I didn’t know much about this book going into it. I just heard that it was set in France and immediately requested it. But I am so glad that I did. First of all, I ADORED the French countryside setting. It was so beautifully written and descriptive that it felt like I was watching a movie. And it has the most perfect summer vibes. There was a much bigger romance plot than I was expecting. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it at first, but it definitely grew on me. There was so much tension and pining, and I loved the love interest.

The characters felt so genuine and well-developed, and I was rooting for all of them. The main character was deeply flawed and made some questionable (and honestly, infuriating decisions), but had amazing character development by the end. I loved the plot as a whole and watching all of the drama unfold. I felt like I had a front-row seat to these characters’ lives. It was hard to put this book down. I desperately wanted to know what happened and was so in love with the setting and the writing. I highly recommend picking this up this summer, especially if you are craving an escape to France!

Perfect summer read! I was very drawn in to the setting and the atmosphere described in this book. Also, I was obsessed with the family drama. Overall, it was a great read and I would recommend!

What a beautifully set book. I need to go find a chateau to stay at in France for the summer. I love a good family drama and this fit the bill. Lea was a great MC and I appreciated her work ethic. Stephanie really annoyed me at times. She was so immature and cruel to Lea who was doing everything she could to help her. Overall, a quick, atmospheric summer read!

This was a perfect summer read! Also, I just love reading about the woes of extremely rich people and their family drama.😂 Even more so that it was set in a french chateau!
There’s a lot to unpack here, but its essence just screams summer in the French countryside (and a significant sprinkle of complicated spicy affairs) While the book is definitely very sexy, it is still closed door which I appreciate. The sexual tension is unreal and keeps your attention.

This book is smart and the author is clearly very familiar with French culture. I was left satisfied with the ending. The FMC came full circle and literally left me envious of her new life!

Cute summer read! Immediately fell in love with the setting: a chateau in the French countryside. I read this fairly quickly.

SPOILERS AHEAD:

I was convinced that Lea and Gabriel were going to have an enemies-to-lovers arc! Anyone else?

This book had everything - a French chateau, complex and powerful lead, female friendships and power struggles. I loved the book - the ending wrapped up nicely, the characters were great and it was set in France. A definite summer read!

Thank you, NetGalley and Orsay Press, for the ARC!

I found this book to be a enjoyable tale of a woman reclaiming her happiness and embracing things she normally wouldn't.

Our FMC Lea is a type A workaholic who on a work trip finds herself falling for a younger guy and starts to navigate the intricacies of that relationship. I found the relationship between her and the love interest to be sweet yet a bit predictable in the way in evolves.

The author takes a lot of time to describe architectural aspects of the job Lea is working on, I found myself lost in a lot of this but an interior designer or architect would love this aspect of the book.

I would recommend this book to someone who loves an age gap, secret love and architecture.

Oh, the drama!

This book was like a reality tv show and a telenovela wrapped together in one book with a pretty bow.

Wow, talk about summer vibes! This book was so awesome and made me want to lay by the pool and drink Vino all day 🍷
I ended up giving this book four stars just because sometimes I have a hard time getting behind the age gap romance, but I overall enjoyed it. The imagery in this book was amazing and the setting couldn’t have been a better choice.
Forbidden love and fake dating are probably two of my favorite tropes, and forbidden love is a huge one here. Theo is such a heartthrob- a new lovable book boyfriend for me!

This is definitely a book you’ll want to take on your next vacation!

Thank you so much to Orsay Press LLC and Chelsea Fagan for the ARC to give my honest review!

This book was one of those fun surprises where the gorgeous cover actually matched the content! Brief synopsis: Lea is a successful boutique hotel consultant in her mid-thirties, who travels to the Loire Valley in France to transform a family's chateau into a luxury destination. While there, she falls for the handsome son of the owner and is then faced with choosing between her desire for him and her desire to maintain control.

The word that best describes my experience reading this is sumptuous. The romance, the atmosphere, the setting—all of it was so well done. Even the descriptions of certain outfits was so spot on. The slow burn/pining was top tier and I loved that Lea’s hesitations weren’t rooted in insecurity about her own appeal, it was more about professionalism and their age gap. I also loved all the descriptions of the decor, architecture and the surrounding landscape, it made me feel transported to the Loire Valley and specifically to this chateau.

Are the characters a bit pretentious? Absolutely. But this is a book set at a rich French family’s chateau, what else would you expect?

My only real critique was that some of the dialogue was a bit awkward at times—I felt like there could’ve been some slightly tighter editing there. Despite that, this book was such an enjoyable experience. Highly recommend for anyone needing a book to get lost in this summer.

This book is pretty well outside of anything I typically choose to read, but I am a fan of the author’s work on The Financial Diet and her overall vibe, so I had to see what was what and get an advance reader copy!

