In her latest novel, “The Bordeaux Book Club,” Gillian Harvey transports the readers to the picturesque countryside of France. Protagonist Leah uproots her life to move there with her husband and teenage daughter, expecting to live out an idyllic existence growing their food. But Leah soon realizes that farm life is not the romantic ideal she envisioned.

Seeking connection, Leah joins a newly formed book club at the urging of her friend. This ragtag group of members initially seems to be very mismatched, yet they all bond over the stories they read and the intimacy of sharing their struggles. Leah forms many meaningful female friendships through the club to sustain her when her marriage shows many cracks.

Harvey excels at creating relatable characters and immersing the readers in the beauty of the French landscape. The themes of friendship, new beginnings, and reinvention give the story depth. Yet the pacing falters when Harvey lingers on the descriptive details at the expense of the plot movement.

Overall, the bibliophiles will delight in this story-within-a-story exploring the power of books to unite the people. Through the book club members ‘ literary discussions, Harvey delivers witty dialogue, well-crafted metaphors, and an aesthetic escape. For fans of female-centered fiction examining life’s inevitable ups and downs, “The Bordeaux Book Club” makes for a charming and quintessentially beach read.

Thank you to Boldwood Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.2024-bookish-books-challenge arc ebook ...more8 s1 comment Judy Collins2,909 416

Master storyteller British author Gillian Harvey returns following A Month in Provence with THE BORDEAUX BOOK CLUB , another charming tale that will transport you to the picturesque countryside of France with a group of misfits, good food, wine, laughs, wisdom, a fun book club and so much more!

Welcome to Bordeaux the Book Club!
A book club for English speakers.

Meet the 5 ex-pats:
Book Club Members:
Grace
Leah
George
Monica
Alfie

Grace, an avid reader, 50-something. Her idea for the book club. An enigma and high energy. She knows everyone.

Leah (15 yrs younger than Grace) is a mom and wife. She has a not-so-happy teen daughter. She thought the idea of moving to the area would be to live a sustainable life growing and selling food, but things are going differently than planned. Grace is her friend.

Monica is a young mom whose husband's job (pilot) has brought her to the area. However, due to his job, she is left alone with a young baby. She is excited about the Book Club and connecting with other adults.

George, a handyman, has lived in the area for a year. He is renovating a property for a client and lives here year-round. He decides to join the Book Club to meet other people.

Alfie is a quiet young man and the youngest of the group (among the other 40s and 50s). He moved to Bordeaux with his mom years earlier. He keeps to himself. Grace thought he might be more suited to a chess club or gaming organization.

With the unly bunch, they each take turns choosing a book and hosting. Slowly, they form friendships, getting to know one another better. They choose such great classics to read and discuss. Books will eventually open their eyes to the possibility of something new. If you are a book lover and love to travel, this is for you!

From humor and heartbreak, THE BORDEAUX BOOK CLUB has a beautiful, lush French setting that is fully immersive and captivating! From making friendships to offering support, empathy, and love, the novel will delight readers and book lovers seeking their own escape.

ENCHANTING! Who doesn't want to be surrounded and bonded over books, classics, friends, literature, laughter, food, wine, love, and joy? A book within a book.

Gillian Harvey is a new author for me. I enjoyed her last book and was excited about another adventure. She does not disappoint. Character-driven, filled with beautiful metaphors, vivid settings, and most importantly, the power of stories.

Filled with insights and humor, this is a beautiful, witty, heartwarming story of loneliness, grief, and self-discovery with the unliest characters. It's a book club that turns into something more!

A joy of a read! Whether on a beach, mountain, countryside, tropical island, or home settled in a comfy chair on a rainy day, THE BORDEAUX BOOK CLUB will transport you. I cannot wait for Harvey's next adventure. (it is going on holiday)!

This is for fans of US authors Sarah Jio, Aimie K. Runyan, Wendy Wax, and Mary Ellen Taylor.

Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for a gifted digital ARC for an honest opinion.

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@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Mar 15, 2024
My Rating: 4 Stars
March 2024 Must-Read Books
March Newsletter 2024-ng-group-challenge 2024-releases books-read-in-2024 ...more6 s Grace J Reviewerlady1,937 92

An exciting look into the world of living abroad!

Grace came to France to live years ago at her husband's request; when he left, she stayed and has filled her life with lots of different things, all keeping her busy and her latest thought if to start a book club for fellow anglophiles. Monica's husband sees the poster and sends an image to here. Leah and her family recently moved just outside Bordeaux with her family and they have plans to be self-sufficient; she already knows Grace so is signed up to join. George is working in the country helping a friend with renovations and is happy to do something different once a month .. and then there's Alfie; so much younger than the others and with a secret none of them are aware of.

