Every new book holds the excitement of possibilities; the opportunity to evoke emotion or to open our eyes and hearts to new ideas and learning, as well as take us on an adventure. This is how I feel when I start each new book. As a lover of books, I was sure that a book with the words Book Lovers in the title would definitely be the right book for me. However, it ended up being a DNF @ 50%, which is extremely rare for me.

The narrative is very poetic in its delivery and almost lyrical at times in its description. I persisted until halfway through, but the story dragged somewhat and did not contain enough to draw me further in or hold my interest.
Many other readers may love this book. Unfortunately, it did not strike a chord with me.

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the opportunity to read an eARC of this book in return for my honest opinion.

Beautifully written and reads like a series of quotable phrases. It’s a bit slow paced but well worth the journey for it’s all about love.

I adore the writings of Nina George. Her prose is simply beautiful, and The Little Village of Book Lovers is no exception. It is a lovely book that is a joy to read. It is full of interesting characters and sprinkled with life lessons, as are the rest of her books. George also does such a terrific job of making the setting a character. She makes the reader want to visit every small town and city her characters do.
Unlike her previous works, The Little Village of Book Lovers is a little more cerebral. The narrator is Love, and an olive tree is a main character. The story walks the line of fantasy. It is a story about finding love and the powers that bring us together. In the end, it is also a love letter to books and the power they have in our lives. How books can influence our thoughts, show us that we are not alone and even physically bring us together.
If you are looking for a sweet, lyrical novel without anything controversial or uncomfortable, The Little Village of Book Lovers is for you.

Marie Jeanne’s father wants to start a book bus and travel through the mountains in Southern France to share his love of books. Marie-Jeanne has a way of connecting two people who are in love and is looking for her own love. The story is told in chapters, each one narrated by a new person, Fate, Love, etc. With so many characters I found it difficult to follow. The book started out strong and was so lovely to read, but then it all just sort of fell apart. Thank you to Net Galley, the publisher, and the author for my copy of The Little Village of Book Lovers.

This was an okay book. I liked the idea, but the book just sort of dragged on for me. The writing is fine, but I just couldn't quite get into it. Maybe I'll give it another chance down the road to see if I can warm up to it more.

An amazing story! All book lovers with a penchant for historical fiction and a touch of magic will adore this book.

Such a wonderful story told by the feeling of Love as a person. From the beginning of the story Marie-Jeanne can detect where love touches each person, but she has to figure out how to get those same people connected to those who will be a good match. She tries to just introduce them but it doesn't work well, so she thinks of a way to bring them together with one of my favorite things to do, read books and she gets her kind adoptive father to help her and it works, but you'll have to read the book to find out how.
I love that there is no malice or meanness in this story and all of the characters are just finding joy where they are until love appears. I just love it. If you love "The Little Paris Bookstore," you will love the whimsical feeling you get from this book, an in a way, this story is an offspring of "The Little Paris Bookstore." Truly a feel good story.

I want to thank Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this wonderful story. Love is really something.

Thanks to NetGalley for this advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
This review will appear immediately on Goodreads.
Many of my patrons (and I mean many) enjoyed Little Paris Bookshop. They will also enjoy this book.
For me, and to quote a song, ‘I must’ve got lost somewhere down the line’. I couldn’t really latch onto the characters or storyline. I’ve read other Nina George books and enjoyed them.
We will just say, it me, not you, on this one.
I will still recommend it to patrons who want something lighter than the historical fiction books I read. It might even be done in a book club.
I always round a little up on prepub, so it will be a 3 this time.

This book totally hit me on a different level than most do, the writing is excellent. This book was absolutely stunning. This is a must read!!
I just reviewed The Little Village of Book Lovers by Nina George. #TheLittleVillageofBookLovers #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

I received a temporary digital copy of The Little Village of Book Lovers by Nina George from NetGalley, Ballantine Books and the author in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Marie-Jeanne's adopted father gets an idea to start a book bus and share novels along the mountains in the south of France. Marie-Jeanne has a special ability to see love and connect others, and desperately wants to experience being in love for herself.

I loved the writing in the first half of The Little Village of Book Lovers. Chance, Fate, Wonder, Time, Pragmatism being characters was extremely interesting and Love being the narrator was excellent. The story itself fell short. It must have been realized that half the novel was written and there was no actual story, so drop the beautiful writing and exchange it for an actual story line, which was incredibly predictable because by that time everything needed to have an ending and tying it up perfectly would be the fastest way to do so. For such a short book, it took me so long to read as I keep putting it down. Too many characters and a mess the reader has to get through -- for what, a few beautiful descriptions in the beginning? I would have stopped reading, except I felt the responsibility to finish for the review.

