It was sweet and cosy and like a warm hug in book form. It was an easy read that would not let me go

A brilliant read and one I really enjoyed. A heartwarming, relaxing read. The characters are loveable and varied, the plot is one that is engaging and medium paced. I found myself completely drawn into the story and enjoyed the writing style.

I was expecting a bookshop story, but the letter writing was intriguing, partly because it’s so rare these days. I liked the relationships formed between the characters but it read slowly for me. 3 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

This was not my favourite book but it wasn't terrible either. The writing style was generally good, but I don't understand the title as there is not really a bookshop in the story. Characters are well developed, the pace is a bit slow and feels long despite actually being quite a short book at less than 250 pages. The tone is heartwarming and sweet, and is definitely a light read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this book!

 This book had it all for me and that was it. I had to read this to see what it was all about. I was not disappointed and enjoyed the content. Enjoyed this book. I want to find more of her books.

Such wonderful characters to get to know. Getting to hear their stories and see their personalities was so much fun.
A character driven story that kept me engaged and intrigued.
Be aware that this is not a story about books as much as it is a story about the old art of letter writing. The title is quite wrong if you ask me. I would think “The Little French Writing Group” would fit better.
All in all, a ok read I did enjoy.

I included this book is my most anticipated reads for the first half of this year; and I did enjoy this read, though not as much as I thought I would.

I loved the letter writing concept of this book, and especially loved reading the exchanges between some of the characters(Samuel and Jean, Nicholas and John). It was heartwarming and delightful at the same time to watch the characters talk about their problems, help each other with those problems through their letters, and to see that words help.

Note that the only connection to a bookshop is that the main character Esther owns one. Since the characters write to two other characters in this book, as part of the writing workshop, there is some repetition, but it is also refreshing to see how they talk about the same issue or event to different people. There were some parts of the book where I felt that I missed something earlier, and had to go back to look for it (though I realized later that it was meant to be implied or maybe, even lost in translation, literally).

Overall, a read that warms your heart.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Netgalley for the digital review copy of the book. These are my honest opinions of the book.

This book had a different format to most - it took me a while to get used to it, but I did like it - I had to keep concentrating to remember the characters but the development of the relationships was nice.

Lyrical, evocative and character driven - this novel's sense of place and people will transport you. The kind of novel you want to devour in one sitting.

A light-hearted and heartwarming epistolary novel that warms the cockles and demonstrates the power of genuine human connection in a time where we're in contact with more people than ever before.

Thank you NetGalley for my free copy!

I was planning a trip to Paris and was in the mood to read something set it France to get me in the French spirit. It was a cute book, very light and entertaining. I really liked the premise where one of the main characters organizes a letter writing workshop and a whole bunch of different characters sign up for various reasons. I think the author developed her characters well and I definitely found myself rooting for all of them. I think my only "complaint" is that I would have loved the book to be entirely written in epistolary style. If you're looking for something on the lighter side, I would recommend this book.

There seem to be a lot of books on the market about French bookshops at the moment, which is definitely a topic that appeals to me.

I enjoyed the epistolary aspect of the novel in which various characters shared their experiences. The premise and construct were clever but, at times, I found it difficult to relate and the writing style wasn't for me. However, lots of other readers appear to have enjoyed this book so it is just a question of personal preference.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of The Little French Bookshop in exchange for an honest review.

The writing style of Pivots book takes you back to a time before internet, cell phones and texting. Its a time where friendships and people connected by writing to each other and posting snail mail. This drew me to The Little French Bookshop, along with the fact that bookshops are warm welcoming places I absolutely love.

Esther, a French bookseller grieving her father's death, decides to conduct a 'Letter Writing Workshop' and places an ad in a newspaper. She gets an average response and a five people join her adventure Through their letter conversations we see how they share their the ups and downs with each other and how writing allows them to form new relationships and make peace with their situations.

The heart of this story is the love for books and how they can bring people together during good times and bad. It makes me sad that letter writing has grown out of fashion in an ever increasing world of technology. Pivot has written and shared a delightful story - from start to finish.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Cecile Pivot and Hodder & Stoughton for taking me back to the joyful days when opening the mailbox and finding a handwritten note broght connections and smiles.

Esther runs a bookshop and loves exchanging letters with her father. When she loses him, she decides to keep the tradition alive, inviting people to join her letter writing workshop. Five people sign up: a disillusioned businessman, a husband and wife struggling with her postpartum depression, a lonely elderly widow, and an awkward teenager trying to deal with his brother's death from cancer. They are all asked to answer one question: What Battles Are You Fighting?

