The Recipe for Hope

This is one I already read back in 2015 under the title of <i>The French For Christmas</i>. This heartwarming story introduces us to Evie Brooke, a woman carrying immense emotional pain after the stillborn birth of her daughter a year ago, the loss of her marriage and her beloved bistro. The last thing she wants is to get dragged into the revelry of the Christmas holiday. When her best friends offer Evie the use of their cottage in the French countryside, Evie accepts their offer in the hope that this will be the perfect opportunity to avoid the holiday and the reminders of all she has lost.

I loved this story. My heart broke for everything Evie has gone through and I felt a deep empathy for her continued struggle to come to terms with everything. I applauded her choice to try something new instead of burying herself in her flat and hiding from everyone. I thought agreeing to go to France was a brave decision and braver, still, was her willingness to reach out to others, her sister, about to give birth to her own child, her parents, her estranged husband, her friends and her new neighbors in France. She could have stayed hidden in the cottage and became a hermit, but she didn’t and that made this story so beautiful. She even participates in helping a mare birth her foal.

This story also had some very humorous scenes involving a pig running loose and meeting the handsome Doctor Didier for the first time. Laughter through tears is very therapeutic and I loved how these new experiences begin to bring Evie out of her shell. Add in wonderful food and the love of family and friends and a Christmas miracle is born. I highly recommend this book if you like stories of love, healing, forgiveness and new beginnings.

Love the title. The characters are quirky and fun and come alive on the pages. The author writes a quick read. The book was sent to me by Netgalley for review. Enjoy

This is a fast, fun, holiday read. We get to hang out with old friends and find the miracle of Christmas.

Evie’s life has fallen in around her. The loss of her marriage and her unborn child have her searching for a new beginning. A cottage in a remote village in France seems like the perfect place to lick her wounds and lie low during Christmas, a time she used to love but now dreads. But instead of finding solitude, Evie finds a village full of noisy animals and a handsome and charming neighbor. What starts as an escape from her past becomes a pathway to a new and promising future. This is a lovely story that will give a much needed boost to those weary of inflation and pandemic woes

A heartwarming quick read …. which seems very familiar (I believe it might of been released under a different name some years ago) To escape after what can only be deceived as a truly dreadful year, Evie takes advantage of a friends offer and heads off to a cottage in the French countryside for the Christmas period. It’s a lovely book full of hope and elements of sadness too

The Recipe for Hope by Fiona Happy

Evie’s running away: from her soon-to-be ex-husband’s shiny new life, from the devastating loss of her baby last year, from a memory-filled London and, most particularly, from Christmas. A remote cottage in the South of France seems like the perfect peaceful place to soothe her sorrows.

A perfect title for a winter's evening in front of a roaring fire.

I was really rooting for Evie and hoped her new life in France was going to work out for her. Lovely story , great plot , fantastic characters.
Fiona Valpy at her best.

Rating: 2.0/5

Firstly, I would like to draw the attention of prospective readers to the fact that this book was originally published in 2014 under the title "The French for Christmas", so please do not be under the misapprehension that this is new material from the author.

This quick read tells the story of Evie, a London-based American lady who has become estranged from her celebrity chef husband, following on from experiencing the traumatic stillbirth of their daughter. As Christmas approaches, Evie has no desire to celebrate and wants to simply escape and pretend it isn't even happening. Following a friend's suggestion, she decides to spend the period in a remote part of France. Formerly no mean operator in the kitchen herself, Evie has lost her culinary mojo, but it is about to be rekindled during her trip to the Dordogne ... and that is not the only thing that will we reawakened during her visit.

I find Fiona Valpy's work quite frustrating. Every book I have read by her to date has contained ample amounts of promise, but without that potential being fulfilled. "The Recipe for Hope" is no exception. Although there is much to appreciate in the quality of Fiona Valpy's writing, it is too often a case of style over substance that leaves me with a sense of not feeling satisfied.

