A Perfect Vintage is the perfect summer read. Set in the Loire Valley, it’s the perfect setting for a reverse, age-gap romance. Lea Mortimer is a great protagonist and Théo is a wonderful love interest. Their “taboo” relationship isn’t because of Lea being older than Théo, but because she’s working on upgrading his family chateau. Théo was so mature for his age, making their 12 year difference a great fit. It was frustrating seeing Lea resist her connection with Théo for so long. Once she gave in to her feelings, I needed more and more of them. Along with reading how their romance developed , I enjoyed reading about all the updates Lea was making to the chateau. This made me want to travel and have my own summer in France. I would definitely recommend this if you’re looking for a book to sweep you away with romance and the French environment.

Kudos to the marketing and PR team behind this (I think) self-published book because I’ve been seeing it everywhere this summer. Definitely one of the buzziest books of this season.

This book is for you if you like your romances a little French and melancholy. It has slight The Idea of You vibes, but much sadder, and with less likable characters. Much of the conflict felt manufactured – if Lea had communicated better with Stephanie and Maya, and if Stephanie had behaved more responsibly, that would have resolved much of the plot.

While the characters were a little too unlikable for me to really get into this book, I’d recommend this to anyone who likes character driven romance and transportive fiction because reading this book will really make you feel like you’re in France.

The perfect summer read! Am I a romance lover? No. But I absolutely loved the vibes with a touch of romance.

This is perfect beach read for the summer. This story is packed with family drama, a sultry affair, a gorgeous location in France. Lea Mortimer owns her own consulting business where she works to revamp and update run down French country estates. This summers project for her is Hotel Chateau Victoire. She will spend 3 weeks working to transform this family’s rundown estate into a luxury hotel. Days before leaving her cousin called with news she is divorcing her husband and somehow manages to convince Lea that her and her daughter Maya should go to France with her. They arrive to this stunningly perfect dreamy location. The scene and setting seemed so perfect. I loved the characters. The family drama that both sides were holding back but slowly unfolds as the story gets deeper. It’s not spicy just a little sexy and a side of complex family drama and characters. You’ll love this summer read. Many thanks to Orsay Press and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I really enjoyed this book! Set at a countryside French chateau, it takes you away and makes you feel like you’re having an Instagram dream of a European summer. While this book wasn’t a can’t-put-it-down read for me, I enjoyed it all the way through and loved watching Théo and Lea’s love story unfold. Lea was frustrating at times and came across as very insecure and at times childish for such a strong businesswoman, but Théo made up for it by being the perfect love interest. Would love to see A Perfect Vintage made into a TV show! Definitely add this to your summer reading list to be taken on an instant holiday.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Orsay Press for an advanced copy of this book in return for a review. This has been one of my favorite books of the year. It truly has it all. A gorgeous decadent setting, complicated family dynamics, and a steamy age-gap romance. The novel follows Lea, a career-driven woman who is traveling to France for a consulting job to turn an old chateau into a luxurious resort. Her plans are somewhat uprooted when she ends up bringing her cousin Stephanie and her college age daughter along for the summer after her messy divorce. Lea spends the summer navigating both her family relationships and her professional responsibilities which quickly become intertwined.

I found Lea to be a really interesting protagonist. Even though she often got in her own way, I still found myself rooting for her and excited to see what was next. The setting will have you googling French vacations (I know I want to spend a summer in the Loire Valley) and the romance felt real and earnest (and quite steamy). This is the perfect book to bring on your next beach vacation, I can not recommend it enough.

3.5 stars. This book was powerful. Sometimes in a good way. Sometimes in an uncomfortable way. It is very character driven and I felt the main character was well written. I didn’t always like her but I could very much relate to her and some of her struggles in a way that is not always easy to feel coming up off the page. On top of that, the ambiance in this book is excellent. It felt like vacationing in France for the summer and is a great choice for armchair travel as long as you’re willing to take a little discomfort and drama with your travels.

A solid 4 stars
I enjoyed this book a lot, very different from the raunchy romances I usually go for.
This was a fresh take on the age gap trope where the woman is older. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did.
I loved the descriptions of the Chateau and the surroundings. This book makes me want to go to France now.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Chelsea Fagan for allowing me to review A Perfect Vintage!

While I did enjoy reading this book, I wish it was a bit more fast-paced. I had trouble getting through it at times cause it felt like parts were dragging on regarding the family drama that was happening.

However, the level of detail and characters of this book were AMAZING! Set in the French countryside, you felt the vibe of luxury. This book is perfect to read by your pool or at the beach this Summer!

