I loved this novel! I am a Francophile as well as a gardener, so I was instantly drawn in by the blurb, gorgeous cover, and the setting. The story is so well-written and descriptive. I truly felt like I was transported to a small village in France, surrounded by fragrant lavender fields.

The characters are truly endearing, the family saga had me immediately hooked, and the romance swept me off my feet. The story was incredibly heartwarming and had just the right amount of magical realism. I cannot recommend this charming story enough! If you enjoyed "Under the Tuscan Sun," you would love this novel. I will definitely be stocking this one at my bookshop and recommending it to my customers. Well done, Aimie! I look forward to reading many more of your books.

P.S. If you are ever in the Asheville, NC or Greenville, SC area, my bookshop opens this April in Landrum, SC. We are right off of Exit 1 and halfway between both cities. I'd be happy to have you in for a book signing.

"No good can come of wishing we could change the past. All we can do is work to make the best future we can by respecting the present."
I loved this book! It was a book that I did not want to put down. Tempesta Luddington is a food critic in New York. Her mother died when she was 13, and has felt like an outsider in her own family for a long time. Her father has recently died and Tempesta receives an inheritance from her mother. Not a lot, but who for her to make a change to her life. She goes to the village in France where her mother grew up. She buys a house and discovers her mother's past.
A story of heritage,friendship, community, and discovery of ones self while finding a purpose to her life.
I loved that Tempesta was such an amazing cook, and all those wonderful teas, creams and recipes she created with the herbs from her garden.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Muse for the opportunity to read this book.

Aimie K. Runyan's stunning novel, THE MEMORY OF LAVENDER AND SAGE, will awaken your senses as the author transports you to a small magical village in Provence as the past meets the present with vibrant characters that linger long after the book ends.

New York food critic and restaurant reviewer Tempèsta Luddington has never felt like she belonged since she lost her mother at thirteen. They were close, and when she died, she was left feeling empty and alone with her workaholic father, younger brother, Wal, and her overbearing grandmother (dad's mother), who had never supported her.

Her dad had removed every trace of her mother and locked it all away in the basement, which was a tragedy for Tempèsta. Within two weeks of her mother's funeral, her Grandmother Luddington came to live with them. There was no love for her or nurturing and a disconnect.

Presently, her dad has passed, and the family money goes to her brother. Tempèsta is left with some money from her mother that she had put away for her. She does not want to be involved in the family business like her brother and has decided she wants to travel to the place her dear mother was passionate about and loved.

She is grieving and uses her money to buy a run-down manor house in Sainte-Colombe (a fictional town), a small village in Provence where her mother grew up. She is nervous about moving to a remote country from New York, not knowing anyone.

Upon arrival, she is not greeted warmly by the mayor and some others but bonds with his granddaughter, who works in the family business in one of the shops in the village. They become best friends, and she meets others in the community and village she connects with.

Slowly, she finds her groove and meets a carpenter who helps her with home repairs and renovation. She nurtures a love of cooking and gardening —and even develops her greenhouse, where she grows herbs in infusions, gifts for shops, soaps, creams, sauces, menus, baking, and more.

She slowly learns from one of her mother's friends about her mom's life, love, and secrets—why she left Provence, moved to the States, married her father, while continuing to love this slice of heaven.

Tempèsta finds her way, comes up with creative ways to save the dying village, her passion, and loves her new life, new love, her friends, her home, and her new community. She knows she will not return to the States and has found her home.

Lavender and sage (devotion and wisdom) are integral parts of the story and title, and their fragrances evoke the memory of her mother. Her mom always smelled of lavender and sage, no matter what perfume she wore or the soap she used.

Beautifully written, THE MEMORY OF LAVENDER AND SAGE is a lovely story in a lush setting —a young woman's journey to find her place, family, history, legacy, and where she truly belongs. Character-driven, enchanting, magical, and uplifting. From self-discovery, hope, new beginnings, rejuvenation, and community to a touch of romance. An example of where "family' does not always mean blood-related.

THE MEMORY OF LAVENDER AND SAGE is a love letter to Provence and an ode to small dying towns, artisans, and shopkeepers, who need life, love, and support. As a bonus, delectable recipes are included.

Atmospheric and rich in place and charm. For fans of Kristy Woodson Harvey, Mary Ellen Taylor, Sarah Jio, and Gillian Harvey.

I do not read many women's fiction novels or contemporary; however, I could not pass up the chance to travel to Provence! My first book by the author, and I look forward to reading more—Love the cover and the book trailer. As some other reviewers mentioned, would love a sequel with Wal. Congrats to the author for her first full-length work of contemporary fiction!

Thanks to HarperMuse and NetGalley for an ARC for an honest review.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: March 5, 2024
March 2024 Must-Read Books
March Newsletter

This is sort of a cross between Under the Tuscan Sun and Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen. Unfortunately, that description makes it sound better than it is.

