Coming in at just under 200 pages in the printed version (although I read an eARC kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review), this is a fast read. Unfortunately the storyline wasn't that fast to start with; focusing on describing scenery which then wasn't taken any further.

Still, it's a fantastic read, bringing Christmas spirit despite a Not-Christmas-Tree and an escape to France to avoid all things festive (and baby related).

It's a story about friendships, new opportunities and letting go of grief; to becoming a better version of oneself. All nicely wrapped up in some snow and to the smells of gorgeous French food.

This book, and the previous two in the Escape to France series are all available now.

I had read the first one of this series which I enjoyed and this one was just as good. A wry sweet read set in France. Loved the story and the characters. Looking forward to reading the third one. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

This is a good book. The two main characters are Evie and Didier. Evie is a chef and Didier is a doctor. There is an instant attraction. Evie has come to France after the death of her baby, she is heartbroken. Didier has come to France to sub for a doctor that retired. Didier has recently had his fiancé pass away. They each have trust issues but together they work them out and fall in love.

CW: death of a child

Evie Brooks is in the depths of despair of grief. Her babies heart beat stopped at seven months Her friend Rose allows to her to use their summer house in France to get away from it all to grieve.

It was nice to escape to Bordeaux, France set in the winter from my home where we've been hitting the high 90s every day. This book was wonderful. It stirred so much emotion in me. I cried with Evie in the church pew. The writing transported me to the chateau with her found family.

I'm now a big fan of Fiona Valpy and will definitely need to read the rest of her books.

A Christmas read and my first from Fiona Valpy. Evie Brooke needs a place to flee to and the South of France seems perfect. She doesn't want to make the decision to go to the States or remain in London after a stillbirth and broken marriage. Rose and Max, her best friends have suggested their place as a hideout, where she can heal, take stock of her life and avoid OTT Christmas jollity and traditions. She spends the festive season in a remote cottage in a tiny hamlet. Although short (about 200 pages) the characters appeal and the description of the cottage and surroundings bring it to life. Uplifting, inspiring and worthwhile.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Lake Union Publishing via NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

This was a new to me author, I hadn't heard of her before reading this novel, but the blurb for this book was enough for me to give her a chance.

The blurb read:
Evie’s running away: from her soon-to-be ex-husband’s shiny new life, from the devastating loss of her baby last year, from a memory-filled London and, most particularly, from Christmas. A remote cottage in the South of France seems like the perfect peaceful place to soothe her sorrows.

But the countryside soon proves anything but quiet, from the rooster crowing at dawn to the barn owl hooting through the night—not to mention Evie’s handsome neighbour, doctor Didier, who works away in his garage at all hours.

Unexpectedly, the sights and sounds of life amid the sparkling beauty of the Dordogne give Evie a renewed sense of inspiration, and with her French grandmother’s recipe book for company, she begins to rediscover her love of cooking. Soon, the tight-knit community begins to enfold her, reminding Evie what really matters in life.

But are Didier’s gorgeous blue eyes on more than Evie’s delicious dinners? And can a cancelled Christmas—complete with a Not-Christmas feast for two—heal her heart?

First of all, this is NOT new material, it was previously published in 2014 under the name of "The French for Christmas".

While the blurb held promise, sadly it didn't deliver. The setting and characters are fine, and there is some emotional drama throughout, but it all seemed a bit too fake, a bit too sweet and unrealistic. I didn't feel that there was any real growth from the characters, it was all a bit superficial.

I finished the book feeling rather unsatisfied.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

A lovely, heart-warming read. But be cautioned, this book may bring hunger pangs or a longing to get in the kitchen and cook French food! After suffering a stillbirth and the estrangement from her husband, Evie is determined to skip Christmas and heads to France to hide away. But a rekindled love of cooking, and growing feelings for an equally troubled neighbour, she is able to find a new sense of purpose.

A well plotted, heart-warming, and festive novel that made me smile and wish I could travel to Dordogne.
Sweet story, fleshed out characters, a compelling plot.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Fiona Valpy never disappoints me. I love her writing and her ability to develop such relatable characters. This was a wonderful Christmas story centered on healing from grief, being open to what life holds and learning to trust in one's self. Thanks#NetGalley and #LakeUnionPublishing

I didn't realise that this was the last of a trilogy of novelettes/novellas by Valpy until I read some reviews. It didn't really matter though. I liked this, but of the three stories, this was my least favourite. It just didn't grip me like the other two did. There were long sequences where Evie was on her own and her thought sequences were over long. I just wanted to get to the action. Loved the scenic description and the ending was satisfying. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a quick, easy read. I’d say it ended up as a cosy read, but as it does deal with the miscarriage of a baby, It doesn’t start this way.
It’s well written with good characters, if a little predictable at times.
Even so, I’d say it’s worth a read.
Thank you to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for my arc.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

This is the third book in the authors Escape to France books.

An American Chef, Evie, is trying to come to terms with losing her stillborn baby, as well as her marriage coming to an end.

She goes to a town in France, where she lives in a home of her friends. Whilst there, she makes some new friends and her heart begins to mend, she also falls in love again.

I recommend this book.

