The Champagne Letters

by Kate Macintosh

Perfect for fans of bubbly wine and Kristin Harmel, this historical fiction novel follows Mme. Clicquot as she builds her legacy, and the modern divorcee who looks to her letters for inspiration.Reims, France, 1805: Barbe-Nicole Clicquot has just lost her beloved husband but is determined to pursue their dream of creating the premier champagne house in France, now named for her new identity as a Veuve Clicquot. With the Russians poised to invade, competitors fighting for her customers, and the Napoleonic court politics complicating matters she must set herself apart quickly and permanently if she, and her business, are to survive. In present day Chicago, broken from her divorce, Natalie Taylor runs away to Paris. In a book stall by the Seine, Natalie finds a collection of the Widow Clicquot’s published letters and uses them as inspiration to step out of her comfort zone and create a new, empowered life for herself. But when her Parisian escape takes a shocking and unexpected turn, she’s forced to make a choice. Should she accept her losses and return home, or fight for the future she’s only dreamed about? What would the widow do?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook, Historical, France, Book Club, Travel

352 pages, Hardcover

First published December 10, 2024

Reviews

[Karren Sandercock · Rating 5 out of 5]

1805: Barbe-Nicole Clicquot husband Francois dies suddenly and she’s a widow at twenty seven and has a seven year old daughter Clémentine to raise. Barbe-Nicole is determined to pursue their dream of creating the premier champagne house in France and with her father-in-law Phillipe’s support and backing and it’s named Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin.

Barbe-Nicole overcomes tragedy and adversity, her parents putting pressure on her to remarry, juggling motherhood and her work, and she came up with an idea called “ riddling” and survived the Russians defeating Napoleon Bonaparte, invading France and took a big risk to save her champagne, business and future.

2024: Natalie Taylor lives in Chicago, after her twenty year marriage ends and her ex-husband Will expects her to use her annual leave to pack up their house and for the first time she tells him maybe he should do it himself and she’s going on a trip to Paris.

From a stall by the Seine River, Natalie buys a book of the Widow Clicquot's published letters and she uses them as a bases to change her mindset, to try and be a strong and independent woman. Natalie makes a mistake and she’s too trusting, should she accept her losses and return home, or fight back and stick up for herself.

I received a copy of The Widows of Champagne by Kate Macintosh from Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster in exchange for an unbiased review.

Kate Macintosh’s dual timeline story is fascinating and she uses letters written by Barbe-Nicole to her great-granddaughter Anne as part of the dialogue, and it’s set in both Paris and Reims. The author cleverly combines true facts about Barbe-Nicole Clicquot and widowhood and Natalie’s character being cheated on and divorced to explore topics such as how women are overlooked and not taken seriously, revenge and courage, loyalty and tenacity, being a leader and risk taker, and when you do that’s when you can achieve success and hopefully happiness.

I highly recommend reading The Champagne Letters a novel that will captivate and inspire women of all ages and five stars from me.

[Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would a woman be able to take over a vineyard and make quality wine and champagne?

We meet Veuve Clicquot in the 1800s who turned her business into an empire and did it without her husband. No one thought a woman could do it.

Then we meet Natalie present day who ran to Paris just so she could avoid taking care of what was left of the things from her divorce.

She meets Mme. Clicquot through a book of her published letters. Those letters saved Natalie from her despair and helped her move forward without fear of taking risks and follow her dreams.

Natalie has a great time in Paris, and you will enjoy it with her as she changes her hairstyle and goes on a shopping trip where fashion counts more than anything.

Back to Mme. Cliqout - she has a more difficult time convincing everyone she can run her business, and we all know how they are proved wrong and how that turned out.

THE CHAMPAGNE LETTERS is a delightful read about women taking risks and enjoying success and happiness….even though success and happiness have some setbacks for both of them.

If you need a change of pace, care to learn about wine and champagne making and the life of the ​Champagne ​Queen​ of Reims as well as spending time with two delightful, strong women in this well-researched book, this one fits the bill with a great twist in one of the character’s lives. 5/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Shantha (ShanthasBookEra) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Champagne Letters was a meaningful journey through Paris and the French countryside. It follows two women who end up alone and need to find a new path. The story is told in dual timeline: Mme. Clicquot who finds herself a widow in 1800. With determination and grit, she develops one of the most famous wine houses in the world. Modern day Natalie Taylor finds herself reeling from her divorce and escapes to Paris on a journey of self-discovery. While there, she finds a series of letters that Mme. Clicquot had written to her great-granddaughter. Nicole finds plenty of advice and words of wisdom. Will it be enough to give Natalie courage to forge her own path?