This is a warm, escapist read and I was enthralled all the way through. While a collective group, we learn about each person individually and there are a wide variety of traits and passions to discover. To my mind, this is how a book club should be - a mix of eclectic characters who share their notions and impressions of various literary reads and, on the way, get to know each other. I so enjoyed this one - it is a lovely novel and one I'm happy to recommend. 5*.5 s Micky Cox2,132 27

An engaging and wonderful story of intersecting lives. A group of people who would most ly walk past each other on the street without even noticing each other become friends that are family when they form a hodgepodge book group. Each is going through emotional turmoil quietly on their own, but as they delve into books and discuss the characters, they start to see parallels to their own lives and start to open up to each other thus helping to lighten the emotional load they are carrying. The author absolutely drew me in and kept me on the edge of my seat as I joined the characters as the dumped their dirty laundry for the others to see and help them to clean up and carry the load. An absolutely engaging story that had you both in love with the characters as well as frustrated with them at times just as the author means for you to be! There is a happily ever after for each member of the book club, but it isn't always what you think it will be. I am absolutely in love with this author's writing and can't wait to read more!!! netgalley-books3 s Ritu BhathalAuthor 5 books128

I love books, and I'm rather partial to a Gillian Harvey story. So when you combine the two, there is no way I'm going to pass up reading it. And when the Bordeaux Book Club popped up, it was an immediate must-read.
Set in Bordeaux and surrounding areas, five ex-pats begin to meet up for a book club. They feel more comfortable communicating through their mother tongue rather than stumbling through a French one, murdering the language as they go.
Grace is a fifty-something woman who is a bit of an enigma. She lives alone, is well-established in the area and has her fingers in all the pies, seemingly knowing everyone and everything. The book club is her initial idea.
Leah is a wife and mum to a sullen teenage daughter. She's moved here with her family with the idea of living a sustainable life, growing their own produce to eat and sell, chickens for eggs, etc., but not everything is falling into place as easily as they hoped. Grace is her acquaintance, and she goes along to support her.
George is in the middle of a job, renovating a property for a client and living in the area for around a year. He doesn't know many people and decides the Book Club might be an interesting place to meet others.
Monica is a young mum. Her husband's job has brought them to the area, living in a beautiful apartment, but unfortunately this job also leaves her alone with their new baby for long stretches of time. The book club feels a way to reconnect with adults rather than have a life filled with the four walls of her home and only a baby for company.
Alfie is a young man who moved to Bordeaux with his mum. He's quiet and an unly participant in the book club. He keeps himself to himself, but a series of strange phone calls and a slip of the tongue from his girlfriend, Camille, bring his own tragic situation to the forefront.
Each member has his or her own tale to tell, which unravels as the story is told while the books are discussed within the book club. And it is beautiful to see how friendships are forged between some unly characters and how they become support networks for one another.
Another emotion-filled tale with such a wide range of characters that there is someone there for most readers to identify with. I, for one, was drawn to Leah, who is feeling a bit lost, but it is her struggles to deal with her teenage daughter that really hit home with me.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.2 s Stephanie292 8

A bookclub of expats in France trying to make a go at life in Bordeaux.

A book about friendship and learning the importance of communication in relationships and opening up and discussing things together .

There was something I could relate to with each character in the novel which helped maintain my interest in how everything would work out for the bookclub members . The wiring is skillful and the many characters and their subplots are well balanced .

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood books for this ARC. This is my honest review ! netgalleys2 s Anne510 16

The Bordeaux Book Club

Gillian Harvey’s books are always so much fun to read as they will transport you to France!

Grace started the Bordeaux Book Club for English Speakers living in Cenac, Bordeaux. Everyone who joined the Bordeaux book club has their own personal reasons, but what they all had in common was they all needed some sort of change in their lives. Something that would give them an excuse to break out of their normal routine! But when Grace chooses a classic, Great Expectations, to start off the book club, will this turn people away? With new-found friendships, will they be able to find the connections they are striving for and support each other through the high’s and lows of expat living?

A fun book that transports you to the Bordeaux region of France, where you can live vicariously through the book club! This author captures what it’s being an expat, which is not always a rosy picture! This book is entertaining with relatable characters, which is perfect for your next vacation! I could see this book being made into a miniseries! Also, a great book club pick as there is so much there is so much to discuss!

