This is a feel-good book made up of funny moments yet balanced with a bit of sadness. Thrown together by disaster, I loved that the characters were so realistic and true to life. They are all likeable but not perfect. Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. This was my first book by this author, but it will not be my last.

What a wonderful holiday read. Gillian Harvey has certainly not disappointed her fans.. Life for Nicky has not had too many highs. Unknown to her, one phone call is all it takes to turn her life around. Ten years previously, her husband Steve, was in a fatal car accident. Left with two children to raise on her own, is daunting and hard work. She puts her life on hold whilst the girls were growing up. Jenny her best friend has supported her all the way through. Jenny , a TV executive rings Nicky for a huge favour. She needs someone to take over her designer for a TV programme about renovating properties Nicky agrees and shelll shocked when she was told she had to be in Provence, the following day.

What follows is a delicious book, made with some hilarious moments as well as a few sad bits. The characters were all true to life and you could not help nut adore them all. Nicky comes across at times, reserved. Her two girls and granddaughter are her life. Always putting their needs before her own. The sun shines on her as she goes to help renovate a B&B. The owner Robert, has a tale of his own to tell. Robert has become quite insular. Applying to be on this TV show would either make or break him. Such a quiet but gentle.
The ambience of Provence spills from the pages as we travel to France and watch the story unfold. Gillian Harvey has nailed it again. A definite five star read. Follow the TV show unfold. Thank you Gillian and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this.

Set in the countryside of Provence in France this beautifully written RomCom is a second chance at love story, with the humorous and entertaining filming of a reality tv show as the backdrop.

Having spent ten years following the death of her husband effectively treading water and dedicating her life to raising and protecting her daughters who are now adults, Nicky decides it is time to take a leap into the unknown and do something for her. When her best friend offers her the opportunity to be an interior designer and business guru to a struggling B&B owner in Provence as part of a reality tv show, she decides to take a chance.

When she initially meets Robert, the B&B owner she finds him difficult, aloof, and a little dishevelled but as they get to know one another they find they are connected by similar life experiences that mean they can relate to one another on a deeper level, and soon find an easy-going companionable existence together as they work to renovate and upgrade the B&B on a limited budget. There are some incredibly funny moments in the story as the path of budget renovations does not run smoothly, including a failed attempt at a painting party that seriously backfires on them.

I loved the connection between Nicky and her two daughters, and really loved the friendship Nicky builds with boutique owner Michelle. I adored the sound of the vibrant clothing that Nicky buys to update her image, and I desperately wanted to go to the boutique myself!

The story has a poignant element to it regarding love and loss, and the chapters are interspersed with heart-breaking flashbacks that Nicky has into her past.

A Month in Provence made my little Francophile heart sing as the imagery of the countryside and picturesque towns were brought to life, and the main characters were given the chance to find love after loss.

My mother and I are headed to Provence this year, so I’m reading everything about the area that I can. This was a little gem of a book. It took me to southern France, showed me the quaintness of it, and hooked me with a gentle romance.

Nicky, the protagonist, has allowed her widowhood and motherhood to define her for a decade. But when her best friend offers her a chance to work on a reality television show, she takes it. I loved the premise—a widow who has not recovered from losing her husband ten years ago put in an unfamiliar situation with the possibility of romance. I’m a sucker for a story in which a character, who is outside of her comfort zone, hangs in there and overcomes.

I appreciated the characters being middle aged and likeable but not perfect. I might have fallen a little for Robert, who had also lost his wife. Nicky and Robert’s developing relationship was believable and, even though I had a good idea what would happen, I still enjoyed how Gillian Harvey unfurled it.

I thought the story line about Nicky’s friendship with her best friend Jenny was interesting too. Haven’t we all been in uncomfortable spots with the dearest of friends? It was nice to see how Nicky worked through her issues with Jenny.

Harvey deftly explored themes of getting “unstuck” and taking chances coupled with mid-life romance and mothering adult children. Throw in interior design with a B&B in need of refurbishing, great descriptions, and gentle humor and you’ve got a winner.