The setting for this is fine and is nicely drawn by the author. The characters, too, are not without appeal, and the predicaments they find themselves faced with offer up the potential for some heartrending drama ... but it never quite gets to that point, because it is all a bit superficial. Consequently, there is also no real sense of an uplifting experience as a result of triumph in the face of adversity. Instead, it errs too much on the side of being sickly sweet and hard to swallow.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

Reeling from the tragedy of a stillbirth and the resultant failing of her marriage Evie escapes Christmas to stay in rural France. There she finds kind and helpful neighbours who can help heal her grieving heart.
A lovely heartwarming quick read

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the eARC.
Evie has had a traumatic couple of events: she lost her stillborn baby and her husband has left her. Not at all in the mood for Christmas, she escapes to a friend's cottage in France. There she can slowly find some piece and also meets a very handsome doctor. So far, so good.
There's a cheeky pig who comes into her garden to steal apples, which I thought was so sweet... until I realized the pig was going to be slaughtered and Evie was going to help with the preparation. Call me a wimp, but even though I live in the country, I became a vegetarian 30 years ago and I couldn't read any further. Sorry!

I received an ARC of, The Recipe for Hope by, Fiona Valpy. Evie has mot had an easy life, leaving her husband, and starting over, is where we find her in this book. Can she risk it, and fall in love again?

I’ve just finished this wonderful novel with tears streaming down my face. Happy/sad tears, it’s such a moving story with the perfect ending and quite inspirational. I love all Fiona Valpy’s books and this certainly hasn’t disappointed, it’s the 3rd in a series but can be read as a stand alone. My only regret is that I’m reading it in the height of summer, it’s such a perfect Christmas book, definitely one to curl up with in a cold winters day…you won’t want to put it down.

Thank you to the author, publishers and Netgalley for an ARC in return for an honest review, it’s been a huge pleasure!

With grateful thanks I've read this book a few years ago excellent story .
Very dissatisfied that it's got a new name giv3s readers false hope.

“The Recipe for Hope” by Fiona Valpy is the final book in a series, however this book can be read as a stand-alone. This book is being reissued, as it was originally published in 2015 under a different title. I found this book to be the weakest of the trilogy, which I found disappointing as the first two books were decent reads. Evie’s story about overcoming the stillbirth of her daughter (and break-up of her marriage) was so deep and encompassing that while “hope” might’ve been the theme for the book, the hope seemed in some places a bit Hallmark Christmas movie-like. Evie’s ex may not have been a good fit with her, but he seemed to be broadly painted as “I’m a shallow bad guy” that his character didn’t work for me - even when causing drama. I did like the Author’s Note giving more information about Doctor’s Without Borders. I found this story okay. I think it would make a good Hallmark Christmas movie, but having never actually seen one of those movies I’m making an assumption.

A little sad for a holiday novel. The beginning of the book rips your heart out. Not my favorite book by this author, I’m sorry to say. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this early read.

The Recipe for Hope by Fiona Valpy tells a beautiful story of love, loss, and hope. Being able to picture the love interest as a French Bradley Cooper, was a definite bonus to this sentimental tale.

Christmas time in the French countryside was such a dreamy setting! I enjoyed this third and final novel in the Escape to France collection. This was more emotional than the others, but beautifully written. A story of loss, hope, and love. Very heartwarming and highly recommended.

I loved this book! I cried at the end because I was over come with emotion for Evie.
I look forward to reading more from Valpy and seeing more of these characters.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

I sadly had to stop reading this book due to how boring I found it.

I agree with other reviews that the writing is amazing in quality but how slow the story progressed really made me not want to carry on.
The characters, story and scenery were very fleshed out and developed - giving potential to the book that I felt it didn’t live up to.

It is a sad tale for a Christmas story, where Evie has to grieve the loss of her stillborn child, the life she wanted, and her divorce from her celebrity chef husband. She decided to go to France for the Christmas season as this is when her life fell apart one year prior.

There were a few funny scenes, such as when there was a pig in her garden and she slipped trying to scare it away. Other than that, I didn’t find any events entertaining to read.

This is the final book in a trilogy by the author, but can be read as a stand alone. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a gorgeous story of hope and new starts. I adore Christmas stories and this one ticked all my boxes for a lovely heartwarming story.

