This week...

I'm reading

It's been a busy reading week!

I finished my first 5 star read for the year! Midnight in Paris by Gillian Harvey. I was already a fan of this author, and this book took it to the next level for me! You can read my review here.

Next up was The Storyteller's Daughter by Victoria Scott, which features a WWII mystery, an old house and so much more. My review is here. 

I also read the third book in the Skylarks series by Helen Rolfe which is called Something in the Air. My review for this will be up later this week. 

My current read is An Italian Island Secret by Victoria Springfield, which has whisked me off to the Italian island of Ischia. I wish I could visit for real, but alas, it isn't to be as we have other travel plans for this year.

I'm watching



I am very excited as Bake off : The Professionals is back for another season! I love this particular version of Bake Off which features professional bakers being set the most amazing and difficult challenges. There are some amazing creations. There are also some disasters!

Another thing that was back this week was Sail GP. They changed one of the key elements on the boats for this race and it led to some very exciting racing!

I started watching the TV adaptation of Beth O'Leary's book, The Road Trip. I will get back to that next week I think.

We watched a new movie on Netflix this week called The Six Triple Eight, which tells the story of an all African American female battalion who are tasked with the almost impossible task of clearing a huge backlog of 17 million letters and packages during WWII. It stars Kerry Washington, and features a couple of notable cameo appearances. We really liked it and thought it was pretty well done.

Life

Last week was a pretty quiet week really. 

My thoughts have turned towards actively looking for a new job! Wish me luck!

Max

A couple of  months ago, Max was really sick, but he is pretty much like he was before now. He still has quite a few big patches of hair missing which you can see on his head and belly, but he is wanted to play tug of war, chase the ball and so much more, which is quite a relief.

Here he is lying on the cool of the tiles because it is hot here at the moment!

Posts from the last week

Top Ten Tuesday: Books and Blogging Goals for 2025

Blog Tour: Widows Waive the Rules by Julia Jarman
Blog Tour: Midnight in Paris by Gillian Harvey
Weekend Cooking: What We Ate on Holidays - South Australia

Sunday Salon: 2024 Year in Review

Blog Tour: The Storyteller's Daughter




I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date and Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz

Blog Tour: Midnight in Paris by Gillian Harvey

 

Gillian Harvey! You made me cry, smile, wish I could visit Paris, and given me a book hangover! This was 5/5 read because ...... All the Feels!

I am not sure how to review this book, because there are a couple of twists in it that it is best to not know about before you read it. I'll give it a go though!

Shortly after Sophie and Tom got together, he surprised her with a weekend trip to Paris. For Tom, it's no big deal. He's had quite a privileged upbringing where money is no object. Sophie comes from more humble beginnings and so it feels extravagant, especially given that she is struggling to get by with a part time job while they are students. However, she has always dreamed of Paris, and so off they go. Tom has no interest in visiting the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, Sophie must! He doesn't like standing in the queues with other tourists, but Sophie wants to visit all the places.

This is just the beginning of what becomes their thing - an annual trip to Paris, visiting all of the places that become theirs, but most especially the Pont de Carrousel at midnight.

There are multiple timelines in the book. We see Sophie and Tom as they visit Paris each year, but then we have a two weeks ago timeline as well, where Sophie is visiting Paris alone, hoping that Tom will show up. 

It is only as the two timelines converge that we get more of an idea of what is going on. Life and it's struggles have worn away some (but not all) the uninhibited joy that they feel with each other, and sometimes the trips to Paris aren't as exciting as others. As you are reading the book, there's a word or phrase here or there that makes you go....hold on. And then, well then you realise that this book is something other than the book you thought you were reading!

I first read Gillian Harvey back in 2022, and I have read everything that she has had published since then. I really enjoy the way that she writes about the expat lifestyle, people moving to France and following their dreams, something that she has done herself. And to be honest, I was expecting the same from this book. Instead, we got something completely different and at a whole other level! 

By turns beautiful and heartbreaking and hopeful, this is a book that I will cherish, and it is my first 5/5 read for the year.

