I really enjoy reading books about people packing up and moving to other countries and making a go of it and this book was no exception. This American couple bought an old farmhouse in France but only lived there in the summer as they had a thriving business in California and were not ready to retire. The farmhouse they bought was fully renovated but as we all know even renovated there are always problems with something that is 400 years old no matter how charming and that includes the barn which was not renovated. However, this American couple found a lot to love about the slower pace of life in France that included the food, the people and the markets and I loved reading about it. There is also the usual and expected humor that comes from the language barrier and the misunderstandings that arise due to the differences in customs. Added bonuses in this book are the French to English dictionary to, book club questions if you want use this title in your book club, recipes for the dishes talked about in the book plus a web site with downloadable and printable recipes and more. I enjoyed this book and I was given the opportunity to read this book through Netgalley.

Having devoured many Expats in the South of France travel narratives in my younger years, thanks to a love of Peter Mayle, I suspect I’m an easy sell when it comes to the topic.

Beginning French this predictably charmed me and was a fun, funny escapist read that brought some sunshine to the dreary winter months.

The slapstick-y, Money Pit-esque disasters that befall Eileen and Marty’s renovations combined with the wink-nudge humor about what it means to be French makes for entertaining, delightful content.

While Les Américains can’t match Mayle’s storytelling ability and evocative atmosphere and sense of place, they’ve done an admirably better job of it than most of the Mayle copycats, and I would happily read more about their adventures in the future.

This was a rather entertaining book. I found the humor wry and subtle. The main voice of the book draws you into their exploits and gets you involved and committed. You want to know what will happen next. I enjoyed the highs and lows of their experiences in rural France from the aspect of someone who has wondered about doing something like that but not had the courage. I did feel that the end of the book was a bit abrupt, as if the authors decided to just stop writing without really wrapping it up. I felt like this book could have become fiction quite easly with small tweaks.

Intriguing, entertaining, engaging, and witty - those are the adjectives that come to mind as I think of this memoir. Even the authorship is witty - Les Américains. Les Américains is the nom de plume of Eileen McKenna, Marty Neumeier, and their daughter Sara. Eileen and Marty are all in to fulfill their dream of living in the south of France. (A dream of mine that I don't have their courage to pursue.) They find an old farmhouse that had been, for the most part, remodeled with a beautiful view and they make the leap. One of the major obstacles to their dream is that they don't speak the language. But they do prevail and have fun doing it. I was happy to live vicariously through them as they experience the adventures and misadventures of living in the French countryside and as they strive to make their dreams come true. Sara is a chef and she contributes mouthwatering recipes of the dishes she prepares at the farmhouse. Most of the French words and phrases are linked to a comprehensive glossary in the back of the book. If you read the book on a Kindle or other device, you only have to touch/click the word to be taken to the definition. They also provide a web link to their website where they continue their adventures and supply more recipes to enjoy. Wonderfully done, Les Américains!

This was such a good book and and easy read. I loved to sit with tea and just immerse myself in it, enjoy the recipes and the picture that was painted in my mind. If you want a bigger treat, enjoy on a sunny day with wine.

Beginning French by Les Américains is a short, breezy, and thoroughly enjoyable story for all of us Francophiles. While it may seem all too familiar to readers of Peter Mayle, this story does not disappoint.

The author's descriptions of French country life are well written and full of charm. The accounts of French homeowner despair and subsequent perseverance often had me laughing out loud, and reminiscing about my own experiences. An added bonus and some of the most enjoyable reading comes from the authors detailed descriptions of the many French culinary experiences….and the recipes for their favorite dishes are included!

The authors reveal enough of themselves for us to form opinions….I for one was not an early fan of Marty, the husband and father. In the end, though, I was won over, as Marty, in a bit of relationship turmoil with wife Eileen, is delivered a healthy dose of charming French relationship philosophy on his TGV ride to Paris. This is the best part of the book, not only for Marty, but for me as well.

