This is a lovely story set in the beautiful French countryside, perfect for a holiday read.
I really liked the undercover work angle and thought it was great seeing Fran conduct her relationships with the other staff members.
I absolutely loved Red and his sweet antics - especially at the tree.
The wildfire section was pretty scary to read. Knowing that this really happens and people really face that ordeal is harrowing, so kudos to the author for doing it so well.
I'd have liked to see an epilogue, to see how the renovations go, how relationships repaired - if they did, and to see Estelles reaction to Marie! That would have been the only thing, for me, that I'd have liked different.
This is a lovely read, very easy to get through and I'm sure it will do very well.

This read was okay, I liked the main characters of Fran and Johnny and the supporting characters were equally as strong. For me, the writing style let this down, I found it quite stunted and it lacked flow. This meant my reading experience felt stunted and reduced my enjoyment. There are also some plot secrets to uncover about the characters and I felt Barnett dragged it out for a bit too long, to the point of frustration and it meant when it was revealed it felt a bit of a let down.
The plot was quite charming and entertaining and I liked the romantic setting. Sadly, I think Barnett tried to fit too much in which again hampered my enjoyment.
Thank you to NetGalley and Embla Books for an advance copy.

Set in the lovely Loire Valley, this is a romance story between two people who are most definitely not looking for a new relationship. But there are sparks between Fran who is working undercover as a waitress, while really assessing the performance of the hotel, and Johnny, a guest working through his own issues with his failed marriage. The setting is wonderful, the characters are mostly interesting, but Fran can be quite frustrating with her obsession with a stray cat, and overall the usual misunderstandings from people making assumptions instead of having conversations. I still want to visit the chateaux though!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishing house, and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for review based upon my honest opinion.

This was such a fun read, a great summer weekend book and it took me to France. Fran is given the opportunity to be a secret shopper and visit some luxurious hotels in France; it’s a great time in her life to take a chance things have not been going the way she wants. Fran is mistakenly identified as the newest staff member and decides to just go with the flow. The story was really cute and really enjoyable to read. It made me think of the movie The Most Exotic Marigold Hotel, it had that vibe. I definitely recommend this. It was a wonderful read. I like the way this author writes books and transports you to the location of each novel.

Fran, a secret shopper for a major hotel chain, takes on the role after a mysterious event following her mother's death. Upon arriving at a chateau, she's mistaken for a staff member and decides to go along with the confusion. Meanwhile, Johnny is on holiday at the same location with his brother, Noel, and two of their staff members. They run a wine company, but Johnny is growing tired of Noel’s behavior as he navigates the end of his marriage. Fran and Johnny cross paths, form a friendship, and their lives begin to intertwine. Although there are instances of frustrating miscommunication, was a bit unbearable sometimes.Overall a great beach read!

I struggled with this book I could not get in the flow of the story and some of the characters. I'm sure many will enjoy this book but I simply didn't.

A wonderfully uplifting read… A lot of sparkle and mischief… The characters are fabulous… A very relaxing read!
I loved it! I’m sitting here with a big smile on my face!… I laughed out loud lots of times… I’m still chuckling. What a wonderfully delightful book this was!…

There were several characters stories within one in this book. The main character being Fran. She’s at a crossroads in life with several events leaving her life in turmoil. Deciding to choose the life of staff instead of guest is closer to the life she knows. Along the way she builds relationships between coworkers and a man with just as many demons as her own. Together they navigate plans towards starting over. The other coworkers have the same issues about deciding their next step after the season is over. The book was a good enough read, just not extraordinary. Thank you to NetGalley dor this free advanced copy. I’m leaving this review voluntarily

Fran is a hotel inspector and when she turns up at the latest hotel, they think she is a new member of staff. She decides that would give a different perspective on the hotels business. I loved the characters and was interested to learn more about them. I loved the building relationship with one of the guests and future plans. I was totally immersed in the story and would love a follow on book!

This is a lovely book to read. The characters were very likeable and the setting in a French chateau was always going to be a winner. Nice romance and a little twist to keep things interesting.

Fran visits the French chateau as a hotel inspector, but somehow ends up working there .Ideal holiday reading, a feel good theme. I really enjoyed the story.

I loved this book. A great summer holiday read. Beautiful setting, interesting characters and a page turning plot. Thoroughly recommend.

A captivating and sweet summer read set in the respendent sunshine of the Loire Valley in France. The scenery and chateau sound exquisite. Fran finds herself arriving under mistaken identity. Having lost her mum and extricated herself from a toxic relationship, she escaped as a secret shopper with Wilding Holdings, enjoying their chain of luxury hotels and reporting back. At Chateau Les Champs d'Or, a staffing error sees her step in as an employee. She hopes it will prove to be a distraction from heartache. She is sworn off relationships, but finds herself taken with a large Ginger cat and then drawn to the withdrawn Johnny, who is nursing his own broken heart and battling to put up with the ebullient nature of his brother and his friends. The pair have a few eventful run-ins, but soon find themselves softening. Can the chateau break down the walls of their hearts? The perfect holiday read. #escapetothefrenchchateau #Rachelbarnett #embla #emblabooks #netgalley

I really enjoyed this book and got so involved that I didn't want it to end. Loved the descriptions and the characters. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Fran is a secret shopper for a big brand hotel chain, set up in that role after a mysterious event after her mum dies, but when she arrives at the chateau and is mistaken for a new staff member she runs with it. Johnny is there on holiday with his brother Noel and two of their staff members: they run a wine company but Johnny's getting sick of Noel's ways as he struggles through the end of his marriage. Of course they meet and make friends, and then Johnny finds a crumbling chateau he falls in love with and Fran finds a stray cat SHE falls in love with and suddenly things get more complicated (there is much peril for the cat but he is OK and that is a spoiler but I know people will want to know that). A nice holiday read with the usual amount of frustrating non-communication but nice, positive characters with mostly believable back-stories and reactions.

this was a real escapist and cosy read, I read it in a weekend! a slightly different idea with the main character being hugely rich but not willing to use her wealth, instead she works as a chambermaid in a hotel. the romance was predictable but sweet, i would definitely recommend this read x

This was a great book! The characters and story are wonderful. I liked how the. characters storylines meshed. I recommend you read this fun French adventure.

A perfect summer read that was hard to put down.

I loved Fran’s character who took a different perspective as a mystery shopper. Once Johnny comes into the mix, the story nicely unfolds.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy in exchange for this review.

À light and enjoyable summer read. A little slow at times and somewhat predictable but worth a read nonetheless. Good rounded character development, even the overbearing awful Noel, overall all set in the Loire Valley where it found myself when I read it, just not in a luxury hotel. I'd love to know what the future holds in the Chateau des Rêves. An excellent holiday romance to escape with.

I did enjoy this one overall and I liked the switch of the lead from luxury traveller to hotel maid. The characters were rounded and likeable. It's a fab setting and a great read for the summer. |The ending was somewhat predictable but I think that's part of the charm of this genre.