If I lived in Europe, I can guarantee you I would be visiting Paris on a regular basis! As it is, I can't quite convince my husband that it is worth 24 hours on a plane (plus the cost) to visit every year! It's probably going to be another couple of years before I get to visit again. In the meantime, I will continue to read Gillian Harvey's books to give me that taste of France that I crave! And look at my photos from when we last visited just to torture myself that little bit more.

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. 

About the book

Midnight in Paris

Ten years. Two people. One last visit…

Sophie and Tom first visited Paris together as students. During their weekend away in the world’s most romantic city, falling in love – with the place, and each other – was simply inevitable.

They resolved to return every summer and kept their word, until something happened that changed their world forever.

Five years on, Sophie’s travelling to Paris alone to meet Tom again in their special place, on the Pont du Carrousel at midnight.

Because life has torn them apart. And now Sophie has something to tell Tom. Something that will change everything…

The most heartbreaking, uplifting and powerful novel you’ll read all year. Perfect for fans of David Nicholls, Kristin Hannah and The Notebook.

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/midnightinparis

About the author

Gillian Harvey is a freelance journalist. She has lived in Limousin, France for the past twelve years, from where she derives the inspiration and settings for her books such as A Year at the French Farmhouse and A Month in Provence.



Social Media Links –

Facebook: @GillianHarveyAuthor

Twitter: @GillPlusFive

Instagram: @GillPlusFive

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/GillianHarveyNews

Bookbub profile: @gillplusfive

This week....

 

I'm reading

Last week I finished There are Rivers in The Sky by Elif Shafak. What an amazing author she is! There was so much in the book that I wanted to note down so I could remember it! I loved The Island of Missing Trees when I read it a couple of years ago and this one is right up there.

I them read Widows Waive the Rules by Julia Jarman for review which will be up on Wednesday. It's set on a cruise ship. Let's just say, I hope our cruise in March is a little less dramatic!

I am now reading Midnight in Paris by Gillian Harvey, who is pretty much an auto-read for me these days! This book is a bit different from her usual ones but it is really good so far! My review for this one will be up this week too!

The theme for my read on a theme bookclub this month is 25. I have chosen to listen to the audiobook of The Truth by Terry Pratchett. It was published in the year 2000, so is 25 years old, and is the 25th book in the Discworld series. This one has a different narrator to the one that does Hogfather, which is the book that I have listened to in the lead up for Christmas for the last 4 years at least.

I made an impulsive decision to join a chapter a day readalong for War and Peace. Now I have to come up with some kind of system to make sure that I read a chapter everyday!


I'm watching


Not a lot!

Life


Robert is now back at work, and I am starting to turn my thinking towards trying to find a new job! I could get used to this easy life, although there are some days when I feel a bit lonely, especially on the days that Robert goes into the office. We don't sit and talk all day when he is working, but I can hear his voice in the background while he is on calls. For the most part though, I really enjoy not being stressed, and doing bits and pieces here and there, reading, blogging, etc.  I do miss the structure of working though.

 
I did go and see Dear Evan Hansen with a couple of friends. I really enjoyed it, and found it very powerful and moving! I am now listening to the soundtrack on repeat. I am doing this thing this year where I am creating a Spotify playlist for anything musical we do during the year, so I need to pick a couple of songs to go on my playlist, but I can't decide which one. Each concert we go to we will pick a song or two and slowly build the story of our musical year!

Posts from the last week


Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated New Books Releasing in the First Half of 2025
Blog Tour: A Love Like No Other by Kate Frost
Silos, Sculptures, Scenery and so much more - The Silos

Weekend Cooking: Best of 2024

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge Statistics for December and the whole year!





I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date and Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2025

 Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2025

Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry (April) - I expect to see this on quite a few lists today!

Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros (January) - Speaking of books I expect to see on lots of lists!

Kate and Frida by Kim Fay (March) - I enjoyed Love & Saffron when I read it a couple of years ago so looking forward to this one!

Midnight in Paris by Gillian Harvey  (January) - Over the last 18 months, Gillian Harvey has become one of my must read authors so I am looking forward to this one.

The Bad Bridesmaid by Rachael Johns (January) - Rachael Johns has long been an autobuy author for me. I read the connected book to this one, The Other Bridget, in one sitting late last year. I expect to love this one just as much!