Thanks to Boldwood Books, I was provided an ARC of The Bordeaux Book Club by Gillian Harvey via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. #NetGalley
2 s Connie N.2,534

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'd rate this 3.5 stars, if I could, but I enjoyed the characters so much that I'll round it up for Goodreads. The main characters are the stars for me. There are five of them, and their differences make them intriguing. Leah is a happily married woman who is questioning their life-changing decision to move to France and live off the land. Grace is pretty much an entrenched older woman who has learned to rely on herself and create her own happiness by keeping busy. Monica is a lonely new mother who feels left out of things even though she lives in the midst of a bustling community. Alfie is a young man who is devoted to caring for his sick mother. And George is a middle-aged man who has been disappointed in love, but he's still an optimist. See what I mean about a variety? I particularly loved that they were pretty non-judgmental, listening to each other and actually listening to each other's comments and accepting them, building relationships between such unly friends. My biggest negative is the book club portion of the book. Yes, I know that's an integral part of the story, but they actually sat and discussed specific books, getting into detailed conversations about characters and settings. Yes, they are classics (Great Expectations, Wuthering Heights, Madame Bovary). But no, I haven't read any of them. It's disappointing when an author bases a large percentage of a book on the assumption that "everyone" is familiar with the details. I felt the dork who shows up for book club night without having read the book. Luckily, I was able to decipher most of the conversations, but I'm sure there were subtleties that I missed, and I felt a little left out. I did enjoy the Bordeaux setting, and I will look for more from this new-to-me author.blue book-on-cover books-about-books ...more2 s Marg929 253

Have you ever tried to start a book club? It can be a bit difficult, especially if you are trying to bring together a group of strangers. In the latest book by Gillian Harvey we meet Grace, Leah, Monica, George and Alfie who are all British expats who have been living in France for varying lengths of time.

Grace decides that she wants to start a book club for English speakers who live in and near Bordeaux. She already knows that her friend Leah will be a member, but she doesn't know how much more interest she will get. She is therefore really pleased to learn that there are several other interested parties, but you never really know if everyone will click, and if they will come back after the first meeting!

Leah and her family moved to the area three years previously with the idea that they would be able to be self sufficient. They have planted the veggies, bought the chickens, but really, it hasn't turned out to be that easy. They have plenty of eggs, although it is a bit of a risk to go in and get them because at least one of the chooks doesn't Leah but there are only so many egg dishes you can have. Leah's teenage daughter has turned into a moody teenager and her husband is behaving very strangely. It all just feels a bit too hard




To read more head to

http://www.theintrepidreader.com/2024...1 Caitlin70

This book fully captures the isolating feeling of living in a foreign country, the struggles one can face to assimilate, and the importance of finding community. The writing is neither too flowery nor too flat, and the author communicates the themes of the book well through the narration and dialogue. Having the characters be so different from each other made for an interesting touch, as the analysis they all had for the books they read and the situations they were in, was quite fun and well-crafted.

Though the story is fairly basic, I thought the characters were definitely strong enough to carry the book. If you can stick it out for the first 20% or so, which in my opinion was a little hard to get invested in, this is a rewarding and emotional read with excellent character growth and a touching story. Content warnings for miscarriage and death of a parent. Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC. This is my honest review.

4/5 Classic books and modern problems.netgalley-reads1 Sharon Valler473 14

Beautifully written and poignant, escapism is the order of the day in this gorgeous novel. An unly mix of ex-pats in Bordeaux form a bookclub and discover as much about themselves as they do the characters in the books they read. I really enjoyed how they picked the classics to read and how they all had a very different reaction to the protagonists in those books, offering a modern insight into how societal behaviours have changed and what was once considered romantic could now be perceived as controlling.

With each of the well developed characters facing very different challenges in their personal lives, what starts as a distraction for them, turns into a deep and supportive friendship that really highlights the importance of books.

5 ?? Thanks to Netgalley, Gillian Harvey and Boldwood for an ARC in return for an honest review. 1 Laurie's Story131

.1 Pam Borrow22

Gentle read about people who become friends and then family 1 Taylor1 review1 follower

A cozy wholesome read about strangers with seemingly little in common, who bond over books and end up relying on each other for friendship and support. 1 Savannah Reed9

What I d about this book was the setting. The location being France created opportunity for beautiful imagery and the story revolving around a book club is an undeniably cozy scene. The windows into different lives was a nice touch and made it an easy read, but I was left with more than a couple criticisms.

Where to begin… The group of characters that comprise the Bookclub make sense in a way, people who wouldn’t normally mix come together primarily due to sharing a language in a country that doesn’t speak their native tongue. However, on the fifth meeting this group of people call themselves friends for the first time (fair) then end the night saying they’re family? It made me cringe.

