This is the first book I've read by Gillian Harvey and it certainly won't be my last. I loved how the characters gradually developed and you got to know them and empathize with them all in different ways. It was one of those books I didn't want to end.

I very much enjoyed The Bordeaux Book Club by Gillian Harvey. A lovely set of characters each with their own storyline which was good and the descriptions of the settings were enticing and set the scenes well. It was interesting to read view points from all different ages and backgrounds.

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 like 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 4/5

I have been a fan of Gillian and her work for a while now. By no means have I read everything that she has written but that is something that I hope to rectify in the not too distant future. I read the synopsis of 'The Bordeaux Book Club' and it certainly sounded like just my kind of read. I couldn't wait to dive in and so without further ado, I grabbed my Kindle, grabbed a cup of tea and settled down for an interesting afternoon of reading. I really enjoyed reading 'The Bordeaux Book Club' but more about that in a bit.

The synopsis of this book was enough to grab my attention and draw me in. As soon as I started reading the story itself, I knew that I was in for a treat and that it would prove rather difficult to put the book down for any great length of time. I was spot on too. I loved where the story was set and I loved the fact that a book club formed part of the story. This was especially relevant to me as I set up and run a book club in my village. The story seemed to have cast a spell over me and it was a spell that I wasn't willing to break. My Kindle wasn't exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I couldn't bear to miss a single second of the story. I was so wrapped up in the story and in the lives of the different characters that I lost all track of time and just how quickly I was getting through the book. All too quickly I reached the end of 'The Bordeaux Book Club'. I found 'The Bordeaux Book Club' to be an enchanting and heart warming read, which certainly kept me guessing.

'The Bordeaux Book Club' is superbly written but then I have come to expect nothing less from Gillian Harvey. Gillian has an easy going writing style that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. Gillian certainly knows how to grab the reader's attention and draw them into what proves to be one heck of a story and then some. Gillian clearly cares about her characters and this shines through in the very vivid and realistic way in which she describes them. She makes her characters seem just as real as you and I. In fact I ended up feeling as though certain characters were friends of mine and not strangers in a story. I also felt as though I was part of the story and at the heart of the action, which is all thanks to Gillian's very vivid and realistic storytelling.

In short, I really enjoyed reading 'The Bordeaux Book Club' and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Gillian's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

The Bordeaux Book Club has everything you'd want from a cosy read - aspirational setting, books, wine and just the right seasoning of drama throughout. A group of unlikely friends forms, thrown together through their expat life in Bordeaux and almost immediately. become a great support to each other through life's ups and downs. Thanks NetGalley!

Leah has uprooted her life and moved to the Idyllic French countryside with her daughter and her husband. Hoping to get farming there own vegetables, she is hoping for a fresh start. Leah joins a newly formed book club and meets a bunch of misfits who soon become invaluable friends. The beautiful French setting is perfect for a book and a wine. I came to look forward to the book club meetings as if I myself was attending. The discussions are witty and I formed my own opinions on the books read. Getting to know the characters on a more detailed situation was eye opening. I appreciated that they were a unique bunch with different quirks that I came to love.

Firstly thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Ive never been to France but after reading this book I felt like I was actually in Bordeaux and part of the book club.

Oh I did enjoy this. it gave a real insight into life in France for an ex-pat, there friendship groups and the problems they encounter all bound up in a book club There were lovely descriptions of Bordeaux, the food, the cafe life and the cake! An entertaining and fun read with some serious moments too.

Lovely book

I really enjoyed "The Bordeaux Book Club". It is a warm-hearted book about a new book club of Anglophones living in the Bordeaux area, full of the joys and issues of being an expat in France. But, more than that, the book is about friendship and how we all need our friends. Not to mention a lot of reading and discussion of some of our favourite classics! Highly recommended!

Thank you to the publisher who lent me an e-arc via Netgalley. This review is optional and my own opinion.

THE BORDEAUX BOOK CLUB - Gillian Harvey

A Slice of Life - 3.5 stars

Plot - 4 stars - 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. So, when a friend invites her to join the new book club she’s forming, Leah decides it’s something she will do for herself. 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 had expected.

Writing - 3 stars - I found the writing to be clear and easy-to-read. However, it was a problem for me when the book club met to discuss the "classic" books they'd chosen to read because I haven't read any of them. Is everyone expected to have read them? The discussions might have been much more interesting, if so. But every time they discussed a book, I felt like the odd man out who hadn't had time to read the book before book club night. Sure, I could get the gist of the discussions, but I felt unprepared, and this made me feel uncomfortable.

Characters - 4 stars - This is where the story shone for me. The characters are widely diverse, which made the story (and therefore, the book discussions, I suppose) so interesting. 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 mostly non-judgmental, listening to each other and actually hearing the comments and accepting them, building relationships between such unlikely friends.

