A Perfect Vintage

by Chelsea Fagan

Lea Mortimer has everything under control. As a highly sought-after consultant specializing in transforming dilapidated French country estates into boutique hotels, she relishes her freedom as a single, childfree woman. And her life is full, occupied as much by her impeccable historic renovations as by the aristocratic -- and often exhausting -- French families she works for.

But after the heated divorce of her closest friend and cousin Stephanie Bryce, Lea finds herself taking Stephanie and her college-aged daughter to the Loire Valley in France for the summer. As they tag along for Lea’s latest work assignment, despite their best intentions, they threaten to complicate the tightrope act of launching the hotel on time. And when Lea unexpectedly falls for the much-younger son of her boss, she quickly learns the beauty and danger of losing control.

As affairs bloom in the idyllic chateau, wars of inheritance play out between the family, and betrayals threaten even the most solid relationships. Lea realizes that it's not just a broken heart she's risking, but her entire, meticulously-constructed life blowing up in her face.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Summer, Summer Reads, Contemporary, France, Beach Reads

329 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 6, 2023

About the author

Chelsea Fagan is the co-founder and CEO of The Financial Diet. She is the author of many books, including THE HIGH DIVE, coming May 27, 2025.

Chelsea is an avid home cook, and lives in Manhattan with her husband and dog.

Reviews

[Haley pham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love rich people family drama. Especially if it takes place in the summer in France.

[Bree · Rating 4 out of 5]

If this book was a song, it would be Illicit Affairs by Taylor Swift. If that isn’t enough to convince you to read it, this book is set in a dreamy chateau in the French countryside and features a romance between the mature, career-driven heroine and the much younger son of her boss. If you’re looking for your next beach read, look no further.

Read this if you love:
• Vacation romances
• The close proximity and age gap tropes
• Family drama (think Gossip Girl level drama but set in France)
• Strong female friendships

Thank you to Orsay Press and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

[Molly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC of this book in exchange for a review.

I was really excited for this and I had high hopes for its ability to be a beach read. I was hoping for atmospheric fluttery romance but instead it felt like a book trying to cover too many things…romance, women’s lit topics like aging and careers etc, and family drama. It’s not that these things can’t be encompassed all in one book (see: The Vacactioners) it’s just that it requires impeccable execution and this missed the mark for me.

The book was long and by the end I felt like we were slogging through serious dialogue ™ after serious dialogue ™. I stopped rooting for the MC less than halfway through. She was an insecure workaholic with a very fake sounding job which made it hard to empathize with her struggles. The emphasis was always placed on how old and mature Lea was and yet her actions throughout indicated that she was deeply emotionally immature.

There wasn’t much that didn’t go exactly as you’d expect and the result is very Halmark-y and that’s fine but it ain’t for me.

[Elise · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was drawn in by the BEAUTIFUL cover, intriguing set up, and of course being a fan of the author's other projects. The strongest part of this book for me was the setting. Spending 350 pages in the south of France at a chateau in the summer heat had me living my best season 2 of White Lotus fantasy. I was craving Aperol spritzes like my life depended on it the entire time.

Because of the writing style and some of the decisions the main character was making, I found myself forgetting at times that I was reading a romance novel. It felt more like a general fiction/lit fic about a woman imploding her life and being pretty mean to the people around her. It definitely didn't have the typical tone or arc of a romance novel I was expecting. That's not necessarily a bad thing, however, I found the MC unlikeable enough both in general and in the context of her romantic relationship that I was rooting against the main couple getting together which feels a little contradictory to the romance genre and perhaps like this book is being slightly miscategorized. It also felt a bit overwritten at times, and while helpful at first to paint the picture of old money luxury, I found the extremely detailed descriptions of character outfits and hotel decor to be a bit distracting by the end.

My overall rating is a 2.5.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Morgan Rohbock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as good the second time around!! I will say I think this one is a book to read vs listen to but still such a enjoyable experience from start to finish.

5⭐
PG-13 for a sexy book that isn't that spicy (like you could probably give it to your mom and it would be NBD)

If you read one book this summer, it should be this one. Americans in France, home (read: chateau) remodeling, a mature heroine, age gap romance, clandestine meetups in vineyards and lots of family drama. Also good therapy representation! What more could I want from a book?!

