I've loved Chelsea's writing for a long time and was so excited to read her debut novel. This was a great summer romp.

This was a slow paced novel with unlikable characters, but the French setting was a character in and of itself. I was immersed in the story because of that, and I’m not sure I would have finished it otherwise.

Thank you @netgalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read this ebook!
Enjoyed the story! This was a very quick read.

I have been a Chelsea and The Financial Diet fan for years - so this was such a treat to see her venture off into romance novel writing. My sister and I actually went to her LA book signing for this book and it was so lovely to meet her and hear about her journey to A Perfect Vintage.

Her writing is unique and elegant somehow. Her scenes are set with such detail, I find it comparable to how well Elin Hilderbrand describes the East Coast and food. The Chateau was easy to picture and I've never been to France.

I love a romance novel that gives us supporting characters, and I loved that we had that here with Marie, Stephanie, and Nico. As for Lea and Theo, I really enjoyed Theo's character but Lea fell short for me, which from what Chelsea says, was intentional. I don't think she was created to be likable and I do appreciate a FMC that wasn't a typical goofy, aloof, charming lead.

Overall, this is a great summer read if you're dreaming of a luxury European vacation.

Well written romanance novel! It was my first age-gap genre/trope. I enjoyed reading A Pefect Vintage. Looking forward to more from Chelsea Fagan

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of A Perfect Vintage by Chelsea Fagan.

I loved everything about A Perfect Vintage, especially Chelsea Fagan’s beautiful writing. I was completely immersed in this romance. It’s glamorous, sexy and complex. I could not get enough of the gorgeous descriptions of France and the Chateau setting. Another one I stayed up way to late reading- I highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the ARC.

I was drawn in by the BEAUTIFUL cover, intriguing set up, and of course being a fan of the author's other projects. The strongest part of this book for me was the setting. Spending 350 pages in the south of France at a chateau in the summer heat had me living my best season 2 of White Lotus fantasy. I was craving Aperol spritzes like my life depended on it the entire time.

Fagans debut romance was seriously the perfect summer read. I mean France, chic people and an age gap? What more could you want.

<i>First, a thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an eARC of this book.</i>

I have to be honest. This is maybe the pettiest/oddest reason I have DNF’d a book.

I follow Fagan on tiktok. I love her content. She’s great!

Normally, a romance novel like this would be right up my alley. So of course I want to read the romance novel by one of my favorite TikTokers.

My reason:

I could only hear her voice in my head as I read this book. I got 6% in. It’s not that I don’t like her voice. But it was slower than I can read when I get fully into a book and don’t really “read” anymore and just “see” (iykyk). It was just too painfully slow having Fagan narrate the book to me in my head. Sorry. 😭 And I just imagined her sitting right next to me reading this book to me and it was just too much. I don’t want to be perceived or think I am perceived while reading. When I read my physical husk becomes like a gremlin. I don’t wanna think of one of the most put together individuals on the internet seeing me like that.

Since this is firmly a me issue, I’m giving it ⭐️⭐️⭐️. But I can’t really do more because… you know… I only got 6% of the way done.

Sorry Chelsea, I’m sure it’s a…banger?

I thought this book was a very fun romance. Romance typically is not my genre, but I found this book to be a fun read. I enjoyed how all of the romance tropes were executed and thought they were well done (the conflict that drives the couple apart, for example.) I also appreciated the growth of the lead character as well as the way the author clearly was very familiar with the setting. And while there were a lot of themes in this book that while at times were a little heavy handed at times, for the most part worked to strengthen the plot. I also appreciated how specific the location was.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun read!

I have mixed feelings about most of these characters but that just means I care haha. Chelsea is such a good writer and can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

While this synopsis sounds like a dream novel and the cover is show stopping, I felt like this had a lot to be desired. If you prefer telling over showing, this has plenty of descriptions to keep your imagination running but between not connecting to the characters and the writing style, I’m afraid this was a miss for me personally.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for granting me the opportunity to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of A Perfect Vintage by Chelsea Fagan to read and review. From the moment I saw the cover, I knew I was going to love it! I mean, come on - who doesn't love a book set in France! This was a great escape from reality with all the heavy stuff going on in the world and I couldn't put it down once I started reading it. THANK YOU so much for allowing me the opportunity to provide my opinions.