This is the story of Evie who after having a terrible year which saw her lose a baby and having her marriage break down has decided to run away to a remote cottage in south of France. She soon finds her self finding her love for cooking and making friends with her neighbours.

Highly recommend!

In this contemporary women’s fiction novel, Evie is reeling a year after her baby is stillborn and her marriage to a celebrity chef has collapsed and her bistro has closed. It is Christmastime but she is not feeling merry. She is offered the use of a cottage in the French countryside and jumps at the chance to get out of London and away from her problems. Once in France, she reconnects with her love for cooking and is not immune to the attractions of a doctor neighbor. I was rooting for Evie to rediscover her zest for life and pull herself out of her doldrums. A solid read.

The Recipe for Hope by Fiona Valpy was beautifully written. Wow, I cried and felt the emotions in the book. I thought the book was a little slow but did pick up. A great story!

I think I am becoming a Fiona Valpy fan. I had been looking for an uplifting read and this book fulfilled that need. That might not be the case for someone who is still grieving over the loss of a baby (so trigger warning), but Valpy again writes well about grieving and coming through that journey.

Having just read a book about countries in Africa, I am aware that they are often used in stories for stereotypical elements. I would not have thought of this before reading the aforementioned book so I don't blame Valpy for using South Sudan as a place where doctors go to help, but, in the future, perhaps she and other authors can use places in their own countries or places not stereotypically used such as Europe. Having said that, it was lovely to see Valpy is donating a percentage of her royalties to Doctors Without Borders, and she also includes sources of support who have experienced the sorrow of stillbirth.

I did not realize that this book is number three involving a town and family, but it is a stand alone book. I did enjoy meeting characters from one of the previous books. I am going to buy this book for my mom for Christmas. Maybe I need to think about buying her all three.

Although it does deal with the sorrow of stillbirth, I still found the book uplifting, well-written, and enjoyable. I loved reading about the French countryside and the food. The book was originally published in French so I trust that the setting is accurate. I devoured the book quickly from July 7 to July 10. Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for this ARC.

I've been meaning to try one of Fiona Valpy's books for quite some time now, so I decided to get a copy of The Recipe For Hope on a whim. What I didn't realize at the time was that this isn't exactly a new story; it was first published back in 2014 under the name The French For Christmas, and it's actually book number three of a series. And while it's true that this story can be read as a stand-alone, I would have liked to know this as apparently at least some of the characters appear in the previous books as well. This wasn't the reason why this story sadly didn't work for me though; more about this below.

First of all, I have to say that I do love the Dordogne setting and the descriptions really made the wintery French setting come alive for me. I also loved the food element and the many different descriptions of local food and preparations both made me want to cook and crave the food mentioned. The setting made for a great backdrop for this Christmas story and the food itself was festive inspired as well. It was probably these two elements that made me keep reading, because I did have some major issues with this story.

I think part of the problem is the fact that I was expecting an uplifting Christmas read, and instead The Recipe For Hope is mostly very heavy and almost depressive. There is a huge focus on dealing with a stillbirth and grief in general, and instead of balancing things out the heaviness seemed to go on forever. The hope came only in a small portion and the lighter moments weren't really spaced out evenly enough to make the plot feel more balanced. Especially the final part almost felt like a cliche Hallmark movie, and the characters themselves lacked fleshing out for me. I did like the community feel of the small village, but most of the characters felt rather flat to me.

The writing itself is beautiful, which in a way is such a contrast with a rather uninspiring and predictable plot... In the end it couldn't save the story for me. To make things worse, there is even a love triangle introduced, which kind of sealed the deal for me. I'm never a fan of the trope, but in this story it seemed completely unnecessary and it ruined whatever positive feelings I had left towards this book. A warning is also in place for the mention/description of animal slaughter; I know that there are a lot of people out there who could have done without this element.

As a whole, The Recipe For Hope unfortunately ended up being a total miss for me, and it was most definitely not the cheerful and uplifting Christmas read I hoped it would be. The food descriptions and Dordogne setting were great though.

Another great book by Fiona Valpy of which I was drawn in by the title. Especially as it involves a recipe book, a love of cooking and family.

