Gillian Harvey's books have made me want to chuck everything in and disappear to a small village in France numerous times, and The Riviera House Swap was no different!
Nina is off-kilter. Having turned forty, she is amicably divorced and still stuck in a job where she's pootling along. Something in her decides it is time to live life for herself. However, it's hard when you've spent your life being sensible, doing the right thing, and thinking of others before your needs.
Finding a batch of never=quite-forgotten love letters in the back of her cupboard as she sifts through her stuff, spurs her on to make a huge decision to leave her comfortable life and go on an adventure alone, by arranging a house swap with a man whose own home is on the French Riviera, and happens to be where her 'one that got away' was from.
Will she find her second chance?
Well, I'm not going to tell you that. You need to read the book! Nina is a woman on the cusp of that perimenopausal time we women have to deal with. She's not sure if her hormones or something else are making her make certain decisions, and I think there are a few of us who could relate to that!
Nina has some wonderful friends, both in the UK, who cheer her on, and people she meets in France who become close to her, and they make a wonderful addition to the story.
And there is romance from several angles, involving others, as well as our main character, Nina.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, devoured it in a day, and now want to go and swap my home for one in a gorgeous European setting... (But I'll take my Hubby, as he doesn't need swapping!)
Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.2 s MrsHarvieReads150

This escapist romance, features Nina, a 40 year old recently divorced English woman at a crossroads in her life. She feels that she has been living “safely”, hurriedly checking boxes on her life to do list, not pausing to do what she really wanted. She decides to take a month long sabbatical from work and swap homes with a stranger in the South of France. She had done an exchange program in the same city at 17, and wonders if her first crush could be her one true love. The book is part journey of self discovery and learning to trust your gut, and part slow burn romance. It’s a quick, easy read and a nice palate cleanser. ???????/5

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own. 6/11/24

2 s Sams_Fireside268 43

If you’ve seen The Holiday with Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet (my most favourite movie ever btw), then you’ll be familiar with what a house swap entails. It does exactly what it says on the tin - two people swap houses - anywhere in the world - for an agreed amount of time. This is exactly what The Riviera House Swap is.

I read most of this in one day, when it was pouring with rain outside, on the east coast of England, when it’s supposed to be summer. Gillian whisked me away to the south of France and even though it was November there, I still imagined glorious summer days, eating buttery croissants and drinking rich sweet coffee in pavement cafes.

The Riviera House Swap is set across two timelines, the present day and brief interludes when our protagonist, Nina, is seventeen and on a French exchange with her school. Nina is currently fed-up and forty and starts to wonder just what might have been.....

No spoilers here, but I really, really would to know what happens to Nina next. Any chance of a sequel, Gillian?

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to read and review The Riviera House Swap by Gillian Harvey.1 LindyLouMac916 72

Gillian Harvey is a prolific and popular author who writes escapist stories often set in France, where she lived for fourteen years. This is the first novel of hers that I have read and I doubt it will be the last.

The female heroine Nina recently divorced and forty has decided that her life is somewhat dull and predictable. She decides it is time for her to do something spontaneous, which for her is unknown. A decision to do a house swap in France for a month and see if she can reconnect with her first love, leads to a journey of self discovery.

Humour with a touch of romance that I found a quick dose of escapism. Recommended if that is what you are looking for at the moment.

With thanks to Netgalley, Boldwood Books and the author for the opportunity to read and review.

https://lindyloumacbook.blogsp...1 Corinne Rodrigues449 60

This novel is a delightful exploration of second chances, self-discovery, and the courage to take risks. The novel follows Nina, a newly divorced woman in her forties, as she embarks on a journey to rediscover herself and rekindle an old flame from her teenage years.

Nina's life has been all about routine and safety. She's been trapped in a boring routine with her ex-husband and stable job. She doesn't seem to have that spark anymore. The story begins with Nina reflecting on her life choices, realizing she has consistently chosen safety over excitement ever since she turned down a chance to elope with her first love, Pierre, during a French exchange program when she was just 17. This epiphany sets the stage for the adventure that follows.

