A Forget-Me-Not Summer
Sophie Claire
Rating: 5 stars
*Previously published as Her Forget-Me-Not Ex*
The cosy and charming second novel from Sophie Claire, author of The Christmas Holiday. A perfect read for fans of Trisha Ashley and Cathy Bramley!
It's taken years, but Natasha Brown's life is finally on track. Running a florists in the quaint village of Willowbrook, she's put her short-lived marriage to Luc Duval far behind her. That is, until he unexpectedly walks through her shop door, three years after their divorce.
Luc reveals that he never told his family about their split, and now his father is desperately ill and demanding to meet Natasha. Luc needs her to come to France and pretend they're still happily married. Natasha is horrified, but when Luc makes her an offer she can't refuse, reluctantly packs her bags.
The deal is two weeks on a vineyard with his family, but will Luc and Natasha be able to play the perfect couple after years apart? And in the glorious Provence sun, will the old spark between them be impossible to ignore?
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I don't think I could quite possibly put into words just how much I enjoyed this novel. I don't believe I've ever read a book by Sophie Claire before but wow I will definitely be looking out for more of her novels in future! The cover didn't exactly blow me away, but when I read that this story was set in the beautiful location of Provence, I just knew I had to give it a read. What I didn't know was just how much I would love it!
The story follows main characters Natasha and Luc, who were once married and had been through one of the most awful experiences and pain imaginable. The couple were distant with each other and Natasha soon left and built a business and life for herself in Willowbrook. I wasn't keen on Luc at first because of what he had put Natasha through and how cold he was. Even when they get to France he still springs surprises on Natasha and to me it just seemed he was really self-centred and childish. However, when we get to read the story from Luc's point of view, it made me realise that he too had been through the heartbreak and made me warm to him a little more.
The location of the novel sounded idyllic. I love novels set in France anyway but this was off the scale. The descriptions made me feel as though I was actually there on the Duval's vineyard, surrounded by the juicy grapes and the scent of flowers enveloping me. I loved all of Luc's family, they seemed so lovely, kind and so family-orientated which I found very heartwarming. The storyline had me gripped from the start and I was so intrigued to find out what happened between Luc and Natasha and whether they would reconnect and retry with their relationship.
Overall, a lovely sunshiney read with heartwarming and heartbreaking topics. Thank you to the publisher for a chance to read an advance copy of this novel via Netgalley, which I have reviewed honestly.
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