On the beautiful French coast lies the Café Belle Vie, a peaceful haven offering a warm welcome and delicious pains au chocolat – and where Natalie’s quiet life is about to be turned upside down… Chamillon on the Île de Ré.
She’s determined to build a new life there: writing about farmer’s markets for a local magazine, exploring the local vineyards on her bike, and taking advantage of the sunshine. And in the Café Belle Vie she finds a bustling community – including new best friend Charlie – and a near-constant supply of cakes.
All in all, things are looking pretty good.
So when a blast from the past – her teenage crush Jay Merino – suddenly turns up in Chamillon, Natalie’s thrown. She’s sworn off men ever since she moved to France, but she and Jay have a connection that stretches back years.
But could taking a chance on an old flame complete her new life – or ruin everything she’s worked so hard for?
A gorgeous rom com full of sunshine, croissants and sparkling romance! Perfect for fans of Debbie Johnson, Zara Stoneley and Debbie Macomber.
What readers are saying about Escape to the Little French Café:
‘5 Stars. Wow, this book has everything. Romance, friendship, second chances and drama. I could not put the book down!’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars
‘Had me laughing out loud, this book had warmth radiating through it and was a fun, quick read – perfect for a holiday read!’ Goodreads Reviewer
‘Had me laughing out loud… A very light-hearted read with a healthy dose of romance thrown in for good measure. Jay certainly set my heart aflutter and I could easily envision him in my head which had me fall a little in love with him… A fun-filled read with plenty to entertain… Wonderful location, romance and a hot love interest. What isn’t to like? A wonderful French escape.’ bytheletterbookreviews
‘A charming and funny read that is perfect to enjoy while on holiday or when you want to escape to France in your mind for a few hours.’ South Dublin Reads, 5 stars
‘Charming and funny, I loved this book. A great read with nice characters, perfect beach reading.’ NetGalley reviewer
‘Oh this was fun… Like all of Clarke’s books her characters bring the setting alive, and allow us moments of escape, camaraderie and even a few moments to wince at the embarrassing bits…’ I am, Indeed
‘Fantastic… A lovely and captivating romance that I found very entertaining… This is definitely one not to miss this summer. Be warned once started it is hard to put down.’ Chellsandbooks, 5 stars
‘Heart-warming, easy to read and overall just a really enjoyable, happy read… I absolutely adored this novel and was so sad when it finished. The French setting sounded idyllic and soon had me wanting to visit the island, and the characters all seemed really warm and lovely! Overall, would 110% recommend this novel.’ The Cosiest Corner, 5 stars
‘I enjoyed this fun little romance story immensely. Who hasn’t at one time or another wished to meet up again with someone from their past? Set that opportunity in the romantic country of France, and you have the makings of the perfect vacation read!’ Goodreads Reviewer
‘Had me smiling, laughing, mouth open… and kept me wanting to read more. It helped that the writing was captivating – I stayed up way past my bed time because I didn’t want to put it down…’ Kasia the Book Nerdmore
Charming book — I’ll definitely be reading more books written by Karen Clarke!
The story is about Natalie, a British journalist who aspires to write for one of France’s number one magazine, “Magnifique.” Its editor–Nicolas Juilliard–has rejected all of the story topics she has proposed to him.
Then she finds out that an action film star — Jay Merino — will be filming his next film on the little French island of Ile de Re, where she is currently living. Merino is a interview coveted by all of the leading journalists, including Magnifique’s top writer, Fleur Dupont. You see, Jay never gives interviews and everything publication would love to feature his first interview.
Natalie approaches Juilliard and suggests that she gets an interview with Merino for Magnifique, but Juilliard already tells her that Fleur DuPont has already spoken with Jay’s people and they have agreed to give her the interview.
But Natalie has something a bit different to offer — she personally knows Jay Merino, having grown up in the same town as he. Although she only met him once when she was in high school, it was an experience that left a lasting impression on both of them.
Juilliard agrees to give her the interview. Now, all she has to do is figure out a way to get in touch with Jay! The opening scene where they first meet is definitely a “meet cute.” She’s walking down the street, following a man in a ballcap and dark glasses, who she thinks is Merino’s bodyguard. She turns around and notices that someone is following them, and then sees the glint of a gun in that person’s hands, and the gun is aimed at the bodyguard. Her only thought is to protect the bodyguard, so she jumps on him and takes him down to the ground. Which causes quite a commotion. People are yelling, but they sound angry that she foiled the attempted murder. A man tells her that they will have to do a retake, now that she’s wrecked the scene filming for the movie. And she realizes that she’s in the middle of a movie set, not a possible murder scene.
She gets up, and realizes that the man she plowed down was none other than Jay Merino himself. He’s quite surprised and not angry at all, especially when he realizes that the person who “saved” him is the girl who he shared his first kiss with many years ago. He agrees to offer her an interview.
During the interview they reminisce about their shared past, and after talking for quite a while, Jay asks to see her again. They have several dates, and their relationship builds. But then something happens that makes Jay believe that Natalie sold him out, publicly sharing some secrets that he had told her “off the record.” He thinks that she just acted like she was in love with him, just to fish for personal information. By this time, they both realize they love each other, so the supposed deception destroys both of their worlds. Natalie sets out to prove to Jay that she has true feelings for him and would never deceive him or use him just for an interview.
It is a fun story that allows the reader to experience what it would be like to have a relationship with a world-famous actor. Throughout the story, the reader is taken to quaint seaside towns and along with Natalie, visits cafes and historic sites. The supporting characters add extra color to the book. I especially liked Charlie, her male best friend, who provides some fun banter with Natalie throughout the story.
I think this would be a great spring break or vacation read, especially for those who can’t go away on vacation. Instead, they can visit Ile de Re with Natalie, Jay and Charlie!