The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris by Evie Woods (March) - The description for this book could be written just for me - Paris, Baking, a bit of magic

The Many Future of Maddy Hart by Laura Pearson - The Beforelife of Eliza Valentine was one of my favourite reads of 2024. I then read The Last List of Mabel Beaumont and loved it! I have high expectations for this one.

The Jam Maker by Mary-Lou Stephens (January)- Another food based historical novel set in Tasmania!

The Paris Bookshop for the Broken-Hearted by Rebecca Raisin (February) - I love the way that Rebecca Raisin writes about books, food, and Paris!

Three Juliets by Minnie Darke (April) - I loved The Lost Love Letter by Minnie Darke. I have since read With Love from Wish & Co and listened to the Audible short stories she has written. I am very excited a new book from her.

Do you have any of these books on your list this week?

Six Degrees of Separation: Orbital to The Secret Daughter of Venice

Welcome to this month's edition of Six Degrees of Separation, which is a monthly meme hosted by Kate from Books Are My Favourite and Best. The idea is to start with a specific book and make a series of links from one book to the next using whatever link you can find and see where you end up after six links. I am also linking this post up with The Sunday Salon, hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.

This month's starting point is Orbital by Samantha Harvey.

Usually when I sit down to write this post, I just have to look at the book title and the idea of where the first link, and then the second link, etc etc will take me. My main challenge is in completing a chain not using books I have used multiple times before. This was not one of those months. Part of the reason is that I was trying to force a direction but it just wasn't working. Sometimes, you just have to keep it simple. 

Over the last 18 months, British author Gillian Harvey has become a must read author for me. She writes books about life in France and starting over. Her new book, Midnight in Paris, comes out in the next couple of weeks and I am looking forward to reading it!

Midnight in Paris is a movie that I have seen quite a few times and which features several very famous authors who lived in Paris in the golden years of the 1920s. One of those authors was Ernest Hemingway and the book I am choosing is A Moveable Feast.

From a moveable feast I am then linking to Immovable Feast: A Paris Christmas by John Baxter. Baxter is an Australian who has lived in Paris for many years and published a number of books about the city and his experiences.

My most recent read about Christmas in Paris was Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel by Rebecca Raisin. I do have several books that I could have chosen about Christmas in Paris. Is anyone surprised.

Moving from Paris to Venice, my next choice is The Venice Hotel by Tess Woods, which I read recently.

Also set mostly in Venice is The Secret Daughter of Venice by Juliet Greenwood. This is the second book in the Shakespeare Sisters series, and tells the story of a woman who is trying to find her true identity during WWII.

I mentioned that I struggled at the beginning this month. Once I get going though, the connections do just happen. I was just finalising this post when I realised I had accidentally done a seventh degree. I could probably keep going as well. Maybe I will do a Top Ten Tuesday one day with ten connections! 

Next month, the starting point is Dangerous Liaisons by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos

Will you be joining us?

Top Ten Tuesday: Books on my Summer 2024-25 to read list

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Books on My Winter 2024-2025 to-Read List. As I am an Aussie, it is currently way too hot for it be winter, so these are my summer reads!

Midnight in Paris by Gillian Harvey - I am always very excited by the news that there is a new Gillian Harvey book on the way. This one is out in January, and the cover is gorgeous!

The Chimes by Charles Dickens - I read A Christmas Carol a couple of weeks ago, and I am intending to read at least one more of his Christmas stories. Yes, there is more than one!

The Many Futures of Maddy Lawson by Laura Pearson - Spoiler! Laura Pearson is going to be on my list of favourite new authors that I first read in 2024

Venice Hotel by Tess Woods - I have actually already started this one. Now it's a question of finishing it!

Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt by Lucinda Riley and Harry Whittaker - I just finished listening to The Missing Sister. There was a three year gap between the last two books but I am not waiting that long to listen to the final book in the series.

The Mirror by Nora Roberts - This is the second book in The Lost Bride trilogy. I will also listen to this one. The question is will it be before Atlas or after it!

The Last Illusion of Paige White by Vanessa McCausland - I have loved the last two books I have read by Vanessa McCausland so I have high hopes for this one.

The Jam Maker by Mary-Lou Stephenson - This one is out in February and I am very much looking forward to it!

