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    The Promise of Provence
    The Promise of Provence
    The Promise of Provence
    Audiobook14 hours

    The Promise of Provence

    Written by Patricia Sands

    Narrated by Janet Metzger

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    On the evening of her twenty-second wedding anniversary, Katherine Price can’t wait to celebrate. But instead of receiving an anniversary card from her husband, she finds a note asking for a divorce.

    Fifty-five and suddenly alone, Katherine begins the daunting task of starting over. She has her friends, her aging mother, and her career to occupy her, but the future seems to hold little promise—until, after a winter of heartbreak, Katherine is persuaded to try a home exchange holiday in the South of France.

    In Provence, bright fields of flowers bloom below medieval hilltop villages with winding cobblestone streets. Charmed by the picturesque countryside, the breathtaking Côte d’Azur, and the enchantment-filled boulevards of Paris, Katherine feels life opening up once again. Lavender perfumes the air, and chance encounters hint at romance and passion. But memories of heartbreak and betrayal linger—and her former life waits for her back home. Can she find the courage to begin again?

    Revised edition: This edition of The Promise of Provence includes editorial revisions.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateJun 30, 2017
    ISBN9781543613582
    The Promise of Provence
    Author

    Patricia Sands

    Patricia Sands lives in Toronto, but her heart’s other home is the South of France. An avid traveler, she spends part of each year on the Côte d’Azur and occasionally leads groups of women on tours of the Riviera and Provence. Her award-winning 2010 debut novel, The Bridge Club, is a book-group favorite, and The Promise of Provence, which launched her three-part Love in Provence series (followed by Promises to Keep and I Promise You This), was a finalist for a 2013 USA Best Book Award and a 2014 National Indie Excellence Award, was an Amazon Hot New Release in April 2013, and was a 2015 nominee for a #RBRT Golden Rose award in the category of romance. Sands also contributes to such Francophile websites as The Good Life France and Perfectly Provence, and she appears as a public speaker for women’s groups. Visit her online at www.patriciasandsauthor.com.

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    Reviews for The Promise of Provence

