When one dream falls apart, can another one start?

Synopsis

Welcome to Freya’s French Farmhouse, the second book in a brand new series from the author of the Hummingbird Hotel series and the Cornish Confetti Agency series.

Escape to the French Riviera!

After losing her aromatherapy studio in the BlossomwoodBay fire, Freya Farnham finds herself at a loose end, especially when her trusty Renault decides that it’s time to head to the scrapyard in the sky. Now she has no excuse not to agree to her parents’ request to head to the pretty village of Saint-Julien to find out why her late Uncle Toby’s gorgeous French farmhouse isn’t selling, even when the real estate agent, Xavier Deschamps, advertises himself as “the best in the whole of Provence”.

As soon as she arrives, Freya realises what the problem is, and so, with the help of handsome local car mechanic Jacques Jordan, she invests her last euro in a kaleidoscope of cleaning products and sets about transforming the drab and dusty dwelling into a chic and shiny château. Little did she know that in the process she would discover more about her family’s history than she bargained for.

Can she come to terms with her past? Or will the demons that have been snapping at her heels since childhood prevent her from seizing the chance to achieve a much-longed-for sense of belonging in the friendly community where she’s treated as one of their own?

Why not join Freya as she explores the lavender-infused Provençal countryside, and enjoy a trip filled with fun, fragrance, and delicious foodie treats with a dash of heart-warming romance thrown in for good measure!

My review

Freya Farnham is at loss. Not only did she lose her aromatherapy studio in a fire in the Blossomwood Bay, she has no longer a place to rent, and her car died on her. With her best friend also having left the country for a brand new adventure, what is there left for her in Blossomwood Bay?
It’s the perfect opportunity for Freya to agree with her parents’ request to discover why her Uncle Toby’s farmhouse is still for sale, while being set in the wonderful Provence.
Once arrived at the Farmhouse, Freya immediately understand why the place hasn’t been sold yet, as the place looks more like a haunted mansion and not a chic French château.
With the help of local car mechanic Jacques Jordan and other new acquaintances, Freya starts to clean the while place and sees a wide array of possibilities.
But where does her future lay? To a place where she has nothing left, or to a wonderful place filled with prospects and people who make her feel more than welcome?  

Daisy James for sure has found the perfect recipe to make her readers escape from the hectic of their own lives, taking them all to a marvellous journey in amazing places.
And this story isn’t luckily for us the exception! 

While this is the second book of a series, and the majority of the drama at Blossomwood Bay has already happened before, it can be perfectly read as a standalone, as the focus is truly on Freya. And even if there are references to ‘before’, you can easily catch up without any worries! 

At the start of this brand new adventure, it’s clear and o so understandable why Freya is feeling down.  She has worked so hard for her studio and now her dream went literally up in ashes. With absent parents (for a right cause, yet absent anyway) and her best friend also away, I felt sorry for her, as her loneliness was truly palpable. 

So going to the village of Saint – Julien, at her parents’ request felt right for me too in every aspect. Sometimes we need to step away to see the bigger picture and to have the space and time to think about what we want to do with our lives. 

I have to admit, I immediately fell in love with Saint – Julien. It sparks warmth and it makes everyone feel so welcome there.
But also there are so many lovable and likable characters, offering kindness and help to Freya right when she needs it!
Yet even if it is a village in the Provence, it kept its uniqueness and its qualities of being a small village, where everyone knows everyone. And even the more particular characters, like Esmée, are part of a warm community. 

Obviously Freya has a love interest in her adventure, in the wonderful form of Jacques. However, no matter how amazing, kind and helpful he is, I didn’t feel that this romance was the whole purpose of the story. Yes of course, it’s a nice addition to have some love in it, but I felt it more the kind of story where our lovely main character is at a crossroads, and has to decide whether or not to take a giant leap into the unknown and start all over again in a place that holds so many great memories for her. 

And there it is… the mystery, or rather two…
Because Freya spent amazing times with her Uncle Toby, yet a huge rift between her parents and Toby made sure that she never visited the Farmhouse in years. It was a real intrigue and together with Freya I wanted to know what happened in the family.
And how exactly did Toby get his hands on the Farmhouse? Especially seeing the place, and reading how the real estate agent made sure it didn’t get sold. So many questions I just needed the answers to! 

Yet even if there were so many questions, I felt myself embraced in warmth with this story. The author shows us that sometimes from a bad event wonderful things can come, only if we found the courage to listen to our hearts.
I truly enjoyed reading this second book, it lived up to the expectations I had and makes me look forward to read the next story this amazing author has up in her sleeve!