Beginning French by Les Americains is a light and quick read. While both spouses are credited with authorship, the book is written in the husband's voice. I wondered how different the story would have been had they alternated chapters. I would have like to read the wife's viewpoint on many situations.

If you have ever dreamed of moving to a new area, whether a foreign country or just a different location in your native country, this book will illustrate both the positives and the negatives. Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. It seems so romantic, when on vacation to imagine yourself living in that wonderful paradise. This book shows the realities of that dream. Remember what can go wrong, will go wrong. Be it a boiler explosion or a hole in the barn roof. Personally, I will never look at a frog in the same way again.

I enjoyed seeing the recipes in the book, in fact, I wish there were more. I'm looking forward to trying the duck burgers one day. Sara should put together a cookbook if she hasn't already. How lucky for the authors to have a "private chef"! They certainly picked a wonderful area to settle in, those markets, both farm and night, sound wonderful!

In the afterword, the authors take pains to explain to the reader that they are not monetarily rich but rather are rich in experiences. Right. Maybe now after spending so much on multiple repairs, traveling back and forth between California and France, furnishing the house twice, 10 days in a very nice hotel in Paris, etc. They have enough financially to be able to make repairs without having to wait and save up like many of us, at least that is the impression given. That's OK, they shouldn't feel the need to proclaim they are not rich. Look, we the readers were interested in reading about your experiences. Obviously, most people can only dream of moving to a foreign country or of being able to maintain two houses (in two different countries no less!) or having their own business (let alone one that they can be absent from months at a time on a yearly basis). That is your life, to sit around talking about the 1% like they are so impossibly different... well, you are a lot closer to that experience than most of us. It is disingenuous to act like you not. You have been fortunate, you are fortunate, you have worked hard to achieve what you have, don't dismiss the effort or the good fortune. Hard work, good luck, being in the right place at the right time have all contributed to the lives you lead now. I don't expect I will ever be able to travel, certainly not to Europe, but I don't begrudge you for being able to do so. My traveling is through books, that's just the way it is. Reading that section where you try to show you aren't rich or well-off doesn't ring true, frankly it feels a little insulting. I wish you had left it out altogether, it was unnecessary. You went from sharing a unique experience with those of us who have wondered what it would be like to be able to live that dream to making it sound like an everyday, mundane experience that everyone can afford. Kind of "don't look behind the curtain" if you know what I mean. If we can't afford it, we must really be poor, afterall you, regular people can do it. Take that , what is it, an apology for being able to make your dreams a reality, out of the book completely. It is not necessary and it leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

Other than the afterward, I liked Beginning French. Didn't like the whole thing with Jackie, I know, I know, there are people who just seem to always flirt and somehow do it so much they don't realize it anymore. They certainly aren't considering the feelings of their loved ones. There are also people who due to nervousness or embarrasment or who knows, just nod and agree when they don't understand what someone is saying to them. When they are the same person in the same situation, the troubles multiply.

If you are looking to see what life is like for a part-time ex-pat, read Beginning French but I recommend you skip the afterword.

Memoir of buying and moving into a house in the French countryside, written with an engaging voice, a good eye for absurdities (like French big box stores) and light humor. I would have liked to read more about their engagement with the French culture as they don't get much beyond the bubble of their home and English speakers.

It’s a chronicle of American buying a house in France. Funny, refreshing and easy. Cute story. Not always simple to understand a new language. Perfect if you like to cook because they give you some recipes from France.

A vacation home in France? Sounds like a dream...or maybe not. But this is what makes a great story! We follow a middle-aged couple throughout the trials and drama after purchasing an old property in hopes of transforming into their ideal vacation spot. If everything went well, it wouldn't have been a great book. Fun read and beautiful descriptions that made me feel as if I was there.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a really fun read, it took me back. I enjoyed the nuances to other books about France, expecially those that reminded me of Peter Mayle. I really enjoyed it.