Thank you to Boldwood Books for allowing me to read A Month in Provence by Gillian Harvey through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Boldwood has a talent for finding the kinds of stories that readers of women’s fiction crave, and that is clearly the case here. There will be readers who are excited about some romance and professional challenges with a character who is NOT in her twenties.

Nicky: She has been widowed and this has not been easy. Nicky’s two children are now grown and she is a bit adrift. Enter a friend with a challenge (that readers will adore) and a trip to Provence. What will NIcky find? Will she be successful? Will she find love again?

Settle down to read this one when you have time. You will enjoy the escape and won’t want to be interrupted.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

Nicky has a passion for interior designing but hasn't had much opportunity to use her skills for a very long time. After being a widow for 10 years Nicky is now ready for a new challenge. So when her best friend Jenny a TV executive tells her about an up coming reality TV show about renovations and that there is one spot left to be filled Nicky decides that perhaps now is the right time for her to go follow her dream.

So off Nicky goes to Provence with a dream to fulfill she gets to the B&b that needs doing up.and realised that she has a task on her hands. It is here that she meets Robert the owner of the b&b who is also a widower. Together they will not only change the b&b but their lives and futures in the process.

A good book, a little predictable. But is makes you smile, it has very likeable characters, lovely vivid descriptions of Provence and Had a nice if predictable romance to it.

I love Gillian Harvey's books, and this is the perfect summer escape. I love the writing style and the friendships and relationships feel so genuine and authentic - I felt like I was living Nikki's with her hoping she realised she deserved to be happy. I really want a sequel or novella for more Nikki adventures.

Her husband's untimely death
Left Nicky feeling so bereft.
However with two daughter to raise alone
The decade since has passed, the time flown.

When her best friend asks for her aid
A challenge and new plans are made.
A month in Provence to renovate a B&B
A fresh start, new chance? Read it to see!

The grumpy owner, the state of the place
Both appear neglected, a total disgrace!
But finding out what he's been through
Helps them understand each other, too.

A sense of community, where friendship is the key,
A glorious place with people and places to see.
A television series will follow them through
Watching how they react and what they do.

Can Nicky apply the skills from years that have past
And use her business acumen together at last?
Will this help her start to make personal changes
As the renovation of the B&B and its owner she arranges?

What a lovely story with great characters, too,
Set in glorious countryside with lots to do!
With challenges a plenty and surprises in store
A gorgeous read, the kind I adore!

For my complementary copy of this book, I say thank you,
As I share with you this, my honest review.

Who can resist a good challenge especially when Provence was the destination and interior designing was involved? Nicky was an interior designer but she had not had the opportunity to use her talents in a very long time. She had been widowed for ten years now. Was Nicky up for a challenge of this magnitude? Could she inject new life into a failing French B&B located in Provence, help her friend Jenny, a t.v. executive for a reality show about renovations, by filling a vacated spot in the new reality show and along the way, perhaps, find herself and some much needed happiness in her own life? Those were the decisions Nicky was forced to make, I discovered, as I began to read A Month in Provence by Gillian Harvey.

After ten years of being a widow, Nicky should have been able to move on and put the tragic car accident that took her beloved husband from her behind her. That was not as easy as some people thought it might be. At first, Nicky was wrapped up in raising her two daughters and meeting all their needs. Both of her daughters were grown now. One even was married and had a daughter of her own. Nicky remembered that long before she became a widow, she had dreams of her own. Some how, Nicky had pushed them from her thoughts. Jenny’s proposition was tempting. This could be just the challenge she had been waiting for without even knowing she had been.

