What a frothy and fun romp through France! Chelsea Fagan has created smart, sincere and MESSY characters that feel fully realized on the page. It's an immersive story that' leaves no stone unturned so best to settle in and enjoy the scenery that's so carefully crafted, in particular any time food or sex is mentioned -- which huzzah, is often! Perfect for porch reading with a chilled glass of wine on a sultry, summer day.

4/5 - What a fun and captivating read that transports you to the heart of central France! Lea is a successful hotel consultant in whose latest project lands her in Loire Valley in France. Along for the trip are her cousin, Stephanie, and niece, Maya, who inadvertantly complicate Lea's meticulous work schedule. To complicate matters even more, Lea is falling in love with the much younger son of her boss.

This book makes you feel like you are part of all of the drama in a picturesque French chateau. The descriptions and scenes really make you feel like you're in France, and who doesn't love a complicated family love triange? The middle was a bit slow as everything built up to the hotel's grand opening party, but that never stopped me from putting the book down. This is a perfect summer read!

A Perfect Vintage was the perfect read to kick off summer! This book was so fun and felt like a holiday to France. Lea, the main character, was so relatable and I was very invested in her relationship with Theo. Also, the book's cover is gorgeous and helped me to envision the setting and mood that was present throughout the whole book.

I got so swept up in this book. I couldn't put it down! I love it when romances are so in the head is the main character, and they're not 100% likeable but they feel very human and flawed in a real way.

My only complaint is that the word "gastronomic" was used way too many times. But other than that I really enjoyed this! I'd definitely recommend it to romance fans.

Thank you to Netgalley and Orsay Press for the chance to read and review this ARC.

In high school, I was lucky enough to take part in a French exchange, where I stayed with a French family in Bourges, which is only about an hour from the Loire Valley, where this story takes place. Chelsea Fagan’s beautiful, descriptive writing took me right back there. I could practically taste the French cheeses and hear the French accents as I was reading 😍

🏰 In this story, we get family drama, an age gap romance, a gorgeous chateau, and all the opulent food, wines, and scenery of the idyllic French countryside. Our FMC isn’t always lovable, but I warmed up to her. I appreciate a character who is an independent, career driven woman, husband/child free by choice, which we don’t always see. Oh, and her romance with Théo is 😍. This is a must read for the Summer, meant to be enjoyed poolside with a crisp Sancerre. I LOVED it.

Loved it! So descriptive of the French setting, made me want to book a flight! Great read if you’re looking to be transported to another place! Just a hint of spice to make for a great read!

The premise for this book is right up my alley - a fantastical job that takes a determined and independent career woman to wistful summers to the Loire Valley, reimagining old chateaus into contemporary hotel retreats! For this summer, she falls in love with a hot, younger french man. For the plot and main characteristics, I really enjoyed this book.

However, I had trouble feeling as though this story got fully off the ground. Rarely was I rooting for the MC or other protagonists for that matter. I struggled past the initial judgements and therefore many proper felt underdeveloped. But really, with a pretense of the plot line being what it is, I was hoping for much more smut! The love could have been steamier and I think there was space for it.

All in all, a pleasant summer read, so long as you are prepared to lust after the setting as much of not more than the characters.

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

Four out of five stars! A perfect read for the summer. I loved the setting. Fagan did a fantastic job of making the place come alive. I loved the main characters. My only qualm was that some of the description was a little repetitive, and some of the characters felt a little two-dimensional.

A Perfect Vintage by Chelsea Fagan is a captivating and beautifully written novel that is perfect for anyone who loves a good summer romance. Fagan’s writing style is elegant and evocative, transporting the reader to the idyllic French countryside and immersing them in the drama and intrigue of Lea Mortimer’s world.

The characters in A Perfect Vintage are complex and well-developed, each with their own strengths and flaws that make them feel like real people rather than two-dimensional stereotypes. Lea Mortimer is a particularly compelling protagonist, a fiercely independent and successful woman who is not afraid to take risks and follow her heart.

The plot of A Perfect Vintage is expertly crafted, with plenty of twists and turns that keep the reader engaged and guessing until the very end. Fagan does an excellent job of balancing the romantic elements of the story with the more serious themes of inheritance and betrayal, creating a novel that is both entertaining and thought-provoking.

Overall, I would highly recommend A Perfect Vintage to anyone who loves a good summer read. It is a beautifully written, engaging, and thought-provoking novel that is sure to leave a lasting impression on readers. I would give it 4/5 stars and look forward to reading more from Chelsea Fagan in the future.

This is going to be THE book of the summer! It's fun, sexy, unique and gives us a glimpse into upper-class French life.

I've followed Chelsea Fagan and the Financial Diet for years so I was very excited to hear about her debut novel. A Perfect Vintage follows Lea, a consultant who helps transform French estates into luxury hotels, and was such a fun sneak peek into an industry and environment that I knew nothing about. Lea falls for the much younger son of the family that owns the estate - the tension between Lea and Theo is palpable and the will they-won't they build-up is so fun.

Thank you to Orsay Press and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.

This novel is a great choice for a summer read because of its beautiful setting in a French estate. Career-driven Lea, who specializes in turning old French homes into boutique hotels, brings with her her best friend and cousin Stephanie and niece Maya in Loire Valley for her latest project.

What I loved about this novel, aside from the setting, is the cast of characters that make it more colorful (is it because they’re French? Maybe). I especially loved Lea’s chemistry with Theo, her boss’ son, and the way their relationship progressed.