A lot of the story revolved around Leah, a spineless, pathetic woman who buries her head in the sand and avoids even the most necessary of conflicts. I truly hated her. Her husband, Nathan, gave every indication in the world he was having an affair, aside from coming home missing his underwear and smelling perfume. He began leaving the house 2-3 times a week, not allowing her to come with him, always showered and dressed to the nines, hair fixed, would stay gone for hours at a time, unresponsive while away, would return with gifts and accolades, and was even was spotted with another woman by their daughter, and how does Leah approach this? She doesn’t! For months! Until she’s told to follow him, which she does, leading her to further evidence that she’s being lied to, and how does she handle that? She doesn’t! Nathan’s character is in the line of fire here too though, because after 15 years of marriage I don’t understand how you could think any of his actions would pass as the slightest bit normal. Then, when their 14 year old daughter who’s allowed to spit venom whenever she desires with no repercussions (newsflash, you can’t treat people that in the real world and it’s a parent’s job to make your children understand that lesson, not to bow meekly and say “yes dear”,) runs away from home and gets lost in the city, her parents have to call her phone 15+ times before she picks up, annoyed at them?? Then they say they aren’t mad???? I can’t relate to that in the slightest, as my parents would have reached a level of anger I didn’t know was humanly possible and at absolute best grounded me from life itself had I ever tried a stunt that.
TLDR: All three of the members of Leah’s family were utterly ridiculous in how they handled every situation presented to them, to the point where I question if the author actually grew up in a regular household or not.

The other characters, with the exception of Grace whose only defined flaw is caring too much (I’m not exaggerating this,) are barely fleshed out, bland, and one-dimensional. George has one chapter that details how his ex left him because he was “too nice”, also he’s a working man. Dorky, awkward Alphie is too young for the group by all speculation, but when he brings his smoke show French girlfriend to bookclub (their relationship is never explained), she’s able to drop the bomb, once he runs off mysteriously, that his mom (his only family) is dying and he’s taking care of her, making the other members suddenly attached and overly understanding. Lastly, Monica has been given everything she’s ever wanted, but she’s sad because she’s not beautiful enough anymore and doesn’t being alone. Later it’s determined she has Postpartum Depression, but honestly the author did a poor job of selling me on that. I’ve known women with PD and it looked very different from what was detailed in her story.
TLDR: None of the characters had any depth except Grace, who still didn’t win me over because she was unflawed and cliche.

I loved aspects of this book, I just wanted so much more from it and was left disappointed with how one dimensional and boring it ended up being. Character development is key with stories this and I found there to be little to none. A great premise squandered, but two stars because I still finished it and cared enough about it to write this essay of a review.This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full review Sue1,074

Leah and her husband Nathan moved to rural France for a piece of the 'Good Life', but recreating themselves as Tom and Barbara Good from the 1970s sitcom has proved to be anything but the self-sufficient idyll they thought it would be. Afraid to tell Nathan that she hates this constant uphill struggle to coax their allotment into plenty, fearing it would shatter his dreams, Leah is feeling dissatisfied with her lot. It does not help that Nathan suddenly seems to be acting strangely and spending more time away from the garden that working it, or that their once delightful daughter Scarlett has hit the tempestuous teenage years.

Feeling the need for some time away from her own life, Leah reluctantly joins the new book club her friend Grace has formed, even though she is not sure she really s Grace's propensity to involve herself in everyone's lives while revealing very little of herself in return. But it cannot hurt to lose herself in some good books for a while, can it?

Leah finds herself discussing literature with an eclectic mix of fellow book clubbers, who seem to have very little in common, other than the ability to speak English. Alongside bossy Grace, there is handsome, rough-and-ready builder George, who has not picked up a book in years; new mum Monica, whose husband is away a lot, leaving her alone in their beautiful apartment with just a tiny baby for company; and painfully shy student Alfie, years younger than the others, but with a lot on his shoulders. Their ideas about the characters in the books they read differ wildly, but as they come together to talk about them they begin to reveal parts of themselves, and their troubles, to each other. As real friendship blooms over books and wine, the members of the Bordeaux Book Club discover ways to get to grips with their own lives - and Leah realises that the happily-ever-after she was hoping for might actually look rather different to the one she pictured.

I love settling down with a Gillian Harvey as she has such a talent for combining escapist storylines with emotional themes around love, marriage, family, and rediscovering yourself, by examining the trials and tribulations of characters taking on the expat lifestyle in France - and this brand new gem does that in style.

