Sadly, this was a DNF for me. It just didn’t catch my attention from the start and I kept zoning out through the short amount I read. I didn’t care for the dialogue at all. I’m sure others will highly enjoy this one and I’m in the minority but it just wasn’t for me. All thoughts and opinions are solely my own! Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of the arc in return for an honest review.

I loved this! It's such a hopeful tale about a woman who finally gets to take her own happiness under her control. The little found family she has made for herself is really precious. A very uplifting, escapist book full of beautiful locations that are easy to imagine and dream about afterwards.

MRS. ENDICOTT'S SPLENDID ADVENTURE by Rhys Bowen is a totally satisfying book, one that puts all other activities on hold for the duration. I do not regret postponed chores, turned off TV, or even missed sleep, only regretting that it’s over. I’m still thinking about those I met within its pages.
Ellie’s superpower is making friends, reminding me a bit of Mrs. Pollifax, whom I’ve missed dreadfully since I finished that series. There’s also a bit of FIRST WIVES’ CLUB in the women’s stalwart plans to deal with life’s disappointments . . . living well with courage, kindness, and laughter is the best revenge on feckless husbands.
Restoring the abandoned villa was a wonderful project, healing, and in such a gorgeous place, with views of the Mediterranean, wonderful friends, and a chance to do good in the world. They are heroes to emulate, and I hope for such strength and courage.
The writing is gorgeous, the story compelling, the characters friends for life. Hurrah!

What a lovely tale of rediscovery and rebirth in middle age. I fell in love with Ellie and her cast of misfits as they made their way from dreary England to the sun-drenched southern coast of France. I could just see the spectacular views of the Mediterranean and feel the wind whipping through the beach town in Bowen’s wonderful descriptive writing. I came to love each and every one of the characters and felt with them as they encountered love and suffered pain, especially during the horrific WWII years. This is a book every woman 40+ should read! Historical fiction with a life lesson about it never being too late to reach for your dreams.

Another delightful read from a great historical fiction author. This was a quick read that was both fun and serious throughout. I loved how I was invested in all of the characters, not just Mrs. Endicott. A really fun adventure about how we can find and create our own community.

This was a sweet and light drama about a woman's second chance at life.

Ellie Endicott has her life turned upside down when her husband leaves her for another woman. Rather than wallow in despair, Ellie decides to take an adventure to the South of France, picking up several others along for the ride who also need a new leash on life. They end up in a lovely little seaside town just as WW2 is starting.

The characters are lovely, and the story is a well-crafted, although entirely predictable.

I love Rhys Bowen's books, but this was a tad boring and surface-level for her style. Things work out a little too well, everyone gets along. And you know exactly what's going to happen at the end. One part in particular was supposed to read as terrible, but the reader can't for one second imagine that it's true, and of course it isn't, making what should read as tension read instead as silly.

Recommended for readers who enjoy women's drama with a hint of romance.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union, and Rhys Bowen for the opportunity to review an advanced copy.

Another captivating standalone from Rhys Bowen! Although this book is less mystery/suspense and more historical fiction crossed with women's fiction, it's a wonderful read. The characters develop beautifully over the course of the story, the bad-ish guys get their comeuppance, the heroes emerge during the brutal years of WW2--all this is presented in an appealing small town coastal setting. Highly recommended!

This book is a beautiful reminder that life can surprise us, that second chances come in unexpected ways, and that courage often grows quietly, like the slow turning of a page. I fell completely in love with Ellie’s story and the gentle magic of Saint Benet.

I was drawn in immediately at the start of this book. From the opening chapter, when Ellie’s husband suddenly tells her he wants a divorce because he’s found a younger woman, I felt completely hooked. It was such a cold moment, and yet Ellie’s quiet strength in response really stood out to me. She didn’t fall apart (even if she might have felt like it inside); instead, she started to make plans. That line she says early on—something like “I’ve lived his life, now I’m going to live my own”—really stuck with me. It was such a powerful turning point, and I think a lot of readers will relate to that feeling of having lost themselves in someone else’s world.

The entire stay in Saint-Benet was beautiful, the fixing of the villa and the new-found friendships with people of the town was heartwarming. When the war started to move into France, I admired the courage it took for Ellie and her friends to help French Jewish people go into hiding.

Overall, I found this book moving, hopeful, and full of adventure. Ellie’s journey was exactly what I hoped it would be—a reminder that it’s never too late to reclaim your life.

This book was a slow burn, but a good one at the end! I liked the main characters and the bonds they had throughout the book. I love the concept of the book. The FMC dealt with a challenge throughout the book and came out on top in the end! If you like romance, emotional historical fiction this one is for you.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book, This was the perfect book to get me into a summer reading mood. It has all the things I look for in historical fiction- a great setting, a time period i don't know much about, a bit of a love story and friendship. I really enjoyed this book being set in the South of France right before World War II. I also appreciated that we as the reader were able to also see what it was like in one small village in Vichy France during the war. I would have liked a bit more detail for the war years section of the book, but only because I find that time period to be so very fascinating. This book tugged on my heart strings near the end, not something that I expected, but that I appreciated.