It is a feel good book, easy to read and and has some humour along with some feel good moments as well as some sorrow and loss. The setting is good, the characters are good and the story is good.

An easy, entertaining book to read that isn't over the top but is quite enjoyable.

I've never read this author before and found this one to be an enjoyable and easy read. I liked the writing style and characters and would read another book by this author in the future.

This is a very endearing heartfelt read. With a lovely romantic element running throughout. It is an easy read. Which just goes to show how.muvh effort the author and team have put into this book to make it flow so effortlessly.

A charming tale that touches on stillbirth, relationship breakdown and third world poverty and medical provision. Deciding to spend some time in a rural French village to try to avoid Christmas, Evie ends up unexpectedly, finding love and friendship. A well-written, easy to read, romantic novel which ends happy-ever-after. Just a little too twee for me!

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This was a nice gentle read, nice characters and a nice storyline, I enjoyed it.

My rating:
Plot: 4 out of 5 stars
Writing: 4 out of 5 stars
Character development: 4 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars

Recommended for readers of:

Women’s Fiction
General Fiction

Review:

Overall:

This is a story about coping with loss and grief but also about love and second chances. Overall it has a light hearted feel to it. The plot flows well and is nicely written very vivid and captivating. It feels like you are actually there. The characters are interesting and portrayed with enough detail to make them realistic and likeable. A great feel good story that captures you and doesn’t let you go until the end.

Review copy provided by Netgalley at no cost to me.

Enjoyable easy romantic fiction from Fiona Valpy. I liked the setting and enjoyed the story - good beach read!

Another fabulous tale by this amazing author! Rich characterizations, realistic emotions, and a lovely story make for a can't-put-it-down emotional read. Oh my GOSH!!!!!! I read this emotionally charged, compelling book in one sitting.

I think this is the fourth book I have read by Fiona Valpy and it's my favourite so far. The story centres on Evie who is struggling to come to terms with the sorrow of stillbirth, the loss of her relationship and her bistro business. As the title suggest though, this is a hopeful story, and
Evie is offered the use of her friend's holiday cottage in the French countryside at Christmas, as Evie just wants to hide away somewhere to avoid to the bright lights and buzz surrounding Christmas at home.
Pretty soon Evie is settling into her French holiday home and begins a gradual healing, through the kindness of neighbours and the joy of the seasonal food with her grandmother's recipe book as her companion.
There is humour in the book with the neighbours pig getting up to mischief, and there is a dishy doctor with his own reasons for being tucked away in a very quiet French hamlet. The full cast of characters are just so well drawn, the descriptions of the surrounding area sound beautiful and I thoroughly enjoyed the uplifting, new beginnings story which unfolded.
For anyone who has gone through the loss of a baby I think it would be much too hard to read, but aside from that I would very highly recommend this.

“The Storyteller of Casablanca” was my first Fiona Valpy book, in 2021, and I thought the storytelling was spectacular so I expected much of the same with this, and it’s what I got.

It’s got everything I needed in a book; Christmas (okay, not always seen as a positive in the context), the French countryside, and delicious food. I’ve even noted down some of the festive French offerings mentioned for me to bake later - as it’s never too early to bake Christmas treats in my opinion.

I’ve never wanted to spend Christmas in a different country or by myself, but Fiona makes quite the convincing case, at least for some of the build up, or maybe in that weird in between time between Christmas and New Years, especially if it comes with a handsome neighbour.

I get the feeling that food - and French food in particular - is an important part of Fiona Valpy’s life. We can all talk about food and describe it, but to me, there are few authors who can concoct such a vivid image and I am happy to add Fiona to that list. There is a specific piece, about 25% of the way through, that reminds me so much of Charles Dickens’ description of festive food in A Christmas Carol, and if you’ve followed me for a while you’ll know that Dickens features at the top of every literary list for me.

It’s not all happiness and light. There are some very difficult topics - baby loss, death, grief, divorce. It is sad, I won’t say it’s not, but there’s a lovely balance to the happiness amidst the grief.

