#BookReview + #Giveaway ~ A Springtime To Remember by @LucyColemanauth #Romance @rararesources #TuesdayBookBlog

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for A Springtime To Remember, courtesy of Rachel’s Random Resources.

My Thoughts

A Springtime To Remember has its roots in the past. Ambitious TV presenter Lexie Winters really wants to be a producer and she might just have the resources to make it happen. She’s teamed up with cameraman Elliot Neilson to make a mini series of documentaries filmed at Versailles, about the gardens and how they have evolved over the years. Her grandmother worked there in 1961 and her enthusiasm instilled in Lexie her love of gardening. Lexie also sees this as an opportunity to find out more about her grandmother’s time in France as she was always reluctant to speak about it, making Lexie wonder why.

Her interpreter for the project is Ronan O’Byrne who has lived in France for a while and been involved in several projects centred around the palace of Versailles. Reading through her grandmother’s diaries brings the past to life for Lexie as she learns about the Versailles of the early 1960s, uncovering secrets and a tragedy that affects someone Lexie had grown very close to. And while all this is going on Lexie also has family relationship issues to deal with.

A Springtime To Remember is a charming read, with many descriptive passages about the palace and gardens. While it’s good to have a sense of place, and that definitely comes across, I sometimes felt the detailed descriptions interrupted the flow of the story. That said, it’s very well written with well defined, realistic characters you can empathise with. Lexie and Ronan both have issues from the past to resolve before they can move on. I enjoyed the fact this was much more than just a romance—Ronan and Lexie’s family dramas are running through the narrative, plus the intrigue and mystery of the research aspect, all blended together and adding extra layers to the story. It was a lovely escape to French sunshine and beautiful gardens.

About the Book

Let Lucy Coleman transport you to glorious, sun-drenched France, for the perfect feel-good read. Paris and the Palace of Versailles have always meant a lot to TV producer Lexie. Her grandma Viv spent a year there, but her adventures and memories were never discussed, and Lexie has long wondered why they were a family secret.

When work presents the perfect excuse to spend Springtime in Versailles, Lexie delves into Viv’s old diaries and scrapbooks, and with the help of handsome interpreter Ronan, she is soon learning more about the characters that tend to the magnificent gardens, now and in the past.

In amongst the beauty and splendour of the French countryside, a story of lost love, rivalry and tragedy unfolds. Can Lexie and Ronan right the wrongs of the past, and will France play its tricks on them both before Lexie has to go home? Will this truly be a Springtime to Remember…?

Purchase Links ~ Amazon | KOBO | iBooks 

Giveaway

If you’d like the enter the giveaway for a chance to win a signed paperback of ‘A French Adventure’ and a metal leaf bookmark (Open INT) please click the Rafflecopter link.

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

About the Author

From interior designer to author, Linn B. Halton – who also writes under the pen name of Lucy Coleman – says ‘it’s been a fantastic journey!’ Linn is the bestselling author of more than a dozen novels – including Summer on the Italian Lakes, Snowflakes over Holly Cove, The French Adventure and A Cottage in the Country. She is represented by Sara Keane of the Keane Kataria Literary Agency. When she’s not writing, or spending time with the family, she’s either upcycling furniture, working in the garden, or practising Tai Chi. Living in Coed Duon in the Welsh Valleys with her ‘rock’, Lawrence, and gorgeous Bengal cat Ziggy, she is an eternal romantic. Linn is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and the SoA and writes feel-good, uplifting novels about life, love and relationships.

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