Just to be clear the 1/8 means it is the first of the 8 books that I have read out of the pile sent by the lovely people at the TV Book Club, I don't think it's the first they have discussed.

I am so glad I started with this book, it's that lovely chunky size which means you can really chew on it for days. Set in Provence, France, Deborah Lawrenson's sensual tale is one of a love shrouded in mystery. Eve and Dom buy a derelict farmhouse in the lavender sea of Provence and take their time sinking into their surroundings and relish their isolation from the hustling modern world.


However, as with all old properties in novels, this farmhouse has a story that it slowly begins to unveil and a resident it has yet to disclose. 


Lawrenson elegantly captures the sights, sounds and smells of the richly perfumed Provence and draws her readers into a rural history tainted by misunderstandings. I can see why the Book Club selected The Lantern for their summer read, I could almost feel the sun beating out of the pages and luckily enough, the lavender in our front garden aided the sweet fragrances that Lawrenson so accurately describes. 


These books are going to be rated, a rarity for me so here goes. I give it a well deserved 7/10. You can read it wherever you choose, a lush field, a cool poolside or a stuffy train carriage. It really doesn't matter where you are, you'll all be drawn into the same beautiful French landscape. Oui! Oui!