Praise for How to Make a French Family:
"Change is never easy, especially when it’s in another city or, better yet, another country. Verant (Seven Letters from Paris, 2014) managed to do it, with a few challenges along the way, and provides readers a charming and witty look at how in this memoir. The Chicago girl moves to southwestern France to be with her new husband and his children, and is enthralled by a new life in a quaint city, but it’s not everything she expected. After many struggles while trying to raise her stepchildren (and having them develop into testy teenagers), along with not always seeing eye-to-eye with her husband, and dealing with a terrible tenant, Verant’s doubts about her new life continue to grow bigger. Luckily, Verant and her husband’s love of cooking has always helped bring them together, giving them a foundation that is unbreakable. Verant’s memoir touches on universal, real-life themes, like love, loss, and family, while mixing in plenty of delicious French flavors (and actual recipes) that make for a tasty read that’s true to the heart." — Carissa Chesanek, Booklist
"Verant combines one part second chance at romance, one part travelogue, and nearly three dozen recipes in this heartfelt account of how she reconnected with a lover 20 years after their affair and started life over in France with an instant family. When Verant was 19 and traveling through Europe, she had a brief encounter with a Frenchman named Jean-Luc. Not ready for something serious, she never responded to his ardent letters. Two decades later, divorced and in debt, Verant reached out to Jean-Luc, who had been widowed, recently divorced his second wife, and become the solo parent of his two young kids. The undeniable chemistry was still there, and a year later they married and moved outside of Toulouse. In her new environment, Verant had to navigate the laborious bureaucracy and red tape that come with being a foreigner living abroad, learn how to speak French more fluently, and understand vast behavior and cultural differences (such as the French habit of being very direct and making intense eye contact). Most critically, she had to figure out how to bond with her stepchildren, who were still dealing with grief and distrust after Jean-Luc’s ill-advised second marriage. In the end, as Verant warmly writes, food—and her cooking—gave her a sure-fire way in with the family, as they often prepared meals and dined together. (Apr.)" - Publisher's Weekly
"An honest, heartwarming-and at times-heartbreaking account of the struggles that occur when you dare to make your dreams come true." - Janice MacLeod, author of New York Times bestseller Paris Letters
"Love has no boundaries in Samantha Verant's honest and courageous memoir about leaving it all behind to marry her French husband. How to Make a French Family is a testament to her perseverance to adapt to a new life in Southwest France. In the tradition of Seven Letters from Paris, readers will laugh, cry, and cheer for Verant until the final page." - Susan Blumberg-Kason, author of Good Chinese Wife
"A charming and insightful memoir about what follows happily ever after. The fact that Samantha's quest to create a new family is set in France (and filled with recipes) makes it all the more delicious!" - Jennifer Coburn, author of We'll Always Have Paris
"How To Make A French Family shares the ups and downs, good, bad and funny moments of building a new life and family in France, never letting us forget that in the end, love saves the day." - Kristen Beddard, author of Bonjour Kale
"Samantha Vérant dishes up a funny and tender memoir in How to Make a French Family. The setup is pure fairy tale but the tale's power is in the ever-after. Vérant's story is genuine, romantic, sometimes heartbreaking, and, in the end, as wonderfully satisfying and rich as the French cuisine detailed on its pages." - Michelle Gable, New York Times bestselling author of A Paris Apartment and I'll See You in Paris
"Like its author, Samantha Verant's new book is sweet and sassy, told from the heart. Her story of creating a new family and becoming a different kind of mom is brave and vulnerable. A tale of what happens when we go looking for our best lives and best selves." - Elizabeth Bard, New York Times bestselling author of Lunch in Paris and Picnic in Provence
Praise for Seven Letters from Paris:
as Seen In... |
| Seven Letters from Paris was Woman's Day Magazine's November Book Club Pick! |
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| Seven Letters from Paris was reviewed in France and French Property Magazines! |
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| A sweet review in Australia's
New Idea Magazine...
|
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| Article: It's a Good Thing True Love Doesn't Come with an Expiration Date |
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| 12 Best Summer Reads! |
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| Review |
Displaced Nation's:
Best of 2014 in Expat BooksAs Seen On...
The weekend edition of the Today Show in Australia.
As Heard On:
ABC Radio's Life Matters Program
Radio New Zealand National
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Library Journal's VERDICT on Seven Letters from Paris:
"This charming, conversational account of a second chance at a lost love will
delight any reader who has ever thought, “What if?”
"This charming, conversational account of a second chance at a lost love will
delight any reader who has ever thought, “What if?”
The full review can be read here.
Booklist calls Seven Letters from Paris "a passionate, romantic, spring-in-the-step read."
"I recommend this memoir as a great read; a read with the motto 'Follow
your heart' and 'Believe in your dreams', because you never know where
the whirlwind of excitement may end."
~ Chick Lit Club
ChickLit Club's full review of Seven Letters from Paris can be found here.
"Seven Letters from Paris tells the beautiful story of a romance
twenty years in the making. The best part? It’s true!"
twenty years in the making. The best part? It’s true!"
~ Chick Lit Central
Chick Lit Central's full review of Seven Letters from Paris can be found here.
