Summer at the Little French Cafe: The perfect laugh out loud romance for summer

Karen Clarke

Jun 2019 · Bookouture

4.5

4 reviews

Ebook

350

Pages

Eligible

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About this ebook

In the beautiful village of Chamillon lies the Café Belle Vie, where you’ll always find croissants and friends when you need them the most – and where Elle is hoping to uncover the truth about her past…

Thirty-year-old Elle Matheson has decided it’s finally time to find the mother who gave her up as a baby. With a faded postcard from the Café Belle Vie in hand – one of the very few things she has from her mother – she heads straight to the Île de Ré to begin her search.

With only the postcard and the ivory shawl she was wrapped in as clues, finding her mum is like trying to find a needle in a haystack, even with the help of friendly – and gorgeous – café-owner Charlie. And since Elle hasn’t exactly told her younger sister what she’s up to, the little white lies about where she is are starting to add up…

But Elle is really starting to feel at home on the beautiful island. The locals are welcoming, the café is homely, and Charlie is always there with a helping hand, a listening ear, and a pain au chocolat.

Is Elle about to discover not just where she came from – but where she belongs?

A hilarious rom com perfect for reading in the sunshine! Fans of Debbie Johnson, Zara Stoneley and Debbie Macomber will love Karen Clarke!

Readers are loving Summer at the Little French Café!

‘I was hooked in really quickly into the wonderful, summery book, and read it in a few short hours… I loved every moment of this delightful book and there was even a mystery that had me stumped but equally eager to find out the outcome. This was a pure pleasure to read.’ Rachel’s Random Reads, 5 stars

‘A fabulous sunny, summery read that sparkles and delights. I was engrossed in this lovely story from page one. Lovely imagery and a really pretty cover, a must read for the beach!’ NetGalley Reviewer, 5 stars

‘You can’t help but kept swept away… The added aspect of it all being set in France was just the icing on the top of an already scrumptious story… a wonderful and entertaining read.’ By the Letter Book Reviews, 5 stars

‘So summery and inviting – I couldn't wait to dive in!... The story moves quickly, with Karen’s usual humour, which makes the pages fly by… Enjoyable and fills you with happiness… fell in love with the location of the novel and the characters.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘Has everything: fantastic characters, a great storyline, beautiful scenery, and it will leave you smiling from ear to ear and feeling good and happy. Loved it.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘Perfect summer read, with great characters, beautifully described scenery and a story that will have you glued to the page. Really enjoyed this book.’ Goodreads Reviewer

‘Just amazing and that hit the right spot with me… a joy to read… fooled me with her love choice for the heroine and it was quite a twist.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘A really sweet quick read. I was hooked straight away… Perfect for fans of Katie Fforde and Debbie Macomber.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘A really lovely feel-good book which leaves you with a smile on your face… a huge host of delightful characters in this book and the descriptions of Chamillon will leave you wanting to visit… Loved it. A perfect feel-good summer book.’ NetGalley Reviewer, 5 stars

‘I can't stop smiling… absolutely delightful!... Quirky, engaging characters that I missed as soon as the book ended… a great choice for a beach read.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

Ratings and reviews

4.5

4 reviews

Gaele Hi

June 27, 2019

Eloise (Elle) discovered some information about her birth mother when she was clearing out her father’s house after his death. She’d never really been all that curious, knowing the circumstances of her birth in a most general way, and her mother and father made no distinctions between she and her sister growing up. But now, feeling the losses acutely, Elle has decided to head to Chamillion and find the woman whose first name starts with M, her birth mother. Of course, Elle finds the Little French Café with Dolly, the ever-present, personable owner who is steadily trying to match up her son Charlie, and with their need for a dishwasher, and Elle’s need for help navigating her search, the deal is made. In the first book of the series we met Natalie and her father, and this is the house that, by coincidence, Elle has rented, and it comes with Marie, the neighbor who helped and befriended Natalie and her father in their relocation to France. Loaded with the sense of family and community that Clarke’s work brings, Elle may feel like a fish out of water, she is accepted and brought into the circle, and Dolly has taken on Elle’s search as a personal project. While Elle has her search, she’s the “new face’ in town, and while Charlie has a girlfriend that he hasn’t introduced to his mother, Henri, a fisherman, takes on the challenge that is Elle, despite her non-interest in a relationship and focus on her search. Sweet, clever and utterly feeling like a place to find friends and that sense of home, Elle’s search brings her throughout the small village and around the island, until she has her answers and a more perfect solution to all that ails her. Another lovely story from Clarke with heartfelt emotion, laughter, friendship and plenty of possibilities for all. I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review, I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

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