Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. I cannot recommend this book highly enough! During a busy season of life personally, it was the perfect book to demonstrate what is truly important and how to slow down. An unexpected bonus came as I was listening to my audiobook while she rebuilt her greenhouse!

What an absolutely beautiful book!!
THIS is what reading is all about!
Talk about ALL THE FEELS…THIS ONE HAS IT ALL!!

From love to hate. From neighborhoods to neighbors. From friends to family. From Greenwich CT to NYC to a small town in France! From absolute wealth to living on a dime. From having it all to having nothing. And, from having nothing to having it ALL!!!

This one will teach you about the unbreakable bonds of family, as well as the bonds that can (and will) be broken.

Tempesta and Wal are brother and sister.
But, you’d never know it!
They lost their free spirited, fun-loving, carefree Mom at a very young age… and their Dad, well…he’s working and trying to get by. And he has an entire empire to run…

Tempesta never really felt like she was a part of the family. Her grandma (Dad’s Mom) never accepted her and always seemed to criticize her…and she never understood why.. She never felt like a true part of the family.
But her brother…well, he was worshipped!

When their Dad also dies at a young age (but several years after their Mom), Tempesta returns home for the funeral. And she learns that there is a will. And she needs to be there for the reading.

This opens up a whole other can of worms…and Tempesta decides to make a fresh start…

She’s always wanted to go to France. Her Mom ALWAYS talked about where she came from when she was younger, but being as she died so young, she never had the chance to go back.

As Tempesta begins her journey there, many things begin happening, and she has absolutely no explanation why?!

Is her Mom with her in spirit? Was she always meant to go there?

Absolutely amazing story! Beautifully painted pictures of France, and life there!
And of course, it is NOT all roses and smiles…. She is disheartened so many times, but she will not give up!!

If you have the opportunity to read this one, PLEASE, GIVE IT A TRY. It is such a terrific story…and unlike anything I’ve read before!

Thanks so much to #NetGalley, #HarperCollinsFocus and #HarperMuse for an ARC of the audiobook which released on 2/13/24.

#TheMemoryOfLavendarAndSage by #AimieKRunyan and narrated beautifully by #CarolineHewitt.

5+ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 for me!

⭐️ Strong, independent female main character
⭐️ Overcoming hardships, including family drama!
⭐️ Love interests and new friends
⭐️ Strong neighborhood vibes
⭐️ Community coming together to make changes
💫 And, there’s a sweet cat!

Feel free to like, follow and friend me on: Goodreads,
IG @ #BookReviews_with_emsr or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine.

Thanks so much for reading!📚⭐️📖

Tempesta, estranged from her father's will and grappling with feelings of neglect from him and disapproval from her grandmother, decides to utilize her mother's inheritance to uncover the cherished village of her maternal roots. The revelations she encounters exceed her expectations. I found immense pleasure in this narrative, rich with endearing characters who elicit genuine fondness. It prompted me to contemplate embarking on a similar journey, serving as a gentle reminder that our destinies are ours to shape, liberated from external influences.

My gratitude to Netgalley and Harper Muse Audiobooks for granting me the opportunity to review this enchanting tale.

Oh my heart. I’ve had this one for a few weeks and I don’t know why I didn't pick it up sooner. It was so incredibly moving.

We follow Tempesta, the black sheep of her family as she embarks on a trip to reconnect with her roots. She buys a home in the town on a whim and with it becomes invested in the well-being of this tiny, quaint, town that is saturated in tradition and customs from a time that predates Tempesta. In the midst of aiding to rebuild the town while also maintaining its charm, Tempesta is thrust into the magic of her lineage. She quickly realizes that the charm of the town isn’t the town itself, its the people that are so deeply rooted within it, the stories they have to tell and the customs they hold onto that make the town so magnetic and enchanting.

This one truly has it all. You are thrust into the alluring charms of a small old-world town in France. As Tempesta is charmed by the town, so are you. There is family tensions, found family, romance, forged friendships and have I mentioned the town is the most charming?!

Looking for a cozy read, look no further. I adored this book and am mad at myself for sleeping on it as long as I did.

While listening to his audiobook, I found myself dreaming of the life I could live in Sainte-Colombe; walking the quaint streets, talking with the curmudgeon of a mayor, stopping at the stores to listen to the local gossip and then buying a fresh tincture from Tempesta.

For anyone who loved Under the Tuscan sun, I think The Memory of Lavender and Sage, will give you the feeling of freedom and adventure watching a woman overcome her sorrowful past to create a life she was meant to live. I absolutely adored the first half of this book as Tempesta took on the task of fixing up her manor with help from the locals. Her struggle to decide if her decision to leave the states had me rooting out loud for her to, "Keep going!" She is such an enjoyable character. Honestly, all of the townsfolk were very well developed. I loved the world that Aimee K Runyan created.