This book is smart. It's dramatic. It's French (bien sur). It's sexy. It's complex. It has these incredible characters that I'm now deeply obsessed with. This book was basically Emily in Paris's posh cousin who can actually speak French but still has fab outfits and messy relationships.

In the end, this book left me with the overwhelming emotion of a cathartic ending. I had to know what happened and was left with the right level of satisfaction where these characters both grew significantly and earned their endings. A Perfect Vintage was a perfect book and an absolute must read when it comes out.

Thank goodness I pre-ordered this book because it will be taking a place of honor on my bookshelves.

[Cari · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted desperately to like this book so much more than I did. It felt so much longer than it needed to be, and I was really not a fan of the main character, Lea. I thought she came across as a petulant child who was self-absorbed, and complained more about something being wrong with her than trying to do something about it. The first half of the book felt like we were getting to the point where Lea and Theo were together - then we spent the majority of the rest of the book with her alternately convincing herself it's okay for them to be together or convincing herself they could never be together. It got old, really quickly. I was also unimpressed with the big drama towards the end: what kind of "professional" are you that you leave in the middle of the night - after sleeping with the son's owner who you just freaked out on? Leaving lots of work to be completed, and lots of conversations - however tough they may be - unfinished?

Ironically, I have zero problem with the maturity level of Theo, or the age difference between Theo and Lea. What I do have a problem with is the lack of emotional maturity Lea has, no matter how many times she touts her maturity and that she has to be the adult in the situation.

I wasn't overly impressed with any other the other characters, either. I thought Theo acted true to how a mature 24 year old would act; I thought Stephanie was weak up until the end when she went off on Lea for hurting Maya (love seeing the momma bear come out, good for you!). I will say that I am a HUGE fan of Uncle Nico - I loved how he came in, handled the situation that no one else seemed capable of handling, and was able to basically sort out his family.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Karren Sandercock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lea Mortimer runs her own business LeMor Consulting, she specializes in transforming rundown French country estates into luxury hotels. In her mid thirties Lea is a career woman, by choice she has no children and is single.

Her latest project is in the Loire Valley, Lea leaves for France in three weeks, and she’s surprised when her recently separated cousin Stephanie Bryce and her daughter Maya want to go with her. Lea checks with the owner, he doesn’t mind and his large chateau has room for two extra people. Lea's a professional, and she's never mixed her private and work lives together!

The transformation of Hotel Chateau Victoire has started, parts have been turned into luxurious guest suites, the stables will become a health and wellness spa, a new restaurant will be opened, serving Maghrebi and regional French cuisine, they plan to hold cooking lessons and eventually the vineyards will be overhauled. Alain Levesque is the owner of the Chateau, he’s a widower and has three children Gabriel, Theodore and Chloe.

With a lot to still do to finish the final stages of the properties makeover, Lea doesn’t need a distraction and she starts a secret relationship with her bosses much younger son. Soon Lea’s mind isn’t completely on her job, she’s never mixed business with pleasure before and it’s extremely risky. Like most family’s the Levesque’s have one member whose a trouble maker, a black sheep and he’s determined to cause problems.

I received a copy of A perfect Vintage by Chelsea Fagan from NetGalley and Osray Press in exchange for an honest review. It’s a story about renovating a rundown French chateau into a trendy boutique hotel, the amount of planning it takes and it needs to be done by a professional. Lea’s character has a fear of committing to a relationship, when she starts sneaking around with a much younger man, she’s worried about people finding out, it could ruin her business reputation that’s she’s spent years building and is she making a biggest mistake of her life?

It makes the reader think and question the stereotypical views of older women dating younger men, why should Lea fear being judged, what about her morals and their two consenting adults! Combine this with the narrative being set in France and at a stunning chateau, the family dynamics on both sides, jealousy, a nasty ex-husband and it makes for an interesting, steamy and drama filled story line. Four stars from me and I’m keen to read other novels by Ms. Fagan.

[EE · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much telling, not enough showing.