An enjoyable book but not quite what I was expecting, I felt it was a bit slow and I really disliked the main character. A good storyline and great writing, overall a great debut from the author & what a brilliant cover.

So I picked this one up simply because I ADORED the cover of this book, such an aesthetic! Safe to say I did enjoy the read in itself, a steady pace and good holiday read. It reminded me much of a piña colada on a winter's day – a bit unexpected, a touch breezy, and definitely better enjoyed with a dash of sunshine. While the characters were loveable, I can't say I wouldn't of enjoyed to see a bit more action in parts. I didn't feel massively surprised at any points in the book. I loved the setting of this book, it was based in an idyllic chateau in the Loire Valley in France. The walls of the chateau saw us rattling with love, betrayal and a whole lot of wine drinking. The wine in this novel was more than just a beverage; it was a character, adding its own notes to the unfolding love story. Overall, a good read.

Rounded up to 4.5 stars. Chelsea Fagan is a debut fiction writer, but also the CEO of The Financial Diet (women’s personal finance media company)- it was so good!! It’s the perfect summer read- it takes place in Loire Valley, France, where a 30-something women transforms French chateaus into boutique Hotels- talk about wanderlust. And there’s a romance with a younger man (think The Idea of You). A heady combo of travel, wine, chateaus, design and romance made for a great, lighthearted book.

A slow burn worth the wait.

It took me awhile to get fully invested in the story, but once I did I couldn’t put it down!

Consultant Lea Mortimer has everything figured out. On one hand, she has the career she’s worked hard to build. On the other hand, is her personal life, lacking in any real romance, and tied up in the close relationship she shares with her cousin and niece.

When they tag along on her summer trip to work on renovating a French Chateau, she is determined to ensure they don’t complicate things for her. However, as passions ignite between Lea and the son of her boss, the man her niece also has her eye on, things begin to spiral out of her tight control.

This book was just what I envisioned it to be - the perfect summer age gap romance, featuring all the angsty, forbidden love vibes, and set in the picturesque French countryside. It completely swept me away the entire time I was reading it. The descriptions so vivid and the characters so lifelike, it was easy to get caught up in all of their drama, and oh what drama there was.

What I loved most is that while this is definitely a romance in nature, there is a lot about friendship and family wrapped up in it as well, along with themes of self discovery. It is the epitome of the summer read, and enjoyable all year round.

ʀ ᴇ ᴀ ᴅ ɪ ғ ʏ ᴏ ᴜ ʟ ɪ ᴋ ᴇ :
•age gap
•forbidden love
•French chateau setting
•summer romance
•found family
•mild open door romance

Thank you Chelsea Fagan and Orsay Press for the gifted copies in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book; it was incredibly well written, really detailed and rich with French culture. I loved reading about Lea's career and it was very interesting to get insight into a hotel consulting career.

I always throughly enjoy reading these types of books that center around one specific place and project, that takes place in such a niche market. It reminded me of Blush and Gilt by Jamie Brenner which I loved so much.

Lea was a fantastic narrator and I loved her as a person; she also made me quite sad because I thought she deserved so much more. She deserved to be happy, to be respected, to be rewarded for her hard work but to also have a friend who valued her.

Stephanie was horrible. I don't know if I'm supposed to feel that way but she infuriated me in so many ways. I thought the way she treated Lea was disgusting, I thought she was a bad mother and an idiot for acting the way she did throughout the novel. That sounds incredibly harsh but I don't know if I've ever disliked a character more. And that has nothing to do with how she was written - she was written insanely good which I think is the point and why I have such a visceral reaction to her.

Theo was hot, he really liked Lea and he was so smart. I loved reading their moments together and seeing Lea's wall crumble around her. It showed such a softer and more self loving side to her. Throughout the book I was rooting for Lea to stand up for herself and when the climax of the novel hits, I was devastated.

The last quarter of the book threw me for a loop and it wasn't what I was expecting but eventually, it all

As I said above, this is a hot summer romance mixed with a little bit of coming of age, career and self discovery. Being immersed in the warm French summer sun was delightful and really transported you there. You got to know the characters in an authentic way and for a minute, you almost forget that it's a work of fiction.

If you need a book to pull you out of your reading slump, to instill a little heat in your soul, or to read on the beach, The Perfect Vintage will not disappoint.