Evie is mourning the loss of a pregnancy, her marriage is broken and her husband has moved on. She no longer feels the passion she did for cooking and as Christmas approaches and the anniversary of her loss she decides to spend the holiday in a remote French village alone. The cottage caretakers take her under their wings and there is a doctor next door similarly dreading Christmas. This is a short book at about 200 pages but the characters are lovely and the description of the cottage and surroundings bring it to life.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for providing me a digital copy.

The story
Evie’s spent the last year grieving for the baby that she lost when 7 months pregnant, her husband who has moved on with his life without her and her career as a chef. Her best friend offers Evie the use of their home in South West France for the month of December. In the little settlement on the Pilgrim path, Evie meets her three neighbours, elderly Eliane and her husband Matthias and doctor Didier. Her neighbours have also experienced grief and are different stages of dealing with it, and can help Evie put things into perspective.

My thoughts
This is a shortish story that is being revamped and republished. It’s a sad read, with ultimately, a glimmer of hope and path to move forward to. It’s not an easy read and there is much that is heartbreaking, however there is also Christmas magic and acceptance, some food being cooked and shared and cozy snowy vibes. A sweet read ❄️🌲🐴

This is a lovely snuggle up with a blanket and a cuppa type book!

Recovering from the trauma of losing a baby and her marriage breakdown, Evie decides to go away to rural France for Christmas, staying in her friends' holiday home.

With the accommodation basic and cold and no internet or phone signal at first she is worried that she has made a mistake! However before long she meets the hunky doctor Didier next door and (despite throwing up on him due to
Norovirus the first time she meets him) things start to look up!

This is a very different book to Fiona Valpy's historical fiction novel, The Dressmaker's Gift, but this a good light read, providing a bit of homeley escapism, with lots of references to yummy French cuisine!

A heart warmer. Evie's lost so much- her marriage, her baby, her inspiration so she heads to France thinking she'll lick her wounds. What she finds, however, is a new life. Yes, there's Didier, the intriguing and handsome romantic interest but there's also the rest of the village, the animals, and wisdom handed down through her family. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A feel good read.

The Recipe for Hope is the third in Fiona Valpy's Escape to France books and I think I enjoyed this one the most of all three books. Evie, an American chef who had been living in London, is attempting to cope with the loss of both her stillborn baby and of her marriage as her husband was not there for her. Evie travels to a small town in France to stay in the empty home of friends and makes new friends who become like family, healing her aching heart along the way and finding love again. I'm a sucker for a happy ending and this book certainly had a feel-good ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very enjoyable read. The story was uplifting and the characters were well rounded. Evie had her ups and downs but seemed to fare well in the end. Which was nice in comparison to so many sad ending stories lately. Touches on a few sensitive topics such as stillbirth, but does so with a careful hand.

“The best meals are those seasoned with friendship and conversation.”

Valpy gently reminds us that amidst the uplifting carols and festive hum surrounding Christmas, there are those who are hurting. Her vivid descriptions of winter in a hive will inspire you to reach out to others….after all, we’re all on this journey together.

I absolutely loved returning to the south of France and the Dordogne region and meeting up with characters from Valpy’s other books. It’s like meeting up with old friends. New to the community is dreamy Dr. Didier Dumas, a locum with a broken heart, who fits in well and learns that in facilitating healing within the hamlet, he finds solace and restoration himself.

After a stillbirth and broken marriage, redheaded American Chef Evie Brooke heads to a remote cottage a tiny hamlet of Les Pelerins to heal. Her celebrity chef husband, Will, seems to have found inspiration in his flavour of the month and continues to run the couple’s restaurant. Evie wants to remove herself from her old life. The last place she wants to be at Christmas is anywhere near people! As she settles into this quiet corner of a foreign country, thinking that no one spoke her language and she could be alone with her grief, she learns to appreciate the tranquility of village life and the helpfulness of the community. She discovers she’s anything BUT alone in her grief once she opens up to the neighbours. She is drawn out of herself, challenged to see things from a different perspective and focus on the things that really matter. It’s when she brings out her French grandmother’s cookbook that the inspiration from the Dordogne mixes with the love of cooking and she finds ‘the recipe for hope.’


This is not your typical Christmas read. Yes, the author does share the French seasonal traditions but put any pre-conceived notions out of your mind. You’ll learn about the tradition of Le Pere Fouettard, the Marche aux Truffes, and the local Trappe d’Echourgnac. And, yes, there are gifts. But not what you’d expect. Two people awaken to find the gift of strength to open their hearts and love again…a gift far superior to anything one could purchase.

I loved the author’s thoughts on us being ambassadors and the healing power of nature. Evie’s journey entertained me, moved me and inspired me.

This is book 3 of the Escape to France series and was previously published as The French For Christmas

“The rural way of life seems to be dying out, just at a time when the world needs it more than ever.”

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 by Fiona.
Heartbroken after the loss of her daughter and failed marriage, she flees to France to escape Christmas in London.
Finding herself in a house surrounded by farms, woods and peacefulness, she meets her new neighbours and she begins to discover herself again. Remembering forgotten dreams and plans.