In an impulsive move to shake up her life, Nina decides to participate in a house swap. She exchanges her quaint terraced home in rural England for a luxurious villa on the French Riviera, owned by a French businessman named Jean-Luc. The allure of the swap isn't just the beautiful villa but also the chance to track down Pierre, the poetic and thoughtful boy who once made her heart race.

Upon her arrival, Nina quickly befriends Jean-Luc's siblings, who add depth and warmth to the narrative. Their easy camaraderie and supportive presence provide a contrast to Nina's initial uncertainty and loneliness. Harvey skillfully develops these relationships, highlighting the importance of friendship and support in personal growth and new beginnings.

The core of the story, however, lies in Nina's quest to find Pierre. The anticipation builds as Nina traces her teenage love, leading to a series of heartfelt and sometimes humorous encounters. Harvey handles Nina's emotional journey with sensitivity and realism, capturing the mixture of hope, fear, and nostalgia that comes with rekindling a past romance.

As Nina reconnects with Pierre, she faces a series of decisions. Harvey keeps readers guessing about whether Nina's teenage love will live up to her dreams or lead to disappointment and heartbreak. This uncertainty propels the narrative forward, making it a page-turner filled with emotional depth and genuine moments of introspection.

This is a story about taking risks, embracing change, and the power of stepping out of one's comfort zone. Gillian Harvey's tale is a real feel-good story that reminds us it's never too late to follow our dreams and find what makes us happy. Sue1,087

Nina has spent her life staying firmly within her comfort zone. Her 40th birthday has now arrived, and none of her 'safe' choices has turned out quite how she expected - something made very clear when the anticipated birthday card she opens turns out to be her final divorce papers. It is time to shake up her life a bit and tick off some of those things that have been waiting on her bucket list for far too long.

Reflecting on the past reminds Nina of handsome Pierre, who she met on a French student exchange holiday when she was seventeen, and in a burst of adventurous spirit she decides that a trip to the town where she fell in love might be just the thing to set her on a new path. The ideal opportunity just happens to present itself on a house swap website, so she sets off for a month at a beautiful villa near Nice, while its owner, Jean-Luc, comes to stay in her Victorian terrace in St Albans. Will Pierre still be there? And, if so, could that passionate flame be rekindled?

Gillian Harvey's latest gorgeous, French escapade is a delightful play on The Holiday, which finds forty-year-old Nina picking up the threads of the life her seventeen-year-old self might have had. The story unfurls in two timelines, following Nina's French adventure in the present and the events of the exchange trip in the past that have always stayed with her, which combine to make this something of a coming of age journey for both her forty-year-old and seventeen-year-old-selves.

Harvey floods this book with her trademark themes of friendship, family, and second chances in picturesque France, and the way she explores teenage notions of love is poignantly relatable. There are lovely (and not so lovely) characters to get to know, with storylines that weave romantic suspense and luscious humour throughout - the text and email conversations Nina has with her friends and parents in St Albans, and her lists of Pros and Cons around pivotal decisions are especially comedy gold. But what really makes the story is the relationship Nina develops with tender-heared Antoine and his sister, free-spirited Sabine, in France, who help her on the way to a new destiny. 

This book sums up everything I have come to love in Harvey's enchanting stories, carrying you away on an escapist tide to a warm and ahh-filled ending full of hope. Perfect for snuggling up with on the sofa while the unseasonable rain falls outside. 

Kirsty (BookBlogger)1,445 49

The Riviera House Swap 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

Would you swap houses with a stranger? Nina has always played it safe. But when her divorce papers come through on her fortieth birthday she decides enough is enough.

She’s always chosen the sensible route, staying in her stable job and marrying her rather boring ex. In fact – she realises – she’s chosen security over excitement for years. Ever since she refused to elope with her first beautiful, poetic, thoughtful Pierre, the man she met aged 17, on her French exchange. The only man who ever made her heart race.

Maybe it’s time to take a few risks?