Having read all of Harvey's lovely books published by Boldwood, which address different aspects of the hopes and dreams people aim to achieve by packing up their lives and heading for the French countryside, The Bordeaux Book Club brings with it a cast of characters who all need support with many different challenges right across the age spectrum, which makes this one particularly relatable. Beyond the usual ex-pat bumps in the road thrown up by language problems and culture-shock, which Harvey's own expat experiences make so real, these characters also need help with recovering from heart-ache, dealing with loneliness, loss, and in making themselves heard.

I found Nathan a bit of trial, but the interweaving storylines of the characters gradually drew me in, and before long I was completely tied to the fates of Leah, Grace, George, Monica, and Alfie, and their loved ones - and entertained by their discussions about some very well-known classics. As expected, Harvey packs this with emotion fit to make your heart burst, as the barriers between the group are broken down, opening them up to new possibilities. There are a gentle romantic threads for the 'ahh' factor; and a few humorous moments, which are tied up so much with the poignancy of the characters' stories that this is definitely more of a weeper than a chuckler, so keep the tissues handy - I definitely needed them at several points along the way, and at the lovely ending.

This really is a book that works its way into your heart, and in many ways I think it might be Harvey's most complex, and emotionally charged story to date - and that is saying a lot! I loved it, and became very fond of those Bordeaux Book Clubbers... I know you will too. Jacqueline375 27

The Bordeaux Book Club is another engaging read from Gillian Harvey that I looked forward to falling into each evening. As well as the relatable characters we meet at Grace’s inaugural book club, the cameos played by the heroes and heroines of the classics they chose to read, totally ticked my book worm boxes, and had me adding a reread of some of these books to my ‘to be read’ pile.

The book group are a mix of ages and personalities, most of whom would never have crossed paths with each other without the initiative of Grace. Things may have begun a little awkwardly at first, but they soon appreciated the new friendships they found. This book cleverly weaves many aspects of life in France and the adjustments needed when you arrive in a new country, into a plot where friendship is at its heart. It is emotional, with the ups and downs of life changes for them all, but most especially Alfie. It is also a book about books, well-known characters and the power of the great classics and what they can teach us today.

I can’t work out whether I was amused or horrified that I saw a little bit of me in bossy Grace, the association queen, Monica, a stay-at-home mum whose husband works away, and Leah, doing her best to juggle a veggie garden, chickens, and family life, despite the hard work and many setbacks thrown her way. I’m putting this down to Gillian’s expert eye on the British arrivals she has met over many years of living in France and nothing to do with the life I’ve carved out for myself here these last twenty years being weird enough to be a book plot….

Grace especially stole my heart with her wise words to the others, when they needed them most, so I thought I’d share my favourite quote here:

“But that’s why it’s important to have a good relationship with yourself. To be your own champion, cheerleader. To be the person who forces you to get up, to go out and try something new.”

If, me, you have devoured Gillian’s previous books (see below), or are a lover of classic authors Bronte, Dickens or Flaubert, I am sure you will get a lot of enjoyment and entertainment by joining The Bordeaux Book Club. I know that I want to move to Bordeaux just to join Grace’s book club!france Kirsty (BookBlogger)1,421 50

The Bordeaux Book Club by Gillian Harvey

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

Love books? The Bordeaux Book Club is seeking new members!

When Leah and her husband moved to France, it was with the dream of becoming self-sufficient. But in truth, it’s not the ‘good life’ she’d imagined, as three hours of digging barely yield a single straggly carrot. Worse, her teenage daughter is acting up, and her husband seems to find every strange excuse under the hot French sun to disappear.

So when her friend entreats her to join the new bookclub she’s forming, Leah decides it’s something she will do for herself. The chance to make new friends, to drink a few glasses of wine, and to escape into stories that take her miles away from the life she’d thought would be her own happy-ever-after.

But the book club is a strange group of misfits. There’s prickly Grace, who lives alone and seems to know everybody and no-one. Buttoned-up Monica, who says her husband is away and appears to be parenting her baby all alone. Handsome builder George, who has barely read a book before. And Alfie – who is a full two decades younger than everyone else, and is hiding a devastating secret…

As the stories they read begin to bring the new friends closer together, Leah is about to discover that happy-ever-afters don’t always look how you expect them to…

My Opinion

A book about a book club - what is there not to love?

Gillian Harvey has set her latest book in France but Grace is determined to set up her book club in English. Responding to her advert are a real mix of characters, each one is a great addition. Whilst following the meetings of the book club we also learn more about each of the members of the group and how they are all united by the love of books.

This was a book that I expected to take me a lot longer to read, but I enjoyed it so much I just kept on reading. Within this book there is someone that everyone can connect with. An absolute joy to read.

