With the May bank holiday break behind us (and the inevitable post-holiday blues) it’s time to look forward towards the summer. If you’re planning a summer escape and fancy something away from the thronging hordes and lager louts, perhaps the south of France is for you?

I’m currently inspired by the upcoming women’s fiction title, the beautifully written The Provence Cure for the Brokenhearted, which is set in a charming little village called Puyloubier and it looks too picturesque for words. I’m imagining fields of lavender, mountains of brie and camembert, and vast quantities of red wine (the last two being essential holiday ingredients). And if I can be bothered to move from my sunlounger, I may look to explore things further afield, moving from Provence to the Languedoc region, taking along my well-thumbed copy of Hot Sun, Cool Shadow for added inspiration.

Bon voyage!

Lara Crisp, Managing Editor