Impulsively she goes online and finds another kind of French exchange… a house-swap. She can’t imagine what French businessman Jean-Luc wants with her terraced home in rural England, but she can’t wait to stay in his beautiful, spacious, bougainvillea-strewn villa on the French riviera.

She’s not just there for the house though. She’s decided to find the love she missed all those years ago. But will Pierre still be the man of her dreams after all this time?

As two lives collide, will love bloom on the French riviera? A gorgeously escapist story for fans of The Holiday, from the bestselling author of A Year at the French Farmhouse.

My Opinion

Nina is on a journey of self-discovery, she has just turned 40 and has just finalised her divorce - why not join her for this journey? This is a delightful tale with a second chance romance when Nina embarks on a journey to find Pierre, her teenage crush. Pretty quickly this book had me hooked as I do enjoy Gillian Harvey's writing style.

Have you got your bags packed for a trip to the French Riviera?

Rating 4/5
2024-kindle blog-tour netgalley ...more Grass monster547 16

The Blurb :
Nina has always played it safe. But when her divorce papers come through on her fortieth birthday she decides enough is enough.
She’s always chosen the sensible route, staying in her stable job and marrying her rather boring ex. In fact – she realises – she’s chosen security over excitement for years. Ever since she refused to elope with her first love: beautiful, poetic, thoughtful Pierre, the man she met aged 17, on her French exchange. The only man who ever made her heart race.
Maybe it’s time to take a few risks?
Impulsively she goes online and finds another kind of French exchange… a house-swap. She can’t imagine what French businessman Jean-Luc wants with her terraced home in rural England, but she can’t wait to stay in his beautiful, spacious, bougainvillea-strewn villa on the French riviera.
She’s not just there for the house though. She’s decided to find the love she missed all those years ago. But will Pierre still be the man of her dreams after all this time?


My Thoughts :
We meet Nina, she has been in a job for years which she hates and an unhappy marriage for even longer.
When she receives her divorce papers on her 40th birthday, she decides thats it, no more playing it safe, she wants to start living her life and the time is now.
Going online, Nina decides on a house swap, she will go to live in France whille which the other person, businessman Jean-Luc comes to live in her house in England. She thinks this is the perfect answer as her first love Pierre, who she met in her teens on an exchange programe came from there and she has always wondered and toyed with the what ifs!.
As Nina settles into life in France, meets some new friends and builds her confidence, will she get the chance to re live her youth or is there much more out there for her to explore?!.
This story is pure escapism at its best. Gillian Harvey fully delivers the sights, sounds and tastes of France and will leave the reader wanting more.


Paul165

Nina has always played it safe. But on her fortieth birthday, when her divorce papers arrive, she decides it's time for a change.

Nina has consistently opted for the sensible path, sticking with a stable job and marrying her predictably dull ex-husband. She suddenly realizes that for years she has chosen security over excitement. This pattern started when she refused to elope with her first love, Pierre—a beautiful, poetic, and thoughtful man she met at 17 during a French exchange program. Pierre remains the only man who ever truly made her heart race.

Nina makes a bold decision to escape her mundane routine by taking a month-long sabbatical and exchanging homes with an unfamiliar person in the South of France. She travels back to the city where she had initially encountered Pierre, her teenage crush, questioning if he still holds the key to her heart as her one true love. The story narrates a woman's quest for self-discovery and belief in her intuition; all woven into the fabric of a slowly kindling romantic flame. The book is not meant to be a long read but rather one that easily hooks you from the beginning till the end, keeping you captivated throughout.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing a copy of this book. Meddings_musings: Erin Meddings549 12

This delightful tale is the first book I’ve read from the author and I instantly added other novels by Gillian Harvey to my TBR list!

Nina is newly divorced after turning 40 and reflects on her life. She’s been at the same job for the past 15 years and feels it’s time for a change. Deciding to quit to her job, Nina feels it’s time to find herself and start an adventure in France.