Rating 4/52024-kindle blog-tour netgalley ...more Natalie563 10

This was an enjoyable read. Not hugely about a book club, but I guess it was the focus of connecting people which is what the story is about..

This is the story of a group of people living in Bordeaux, all English ex-pats. There's Grace, who starts the book club, she has been in Bordeaux for years and organises everything that goes on, every club possible, Grace will be found somewhere. Originally moved to Bordeaux with her partner, after he decided he didn't want that lifestyle she decided to stay and live there by herself. She is friends with Leah, who she has known for 3 years. Leah has a husband and they have a teen daughter Scarlett. Their idea when they moved to Bordeaux was to live off the land, only things aren't going great in that respect, the growing isn't going so well, and Scarlett is at that age where she isn't interested in anything and stays in her room all the time.

Grace sets up book club, and Leah joins for support to Grace. After putting posters up locally and on social media, their first club has a few members. There's George, a single guy from England currently working on a friends property renovation. Alfie, a young 20 something lad living with his mum, and Monica, a mother of a young baby whose husband is a pilot and spends long periods by herself so has come to book club to gain friends.

At first I had thought the main character in this story may be Grace, but it turns out that the story is not hugely focused on book club at all, and the main part of this story becomes about Leah, and her husband's odd behaviour. He keeps disappearing and getting dressed up to go out, dismissing Leah's suggestions to join him and making her curious as to what he is up to. The story then gets largely focused on their relationship.

We do visit book club around 3 times across the whole book, which was a surprise. Enough to meet some of the characters in book club and get their stories but I expected it to be more about book club than it was considering the title.

It was nice how the characters connected together and revealed their own stories during book club as they found confidence to speak with one another. Sheri Metzger Karmiol226 5

The Bordeaux Book Club is the first Gillian Harvey novel that I have read. I enjoy book clubs, which made it easy to enjoy this novel. Book clubs have a way of turning strangers into friends. In Harvey's The Bordeaux Book Club, 5 strangers form a connection that each one needs. The three women are a diverse group, with a difference of age and life experience that still enables them to create a connection. The two men are more different, at least on the surface, but what they have in common is their ability to read and discover the finer nuances of the books the club chooses to read. These 5 book club members are all hiding problems, which they try to keep secret. What they learn is that problems shared become problems easier to bear.

Harvey does a nice job of creating characters with dimension and depth. Graces creates the book club because she a reader with diverse interests but few friends. Leah joins the book club because she knows Grace, even though their connection is superficial. Monica has a newborn infant but needs friends and adult conversation. George is not a reader, but as he discovers, he has an innate understanding of the motivation that lies behind characters' life choices. The final member, Alfie, is a teenager, who joins the bookclub because his mother is unwell and he enjoys reading books to her. At the first book club meeting, 5 strangers meet one another and through books find a much needed connection.

Books create the kind of connection that few other activities share. Discussing novels involves a sharing of ideas that forge connections. I love books and have read all the novels discussed at the book club meetings described in The Bordeaux Book Club. I felt I was eavesdropping on the book club's wonderful discussions. Reading this novel was a treat. Thank you to Boldwood Books for providing this ARC for me to read and review. My comments are my honest review of The Bordeaux Book Club. Linda McCutcheon1,094 7

*4.5 Stars On My Instagram Account*

"But something about the things they'd spoken of, talking about characters in books written by long dead authors, had bound together in a way she couldn't explain."

In the ever charming The Bordeaux Book Club, by insightful contemporary literature author Gillian Harvey, we get to take an emotional journey through the French countryside, as we fall in love with five distinct characters and learn why certain books are still considered classic.

Grace, divorced for years, is heading into her 6th decade. She's considered a busybody but when you need help, a friend, or just a hug, she's your person. But Grace outwardly having it all together hides her inner pain.

Leah, in her 40s, is fed up with her disrespectful moody teenage daughter and suspicious of her husband who suddenly needs some "me time;" but why does he need to change clothes and put on cologne when he leaves the house?

George, also older, is a crafty handyman, working on a year long project in Bordeaux and, though not a reader, is lonely.

Monica is a new Mom whose husband, a pilot, is absent a lot, feels inadequate and alone.

Then there's Alfie. In his 20s, he looks more a gamer than a bibliophile. He often leaves early after getting a phone call. The reason for Alfie joining this motley crew book club will bring you to tears and a need to hug this sweet boy.

taking a meandering walk through wine county this writer creatively combines the themes and characters from classics Great Expectations, Wuthering Heights, Pride and Prejudice, and Madame Bovary to our book club members lives. How they interpret the books gives poignant insight to their own pain, losses and fears. This book, a glass of wine and some book friends makes for a perfect time.