Too long - unlikeable main character - needed a better editor, which is unfortunate because I love Chelsea Fagan.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was like watching The Young and the Restless. Slow paced with hot scenes in between and inappropriate relationships from almost the get go. (When I say hot, I mean slow steams and nothing explicit. If you want something with more passion or something closer to porn, probably better reading anything by Rebecca Yarros.)

The whole time, I was cringing - like the way I close my eyes at scary movies. I kept screaming at all of them to wake up to the destruction awaiting all their lives. Such bad, bad choices, so many boundaries blurred and crossed. This could be the leftover Puritan ideal in me as someone who grew up mostly in the US. Perhaps the French would read this book and wonder why I’m so uptight. Then again, I’ve made similar bad choices and was lucky enough to come to my senses and turn tail in time before anyone got hurt, including myself, though it did suck to go through every single time. So maybe it was personal experience and wisdom screaming at them more than anything else.

After everything inevitably fell apart, I found myself rooting for them to lean into these bad choices. The damage was already done, and all the secrets had been outed, and self denial at this point was unnecessary self flagellation. The way the author was able to swivel my perspective like that is why I give this book four stars.

[Rachael Hodson (still skiing) · Rating 1 out of 5]

For one of my most anticipated books of the summer, this book was an absolute let down. With a name like A Perfect Vintage, my European, vineyard loving, French food craving, chateau dreaming self should have been in vino fiction heaven. Instead, 3/4ths of the way through, I skimmed to the end which was no better than the beginning nor the middle.

Unlikeable main character, ridiculous relationships that start so early in the book, all of them just felt ludicrous. I learned nothing about “a perfect vintage” as this book has just about nothing to do with the title. Rather, this story is just a terribly concocted romance (actually 2 of them) that grated at all my nerves. Scratching on a chalkboard is about how interesting this story is.

[Madison]

Just watched the announcement video on The Financial Diet's YouTube page. I love that Chelsea didn't compromise on cramming this book into one genre, either Women's Fiction or Romance. I personally enjoy books that straddle that line and are a healthy mix of both. The plot sounds so good and excited to hear more about the publishing process on TFD! Also, the cover is gorgeous.

[Molly OShea · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I was fortunate enough to get an ARC of this through NetGalley, and I wish I had better things to say about this book but I don't. It seemed like a 300+ page book on describing the remodel of a French chateau. Fagan does a lovely job of describing the lux items that this chateau has (i.e food, decor, gardening, and the amount of times she mentioned a rehabbed sconce for god sakes!) was great, but everything else missed the mark.

There was ZERO character development. I feel like as I was reading, I didn't know any character. Lea, the main character, felt unlikable and so type A. I didn't find any redeeming qualities about her. Additionally, all the character driven plot lines (i.e the romance, family feud) were vague and repetitive.

I wish that Fagan spent more time developing characters (both good and bad) than describing the importance of wallpaper in this novel. I finished this book (after getting lost on multiple pages and having to reread several passages due to the descriptive nature) and was happy to move onto the next.

[Alex · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was advertised as a zesty summer read about a cougar having a summer fling with the college-student son of her boss. Instead the books deals with a mess of a woman in her mid thirties having a crisis when confronted with the reality that hyperfocusing on work does not lead to a happy and fulfilling life while wrestling with generational family trauma.

It's a 7 hour read, with 1 hour as set-up, *3 hours* of her suffering and trying to hide her attraction to the guy, *2* hours of "fun" "sexy" times with the guy and then 1 hour of a sad, sad, sad dénouement. the big climax is not even about them it's about the b-plotline about her cousin's divorce. it's so anticlimactic, and I do mean that figuratively and literally since the sex scenes are so censored and tepid they're completely unerotic.