The Secret Paris Garden by Sophie Beaumont - I really liked The Paris Cooking School! My plan is to read this before the end of the year but we will see!

The Bad Bridesmaid by Rachael Johns - I posted my review of The Other Bridesmaid yesterday. The Bad Bridesmaid is about Bridget's best friend Fred and is out in February!

Are any of these books on your list!

Top Ten Tuesday: A new start

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is "Destination Titles (titles with name of places in them. These places can be real or fiction!) (this was a topic Rachel @ Sunny Side came up with for a freebie week last year and has let me steal it!)". 

Now I have done this topic numerous times in one variation or another and I probably could just do another whole post with Paris in the title and not duplicate from the last time I did it, but I will save that for Paris in July next year.

Instead, this week, I am going to keep it simple. These are the last ten books I have read where one or both of the main characters has moved to a new location. Most of these will be escape lit - set in other countries like France and Italy but others are just new starts in the character's home country:

Poppy's Parisian Patisserie by Daisy James - Poppy is a baker who goes to Paris to help out in the patisserie owned by her brother's friend. (review)

An Island Promise by Kate Frost - Three friends come back together in Ibiza ten years after a momentous holiday. (review)

A French Country Escape by Jennifer Bohnet - A brother and sister move to France for a new start (review)

Falling for Provence by Alison Roberts - Ellie agrees to stay in Provence to renovate the cottage that she and her sisters have inherited (review)

The Little Provence Book Shop by Gillian Harvey - Adeline and her daughter move to France after finding out that she was adopted as a child (review)

One Winter at the French Chalet by Mandy Baggot - Journalist Orla accepts a last minute job in a small village called Saint-Chambéry to write a story about a mute man and a pregnant reindeer. (review)

In Italy for Love by Leonie Mack - Jules moved to Italy for love, but it didn't work out. Now she is going to work on a homestay farm for as long as it takes for her to be able to head back to Australia. (review)

A Recipe for Christmas by Jo Thomas - Clara takes a risk and moves to Switzerland where she is going to do a fun course in chocolate making. I am planning to review this one shortly

The Bookshop at the Cornish Cove by Kim Nash - Dennis is visiting his grandmother in Driftwood Bay when he meets Nancy who runs the local bookshop (review)

A Little Place in Prague by Julie Caplin - Anna is moving to Prague for a few months for a cultural exchange. She doesn't expect to meet her ex, Leo, there. (review)

Do you enjoy a new start romance?

Top Ten Tuesday: October Reads

 Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is How My Reading Habits Have Changed Over Time (submitted by Lydia @ https://lydiaschoch.com)

Occasionally I do a look back at books I have read in this month over previous years and this theme seems like it would work for that quite well. So, here are some books that I have read in October over the last few years

2023 - The Christmas Love Letters by Sue Moorcroft - Reading Christmas novels is something I would never have done 10 years ago

2022 - A Year at the French Farmhouse by Gillian Harvey - This was my first Gillian Harvey book, but I have now read a further 6 books by her, and consider her an auto-read author

2021 - The Summer Cottage by Viola Shipman - In October 2021 I read two books by Viola Shipman. I would have read more but his books are a bit tricky to get on e-book here.

2020 - Beach Read by Emily Henry - I did read my first Viola Shipman in October 2020, but it was also the first time I read Emily Henry, who I definitely consider and auto-read author now, or rather auto-listen as I tend to listen to her books.

2019 - The Pearl Sister by Lucinda Riley - Another series I tend to listen to. I really must listen to the last couple of books in this series. They are a big commitment though.

2018 - Lethal White by Robert Galbraith - I really enjoyed the audiobooks of this series, but these days I don't really read this series.

2017 - A Letter from Italy by Pamela Hart - So I have been reading about Italy for a while now

2016 - The Art of Keeping Secrets by Rachael Johns - Even during my biggest reading slump, Rachael Johns was an author I read..

2015- Taken with You by Shannon Stacey - I used to read a lot of books from this author, but this was  the last one I read, and I have no idea why.