When Nicky arrived in Provence and saw the condition of the B&B, she knew that she had her work cut out for her. Then she met Robert, the owner of the B&B, and realized that she might have bit off more than she had been prepared to handle and change. Robert, the owner of the B&B, was also a widower. Nicky soon learned that Robert was floundering, too. His people skills and dress attire were questionable. Could Nicky summon up the courage and self confidence she so needed to succeed at this endeavor? Was Nicky flexible enough to endure all the last minute changes in the budget and scheduling that her friend Jenny and the crew threw at her? Could she help Robert make the dreams he and his late wife dreamed about for the B&B become a reality? Could Nicky and Robert help each other become more confident individuals, win this competition and perhaps find happiness and new and more positive outlooks on their lives?

I loved how Gillian Harvey navigated and portrayed the growth, outlooks, transformations and destinies of both Nicky and Robert. Their characters were so endearing. I really enjoyed that both Nicky and Robert were middle aged characters. It was so easy for me to relate with them. A Month in Provence by Gillian Harvey was so full of hope, smiles. discoveries, likable characters and vivid descriptions of the picturesque landscape of Provence. It was so well written and relatable. I did not want the book to end. The cover appealed to me as well. I loved it! Although, Gillian Harvey was a new author for me, I was quite impressed. I will definitely look for her books in the future. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy a good book about real people, that involved a little romance and if are up for finding out who the winner of the competition was.

Thank you to Boldwood Books for allowing me to read A Month in Provence by Gillian Harvey through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A delightful summer book with humor, romance, and second chances. So take a trip to Provence with Nicky and get as a bonus a semi-fictional behind-the-scenes look at a reality show. The perfect summer read.

I got this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This one just published last week so if you are looking for a a fun and fast little romance set in charming Provence check this one out. Nicky is pushed into an unreal opportunity by her best friend when she flies off to France to renovate a dying B&B for a new reality TV show. Totally out of her comfort zone since she has spent the last few years helping her girls grow into independent adults on her own since the death of her husband. She has a comfortable job peacefully existing in her little home. The last thing she wants is an adventure. But that's just what this story is - Nicky's adventure into the next phase of her life. Yes, there are handsome men, roadblocks in the renovation plan, heartache and love but you need to read the book to get all of that. I hate a review that basically tells the entire story and all of the major events - I want the story to be revealed as I read so no spoilers here! I will say that Gillian Harvey writes a nice story with out dragging you down with extreme descriptions and emotions - just the right mix to keep you turning the pages.
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the advanced copy.

Nicky is an interior designer. After her husband dies, she raised her two daughters alone. Now that they are both grown up, she is a bit lost.

Then her friend asks her for help. Her TV renovation house is in trouble and Nicky might be able to help. Only, she has to fly to Provence, the next day.

It's a lovely story, of love, of finding happiness with lots of French vibes.

My Review: I really enjoyed this book, I also have the audible copy. We meet Nicky, single mum to two grown up daughters, a grandma and widower. Her life has been in a holding pattern since her husband died. Then one day her best friend offers her a hosting spot on a reality show, helping out reinvigorating a B and B in Provence. There she meets fellow widower and Chateau owner Robert. Together, they set about bringing life back into the place. We meet some fun characters that include Monique the cleaner, Tom the camera man, Jenny, best friend and the lovely Michelle who owns a boutique and quickly restyles and befriends our leading lady. It’s such a fun read. I really enjoyed it.

A Month In Provence - Gillian Harvey.

Gillian Harvey is one of those authors who writes books full of sunshine.

#AMonthInProvence is a gorgeous and feel good story. Set in beautiful Provence, Gillian Harvey truly brings the setting to life with her descriptive writing skills setting the scene with a clarity that will stir your senses.

I love that Nicky and Robert are both middle - aged characters. They are both dealing with their own heartache and are at a point in their lives where they maybe need a little bit of a nudge out of the ruts that they are separately in.
It was a joy to follow their journey as they rediscovered themselves and also breathed new life into the distinguished old B&B.

I really did adore this book. It’s very sweet and warm. It’s funny, touching and full of love.
#AMonthInProvemce is one of those books that will nestle in your heart and radiate a warmth that will leave you with a big smile on your face and happiness in your soul.
A gorgeous 5⭐️ read.

With thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources, Netgalley, Boldwood and the lovely Gillian Harvey for a digital arc of this title.

Nicky is ambushed by her TV produce best friend to try out her rehab skills on a derelict French B& B.
But it turns out to be a revamping of Nicky’s life, who has been immersed in taking care of her family since her husband’s death.
I liked the flow of the story. The two parties that get out of hand are hilarious, both due to punch.
The cleaner’s misidentification of Nicky’s bathroom toiletries also lent comic relief.
I liked Robert’s supply of concert shirts.
I didn’t like best friend Jenny because she kept shoving stuff at Nicky when it was fait accompli, she grated on my nerves.
It’s a swift, sweet book.

Ten years ago, Nicky's world came tumbling down when her husband was killed in a tragic accident. Thrown into life as single mum to two girls, Nicky's own needs were consigned to the back burner, and though times have been hard, she is proud of the young women they have become. This should be the time for Nicky to start thinking about herself, but at forty-nine-years-old she does not really know where to begin.

Then Nicky's best friend Jenny becomes a TV executive to a renovation show with a twist, and she needs Nicky's help. One of the show's designers has had to pull out at the last minute, so Jenny asks Nicky to call upon her dormant interior designer skills to step in and save the show. The catch is that it means Nicky must drop everything and fly to Provence tomorrow to oversee the renovation of a shabby French B & B...

Unsure if she is really up to the job of TV renovation celebrity, Nicky finds herself with a challenge on her hands. The B & B's grumpy owner, Robert, seems a lost cause; the renovation budget is miniscule; and the TV recording schedule is impossible. Can Nicky regain the confidence she once had, rescue the project, and find a way for her and Robert to move forward?

A Month in Provence is my third romantic French adventure with Gillian Harvey, and it is my favourite one so far. Nicky has spent the last ten years thinking of her girls, and it comes as a bit of a surprise to her that now might just be the right time to pick up the threads of her own life and take on some new challenges. As she gets stuck in to the task of helping the apparently feckless Robert to turn around his business, she also finds herself undergoing somewhat of a makeover herself - which extends in an emotional overhaul in Robert's life as well.

The TV show theme in this book is absolute gold, and Harvey hams it up delightfully to let the humour run free throughout this story from the moment Nicky arrives in France. I promise you will find a lot to giggle at in the way she pokes fun at the celebrity led makeover format, and the comical mishaps that result. She also throws in all the necessary bumps in the road before Nicky and Robert's storylines come together in a heart warming ending, with a bevy of emotional themes woven throughout.

I love the way she explores second chance relationships for people who have suffered heart breaking loss and have become consumed by living day to day, without moving forward with their lives, through Nicky and Robert's budding friendship. There is something deeply moving in this story in how they connect with each other and are each finally able to move beyond their grief, to realise that they might just have a chance at happiness once more if they are brave enough.

More than that, Harvey uses Nicky's storyline to touch on many relatable themes around motherhood, getting older, and moving into a different phase of your life once your children are grown. I really enjoyed the way Nicky finds her sense of purpose, regains her confidence, and rediscovers her own sense of being over the course of the story - and this will speak to many of Harvey's more mature readers too.

This is such an enchanting story of love and friendship, full of all the things about France that Harvey brings alive so well. I consumed it one tasty bite, and recommend it to you are the perfect escapist summer read to warm the cockles of your heart and bring joyful tears to your eyes.

Nicky has been a widow for 10 years. In that time she has been the one responsible for raising her daughters, for being the sole provider, for being the strong one. Years previously she had studied interior design but she hadn't really used those skills for a while.

When her TV executive Jenny has a casting crisis she asks Nicky if it would be possible for her to go to Provence to work on a TV show. The idea is that Nicky will need to spend a month in Provence, helping a struggling B&B business to redecorate and revive their fortunes. For once, Nicky decides to take a chance and agrees.

She therefore finds herself in Provence near the town of Roussillon. The house is definitely in need of a refresh, as is the owner Robert. The online reviews of his B&B are terrible, and they haven't really been kind to him either. Nicky has her work cut out.

