Summer At The Little French Cafe by Karen Clarke: Audiobook Review

Introduction:

Summer at the Little French Cafe is a wonderful story of a British woman trying to find her French birth mother. The French village setting is welcoming and full of charming characters. It’s the perfect read to transport you on a French holiday. This is the second book in the author’s Little French Cafe series but I read this book as a standalone.

From The Publisher:

In the beautiful village of Chamillon lies the Café Belle Vie, where you’ll always find croissants and friends when you need them the most – and where Elle is hoping to uncover the truth about her past…

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?

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this story. Elle’s adopted mother died several years ago, and recently she’s also lost her father. While cleaning out his personal items, she discovers a shawl and postcard with a photo of the Cafe Belle Vie (aka The Little French Cafe). The initial M is found in the script on the card which Elle assumes is the initial of her birth mother. Determined to find out all she can in hopes of being reunited with this woman, she journeys to Chamillon to start her search.

Elle is given a warm welcome and ends up working at Cafe Belle Vie which provides her with lots of opportunities to meet the people of the village who assist her in solving the mystery of her birth mother’s identity. Elle also meets Charlie the cafe owner’s son and Henri a local fisherman who adds a bit of romance to Elle’s life and to the story.

I enjoyed this book. It has an interesting storyline, a well-developed protagonist, and lots of food references. The reader cannot help but feel they are on vacation in France. The elements of humour added to my enjoyment of the book and I found the conclusion of the book to be satisfying.

I listened to the audiobook version of Summer at the Little French Cafe which was narrated by Lucy Bromilow. I appreciated the tone of her voice which made this an easy book to listen to. Those that enjoy audiobooks may wish to choose this format.

What I Liked:

• The charming French village setting
• The well- developed protagonist
• The use of humour throughout the book

Acknowledgments:

Thank you to Sage Egmont Audio and Netgalley for the ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Similar Books I’ve Reviewed:

Maggie Moves On by Lucy Score

One Night on the Island by Josie Silver

Just Haven’t Met You Yet by Sophie Cousens