2014 - Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins - Back in the day I used to read and love the occasional YA book but it has been a while now

Blog Tour: The Little Provence Book Shop by Gillian Harvey

I am a big fan of Gillian Harvey's books. I love how her passion for France shines through, whih really isn't surprising given that she lived there for years. I pick each one up with a great sense of anticipation, and this one was no different, although the story itself almost felt a bit different - almost sprinkled with fairy dust.

When Adeline and her young daughter Lili move to a small village in Provence, it is almost like fate played a hand. Adeline has recently learned something about herself that has changed the way she feels about her remaining family. She sees an ad in a paper for someone to work in a bookstore and before she knows it, the job is hers.

The bookstore owner is Monique, a woman who has a reputation for being a little bit "witchy", for want of a better word. She believes in gemstones and old wives tales, and she has the uncanny ability of being able to pick exactly the book that her customers need, even if they don't know they need it themselves. And she believes that Adeline has that exact same ability.

It is no surprise that Adeline moves to Provence, and soon she is looking to find the truth about her own identity, but along the way she has to question if making such an impulsive move was actually a good idea both for her daughter and for herself.  Meanwhile Monique has many secrets of her own so maybe it is time for her to make her own fresh start as well.

And there is no newcomer to France story without a bit of romance with a lovely French man right?

As always, reading a Gillian Harvey book makes me wish that I could just pop over and live in France for a while. A girl can dream can't she?

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews and the Bookish Books Challenge hosted at Bloggin' Bout Books. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley  and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy.

The Little Provence Book Shop

Everyone’s story has some magic. You just have to turn the page to find it…

As the sun rises over the little Provence village where single mother Adeline has escaped with her little girl Lili, she breathes deeply. This is their new beginning. Here, she can forget the lies her family told her. Here, she can start her story again.

Later she opens the door to the town’s tiny bookstore, where she is to work, ready to meet the mysterious owner Monique for the first time.

She expected an ordinary bookshop. But this bookstore feels somehow different… magical. Breathing in the smell of books, she feels a jolt of something. It feels like a new chapter beginning.

As she gets to know the villagers – including the handsome Andre and friendly Michel – she starts to believe in the magic of this new start. But can a runaway like Adeline ever find what she’s looking for? Or is a happy-ever-after just another fiction?

A totally gorgeous, escapist, romantic novel – set in rural Provence – by the bestselling author of A Year at the French Farmhouse and The Bordeaux Bookclub.

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/provencebookshopsocial

About the author

Gillian Harvey is a freelance writer and bestselling author who lives in France. She writes escapist fiction set in France, including bestsellers A Year at the French Farmhouse and A Month in Provence.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: @GillianHarveyAuthor

Twitter: @GillPlusFive

Instagram: @GillPlusFive

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/GillianHarveyNews

Bookbub profile: @gillplusfive

This week....

I'm reading

I didn't feel like I was reading a lot this week, but I did manage to get through three books which isn't a  bad reading week. I finished reading The Last List of Mabel Beaumont by Laura Pearson. I definitely see myself reading more Laura Pearson very soon.

I then read Samantha Tonge's upcoming release, The Promise of Tomorrow, and then I read The Little Provence Book Shop by Gillian Harvey

My next read, which I am starting tonight, also has a French feel, One Winter at the French Chalet by Mandy Baggot. I am more used to reading about Greece from this author so it will be interesting to see her take on France!




I'm watching

I started watching a new series on Netflex called Home for Christmas. It's actually a Norwegian rom com series which has been dubbed in English. It is about a nurse who needs to find a boyfriend before Christmas. It's actually not too bad, although maybe a bit surprising that they have made 2 whole series so far, with another on the way.

I have also watched two episodes of actor Richard E Grant's series Writers Around the World. The actor travels to Italy, France and Spain and talks about books which were set or written in the area ranging from classic books to more contemporary stories.

On Sunday afternoon we sat down and watched Star Wars: A New Hope. My stepson's girlfriend has never seen any Star Wars movie before so this was her introduction.


Life


My stepson and his girlfriend were down from Brisbane for the weekend, so we were doing the tour guide thing all weekend. 

We did have a 40th birthday to attend on Saturday night. It was formal but we could only wear black and white. I cheated a bit and did silver and black. Gave me a chance to wear a dress I bought a couple of years ago but never had the chance to wear before. It ended up being a high tea for dinner which was a bit unusual, but definitely fun!