As the work begins, the rules keep on changing. The timelines are shortened, the budgets slashed, the film crew drops in with very short notice. Nicky needs to learn her way around the town, find suppliers, which is not always easy to do on a miniscule budget.

For Robert, this B&B was a dream he shared with his deceased wife, Marie. In the years that he has been alone, he has stumbled through life, neglecting the house, barely being welcoming to his guests and his business has suffered as a result.

We stayed in a gorgeous place in a small town in the Loire called Mer. The place was lovely. The room was stylishly decorated with all sorts of strategically placed items adding ambience and style. The breakfasts each day was divine, consisting of a mixture of local produce, freshly baked goods each morning and more. The host was charming with lots of great suggestions on how to spend our time. They made it look effortless, but just thinking about it suggests how much hard work it was. It's fair to say that this is not the experience that Robert was giving his guests. He sees this contest as his last throw of the dice. If this doesn't work, then he will probably need to give up and return to the UK.

As the rules continue to change, Robert and Nicky have to work together to bring all the changes together from redecorating to reinventing the business website, creating relationships with local providers to reinvigorating their wardrobes. And of course there is the pressure from the TV crew as well. They prove their resourcefulness and resilience over and over, as they find themselves in various situations.

Gradually Nicky begins to realise that maybe she doesn't have to be the sensible one. Maybe she can take some chances, and maybe, just maybe, this unexpected opportunity might open many doors for her. I really loved reading about her relationship with her daughters who are now grown up and independent. Nicky needed to realise that her daughters didn't need her as much as they used to. I wasn't as keen on her friend Jenny but I did come around at the end.

One of the things that I really liked about Nicky and Robert is that they are both widows, so they reallly understand each other, and that they are both expats. Normally you will read these new start stories and one will be moving from the UK but the other character will be French/Italian/Greek etc. I also liked that Nicky had been alone for a long time. Many times these stories feature women who have just recently separated from their partner, move to France and find true love in the space of 300 pages. Now, I am sure that happens in real life, but it wasn't how it was for me. Now admittedly, my ex didn't pass away, he just left, but it took me 1 years to find love. In fact it, took me 12 years to even kiss another man. I know I was slow, but I have ended up in a good place. However, this isn't a story that you read very often.


I also really enjoyed reading about the town of Rousllon. It sounds like a beautiful place on the pages of the book. I did go and look at some pictures of the town and it did look gorgeous!I have read several of Gillian Harvey's books now and have enjoyed them all. The ones I have read are all set in France and feature expat characters, an experience which the author has undertaken herself. I already know I will be reading her next book.

I am sharing this post with my fellow participants in Paris in July hosted at Words and Peace.

Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachels Random Resources

British author Gillian Harvey delivers a charming beach read, A MONTH IN PROVENCE — a chance for an interior designer with grown children to step out of her comfort zone, oversee a project in Provence with a failing B&B, and a TV renovation show.

A MONTH IN PROVENCE will inspire you to discover your hidden talents and give you a chance at new beginnings.

Escape to France! From lavender fields, the Mediterranean Sea, hilltop ancient villages, and a landscape dotted with vineyards, orchards, and farmland. Falling for Provence France and its charming, relaxed lifestyle is not hard. Long lazy lunches on shady terraces overlooking the sea, olive trees, cicadas chirping, a hot summer sun, and brilliant blue skies are just part of the reason you’ll fall in love with Provence, France. Add a charming B&B, a TV show, and a little romance —and you are set for the perfect beach read!

Nicky, age 49, an interior designer, lost her husband and then raised two daughters. Now they are grown. Now she is a odds with her life. Her best friend begs her to help out. Jenny is a TV exec, and the new renovation show is in trouble. She needs Nicky's help.

However, she does not have much time to ponder. She is to fly to Provence the following day and begin working on a project—to renovate a neglected bed and breakfast. The show will be called The Great B&B Rescue.

