Love in Provence by Jo Thomas

 

Love in Provence by Jo Thomas.

Published 6th June 2024 by Penguin.

From the cover of the book:

Escape to the beautiful lavender fields of Provence this summer...

Del moved to the south of France three years ago and hasn’t looked back. She’s found new friends, new purpose, and new love with gorgeous Fabien.

But just as harvest on her little lavender farm is due to begin, Del gets some shocking news. With no time to dwell as she welcomes a new crew of lavender pickers, she unexpectedly waves goodbye to Fabien for the summer.

Usually cooking – the thing she loves best – would help soothe her troubles, but Del doesn’t remember how . . . And then chef Zacharie comes to town, dropping another bombshell!

Over one summer in Provence that’s full of surprises, friends old and new rally round. Can they complete the harvest and pull the community back together? And if Fabien returns, will Del finally get her happy-ever-after?

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After three years in the South of France, Del feels like she has found happiness on the lavender farm Le Petit Mas with gorgeous younger man Fabian, splitting her time between the lavender, indulging her love for cooking at Henri's bistro, and enjoying the company of all the friends she has made in Provence.

Just as things seem to be falling in place for Del, Fabian and this little community, the Mistral wind blows in a turn in their fortunes. Out of the blue, bad news arrives, followed closely by Henri's contentious son, chef Zacharie, who has ambitious plans for the bistro that don't include Del, and Fabian is called away for the summer. Del is not sure how she will cope with the lavender harvest about to come in, or with the loss of income from the bistro, and just as she needs to be on her game to feed the pickers who are about to arrive, she suddenly forgets all the cookery skills that Henri has taught her... Can the community of friends, old and new, pull together to make the summer a success?

For her latest lovely, escapist gem, Jo Thomas returns to the story of Del from her earlier book, Escape to the French Farmhouse. But do not worry if you have not read about Del's previous French adventures, as Thomas includes just enough about her past life to fill you in with everything you need to know to immerse yourself completely in this book.

Just as Del thinks she is sailing in smooth waters, Thomas throws a host of new challenges her way, which make her realise that she has perhaps, been spreading herself too thin and neglecting the important things in her life - something she vowed she would never do. As a result her insecurities start to rise to the surface, especially when it comes to the age gap between her and Fabian.

For me, it is the way the new characters among this season's lavender pickers begin to blossom that makes this story - 'digital nomad' Jen, older gay couple Graham and Keith, quiet Maria and her brash Aussie boyfriend Marco, and promising lawyer Ed. Over the course of the book we gradually learn about their own relationship troubles, empty nest worries, and quests for belonging, and in pulling together to support Del they find their own way forward too - not necessarily in the directions they had anticipated. 

As expected, Thomas focuses the themes she writes about so well, love, friendship, finding your way, second chances, community... and of course, food... weaving them through a story that runs the gamut of your emotions. There are misunderstandings and mishaps galore, tense confrontations, and anger inducing rotters to contend with, but everything turns out well in the end with lashings of lovely bonding over yummy food, and Thomas' trademark twist of a reconciliation you never see coming. Ahh...

I took the lavender pickers to my heart (except for Marco) and really did not want to let them go at the end of the story. I really hope Jo Thomas revisits Provence once more, as I really need to know what happens next! Heart warmed, and tears shed... and recipes at the end to keep the delicious French vibes going. All round another winner from Jo Thomas!

Love in Provence is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Penguin for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review and to Random Things Tours for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the author:

Jo Thomas worked for many years as a reporter and producer, including time at Radio 4's Woman's Hour and Radio 2's The Steve Wright Show.

Jo's debut novel, The Oyster Catcher, was a runaway bestseller and won both the RNA Joan Hessayon Award and the Festival of Romance Best eBook Award. Her book Escape to the French Farmhouse was a #1 bestselling eBook. 

Jo loves to explore new countries and discover the food produced there, both of which she thoroughly enjoys researching. Jo lives in Pembrokeshire with her husband and three children, where cooking and gathering around the kitchen table are a hugely important and fun part of their family life.