Return to the Little French Guesthouse by Helen Pollard (Tuesday Intros & Teaser Tuesday)

"First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros" is the first paragraph (or two) of a book being read
now or in the future and is hosted by Bibliophile by the Sea. "Teaser Tuesday" from Books and
a Beat asks for a random line or two from anywhere in the book currently being read.

Return to the Little French Guesthouse is the follow-up to Helen Pollard's delightful The Little French Guesthouse which I had the joy of reading in early April (I rambled/teased here and here).  If you haven't read that one yet, you really should. This doesn't get released until August 26th so you have plenty of time to get and read the first. This book picks up shortly after the first one finished and is quite possibly even more delightful. 

Life is still uneasy for Emmy and Rupert, as you can probably guess from the teasers. Luckily, life is also good. A lot of changes are happening in their lives and at the guesthouse and, as is often the case with changes, the adjustments aren't always easy. I couldn't help but wonder how much of the story came from Pollard's first-hand experiences and how much of it is pure spot-on imagination especially when it comes to the trials and tribulations of running the guesthouse! Yeah, yeah ... there's a darling romance thrown in but for me what absolutely got me all riled up and emotional were the business aspects -- probably because I've been-there/done-that to some degree with much of it. Hospitality isn't always a happy-go-lucky industry to be working in. There were times when I found myself clenching my jaw and tensing my shoulders in empathy! 

I've absolutely fallen in love with the vast majority of the characters in and around the guesthouse. Once again I felt myself longing for a Rupert of my own in times of crisis -- personal or business-related. While we're at it, I'll also take some friends like Sophie and Ellie. I'd also be more than happy with a Gloria, as well .... as long as it's the canine version. What I really want, though, is at least one more book with all of them. 

"First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros" is the first paragraph (or two) of a book being read now or in the future and is hosted by Bibliophile by the Sea. "Teaser Tuesday" from Books and a Beat asks for a random line or two from anywhere in the book currently being read.

Book Beginnings & A Ramble : Helen Pollard's The Little French Guesthouse

I'm actually splitting up my Book Beginnings & Friday 56 this week between two different posts for two different books. I've just finished The Little French Guesthouse (set for an April 28th release) and must ramble about it a bit before diving in to my next book, which you can get teased about at my Friday 56 post.

Book Beginnings is hosted each week by Rose City Reader. Head on over for more ideas on what to load up your wishlist with!

From the very beginning to the very end, I absolutely adored this book. Emmy Jamieson is the narrator of the story and has been left at the little French guesthouse she was vacationing at with Nathan, her boyfriend of five years. She picked the location as the perfect spot for them to rekindle their romance, and then he goes and runs off with the owner's wife! Emmy stays on at the guesthouse for the remainder of their reservation alone as the owner, Rupert, has just been released from the hospital and needs the help his wife is no longer there to give (not she was much help to begin with). Besides, she's not very anxious to return to her home in England to try and explain why Nathan isn't with her ... a notion is made even more dreadful because of the fact that they work for the same company.

Awkward!

Anyway, the longer Emmy stays the more she bonds with Rupert, the community and even herself. Rupert comes to rely on her and tries to convince her to stay on full-time which makes her question everything about her life even more.  I was expecting a romance with a possible triangle (or even a rhombus .... maybe a hexagon ....) and ended up with so much more. Yes, there's romance but it definitely plays second fiddle (at most) to the relationship between Rupert and Emmy. If ever found myself in a jam I would want a Rupert in my life for sure (even with his persistence and tendency to butt-in)!

The emotional journey that ended up being The Little French Guesthouse is sometimes sad, sometimes infuriating and sometimes hilarious ... and abso-freaking-lutely worthy of a comfy chair, a cozy blanket and a nice cuppa.

Teaser Tuesday - The Little French Guesthouse by Helen Pollard

I finished Arsenic for Tea this morning (ohmygoodness it was BEYOND excellent! I swear Hazel Wong is my spirit animal.), and debated using that for my Teaser Tuesday post even though I used it for the most recent Book Beginnings & Friday 56. I was having a hard time picking the perfect blurb, though, since the entire book is just one big blurb of perfection ... so I'm using the book I'm reading next thanks to NetGalley and the always-awesome folks at Bookouture!
The Little French Guesthouse is being released on April 28th and you can pre-order it for Kindle for only 99 cents in the US!

The Book & Tease

The Meme

Amazon Description

Sun, croissants and fine wine. Nothing can spoil the perfect holiday. Or can it?

When Emmy Jamieson arrives at La Cour des Roses, a beautiful guesthouse in the French countryside, she can’t wait to spend two weeks relaxing with boyfriend Nathan. Their relationship needs a little TLC and Emmy is certain this holiday will do the trick. But they’ve barely unpacked before he scarpers with Gloria, the guesthouse owner’s cougar wife. 

Rupert, the ailing guesthouse owner, is shell-shocked. Feeling somewhat responsible, and rather generous after a bottle (or so) of wine, heartbroken Emmy offers to help. Changing sheets in the gîtes will help keep her mind off her misery. 

Thrust into the heart of the local community, Emmy suddenly finds herself surrounded by new friends. And with sizzling hot gardener Ryan and the infuriating (if gorgeous) accountant Alain providing welcome distractions, Nathan is fast becoming a distant memory. 

Fresh coffee and croissants for breakfast, feeding the hens in the warm evening light; Emmy starts to feel quite at home. But it would be madness to walk away from her friends, family, and everything she’s ever worked for, to take a chance on a place she fell for on holiday – wouldn’t it?