I received a free copy of this book from #boldwoodbooks via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. Calista290 43

Poignant, slow-paced and character-driven, The Bordeaux Book Club by Gillian Harvey is about a book club in France consisting of English expats with various personal issues.

Summary: Grace starts a book club for Anglophones, and a couple of expats from England join it. This includes Leah, whose husband disappears for hours each day and whose daughter seems distant. The book club members explore personal issues while the books they read tie them together.

Tropes/Genres:
• book club
• contemporary fiction
• set in Cénac (near Bordeaux), France
• women's fiction
• expats
• small town

Review: This book is incredibly slow-paced and character-driven, but I enjoyed reading about the characters and their issues. It’s interesting to see how a book club ties them together. Their opinions about the books they read are also interesting, especially with how they link to their real life even though the books they read were classics.

The characters are interesting in their respective issues. In a way, it's realistic. Various topics that are touched on include a dying parent, suspicion of an affair, parent-teenager relationships and loneliness, most of which are related to their families. The story is told through a third-person narrative through the eyes of these characters. With their being English expats living in France, it's an interesting perspective to offer.

Books mentioned:
• Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
• Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

Those who have read these books will probably enjoy this book a little more because the characters talk about them! Perhaps you may even share their opinions. I recommend this book to those who enjoy poignant character-driven books.

Thank you, NetGalley and Boldwood Books, for the read.2024-reads adult arc ...more2 s Vanessa2,369 20


Love books? The Bordeaux Book Club is seeking new members!

The Bordeaux Book Club by Gillian Harvey was Brilliant from the very first few pages I was hooked, I found it hard to carrying on with my house cleaning!!! and I could not put this book down. It was a beautiful read and takes you to the picturesque countryside of France.

When Leah and her husband moved to France, it was with the dream of becoming self-sufficient. But in truth, it’s not the ‘good life’ she’d imagined, as three hours of digging barely yield a single straggly carrot. Worse, her teenage daughter is acting up, and her husband seems to find every strange excuse under the hot French sun to disappear.

So when her friend entreats her to join the new bookclub she’s forming, Leah decides it’s something she will do for herself. The chance to make new friends, to drink a few glasses of wine, and to escape into stories that take her miles away from the life she’d thought would be her own happy-ever-after.

But the book club is a strange group of misfits. There’s prickly Grace, who lives alone and seems to know everybody and no-one. Buttoned-up Monica, who says her husband is away and appears to be parenting her baby all alone. Handsome builder George, who has barely read a book before. And Alfie – who is a full two decades younger than everyone else, and is hiding a devastating secret…........

I highly recommend The Bordeaux Book Club especially as this book bought back great memories for me.........this was just a dream at first when I used to joke about it with my Hubby and when I was at my local book club with my friends.........."let's-buy-a-farmhouse-in-France.!".............."What am I saying!" Which I did and it's a beautiful place to live in."

Big Thank you to Boldwood Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book. xfavourite-author netgalley-x Misfits farm1,900 80


A group of expats get together to form a book club in a small village outside Bordeaux. None of them know each other and each have their own stories. Leah, her husband Nathan and their daughter Scarlett dreamed of the good life and being self-sufficient only its proving harder work than they anticipated. Nathan keeps taking out “ me time” and Leah suspects something else is going on. Monica has been left holding the baby, literally as her husband, a pilot, is away for weeks at a time and she can't get why the life she dreamed of isn't quite what she expected. Grace is divorced and thinks she has things sorted, only she hasn't really. The two men are keeping their cards rather close to their chests but each have their own issues. This tells of how the group helps each other to see the things in life they are all missing in different ways not least of all through the books they read which they discover perhaps have life messages within the pages.

I really enjoyed this. It's a reflection on life in many differing ways and things I feel we may all relate to one way or another. About being who you are and not what you are as we get older, the reflection in the mirror doesn't tell of the true person inside. There is humour and drama, and even wisdom and so much more in characters many will relate to, and there are also reflections on life through the books the group reads. An uplifting, life affirming read with a smile and drama. One I would highly recommend.


