Capturing beautiful historic audiobook that tells how people in the more dire situation believe and strive forward. The audio was high quality. The stoey was full if well developed characters. It pulls at your heartstrings. Its full of drama,action ,romance and sorrow. A beautiful and compelling backdrop . The ending really hurt. It was Beautifully narrated the beautiful of the world against the evil backdrop of a war. The emotions of the characters shined through.
It was a pleasure to read .Thank you netgallery and publisher and author and narrator.

The Girl from Provence by Helen Fripp
(Narrated by Naomi Frederick)

Emotional and heart-breaking ww2 novel. I have read many ww2 fiction, but this one was unique from others. The griping story setting and the characters were too hard for me to pause the audiobook, as I would like to finish the book in one go. The narrator did a great job to play the characters out.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my copy.

Pub date: Jan 15, 2024

I had the pleasure of participating in a book tour for this book. I enjoyed the storyline for this book. Lilou was a very brave girl, who wanted to do her part in the French Resistance after her brother was forced to a work camp and her Jewish friend was taken. As part of her duties she is tasked with taking care of Eliot. I loved the relationship they shared. Even if Eliot didn’t have valuable information for the war effort, it’s clear that Lilou still would have done everything in her power to protect him. Helen does a great job of showing the intelligence and capabilities of children with Eliot’s character.
I liked having the audio for this one. The narration was well done and it made it very easy to quickly read this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for my ALC of this book.

I’m very drawn to WW2 literature, but this story gripped me in a way I wasn’t expecting. Although emotionally draining, I couldn’t stop reading to find out if there would be any resolution.

The Girl From Provence by Helen Fripp is a WWII novel about a young woman whose good friend is taken away for being Jewish. I usually love WWII fiction, but this one didn't hit home for me. I actually didn't finish it. I don't believe in negative reviews, as I know each author works hard on each novel and deserves to be respected for that. Therefore, this one is just three stars for me.
Thanks to NetGalley.

"A Girl from Provence" is an engrossing novel by Helen Fripp, set in the picturesque countryside of Provence, France. Lilou’s life may look idyllic from the outside, with a sheep farm and plenty of honey to sell at the local markets, but her struggles are quickly revealed. With her father no longer present and her mother suffering from mental illness, 21-year-old Lilou and her younger brother must ensure the farm’s survival. Vallon-Doux, the local town, has been largely shielded from the realities of WWII and the German invasion until the Nazis arrive in 1942. Lilou wants to keep her head down and remain unnoticed, but after the deportation of her Jewish friends and watching her brother be shipped to a German work camp, she retaliates and joins the French Resistance.

Marie-Madeleine Fourcade is a glittering socialite who has appeared on the cover of Vogue but is a secret Resistance leader fighting for her beloved France. When Marie charges Lilou with the care of an endangered young boy holding resistance secrets, increasingly dangerous measures must be taken to maintain his safety.

This is a story of bravery, female friendships, and narrowly escaping the enemy time and time again. I recommend it for fans of historical fiction or WWII. This is the first book I’d read by the author but plan to seek out more.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Helen Fripp for the opportunity to review this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

As a fan of "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, I was thoroughly surprised to find both the book and the author featured prominently in this historical WWII novel about the French Resistance during Nazi occupation. Overall, the story was a heartbreaking rendition of the depravity of war and the extremes to which people were driven to protect their loved ones. But the beauty of their love for one another and the extent they would go to in order to protect one another was very powerful too.

After finishing a story like this, it's hard to say "I liked it," because there was so much angst, fear and disappointment inspired by it. Yet at the same time, it is a portrait of love and self-sacrifice in a time when the world was in chaos. And it was very well written.

If you enjoy historical WWII fiction, I highly recommend it. But be ready for a book that's hard to put down! I ended up reading it in an afternoon...

Thank you to Helen Fripp, the publisher and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

French resistance teams up with Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, an internationally renowned author, to fight against the gruesome enemy. The central character of the novel is a young boy who holds critical information that could bring an end to the war. A group of skilled individuals unite to aid the boy in his mission. However, they require a particular book to decipher the information and bring an end to the devastating conflict.

The novel is set in a picturesque province and includes the world-renowned children's book "The Little Prince". However, apart from that, I found the rest of the story to be rather mediocre. Despite the numerous characters involved, their stories were not adequately introduced to the reader. I strongly believe that if the author had concentrated on one couple and their mission, the story would have been more elaborate and captivating.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced and complimentary copy of the novel.

Solid WWII story. I felt transported to the south of France. Interesting to learn about the French countryside under Nazi occupation and the resistance fighters working outside of Paris. Some of the dialog was a little clunky and seemed too modern for the time period.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced audiobook. All options are my own.

