Buying a country estate in France seemed such a simple thing to accomplish. When Beth, her irascible husband Jack, and their two fat dogs set off, little do they know that it will become such an extraordinary adventure. Surviving near-death experiences, they drive thousands of kilometres around French estates steeped in history and crazy aristocrats.
Will they find their dream home, or return … return to Britain defeated?
This is the hilarious first instalment in the Fat Dogs series.
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This is one of those series that just gets better. Beth and her husband and their two fat dogs are shown a variety of unbelievable French properties when they are hunting for a retirement home. Their estate agent is hilarious, Beth’s husband is badly behaved, and the descriptions of the various property owners are mind-boggling. A brilliant series!
I can’t imagine what it would be like to move to another country permanently but Beth and Jack have a sense of adventure and Beth has a wonderful sense of humour. Not quite so sure about Jack but they seem to balance one another out as a married couple. They embark on this adventure of moving to France with their two dogs Biff and Sam. Finding a property to live in though proves not as easy as the decision to move to France with every property shown resulting in each one being struck off the list. By the end of the book, you are left wondering if they will ever find their perfect place but I am sure that in book two the dilemma will be solved. A lighthearted, well-written relocate to France and all the pitfalls involved.
I thoroughly enjoyed Beth Haslam’s ‘Fat Dogs and French Estate’ Book 1. You might think that buying real estate in France would be simple, but there’s more to it than meets the eye! Beth tells you all about it in her five-book series. I just wrapped up Book 1, wherein Beth introduces us to the cast of characters; her “irascible husband,” herself of course and their fleshy sweet dogs. As you delve into her mindset, embarking with her on a journey moving to the South of France part time and their hunt for real estate.
The title is apropos, and I loved the cover art as well. She certainly has a gift, her wordplay witty and very detailed as she describes the quirkiness of the property owners and their estates, her realtor and the eccentricities of life in rural France. The meticulous details of her house hunting allow you an insider’s view, like scanning the property and the surroundings, feeling her frustration and especially the disappointments when the house falls short of what was promised.
Along the way she also takes you on a drive around rural France and explore the backroads, shares a little bit of history, an intro to local cuisine, now I fully understand why she fell in love with the region. This is definitely a treat especially for those who have not been to France and probably even more for those who have! Many thanks to Beth for such a wonderfully entertaining book and thank God it’s a series. I can’t wait to get to the second book and find out more about her adventures in the idyllic South of France.
First, I chose this book as I had visited the South of France many years ago, loved it, but I wanted to “visit” again from a different perspective. I must say, this book exceeded my expectations.
When the author and her husband Jack leave England to find a property to buy in the South of France, they have no idea what they’re in for as they travel with their two dogs to look at various domaines. For me, this book read like a favorite sitcom with colorful and hilarious characters. The two “leads,” Beth and Jack, are compatible, but they have very different personalities. Both are very humorous in their own right. I related to Beth’s breezy and funny observations and also to Jack’s more sarcastic and impatient take on matters. The entire book has a natural humor throughout … very real and never forced.
As I was reading, I jotted down a long list of notes to put in my review as there was so much that I found quite charming. In the first chapter, when the author mentioned that speed limits in France were merely suggestions, I know there were many more laughs to come. But here’s the thing, now that I’m looking at this long list, I’m not going to use it. To be too specific in this review would be to deprive the reader of stumbling upon the many gems in this book as I did.
I’ll only say that as Beth and Jack travel to each property that is for sale, what they find ranges from shocking to appalling to downright side-splitting. True life really is stranger than fiction. To say each property had unique features would be a vast understatement. Not only were there lots of laughs seeing these properties through Beth and Jack’s eyes, but it was a fascinating insight into the worlds that people create for themselves.
I can’t wait to read the next book. This is really a wonderful take-me-away read … and beautifully written as well.
Love
An entertaining and enjoyable read
I loved this book. It is a delicious easy read, that leaves you feeling that you have travelled in the car with them as Beth and Jack and their two mischievous dogs travel across France in search of their idyllic dream property. I loved the writer’s style in describing the many and varied characters and ‘characterful’ properties they encountered. Each viewing was beautifully recounted, and I felt that I was walking through each disastrous property with them. How much bad luck can one couple have viewing houses?! Having viewed and bought properties here in Portugal, so much of what happened to them resonated with me, and I am sure we have met the sister of one of their Kaftan-clad vendors over here! This was a funny and captivating first book in the series, and I happily sat and read it all in one afternoon. Unlike some other reviews, I thought that the first book ended at just the right moment to leave you in suspense to find out what happened next. I have book 2 ready to go …
The descriptions of properties in France are interesting, however the author seems to be trying too hard to be funny.
I tried to get e book copies for the sequels but not available
Very good light reading about purchasing housing in France and all the problems encounter some funny.
Too repetitious
Too negative. Husband was more than I wished to deal with. Only got about 6 chapters read.