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1 Janette515 8

I thoroughly enjoyed this story set in the sun drenched area around the beautiful city of Bordeaux. Grace begins a book club and persuades her fellow ex-pat Leah to come along. They are joined by young mum, Monica, teenage Alfie and George who is a builder working on a friend’s remote farmhouse.
Each of the characters is looking for something as they all have things in their lives that are causing heart ache. Even Grace whose life seems to run perfectly is hiding a secret.
The group initially starts off being a bit awkward but as they begin to read the books and discuss them, the members of the group open up to each other and become friends. I loved the book discussions and the differing points of view held by the group members. I also really d the way that each of the group found parts of the books that they could identify with and sometimes help them see something in their own lives.
The characters are an interesting mix and each of their stories felt very real. It’s a very uplifting read as each of them realise that the book club has given them far more than they could have hoped for. The setting of the story is gorgeous and the author does a fantastic job of showing us that living the dream in rural France isn’t always as good as people might have expected.
My only gripe about this is that I just wish that authors who write about book clubs didn’t always have to include Pride and Prejudice. I know it’s a great book but does every book club really have to read it?
Thank you to Net Galley and Boldwood Books for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

contemporary net-galley1 1 comment Sherri1,198 20

***I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review

This book is about a group of strangers who bond over books and then become friends.
Grace, the one who starts the book club, has tried to fill every minute of her life since her husband left her all those years ago
Leah and her husband moved to France and bought a home with a large plot of land planning to live off the land, but things aren't going so well with neither the crops or Leah's marriage.
Monica is a new mom and her husband is a pilot who is away from home a lot of the time. She is lonely and depressed, and in need of friends.
George never thought he would still be alone at his age, but every woman he has dated has left him because he is "too nice"
Alfie's mom is dying and he is having a hard time coming to grips with it. He is in college and has a supportive girlfriend, but his mom is the only actual family he has.
These five people seem they would have nothing in common with one another, but once they begin to discuss the books they are reading, they discover they have more in common than they realize.

This book was so good. I loved how each person had their own storyline, so there were not only the parts where they got together for the book club, but in-between were the individual storylines for each person. This is perfect for those who love books about books, or anyone who just loves a good story Mardi MichelsAuthor 5 books46

With thanks to Boldwood Books and Net Galley for the advance e-copy of this book.

I always enjoy Gillian Harvey's tales of life in rural France, and this was no exception. A group of somewhat misfit expats comes together for monthly book club, and over the course of the book, we get to know each member better and understand their reasons for joining, sticking with and eventually needing the book club gatherings.

From the cover and premise, you might expect this to be a somewhat fluffy "expat life in France" read, but the characters have more substance than that, and they all have backstories you care about. The various issues faced by the characters are realistic (dying parents, suspicions of affairs, loneliness, family issues, surly teenagers, postpartum depression) and make the story a deeper read than a scratch-the-surface #lifeinFrance novel.

Another lovely feature of the book is the "stories within the story" aspect - the book club reads their way through classics and I loved how the book club compared and contrasted their own lives with those of the characters in the books they read. This also made me want to read some of those classics all over again!

A delightful read that will transport you to the Bordeaux region and make you want to join your own book club!
2024 L A King176 1 follower

This was a most remarkable novel.  It was so poignant and true to life.  I am sure there will be many people reading it that goes “this is so true, I felt that when my children were growing up”. As I read this it took me back 30 years when my children were teenagers.  Gillian Harvey has definitely got it right.

As the title states, this book is set in Bordeaux.  The one thing the people who come together to form a book club has in common is that they have moved to Bordeaux for a better life. They are certainly a mix of personalities. However,  they all need to get out and meet people. What better way than a book club.

As they discover the written words of authors who created the classic novels, it is amazing how differently everyone perceives a novel. As they discuss the books some of them even change their views of the characters.

I loved the characterisation. The book made me laugh, it also made me cry.  It also shows how important the art of communication is. We need to open up and tell our loved ones how we actually feel.

This is a book you will not want to put down or finish. I thoroughly recommend it and suggest you put it on your TBR list.

Thank you Gillian Harvey for such a fantastic novel and making me realise that I did not get it too wrong regarding bringing up my girls. Allyson814

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

This author always writes enjoyable books. Sometimes you just need A lighthearted book to enjoy. This book takes place in the Bordeaux region of France and I really enjoyed reading about the area. Leah and her husband have left everything they know and have bought a country home hoping to be self-sufficient, it’s not really going as they have planned. Leah does not speak a lot of French and when her friend Grace decides she wants to start a book club Leah of course has to go. The book club members are an interesting and diverse assortment of people; there is Grace, whose husband left her behind and she had to make a new life, George, who is in this region for construction, and has kind of lost his way, Leah who seeks to find friends and figure out if she even wants to be in France anymore, Monica, whose airline pilot husband is away more than is home and she struggling with a new baby and lastly there’s Alfie, A young man who seems to be the most misfit member. It was really enjoyable to Read the different takes on the classic novels that they read. Some of which were some of my favourite books. This book is really about Friendship and relationships. It was lovely read.
arc-and-first-reads Charli158 1 follower

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