The last quarter of the book did lose me a bit when she was reunited with her brother and grandmother. I can't tell if it was the narrator's voice and inflection in the voices that threw me off, but I found myself yearning for the atmosphere that was created in the town at the beginning of the book. With Tempesta's family, I felt like I was in an episode of Gilmore Girls with Lorelei's mother hounding her daughter to be a better person, while the inhabitants of Stars Hollow were arguing with any change in their town. I found myself distracted with this part of the story.

Overall, it was very a wonderful read, and I will continue to look forward to books by this author. I want to dive into another town that she creates so I can smell lavender and fresh baguettes!

Thank you for the chance to read and review this advanced copy!

Tempèsta Luddington was trained in finance to be able to help run her fathers philanthropic foundation and when she changes careers to become a food critic her family is very disappointed in her, especially her cantankerous grandmother. When her father suddenly dies she is left only a small inheritance from her mother who was from a small village Sainte-Colombe, in Provence. Longing to connect with her mothers roots she travels to Sainte-Colombe and on a whim buys a run down cottage. The welcome is cold from the townsfolk, especially from the towns mayor. Her mother was known in the village as a 'witch' and people are stand offish. But as Tempèsta begins to restore her little cottage and work with herbs and plants a little bit of magic begins to happen. Her herbs proliferate and her new home becomes her forever home. As she offers her help to the village that is steadily losing its inhabitants to larger cities she finds love and acceptance and a new foundation for family. This is a feel good novel that I really enjoyed listening to. There are elements of magical realism running throughout which enhance the story. I love stuff like that. Highly recommended. 4.5 stars.

Absolutely delightful! A love letter to the healing power of herbs, to food, and to life in a small French village. With a little bit of romance and a dose of magical realism, this book will nourish your soul. The narrator of the audio version did an excellent job.

This book was so beautiful, comforting. Tempesta's story as she goes on to discover her past and with that make up her future, is endearing. The use of magical realism is so sweet and adds so much to the story. Its beautifully written, I just wanted to get lost in that fascinating town of Saint Colombe, the people, the bastida, the herbs and smells and recipes.

The audio narration was beautiful and sweet.

The Memory of Lavender and Sage is a beautifully written story of self-discovery and family secrets. It kept me engaged the whole way through, and was appropriately paced.

I did listen to this on audio, and felt that the narration was easy to follow with clear diction and good pacing as well.

I would definitely recommend this book. It would be a good book club read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Muse, and author Aimie K. Runyan for providing me with a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I loved The Memory of Lavender and Sage by Aimee K Runyan. Having spent my 17th year in Provence, this audiobook took me right back into the charm of small town French life. The characters were well-developed and the storyline was engaging.

I'd highly recommend this title, either as a book or as an audiobook, as the narration was wonderful.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Memory of Lavender and Sage was a beautifully written book about loss and family secrets. I loved that the main character, Tempèsta, travels back to her late mother's home town in France to find out more about her mother. The setting was picture perfect and the food sounded amazing throughout the novel. There were some slower parts that had me rewinding the story so I would not miss anything, but over all I enjoyed the novel and the characters within.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 rounded to a 4 because I thought the narrator, Caroline Hewitt, did a fantastic job.

The Memory of Lavender and Sage by Aimie K. Runyan, narrated by Caroline Hewitt deserves a 5 star rating!
I also hope to see it made into a movie. It’s the kind of story you can read, listen to or watch time and time again!

This is a story about Tempèsta Luddington, a young woman determined to find herself after losing her mother at the age of 13 and her wealthy father 15 years later. All she is left with is her mother’s modest nest egg while her younger brother Wal inherits the majority of the considerable family fortune.

She decides to leave New York City where she’s a Food Critic to go to Ste. Colombe, a small village in Provence to reconnect with her mother’s past. She uses the money to buy a ramshackle manor and puts her energy to renovate her new home and build friendships with the locals. Soon she wonders if this was not just a big mistake.

But her determination will teach her the value of community and friendship and the power of love and trust.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse/Harper Collins Focus for providing me with the opportunity to listen and review this lovely story.

The Memory of Lavender and Sage
By Aimee K. Runyon

Narration was good by Caroline Hewitt

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse Audiobooks for The Memory of Lavender and Sage audiobook.

Upon the loss of her parents, Tempesta uses her small inheritance to purchase a run-down house in a small French village where her mother had grown up. She finds some unknown family history and some unlikely friendships and an unforeseen ‘gift’ from her mother.

A character driven book with a quaint setting in a small town in France. With a touch of magical realism, family, friendships, a hint of romance and hope.

A charming and delightful read.

This one just felt good. I can’t explain it really but it felt like it radiates happiness. Perhaps, like the main character, the author has super powers that allow us to feel her feelings while she writes. Either way, it was an adorable romance with a town that is so easy to fall in love with.

