Starting Over
at the Vineyard in Alsace by Julie Stock
It’s
springtime at The Vineyard in Alsace, a new season and a new
beginning
After being
abandoned by her partner when she falls pregnant, Lottie Schell goes
home to live on The Vineyard in Alsace, where she has started a new
relationship with the estate’s winemaker, Thierry. Now about to
give birth, Lottie’s determined to raise her child and to provide
for them both on her own without having to depend on anyone else.
Thierry Bernard
is still dealing with his grief and guilt following the death of his
wife two years earlier, for which he blames himself. When he meets
Lottie, the instant attraction he feels towards her gives him hope
that he can move on from the tragedy of his past, as long as he can
tell Lottie the truth of what happened.
When
circumstances force Lottie and Thierry closer together, they both
find it hard to compromise – she’s proudly independent and he’s
fiercely protective – and they’re both wary about trusting
someone new with their heart.
Can Lottie and
Thierry take a chance on each other, move on from their pasts and
start over?
Escape to The
Vineyard in Alsace once again with this romantic read set in the
heart of Alsace’s wine country.
Extract 3 for Ellesea Loves Reading
Despite Lottie’s
need for independence, her options start to look limited when Sylvie
tells her that her friend, Frédéric, has asked her to move in with
him.
Finally,
she replied to Sylvie’s point. ‘It would be an easy solution for
me to move in with Thierry, but there are lots of reasons why I don’t
think it would be the best idea right now.’ She didn’t elaborate,
knowing how fond Sylvie was of Thierry, and not wanting to criticise
him in front of her.
Sylvie
fiddled with her rings. ‘To tell you the truth, Frédéric has
asked me to move in with him, and I’ve been weighing up all the
pros and cons, just as you have. I like my independence too, you
see.’
Lottie
grinned. She and Sylvie had a lot in common.
‘I
can only see pros, Sylvie. You’re finding it difficult to manage
the garden on your own now – you said that yourself – and if you
move in with Frédéric, you can tend the garden together, and you’ll
enjoy having his company. Not only that, but there would be plenty of
room for Chlöe to come and stay. So what’s stopping you from
saying yes?’
‘Well,
first of all, I promised your family I’d look after you, and the
baby, when it comes, and I don’t want to let them or you down by
going back on that promise.’
Lottie
threw her hands up in the air. ‘This is why I haven’t ever
learned to support myself, because my whole family treats me like I’m
a child. You’re not responsible for my welfare, Sylvie. You must
put yourself first.’
‘They’re
only looking out for you, Lottie. And I’d feel a lot happier about
accepting Frédéric’s proposal if you were settled somewhere else,
with a support network around you, especially if you do want to go
back to work eventually. There’s no shame in accepting help, you
know, and Thierry really wants to help you.’
Lottie
placed their coffees on the table. She sat down again, trying not to
take out her frustration with her family on Sylvie when she’d been
so good to her.
‘Thierry’s
not ready for me to move in, despite what he says. He’s still not
over the death of his wife, and I think he needs more time.’
Sylvie
took a sip of her coffee. ‘Yes, I agree. He’s never got over what
happened to Nicole. He used to be such a carefree young man before
life intervened and changed his outlook forever. Such a tragedy, when
they loved each other so much. But perhaps if you moved in, you could
help him to come to terms with everything.’
Although
Lottie was interested to hear Sylvie’s take on Thierry’s
situation, she couldn’t help feeling that there were too many
secrets surrounding him. She wanted to hear about his past from him
rather than from everyone else, but he showed no sign of relenting.
‘If
you want to move in with Frédéric, I will completely understand. It
would make a lot of sense, and if I’m going to move out anyway in
the near future, there’s no point you hanging on here any longer
than you need. Someone will be able to take me in. You mustn’t
worry about it.’
As
much as she believed what she was saying, Lottie had no idea where
she would go if Sylvie did decide to move in with Frédéric. Right
now, Thierry seemed to be offering the only option.
Julie
Stock writes contemporary feel-good romance from around the world:
novels, novellas and short stories. She published her debut
novel, From
Here to Nashville,
in 2015, after starting to write as an escape from the demands of her
day job as a teacher. Starting
Over at the Vineyard in Alsace
is her ninth book, and the second in the Domaine des Montagnes series
set on a vineyard.
Julie
is now a full-time author, and loves every minute of her writing
life. When not writing, she can be found reading, her favourite
past-time, running, a new hobby, or cooking up a storm in the
kitchen, glass of wine in hand.
Julie
is a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association and The Society of
Authors. She
is married and lives with her family in Bedfordshire in the UK.
