Product Description

In her mid-thirties Karen has it all: a career as a fashion editor, a handsome boyfriend, a fab flat in west London and an array of gorgeous shoes. But when her 'plus one' leaves, she wonders if there is more to life than high fashion. So, she hangs up her Manolos and waves goodbye to her city lifestyle, deciding to go it alone in a run-down house in rural Poitou-Charentes, western France. Once there, she encounters a host of new friends and unsuitable suitors, soon learning that true happiness can be found in the simplest of things - a bike ride through the countryside on a summer evening, or six glasses of Pinot in a neighbor's garden. If you've ever dreamed of chucking away your BlackBerry and down shifting, "Tout Sweet" is perfect summer reading.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7297 in Books
• Published on: 2009-07-06
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Review
`I gulped it down in one day... snorting with laughter and with agreement, as she nailed the experience.' --LibertyLondonGirl.blogspot.com, July 16, 2009

Featured in the Daily Mail --The Daily Mail, August 3, 2009.

`Perfect summer reading for anyone who dreams of chucking away their Blackberry and downshifting to France.'
-- French Property News, August 2009

`the author not only has something to say - she is able to include all manner of themes... very entertaining.'
--French Magazine, September 2009

`Karen's book stands out by its inherent humour, quality of writing and engaging tone that leaves one wishing for more.'
--The Ballymena and Anrtrim Times, August 11, 2009

Featured in The Sunday Times 30th August 2009 -- The Sunday Times

`With wit and style... the author is a glowing advert for the benefits of downshifting to a rural idyll.' --Scotland's New Home Buyer, Winter 2009

`very entertaining... touches on a range of themes from renovation to travel and romance to fashion... considerable élan and bon mots.' --The Traveller in France, November 2009

Cover feature article in Living Abroad magazine, September/October 2009 issue.
--Living Abroad magazine, September/October 2009 issue

Featured in French Property News.
-- December 2009.

Review
`delightful moments which will cause you to... laugh, smile and gasp... perfect for those days when you need to escape.'

Review
`Crack open the vin rouge, unwrap the Brie and prepare to daydream.'

Customer Reviews

I absolutely ADORED this book! So charming and funny.
I just finished reading Tout Sweet in one sitting. The book only arrived yesterday morning in the post and I have now in one and a half days come to the last page. The story was so charming and enchanting. It was the perfect antidote to this terrible summer in London, being able to escape in my head to idyllic France and into the world of the author.

The characters were so funny and I felt myself warming to each and every one - I only hope we read more about them in her next book.

Far less clichéd than Peter Mayle and the like, this is THE `moving to France' story for me. And with the author's sprinkling of glamour - this is my favourite `feel-good' book of 2009!

The perfect escape
I was sorry when I finished 'Tout sweet' because I could have stayed a lot longer with Karen in Poitou, sharing her crazy but sweet time there !
Bravely leaving behind a cushy, luxurious lifestyle in London (bit of a Carry Bradshaw there maybe ! ), Karen roughs it up in a rural, peaceful village of Poitou Charentes, while renovating an old house 'Maison Coquelicot', her new home. Hoping to find the next Great Love, Karen quickly mixes with the locals, french and british expats, all very quirky but endearing individuals. Well written and very funny, the author, an immediately loveable character, finds herself in hilarious and difficult situations, not least because of the pecularities of french etiquette !
If not the first english person to take the road to gaelic pastures, Karen's book stands out by its inherent humour, quality of writing and engaging tone that leaves one wishing for more of Karen's adventures in Poitou!
Perfect summer read or at anytime one needs some fresh air and mental escape !

Excellent first book
The book is well written and very witty with strong likeable characters.
You cannot help but fall in love with the author's character. She seems like a Bridget Jones let loose in the French countryside, getting into a lot of funny situations with both ex-pat English and French locals like, as she adjusts to a totally different way of life.

It gives hope to anyone who is considering escaping the UK for a better way of life, that no matter what your background is, you can succeed in the face of adversity and have some great fun along the way.

This book will make you laugh out loud, it's such a great read. It was difficult to put down once I had opened the front cover.
Well worth the money!