Upon arrival, the B&B was in much worse condition than she imagined, and the budget was not so great either. On top of that, Robert, the current inn owner, also needs a remodel. However, Robert had also lost his wife, and the B&B was their dream. He did not have the passion to run a B&B.

With the challenges of a TV show and completing the renovation on time, she wondered if she had made a mistake coming. Will Nicky be able to turn the B&B to save her friend's job and, at the same time, find a little happiness for herself?

A MONTH IN PROVENCE was my first book by the author, and I look forward to reading more! I enjoy her writing style and the well-developed characters. I love books about middle-aged women with a lot of life left.
Thrown together by disaster, the characters get a do-over on life, love, and happiness.

If you are in the US and a fan of Wendy Wax's (Ten Beach Road series—a favorite), you will enjoy Harvey's latest, particularly The House on Mermaid Point (#6). Also, for fans of authors Sherryl Woods (Chesapeake Shores series) and Mary Kay Andrews' The Homewreckers.

I do not read a lot of women's fiction; however, the stunning front cover, the setting in Provence, a designer, and a B&B all—drew me in.

I was an interior designer (residential and commercial) for years and enjoyed designing resorts and hotels worldwide. I later became a consultant for B&Bs, inns, and hotels: so much fun and great memories. I worked and lived on-site as an innkeeper across the US and Hawaii for many years with different properties. From beach, urban, resort, island, to mountain properties—I was even approached to host a reality TV show working with B&B owners like this (A Gordon Ramsay type), but I declined. I am not an on-camera kind of gal. However, I know B&Bs and enjoy reading books about these topics.

Highly recommend this one if you enjoy light, fun, and uplifting books about female empowerment, friendship, charming inns, second chances, and light romance in a beautiful setting. A perfect beach read!

Thanks to Boldwood Books for a gifted ARC via NetGalley. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
Pub Date: July 11. 2023
July 2023 Must-Read Books

♦️Nicky had always dreamt of a career as an interior designer. However, ten years back when her husband died suddenly, to raise her two daughters all alone, she had to take up a job which was far from what she had aspired to. Now, when her daughters are grown up and busy with their own lives, her best friend Jenny presents her with a great opportunity. Jenny is a senior TV executive and through her new show "The Great B&B Rescue", they are rescuing ten Brit-run B&Bs in France. However, in one case, the assigned designer suddenly met with an accident leaving the show in jeopardy. So, Jenny asks Nicky to step-in in his place and save her. It can also be a life-changing moment for Nicky for she will finally get to pursue her dream job and if it is a success, she will never have to look back. The only problem is, to renovate the crumbling B&B, she will have to fly off to Provence, France and stay there for a month. When Nicky turns up in the B&B, she meets the unfriendly owner, Robert, who seems not to be very happy with her presence. Will Nicky give herself a second chance and be successful in transforming the B&B? What inner demons are Robert fighting? Does he need a transformation too?

💥This is a cosy story set in a small place in France. The author has emphasized giving ourselves a second chance irrespective of our age. The story teaches us that at any point in our life, there can always be a new beginning. Gillian Harvey's magical words are sure to give you the vibes of staying in a picturesque village in France. We get to learn that with sheer determination, we can achieve anything in life. The novel also throws light on leaving our past and moving on.

💥Nicky is the protagonist of the story and the plot revolves around her. As we proceed through the book, we get to learn about her past struggles in raising two daughters as a single mother and the rawness which is left within her even after ten years of losing her husband. The determination with which she coped after losing her husband is also shown in the way she helps in renovating the B&B. Robert is another important character who is the owner of the above-mentioned B&B. He has a bitter past of his own and is struggling to cope with it when Nicky arrives.

💥The story is a fine example which shows that if given a chance, a person can have the ability to achieve anything and change the world. This is my first read by the author and I am looking forward to reading more of her books. I would highly recommend this book to other readers.

I would like to thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a DRC of this book.

This was my first book by this author and I enjoyed this story and the characters! Highly highly recommend.