A heartbreaking novel set during WWII in Provence, France. Lilou’s brother is taken from their family farm and Lilou joins up with the French resistance. She is put in charge of an 8-year-old boy, Eliot, who has a book with codes to decipher messages. The unspeakable dangers that people faced and not knowing who to trust helped pull the storyline along. The characters were amazing, especially Eliot. The narrator did a great job with the audiobook, although there were times, I was questioning which characters view I was following. I wish there were more action that happened on the pages. This is a story of love, loss, and the night sky.

This book truly opened my eyes to the horrors of WWII for a small-town girl from a sheep/bee farm near one of my favorite French cities near Provence. Naive, twenty-one-year-old, Lilou is selling honey from her bee and sheep farm in the town market when the Nazi's arrive in the summer of 1942. When her dear friend, Joseph and his mother, the village seamstress and tailor shop owners are drug away by a handful of Nazis for the sheer crime of being Jewish, Lilou awakens to a world that has changed overnight. As the villagers either shun the Nazi occupation or become collaborators, Lilou meets a German pilot billeted with the worst of the Nazi's in her tiny town, and a dangerous but loving friendship develops between the two. When Lilou joins the Resistance and his held accountable for a very special Jewish boy who holds the secrets to a powerful weapon the Germans would kill to get their hands on, Lilou and her German friend, Kristian not only become friends and lovers, but they do anything to keep seven-year-old Eliot safe and away from the evil of the Nazi war machine. Inside a forbidden, impossible love affair, Kristian who is not at all a fan of the German war and Lilou, a member of the Resistance in France finds themselves closeted in a world of astronomy which just may save the life of the young boy Lilou is honor bound to protect. The tale is one of courage, determination, and the ends we would all go to when confronted with an evil beyond words. Five stars for the story but since Net Galley sent me a free courtesy audiobook to review, I struggled a bit with the voice over accent. I wish I had requested the book in Kindle or Nook book format as I highly recommend The Girl from Provence to all historical fiction lovers who left their hearts in Provence or enjoy the tales of the brave and courageous women who fought clandestinely during WWII. Hands down a five-star book, 4 stars for audiobook. Thank you, Net Galley, for your generosity in allowing me to read this exceptional story.

The Girl from Provence
By: Helen Fripp
Narrated By: Naomi Frederick
Review Score: 5 Stars

Boogie’s Bulletpoints
-This story is intense and engaging from the start.

-The description of where Lilou lives is beautiful.

-I loved Lilou and Kristian.

-The narration of this story was so well done, I highly recommend the audiobook version.

-No spoilers, but the end of this book had me STUNNED.

——
The Girl from Provence was kindly provided as an ARC by Netgalley and Bookouture Audio. Thank you for allowing me to enjoy this wonderful book!

Release Date: Out Now!

The Girl from Provence is one of the best historical fiction books I have read recently. I felt completely immersed in the story as Lilou struggles with the war, her family, her hatred of the Nazis, and her feelings for Kristian.

I have not read many historical fiction books set in Provence, yet this one was absolutely beautiful to read. So many of the books about the Resistance that I read are either in Paris of in Vichy France, so a new location made the story fresh and engaging.

I was also captivated by Lilou’s care of Eliot and all he had gone through.

The end of this book had me in tears. I am pretty good at seeing plot twists as they come, but this one truly shocked me in the best way possible.

If you like historical fiction, READ THIS BOOK.

#bookstagram #books #readingnow #boogiereadsbooks #fivekeyfeels #audiobooks #audiobook #historicalfiction #arcreview #netgalley #boogiesbulletpoints #fivestarfriday #thegirlfromprovence #helenfripp #naomifrederick #bookouture

Oh my heart! Set in France in 1942, when the Germans arrived in Provence, this wonderfully written book tells a story of trust, bravery, betrayal, love and resilience.

Lilou is a fabulous character, a determined young woman who has a real connection with her bees and the lavender she grows on her Maman’s farm. The descriptions were so evocative that I could taste the lavender scented honey and feel the warmth of the sun on my skin.

Every character; Kristian, Eliot, Marie-Madeleine and even the evil “doll-face” were so brilliantly developed, they felt 100% real to me and I found the astrological links between the characters very special.

5⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Helen Fripp and Bookouture, for an ARC in return for an honest review.

This is a very interesting WW2 historical fiction novel. I enjoyed the fact that the little prince was included in this book, it added a cool element. I also enjoyed many of the characters, as well as the atmosphere. The world-building was very good. I wish the storyline had been a little more fleshed out and that there was more "action." Portions of the book felt a little dull, but otherwise it was enjoyable.

