Summer at the Little French Cafe

In the beautiful village of Chamillon lies the Café Belle Vie, where you’ll always find croissants and friends when you need them the most – and where Elle is hoping to uncover the truth about her past...

Thirty-year-old Elle Matheson has decided it’s finally time to find the mother who gave her up as a baby. With a faded postcard from the Café Belle Vie in hand – one of the very few things she has from her mother – she heads straight to the Île de Ré to begin her search.

With only the postcard and the ivory shawl she was wrapped in as clues, finding her mum is like trying to find a needle in a haystack, even with the help of friendly – and gorgeous – café-owner Charlie. And since Elle hasn’t exactly told her younger sister what she’s up to, the little white lies about where she is are starting to add up...

But Elle is really starting to feel at home on the beautiful island. The locals are welcoming, the café is homely, and Charlie is always there with a helping hand, a listening ear, and a pain au chocolat.

Is Elle about to discover not just where she came from – but where she belongs?

A hilarious rom-com perfect for reading in the sunshine! Fans of Debbie Johnson, Zara Stoneley and Debbie Macomber will love Karen Clarke!

Readers are loving Summer at the Little French Café!

‘I was hooked in really quickly into the wonderful, summery book, and read it in a few short hours... I loved every moment of this delightful book and there was even a mystery that had me stumped but equally eager to find out the outcome. This was a pure pleasure to read.’ Rachel’s Random Reads, 5 stars

‘A fabulous sunny, summery read that sparkles and delights. I was engrossed in this lovely story from page one. Lovely imagery and a really pretty cover, a must read for the beach!’ NetGalley Reviewer, 5 stars

‘You can’t help but kept swept away... The added aspect of it all being set in France was just the icing on the top of an already scrumptious story... a wonderful and entertaining read.’ By the Letter Book Reviews, 5 stars.

Previous series has sold over 130,000 copies to date. Amazon UK top 100 author



After giving up her job as a library assistant, Karen now writes full-time. She’s had over 300 stories published in women’s magazines in the UK and abroad, and has written three paranormal romantic comedies, published by Little, Brown/Corsair. When she’s not writing she reads avidly, walks dogs at her local rescue centre, and is eagerly awaiting the next season of The Walking Dead. She lives in Buckinghamshire with her husband and three grown-up children.