It’s a short book at about 200 pages, a quick read and I felt I could have read another 200 pages. I am so glad I have copies of the other two in the series (even if this one was meant to be #3; it doesn’t matter what order you read them in, but the festiveness drew me in first)

As in the other three books in this series, The Recipe for Hope is a tale of love and second chances. Didier is an interesting love interest, a bit different from this author's norm. Evie, on the other hand, is lost in her own emotions after the stillborn birth of her child and her estrangement from her husband. She is looking to forget all the hurt and instead what she finds is hope (hence the title of this novel!) It got a bit too melodramatic near the end . . . but it's a romance; so all's well that ends well. A fast read.

Another great easy read by Fiona.
Heartbroken after the loss of her daughter and failed marriage, she flees to France to escape Christmas in London.
Finding herself in a house surrounded by farms, woods and peacefulness, she meets her new neighbours and she begins to discover herself again. Remembering forgotten dreams and plans.

“The best meals are those seasoned with friendship and conversation.”

Valpy gently reminds us that amidst the uplifting carols and festive hum surrounding Christmas, there are those who are hurting. Her vivid descriptions of winter in a hive will inspire you to reach out to others….after all, we’re all on this journey together.

I absolutely loved returning to the south of France and the Dordogne region and meeting up with characters from Valpy’s other books. It’s like meeting up with old friends. New to the community is dreamy Dr. Didier Dumas, a locum with a broken heart, who fits in well and learns that in facilitating healing within the hamlet, he finds solace and restoration himself.

After a stillbirth and broken marriage, redheaded American Chef Evie Brooke heads to a remote cottage a tiny hamlet of Les Pelerins to heal. Her celebrity chef husband, Will, seems to have found inspiration in his flavour of the month and continues to run the couple’s restaurant. Evie wants to remove herself from her old life. The last place she wants to be at Christmas is anywhere near people! As she settles into this quiet corner of a foreign country, thinking that no one spoke her language and she could be alone with her grief, she learns to appreciate the tranquility of village life and the helpfulness of the community. She discovers she’s anything BUT alone in her grief once she opens up to the neighbours. She is drawn out of herself, challenged to see things from a different perspective and focus on the things that really matter. It’s when she brings out her French grandmother’s cookbook that the inspiration from the Dordogne mixes with the love of cooking and she finds ‘the recipe for hope.’


This is not your typical Christmas read. Yes, the author does share the French seasonal traditions but put any pre-conceived notions out of your mind. You’ll learn about the tradition of Le Pere Fouettard, the Marche aux Truffes, and the local Trappe d’Echourgnac. And, yes, there are gifts. But not what you’d expect. Two people awaken to find the gift of strength to open their hearts and love again…a gift far superior to anything one could purchase.

I loved the author’s thoughts on us being ambassadors and the healing power of nature. Evie’s journey entertained me, moved me and inspired me.

This is book 3 of the Escape to France series and was previously published as The French For Christmas

“The rural way of life seems to be dying out, just at a time when the world needs it more than ever.”

I was gifted this advance copy by Amazon Publishing UK, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

This was a very enjoyable read. The story was uplifting and the characters were well rounded. Evie had her ups and downs but seemed to fare well in the end. Which was nice in comparison to so many sad ending stories lately. Touches on a few sensitive topics such as stillbirth, but does so with a careful hand.

A heart warmer. Evie's lost so much- her marriage, her baby, her inspiration so she heads to France thinking she'll lick her wounds. What she finds, however, is a new life. Yes, there's Didier, the intriguing and handsome romantic interest but there's also the rest of the village, the animals, and wisdom handed down through her family. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A feel good read.

The Recipe for Hope is the third in Fiona Valpy's Escape to France books and I think I enjoyed this one the most of all three books. Evie, an American chef who had been living in London, is attempting to cope with the loss of both her stillborn baby and of her marriage as her husband was not there for her. Evie travels to a small town in France to stay in the empty home of friends and makes new friends who become like family, healing her aching heart along the way and finding love again. I'm a sucker for a happy ending and this book certainly had a feel-good ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a lovely snuggle up with a blanket and a cuppa type book!