Posts from the last week

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge: October Links

Weekend Cooking: In My Kitchen (September)

Six Degrees of Separation: Long Island to Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles




I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date

Top Ten Tuesday: Books on my Spring 2024 To-Read List

 Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Books on My Fall 2024 To-Read List. And because we are in opposite seasons, my list is my Spring reads

I've had a few weeks off from Top Ten Tuesday, mainly because I was on holidays. What that means is that I have a few half written posts that I might roll out at some point this year. However I am here for this one!

So, let's get started. 

A Secret Garden in Paris by Sophie Beaumont - I really liked The Paris Cooking School by this author so I am hoping to get to this one as soon as it comes out.

The Last List of Mabel Beaumont by Laura Pearson - I just read my first Laura Pearson and I Loved it! Even before I finished that book I had bought three more.

Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel by Rebecca Raisin - Christmas, Paris, and books. Check, check, check. I am there.

The Little Provence Book Shop by Gillian Harvey - Gillian Harvey has become a must read author for me!

Crying at H Mart by Michelle Zauner - This is the next Cook the Books selection.

At the Stroke of Midnight by Jenni Keer - According to Goodreads I am already reading this one, but in reality I think I shelved it unintentionally. I now fully intend to actually read it

The Venice Hotel by Tess Woods - See, I can do Italy as well as France!

The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore - This is getting a bit of buzz in a book group I am in.

What I Ate in One Year by Stanley Tucci - pre-ordered on audio. Can't wait for Stanley to be talking just to me. Or at least that is what listening to his last book on audio felt like

Before We Forget Kindness by Toshikazu Kawaguchi - also pre-ordered on audio. This is the next book in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series.

What books are you looking forward to?

Top Ten Tuesday: Holiday countdown!

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Ten Favorite Books from Ten Series (We all have a favorite book in our favorite series, right?) (submitted by A Hot Cup of Pleasure)

However, I have holidays on my mind, so I am going to do the last ten books I have read that have given me holiday vibes. Lucky I read a lot of escape lit at the moment!

An Island Promise by Kate Frost - Three friends go on holidays to Ibiza and promise that in 10 years time they will do it all again, except everything is different.

The Stolen Hours by Karen Swan - This book doesn't have a holiday feel at all, but it is set in Scotland and that is one of the places we are visiting.

Poppy's Parisian Patisserie by Daisy James - Poppy goes to Paris to work, but I would love to go back for holidays again and again. (my review)

Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum - I picked this one because we are going to Korea next year.

The One That I Want by Sandy Barker - This doesn't really have holiday vibes either, but it is all about London, which is one of our destinations this time. (my review)

A Love Letter from Paris by Rebecca Raisin - Paris! Paris! Paris!! (my review)

The Itinerary by Penny Pentley - This is a fun read in which the main characters starts a European trip in Rome and ends up in France.

The Riviera House Swap by Gillian Harvey - The idea of being able to swap houses and spend some time on the French Riviera sounds amazing! (my review)

The Golden Gal's French Adventure by Judy Leigh - The two main characters in this story, head off to the north of France for a life changing holiday. (my review)

A Wedding in the Sun by Leonie Mack - Two people end up getting into all sorts of adventures on the way to the wedding of their exes. (my review)

What kind of books give you holiday vibes?

Top Ten Tuesday: Purple!

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Books with My Favorite Color on the Cover. Now, if you take a look around my blog, you might notice one main colour. So it should be no surprise that my post this week features the colour purple. It could be the title is purple, the whole cover or just part of the cover. I did think I had done a post like this before, but apparently not!

French Chateau Escape by Gillian Harvey - Purple text and France!

When We Were Friends by Samantha Tonge - Can't get much more purple than this!

The French Chateau Dream by Julie Caplin  - I am sure I could find some more books with lavender on the cover

Battle Royal by Lucy Parker - I chose this one because of the purple dress

One French Summer by Gillian Harvey - More France. 

Cooking with Fernet Branca by James Hamilton-Paterson - I wasn't a big fan of this book but it is very purple.