It's all "tell, don't show" with this book, which I suppose is the natural result of trying to cram so many superfluous details and plots into so few pages/days of summer. and it's so cliché, too! to the point it almost seems offensive:

*the guy's most attractive asset is to read her mind
*the childless woman's reason for not wanting kids is revealed midbook to be fear of commitment and being chained down and wanting to feel better than rest of the women her own age even though her relationship as mom-lite to her niece is the third most important thing in her life dictates her life decisions
*the narrator just goes on and on about what people are wearing even though it's not relevant to the plot or the character's background bc I guess #womenbeshopping #justgirlythingz
*even though she's a hypercompetent consummate professional any and all critism of her work will make her emotional to the point of tears and meltdowns
*the woman's idea of flirting is to wear a cute dress, laugh at the guy's jokes and brush against him in passing AND THEN GETS UPSET WHEN HE DOESN'T IMMEDIATELY GET IT?! it almost reads as farcical at times!

I guess it could be a mid-tier read if you just come at it expecting a sad story about a sad woman who can't have it all? It's just so socially conservative if not reactionary, it's a huge shock and disappointment coming from someone like Chelsea. I really did want to like this book bc I like the rest of Chelsea's work but you can really tell this book was rushed to meet a summer publishing deadline and why the developmental editor chose to be credited as *JANE DOE*

[Maren’s Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Consultant Lea Mortimer has everything figured out. On one hand, she has the career she’s worked hard to build. On the other hand, is her personal life, lacking in any real romance, and tied up in the close relationship she shares with her cousin and niece.

When they tag along on her summer trip to work on renovating a French Chateau, she is determined to ensure they don’t complicate things for her. However, as passions ignite between Lea and the son of her boss, the man her niece also has her eye on, things begin to spiral out of her tight control.

This book was just what I envisioned it to be - the perfect summer age gap romance, featuring all the angsty, forbidden love vibes, and set in the picturesque French countryside. It completely swept me away the entire time I was reading it. The descriptions so vivid and the characters so lifelike, it was easy to get caught up in all of their drama, and oh what drama there was.

What I loved most is that while this is definitely a romance in nature, there is a lot about friendship and family wrapped up in it as well, along with themes of self discovery. It is the epitome of the summer read, and enjoyable all year round.

ʀ ᴇ ᴀ ᴅ ɪ ғ ʏ ᴏ ᴜ ʟ ɪ ᴋ ᴇ :
•age gap
•forbidden love
•French chateau setting
•summer romance
•found family
•mild open door romance

Thank you Chelsea Fagan and Orsay Press for my gifted copies.

[Yasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rich people, their drama, and the setting of the French countryside? I’m already there. Get me on the next flight.

This book started a little slow for me but then really picked up! The hotel and renovation background was fun but the relationships between all the characters was the MOST fun. I was invested in everyone’s summer love and each of their stories. The way it was written, I can really envision myself in France and how I wanted to be there. Just like Lea on the cover, at the chateau, laying by the pool.

I really did eat up Lea and Theo’s romance and would love nothing more but a Theo for myself. We all deserve a sweet and loving Theo (and tbh I think I’ve been into younger men like this is clearly a sign from the literary Gods).

Really loved the ending and the growth for the characters. Also Lea using that Johnny Cash quote example? My favorite? Yeah 😭

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Perfect Vintage is A Perfect Read. I love a book that goes beyond the expected. You're not simply transported to a beautiful French chateau for a summer of wine tasting and sun. Lea Mortimer is a complex character with depth and baggage that shapes the way she navigates life. Women like Lea aren't typically represented in media and the author breaks the mold by complicating the stereotype of the career-driven childfree woman. Issues of social class, sexism, ageism, power, identity, and family add texture to the novel and make the story compelling. I'm always a fan of female friendships and novels that demonstrate just how complicated and wonderful life can be.

[Brandice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lea is meticulous in her professional life, working hard to finalize every detail of her work, transforming French hotels into sought-after luxury destination properties. This summer, she’s overseeing renovations at a family chateau for the Levesques. Her cousin, Stephanie, is going through a brutal divorce and while initially reluctant, Lea agrees Stephanie and her teenage daughter, Maya, can accompany her for the summer.

Tensions are running high among members of the Levesque family and Lea did not expect to have feelings for Theo, the patriarch’s 24 year old son, who Maya is also crushing on. With all the distractions and pressure at the chateau, will Lea be able to keep things together and deliver as promised?

