The Witchy Storyteller: Falling for Provence by Alison Roberts - Book Review

Friday, September 27, 2024

Falling for Provence by Alison Roberts - Book Review - Blog Tour

Series: A Year in France #1

Publication Date: 21^st Sep 2024

Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/fallingprovencesocial

Goodreads Book Page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/213705768-falling-for-provence

Genre: Romance

3.5 Stars

One Liner: Nice… has some loose ends (first in the series)

Book Blurb:

She came to Provence in the hope of a fresh start, she never expected she would fall in love in and find herself along the way.

Inheriting an old stone house in Provence, along with her sisters is the catalyst Ellie Gilchrist needs to put some distance between her and her grief. But when she arrives at the run down ‘La Masionette’ hidden amongst overgrown Lavender and Ivy, she wonders if she’s made a mistake?

That is until she meets her guarded neighbour Julien and his adorable little boy, and she’s surprised by the flutters of excitement she never thought she’d feel again. Add in rescuing a stray dog and she has the much needed distraction she needs. Ellie decides to stay temporarily and work on bringing the little house back to life again. If only she can ignore the fireworks that explode every time she’s around Julien. They both have hearts they want to protect, but a little temporary affaire can’t be too dangerous, especially when Ellie has stated she will be leaving after the last summer market of the season. But something in the alchemy of what she discovers in this part of France seems to be casting an irresistible spell making it difficult to walk away.

***

My Thoughts:

The story comes in Ellie and Julien’s third-person POVs.

The plot development stays true to the genre but manages to throw in a couple of twists. Of course, I didn’t take this hoping for an intricate plot.

For me, the setting is the focus. The book scores well in this aspect. The beauty of Provence comes alive on the pages without distracting from the plot. Ellie’s artistic talent (painting), her gradual growth, and the beauty of the setting blend seamlessly.

The dual POV, though we get fewer scenes from the MMC, makes it easy to see his thought process and feelings. I liked how much he loved his little son (even if the kiddo doesn’t get a lot of space due to valid reasons).

Animal lovers will be delighted to find two donkeys and a cute doggy in this one. They have names too!

If I had known earlier about the series part (it wasn't updated when I read the book), I’d have gone in prepared for the family track to stay in the background without resolution. Since I didn’t, I was annoyed to see the book end with many unanswered questions. At least now I know these are likely to be answered in the next two books (Ellie has two sisters – Laura and Fiona).

Quite a few elements are convenient and happen easily but that’s expected of the genre, so I didn’t mind. However, the aspects about grief, loss, moving on, second chances, etc., are done well (check TW at the end). At the same time, the writing is not so heavy that it feels overwhelming again and again but does enough to make you feel something.

To summarize, Falling for Provence is a steady-paced and touching story about loss, hope, and finding love (and inspiration) in a beautiful location.

Thank you, Rachel's Random Resources and Boldwood Books, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

#NetGalley

TW: death of a child (off-page), injury to a child (quickly healed), infidelity, past trauma, mention of alcoholic and violent father

***