After arranging a house swap online, Nina is traveling to France in hopes of tracking down the young man she met there during a student exchange program when she was 17. She remembers the passion they shared and the letters they wrote when she returned home to England. Believing she’s found on him online, she’s excited to see where life took him.

While in France, she meets the sister and brother of the person she swapped houses with and a fast and easy friendship is developed with both of them.

Nina ends up finding her teenage love and has some big decisions to make about her future. Will she find happiness with the teenage crush and love she fell out of contact all those years ago? Or is Nina setting herself up for disappointment and heartbreak?

This was a quick and fun 4 star read for me! It releases Tuesday June 11th so make sure to get a copy for yourself! fiction-contemp-womens-fiction netgalley Anne517 16

I love how Gillian Harvey transports you to France with her books! This time to the French Riviera!

Nina always played it safe throughout her life. After her divorce, she decides to take more risks in order to start living life! The divorce finalization came in the mail on her 40th birthday! Not great timing!

Nina decides to do a house swap to the French Riviera! She thought she would do this solo, but the owner’s sister shows up and insists on staying. Will Nina embrace the visitor, or will it be an annoyance?

When she reconnects with Pierre, a boyfriend she had when she was 17 on a French exchange, is it what it seems? Will this house swap give her adventure and new beginnings she is seeking?

Gillian Harvey’s writing just draws you from the start. Her books give you a good laugh, and they have relatable characters, which makes it so entertaining! A perfect book to take on vacation because you won’t want to put it down!

Thanks to Boldwood Books, I was provided an ARC of The Riviera House Swap by Gillian Harvey via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. #NetGalley . #TheRivieraHouseSwap Lisa Hemming876 12

Can you ever really go back in time to find your first love that you left behind? That is what Nina was debating as she began the second half of her life. Her divorce was final, her house would sell quickly and her boss reluctantly agreed to give her a month off, with the stipulation she return ready to get back to work. Her time in France as a teenager was filled with magical moments of first love, shy kisses and plans for the future. Pierre was the young man she had fallen for but as often happens with young love, they never saw each other again. Nina kept all of his letters and upon reading them again, she wished she could recapture the youthful exuberance she once had. Back then she had the world at her fingertips but now she felt that she hadn’t accomplished anything at all.

Which brings us to Nina’s decision to partake in a house swap so she could open her heart to new beginnings, make her own decisions and perhaps rekindle the flame she once had with Pierre, if she could even find him. Gillian Harvey is a gifted and creative writer who takes us to the beautiful French Riviera where we witness Nina spreading her wings as she becomes the independent woman she always wanted to be. Along the way she made wonderful friends, caught the eye of many handsome Frenchmen and came face to face with a ghost from her past. Nina took hold of her future, looked ahead with excitement and never looked back!! I love all of Ms. Harvey’s books because they allow me to travel to exotic places without leaving my beach chair!! DeeAnn219 4

After turning forty, Nina recently got divorced and thought back on her life. After fifteen years at the same work, she believes it's time for a change. Nina decided to leave her work because she felt it was time to travel to France and embark on an adventure. Nina is heading to France to try to find the young man she met there when she was a 17-year-old student exchange participant, after setting up an online house swap. She recalls their correspondence and their common interest from her time back in England. She's eager to follow him wherever life leads him because she thinks she's discovered him online. She meets the brother and sister of the person she switched places. She meets the brother and sister of the guy she exchanged residences with while in France, and she quickly becomes friendly with them both. After discovering her youthful love, Nina must make some important choices regarding her future. Will she ever find contentment with the love and teenage crush she lost touch with so many years ago? Is Nina putting herself in a position where she will be let down and hurt?june-tbr Marg935 253

When Nina receives divorce papers on her 40th birthday she knows it is time for a change. She has been quite conservative, staying in a job she didn't love for 15 years, in a marriage where she wasn't happy. It's time to do something new.

When she thinks back, the moment where she was happiest was when she met a handsome French boy named Pierre while she was on a school exchange programme when she was 15 years old. What if he was really The One. I mean, Pierre and Nina had intended to elope and live happily ever after but it didn't end up happening...obviously.