I found A Perfect Vintage to be pretty predictable. Lea was relatable in some aspects, like her dedication to work and perfectionist tendencies, but I didn’t always find her likable. I found myself wavering on how I felt about multiple characters throughout the story, which I guess might indicate a sense of authenticity — They weren’t perfect but they weren’t all bad either.

The French setting and summer vibes in A Perfect Vintage were well-done. The book is heavy on details from decor, to food, to clothing. I could easily picture the chateau.

[Ashley C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Lea Mortimer is a fascinating protagonist, Théo is an exquisite love interest, and Loire Valley is the perfect setting for this page-turning gift of a story from the mind of Chelsea Fagan. It's sensual, stunning in places, and absolutely worth every bit of time you steal away from other parts of your learn just for the pleasure of returning. I'll be dreaming about this book all summer!

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The cover, synopsis and the French setting completely drew me to this book but sadly it didn’t quite live up to my expectations and left me with very mixed feelings. Initially it was the simplistic writing style and slightly stilted dialogue between characters that I struggled with. However, I also struggled to connect with characters and the storyline and I battled my way through the first half of the book. It certainly wasn’t the page-turning romance I had been expecting. I felt the introduction of the second romance was unnecessary, it added nothing extra to the story. In fact I’m not really quite sure why Stephanie and her daughter were a part of the story. Had the author concentrated solely on Lea and Theo, the build up of their relationship, delving deeper into their thoughts and feelings and fleshing out their personalities it would have worked much better for me. I liked the fact Lea was a slightly older protagonist at 36 years old and that the love interest was 12 years younger. The location is superb, set in the Loire Valley, a beautiful wine growing region in France and we are treated to a wine tasting trip and some mouthwatering food descriptions.

Overall, sadly this book wasn’t for me but I’m always honest in my reviews and although this book didn’t captivate me in the way I’d hoped there are other reviewers out there who have loved it. I’m so grateful that I was able to read it early. Thank you so much to the publisher for the eARC via Netgalley

[Tabatha (tab.talks.books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

• BOOKSTAGRAM •

I started making notes in my phone as I read so my reviews seem a little less generic. Below are my thoughts. This was a great read. Thank you so much NetGalley and Orsay Press for this ARC A Perfect Vintage will be published on 6/6/23, make sure to add this to your summer reads TBR!

* In the beginning I was trying to figure out why stephanie wanted to go on vacation so bad with her daughter and why Lea just couldn’t say no. That’s a huge ask to take someone and their daughter to an international summer long trip for nothing while she is trying to work.
* You get the feeling Lea had some type of relationship with one of the house owners in the beginning. There’s huge tension between her and Gabriel that leads you to wonder do they hook up? Isn’t it usually the characters who despise each other than fall in love in the end? Sorry I’m a true enemies to lovers-lover!
* The sexual tension in the first 40% of the book is real 🥵🥵🥵
* No offense but the best friend/cousin blow up was so satisfying. It’s everything I was getting annoyed with while reading the book.
* Stephanie’s self riotousness bothered me so much during the ending of the book. Entitled much? Who gave you this opportunity in the first place?
* The ending was perfect. Lea coming full circle with herself was just what I needed to continue being envious of her amazing lifestyle.

[Kremena Koleva · Rating 4 out of 5]

" Но след известно време разбрах, че наистина страхът от промяната няма ��а запази нещата същите. Просто щеше да направи промените по-трудни, когато се случат... "
/ A Perfect Vintage

