the storyline plot was engaging and I read this in just two sittings. I will definitely be reading more from this author. Thank you netgalley foe the early access.

Another fabulous book by Jo Thomas, I was hooked from the start. If only the Chateau actually existed it sounded idyllic and I wanted to go and stay there !

Jo Thomas has once again out done herself with another truly wonderful book. I've read this over the course of a few short hours, and as often is the case with reading books from this author, I almost lost track of where I was on a tube journey as a result!

From the moment we arrive in France with the three sisters, and realise they have inherited not a small little holiday home as they thought it might be, but a great big Chateau I was hooked. I needed to know just why it was Fliss's grandfather had bought the Chateau, why none of his grandchildren had any inkling about it, and on discovering a rather key complication to what they thought was a straightforward inheritance, how things would proceed.

I wasn't too keen on how little Fliss's siblings seemed to think of both the Chateau on first impressions and also how they treat Fliss, just because she doesn't want to follow conventional steady career or already have children routes. Yet they realise they have to rely on her, in order to stand any chance of sorting this Chateau out.

I loved the story of the family who were the previous owners of the Chateau, and as to why is is initially in the village Fliss wasn't exactly welcome. There are various sub plots, all of which captured my attention and intrigue, and I just couldn't get enough at all of this Chateau, its cider apples and it's array of wild life that possibly isn't meant to be within the borders of the property, as well as Boris the temperamental boiler!

I especially liked that Fliss was dyslexic and seeing how her confidence was able to grow, in spite of her struggles with reading and maths.

I loved the small town rural French setting, the many hats the man next door seemed to wear, and just seeing the Chateau come to life, as Fliss tries to make it earn some money and earn it's keep.

A real feel good book that had me smiling, as I thoroughly enjoyed every chapter. I just couldn't get enough of this and wish we could have more from the Chateau and the three sisters. And it even had me craving Cider!

Thank you to Transworld and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Such a feel good romantic book! I couldn’t stop reading and devoured the book straight away. I could almost taste the french food and imagine I was in the chateau. I hope there is a sequel!

This was a really lovely, light-hearted, feel good book set in France.

Fliss, and her sisters, unexpectedly inherit a chateau in France after their grandfather dies. This is totally unexpected as Fliss lived with and looked after her grandfather and they all lived a normal life in England, so this was totally out of the blue.

But it turns out there is a sitting tenant, a 'chatelaine', who lives in the chateau and Fliss and her family have to pay this elderly lady (Charlotte) to live there until she dies, along with paying the chateau's taxes, and can't sell the chateau, their original idea. So a plan of action ensues with Fliss staying to sort things out, and she eventually has a plan to set it up as a wedding venue.

There are lots of obstacles to overcome with antagonistic locals, along with a few secrets about how Fliss's grandfather and Charlotte knew each other, and a romance for Fliss with the farmer/cheesemaker who lives in the farmhouse next door, also Charlotte's grandson, who originally should have inherited the chateau.

Just a lovely cosy read with engaging characters and a happy ending, perfect!

Honestly there is no one quite like Jo Thomas to whisk me away to another place. She has a certain knack for escapism. The Chateau Des Arbres is a beautiful setting for Fliss’s story. She and her sisters inherit a chateau in Normandy, they had no idea their grandfather had ever owned a property in France - and it turns out there are a few other things they had no idea about. Fliss is at a crossroads in her life and therefore the perfect person to stay at the chateau and try and figure out how they came to be it’s new owners and how on earth they can sell it and move on with their lives. A lovely story in a wonderfully descriptive setting. Another amazing book by Jo Thomas.

Another fantastic book from Jo Thomas that will have you wanting pack up and head to a chateau in France! I adored the characters especially Jacques and Clementine. I always find that Jo Thomas excels at writing descriptions of food and really makes you feel like you are there.

I really enjoyed this novel, light hearted romance set in France.

When Fliss and her sisters grandfather dies, they discover they have inherited a chateau in France. But all is not what it seems, and with hostile locals, an angry mayor with a claim to the estate and a host of problems to sort out, Fluss finds herself staying to sort out the mess.

It’s great escapism, easy to read too and of course a happy ending, what more can you want!?

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.