Thirty-year-old Elle Matheson has decided it’s finally time to find the mother who gave her up as a baby. With a faded postcard from the Café Belle Vie in hand – one of the very few things she has from her mother – she heads straight to the Île de Ré to begin her search.
With only the postcard and the ivory shawl she was wrapped in as clues, finding her mum is like trying to find a needle in a haystack, even with the help of friendly – and gorgeous – café-owner Charlie. And since Elle hasn’t exactly told her younger sister what she’s up to, the little white lies about where she is are starting to add up…
But Elle is really starting to feel at home on the beautiful island. The locals are welcoming, the café is homely, and Charlie is always there with a helping hand, a listening ear, and a pain au chocolat.
Is Elle about to discover not just where she came from – but where she belongs?
Many thanks to Bookouture via NetGalley for my copy of Summer at the Little French Cafe to review and to Sharon for having my review on the blog.
What a pleasant and, for the most part, enjoyable return visit to the French island of Ile De Re and the small village of Chamillon, Summer at the Little French Cafe by Karen Clarke turned out to be. This was a very quick, light and easy read which I flew through in a matter of hours. It's perfect for the summer when you just want to escape from it all and engage in some relaxing reading. Once again the author completely nails the descriptions of such a wonderful and beautiful setting of the island, this aspect brings some warmth and charm to the story. Again, I felt instantly transported to the island as the descriptions are so vivid and colourful. I can visualise everything so clearly in my mind and it seems that Chamillon is an ideal place to escape from it all where your worries could be potentially washed away or else any questions or worries you may have can be resolved with some help support and guidance.
Characters we have previously met all make an appearance again bar one or two but they do get a mention and we know where they have gone. But again I had that feeling that there are so many still remaining on the periphery that I would love to get to know them more and for them to play a more active role in the story. But I suppose there is the potential for several more books in this series and maybe the people I wish to feature more so I can get to know them better will get their turn in the spotlight.
As always the Cafe Belle Vie is the central focal point and more so than ever in this case as Elle arrives on the island on a mission. I loved how there was no pussy footing around the issue and the reader was told more or less within the first few pages her reasons for arriving on the island. Of curse the majority of the main characters are kept in the dark as to why she has left London and her photography business behind to come to the village but I loved how the reader was let in on her quest very early on. As soon as Elle arrives she immediately falls in love with the area and feels a connection to it. Like she is meant to be there and that all things happen for a reason but she is there on a mission and she has only given herself a week to uncover the answers in order to gain some truth which hopes will give her some closure or else will what she discovers open up a whole new can of worms?
So why exactly is Elle in France. Several months ago she suddenly lost her father and whilst sorting through his things she came across a bag which contained a shawl, a bracelet and a postcard. On the front of said postcard was a picture of the Cafe Belle Vie and a note from the woman who was her biological mother who only signed her name as M. Elle has always been aware that the woman who married her father and brought her up was not her biological mother but she may as well have been up until her untimely death. But now Elle is seeking answers, can she find her real mother? Can she discover why a one night liaison resulted in her father being handed a child nine months later whilst a woman disappeared never to be seen again?
The discovery of the postcard gave Elle the kick start she needed to go on a journey. Although this is an emotional journey and full of lots of little quirks and fun moments I don't think it ever got very very deep and given the overall light-hearted tone of the book and that it is marketed as fun and a feel good romance it really was never going to venture down that route. I would have loved just a little more deeper exploration of how Elle felt about everything and maybe she could have been more open with her sister Jess as to what she was doing.
Jess was a conservationist working in Borneo and although they are not biological sisters they do share a close bond and I think Jess would really have supported Elle in her journey instead Elle felt the need to lie about her whereabouts and got herself pretty mixed up when really there was no need for it at all. Things just felt that little bit too light-hearted for me and as Elle settles into her accommodation and meets Madame Girard (Marie) she sets about locating anyone whose name begins with an M and who might fit the criteria and time frame around meeting her father.
All the people Elle meets are so nice and willing to help particularly Dolly who runs the café. She is like a mother hen who wants to take Elle's quest and make it her own. In an exchange for helping her Elle finds herself working in the café for the week which is really ideal as she can suss out potential women who could possibly be her mother. Dolly's son Charlie makes a welcome reappearance. He was a character I loved in book one and I was delighted to see that he would feature more prominently here. Dolly is forever trying to match make him with women and she views lots of people as being the love of his life.
If Dolly could she would have Charlie married off in an instant and she never misses an opportunity to make suggestions or to throw him together with some woman who really does nothing for him at all. Charlie is charming, loyal and someone who knows what he wants in life and doesn't need other people especially his mother sorting things out for him. He will do things in his own good time when he is ready and willing to. I loved how he was so protective of Elle and although she didn't reveal the truth behind her reasons for being in France to him until much later I sensed he would do anything to help because it was in his nature and he was just that kind of guy. One with no ulterior motives.
Elle knows actually finding her birth mother is a long shot but she feels she can't move on unless she has given it a go. She is at a crossroads in her life and as she rings her friend Toni, who also helps her out with the photography business, with little life updates I could sense Elle's unease and dissatisfaction with her life. The reader can tell that whatever the outcome of her experiences in Chamillon that they will certainly be life changing for her. I did think things got a little bit over the top that literally anyone who had the name M and was female was more or less pounced upon for information and was then interrogated without really knowing why this was happening to them. We flitted from various characters without any real stopping and thinking as to realistically could this be my birth mother?
It felt a bit unnatural and I would have loved a bit more contemplation and then digging and investigating back into the past. Distracting Elle from her main purpose was Henri, a local fisherman. I didn't like him at all. I felt uneasy when he was around like he was forcing himself upon Elle even though she admitted a frisson of attraction when she was around him. He made me feel uncomfortable and honestly I thought he was a bit sleazy and really would she have developed deep feelings for him in a day or two knowing she was only there for a week. If the Henri element of the storyline hadn't have been included the overall story would have progressed well enough because I don't think it really brought anything to the book.
Summer at the Little French Cafe was a nice enough read but it didn't blow me away. I felt the ending was all too rushed and I would have loved to see more development once the big revelation became apparent and as for the romance side of things to be done and dusted in a page or two seemed far too quick. There are lots of funny moments scattered throughout the book and I loved the setting and Elle as a character because she goes through so many changes and is really going for what she wants. She needs answers in order to move on but when she finds what she is seeking will it prove too much or will she find acceptance which will fill the hole in her heart? This wasn't a bad book overall it just lacked that little bit of sparkle that would have completely drawn me and had me totally riveted. It reads well as a stand alone but I would suggest trying out book one Escape to the Little French Cafe beforehand which follows Natalie's story.
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