Series:
Enterprising Widows (Book 1)
In a picturesque French château…
A battle of wills is about to ignite!
Julien Archambeau, Comte de Rocroi, has dedicated his
life to reclaiming his family's lands. Only Lady Emma Greyville-Luce now stands
in his way. The British heiress is the new owner of the vineyard that's the
final piece of his plan. Much to Julien's frustration, Emma won't relinquish
what's now hers, and soon it's not just champagne corks that start to fly, but
sparks…of desire!
Good book. After the tragic death of her husband and being
evicted from the family home by her stepson, Emma moved to the French property
she inherited from her husband. Julien Archambeau, the estate manager, runs the
chateau and accompanying vineyard. Emma doesn't know that Julien's family owned
those lands until losing them during the French Revolution. His family has been
trying to reclaim them ever since.
Emma's arrival shocked Julien, who had been in almost
complete control for seven years. He and his uncle, who owns a neighboring vineyard,
have been working on a special champagne and building their reputation with the
local consortium. All that is put at risk when Emma states her intention to
take over the running of the vineyard.
I enjoyed watching the relationship between Emma and Julien
develop. Initially, each was focused on their claims to the property. Emma is
determined to ensure that Julien knows his place as working for her, while
Julien wants to keep Emma as a figurehead while he continues to carry out his
plans. Their first few encounters have antagonistic undertones despite the surface
politeness. When Emma insists on learning about the vineyard, Julien tries to
overwhelm her with information. He is stunned and impressed by how she soaks up
and processes what she learns and the wealth of good ideas she has for the
future of the vineyard.
It isn't long before he and Emma grow closer, with sparks
of attraction flying between them. Emma feels guilty about her growing feelings
for Julien. Giving in to the attraction accelerates those feelings, creating
internal conflict. Emma also has some trust issues stemming from her pre-marriage
days. Those feelings are exacerbated by the sense that Julien is not entirely
open with her. When the truth comes out, Emma and Julien are left with hurt
feelings and wondering what the future holds.
There are some interesting twists at the end, from Emma's
confrontation with the consortium to the events of the gala she planned at the
chateau. I loved the emotional ending, and the epilogue was terrific.
Julien's Uncle Etienne was the main secondary character. Etienne
is obsessed with reclaiming the land lost seventy years earlier. He encourages
Julien to do things that Julien considers underhanded and dishonorable to
regain the property. I disliked how he created such an internal conflict for
Julien between his loyalty to his family and his growing feelings for Emma.
My husband and I spent a week in Epernay this summer and enjoyed touring several champagne houses and learning about champagne's
history. I loved the feeling of revisiting that trip as I read this book.
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