I loved this outstanding historical fiction novel. The story of Mme. Clicquot is inspiring and shows what can be accomplished out of necessity, perseverance, and resilience. I loved her letters to her great-granddaughter full of words to live by. Natalie's journey will resonate with many as she is reeling after her divorce and looks to the Widow's words as she tries to find a new path. I found this an inspiring story of second chances and the power a woman has within her to accomplish her dreams and achieve her own destiny. I highly recommend this feel-good, inspirational novel that felt reminiscent of Eat, Pray, Love meets a Kristin Harmel novel.

[Marilyn (not getting notifications) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Champagne Letters by Kate Macintosh was a five star book for me. I couldn’t put it down. There were two timelines and I was totally invested in each one. I loved the strong, independent and courageous women in The Champagne Letters. Kate Macintosh’s storytelling was brilliantly crafted, her research was impeccable and her writing was captivating. I loved learning about the champagne industry, the era during which Napoleon was at the helm of France and about the act of wine fraud. If you enjoy really well written historical fiction then reading The Champagne Letters is a must. I highly recommend The Champagne Letters by Kate Macintosh.

Thank you to Gallery Books for allowing me to read The Champagne Letters by Kate Macintosh through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Publication was December 10, 2024.

[Annissa Joy Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was initially drawn to this ARC by the gorgeous cover and the story inside is just as gorgeous!!!! I love a debut and this is a fabulous one!!! I drank it up quickly!!!

This dual timeline story is told in alternating chapters of Barb-Nicole Clicquot in France during the 1800s and present day Natalie who is newly divorced and takes a trip to Paris to find herself again.

I thoroughly enjoyed both timelines in which both women found out how strong they are without their husbands. Natalie buys a book that contains letter by Barb-Nicole to her great granddaughter, Anne. Barb-Nicole and Natalie are connected by these letters and Natalie learns so much about herself from reading these beautiful letters.

This book is for historical fiction fans, wine fans, fans of books with strong female characters and lovers of great books!! Highly recommend this book that comes out on 12/10.

[Tina Panik · Rating 2 out of 5]

The historical half of this novel is stronger than the modern half; both the writing and character development would have benefited from less cliches.

[Christine M in Texas (stamperlady50) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, an amazing debut. Love, loss, witty and fun. A dual-timeline and the setting is lovely.

This author will be one to watch. Our bookclub will be zooming with her soon and I can wait.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was incredible. A dual pov between early 1800s France and present day follows 2 troubled but strong women as they navigate life’s challenges and hardships. This beautifully written novel captivated my heart and imagination. Cannot recommend this book enough!! It’s a must read.

[Electra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved these characters. There were so many beautiful lines in this book. I enjoyed the backdrop of the story, both historically and the description of the scenery. The reveals were very well done. 4.5 stars.

[Emily Eich · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was such a lame read. I cannot think of one character development point that I found moving, interesting, or compelling. I picked this book up because I thought it would be nice to read a story about Paris and I enjoy alternate timelines, but I found Barbe-Nicole’s character corny and lacking any interesting depth. Natalie’s character was a bit more interesting, but her personality felt so shallow and inconsistent that this felt like a hallmark movie. The only reason I’m giving this 2 stars is because I was surprised by the twist that the love interest was a scammer! However, the cheesy romance is sort of what started to interest me, so it was honestly a bummer that the twist happened!
Also, the daring, risky, #girlboss move of Natalie demanding she be made partner with Sophie’s champagne business, and then having absolutely no follow up?? I think that just fell super flat for me.
Overall, two stars, because this book did make me excited to go to Paris!

[Natalie Swartz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved so much about this book- the French setting, suspense, romance, life philosophies, strong women, and a few twists. I couldn’t put it down

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Champagne Letters” by Kate MacIntosh is a wonderful immersive historical fiction that revolves around the founder of Verve Clicquot champagne Barbe-Nicole Clicquot. The story is set in dual timelines and the present day character is an American women who is going through a bad divorce. She escapes to Paris to try and reset her life when she finds a book of life lesson letters written by the widow Clicquot to her great granddaughter. The book becomes her inspiration to move forward.

The narrative happens centuries apart and reading about the strength, determination and courage of a woman in the 1800s to take control of a failing business and ultimately develop it to become one of the worlds greatest Champaign houses was stunning. The lessons learned by our American protagonist who is trying to recreate her life is a model for all of us. I actually jotted some of them down to keep them in front of me!