Lilac Skies by Shivani Bansal - Same with this one!

Elodie's Library of Second Chances by Rebecca Raisin - I really like Rebecca Raisin's books and this was no exception! 

Someone I Used to Know by Paige Toon - Purple!!

How to Mend a Broken Heart by Rachael Johns - Rachael Johns is an autobuy author for me, no matter what colour the cover is.

Blog Tour: The Riviera House Swap by Gillian Harvey

 

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.

Once she arrives at Jean-Luc's house she meets his siblings, Sabine and Antoine, and soon they too are helping her in her attempts to track Pierre down. It doesn't actually take long but the question whether Pierre remembers Nina with as much fondness as she does him.

I always really enjoy Gillian Harvey's books and this was no exception.  When this book was announced I felt quite surprised. We had already had a new book this year (the excellent Bordeaux Book Club) so this was a bonus! 

What do I love about her books? I love the taste of France that she brings to life in each and every story. While each book is about expats living in France, it is always a different aspect of life. In this case, Nina is just planning to be in France for a month rather than moving there. I would be very happy to find myself living in France for a month, although I would be with my husband and not looking for a long lost love.

I did like this book, although Nina does make some strange choices! I really liked the friendships that Nina built with Sabine and Antoine, as well as the friends from home. There was a lovely little side story as well.

Once again, Gillian Harvey brings us a very readable about life in France. I just read on her socials that she has moved back to the UK after 10 years in France. I will be interested to see if there comes a point where she starts writing about life in the UK or if her love for France will sustain her through a few more books yet.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour below to see what others thought.

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog.

About the Book

The Riviera House Swap

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 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?

As two lives collide, will love bloom on the French riviera?

Purchase Link  - https://mybook.to/therivierahousesocial

About the author 

Gillian Harvey is a freelance journalist and the author of two well-reviewed women’s fiction novels published by Orion. She has lived in Limousin, France for the past twelve years, from where she derives the inspiration and settings for her books such as A Year at the French Farmhouse and A Month in Provence.

Social Media Links –  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gharveyauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GillPlusFive

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gillplusfive/

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/GillianHarveyNews

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/gillian-harvey

This week...

I'm reading

Last week I mentioned that I was starting An Astronomer in Love by Antoine Laurain. What a delight this book was. I am planning to review this and a couple of other books by this author as part of Paris in July. If you haven't read Laurain before, keep an eye out for his books!

I then continued my book visit to France and read The Riviera House Swap by Gillian Harvey. I really like her books and this was no exception. My review for this will be up later this week. 

I then have a big gap before my next review book is due, so in theory I could read anything. Do you know how hard it is to choose what to read next when there are no parameters. Talk about paralysis by analysis. In the end I started The Itinerary by Penny Pentley. You can tell from the cover that at least some of this book will be set in Paris.

I'm watching


Nothing much!


Life


The highlight of the last week was my birthday dinner. We went to a pop up restaurant called Alumni which was being run by Masterchef Australia alumni, Calum Hann. It was a four course set menu and that means that you end up eating things that you might not otherwise try! More about that in Weekend Cooking this week.

I am in Sydney for work for a couple of days this week, and then going to the Gold Coast for the weekend so it's a bit frantic here at the moment.

Posts from the last week


Top Ten Tuesday: Happy! 

Blog Tour: The Golden Gals' French Adventure by Judy Leigh

Weekend Cooking: The Chocolate Factory by Mary-Lou Stephens

Sunday Salon: Historical Fiction Reading Challenge - May Statistics



I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date

Blog Tour: The Bordeaux Book Club by Gillian Harvey

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!!

Thanks to the publisher, Rachel's Random Resources and Netgalley for the review copy

Rating 4/5

About the book

The Bordeaux Book Club

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 yields 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…

A gorgeously escapist read from the bestselling author of A Year at the French Farmhouse, perfect for fans of Veronica Henry, Jo Thomas and Fiona Valpy.

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/bookclubsocial

About the author

Internationally best-selling author of contemporary, emotionally compelling and humorous commercial fiction.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gharveyauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GillPlusFive

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gillplusfive/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gillianharveyauthor?lang=en

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/GillianHarveyNews

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/gillian-harvey