Title - 4 stars - Pretty self-explanatory, although the fact that it's in Bordeaux definitely grabs the attention.

Cover - 4.5 stars - A beautiful jewel-tone color that catches the eye. Plenty of clean lines, but also with a homey feel.

Overall - 3.5 stars - The characters are the stars of this book for me. They were such a diverse group that there was certainly a wide range of different life problems, and it was interesting to see how each would handle their difficulties. Not only that, it was fun to see each of them grow, learning how to work together.
My biggest problem was the book club discussions, which admittedly was a very important part of the book. I feel that whenever an author uses other books as an integral part of their story, then they risk having readers who feel lost and not a part of the "inner circle." That's how I felt since I haven't read any of the "classics" included. I felt as though I was missing something and probably didn't appreciate some of the parallels and/or underlying meanings the author intended.

A new author for me. Lovely to have a book set in a different location. This one ticks all the boxes for me and didn't disappoint.

*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 like 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.

Like taking a meandering walk through wine county this writer creatively combines the themes and characters from classics like 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.

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*.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always, my honest, original and unbiased 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 like 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

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 like 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

Monica is a young mum who lives in a gorgeous apartment in Central Bordeaux. Her husband is away for weeks at a time and she is struggling with caring for herself and a young baby.

George is a tradie who has been living in France for a year working on a renovation, and Alfie moved to France years before with his mother.

Grace is the organiser, the person who volunteers for all sorts of activities, who ensures the food is organised and that everyone has what they need. Whilst she is always happy to be available to listen to everyone else, in a way that can come across as a bit intrusive, she isn't really that open to others. I feel like I have known a Grace in a previous book club, so I was interested to see how the new friendships influenced her behaviour.

One of the things that I find interesting with book club related books is that the book club choices are always very earnest, lots of classics. and not the kind of book that the reader is reading! It's something that I have noted in previous book club books too. The classics that they read in the book did prompt some interesting conversations at least.

I've read the last four books by Gillian Harvey, and I can assure you right now, I will read the next four too! One of things that I like about her books is that whilst they are all set in France, the situations are all a bit different and so it doesn't feel like you are reading the same book over and over!

Also, how gorgeous is this cover??

I am sharing this with the Bookish Books Reading Challenge and the New Release Challenge.

Check out other stops on the blog tour to hear other's thoughts on this good read!!

A book about reading books, what is better than that?!

The stories intertwining between five individuals getting to know each other as Brits who’ve transplanted to Bordeaux, France.

I’m embarrassed to say that I have never read any of the classics discussed by them, but have been inspired to read them now.

My first book by the author, but look forward to reading more.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I do love a good book by Gillian Harvey and quite enjoyed reading this as it got me from 'Love books? The Bordeaux Book Club is seeking new members!'. I do love books and book clubs so what's not to like about reading a book about these very things?

Leah and her husband move to France but things are as easy as they would have hoped. So Leah joins a book group, a group of misfits, so how will she fit in? This is such a fun and entertaining read full of great characters a wonderful setting and some charming stories. This is a book you can read in a day and you will love it.

So grab a glass of French wine, sit back, relax and take a journey to the Bordeaux Region of France. You won't be disappointed.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book has it all will make you laugh, cry and everything in between. Full of warmth great characters and great locations. Throughly enjoyed this book comforting read you won’t want to put down

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 is an avid reader and a 50-something. She came up with the idea for the book club. She is 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, she is left alone with a young baby due to his job. 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 unlikely 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. Her books are 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 unlikeliest 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 like 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.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Mar 15, 2024
My Rating: 4 Stars
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This enjoyable read is set in Cenac near Bordeaux. An eclectic group of 5 ex-pats start an English-speaking book club. It’s started by Grace who is a bit of an enigma but who seems to be involved in everything. Leah moved to France with her husband and their teenage daughter to live off the land. Monica moved there with her husband and baby girl. Her husband is a pilot and is gone a lot. George is a handyman who is there helping to build a house for his friend. Alfie moved to France with his mom when he was younger. They each take turns picking a book and hosting. As they meet they slowly get to know each other and their stories through their books and meetings. They end up reading a lot of classics, Wuthering Heights, Pride, and Prejudice, etc. through their conversations, it’s interesting to see the connections they make with the characters and each other as they slowly share a bit about themselves. I love traveling and enjoy reading books set in foreign countries and this was no exception. I loved the characters and the friendships they made through the books they read. I liked how they read the classics and had new, interesting perspectives on the characters and the stories.


Thanks to Netgalley, Rachel’s Random Resources, Boldwood Books, and the author of this ARC.