However, this would’ve been a 4-star read if not for the second half of the novel, where the plot unravels. I didn’t like how the conflict was resolved, especially between Lea and Stephanie, given how important their relationship is to the story. I think their conflict resolution deserved more that what was written in the novel.

I still enjoyed reading this, though, and I’m looking forward to reading more of Chelsea’s writing, as I’ve been a follower of The Financial Diet for many years.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really wanted to love this book, but it was long and it stressed me out I knew that the love affair between Theo and Lea would mostly be about sex and ruin everything for Lea, and that’s exactly what happened. I loved the descriptions of all the work going on at the chateau, but I didn’t love the characters. I couldn’t buy into the love story.

Thank you to Netgalley, Chelsea & publisher for this arc and a chance to read. Beautifully written and transports you to a summer in France. The characters were relatable. The pace was perfect.

I loved the setting of this book which takes place on the French countryside in the Loire Valley, and the cover of the book is so beautiful! This one is a fun summer romance read and is slightly spicy but too spicy. The details and descriptions of the chateau, the food, and the culture were outstanding. The whole time you're reading, you will feel like you are transported right into the French countryside, enjoying a glass of champagne with Lea, the Levesque family, and all their friends. I enjoyed and appreciated Lea's work storyline and the preparation of launching the hotel.

I sometimes felt like the relationships were quick and underdeveloped, but I'm not always a fan or believer in love-at-first sight, immediately falling in love type-stories so it was hard for me to connect with Stephanie's relationship. I personally hate too, when a person jumps from one relationship to another, without any time to reflect and learn from the previous relationship. I also would have liked to see more build up in how Lea fell in love with Theo, but their story was fun, spicy, and realistic. The age gap between them kept things interesting.

I did find myself frustrated with how Lea handled the complications of the relationship though and some of her actions felt immature. She really needed to get out of her own way. I'm happy with how the book ended, even if it was somewhat predictable.

Overall, it is a lovely book, and I was pleasantly surprised when I finished reading the book and realized it was Chelsea's debut romance novel - I would have thought she'd been writing romance for years. I'm impressed by her writing style and can't wait to read another book by her.

Thank you to Netgalley, Orsay Press, and Chelsea Fagan for my advanced copy of A Perfect Vintage!

This is the book of the summer!! Lea is an über successful boutique hotel designer who has built a life that can protect her heart from ever being like her parents. When her beloved cousin, Stephanie, calls her to let her know she’s getting a divorce from her narcissistic husband of 20 years, Lea finds herself in a precarious position. Stephanie wants to come the France for the summer with her daughter, Maya, and join Lea on her latest hotel project. Lea’s perfectly curated works are about to merge. Can their relationship survive a summer filled with unexpected affairs, secrets, and hotel construction?

This book was lush and I was here for every minute in the French countryside! As a woman in her 30’s who is child-free by choice, I could relate to Lea and this weird floaty land of success that’s always slightly tinged by people’s expectation that women want to be mothers. I loved seeing the hotel coming together and had moments where I wished I was in the mess helping the crew. I audibly gasped at parts and wanted to shake Lea and Stephanie a few times. The ending of this book was satisfying. I’ll be dreaming of Chateaus in France.

I have posted my reviews on StoryGraph and GoodReads as of 5/5/23 and will add my review to amazon on pub day.

I really enjoyed this one! Although I didn't love Lea, the main character. I liked the ending and definitely found myself pulled in as the plot developed. Fagan's focus on setting really made this one for me. I loved reading about the design of the chateau and the French countryside. With some romance and drama, this one will make a great beach read this summer! I also looooove the cover!!

Thank you to NetGalley & Orsay Press for an ARC of this book!

Made me want to change my career aspirations immediately!!

This book had a very strong start which had be putting my to-do list to one side to just sit and read, clear sign of a good book!! But I found the more I read, the more the dialogue and main character's actions annoyed me. The dialogue felt very fake and forced which would often take me out of the story bubble.

I enjoyed the plot and storylines but felt the ending was a little rushed and out of character. It left me unsatisfied and wanting more.

Overall I did enjoy A Perfect Vintage! It's a good read and transports you to the French countryside. I think it would make a fabulous summer escape read!

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read an eARC of this book.

My rating for this book is 3.5/5. I didn’t know what I was getting into when I read this book, and it was more than just a cutesty story set in the French countryside. The book touches on more than romantic relationships but also looks as familial relationships and friendships. The one thing that was missing for me was honestly the chemistry and connection between the two love interests of the story. Their interactions did have me rooting for them like many other books have done and while the ending was cute I felt like towards the end I was just reading to finish the novel. Additionally there wasn’t really a character I felt like I knew/understood/or even liked that much.

This is my first time reading Chelsea Fagan’s work, but I would be interested in reading more of other work.

This is one where I had mixed feelings until the very end. The first half was fairly slow, I skimmed so many details about the renovations as the amount of detailing seemed irrelevant to the plot. The FMC was supposed to be someone mature as her age and professionalism seemed to define her entire personality, but the personal choices she made were immature and made her own situations worse. I enjoyed the supporting characters, and the love interest was charming- I ended up wanting him happy above all. The second half the plot was more romance centric and the speed picked up. The growth all the characters showed at the end was a nice Hallmark-esque ending. Perfect summer, poolside read.

I was really bothered by the main character's actions at first. She would simultaneously say she was doing the wrong thing while continuing to do it. I kinda hated the first half and the story didn't really pick up until that point. It was all a very beautiful setting though so I kept pushing through for that reason. I ended up really liking it and the conclusion it all came to, I just wish the beginning had been different.