You have seen this plenty of times by now. A young woman, dissatisfied with her lot in life, goes for a change of scene, finds herself, becomes a beloved member of her new community, gets fulfilled, and falls in love with the right guy.

There's nothing necessarily wrong with this formula. Sometimes we all need to read a book for the mental and emotional tourism of being in a beautiful location and eating spectacular food and having all our wishes come true. For me right now, that book also needs to be well written so that I don't get impatient with the tropey plot.

This book was not well enough written for that. It's competent, no doubt, but didn't have that extra something that kept me going back for more. Maybe it was that Tempesta is quite the name and our heroine didn't live up to it. Maybe it's that although Tempesta is only 28, she already feels like a fuddy-duddy who doesn't like those soulless big cities, thinks that small towns are innately better even though all the young people are leaving them because there are no jobs there, and who reads more like a 40 year old woman than a 20 something one. It felt like the author was leaning too hard on the "small and traditional is better" trope.

Again, if all you want is a good escape read and you don't find what I've said above annoying, this could be a great read for you! It just didn't draw me in.

Reading this book is the emotional equivalent of sitting on your porch, warm breeze tickling and watching a lovely sunset.

After the death of her beloved French mother at age 13, Tempesta became increasingly isolated from her locked-in father, openly hostile grandmother and her brother. Always striving to fit in and gain approval, she got her degrees in finance, but added one in journalism too. After hating her financial jobs, she ended up as a food critic for a NYC publication. But the emptiness remained. When she received a small inheritance from her mother after her father's death, she buys the only house in her price range in her mother's home town in Provence. Her journey of self discovery and finding a family along with a few secrets is affecting, haunting and touched with a whisper of magical realism.

With The memory of lavender
A life time story unfolds before your eyes. These pages are magical. A story that will have anyone wishing things could have been different.
But sometimes it not meant to be.

A perfectly written story. This is my first book by this author and I truly enjoyed the story.
I was immersed in the story.

Tempesta , Find herself going back to her mother's Birthplace . And it secrets. Soon come to light. But what a Thrilling story.

With this story you find a little practical magic. Love and so much more.. A wonderful read.

This is such a beautiful story. It is about a food critic Tempesta from New York who lost her mother at a young age and lived with her father, brother and grandmother. She could never understand why her grandmother always made her feel unloved and unwanted. She figured it was because her grandmother never really cared for her mom and just took it out on her. After her father passed away she was left only what her mother had left her, everything else went to her brother. She decided to take that money and go to a small Provence in France where her mother was from. She bought a fixer up house, sight unseen, a car and moved on to a new life. She found out about her mother from the people in her new village that new her growing up. She made friends. She found that she had a way with growing herbs and making pesto, creams and salves. She found herself. This is so well written and I really enjoyed it. The author made you feel like you were in France. There is a lot more to this story but I do not want to give anything away. It is well worth putting it on you TBR list when it comes out March 5th.
Thanks to #netgalley, HarperMuse and @aimiekrunyan for an ARC of this great read.

This was a feel good book about how the past shapes us but lets us know you alone choose your future . It is set in a beautiful part of the world and the title conjures up summer days with the scent of lavender on the air .
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review the book

Tempeste worked in New York as a restaurant critic. After her father’s death she inherits a small inheritance and buys an old house in need of repairs in Sainte-Colombe in Provence.
Tempeste finally gets a chance to move away from her controlling grandmother and discovers the villager where her mother once lived.
Lots of nostalgia and rediscovered memories.
I loved the way Tempeste gradually discovers who she is and the life her mother lived in the small village.
A love story with lots of descriptions of delicious food, friendships and family relationships.
A pleasure to read.
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Muse Publishers for the chance to read and review this E-Book. I loved it.

Heartwarming, enchanting, and full of hope, this book grabbed me within the first few pages. "The Memory of Lavender and Sage" reminds us that the past may help shape us, but we alone can choose our future and decide what makes us truly happy. With memorable characters, an idillic French countryside setting, a splash of whimsy, and included recipes referenced in the story, this would make an excellent book club pick.

I loved everything about “The Memory of Lavender and Sage” by Aimie K. Runyan. In this captivating and well-written novel, the author writes in a sensory manner, and vividly describes the scenery and the landscape as well as the colorful and dramatic characters. Not only can I see the plants, and the food, but I can smell, and feel them. There is feeling of magic in the air. The genres for this novel are Historical Fiction, Romance, France, Magical Realism, Family Drama, and Fiction. The story takes place in a small province in France and New York.

The author describes her characters as complex and complicated. Some come from dysfunctional families. The female protagonist, Tempesta, is a food critic, and feels uncomfortable with her family. Tempesta’s mother passed away when she was a thirteen, and she was brought up by a cold and indifferent grandmother and a father that works compulsively. When her father passes away, her brother Wal reads the will, and Tempesta doesn’t inherit anything from her father. She is left with an envelope with some money that belonged to her mother. Tempesta has always been drawn to France, her Mother’s home.