Recovering from the trauma of losing a baby and her marriage breakdown, Evie decides to go away to rural France for Christmas, staying in her friends' holiday home.

With the accommodation basic and cold and no internet or phone signal at first she is worried that she has made a mistake! However before long she meets the hunky doctor Didier next door and (despite throwing up on him due to
Norovirus the first time she meets him) things start to look up!

This is a very different book to Fiona Valpy's historical fiction novel, The Dressmaker's Gift, but this a good light read, providing a bit of homeley escapism, with lots of references to yummy French cuisine!

The story
Evie’s spent the last year grieving for the baby that she lost when 7 months pregnant, her husband who has moved on with his life without her and her career as a chef. Her best friend offers Evie the use of their home in South West France for the month of December. In the little settlement on the Pilgrim path, Evie meets her three neighbours, elderly Eliane and her husband Matthias and doctor Didier. Her neighbours have also experienced grief and are different stages of dealing with it, and can help Evie put things into perspective.

My thoughts
This is a shortish story that is being revamped and republished. It’s a sad read, with ultimately, a glimmer of hope and path to move forward to. It’s not an easy read and there is much that is heartbreaking, however there is also Christmas magic and acceptance, some food being cooked and shared and cozy snowy vibes. A sweet read ❄️🌲🐴

Evie is mourning the loss of a pregnancy, her marriage is broken and her husband has moved on. She no longer feels the passion she did for cooking and as Christmas approaches and the anniversary of her loss she decides to spend the holiday in a remote French village alone. The cottage caretakers take her under their wings and there is a doctor next door similarly dreading Christmas. This is a short book at about 200 pages but the characters are lovely and the description of the cottage and surroundings bring it to life.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for providing me a digital copy.

This is a quick, easy read. I’d say it ended up as a cosy read, but as it does deal with the miscarriage of a baby, It doesn’t start this way.
It’s well written with good characters, if a little predictable at times.
Even so, I’d say it’s worth a read.
Thank you to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for my arc.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

This is the third book in the authors Escape to France books.

An American Chef, Evie, is trying to come to terms with losing her stillborn baby, as well as her marriage coming to an end.

She goes to a town in France, where she lives in a home of her friends. Whilst there, she makes some new friends and her heart begins to mend, she also falls in love again.

I recommend this book.

I didn't realise that this was the last of a trilogy of novelettes/novellas by Valpy until I read some reviews. It didn't really matter though. I liked this, but of the three stories, this was my least favourite. It just didn't grip me like the other two did. There were long sequences where Evie was on her own and her thought sequences were over long. I just wanted to get to the action. Loved the scenic description and the ending was satisfying. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A well plotted, heart-warming, and festive novel that made me smile and wish I could travel to Dordogne.
Sweet story, fleshed out characters, a compelling plot.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Fiona Valpy never disappoints me. I love her writing and her ability to develop such relatable characters. This was a wonderful Christmas story centered on healing from grief, being open to what life holds and learning to trust in one's self. Thanks#NetGalley and #LakeUnionPublishing

A lovely, heart-warming read. But be cautioned, this book may bring hunger pangs or a longing to get in the kitchen and cook French food! After suffering a stillbirth and the estrangement from her husband, Evie is determined to skip Christmas and heads to France to hide away. But a rekindled love of cooking, and growing feelings for an equally troubled neighbour, she is able to find a new sense of purpose.

A Christmas read and my first from Fiona Valpy. Evie Brooke needs a place to flee to and the South of France seems perfect. She doesn't want to make the decision to go to the States or remain in London after a stillbirth and broken marriage. Rose and Max, her best friends have suggested their place as a hideout, where she can heal, take stock of her life and avoid OTT Christmas jollity and traditions. She spends the festive season in a remote cottage in a tiny hamlet. Although short (about 200 pages) the characters appeal and the description of the cottage and surroundings bring it to life. Uplifting, inspiring and worthwhile.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Lake Union Publishing via NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

This was a new to me author, I hadn't heard of her before reading this novel, but the blurb for this book was enough for me to give her a chance.