The author did a great job of weaving these two stories together. The historical content was fascinating, so if you like history, champagne and stories of strong women this book is for you!

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Lyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell voices Natalie Taylor, and Jackie Sanders portrays Madam Barbe-Nicole Clicquot. Superb job to the both of you.

I thoroughly enjoyed this “nouvelle” spin of my usual historical WWII novel read. This one is about Champagne!

Reims, France, 1805. Barbe-Nicole Clicquot has just lost her beloved husband but is determined to pursue their dream of creating the premier champagne house in France, “Veuve Clicquot”. With the Napoleonic War going on, the Russians poised to invade, competitors vying for her customers and the Napoleonic court politics only complicating matters, Madame Cliquot must set herself apart quickly, if she and her business are to survive.

In present day Chicago, Natalie Taylor, devastated from her divorce, runs away to Paris. In a book stall, Natalie finds a collection of the Widow Clicquot’s published letters and uses them as inspiration to step out of her comfort zone and create a new, empowered life for herself. But when her Parisian escapade takes Natalie on a shocking and unexpected turn, she’s forced to make a choice. What would the widow Clicquot do?

The story has two timelines and I was totally invested in each one, wanting to know the outcome. I always enjoy stories with strong, independent, courageous women and the author Kate Macintosh was brilliant. Her research was impeccable and her writing, captivating. I loved learning about the champagne industry, wine fraud and the era when Napoleon was at the helm of France. If you enjoy historical fiction “The Champagne Letters” is for you. Sit down and read with a glass of bubbly ;)

[Kylie Youtz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It was like getting advice from your grandmother and also living it out at the same exact time. Natalie was a fun character who is newly divorced and coming into perspective of her “new” life and reflecting on it through Barb-Nicole’s advice and what she went through in her life in the 1800 as a women in business. It took a couple interesting turns I didn’t expect too. I also cried at the end and I am not a book crier. (More happy tears than anything else)

Give this a go if you’re looking for a new outlook on life and some women empowerment 💪🏼

[BethFishReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

A dual-time-line story featuring a contemporary woman who travels to France after a divorce and the early-19th-century letters of Barbe-Nicole Clicquot who describes her journey to champagne fame.

In modern times, Natalie, reeling from an unexpected divorce, goes to Paris to find adventure and maybe even an uncommitted fling. On the first day, she discovers a book of Clicquot's letters in a used-book store, befriends a helpful hotel worker, and meets a cute guy at a cafe. Her vacation is getting off to great start.

In the past, through the letters, we learn of Clicquot's struggles to be taken seriously by male winemakers and merchants, of how she and a colleague save their wine during wartime, and how she took a risk that changed her future.

What ultimately happens with Natalie becomes obvious well before the end. I did not, however, predict Natalie's ultimate reaction and was disappointed that she essentially blackmails the bad guys instead of going to the police. I'm sorry, I can't see that I'd have any empathy for them at all.

In the end this book was only okay for me.

Narrators Cassandra Campbell and Jackie Summers were both good. Their performances were solid and reflected their character's personality and predicaments.

Thanks to Simon Audio for the review copy.

[Deity World · Rating 5 out of 5]

First read of 2025 very emotional but brilliantly written for a new author

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love reading about real people in history. The story about Barbe Nicole Cliquot is no exception. It was fascinating to read how she built her champagne empire.

I don’t enjoy a dual timeline, especially when the two characters have no relation. I don’t know why authors do that. I would probably lower my rating to 3.8 because of that.

I often look up the “real” people on Wikipedia after I finish a historical fiction novel to see if I can uncover any more tidbits. Barbe was seemingly a very hard worker who struggled to survive during war and the inherent obstacle of being a woman in business in the 1700’s and yet you discover her great granddaughter, Anne, was an “aristocrat” and her great-great grandson was an “art collector”. I wonder if Barbe would approve? Maybe she wouldn’t care.

Note: This book will make you want to drink champagne while you read.

[Morgan Powers · Rating 4 out of 5]

The historical fiction girlies are gonna love this! Thank You to NetGalley and Gallery Books for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
As a lover of strong women, historical fiction, and wine I really enjoyed this book! I will say the 50-75 pages or so were slow for me and it wasn’t until the first twist that I was hooked. Love learning more about the history of Veuve Clicquot and Madame Clicquot and will be recommending this to my friends for when it comes out!

[Nicole Harper · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t love the present day protagonist, but I enjoyed learning how Veuve Clicqot is what it is today because of the boldness of a woman who was ahead of her time. (albeit a fictionalized version) I didn’t know the history behind the Veuve Clicqot champagne house previously and this book definitely piqued my interest to read about it further!

