For the past few months I've seen so many people talk about the summer's hottest book... A Perfect Vintage by Chelsea Fagan. I realized that I had a NetGalley ARC of it and immediately started reading. I would be lying if I said I wasn't initially intrigued by the cover, but the summary sounded incredible too. A chateau? France? Career driven woman? Yes please!
It truly has the recipe for the ultimate summer read and I can now co-sign that notion.
If you're looking for a delicious, sexy and unique read to sink your teeth into, you will really enjoy A Perfect Vintage.
PS: If you think Chelsea Fagan's name sounds familiar in the way I did, it's because she is the founder of The Financial Diet and the author of a book by the same name.
Publisher's Summary
But after the heated divorce of her closest friend and cousin Stephanie Bryce, Lea finds herself taking Stephanie and her college-aged daughter to the Loire Valley in France for the summer. As they tag along for Lea’s latest work assignment, despite their best intentions, they threaten to complicate the tightrope act of launching the hotel on time. And when Lea unexpectedly falls for the much-younger son of her boss, she quickly learns the beauty and danger of losing control.
As affairs bloom in the idyllic chateau, wars of inheritance play out between the family, and betrayals threaten even the most solid relationships. Lea realizes that it's not just a broken heart she's risking, but her entire, meticulously-constructed life blowing up in her face.
My Thoughts
I really enjoyed this book; it was incredibly well written, really detailed and rich with French culture. I loved reading about Lea's career and it was very interesting to get insight into a hotel consulting career.
I always throughly enjoy reading these types of books that center around one specific place and project, that takes place in such a niche market. It reminded me of Blush and Gilt by Jamie Brenner which I loved so much.
Lea was a fantastic narrator and I loved her as a person; she also made me quite sad because I thought she deserved so much more. She deserved to be happy, to be respected, to be rewarded for her hard work but to also have a friend who valued her.
Stephanie was horrible. I don't know if I'm supposed to feel that way but she infuriated me in so many ways. I thought the way she treated Lea was disgusting, I thought she was a bad mother and an idiot for acting the way she did throughout the novel. That sounds incredibly harsh but I don't know if I've ever disliked a character more. And that has nothing to do with how she was written - she was written insanely good which I think is the point and why I have such a visceral reaction to her.
Theo was hot, he really liked Lea and he was so smart. I loved reading their moments together and seeing Lea's wall crumble around her. It showed such a softer and more self loving side to her. Throughout the book I was rooting for Lea to stand up for herself and when the climax of the novel hits, I was devastated.
The last quarter of the book threw me for a loop and it wasn't what I was expecting but eventually, it all
As I said above, this is a hot summer romance mixed with a little bit of coming of age, career and self discovery. Being immersed in the warm French summer sun was delightful and really transported you there. You got to know the characters in an authentic way and for a minute, you almost forget that it's a work of fiction.
If you need a book to pull you out of your reading slump, to instill a little heat in your soul, or to read on the beach, The Perfect Vintage will not disappoint.
xoxo
B
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