What fun it was to live a day in A Year at the French Farmhouse. I love ‘fix-it-up’ stories. I have fond memories of bringing my English cottage back to its original glory–the previous owners had plastered over all four fireplaces, put acoustic tiles over the four-hundred year old beams–and then put vinyl tile on the brick kitchen floor. Gillian Harvey takes us to the French countryside and gives us a breath of fresh air. French air! Witty, clever writing by one of my favorite authors. It is always so much fun to talk to Gillian–and in this perfect escape novel her bubbly and enthusiastic personality shines.

Some people might think it improbable that someone would buy a house sight unseen–but I bought my cottage after I climbed over a fence and peaked in a window.  Two days later I signed the contract!

More about the book:

After ten years of loyal service Lily Butterworth has been made redundant. Like any clever woman, she knows the cure to redundancy is a little too much wine and her best friend.

Only the next morning, Lily has more than a hangover . . . she has a whole new house – in France!

Seeing this as an opportunity instead of a disaster, she’s excited about finally moving to France, just as she and her husband always dreamed of. However, Lily is in for another surprise. Despite planning to move there for over 20 years, her husband never actually intended to go.

So begins a year in France, alone, renovating the gorgeous old farmhouse that is held together by wallpaper and wishes…