[Marianne Burke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charming read with a dual timeline with the letters of Barbe Clicquot inspiring a divorcee who has fled to Paris.

[Teal · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was, how do you say, bad. While a great and fun premise for a book, the writing was repetitive & obvious. Forced my way through this tho and for that I deserve a glass of champagne

[Maggie Cummings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book! Loved seeing the narrator get her life back and getting revenge at the end. Stayed up late two nights in a row to finish it. Felt like I was taking a vacation to France with her!

[Janilyn Kocher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent read. I did only read the chapters that dealt with Natalie and skim read the others.

[Barb Dennee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dual timelines with interesting characters. I enjoyed the historical account as told by the Widow Clicquot and how she managed, survived and succeeded in her business of making and marketing champagne - Veuve Clicquot. I need to make a trip to this part of France! The story of American divorcee Natalie was typical chick lit. Rating is based on the historical component.

[Alyssa Palombo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fascinating and engrossing dual timeline novel. I hadn't known that Veuve Clicquot translated to Widow Clicquot, and I didn't know that a woman was behind one of the most famous champagne brands in the world. The widow is an absolutely fascinating figure, and it was wonderful to learn about her life and journey through this fictional narrative - I'll definitely be seeking out more information about her! The present timeline complemented the past narrative so well, and I loved Natalie's chapters just as much. I listened to the audiobook version, which was excellently performed and which I highly recommend!

[Mackenzie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok I’m conflicted about this book. Definitely don’t buy it but wait for it at the library.

Some thoughts:

1. I love Veuve Cliquot
2. The premise for this story is 10/10. 5 stars
3. The execution was really bad. The character and the story were super underdeveloped and the writing felt juvenile. The similes and metaphors were painful.
4. Although, I enjoyed the little plot twist at the end

There were so many things that annoyed me:
-The “Mouse” storyline was so bad.
-The sudden intro to someone being called “the Pharaoh” for the rest of the book.
-I’m not even sure where Louis was or why we cared. -We didn’t get any context on the political upheaval of the time.
-We were told time and time again that “my champagne is the best in the world” but I don’t know how we know that? You can’t just state that and it’s true.
- I hated Natalie although I definitely get being all about your partner and forgetting yourself but I hated her and would never be her friend.

With all that said… I did finish in five days and don’t normally do that though so… it must not be that bad

[Deana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the widow Cliqcout’s part but I found Natalie annoying. That story line seemed a bit ridiculous to me. And when she would say “I learned from the widow” - a bit much. She was nothing like the strong woman who created a legendary champagne business. Overall a 3.5.

[Becca Rolley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not usually a written review person but I got this book for free from a Goodreads giveaway so thought I’d hold up my end of the bargain. This book was very okay. There were parts I really enjoyed and then some slow sections I struggled to get through. Overall, it felt like Julia & Julia meets Eat Pray Love mixed with Letters to Juliet. As a history person, I was shocked that I actually liked Natalie’s timeline better than the widow’s. However, this book is a little bit about serendipity and I couldn’t believe a friend who had no idea I was reading this book gifted me a bottle of Veuve Clicquot right in the middle of it. Maybe the widow was telling me to listen more closely to some of the lessons Natalie learns. Overall it was fun and I think it’d be a good read for anyone wanting to eat cheese and sip some bubbly. Cheers.

[Lisa Winer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was gifted a bottle of veuve clicquot over the holidays and did not even know how to pronounce it. Then I coincidentally saw this historical fiction book coming out and, now knowing the name, decided to put it on my “to read” list. I learned so much about the widow Clicquot, the early 1800s in France, the Napoleonic wars, and how women were treated back then in the business world. This was a dual timeline with a second narrator: a woman who visits Paris to find herself and becomes influenced by the widow’s letters that she happens upon in a hotel. Lots of plot twists, and it did not disappoint!

[Brittany McCann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barbe-Nicole is an excellent character and a widow narrating from a historical perspective.

Natalie is the contemporary narrator learning about Barbe-Nicole starts out well, and then wow, I was not a fan, but she has sleight redemption. At one point, Natalie is everything that is wrong with privileged white American women while traveling,

Lots of great quotes such as
"Every day is a champagne occasion if you want it to be."

"Our local priest was one of those dour men who used God as a cudgel to feel powerful."

"I suspected the greatest satisfaction he provided a woman came from his absence."

In the end, it's a solid 4 star because of Barbe-Nicole