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Praise for SEVEN LETTERS FROM PARIS...
“A charming story, and a delightful
tribute
to the power of a good old-fashioned love letter.” ~ Peter Mayle, bestselling author of A Year in Provence
“Seven Letters from Paris is
a
celebration of l’amour across cultures and across
decades…Samantha
Vérant embraces France, and her French love, with an
all-American enthusiasm
that is nothing if not infectious.” ~ Hilary Reyl,
author of Lessons in French
“Seven Letters from Paris is
a
real-life fairytale. You’ll be rooting for this bubbly American
heroine and her
prince charmant.” ~ Elizabeth
Bard, author of Lunch in Paris: A Love Story
"Fairy
tales come true in Samantha Verant's
utterly winning debut memoir. Effervescent, enchanting and wise,
Seven Letters
From Paris is a paean to second chances, the power of hope, and
the risks real
love requires. A romantic page-turner." ~ Christina Haag, New
York Times
bestselling author of Come to the Edge: A
Love Story.
“Enchanting. A captivating real-life
fairytale romance that will have you reading slowly so you can
savor every
delicious word. Castles included!” ~ Janice
MacLeod, author of Paris Letters
“You’ll
tear up reading this inspiring love story…
Seven Letters from Paris is sweet, touching, and real.” ~ Kristin Espinasse,
author of Words in a French Life: Lessons in Love and
Language from the
South of France
"A sweet and comical
modern love story of one woman's wonderful
happily-ever-after." ~ Wendy
Lawless, author of the NY Times bestseller Chanel Bonfire
"A
true story of long-lost passion found, but
also a cautionary tale on the importance of small gestures and
romance in
everyday life." ~ Jennifer L. Scott, author of Lessons from
Madame
Chic
“Seven Letters from Paris is the story of a sexy, passionate, whirlwind romance twenty years in the making...and worth the wait. Sam shows us all the power of second chances and following your heart.” ~ Teresa Rhyne, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Dog Lived (And So Will I)
“Seven Letters from Paris is
a
glorious, life-affirming testament to the power of love to
change everything.” ~ Jo Maeder, author of Opposites
Attack
and When I Married My Mother
"In a world where
love letters and romantic overtures have all but disappeared, it
is reassuring
to know that feelings committed to a page still have the power
to bring two
people together. Samantha and Jean-Luc were clearly destined to
be
reunited and their story is an inspiration for anyone still
searching for a
soul mate." ~ Patricia Gucci, author of In the Name of
Gucci
"Two
star-crossed lovers must go up against
the passage of time, the difficulty of distance, and many
hilarious
dinner-party faux pas to make their 40-something cross-cultural
romance
survive. Reading this book is like eating a bowl of strawberries
in the
sunshine. It’s a delicious and joyful story from beginning to
end, one that
makes you hold your breath and clutch your heart with vicarious
excitement as
you're carried along what must be one of the sweetest love
stories that’s ever
been told." ~ Torre Deroche, author of Love with a Chance
of Drowning
"Inspirational
and heartfelt, this book
illustrates that it's never too late to change directions in
life. Verant's story reveals how having the courage to follow
your
heart and a take a big leap when you're feeling stuck can put
you on the
path that you're truly meant to be."
~ Holly C. Corbett, national magazine editor and co-author of The Lost Girls: Three Friends. Four Continents. One Unconventional Detour Around the World.
~ Holly C. Corbett, national magazine editor and co-author of The Lost Girls: Three Friends. Four Continents. One Unconventional Detour Around the World.
“Wonderfully engaging and
endearingly
honest.”~ Samantha Brick, author of Head
Over Heels in France: Falling in Love in the Lot
"Seven
Letters from Paris renewed my belief in
the power of true love and made me believe that miracles can
happen!" ~ Jamie Cat Callan, bestselling author of French Women Don't
Sleep Alone
"Watch
out, Walt Disney. Samantha Verant has
lived--and vividly shared--a happily ever after story complete
with castles and
a dark and handsome hero. But unlike the Disney princesses,
Samantha's own
honesty, soul-searching, brave leaps into the unknown, and
willingness to laugh
at her own foibles make her a role model for today's woman." ~
Candace
Walsh, author of Licking the Spoon: A
Memoir of Food, Family, and Identity
"Not since
Dangerous
Liaisons has French letter writing been this exciting." ~
Helena
Frith Powell, author of Two Lipsticks and
a Lover
US BLOG TOUR
On Zee Web
US BLOG TOUR
Question and Answer Session at We Love Memoirs
Jacqueline Brown, of French Village Diaries (Review)
Susan Blumberg-Kason, author of Good Chinese Wife (Post)
Susan Blumberg-Kason, author of Good Chinese Wife (Post)
Lindsey Tramuta, of Lost in Cheeseland (Guest Post + Giveaway)
Jacqueline Brown, of French Village Diaries (Interview)
Jacqueline Brown, of French Village Diaries (Interview)
Jorie Loves a Story (Review + Interview + Giveaway)
Kasia Dietz, of Love in the City of Lights (Post)
Kasia Dietz, of Love in the City of Lights (Post)