The blurb read:
Evie’s running away: from her soon-to-be ex-husband’s shiny new life, from the devastating loss of her baby last year, from a memory-filled London and, most particularly, from Christmas. A remote cottage in the South of France seems like the perfect peaceful place to soothe her sorrows.

But the countryside soon proves anything but quiet, from the rooster crowing at dawn to the barn owl hooting through the night—not to mention Evie’s handsome neighbour, doctor Didier, who works away in his garage at all hours.

Unexpectedly, the sights and sounds of life amid the sparkling beauty of the Dordogne give Evie a renewed sense of inspiration, and with her French grandmother’s recipe book for company, she begins to rediscover her love of cooking. Soon, the tight-knit community begins to enfold her, reminding Evie what really matters in life.

But are Didier’s gorgeous blue eyes on more than Evie’s delicious dinners? And can a cancelled Christmas—complete with a Not-Christmas feast for two—heal her heart?

First of all, this is NOT new material, it was previously published in 2014 under the name of "The French for Christmas".

While the blurb held promise, sadly it didn't deliver. The setting and characters are fine, and there is some emotional drama throughout, but it all seemed a bit too fake, a bit too sweet and unrealistic. I didn't feel that there was any real growth from the characters, it was all a bit superficial.

I finished the book feeling rather unsatisfied.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

Coming in at just under 200 pages in the printed version (although I read an eARC kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review), this is a fast read. Unfortunately the storyline wasn't that fast to start with; focusing on describing scenery which then wasn't taken any further.

Still, it's a fantastic read, bringing Christmas spirit despite a Not-Christmas-Tree and an escape to France to avoid all things festive (and baby related).

It's a story about friendships, new opportunities and letting go of grief; to becoming a better version of oneself. All nicely wrapped up in some snow and to the smells of gorgeous French food.

This book, and the previous two in the Escape to France series are all available now.

I had read the first one of this series which I enjoyed and this one was just as good. A wry sweet read set in France. Loved the story and the characters. Looking forward to reading the third one. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

This is a good book. The two main characters are Evie and Didier. Evie is a chef and Didier is a doctor. There is an instant attraction. Evie has come to France after the death of her baby, she is heartbroken. Didier has come to France to sub for a doctor that retired. Didier has recently had his fiancé pass away. They each have trust issues but together they work them out and fall in love.

CW: death of a child

Evie Brooks is in the depths of despair of grief. Her babies heart beat stopped at seven months Her friend Rose allows to her to use their summer house in France to get away from it all to grieve.

It was nice to escape to Bordeaux, France set in the winter from my home where we've been hitting the high 90s every day. This book was wonderful. It stirred so much emotion in me. I cried with Evie in the church pew. The writing transported me to the chateau with her found family.

I'm now a big fan of Fiona Valpy and will definitely need to read the rest of her books.

As someone who has miscarried, the thematic material surrounding the loss of a child resonated with me. For some people, it might be a trigger. Thankfully, it isn't always front and center in the story, but rather woven into it in such a way that the reader can see the healing process starting for Evie.

The holiday setting in a more rural area of France was lovely and provided a good backdrop for the story.

I love a Christmas themed book, and this was a particularly enjoyable. Whilst Evie’s reasons for travelling for Christmas were very sad, I loved how the author showed that there was hope for her future. The characters were well written and likeable (even her ex!) and I found the ending very satisfying.

My new favourite author!

Fiona Valpy is my new favourite author! Recipe for Hope is the third in a group of novels, republished by Lake Union with editorial changes, set in a hamlet in rural France fairly near Bergerac. I love the little details known only to 'locals', what's not to love from a novel that talks about my all time favourite cheese (Trappe Echourgnac, a beautiful cheese finished with walnut liqueur....makes me long to be there just to write these words). This is not serious literature. But, with all the troubles in the world, I, for one, am reading a lot to escape, calm myself, and feel better. This novel, while the third in a set of 3 novels, shares a few characters with the previous ones in the group, but is easily read stand-alone. It has a sweet story with interesting characters with their own life challenges. It is a fairly short novel, just right for a lazy afternoon, day at the beach or settling down in your bed to read yourself to sleep. After reading the previous book in the group, I bought two of the prequels. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.

