The Little French Bistro title calls to mind a carefree afternoon of sipping something tasty and people watching. However, the bistro in question is a respite for Marianne; a do-over, a reset. When we first meet Marianne, she is not in a good place, physically or mentally, but mystical intervention keeps her afloat. I love the happy-joy-joy that comes from a makeover, but I found little in TLFB and when it does shine through it is so flighty that you can easily miss it. Despite the flowery prose and interesting cast of characters, TLFB never sprang off the page for me. The leisurely pace and Marianne’s melancholy nature failed to capture my entire interest. I enjoy a subtle tale, but this style left me wanting for more depth and emotion, which is odd since the primary focus of this story is Marianne and her thoughts and feelings. I wanted to love The Little French Bistro. Instead, it felt like a nice enough rest stop, but not somewhere to stay for the long haul.

Even better than the Little Paris Book Shop, but in a way this book is similar. The main character is a woman a little past middle aged. It is a story of love lost, love found, life and death. Characters are so well drawn I felt I knew them. What a joy to read about ordinary poeple, with ordinary lives. The author obviously knows Brittany well. I am sure this book will do well, it is a joy to read a book that is so well written.

This is a journey of discovery by a 60 year old woman. It is poignant, sad and ultimately happy. The cast of characters were confusing but ultimately likable. Somewhat contrived magical realism.

A lovely summer read, especially for those of us with a few streaks of gray in our hair. It is so wonderful when a woman goes off the rails and enters "the life that should have been." Tuck this one into your travel bag as a suitable companion for your own summer adventure.

3 1/2 stars

I had a hard time getting through the Little French Bistro, an unusual occurrence for me. The book was not what I had expected, and the cheery title doesn't match the story. I enjoyed Nina George's The Little Paris Bookshop, and I was expecting something similar from this book.

The book started out in a very depressing way, with Marianne running away from her husband to Paris and trying to kill herself. She gets to the Breton region of France rather improbably, and accidentally becomes a cook in a bistro. She keeps up the running away/changing her mind through most of the book, even after she got into what seemed to be a happy and safe position. I lost patience with her and her attitude.

On the positive side, the descriptions of the Breton region of France were evocative and the rest of the characters were sympathetic and likeable. I like Nina George's writing, but was not fond of this particular book.

This was a gorgeous little story about a not-happily-married owman and what she does to get out of a bad marriage. I adored it! Just as lovely as her previous book.

I love this book. After really enjoying her first book, I was hopeful this would be as good and was not disappointed. George's characters are touching in their everydayness. The focus is on the struggle within to love oneself and to find ones place. And yet, the story focuses just as much on the place as the people. The combination is for a powerful and engaging story that I was sad to get to the end of.

A magical book. Lyrical and empowering.
I know I will return to this book many times when I need reminding to live life fully and authentically. Also, when I need to be reminded to pay attention to the very real and visceral power a place can hold for the soul.

Author Nina George excels at finding the heart and soul of emotionally deprived but ordinary people. This novel carries much of the same fanciful, romantic longings that speak to the hearts of many readers. The setting is superb, of course -- the Brittany region of France. We have again a deeply sad character who encounters a breakthrough in emotions and body at 61 years of age. This novel will appeal greatly to those fans of George's previous novel, The Little Paris Bookshop. It won't disappoint those fans with the lush Brittany setting, the eccentric cast of characters, and the lovingly described food, art, and music that surrounds the story. For true romantics who like contemporary settings.

Marianne is a 60-year-old German woman who has decided her life isn't worth living. After a failed attempt to end it, she is drawn far away from her past life and her husband to a quaint town by the sea, where she makes a new and very different life. This is a very emotional story of her trials as she slowly finds herself, the self she left behind many years before. At first, it is complicated by the number of characters and their relationships, but by the end of the book, you know them all and hate to see them go. I was reading an ebook version and was disappointed when there was no more. The ending snuck up on me and left me wanting more.

Thank you to Crown Publishing and NetGalley for this Advanced Reading Copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

Nina George always creates such beauty with her written words and The Little French Bistro is no exception. When I finish one of her novels I feel as if I am losing dear friends. I hate to say goodbye to the wonderful characters she creates. I wish their stories could go on and on or at least let us check back in with them at some point!

I'm already eagerly anticipating Nina George's next novel! I can't wait to be enchanted again.

Marianne, a 60 year old German housewife, was on a tour of Paris with her husband, Lothar, when she decided to take her own life. She snuck out of a restaurant where the tour group was dining and walked to a nearby bridge. After she jumped, she was rescued by onlookers and ended up in a hospital. The following day she escaped from the hospital with just her clothes. Soon she found a tile painted of a scene in Kerdruc, a town in Brittany. She took a train to the town and immediately began a new life there.

First she was hired at Ar Mor, the little French bistro. Then she was given a room in a quaint guest house. Eventually she was befriended by many of the quirky residents of the town and even found love. She gained self confidence and made a life for herself. However Marianne's insecurities and self doubt, the reasons for her suicide attempt, all returned when her husband, Lothar, came looking for her.

I found this book difficult to get into and almost put it down. The first quarter of the book dealt with the suicide attempt and it's aftermath. Marianne's low self esteem and the lack of interest in her by her husband of 41 years, seemed to be the reason why she was despondent. I also found Marianne's quick transformation from a door mouse to an independent woman a bit unrealistic. I enjoyed the author's previous book, The Little Paris Bookshop much more.

I could not engage with this story after reading the beginning - it was just too much too soon.

Marianne is a 60-year old German woman in an unhappy marriage. When her original plan to escape her marriage is foiled, she sets off on a Plan B. This takes her to the ends of France, to Breton. Here she engrains herself in the lives of a small village by the sea. The novel also details the relationships of other members of the community. A good read, but lots of characters. It is sometimes hard to remember who's who.
I received an advanced reader copy via NetGalley.

I was hesitant to read after being disappointed in George's first book, but I was carried away into the beautiful, transformative world of Kedruc in Brittany. Marianne is a 60 year old woman who has been married to a selfish dolt. On a trip to Paris, she decides to end it all at the Pont Neuf. If you ever dreamed of leaving the world you know and reinventing yourself, you will understand Marianne and her journey, meeting new people and experiencing love and life to its fullest. Highly recommend this poetically written story.

Because I love Nina George's work I could not wait to start reading this one. And I read straight through until I finished. This is a story that will stay with me for a very long time, one that resonated with me quite loudly. Now I'm already tapping my toe waiting for Ms. George's next book.

What t about France? We Americans are drawn to it like butterflies to nectar. Add the tale of a woman who decides to make a go of it on her own and you have a the ultimate escape story. Over forty years of marriage have left Marianne unhappy and unfulfilled, and she makes the momentous decision to start over again on the coast of Brittany. She begins to enjoy life again with the unusual, but friendly locals and learns to savor the small things in life and to let go, relax and find meaning in her life. There’s nothing momentous in this book, it’s just a lovely escape from a very troubled world. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Marianne and her friends in their lovely village