3.5/5 stars
The Little Village of Book Lovers is a must-read for fans of Nina George’s The Little Paris Bookshop. If you are curious about the book which Jean Perdu always recommends, this is that book! Narrated by Love, the story follows a wide cast of characters and how books have the power to change their community and bring love into their lives.
The Little Paris Bookshop is one of my favorite books and I love how it balances a lively plots with little bits of wisdom/life lessons. However, this spin-off book relies too much on the later and leaves very little room for plot. It felt very slow with little to no conflict, until the very end of the book. I really liked the concept and getting to know each character but I was left wanting more!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

In the beginning we return to Jean Perdu, from the first book “The Little Paris Bookshop” who described himself as a literary apothecary. He sold books from a barge on the Seine river, where he would match a book to his clients, to give them what they needed.
In this novel, Perdu gives us the story of a book that healed him, brought him happiness and helped him get on with his life.
The main character was Marie-Jeanne an orphan, who as she grew was able to see Love in different ways through a persons “light”. I must say for awhile I was a bit confuse with the story line, because an Olive tree could talk as well as other virtues, with the main one being love and how to achieve it.
Once I got into the story and realized who was an actual person and how they all related to the virtues presented, it became a fascinating story, with Marie-Jeanne being the conductor, who could help channel the feelings of people who needed it.
It still had the love of books and ways to get people to expand there lives by reading, mainly in the small rural areas where people thought reading was a waste of time, or their wives or children might be influenced by it.
I will probably re read it in the future, and see how I interpret it then.
I have loved this authors books and look forward to her future stories.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine

I had to DNF this book. The story was tedious and I did not like the book. I could not relate to the story.

The Little Village of Book Lovers was such a great book. It tells the story of a girl who can see a glow on people. The glow is the mark Love has left on the people around her. So she ( and Love) try and get soulmates together. What I really loved about this was the style of storytelling, especially when after a character spoke, in italics would be what they really wanted to say. It really made the book easy to relate to and kind of magical. The book did take me a bit to really get into, but once I got used to the narrator's style and figured out what was going on, it really grabbed me.

This was a cute idea and I really wanted to love it, but there was too much going on and I felt the book blurb was misleading.
I liked the idea of Love as a being, and all the others. How we are touched by one at some point in our life and effected. There could have been a more epic tale to tell, but this wasn't it. Which is why I'm giving this read a two star. It wasn't my kind of story, but that doesn't mean it isn't someone else's. I hope this review helps. Happy Reading and Blessed Be.
Lily Ashtree

Go into this book with an open mind and heart and you will be rewarded.

The narrator is untraditional, which takes some getting used to. Once you fall under the narrative's spell, this is a delightful story about the nature of love. The village is charming, and the author definitely made me want to visit this part of France.

I let the narrative wash over me and felt enveloped in love. This is a charming and heartwarming read.

The Little Village of Book Lovers was a very different kind of book for me. A book where Fate Love, Death and talking Olive Trees peaked my curiosity. Marie- Jeanne who as a baby lost her parents and who then was raised by her grandmother who then also dies and leaves the child on her own. Until a lovely couple Francis and Elsa raise her as their own. The one thing Marie- Jeanne lacks as she grows up is a true love of her life. You see Marie Jeanne not only has a love of books, but she can also bring people together in love. She can do this for the people in her village except for herself. Or can she?
While Marie Jeanne is growing up her foster dad brings together her love of books which some people think is foolish, by putting together a traveling library to the mountain areas of Nyons. As they travel the regions Marie Jeanne finds herself bringing love and togetherness to the many people in the area. Bringing "The Glow" as she calls it to everyone but herself. Why can't she find someone ? Even talking to her sacred olive trees doesn't seem to help. So Marie Jeanne throws herself into the mobile library, expanding it and bringing happiness and love to the people she has come to lover herself.. Even her foster parents get in on this love frenzy and hope they can find their way back to each other.

All and all I loved the way this book was written. Read through the eyes of Love, Fate Death and even Olive Trees made it a very interesting read. Roaming through the regions of Nyons made me feel like I was with Marie Jeanne in her mobile library. Ms. George brought the book to life with her descriptive writing. I just felt it to a long while to get to the point of the story, but I loved the characters and especially Marie Jeanne. Seeing how she grew into a young women with a purpose, and her love of books and making sure all in hervillage was exposed not only to love but to the joy of reading.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC and Ms. George for a beautifully written books. Looking forward to more from Ms. George.

The Little Village of Book Lovers by Nina George follows the story of orphaned Marie-Jeanne, who can see the marks of love on people's faces and hands. The novel is set in a small town in the south of France and follows Marie-Jeanne's life as she grows up, helps her foster father start a mobile library, and tries to find her soulmate.

While the idea behind the novel is intriguing, this reader needed help to follow the narrative and fully engage with the characters. Although the setting is vivid, and readers who have traveled through France will recognize many of the visual elements, it often felt lost in the story.

While it was a decent read, it lacked the emotional resonance one expects from a story that centers around love and soulmates.

As a bookseller, I love any book that is based around book stores, the love of books, etc. So this title of course caught my eye. While it was not my favorite literary book, I did like this and will recommend to customers. It's really a middle of the road for me, was goo, enjoyed, but wasn't amazing.

Courtesy of Penguin Random House Publishing and Netgalley, I received the ARC of The Little Village of Book Lovers by Nina George. This lyrical, poetic, and creative novel describes the influence of literature and love on the people of a small French village. Guided by Love and a young girl, relationships are revealed by glowing lights and influenced by matchmaking powers. This story transported me with every chapter!