What I appreciated the most about this book was how it was a bit spicy, but never once at the sake of exploring the nuances of interpersonal relationships. The narrator is deeply self-aware, and even when she makes questionable decisions, she is tapping into herself to better understand her intentions and to attempt to stay aligned to her values, morals, and desires for her own life.

I always love and appreciate a “she is messy, but she’s kind” narrator (Waitress reference, anyone?), and the setting and peripheral focus on design and hospitality was a treat, too!

Overall, both something fun and at the same time something that makes you think a bit 🌞

A good debut! Many are loving this book, so this review is likely more of a me thing, but I found the characters a little flat overall. I found myself not rooting for Lea, which led me to have a hard time caring about the outcome of the story. I did enjoy the aspects of the hotel design, and the setting in France, but I wish I connected to the characters more.

Lea Mortimer runs her own business LeMor Consulting, she specializes in transforming rundown French country estates into luxury hotels. In her mid thirties Lea is a career woman, by choice she has no children and she's single.

Her latest project is in the Loire Valley, Lea leaves for France in three weeks, and she’s surprised when her recently separated cousin Stephanie Bryce and her daughter Maya want to go with her. Lea checks with the owner, he doesn’t mind and his large chateau has room for two extra people. Lea's a professional, and she's never mixed her private and work lives together!

The transformation of Hotel Chateau Victoire has started, parts have been turned into luxurious guest suites, the stables will become a health and wellness spa, a new restaurant will be opened, serving Maghrebi and regional French cuisine, they plan to hold cooking lessons and eventually the vineyards will be overhauled. Alain Levesque is the owner of the Chateau, he’s a widower and has three children Gabriel, Theodore and Chloe.

With a lot to still do to finish the final stages of the properties makeover, Lea doesn’t need a distraction and she starts a secret relationship with her bosses much younger son. Soon Lea’s mind isn’t completely on her job, she’s never mixed business with pleasure before and it’s extremely risky. Like most family’s the Levesque’s have one member whose a trouble maker, a black sheep and he’s determined to cause problems.

I received a copy of A perfect Vintage by Chelsea Fagan from NetGalley and Osray Press in exchange for an honest review. It’s a story about renovating a rundown French chateau into a trendy boutique hotel, the amount of planning it takes and it needs to be done by a professional. Lea’s character has a fear of committing to a relationship, when she starts sneaking around with a much younger man, she’s worried about people finding out, it could ruin her business reputation that’s she’s spent years building and is she making a biggest mistake of her life?

It makes the reader think and question the stereotypical views of older women dating younger men, why should Lea fear being judged, what about her morals and their two consenting adults! Combine this with the narrative being set in France and at a stunning chateau, the family dynamics on both sides, jealousy, a nasty ex-husband and it makes for an interesting, steamy and drama filled story line. Four stars from me and I’m keen to read other novels by Ms. Fagan.

I’m not usually one for an age gap romance but y’all this is THE book of the summer. The development and build up are executed to perfection! I devoured this novel, it was such a fast read for me. Looking for a read by the pool on a sunny day with a drink in hand? THIS IS IT! The fine details and vibe that this novel gives off will make you feel like you are poolside at a French chateau - so luxurious!

This book was very hyped for me, and it just fell short. The main character was insufferable in this book; I could not stand her! I also couldn't stand her friend. This was a good diversion to read, but not anything I would buy or recommend really. I was also really torn on my rating, but I went with three stars because

Rating: 3⭐️

A Perfect Vintage takes a look at love, family, and friendship in this wonderfully bright and fun novel. I could feel so much of Chelsea in this story. The aesthetic was so much her personality. This was entertaining from cover to cover. *Advance copy provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Y’all. The VIBES of this book!! It had me feeling like I was actually lounging poolside at a French chateau sipping a spritzer while reading.. The tension build is chefs kiss and trust me when I say this book is written for the female gaze. Not to be pushy but I am eagerly awaiting any novel Chelsea wants to write in the future. It was such a pleasure to get an advanced e-book but that cover is so gorge you KNOW I have a copy in the mail from B&N.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed A Perfect Vintage! I read it while traveling in Europe and it was the perfect companion. I recommend!

The perfect summer read, sure to become the book of the summer!! A setting that will make you want to book a summer European vacation. The character development throughout the entire book was spectacular. Really enjoyable read!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC ⭐️

One of our Satellite Sisters Best Beach Bag Books for 2023. Spend the summer in the south of France with A Perfect Vintage by Chelsea Fagan. This one's got a lot of love: a glamorous main character with a glam job; a friend in need and I mean, a lot of need; a breathtaking French setting and some real romance. Check off a lot of boxes and armchair travel to boot!

I really enjoyed A Perfect Vintage! It was a refreshing romance with a beautiful backdrop in France. It dealt with some complex topics and emotions well. The love story was beautifully portrayed.

I felt like the main character was unfairly villian-ized and suffered at the hands of the other characters unnecessarily. This made some of the book more difficult to read (especially the end).

Overall, I thought this was an excellent debut and would recommend it.