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meganloney's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
tracyreaderwriterswimmer's review against another edition
4.0
Liked the first one I read so much I had to return to rural France. Great concept. Again, too much repetition but whooshed me along.
gail_71's review against another edition
4.5
I thoroughly enjoyed ‘The Season of Dreams.’ The story was filled with vibrant dreams for Sara and Gavin, even though some of them took unexpected turns. The stunning chateau in France served as the perfect backdrop, and I found myself enchanted by the captivating weddings and the colorful local characters that came to life on the pages.
Having read ‘The Dressmaker’s Gift’ and ‘The Beekeeper’s Promise’ a few years ago, I almost wished I had revisited them before diving into this adventure. Fortunately, I remembered just enough to fully appreciate this story.
What truly captivated me were the diverse weddings that Sara orchestrated. From a young couple radiating joy to an inspiring older couple, a lovely same-sex couple, and even a rock star duo, each wedding was a delightful exploration of love. I was especially taken with the vintage Dior wedding gown—it was simply priceless! The media frenzy surrounding one couple added an extra layer of excitement.
Sara’s journey of rebuilding her life was incredibly engaging. However, I felt a bit disappointed that the intriguing discovery of an SS jacket didn’t receive the attention it deserved. Despite that, the book was a delightful escape, filled with charm and celebration!
theliterateleprechaun's review against another edition
4.0
First of all, if you’ve read The Beekeeper’s Promise you’ll remember Sara, the owner of the castle. She’s the protagonist in this story. If you’ve read The Dressmaker’s Gift, you’ll remember Mireille and Eliane. They also appear in this book. If you’ve read The French For Love/Light Through The Vines, you’ll meet Gina and Cedric again! I love it when characters pop up in a book when you aren’t expecting them - it’s like meeting an old friend!
Secondly, if you’ve already read The French for Always, then you’ve already read this book!
Can you imagine moving to another country with your fiance, starting a wedding venue business, and then catching him in flagrante with one of the client’s bridesmaids? What a letdown! For someone in the business of creating fairy-tale endings and happy-ever-afters, this was gut-wrenching. Sara has to pick up her life and carry on without Gavin because she’s got five weddings booked and she can’t let the brides down on their important day. When a cute wine salesman crosses her path, Sara begins to imagine other options than just selling and returning to London.
What a dreamy setting for a wedding - an ancient chateau in Bordeaux! I loved reading about Chateau Bellevue de Coulliac, the mystery it holds and how it connects to a book I’ve previously read. Valpy writes such descriptive settings that it’s easy for readers to place themselves in the story. The added historical fiction flavour increased my enjoyment of this book. I also enjoyed learning about les larmes de Saint Laurent, the bluet (cornflower), the sage-femme, and Code Napoleon inheritance laws. Valpy has a lovely mix of genres in this book.
Equally exciting are her characters. Although I couldn’t connect to them as well as those in book 1, I did love how the chapters were copies of the wedding invitations and featured the couple to be married. What a lovely idea. The design of the invitation was a perfect way to introduce them as it gave readers an inkling of what the characters were like. I loved The Hels Belles and the Irish family! The title was a perfect choice for the wedding season and brides' (and Sara’s) dreams for the future.
I already feel like I know this little community and I can’t wait to see what Valpy has in store for them in book 3.
I was gifted this advance copy by Amazon Publishing UK, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
Secondly, if you’ve already read The French for Always, then you’ve already read this book!
Can you imagine moving to another country with your fiance, starting a wedding venue business, and then catching him in flagrante with one of the client’s bridesmaids? What a letdown! For someone in the business of creating fairy-tale endings and happy-ever-afters, this was gut-wrenching. Sara has to pick up her life and carry on without Gavin because she’s got five weddings booked and she can’t let the brides down on their important day. When a cute wine salesman crosses her path, Sara begins to imagine other options than just selling and returning to London.
What a dreamy setting for a wedding - an ancient chateau in Bordeaux! I loved reading about Chateau Bellevue de Coulliac, the mystery it holds and how it connects to a book I’ve previously read. Valpy writes such descriptive settings that it’s easy for readers to place themselves in the story. The added historical fiction flavour increased my enjoyment of this book. I also enjoyed learning about les larmes de Saint Laurent, the bluet (cornflower), the sage-femme, and Code Napoleon inheritance laws. Valpy has a lovely mix of genres in this book.
Equally exciting are her characters. Although I couldn’t connect to them as well as those in book 1, I did love how the chapters were copies of the wedding invitations and featured the couple to be married. What a lovely idea. The design of the invitation was a perfect way to introduce them as it gave readers an inkling of what the characters were like. I loved The Hels Belles and the Irish family! The title was a perfect choice for the wedding season and brides' (and Sara’s) dreams for the future.
I already feel like I know this little community and I can’t wait to see what Valpy has in store for them in book 3.
I was gifted this advance copy by Amazon Publishing UK, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
amberj40's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jessmay27's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
maria_hossain's review against another edition
2.0
Not as good as The Recipe for Hope, another book by the author in the Escape to France series. I redacted three stars because firstly, Sara felt like a hypocrite who reasoned the fallout of her relationship with her former fiance is due to her jumping into an engagement after one year of dating him but jumps (again) into another engagement after less than 3 months of dating afterward. Because the guy isn't greedy and a cheater (yet) like her previous fiance? The author claimed Sara was an overcautious girl who's afraid to enter a relationship but jumps into one that can be called a rebound very easily. Thomas can be a rebound, yet we're expected to believe this relationship will work even though the previous one didn't.
The second reason I redacted two stars is because the last wedding of the season was of a British veteran from Afghanistan. I cannot justify the atrocities the Western world left in Afghanistan after they were the one who started all the war and atrocities there. But I was trying to overlook it until the author compared the veteran groom's time in Afghanistan to the French resistance groups rebellion during the WWII. If you're gonna compare a veteran from Afghanistan to the French resistance groups, then the Afghan people must be the Nazis, non?? Why else would you say the army veteran was "protecting" their country if you don't consider the Afghans in the same vein as the Nazis?? Did Afghanistan attack Britain like the Nazis occupied France?? Isn't that the other way around?? The Soviet and the USA attacked Afghanistan and forever destroyed that country and its people and made them refugees?? Shame on the author for spreading this kind of narrative through her feel-good book about hope and love against hate and vice versa.
Thank you, NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK, for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion
The second reason I redacted two stars is because the last wedding of the season was of a British veteran from Afghanistan. I cannot justify the atrocities the Western world left in Afghanistan after they were the one who started all the war and atrocities there. But I was trying to overlook it until the author compared the veteran groom's time in Afghanistan to the French resistance groups rebellion during the WWII. If you're gonna compare a veteran from Afghanistan to the French resistance groups, then the Afghan people must be the Nazis, non?? Why else would you say the army veteran was "protecting" their country if you don't consider the Afghans in the same vein as the Nazis?? Did Afghanistan attack Britain like the Nazis occupied France?? Isn't that the other way around?? The Soviet and the USA attacked Afghanistan and forever destroyed that country and its people and made them refugees?? Shame on the author for spreading this kind of narrative through her feel-good book about hope and love against hate and vice versa.
Thank you, NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK, for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion
msap1180's review against another edition
5.0
Sweet
Sweet really quick story. If you want a light hearted quick read this is your book! Quick read must read!
Sweet really quick story. If you want a light hearted quick read this is your book! Quick read must read!
mel_vina's review against another edition
4.0
Every time I read a Fiona valpy book, I want to run away to a quiet cottage in south france.