Escape to the Little Chateau by Marie Laval

 Will Amy’s dreams of a Provençal escape come true? 

There are many reasons Amy Carter is determined to make Bellefontaine, her farmhouse hotel in the French countryside, a success. Of course, there’s the time and money she’s put in to making it beautiful, but she also has something to prove – particularly to people like Fabien Coste.

Fabien is the owner of the nearby château, and he might just be the most arrogant, patronising man Amy has ever met ... unfortunately, he’s also the most handsome. 

But as rumours circulate in the local community and secrets about the old farmhouse begin to reveal themselves, Amy quickly sees the less idyllic side of life at Bellefontaine. Could Fabien be the man to help prevent her Provençal dream from turning into a nightmare? 

My favourite thing about this book has to be Fabien Coste; following a spiky first meeting between Fabien and Amy, inevitably, they can't stop thinking about each other.  I loved the way Fabien looked out for Amy when she first arrived despite her protests!

Amy is completely new to the area and has her work cut out to get Bellefontaine ready and make it a success.  She could really do without the distractions of unwelcome bumps in the night!

This book has a much darker side to it than you'd realise from its front cover!  There is a history to Bellefontaine that started long long ago and Amy may regret getting mixed up in; but will she stick it out or will she sell up and move back home?  

I found that there were a lot of characters to keep track of in this book alongside the Roman / Greek history side of the story which made me use some brain power!  

The suspense element of this suspense romance really gets going in the latter part of the book and I actually gasped at one point.  It's a pretty dark story but the romance also shines through it all.

I read this in one go on a very rainy October day! An author I'd definitely consider checking out again in the future.

* I received a free advanced copy of this book from Choc Lit in exchange for an honest review *

Escape to the Little Chateau is out now (Happy Publication Day!!) and can be purchased here:

  

Search for the Truth by Kathryn Freeman

 Sometimes the truth hurts … 

When journalist Tess Johnson takes a job at Helix pharmaceuticals, she has a very specific motive. Tess has reason to believe the company is knowingly producing a potentially harmful drug and, if her suspicions are confirmed, she will stop at nothing to make sure the truth comes out.

Jim Knight is the president of research and development at Helix and is a force to be reckoned with. After a disastrous office affair he’s determined that nothing else will distract him from his vision for the company. Failure is simply not an option. 

As Tess and Jim start working together, both have their reasons for wanting to ignore the sexual chemistry that fires between them. But chemistry, like most things in the world of science, isn’t always easy to control. 

I adore a ChocLit hero and heroine and this book has the strongest of heroes and heroines.  Search for the Truth also has an unusual setting in the pharmaceutical industry and it makes for some seriously explosive chemistry!  

I loved the storyline which felt so different.  I was completely torn between Jess outing the truth for her family and her unexpected feelings for Jim, turning protective of him despite her investigations and her ultimate dilemma of being honest with him.  

As the book reached its conclusion, a massive part of me didn't want to read on as I could see the direction that Jess and Jim's relationship was going in and I felt caught up in Jess' dilemma but, at the same time, I couldn't bear to stop!  It's an emotional rollercoaster of a book but I adored it.

Jim isn't just a looker, being the George Clooney of the industry, but he has good morals and an important part of storyline follows Jim trying to change the ethics of the industry.  The reader sees the real man behind Jim, his relationship with his mother and the hurt he's experienced in the past.  

Jess is a strong women but with hidden insecurities and a huge passion for shoes.  She ends up in a very difficult situation and I loved reading about her journey and how she handles it.

Another delightful read from Choc Lit; I don't think I've ever been disappointed by this publisher.

Search for the Truth is out now and available on Kindle and in paperback (prices correct at the time of writing):