❤️ I liked:⁠
Epistolary novel. I love the genre. Writing letters is something we are not used to doing anymore, and I think it's such a pity. It's much more personal, intimate and emotional than just sending an email, isn't it?
The style. It's easy to read and follow. I loved that we don't know anything about the characters at the beginning of the book and that we discover their stories through the letters.
Sensitive topics. All the characters are suffering for very different reasons: Postpartum depression, loneliness, survivor's guilt, social activism... I liked how all these topics were explained and discussed in the letters.

🤔 I wasn't sure about:⁠
The English title is a bit misleading. Except for the fact that Esther owns it, I couldn't find anything that remotely relates to The little French bookshop. To be honest, I found myself to be a bit misled.

I loved the premise of this book, but found that it fell flat on the page for me. The only character that really grabbed my attention was Juliette, and I quickly found myself only wanting to read her letters and skimming past everyone else's. I also felt like every character writing to two different characters caused uninteresting repetition. Although, I realize part of the theme of the book is overcoming grief, to me, it felt like all of the characters had a weight that just dragged the story down. Coping with the death of loved ones, or the loss of a good marriage, or poor Juliette struggling with PPD.
Normally, I love epistolary novels and fly right through them. This one bogged me down and I wasn't excited to come back to it. Maybe it's a good book at the wrong time, but this just didn't do it for me.

A beautifully written novel, I loved all the characters, and definitely wanted to join the secret group. Very heartwarming and emotional.

I don't know if this just wasn't my vibe or I tried reading it at the wrong time. It was cute and sweet but not my thing.
The main character and her need to control how the other people were writing their letters was a bit annoying to me.

When French bookseller Esther loses her father, she decides to place an ad in a newspaper, inviting struggling readers to join her secret letter writing workshop.
To Esther's surprise, applications pile in by the dozens - and before long, an elderly lady, a disillusioned businessman, a disheartened couple and an awkward teenager find themselves sharing stories, seeking advice, and forging new friendships. Extraordinary. Outstanding… absolutely amazing… just wow!… this book is exquisite. Absolute perfection. A masterpiece.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for a gifted copy of The Little French Bookshop by Cecile Pivot. All opinions are my own.

This is a story told in letters. Esther sets up a writing workshop between five strangers. They share their lives and their secrets with each other as they learn the art of letter writing. The characters have very different lives and very different personalities which helps the reader to be able to relate to one or more of the characters.

Note: I was disappointed that Esther's bookshop was not part of the story.

General Fiction (adult)
Romance
Women's Fiction
Release Date: February 3, 2022

3 stars

You can read all of my reviews on my blog Nerd Girl Loves Books.

This is a good epistolary fiction set in contemporary France. Esther runs a bookshop and when she loses her father to suicide, she runs an ad in the newspaper inviting people to join her letter writing workshop. Five people sign up - a disillusioned businessman, a husband and wife struggling with her postpartum depression, a lonely elderly widow, and an awkward teenager trying to deal with his brother's death from cancer. The group meet first in person to get to know each other, and are asked to answer one simple question: What Battles Are You Fighting?

After their first meeting, each person chooses two people to write to, and must follow the prompts that Esther provides each week. Initially cautious in their writing, the group eventually begin to open up to each other about their life and the battles they are fighting, and soon they are sharing hopes, dreams, fears and advice with each other.

I had high hopes for this book because I really enjoy reading epistolary books (a literary work in the form of letters), but this book left me wanting. The author did a fair job of developing the characters, however I felt like their growth throughout the book was more minimal than I wanted. I also felt that some of the letters exchanged between people were really disjointed and I couldn't really figure out the point the author was trying to make. Perhaps the meaning was just a bit too subtle for me to grasp - who knows.

I enjoyed the letters between Jean (the widow) and Samuel (the teenagers) and felt that Jean provided non-judgmental acceptance and guidance from an adult to Samuel that he was lacking in his strained relationship with his parents. Some of the letters left me upset and uncomfortable (which was perhaps the author's intention) and others didn't resonate with me, mainly because the subject matter didn't interest me.

The book is well-written and flows smoothly. I think a lot of people will enjoy this book, it just wasn't for me mainly because of some of the subject matter of the book just didn't interest me.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton. All opinions are my own.