Such a lovely read! Full of romance and set in the countryside of France, The French Chateau Dream takes you to the land of champagne, weddings and good food. I’d already read The Little Café in Copenhagen, also by Julie Caplin, which is the first of this series Romantic Escapes. I picked up The French Chateau Dream without realizing it’d been written by the same author, but when I saw it, I knew I was in for a cozy read. Now I want to read the other books in the series.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for an advanced audiobook copy in exchange for my honest review.

The French Chateau Dream centers on Hattie, a struggling (both professionally and emotionally) wedding planner who finds herself with a work opportunity in the Champagne region of France. This is a lovely light read, an enjoyable low-stakes romance prefect for a summer afternoon.

The audiobook is skillfully narrated by Sophie Roberts.

* I received an arc of this audiobook from NetGalley and HarperCollins UK Audio in exchange for an honest review.

A delightful story beautifully narrated. I really felt as if I was in France enjoying the wine region and wondering what would happen both romantically and career wise.

The French Chateau Dream by Julie Caplin

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

You are invited to a summer of sparkling champagne, warm buttery croissants and a little bit of je ne sais quoi… With a broken heart and a broken spirit, Hattie is in need of a summer escape. So when an opportunity comes up to work at a beautiful, stately chateau in the Champagne region of France she books her flights quicker than the pop of a cork. Romance is the last thing Hattie is looking for but then she wasn’t expecting gorgeous Luc to stroll into her life. With picnics in the warm French sun and delicious foodie trips to the local market, Hattie starts to wonder if a holiday fling – or maybe even something more – might be just what she needs.

My Opinion

I have read a few books in this series and so far I have enjoyed them all. Each can be read as a standalone. Hattie has recently broken up with her boyfriend and finds herself accepting the opportunity to plan her cousin's wedding. As with other Julie Caplin books nothing goes to quite to plan which makes for a highly entertaining read.

I read this book in a few short sittings and I wasn't ready for it to end as it was such a joy to read. This is easily one of those books where you can read 'just one more chapter'. If you have not read any of this series, then you don't know what you are missing.

Rating: 4/5

The French Chateau Dream - Julie Caplin

This book is the next installment to Julie Caplins Romantic Escapes series, which I am very much enjoying reading in order, there are a few cross overs but you really do not need to read any of the others in order to enjoy any of the books, as they are very much stand alone romantic encounters.

I adore how this author has the ability to just take the reader on a whirlwind of escapism, she throws you headfirst into a beautiful setting, wonderful food and drinks and the best new characters, Hattie and Luc had great chemistry from the start, and other colorful characters added extra fun along the way. Such an uplifting read.

Thank you Netgalley, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and Julie Caplin for this e-arc in return for my honest thoughts and opinions.

I gave The French Chateau Dream by Julie Caplin 3.5 stars.

I was looking for a cute romance book and this was the perfect summer read for me. The narrator was great and I really felt like I was in France with Hattie and Luc. I loved the writing and all the descriptions. I usually don't read romance books, but this was a pleasant read for me. Highly recommend if you want to listen to something this summer while sunbathing at the beach or while walking in the park.

The perfect narrator for a captivating love story that will have you hooked to the end! The best narrators don’t interfere with the story they accentuate it and this is the perfect example. Her voice makes listening a pleasure and she really captures the essence of the characters, building them up in your imagination and leaving you feeling you know them. The love story itself is another captivating triumph from Julie Caplin, a queen of the romance genre.
We are transported to a beautiful French Chateau with broken hearted Hattie who has jumped at the chance to escape England to organise her cousins wedding. Here she meets charming Frenchman Luc, on first appearances the epitomy of gorgeous French arrogance, but with whom the reader and Hattie soon fall in love . With a supporting cast of equally well crafted characters Hattie and Luc enjoy a swoon worth summer with enough mishaps and intrigue to keep you wanting more. All in all a gorgeous romantic escape that you never want to end. Perfect for those who enjoy Lucy Coleman, Katie Fforde and Heidi Swain.

Full of joie de vivre this lovely audiobook is set in Champagne, France. Here we meet Hattie who has travelled over from England to plan and arrange a wedding. Unfortunately the chateau is jaded and looking sad and undesirable for a wedding and Hattie sets about transforming it into the perfect venue for a special occasion. Here Hattie meets Luc, the chateau owners son and sparks begin to fly between them. Could a romance be on the horizon? This is a gorgeous audiobook, frothing with champagne bubbles and grapevines and romance and perfectly narrated by Sophie Robert. This perfect summer read is out on the 30th of June. Thank you Harper Collins and Netgalley for my copy.

This story hits all the cliches and is peak cringe for most of the book. Hattie is pretty unlikable and it's hard to find someone to care about until the very end of the book. The writing style is definitely no "Enchanted April" but it is a fast and light read with a mostly happy ending.

If you want to be transported to the gorgeous sights, sounds and smells of France, look no further. We travel with Hattie (or ‘attie as the rather dashing Luc pronounces it) to the French chateau as she’s tasked to arrange a wedding.

With a few set against the intrusion, she establishes herself into the French way of life and it was great to follow her adventures in this beautiful place. Such an easy place to escape to!

The romance, the plot, the characters, everything was set up to draw you in and envelope you into the story.

The audiobook was entertaining and I couldn’t wait to return back to my slice of French sunshine. A wonderful feel good book!