Chateau of Echoes

It was difficult to turn the last page of Chateau of Echoes and say good bye to all the characters I've gotten to know and love, so few novels have such wonderful character development. But there also was a creative twist to Siri Mitchell's Chateau of Echoes. It was written in the first person, a rarity! We got to know the protagonist from the inside out, not from the outside in. Bravo! Seri Mitchell's writing style is phenomenal! I was challenged with vocabulary! YAY! She regularly consulted an English, French dictionary, and loved using a thesaurus and a culinary dictionary. I rarely read a book that I want to share. Chateau of Echoes is one for your library collection. To be shared and enjoyed over and over again. Enjoy!

Siri Mitchell is a gifted writer and a creative genius. The way she wove a historical story within a contemporary story captivated me. In fact, I read Chateau of Echoes in just two settings. The characters, widow Freddy Farmer, owner of the Chateau/Inn, and playboy/author Robert Cranwell, were so "real" and intriguing that I just had to spend more and more time with them. As I toured the beautiful Chateau maze and gardens, I smelled the musty rooms, the gourmet food, the moist grass, and the variety of flowers and fresh vegetables. And while reading young Alix's fifteenth century diary, I was transported back in time to an era filled with innocence, virtue and deception. So... if you love romance, mystery, history, and puzzle solving... then this book is for you. I highly recommend it. Happy reading!

An extremely well written story, combining history, geography, haut cuisine, mystery, drama, religion and romance in the most picturesque of settings in Brittany, France. Frederique Farmer is a young widow who owns and operates an exclusive bed and breakfast establishment at her fifteenth century chateau. She accepts very few guests, and overcharges the ones who pass inspection, but the gourmet meals she serves make it seem like a little piece of heaven. She is assisted only by a graduate student named Severine, who helps out in exchange for room and board. Her life changes when she finds the journals of Alix de Montet, who was married to the Comte Barenton at the age of thirteen, back in the fifteenth century. Playboy American author Robert Cranwell becomes intrigued by the journals and charms his way into a long stay at the chateau to gather information for the book he intends to write. The interaction and development of the characters, the vivid descriptions of the food and surroundings, and the excerpts from Alix's Journals make for an enjoyable read, which I highly recommend to you. Amanda Richards, December 24, 2005

Siri Mitchell writes a charming story combining the ancient past with the present in a very creative manner. She introduces the reader to Frederique Farmer, a relatively young widow, who purchases a Chateau in Brittany after the unexpected death of her husband who worked on assignment for the U.S. State Department. She renovates and furnishes the Chateau with antique decor converting it into an Inn. Frederique graduated from the Cordon Bleu and is a gourmet cook, she prefers to make the meals for her guests herself, along with the help of a French graduate student, Severine, who receives room and board in exhange for her duties at the Inn. Not long after buying the Chateau, a unique discovery in a cellar put the place on the world map, won it fame and recognition among archeologists and researchers interested in Celtic Studies. The discovery was an intact journal from the 15th century, written by Alix de Montot, the wife of the Comte Barenton named Awen de Kertanuan. She was aged 13 when betrothed and married to the Comte. The marriage occured to keep a 200 year old promise made on a battlefield between two families, that their blood line would be combined. The main problem was ... only boys had been the offspring of each family ... until the birth of Alix. Frederique receives a letter from California from a world reknown author, Robert Cranwell, who wants to rent a room at the Chateau de Kertanuan for six months. Frederique enjoys her independence and is highly selective about her guests, she prefers short visits, and has very exclusive clientele who are famous Parisians from all walks of life. She did an internet search on Robert Cranwell, making judgements about him based on the articles she discovered about his love life, good looks and fame. She discarded the letter and dismissed him as a guest ... that is ... until she received an unexpected phone call and found herself succombing to his overtures and sincerity despite her best judgement to the contrary. He wanted to stay six months but she objected and compromised, agreeing to one month ... In a very intriguing manner, the author develops an approach-avoidance relationship between these two protagonists. This technique keeps the reader wanting to read more about how they interact and work out their feelings. The most fascinating concept in this novel is how the author incorporated the discovery of the 15th century journal, which becomes the basis of their budding friendship. As they spend more time living in close quarters, Frederique finds herself attracted to Robert Cranwell, despite all her misgivings. It is a wonderful reading experience unraveling how her initial mistrust is overcome and how Severine almost destroyed it. I love how the author alternates chapters, first telling the story from the perspective of Frederique, followed by a chapter describing the life of Alix de Montot, told in her own voice as recorded in her journal between the years, 1459 to 1462 A.D. The author also

I loved Chateau of Echoes. It's a romance with a touch of mystery, a modern love triangle with a subplot of another, ancient love triangle. The descriptions of the French countryside, and the gourmet meals our heroine creates, help you experience France as a true insider. (The author lived in France and even includes recipes from a chef there.) The heroine is a widow rebuilding her life and she has bought a French estate to open as a bed and breakfast. She has a thick wall around her heart, refusing to believe in love again, or even God. It takes a very unlikely man to break through her defenses and help her find the courage to live and love again. This book is published by a Christian publisher. The heroine wrestles with questions about faith and God in a very believable way, making this book appropriate for most anyone, including those who are interested in Christianity but not believers. The Christian content is not heavy-handed or condemning, but rather, the stuff we all ask ourselves when struggling to believe and risk after a loss. However, the tone of the book is never weighed down by these questions; it remains an elegant, indulgent read for romance fans. This is my second Siri Mitchell book to read, the first being Kissing Adrien. Siri is well on the way to being a favorite among modern chicklit/romance readers. If you haven't read Siri's work yet, this book is the perfect place to begin.