Great early reviews for Lost in France, and a Goodreads giveaway

Happy New Year, friends.

Mine started with a wonderful four-and-a-half-stars NetGalley review from Bookstagrammer Jacinta (@bookswith_JJ on IG).

In case you can’t read the tiny print, this is what it says:

I feel so seen! Jacinta completely understood the essence of the book and what I was hoping the reader would feel.

The year has also started at an accelerated pace as I begin in earnest to promote Lost in France. It gets released June 23rd, published by Alcove Press and distributed by Penguin Random House, which feels far away, but it's already available to preorder. So I am in catch-up mode, and it’s only January 16.

If you feel moved to pre-order the book, I would be massively grateful. Preorders mean everything to authors, as they give a good indication to the publisher and bookstores about what books to focus on that season. You can do that anywhere—the big online bookstore platforms and your local indie bookstore, too.

Meanwhile, there’s a Goodreads Giveaway of Lost in France running right now until February 1, 2026. They’re giving away 5 physical copies of the book—but for US residents only.

If you want to take part, click here.

Next up…

Next step, Kirk and I head to France for three weeks in February so that I can hunker down and work on the sequel to Lost in France. I have spent the last two months outlining book 2, and it’s in good shape.

To get to write in the environment the book is about, with the opportunity to walk to the boulangerie every morning for a fresh baguette, and be surrounded by the gorgeous French language, to go to some of the places where my characters will go in the book, is nothing but a delight. I hope to share some of those experiences with you in the coming weeks and months, so that you can be as excited about the first Lost in France book, not to mention the next, as I am.

Talk soon –

Claire