The French House: The captivating and heartbreaking wartime love story and Richard & Judy Book Club pick

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We see an array of characters, and a good number of them have been well developed. Theresa, Xavier, Natasha, Madame Oliver, Emile, Alexei, Moet (along with Nicole and Louis) have depth and appear quite real. They have flaws, they have positives, and their actions align with their personalities. who got separated due to the war and parental pressure and then who lived miserable lives during the course of the war under untold hardship.

After falling in love and marrying François, the scion of the Clicquot champagne estate in 1798, 21-year-old Nicole Ponsardin schools herself in the science and poetry of winemaking. After François’s death, from typhoid or self-inflicted rat poison, Nicole is Veuve Cliquot, the widow who revolutionizes the production and sale of French champagne. Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for the Advanced Review Copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. Helen Fripp, in ‘The Champagne Widow,’ expertly unveils the incredible true story of Veuve Clicquot, a young widow who single-handedly built a struggling vineyard into one of the world’s greatest champagne houses. I received a copy of The French House by Jacquie Bloese from NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton in exchange for an honest review. My favorite character is Emile, his demeanor changes over the course of the story and he becomes a hero. It was interesting to read the author’s notes at the end, the house was originally called Hauteville and belonged to French novelist Victor Hugo from 1856 to 1870 and five stars from me. Fripp’s writing totally transported me to 1800s France, and I loved how much I learned about the winemaking process throughout. Fripp perfectly captures Nicole’s spunk, spirit, and determination.In Nazi=occupied Guernsey, the consequences of making the wrong decision can be deadly. Left profoundly deaf after an accident, Emile is no stranger to isolation - or heartbreak. Now, as Nazi planes loom over Guernsey, he senses life is about to change forever. Emile struggles due to being deaf, he’s troubled and frustrated and spends the odd night sleeping in the potting shed. Soon the locals are gossiping about Isabelle and Emile and it’s only a matter of time before their spouses find out.

When I was single – which went on for a very long time – I remember having wished for a man who was capable of sharing the simple pleasures of life with me. I remember imagining a virtual boyfriend lying on the lawn with me, watching ants dragging breadcrumbs through the jungle of blades – a childhood memory, no doubt. Watching the sparkle and melt of the frost until the smell of coffee joins the buttery burn of the croissants is close enough for me. As a young girl with her whole life ahead of her, the headstrong Nicole Clicquot agrees to marry the man of her dreams When his greenhouses are destroyed by the Germans he must find another job to support his family. He takes a job as gardener at the French House where Isabelle is working as a housekeeper. when they meet again he finds she is in a loveless marriage as is he and although they fight the feeling they know they are still meant to be with each other. But as the seasons change, bringing a spoiled harvest and bitter grapes, the vineyards are on the brink of collapse. Without her husband’s oldest friend, travelling merchant Louis, she’d truly be lost. No one else would stay up all night to help count endless rows of green bottles deep in the cellars, or spread word far and wide that Nicole makes the finest champagne he’s ever tasted. One magical night, as a shooting star illuminates their way under a velvet sky, Nicole gazes up at his warm smile and wonders if perhaps she doesn’t need to be quite so alone…As their paths entwine, loyalties are blurred and dangerous secrets forged. But on an island under occupation, courage can have deadly consequences… There were so many things I loved about this book. Most importantly, I love a story about a badass woman entrepreneur who defies all expectations and makes herself a success, especially one that’s based on true events. The French House follows the story of Barbe-Nicole Clicquot, the woman behind the famous Veuve Clicquot champagne. Nicole was going to run the vineyard with her husband, but she’s tragically widowed just years into their marriage. Everyone expected her to give up and sell the vineyard (it wasn’t “proper” for women to do business, everyone said), but she refused. Ultimately, she built a champagne empire.