With the divorce going through and her house for sale, Nina knows that her immediate fate is to move into her parents house. And so, in a moment of madness, Nina finds a house exchange with a man named Jean-Luc. She will travel to his house on the French Riviera and he will come to England to live in the house that she is about to sell.




To read more head to



http://www.theintrepidreader.com/2024...1 Kate (bookishkenyannerd)345 3

Nina has always played it safe. But when her divorce papers come through on her fortieth birthday she decides enough is enough. Ever since she refused to elope with her first beautiful, poetic, thoughtful Pierre, the man she met aged 17, on her French exchange, she's always wondered about the what-ifs.

Deciding to take a chance, she sets up a house swap with a French businessman to stay at his place in France while he goes on holiday at her house in England.

Going back to the place she met Pierre to try and find him was definitely a crazy idea but she went with it and along the way made meaningful friendships. She grew into her new era of life and took all the curveballs in stride.

It was definitely a predictable plot but an enjoyable read nonetheless. Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Candy513 3

I was invited by the publisher to review this book. I really enjoyed the premise of this book, which is that Nina has always played her life safe rather than following her feelings, and now that she is 40 she finds her self getting divorced. She then decides to do a house-swap, and finds herself in France, which makes her want to seek out her first love, Pierre, who she met decades ago, but wouldn't marry. I really loved this story of Nina coming into her own and advocating for herself, and of course I loved the setting of France. I also enjoyed that Nina had a strong network to lean on no matter where she was, and it was refreshing to have a character be so amiable. Plus, a nice bonus were the secondary characters, who also had their own storylines rather than just a presence to prop up Nina.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pam Robertson1,205 8

Nina is at a crossroads in her life. As she reaches a significant birthday and faces up to her recent divorce, she finds herself re-evaluating what her future is going to look . Taking advantage of her imminent house sale, Nina decides to take the plunge and embarks on a House Swap in the French Riviera. Nina finds herself looking back at her youth and wonders what would happen if she was to meet up with her first love.

On her extended break from work, Nina is hoping for a quiet period of isolation and solitude. What she gets are unexpected friendships, naked swimming and quite a few surprises. This is an escapist and heartwarming read. There are several romances in the mix and you find yourself hoping that Nina will take a few risks and stop trying to please everybody else.

In short: a great summer read
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book Jacqui143 5

I enjoyed this story! Nina is going through a divorce and decides to head back to France to find her old love. The one that she met at 17 when she was on an exchange. She arranges a house swap with Jean Luc, who is looking for a place in England to stay. So she heads to France to spend time in the place she enjoyed for her exchange and tries to reconnect with her old love Pierre. Will she find her second chance romance? You’ll have to read to find out.

My thoughts:
I recently read and loved Gillian Harvey’s Bordeaux Book Club and I was excited to get this ARC and be transported to France again. I loved the story of Nina finding her groove again and possibly a new romance. After returning to France she meets Pierre, her old love again, and develops new friendships. I love her friendships both in England and in France.

Thanks to @boldwoodbooks, @netgalley, and the author of this ARC mrsljgibbs675 20

I would firstly just to say a big thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources who very kindly forwarded me an arc copy of this book, for my kindle, in return for my honest review…

This is the first book that i have read from this author but i loved the sound of the blurb so decided to give it a go! I am so glad that i did because, i thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Riviera House Swap was pure escapism and the more that i read, the more that i wanted to go and escape to France!!

Nina was a wonderful, well rounded, down-to-earth character and i really enjoyed getting to know her and what was going on in her life…

There was also a handful of characters who were a wonderful part of the story too and made great additions to the storyline…

I really enjoyed this book and it is a story of second chances and self discovery and a wonderful, feel-good story….. Mardi MichelsAuthor 5 books46

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the advance e-copy!