A Perfect Vintage е книга за нашите слабости, които ни създават комплекси. За природата на мъжа и на жената. За силата, която едните упражняват над другите. И за цената на победата да зависим само от себе си.
Законите на обществото понякога действат като Законите в джунглата. Особено, ако сами решим да им се поддадем. Онази мисъл " Какво ще кажат хората ? " винаги съм преобръщала в " Какво ще кажа за хората? " И сега проследявайки всички мисли, действия и желания на Лея Мортимър, виждах проектирани върху страниците много познати емоции. Многото компромиси, многото обяснения защо живея така, както искам, видовете съжаления не за онова, което съм направила, а за онова, което не съм.
Да си съсредоточен в онова, в което си най - добър, а не в онова, което хората смятат за важно, е борба за доказване на качества и способности. За Лея да е перфектна в професията й носи увереност, стабилнаст, независимост, удовлетворение и свобода. Все неща, които никой мъж не е могъл да й даде. Връзките ограничават, изискват, критикуват, създават комплекси и поставят граници. Добре свършената работата само може да даде тласък на развитието, да бъде добра реклама и да извиква нови клиенти.
На 36 години Лея е сама, без връзка и без причина да иска да се обвърже. Сравнявайки постигнатото, целите и перспективите си с тези на омъжени познати и на най - добрата си приятелка, тя вижда, че брачната халка и разменени обети, голямата къща със зелена морава и басейн, децата и неделните семейни събирания, не винаги превръщат брака в награда. От собствените си родители и от наблюденията върху другите, Лея осъзнава оставените на изчакване мечти, сметената под килима влюбеност, купищата задължения и изисквания, ограниченията и страховете. И постоянно поставя на кантара онова, което няма като необвързана с онова, което ще загуби в една връзка. Везните винаги клонят към задоволство от избрания й път!
A Perfect Vintage е красив , бляскав и изкушаващ роман като пощенска картичка от френската провинция. Стари пари. Стари замъци. Нови вкусове. Винтидж излъчване. И на фона на преобразуването на един френски замък в луксозен хотел, сред шикозни партита около басейна с пенливи вина и гурме десерти, сред едно елитно френско семейство Лея разбира, че вековната нишка в родословието, безкрайната банкова сметка, уменията на тенис корта и в залата за фехтовка, не могат да прикрият завистта, алчността и подлите игрички на елита. Появява се и въпроса дали да бъде сама и независима ще продължи да й доставя удоволствие? Особено след като в лицето на единия член от фамилията намира неща, които никога не е вярвала, че може да получи като подарък и да удовлетворят търсенията й?
Толкова теми за обмисляне! И ситуации за съпоставяне! Дали разликата във възрастта може да е проблем между двама души? Как се съчетава работата и страстта, ако тази страст се разгаря точно на работното място? Какво трябва да ни даде една връзка, за да зарежем комфорта на независимостта си?

[Olivera · Rating 5 out of 5]

ne mogu da verujem da sam tek krajem leta našla THE savršen letnji roman, ali makar sam ga našla

Čelsi pratim baš dugo i na YouTube-u i na TikToku i nekako ni u jednom trenutku nisam sumnjala u nju kao autorku

kidalca

[simi · Rating 4 out of 5]

He pulled back to look at her and his smile grew wider, his voice dropping into a quiet joy. "I love this.”
"What?”
He paused, biting his lower lip slightly as he considered his words. "Making you laugh.”

story based in france with a lot of drama? sign me up. wow this book wasn’t like anything that i’ve read before. such an original writing style and story. the setting was a literal dream and i loved all the outfit descriptions.
i’ve never read a book where in age gap the woman was older but let me tell u I LOVED THEO AND LEA ! their love story was so pure and i loved its development. i literally want theo for myself. he was just so precious.
*possible spoilers*
i would give this book 5 stars if the author just skipped the part where lea’s niece had a crush on the same guy that she was basically dating. at the beginning i just couldn’t get over the fact but then the intensity of mentioning maya lowered and i was just living for their relationship.

[Zosia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately the only perfect thing about this book is its cover.
I really wanted to love it, truly. From the description it seemed like something right up my alley. I love stories about rich people and I love family drama. I've only just been orphaned by Succession so I dived right in. Well...
First of all, this book suffers from lack of some proper edits. The insufferable outfit descriptions are like straight out of One Direction fanfiction written by a well-meaning fourteen year old.
The author completely failed to make me care about any of her characters. She's tried to make them interesting but they somehow all ended up flat and one dimensional. And her way of describing the French upper classes reminds me of these "stealth wealth", "old money aesthetic" TikToks.
I don't mind older woman - younger man romance at all but God, this one was so boring, I found myself skipping their scenes and I'm no prude. I can't believe I'm saying this but "The Idea of You", a book that started as a Harry Styles fanfiction (...), handled this topic twenty times better.
I truly cannot remember the last time a book has annoyed me so much. My neurotic tendencies are the only reason I even finished it at all.