I love historical fiction from WWII, so I easily gravitate to those books. Helen Fripp is a new to me author and I will absolutely be looking for her other books. The Girl from Provence follows Lilou and her farm during the war. After Lilou’s brother is taken from their farm, she agrees to join the resistance. Lilou gets her most important mission when she is given 8 year old Eliot to watch over. Unbeknownst to her, Eliots father gave him special numbers and coordinates to remember for a specific date that will help crack a code of a project he has been working on. A German soldier Kristian, finds out about Eliot and Lilou. As much as Lilou wants to trust Kristian, can she?!?

The Girl from Provence is a wild ride of ups and downs. Goodbyes and near misses. With all the loss the war provided, this book is a small glimpse of the good that there still is in the world and the hope for humanity. Grab your copy today, you won’t be dissatisfied.

A heartbreaking WW2 #historicalfiction that’ll grip you throughout. The audiobook is well done with narration by Naomi Frederick.

Thank you, Helen Fripp, Bookouture, Bookouture audio & netgalley for my ecopy & #audiobook! All opinions are my own.

An absolutely heart wrenching and yet heart warming and faith restoring piece of historical fiction from #HelenFripp. I applaud the realistic story full of love, loss, and stars that shine so bright that you know they will never be that bright again once you've experienced them.

Fans of The Nightingale will love this story and I would absolutely recommend this book.

#TheGirlfromProvence #NetGalley

3.5 Stars

The year is 1942, when the picturesque South of France was anything but peaceful. Amidst the war and chaos, a young and vibrant Lilou was selling honey in the village when the Nazis arrived. In a moment of sheer horror, her best friend, who was Jewish, along with his mother, was taken away by the Nazis. It was a moment that changed Lilou's life forever. Fueled by the fire of justice, Lilou made a solemn vow to fight for what was right. Taking part in the French Resistance, she fearlessly assisted in the covert delivery of hidden messages. When her new mission was assigned, she found herself responsible for the care and protection of Eliot, a young boy with the uncanny ability to decode secret messages. Can Lilou ensure his safety on her farm?

Lilou's story is one of courage and determination, and it serves as a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there is always a glimmer of hope. Overall, it was a good read. It needed a bit more depth and development. But I would still recommend it to fans of WWII or historical fiction.

***Thank you to NetGalley, Helen Fripp, and Bookouture Audio for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the free audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

This is the first book I finished in 2024 and it’s definitely starting out strong — I’m adding this to my list of favorite books! The Girl From Provence follows the life of 21 year old Lilou, a seamstress and beekeeper who takes care of her family’s sheep farm in the mountains of France. After her best friend and brother are taken away by the Germans, she starts aiding in the French resistance, initially by smuggling messages in loaves of bread, but later becoming more and more daring + hiding away a young Jewish boy named Eliot.

Historical fiction is my favorite genre, so I may be a tad biased, but this is so beautifully written, you’ll feel like you’re right with the characters every step of the way. The characters are complex + well developed — it’s difficult not to fall in love/get attached to them (and the animals!), and the description of the village and the nature she spends her time in is captivating.

Did I mean to start and finish this in a single day? Absolutely not. But could I stop listening? Also absolutely not. This is a suspenseful, utterly heartbreaking, but riveting piece of historical fiction that, despite not at all shying away from the brutalities of war (there is graphic violence and vulgar language), still somehow manages to leave you with a sense that there is still hope in the world and good in humanity. There is love and joy, but also grief and despair — I so admired the strength, bravery, and resilience of so many of the characters.

The narration is done well — crisp and clear with distinct voices for the different characters. I found the speed to be on the slower side though, so I did switch the speed to 1.25x, which felt like the perfect pace for me.

I’ve always found solace and a sort of quiet joy in looking up at the stars in the night sky, and this book made me love this all the more. There were so many different things that I wish could’ve happened instead in this book, but sadly, you cannot expect neatly tied up happy endings in a book about a world war.

I will likely be curling up with some tea + lavender honey and The Little Prince soon to lift my spirits. This was truly a beautiful (+ haunting) read.

I was drawn to this book because of the lavender fields, like a place where I lived.

This is the story Lilou (fun name to say!) who lives in the French countryside during World War 2. After seeing her friends taken from their shop, she joins the resistance.

I especially liked the relationships between the characters. I loved Elliott - can’t tell you anything about him without spoilers though 😊

I listened to the audiobook. It was fun to listen to. The only challenge is it wasn’t totally clear when we changed between character viewpoints.

#netgalley #AGirlFromProvince