Thanks so much again! I’m looking forward to reading more books by Chelsea Fagan ☺️

A perfect summer read whether poolside, at the beach, or on your porch w a glass of iced tea or lemonade at your side. Lea’s profession is to take rundown properties and turn them into boutique hotels. This time she is in the French countryside, renovating a chateau. While there Lea starts an affair w a younger man. The book explores among other things the stigma of an older woman w a younger man. And it’s impact on her professional life. It delves into topics of more import than a typical summer read. Recommended for all public libraries.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to receive this book for an honest review.

I might be the only one that had a hard time getting through this book.
I felt like it dragged on and I just could not get into it and had to put it down.
Maybe in the future I will give it another try.

I’m not sure if I just wasn’t in the right mood for this book, or I wasn’t the right audience. I love the idea of rich people family drama, but I felt like there were too much drama? This book is very smart with a lot of dialogue but I just wasn’t feeling it as a beach read it was being marketed as.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

I was very excited to read this book, but it fell a little flat for me. First, I loved the setting. A good setting that I'd like to visit is key to the very important escapism aspect of the book for me. The Loire Valley is a place I'd love to visit and the details of the Chateau, grounds and renovation did not fall short for me.

However, I felt that this book was a little long, which made it difficult to get into. I am a person who likes to sit down and get so swept up in a book that I want to finish same day. That did not happen to me with this book. It was a slow burn, which have their place on my bookshelf but I end up being less excited for them. I think that it couldn't find its place between drama and romance. I also found Lea to be a bit pretentious. I know that she works in the luxury space and it is a difficult line to toe between what her character was supposed to be and pretention. Over all, I would read another book by Fagan!

4.5 stars rounded up to 5!

I have been a big fan of Chelsea Fagan and the Financial Diet for a really long time so I was excited to see Chelsea's foray into fiction! Rich people problems are at the top of my list of favourite things and when it takes place in a beautiful setting then I am even MORE in! I love the friendship dynamic, that's such a big thing for me right now!

This book has everything and is full of drama that is best read with a glass of Pinot!

Thank you to NetGalley and Chelsea Fagan for an eARC!

I absolutely loved this book! It’s definitely the IT book of the summer! The atmosphere was top- notch, with the relationships both romantically, platonically and familial being some of the best I’ve read. Obsessed!

Having never read this Author previously, I wasn’t sure what to expect but the cover and premise was quite the hook. It certainly didn’t disappoint. An interesting complex protagonist with an interesting romance trope set against a beautiful backdrop. It was the perfect read that drew me in until the end.

Thank you to the Author, Publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC..

Thank you to NetGalley, Orsay Press, and Chelsea Fagan for providing me with an eARC of this book. This is my honest review.
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This is the second book I’ve read recently that’s set in the French countryside. An age gap romance with a beautiful setting sounds like the perfect summer read. Wine tastings, beautiful chateaus, the thrills of sneaking around, rich people drama. I’m not mad at it! 👀
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And in some ways it was exactly that. We definitely got all those elements, but not exactly in the order of precedence I was expecting. Where I was prepped for a whirlwind romance with a sprinkling of drama, I instead got a drama with a side of romance. Still entertaining! Just not what I thought I was walking into.
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My one big qualm: I wish we got more romance tbh! Don’t I always? 💀 This book was more about Lea individually and about her breaking the picture perfect veneer she presented everyone with. At times, Lea read younger than she actually was. There was so much back and forth about certain things that I started to grow frustrated with her and how she treated her love interest (No spoilers here! Gotta keep you on your toes!)
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Overall, I thought A Perfect Vintage was okay, but I’m not sure it was for me. I would give another Chelsea Fagan book a shot though! If you like opulent drama, atmospheric settings, and age gap romances, this might be for you.

I loved how real this book felt. As readers we often pick up books to get away from reality, but this book felt like reality in the best way. Lea was struggling through balancing work, a secret relationship, her relationships with her family, and her sisters divorce. Lea and Theo connect while she is helping to restore his family chateau and despite the age gap they (eventually) start a secret relationship. Life and Lea gets in her own way and things end abruptly with work, her relationship, and her relationships with her family. However, time heals all wounds and this story ends with an HEA!

Loved it! It was the perfect book to kick off my summer reading! There we no dull moments. I loved Lea's relationship with her cousin (more like sister) and her niece! They had their "moments" with each other but never failed to repair and recognize that ultimately their bond is stronger than any relationship with a man. I also love how Lea falls in love with a younger man, it's rare to read this in a book. I really appreciated this type of age gap :)
Overall, it was a fun time and not too spicy...but spicy enough!

this one took me forever to finish. didnt keep my interest as much as i thought it would be. the characters were very dramatic, felt like i was reading an episode of trash tv.