When Eileen and Marty, a middle age couple from California, decide to purchase a vacation home in France, the story begins. A fun series of events showcasing their adventures with their new farm place, and of course all the pitfalls that occur with a many centuries old property. The fun of dealing with cultural differences has a big impact too, but doesn't sway the couple overall. Their daughter is a chef, and there are many wonderful recipes provided too. For the most part it has ingredients that are common to find, which is nice. I highly recommend this book., and found it hard to put down. The only thing I felt was out of place was when his wife got mad and left him for several weeks while he groveled. Didn't see how that actually fit the story, and cost a star in my rating.

I absolutely loved this story! I could visualize the places described and the events that took place. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Beginning French is the most perfect summer read a self-proclaimed Francophile could've asked for! It was everything I was wanting and more. Since finishing, I've recommended this to no less than five friends who I know will love it just as much. I cannot wait to read more by Les Americains. 5 Stars.

A quick read. I enjoyed parts of the book; it did paint a picture of country life in France. However, I was expecting more. The characters are not very likeable, they came across as try hards -'we want to be french for the sake of it'- and also just expecting people to change their behavior because they were there. And I'm sorry, but when you are arriving somewhere or visiting a place, you have to adapt to them not the other way around.

On the other hand, the message of the book is to chase your dreams no matter what because you don't need a lot of money, etc. And that is an incredibly priviliged thing to say; only people with means say those kind of things. It is clear by reading the book that even if they are not millionares (As they repeatdly assure us) they are not struggling and are speaking from a priviliged point of view. It would have worked a million times better if that was acknowledged.

To wrap it up, it is not a bad book but it is a little boring. The characters are based on real people, but feel very caricaturesque. And even though they try to paint a picture of what is like to buy a house in the middle of the french countryside, they fall short.

Thank you very much for allowing me the opportunity to read this book! I appreciate the kindness. <3

Having never yet travelled to France, Beginning French by Les Americains, exposes the beauty and history of the Dordogne region, in the form of a story about Eileen and Marty living out a dream of owning a home in France. thrown into this memoir is their daughter Sarah, a chef/food stylist, who prepares meals for her parents, buying the freshest ingredients at the local markets. Marty and Eileen live their dream, interacting with the locals, dancing, shopping at the big box stores , playing boules or pétanque, and also, enjoying the fresh fare at the many local night markets, But to add a dose of reality to the story, not every day is fun. The house they buy is very old and is in constant need of TLC ... and with the stress of being in a foreign land and not being completely fluent... sometimes people are misunderstood....leading to more complications....

I enjoyed reading Beginning French. Although, at first. it seems like "first world problems", like how could you feel bad for Marty and Eileen, complaining about a SECOND home in France, when most people are lucky to even own one home. the authors broach this very issue in the epilogue. Make the most with what you have, whatever it is, LIVE! ENJOY! ... "LA VIE EST BELLE! thank you #netgalley and #lesamericains. Great Read especially if you want to plan a little visit to the #dordogne region which seems especially beautiful and scenic.

My grandmother was from France, thus I have always had an interest in all things French. This book definitely fulfilled my desire. This story brought back memories of my honeymoon in France and made me feel (and wish) that I was there again. The story is eloquently written, and appealing to the reader.

Reading this book is like living in a dream. I certainly imagined the French countryside. The place was so beautiful that they bought their house. Old house with very tempting charm. A difficult and painful journey is no longer felt now.
This old house is a disaster. But they deal with it easily. The peace and beauty in this story is like a dream but it is real. Delicious food and recipes are very interesting things.
The story is slow but can be enjoyed. Of course, for me there is finally something disturbing from this book. Discomfort begins with childish actions and this is very uncomfortable. But from the whole story, this book teaches strength.

This was a fun vacation read in the sense that it whisked me off to France! Who knew I'd be so into a home restoration? Haha! The recipes were a really nice touch, I'm almost tempted to try and make some. Overall, a fun read.