The French Chateau Escape by Gillian Harvey

 

The French Chateau Escape by Gillian Harvey.

Published 8th November 2023 by Boldwood Books.

From the cover of the book:

It seemed like a good idea. Selling everything we own. Just Mark and I, swapping our tiny little terraced London home – and the heartbreak of not being able to start a family – for an entire chateau in the middle of France… This has always been our dream. And now it’s coming true.

As I use the rusty key to open the big, creaking wooden door of the tumbledown fairytale chateau that’s officially our new home, I wonder: what could possibly go wrong?

Turns out my grasp of the language isn’t brilliant – and I’ve realised too late that I should really have got fluent before emigrating. But it turns out that the answer is ‘le tout’. In other words, ‘everything’ than can go wrong, will…

Will our marriage survive this adventure? With all the tumbling masonry, will we?

As the French sun blazes overhead, one thing’s for sure: it’s going to be a year to remember…

***********

Unhappy in her job, anxious about her inability to fall pregnant, and worried about the mental health of her father, thirty-four year old Emma could do with a change... but she is floored when her fifty-year-old husband Mark suggests taking early retirement and swapping their stressful London life for the peace and quiet of a chateau in France. Emma is unsure about the risks, and leaving her sister and grieving father behind, but buoyed by Mark's obvious enthusiasm, she agrees to take a leap into the unknown.

The search for a chateau within their budget is a challenge, but they eventually settle on a dilapidated property in the little town of Labelleville, and optimistically set to work on the renovations, hoping to create a beautiful wedding venue. Despite Emma's knowledge of the hospitality industry, and Mark's eagerness, it soon becomes clear that this is going to be harder than they thought - especially since money is tight and their language skills leave a lot to be desired.

When disaster strikes, and their dream turns into a nightmare, Emma is more stressed than ever. Her relationship with Mark seems to be heading for the rocks, and she struggles to see how she can carry on without the support she has grown to rely on. Will their marriage survive, and will Emma ever have the family she craves?

Gillian Harvey has a lovely knack of writing stories that combine heart and humour in rural France, delving into the tricky challenges, and emotional hurdles, that crop up for ex-pats looking for happiness on the other side of the Channel - and this time, the challenges are bigger than most... as they are chateau sized!

'Chasing the dream' has Emma and Mark taking on a project of huge proportions that they really are not prepared for, and the strain soon begins to tell on their relationship. Throw in the complexities of Emma's family history, her aching desire to be a mother, and her lack of confidence in her abilities, and it is not surprising that things go pear-shaped when she finds she cannot rely on Mark quite as much as she thought. But this is far from a story filled with doom and gloom, although it is a cautionary tale in many ways. Harvey knows how take her characters on a journey where they learn a lot about themselves, and what they are really capable of, and this is just what The French Chateau Escape is all about.

I enjoyed how Harvey explores age differences in relationships through the problems that arise between Emma and Mark, even if I frequently wanted to give them both a shake, and she touches on anxiety, loss, and the yearning to have a child with sensitive insight. The part of the story that struck me the most though is the way she writes about the relationship between Emma, her sister and father - which really made the tears flow when the heartwarming ending rolls around. 

Another emotional treat from Gillian Harvey  - with the added magic of a lovely sense of community, and some laugh out loud moments from hilarious 'lost in translation' episodes along the way!

 

The French Chateau Escape is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Gillian Harvey for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

About the author:

Gillian Harvey is a freelance writer and bestselling author who lives in Haute Vienne France. Since moving to Boldwood from Orion in 2022, she has released three novels set in France: The bestselling A Year at the French Farmhouse, One French Summer, and A Month in Provence.