[ashley ⋆ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to Chelsea Fagan and Orsay Press for this ARC!

i will say that the premise of this book had me hooked and I couldn't wait to read! Unfortunately I dnf this at around 20% because I found the main character, Lea to be so unlikeable and self-absored that I couldn't root for her to have this supposed summer romance.

[S.T. Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Perfect Vintage dives headfirst into desire, love in the modern age, and the complexity of female friendship. I devoured it in two days, and I'm sure you'll be as entranced by the story as I was. Dust off your passport and get ready to travel to a richly imagined world where romance, however complicated, is simply undeniable.

This is truly going to be one of the setpiece books of my summer. Lush, witty, heartfelt, and sensual, this book delivers on its promise of intoxicating the reader.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this one but unfortunately I struggled a little with this book. It felt a little like it is confused about its identity. On one hand the author gives huge detail discussing the renovation of a French chateaux, shifting in the next breath to barely mentioning the female main characters work and project, and focusing on trivial encounters with the seemingly ever growing numbers of characters in the story.

I found Lea, the FMC very unlikeable, she was pretentious and seemed very judgemental, immature and seemed to hate her bestfriend/cousin and her niece. I found the development of the romance between Lea and Theo lacking and so wasn’t really that bought into what happened with them. Lea was very hot and cold as to whether she was interested or not, but this didn’t build tension for me, just seemed very erratic and unpredictable.

The premise and cover are fabulous but unfortunately this one just isn’t for me. I give this 2.5 stars ⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley and Orsey Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Sarah Ricciarelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rounded up from 4.5 stars

I loved this book, and think I'd have loved it even more had I been sitting on a beach or poolside rather than reading it from my Kindle Web Browser at work. I was rooting so hard for Lea and Theo, and it was great to read about an "older" female protagonist. Feminism! The side characters here are so well fleshed out, and the French countryside setting is *chefs kiss*. I would die to stay at this hotel.

My slight gripes: I didn't loooove the "addict brother is the devil" villain subplot, it felt a little one-note. Lea's dismissal of Theo as a person based on his age also infuriated me a lot of the time... but it was supposed to, so alas.

All in all, I had a great time with Chelsea Fagan's debut novel - thank you to NetGalley & Orsay Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Cookie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reverse age-gap romances are my favorite trope and I was excited to jump into this one. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this one. I didn't like any of the characters except Theo. Most of the characters, including the main character, were immature and they said some really hurtful things to one another that made me cringe. I know real life isn't all sunshine and flowers but I couldn't get over how they crossed the line with one another then forgave each other. I guess they're better people than I would ever be!

This is more women's fiction than romance, in my opinion. It was more about Lea's journey with the hotel and a big part of it was about her supporting her cousin through her divorce.

I received a complimentary eARC of this book.

[Shaylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A summer romance set at a chateau in France written by one of my favourite personal finance content creators? Yes, please!

Lea is in her mid 30s, she's divorced and fiercely independent. Lea runs her own business where she overhauls rundown hotels to their former glory or helps new hotels get off the ground. At her latest project she meets the family and catches the eye of the owner's son. Along for the adventure is Lea's cousin and her cousin's daughter. The book is full of interior design, family secrets, covert affairs and Lea opening up to love again.

I enjoyed this but I did find the plot dragged at times. I do enjoy Chelsea's online personal finance content and follow her on Instagram and listen to her podcast. The book was one that I feel that was not quite a romance but not just fiction, which I like in a novel. The romance was fun and had some steam but wasn't overly spicy. The setting was amazing and I loved the descriptions of the chateau and surrounding French countryside. I also liked the glimpse into the old money lifestyle of the family that owns the chateau and the work that went into getting the hotel ready to open. I did find Lea to be a frustrating main character at times as she changes her mind at times and seems to think everything is about her. This would make a good beach read as it was entertaining and had the romantic French hotel vibes for a fun summertime read, I'd recommend this to anyone who wants a summer romance with a side plot!

Thank you to Netgalley and Orsay Press for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.