Tempesta is captivated by a run-down in the French village, and purchases it. The Mayor and some of the people don’t seem to want Tempesta there. She gets help from some of the people, and starts to fix the house. Tempesta realizes that there are secrets that her mother had, and she wants to discover them, and herself. Tempesta has an unusual talent of growing herbs and plants.

I appreciate how the author discusses the importance of family, friends, communication, honesty, love and hope. There is also a wonderful section of recipes. I highly recommend this charming, delightful, memorable and thought-provoking novel to everyone

This book was not what I expected at all. The setting was beautiful and charming. The kind of place I hope to visit some day. I did find that this book kind of dragged for me. It was beautifully written. It felt like it drifted a lot of the time. When I was relaxed, it was a good read.

This book is one that makes the reader think about the meaning and importance of family as well as the idea that life is something more than how much money we make or how many hours we work. The narrator, Tempesta, suddenly loses her father after having lost her mother when she was a teenager. Her grandmother is cold to her and makes Tempesta feel as if she doesn't belong in her family. Tempesta works as a food critic in the United States but decides to go to her mother's village in France and buys a small house there with the small inheritance from her mother (her brother got the lion's share, from the father), sight unseen. Although she is not initially welcomed by everyone there (some call her a witch), she comes to make a life there, coming to understand that a life is more than going to work each day and making money. She gets out of the rat race and discovers that the community is all around her and she finds her own true talents, in spite of the pressure placed upon her by her brother who wants her to come home to help him run the family business, that is literally making him ill.
There are wonderful characters in this book, beautiful descriptions and important and meaning messages for the reader (without being didactic). I definitely look forward to reading future books by Ms. Runyan.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Muse for providing me with the opportunity to read this wonderful book.

This book was so beautifully written! Aimie K. Runyan’s books are some of my favorite and The Memory of Lavender and Sage did not disappoint.
This contemporary fiction novel featuring Tempesta Luddington, the black sheep of her family, was just incredible. I absolutely loved reading of Tempesta’s courage in finding and pursuing her family legacy in the beautiful Provence region in France. I felt like I was transported to her greenhouse, tasting her pesto, and drinking her fresh mint mojitos. I would absolutely recommend this book!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

If you’ve visited any of the gorgeous villages in France’s Haute Provence, The Memory Of Lavender And Sage will be a wonderful reminder of what you’ve experienced during your time there. If you haven’t yet been to that part of the world, this book will definitely help immerse you in the landscape. The imagery throughout this book is exquisite and it's clear that Aimie Runyan is very familiar with the landscape, the villages and the people there.
I loved the story of Tempèsta and her discovery of a place to belong and family she didn’t know she had. She’s such a beautifully drawn character that it was easy to imagine her strolling through her greenhouse talking to her herbs or creating magic in her kitchen. While this is her story, there were many other characters who helped to create a sense of welcome and belong, at least after a while, and a sense of promise for the future. The herbs in this story are almost characters in their own right, each representing a feeling, for example basil for love. It was fascinating watching the village of Sainte-Colombe transforming from a tired place where people, businesses and homes were slowly dying to somewhere filled with beauty and vitality thanks to the seeds sown by Tempésta and her friends. This story is filled with hope, sunshine, a sense of regeneration and belong and is one I’ll read again for sure.
Oh, and there are recipes, wonderful recipes at the end! What more could you want?

A charming and wonderfully atmospheric book about a young woman who moves to a small village in Provence and discovers her late mother's roots and secrets. She buys a run-down but charming old house and goes about rehabilitating it, which was rather reminiscent of other books and shows ("Under the Tuscan Sun" and "The Durrells in Corfu" come to mind), but I'm a bit of a sucker for that storyline. I enjoyed the developing relationships between Tempesta and the locals and learning about the Occitan language and culture. I was less enthusiastic about the supernatural elements, but all in all I enjoyed this book. Many thanks to Harper Muse and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book.

Thanks to NetGalley, Aimie K. Runyan and Harper Muse for this ARC. After a childhood feeling like the odd person out, and missing her beloved deceased mother, Tempesta takes her inheritance and heads to her mother’s homeland, Provence. While not immediately accepted by the small community, she soon finds a home, friends and a new innate talent that helps her connect with her neighbors and brings a sense of self-confidence and belonging.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story of a single woman with strength of character and moxie. It inspires all to have the courage to step out of our comfort zones and follow our hearts, even when the going gets a little bit rocky.

This book received a five-star rating from me. It is a story of family and personal discovery that is moving and inspiring. It depicts the beauty of Provence in vivid detail, which makes the reader want to travel there. The characters are unforgettable.

When Tempesta's father dies he leaves her nothing, she moves to France to start her life there. Lovely setting and a great story.