Cute story - girl meets French boy on school exchange, they fall in love, and hope to spend the rest of their lives together but parents get in the way. 20 years later girl is newly divorced in a job she doesn't love and takes a risk on a month in the south of France, convinced that what she needs in her life is the French boy from all those years ago. Cue some angst, some misunderstandings and some drama and an ending you'll most ly predict halfway through! This is a fun and fast beach read but I think I preferred The Bordeaux Book Club!2024 Ulli Zaiss179 2

Nina is a 40-year-old woman who has recently gotten divorced and she feels her life has been pasding her by. On a whim she sets off to France to a town where she went as an exchange student with 17 and fell in love with Pierre supposedly the one who got away.
The book was entertaining, it had a believable storyline and characters. The FMC was likable, even though she seemed very naive - it was very obvious what was up with Pierre from the start. It was an enjoyable read and I rate it 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4).

I received an ARC via Netgalley.com and am voluntarily leaving a review. Claire1,579 15

A fabulous warm-hearted story following recently divorced Nina. She’s always chosen the safe route, stable job, marrying her boring ex and always choosing sensible over excitement. She has fond memories of being a 17 year old exchange student in France and her first love Pierre. Quickly arranging a house swap with Jean-Luc, she leaves her friends and family behind and heads back to France to see if she can rekindle her first love? This is a perfect escapism novel, the plot flows well and I the characters are able. A great beach read. Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and the author for the chance to review. Jane HuntAuthor 3 books108

It's a lovely tale of revisiting the past, self-discovery and taking chances after a house swap. Nina has just turned forty, is newly divorced, and has an unrewarding job. She revisits her past and finds her first love from twenty years ago; Nina is a complex character, somewhat naive for her age but able. The story, told from her viewpoint, has flashbacks to her first French experience and explores relationships with new friends. Friendship, humour and poignancy make this an engaging read. I the French setting, Nina's character development and her dynamic with her new and old friends.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.2024-book-tours netgalley-reviewed Stephanie306 8

Nina is newly divorced and decides to getaway and explore some of her love regrets — in France . I do enjoy this authors writing — she does characters that I can relate to — but boy oh boy — the red flags were flying all through this book — I personally was rooting for Nina to fail in her quest— cause she could do much better . another enjoyable read about a woman coming into her own independence in her 40s and exploring life more.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boodwood books for this ARC. This is my honest review. netgalleys Kim1,399 133

Just ok for me. It was clear that Pierre was a cad from the start, surely over 20 years later someone would have explained that to Nina. Not sure how she made it to 40 lacking such common sense. Her friends really should have set her straight before such a big trip. But they seemed a little selfish too. The whole thing with Sabine was at first annoying then more interesting than any romance in the book. But again I found Nina’s lack of common sense annoying by just assuming she was so much older than Sabine or Antoine. Helen705 19

This was a slightly different style to some of this authors books that I have read but I still
Enjoyed it and as per usual the author transports us to the beautiful surroundings of France.

This is a story about taking chances and not playing it safe and also of new beginnings and finding new friendships and that yes life can begin at 40.

I would love a sequel to this to see how the characters lives pan out and what is in store for them next. Janilyn Kocher4,193 93

Nina is 40, newly single and entirely predictable.
She decides, after much dithering, to track down an old love in France and dies a house swap.
She meets some nice people and also reconnects with Pierre who is something else.
I the throwing caution to the wind theme because I often dream of doing that but am too afraid.
I wanted the book to end in a certain way and it sort of left me in limbo.
Thanks to Boldwood Books, Rachel’s Random Resources and NetGalley for the early copy. Sharon Valler513 13

A cute story about Nina, who having received her divorce papers on her 40th birthday, decides to take a house swap in France in order to track down Pierre, her first love.

Nina does find Pierre, but she also finds friendship and a re-evaluation of her life.

Predictable but still enjoyable.

3 ?? Thanks to Netgalley, Gillian Harvey and Boldwood for an ARC in return for an honest review. Meghan Modisette5 1 follower

Will Nina take a leap of faith after her divorce and find the love of her life in the French riviera? This is a heartwarming read that you will not want to put down. Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for giving me an ARC of this book. LoveBooks2119388 3

Autor del comentario:
=================================