A Year at the Chateau & Living the Château Dream 2-Book Collection Set by Dick & Angel Strawbridge - Non Fiction - Paperback

Titles in This Set:
A Year at the Chateau
Living the Château Dream

Overview:
Step into the real-life fairytale of the Chateau and the couple behind it. This two-book collection follows Dick Strawbridge and Angel Strawbridge from the moment they swap city life for a derelict Loire Valley castle, through the gruelling, joyful process of restoration, to the moment they turn that grandiose project into a thriving family home and a sustainable, hands-on life. In A Year at the Chateau, readers join the couple as they face winter's bite, bats in the turrets, a moat-filling toilet, and a castle in need of total renewal. The narrative blends vivid rural-life vignettes—seasonal suppers, markets, local characters—with an intimate, practical record of the renovations that weren’t shown on TV. Living the Château Dream then chronicles the years of hard graft, turning the chateau into a livable home and a growing business. The result is not just a memoir, but a blueprint for turning a dream into daily reality, with warmth, humour, and the unwavering belief that a peaceful, beautiful home is worth the effort.

What Makes This Collection Special:
This set captures the full arc of a modern fairy tale grounded in grit, ingenuity, and real-world problem-solving. The two books complement each other: one anchors you in the dramatic first steps—emergency fixes, long winters, and the thrill of a new life—while the other reveals the ongoing growth of the dream—design choices, sustainability, and the creation of a home-and-business ecosystem on 12 acres of Loire countryside. What ties the collection together is the couple’s hands-on philosophy: no shortcut is too small, no challenge too great when a vision is clear. Readers experience a binge-worthy journey from first move to daily life, with practical takeaways on renovation, garden planning, and turning a passion into a sustainable enterprise. It’s a perfect gift for dreamers who love practical, inspirational storytelling with a distinctly British charm and a dash of noble stubbornness.

Books Included in This Collection:
A Year at the Chateau
This book invites readers into the early, transformative months of the Strawbridges’ new life in France. Beginning in the depths of winter, it chronicles the many obstacles—flies in nest-big bedrooms, moatside plumbing quirks, wind-rattled walls—and the couple’s relentless determination to make the castle a home fit for a wedding and a cosy Christmas. Expect atmospheric scenes of market-driven cooking, village companionship, and a front-row seat to the couple’s first major renovations, many of which were never featured on television. The tone blends wonder with practical detail, offering both an emotional through-line and concrete renovation insights that will resonate with DIY enthusiasts and readers craving a heartfelt, true-life journey.

Living the Château Dream
Picking up where A Year at the Chateau leaves off, this volume explores the years of hard graft that followed the initial breakthrough. Dick and Angel share how they transformed Château-de-la-Motte Husson into a thriving family home and a sustainable business. The book delves into day-to-day decisions—layout changes, energy systems, garden design, and how they balanced domestic life with entrepreneurial ambition. It’s a celebration of perseverance, creativity, and the practical realities of maintaining a historic property while building a modern, livable lifestyle. If you loved the first book’s momentum, this sequel deepens the emotional resonance and offers a richer understanding of the couple’s long-term vision for their rural dream.

Who This Set Is Perfect For:
Ideal for fans of Escape to the Chateau, home-renovation enthusiasts, and readers who crave warm, authentic memoirs with a practical backbone. It also appeals to non-fiction readers seeking inspiration for sustainable living, small-business ventures, and bold life changes. Gift buyers will find a compelling duo—one title to spark the dream, the other to celebrate the hard-won reality—perfect for anniversaries, house-warming occasions, or simply a treat for book lovers who adore transformative journeys and intimate, real-world process narratives.

Key Benefits:

• Two interconnected narratives that cover both the romance of a grand project and the realities of daily life in a historic home.
• Inspiration for turning a passion into a sustainable career while preserving character and charm.
• Rich, atmospheric writing that transports you to rural France with sensory detail and warmth.
• Practical, behind-the-scenes renovation and lifestyle ideas that readers can adapt to their own spaces.
• Perfect for fans of lifestyle non-fiction, family memoirs, and European country living.
• Great gift for heritage property lovers, DIYers, and dreamers who want a blueprint for turning vision into reality.
• Collectible double-book edition that enhances display on shelves and makes a striking gift set.

About the Author:
Dick Strawbridge and Angel Strawbridge are the British couple behind the celebrated Escape to the Chateau franchise. Their work blends hands-on engineering, design, and sustainable living, turning neglected properties into welcoming homes and thriving spaces. Dick's background as an engineer and inventor informs a practical, problem-solving approach to restoration, while Angel brings creative direction, project management, and a warm, inviting storytelling voice. Together they document a remarkable journey—from a derelict château to a flourishing family home and business—capturing not just the beauty of a fairy-tale setting, but the real-world grit, community connections, and daily rituals that sustain it. Their books extend the television narrative with deeper context, personal reflections, and actionable ideas for readers seeking to reimagine their own spaces.

Why You’ll Love This Set:
If you’ve ever daydreamed about a life in a fairytale castle, this set makes that dream tangible. It offers a complete, authentic portrait of renovation and rural living—the challenges, the triumphs, and the quiet moments of life in a grand but human-scale home. The two-book collection provides both the spark of the initial leap and the confidence of long-term growth, making it an ideal reading duo for couples, homeowners, and aspiring renovators. It also matters for fans seeking credible, relatable non-fiction from a beloved storytelling duo—premium, well-structured, and genuinely inspiring to reimagine what’s possible in your own living space.

Please Note: The individual books included in this listing will be dispatched as per the original UK ISBN and UK edition cover image shown in the image.