After decades in a comfortable, if unexciting, marriage, Ellie Endicott's husband wants a divorce. He's found a younger woman and suddenly Ellie's world is turned upside down. Instead of settling for a lonely life in Surrey, Ellie decides to travel to the south of France and is joined by her housekeeper, Mavis who is escaping an abusive husband, and Dora, an uptight older woman who hasn't long to live. They have no idea what is in store for them as a second world war approaches.

I really enjoyed this stand alone novel from an author whose mystery series I love. No mysteries here, just a heartfelt story peopled with lovable characters. This was not as light of a story as I was expecting as it takes place in France during World War II. However, I found that I liked that better than something fluffy as our characters faced real hardships and showed resilience and courage.

Many of Bowen's stand alone novels have been misses for me but this one was very enjoyable. Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for the e-ARC.

I’ve been enjoying books by Rhys Bowen for years. This is my all time favorite. Mrs. Endicott was a magnificent, lovable, and enjoyable character. All of the characters were memorable. It was so easy for the story to unfold in my mind. I loved the setting in France and the time period. When this is published I will be purchasing the audio version to enjoy again. Highly recommend.

I was blessed with an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own and unbiased.

I always like Rhys Bowen's books, but this was not my favorite of her stand-alone novels. She has amazing character development, and I came to care about all of the main characters. However, this book felt a bit slow and light on plot. There was a lot of foreshadowing about how the war would eventually affect the main characters. but nothing really happened until the last quarter of the book. That being said it was still an enjoyable read.

In MRS. ENDICOTT’S SPLENDID ADVENTURE, written by Rhys Bowen, Ellie Endicott’s husband, Lionel, announces his plans for divorce. Ellie is surprised by Lionel’s announcement since she has always been a dedicated wife and mother. Ellie decides not to leave the relationship gently. I am routing for Ellie and read on.

I enjoy Rhys Bowen’s writing. I have experienced Her Royal Spyness and Molly Brown series, but this book is a standalone rather than part of a series. In this novel, I am immediately drawn into Ellie’s relationship with her husband. Much of the plot that follows is low-key and rather slow-moving. I find the first half to be an easy, comfortable read. Things pick up and the plot gets more complicated, even exciting at times, in the second half. I like this standalone but enjoy Bowen’s Her Royal Spyness series the best. Thank you, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an advance reader copy of MRS. ENDICOTT’S SPLENDID ADVENTURE.

I loved this book. The story had me hooked from the first paragraph. I am a huge fan of Rhys Bowen. Her series, Molly Murphy, is one of my favorites. I have also read and enjoyed many of her other books. Rhys's way of writing makes you fall in love with her characters. This book is no different. I enjoyed getting to know Elli Endicott. She was introduced to us as a woman very much under her husband's thumb. But she blooms into a woman who is confident in herself and can even take on the Germans.

Ellie is shocked when her husband announces that he is to remarry and she has to leave the house she has spent many years making lovely. Refusing to meekly settle in a small cottage locally, she takes the Bentley, 2 friends and heads to the South of France. When the car breaks down they are forced to stay in Saint Benet, a small fishing village. Ellie finds an abandoned villa with a romantic history and decides to renovate it. Throw in the start of WW2 and this is a lovely read.

Ellie Endicott is such an interesting character! I loved following her, Mavis, and Dora to the South of France. It was also so intriguing to see where they end up, and how, at the brink of a war, things are not what they seem.

I really enjoyed Ellie’s life after her divorce. Yes, it had a different set of struggles, but I enjoyed her resilience in the changing times.

This was a good book, I enjoyed it.

Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC of this book! This was a historical fiction at it’s finest! I loved the character development and the way the story ended. I love books by this author, and this book is no exception! Quick read that sparks joy.

In the late 1930's, after 30 years of marriage and a terrible act of betrayal, Ellie Endicott's husband casts her aside in the hope of marrying a younger woman. Ellie is determined to make a fresh start and on a whim, she takes off to the south of France with her housekeeper, Mavis and her elderly friend Dora who dreams of visiting France again before she dies.

Along the way, a young, mysterious and pregnant woman joins them on their adventures .On their journey, their car breaks down in Saint Benet, a small fishing village and while awaiting repairs of the car, the women become entranced by the beauty and simplicity of life in the town. Thy decide to settle there and move into an abandoned villa in the hills, determined to restore it to its former glory. The women settle into a happy village life, making friends with many of the locals, and Ellie realizes she is in the midst of a wonderful adventure. However, war approaches, threatening to change life in the village dramatically.

When I started reading this story, it seemed to be a light-hearted story, set in a beautiful part of the world; the wonderful descriptions of the beautiful seaside village made me long to return to Europe. However, don't be fooled by the title of the book - there is more to this heartbreaking story which explores betrayal and the opportunities that come with new beginnings, as well as a number of darker themes including war, death, child abandonment and murder. I enjoyed this story and recommend it for people who enjoy historical fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.