Thank you to the publisher who lent me a time-constrained e-arc via netgalley. This review is optional and my own opinion.

This was a very sweet and fast read. I have not read anything by Fiona Valpy before but I enjoyed her style of writing. I liked the characters but I do wish that there had been more of a chance to get to know them. I felt that with a little more character development I would have cared more about this story. I read this book in one sitting and enjoyed it but I was left wishing for more.

This is the third and final book in the series.
It’s shorter than the others but engaging the same way as the previous ones.
It packs up a bit more closure and so many more details about the region and description that made me find myself daydreaming about that same location and wishing I was there in reality and enjoying myself.
I loved the small tidbits that we get from the locals and how the author is adding so much research into it. I would love to live in that place.

Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy

This is my first book by Fiona Valpy, I found this story short and sweet. I loved this quote about Christmas from the book " No matter how far you run, no matter how hard you try try to shut it out, it creeps up on you from behind and ambushes you with its beauty and its traditions and its pure, bloody-minded determination to remind the world about what's really important."

I know I have tried to run from Christmas and failed, so I relate to what Evie was trying to do. I loved this small French town and how they all came together. This is perfect holiday story, I think everyone can relate to.

Evie is running away to a remote cottage in the South of France, perfect place for her heal from grief. With the help of her neighbors she is starts to heal, and finally know how she wants to move forward.

This book is the perfect present for family this year.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for copy of this book for my honest review.

This was the third of the French series of stories by Fiona Valpy. It was set in winter, close to Christmas. The description of nature, weather, and the French countryside created the perfect atmosphere. Evie is American and has suffered much grief in her life in London, so her friend offers her their cottage in the French countryside, so she can take time to recover at her own speed. Should she return to Boston to be close to her family, should she return to London, or should she stay in France? When the snow cuts off the little hamlet as well as the electricity, Evie and her 3 neighbours pull together to help each other, ending up having a great Christmas. Some of the characters appear in the whole series of books. I liked this as it gave continuity throughout.. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for an arc of this lovely story. It was my first Christmas read of this year!

A Christmassy romantic book with far too many lucky coincidences to my taste. The writing is beautiful, the characters are likeable and interesting, and the plot is promising. But there are no real challenges to overcome as if the author was afraid of writing scenes of conflict and argument. Everything falls into place without any drama whatsoever.

The story puts you into the festive mood with its stunning French location and food, and it's a quick and easy read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing / Lake Union Publishing for an Advance Review Copy.

I’m starting to realise that perhaps time and the gentle, unobtrusive support of this tiny community are helping me to at least accept my loss, helping the scars begin to heal so that, while they’ll still always be there, life will go on.

3.5 ⭐

What a powerful combination of excruciatingly difficult topics and Christmassy vibes in the midst of French countryside. We follow Evie Brooke, a woman who is still trying to recover from the stillborn birth of her daughter a year ago, the divorce that followed and even her carrier as a chef suffering immensely.

I thought this might be too depressing for me. But the heavy parts were handled well and with care. And we meet Evie at a moment when things are slowly starting to turn around for her. So the book was full of hopeful tones and learning how to move on.

And the food... Oh wow, the food was such an essential part of the book. It sounded delicious and it made everything so vibrant and cozy. I loved it.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of The Recipe for Hope by Fiona Valpy in exchange for an honest review.

I love Fiona Valpy’s books, she just has this way of captivating you. This one wasn’t my favourite of hers, but poignant none the less. It was touching in all the right places and dealt with really important topics.

I really felt for the characters throughout and enjoyed the way it all came together in the end. It felt like a real life situation, which was a refreshing change to some, that can feel a little forced towards a more gratuitous ending.

A lovely read and I can’t wait to read more of her work.

Another great, slightly shorter read from Fiona Valpy. The final part of the ‘Escape to France’ series, there were some familiar characters that I also pieced together from the beekeepers promise which I utterly loved. A great story that was moving and inspiring with a bit of festive cheer thrown in. A strong 4 stars.

Such a lovely heart-warming read, would certainly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.