    4/5

    14 ratings8 reviews

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    • 5/5
      The Promise of Provence is a wonderful tale of a woman in search of herself. Katherine is a fifty-five year old woman with a nice life in Toronto. She has a good job as a researcher and a happy marriage, that is until James, her husband leaves her an anniversary bouquet with a note saying he wants a divorce. As Katherine's world falls apart she relies on friends and family to help her pick up the pieces and start again.Her life takes on a new twist when her cousin suggests she try a house exchange holiday in France. What follows is a journey on the way to a new outlook on life, new friends and a new beginning as Katherine realizes she is not too old or too scared to take on new adventures and challenges in her life.This story is so well told that I felt like I was with Katherine in the south of France. I could picture the sights, sounds and smells from the generous descriptions. All in all, I felt this book allowed me to join Katherine on a personal journey and an adventure where I learned about a new country and culture along the way.I'm probably not the only reader who would love to see this book made into a film. The characters and the scenery would be great for it. Needless to say, I can't wait to read the second book in this series.Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this in return for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      On Kat's 22nd wedding anniversary, she heads home from work expecting to have a woderful evening with her husband. Instead she finds a letter informing her that he has left her for another woman and they are expecting a baby. Being alone in your mid 50s after spending your life as part of a couple, is a scary transition for anyone but Kat has two loyal friends to help her through the worst times. She decides to do a vacation house exchange and Goes to Provence and her life is transformed gradually with the help of her new friends. I actually read this book while I was in France and I found that the descriptions of the French countryside were very well done. Parts of the book are like a travelogue and you can almost feel like you are in France. I loved this book. The setting, Kat and her best friends. Can't wait to start the next book in the series later tonight. (This book was provided to me by Net Galley for an unbiased review)
    • 3/5
      I have always wanted to travel to France, Paris was my first goal and as I grew older I then thought that spending time in Provence would be more to my liking. Following Katherine Price (main character) as she repaired her broken life by spending time in Provence has solidified my desire to travel to Provence – it is now on my bucket list. Author Patricia Sands is obviously in love with Provence as she brings to life all the glorious facets of life in that region of France. Her descriptive passages will transport the reader and drop them into the heart of the region.Ms. Sands’s characters are complex and I liked that each seemed to reveal their secrets over a period of time. We all know it takes time before we truly understand our acquaintances/relations before we can know ourselves. This is brought to light by Katherine, whose husband of 22 years opts out of their marriage on their wedding anniversary. At first devastated, Katherine soon begins to piece together her life and look to the future. She returns to France (she visited there many years ago) and finds her joy in living once again. Along the way she encounters a wonderful mix of folks who live, love, and laugh in Provence and one special dog named Picasso. I especially liked learning about Katherine’s parents and the memories that they tried to bury prior to their escape from Europe.I thoroughly enjoyed this visit to Provence and was quite taken with several of the characters. However, as brilliant and detailed as the author’s descriptive passages were I think they could have been pruned back somewhat. For my tastes there was too much detail of the surroundings and at times I felt this travelogue got in the way of the characters and what they were trying to do. In all, I liked the book and would recommend it as a vacation read or one to snuggle up with by the fire in winter.
    • 2/5
      A light read. Chick lit for grown ups. Not my cup of tea.
      I was given a digital copy of this novel by the publisher via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review.
    • 5/5
      THIS is a delicious book in that it is a verbal feast. The end came way too soon for me, wanted to put on the brakes to delay finishing it but...i had to keep turning those pages.I've never been overseas but Patricia Sands takes you there in her artistic descriptions of her journeys, the food, her bike rides, the people who enter her life....simply deliciously amazing. Briefly.....Katherine ( MY AGE FINALLY) comes home expecting an anniversary dinner with her husband and instead gets ....well read it yourself. In time it is her sister and brother-in-law who tell her about a site where one can do' vacation house swaps', and she gives it a whirl. Dreams come true when she trades her place in Canada for a spot in France....two weeks becomes addictive and she tries it again. It's never too late...there IS more to life and you're never too old to find it. "An attitude of gratitude is what it's all about."
    • 5/5
      This beautifully written book certainly covers a lot of ground, a lot of topics – home swapping, travelogue, cheese, wine, a little about the Holocaust, Ukraine, friendship, and, of course, romance. But for me, the main lesson from Ms. Sands’ story is that it is never too late to follow your dream. It may require you to step outside your comfort zone but you may find it was definitely worth the risk.Katherine Price, 55 years old, thought her 22-year marriage was stable until her husband left her a note telling her he was in love with another woman and he wanted a divorce. On top of this crisis her mother Elizabeth fell ill and died. Only after her mother’s death does Katherine learn of her mother’s survival of the Holocaust which distressed Katherine even more. Noticing the stress Katherine was dealing with, her cousin Andrea convinced her to try a home swap so she could get away for a while. Katherine had always gone on vacations with just her husband to places he wanted, so it was natural that she would be nervous about traveling on her own, but she did it – she accepted a swap to southern France. There she found a new life for herself as she delighted in the art, the food, the people, and the charm of the land. For Katherine this was a story of healing and finding faith in herself.It is so refreshing to read the story of a mature woman recovering from a failed relationship and betrayal and finding a new joy for life. It was obvious through the written details that many of Katherine’s experiences mirrored Patricia’s own life. The descriptions are so vivid I felt like I was vacationing in southern France right alongside her. The characters are delightful and real. (My favorite character was Pico. Adorable!) Katherine’s friend Molly was a great “sidekick” who definitely added humor to the story. As in real life, not all the characters are likeable – yet are still totally believable. Relationships developed slowly and some will be further developed in the remaining books of the series (LOVE IN PROVENCE and I PROMISE YOU THIS). The story touches on so many emotions – anger, fear, grief, love, joy.This book brought back thoughts I have had previously of moving to another country in my retirement. Maybe I need to think more on that. Thank you to Patricia Sands and Tonni Callan for the opportunity to read and review this enchanting book.
    • 4/5
      A very good book. I too have a bit of a love affair with France, and this book was a delightful indulgence. It's a perfect read for a lazy summer holiday, or a long flight, or just because you want to. If you enjoy women's fiction, travel, good food, and France, it'll be parfait pour vous aussi.
    • 4/5
      I absolutely loved this book. It makes me want to do a home swap with someone in Provence or at least rent a house there. I thought the characters were well developed and enjoyed Molly's character. I look forward to seeing what is next for Katherine and Philippe.

      I won this from The Reading Room Webiste.