🌀Synopsis
Tempesta has always felt like an outsider within her family. After her mom died, her father didn’t act like he cared for her and her grandmother was certainly never pleased with her. When her father dies and leaves her money from her mother only, she decides to go to France to see where her mother came from.
The town she returns to is small and dying. People are barely surviving and it’s so bad even the school is on the brink of being shutdown. There is no one who can breathe new life into them. Until Tempe arrives.
Tempe buys a fixer up house and gets to know the town who, especially at first, is not very accepting of her. She hears more about her mother and finds a hidden talent that she has for gardening. A romance stirs just as Tempe finds out the real truth about why her mother really left town all those years ago. Tempe still finds the place comforting and is able to help the town move into the future so her new friends can revive the town with her.

The Memory of Lavender and Sage by Aimie K. Runyan is a fantastic book. I received an audiobook ARC. I've read other books by Aimie and couldn't wait to listen to this amazing story narrated by Caroline Hewitt. She really did a marvelous job with the narration.
I loved the community, the friendships, and all the food and herbs!!
This a story of a young woman’s journey to find not only herself, but to also find out more about her family and her legacy, and to find the place where she truly belongs.
Tempesta travels to her French mother's birthplace. A small Provencal village named Sainte-Colombe. With money left to her by her late mother, she purchases a ramshackle old farmhouse then adopts a kitten, and finds true friendship. Tempesta discovers some previously unknown family history and learns that she may have inherited a 'gift' from her late mother.
She discovers so much about herself and about her mother.
In this small village in Provence with its cobbled streets she describes the lavender and herbs that truly makes this heartwarming story so touching and meaningful. It's also full of hope, possibilities, and is genuinely an uplifting story with memorable characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for this ARC audiobook. I loved it!!! I plan on buying the book because I understand there are recipes!!!

thank you to netgalley and harper muse for sharing an advanced audio of this book. this is a book that puts you right there in provence, france, amidst beautiful countryside, generations of families and friends who have lived there forever, and charm abounding. we follow tempesta from new york, where she is living a tight unhappy life, to the south of france, where she blooms, along with her lovely herbs. a delightful love story that encompasses both human suffering and joy. it has lots of spirit!

I really loved "The Memory of Lavender and Sage" by Aimie Runyan. It is a great look the main character Tempesta looking into and reconnecting with her family history and also leaving New York City to move to a small town in France. I loved seeing Tempeste making sense of her family and creating / connecting with a new community in Provence. Issues such as keeping alive small towns who are losing their youth and learning family secrets after the older generation dies came to life. I fell in love with several of the characters and the small town in Provence. Recommended.

Tempe has never lived up to her family expectations. Her mother died when she was young and the family has never been the same. When her dad dies and leaves her out of the will, she knows it is time to move on and get away. She takes what her French mother left her and buys a house in France. She is going to learn about her heritage and hopefully find peace.

There are so many things I love about this novel. It is very close to a 5 star read for me. I love Tempe. I love how she comes into her own and discovers who she wants to be and not what her family wants her to be. I love the old house she bought and the village in France. AND OH! The family secrets…one my favorite things in a novel! This story slows down a bit in the middle and is a bit repetitive in places. However, I fell for Tempe at the very first and she did not let me go!

I have read quite a few books by this author. And all have been wonderful. But, I do have a favorite. It is The School for German Brides. You cannot go wrong with a single one of her books.

I loved the narrator, Caroline Hewitt. She is perfect for Tempe. I truly listened to this in one day!

Need a story which will take you away…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

I wanted to read this book for the poetry that was promised. The travel into family history, the discovery of Provence through the eyes of Tempesta. To some extent, I found it. Tempesta founds herself disoriented, when her father, whom she grew estranged from dies and leaves nothing to her but the small inheritance from her late mother. Still, she sees the opportunity there, to finally travel to France and discover the village where her mother grew up.

But truly, I was rather disappointed. Despite the note of the author, it really felt like the main character was the one to save the day, which is understandable but a bit annoying. The decision to move to Ste Colombe felt impulsive and irrational. What mostly annoyed me though, was the light "magical" touch added to the book, as I feel like the book would have been way better and brought so much more emotions without it.

Also, as a french woman, I was annoyed by the false french accent in the audiobook.

Still, it was a quick and peaceful read, and I am grateful that Netgalley and Harper Muse Audiobooks gave me the opportunity to access to an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐚𝐠𝐞
𝐁𝐲 𝐀𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐞 𝐊. 𝐑𝐮𝐧𝐲𝐚𝐧
𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫: 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐞
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝟑.𝟓.𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝑂𝑢𝑡 𝑁𝑜𝑤!


After her father's death, with almost everything left to her younger brother, Tempèsta travels to Provence, France, to connect with her late mother's roots.

I was swept away to life in a provincial French village with vivid imagery, bursting flavors, and heartwarming connections. I adored the touch of magical realism that was sprinkled throughout the pages.

The first-person narrative made it easy for me to immerse myself in Tempèsta’s personal journey of discovering family secrets and finding her place in the world.


𝐹𝑜𝑜𝑑, 𝑓𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑦, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑒𝑛𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦.


Thank you @suzyapprovedbooktours and @bookishaimie for a spot on tour and the gifted book.

Thank you @harpermuse for the gifted audiobook.